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SAVE THE TREES Petition to stop cutting nesting trees of Philippine Eagle pushed STORY ON PAGE 2
A pet groomer trims the hair of a dog inside a shop along Tionko Avenue in Davao City on Friday. Pet grooming sector is one of the few industries that least impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic in Davao City. Edge Davao
2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 224 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
President Rodrigo Duterte, accompanied by Senator Christopher Lawrence“Bong”Go and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, inspects the facilities of the newly constructed Malasakit Hall at the Zamboanga International Airport in Zamboanga City on Thursday. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
A SAVE THE TREES Petition to stop cutting nesting
Malayan Colleges in Davao City now readying to reopen HS, college campuses
trees of Philippine Eagle pushed By MAYA M. PADILLO
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questing DENR-Davao to affirm MMACA’s designation as an environmentally critical area in the Davao City based on the Watershed Management Code, and improve MMACA’s protection as a conservation area. Dennis Joseph Salvador, executive director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), told Edge Davao because of the cutting of mature trees one of PEF’s eagle pairs in Barangay Salaysay in Davao City is threatened because of the cutting of
trees in its nesting territory. “Private property daw but this property lies in the city’s conservation and watershed area. Ayaw nila i-cancel ang permit even though illegal ang cutting because the trees are located in an area that has more than 18 degrees of slope and the species is protected by law. Additionally, nag petition na community kay watershed nga nila ito,” he said. Salvador said there is already evidence that Dabawenyos care about the water resources and the protection of the environment yet an agency mandated to do it apparently cares more about the individual landowner and the permit they issued than everyone else’s welfare. “I can’t believe that they
who are mandated to protect our natural heritage would allow a landowner to cut “over mature” trees in a Philippine Eagle nesting territory which also serves as a watershed for the local community. The area has also been declared as a conservation area by the Davao City government. Who else then will speak for those who have no voice?” Salvador said. The petition, which is posted on the Ecoteneo Facebook Page, is calling everyone in saving Mts. Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area to secure the lifeblood of all the residents of Barangay Salaysay in Davao City and spare the only home for a family of the IUCN “critically endangered” the Philippine Eagle Pithecophaga jefferyithe country’s national bird.
Task Force Central (JTFC), identified the slain DI member as Adsam, son of Hassan Indal, a field leader of the terror group in Maguindanao. Uy, quoting a report from Lt. Col. Charlie Banaag, the Army’s 6th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, said Adsam was killed following an encounter on Wednesday night in Sitio Ulangkaya,
Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona Mustapha. Banaag disclosed that the firefight transpired after residents of the village alerted government forces about the presence of armed men extorting food supplies in the village. Banaag sent his men to verify the report but they were fired upon by the armed men, triggering a brief clash that left
Adsam dead. “The timely information from the community and the intensified security operations of the JTFC against the DI and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters continues to weaken the violent extremist groups,” said Col. Pedro Balisi, commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade, the mother unit of the 6IB.
petition calling for urgent response from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources-Davao (DENR-Davao) is now being pushed to save the nesting territory of the Philippine Eagle and a watershed area in Davao City. Ecoteneo, the advocacy group for environmental protection and conservation of Ateneo de Davao University, is petitioning for the cancelation of the Private Land Timber Permit No. RXI-PLTP-001 2021 was issued for the cutting of 121 old-growth trees within the Mounts Makabol-Alikoson Conservation Area (MMACA), which is considered a nesting place of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle. The group is also re-
DI sub-leader’s son slain in Maguindanao clash
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son of a Dawlah Islamiya (DI) terror group sub-leader was killed in an encounter with government forces in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in this province, the military here said Thursday. Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) commander and concurrent chief of the military-led Joint
n institution in Davao City, also known as Malayan Colleges Mindanao, A Mapúa School, is making preparations for the reopening of campus for limited faceto-face classes later this year or early next year. This follows the release of separate Joint Memorandum Circulars (JMC) of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd) with the Department of Health (DOH), namely, CHED-DOH JMC 2021-001 and DepEdDOH JMC No. 001 s.2021, respectively. Based on CHED-DOH’s JMC 2021-001, Engineering, HRM, Tourism, and Marine Transportation programs have been approved for limited face-to-face classes. Meanwhile, based on DepEd- DOH JMC No. 001 s.2021, pilot face-to-face classes will start on November 15, 2021. “MCM is in the process of adjusting its physical plant and facilities (campus, laboratories, library, etc.) [to follow] safety and health protocols [and] to comply with CHED, DepEd, and DOH’s Joint Memorandum Circulars.” shared Engr. Alejandro H. Ballado, Vice President for Academic Affairs at MCM. The iPeople Schools, including MCM, have been planning for possible school reopening as soon as the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was declared in March 2020. As such, the school strictly mandates proper guidelines and protocols in-campus to ensure health and safety, including protocols for students exhibiting minor coughs, colds, or fever. The main highlight is MCM’s classrooms and laboratories which have been arranged accordingly to observe social distancing and proper ventilation — such as fitted acrylic barriers installed between teachers and
students, air-conditioning, open windows, and fan for sustained airflow measured by an anemometer; and an arranged blended learning set-up. An online and limited face-to-face set-up in the classroom has been prepared by the institution by use of its video-conferencing tools such as Microsoft Teams to stream the ongoing class to other students who are watching from home — optimizing the online and offline classroom set-up while still ensuring that those who do not have fast internet connection can still watch the recording of the session in their own time. Prior to the actual campus reopening for limited face-to-face classes, MCM will conduct consultations with parents, students, faculty, non-teaching personnel, and LGU to address any concerns. Afterward, Authority to Reopen will be secured from the CHED and DepEd regional offices with close coordination as well from the Davao City local government officials. Moreover, MCM is continually preparing the entire campus for the rest of the College Programs’ and High School Department’s openings, in anticipation of CHED and DepEd’s further release of additional guidelines. “Once the school has completed the retrofitting of the campus and the relevant adjustments, the school will conduct a self-assessment and eventually submit its application to CHED and DepEd Region XI offices for the necessary evaluation and approval.” Engr. Alejandro H. Ballado further explained. After receiving approval from CHED and DepEd, MCM will gradually reopen the campus for College and High School students to accommodate those who want to participate in limited face-to-face classes.
EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 224 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
NEWS
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After being locked down in their homes for almost two years, residents of Kauswagan came in droves to witness the opening night of the municipality’s Christmas display. MindaNews photo by RICHEL V. UMEL
SIMEX to evaluate inter-operability, readiness of the city’s responders By MAYA M. PADILLO
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he Simulation Excercise (SIMEX) set on December 4, 2021 at SM Lanang Premier aims to evaluate the interoperability and readiness of Davao City’s responders against terror attacks. Angel Sumagaysay, head of the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC), said the activity is part of the city’s routine exercise to identify areas of improvement and test the readiness against terror threats. The simulation will be participated in by the members of the securi-
ty cluster including the Task Force Davao and the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) that will be responding to a mock improvised explosive device (IED) attack. The drill will gauge the interoperability of the members of the security cluster in addressing the threat. “Naa ta’y controlled
First int’l flight out of Davao airport since pandemic departs
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ingapore Airlines’ lowcost subsidiary airline Scoot, which landed at the Davao International Airport (DIA) on December 1, 2021, is the first international airline to service a direct international flight since the start of the pandemic. Scoot was carrying 102 passengers during its maiden flight will fly Singapore-Davao-Singapore every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday arriving in Davao at 2:00 pm and departing for Singapore at 2:40 pm. Singapore Airlines, through its former subsidiary Silk Air, used to have regular weekly flights to Davao City, however, stopped the service since the closure of the Davao International Airport (DIA) to all international flights due
to Covid-19. Meanwhile, the city government of Davao recently scrapped the negative RT-PCR test results as a requirement in entering Davao City. Under Executive Order No. 66 stated, which took effect on November 16, 2021, until January 15, 2022, states that “All travelers entering Davao City by land and all arriving domestic travelers by sea and air shall no longer be required to present their 2472 hours negative RT-PCR test results. “No document shall be required for entry into Davao City, except for security checks that may be required by the AFP and PNP personnel, for anti-crime, anti-illegal drugs, and anti-terrorism operations,” it added. By Maya M. Padillo
IED explosions after which procedures and protocols of how to respond ug diha nato ugma makita ang inter-operability and operational readiness of the security cluster. Halos tanan members ng security cluster involved ani,” Sumagaysay said. Similar to the previous SIMEX, Sumagaysay said it is expected that traffic will happen as there will be a short lockdown to evaluate the readiness of the responders and the reactions of the mallgoers. “Gina-assure nato ang public na dili ni makahatag ug problema ugma
because yung series of meetings and epekto sa SIMEX amo ni ginatan-aw considering the fact na kanang lugar crowded and congested with mallgoers and other people who are working. Maaring may traffic because one of the consideration there is magkaroon ng lockdown but very short only, tan-awon lang namo ang reactions ng responders and of course reactions ng mga tao,” he said. He said Dabawenyos should be open to exercises like SIMEX for them to be prepared against terror attacks. He also said the activity will also serve as a refresher for the re-
sponders’ inter-operability and readiness and the integrative response of the responders. The exercise is also timely as the Christmas holiday draws near, which is expected to attract a crowd, especially inside malls. Although there is no direct threat to the city, he, however, said that they will not be complacent, hence, the SIMEX. The SIMEX also aims to strengthen the implementation of the Culture of Security in Davao City. The Culture of Security was conceptualized and launched by the city government of Davao and Task Force Davao (TFD)
on July 1, 2020, to ensure that bombing incidents in Davao City will not happen again. Through the campaign, Dabawenyos are urged to volunteer themselves for inspection and help in the implementation of security measures in the city; report all suspicious persons and activities in their community; remind friends and family of all the security regulations within Davao City; and Participate in implementing the culture of security within their workplace, school, purok, subdivision and to be an active part of their community defense system.
matugunan ng pamahalaan upang masiguradong mabilis na gumugulong ang hustisya,” Escudero pointed out, as he cited a recent report which showed that a PAO lawyer handles an average of 5,300 clients per year. “This is too much too handle,” said Escudero, who is a lawyer himself. “Hindi naman mga superman at superwoman ang ating mga abogado sa PAO.” In a recent statement, PAO chief Persida Acosta said the agency has more than 2,000 lawyers nationwide, from the 1,048 headcount in 2019, providing free legal as-
sistance to the public. “Nguni’t kung titingnan natin ang buong bilang, hindi sapat ito upang mas maraming mapaglingkuran nang epektibo ang mas nakararami nating mga kababayan na walang sapat na kakayahan na kumuha ng abogado o makapag-kunsulta man lang,” according to Escudero, who is seeking a fresh mandate for a full six-year senatorial term in the 2022 national elections. The former senator further noted that the number of public attorneys should also be rationally distributed based on the number of Regional Trial Court (RTC) branches con-
centration to help eliminate the backlog in the courts. As of 2019, there are 640,000 pending cases nationwide in the RTC level. On his last term as senator during the 17th Congress from 2016 to 2019, Escudero supported the creation of 22 additional RTC branches in various parts of the country. Of the current 959 RTCs, the National Capital Region has the most number of branches totaling to 288, followed by Region IV (CALABARZON and MIMAROPA) with 96 RTC branches and Region II (Central Luzon) with 75 branches.
Chiz says PAO needs more lawyers to boost free legal aid to indigents
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orsogon Gov. and senatorial aspirant Chiz Escudero cited the need to beef up the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)’s pool of lawyers to provide legal assistance to Filipinos who cannot afford to hire their own lawyers. Escudero, who chaired the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights from 20072013 when he was a senator, said PAO should design programs that will encourage more lawyers to join their team of public defenders. “Napakarami sa ating mga kababayan ang nangangailangan ng libreng abogado mula sa PAO. Dapat itong
4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 224 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
On the main mission of his visit to Davao City:
Davao is the first destination of my mission. In going out it is important to understand the challenges like poverty, security, the challenges and issues that the country has to deal with. This is my main reason of visit here to interact, to speak to people, to learn and see which way we can enhance the relationship between Israel and the Philippines.”
Ilan Fluss
Israel Ambassador to the Philippines
EDITORIAL
Orphaned?
It must have been hard for the diehard Duterte supporters to deal with the fact that the next elected President will not be a Duterte. Most of them still shaking their heads until now.
Marcos, and Duterte allies Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, everyone was still hoping and praying for Mayor Sara.
As early as six years ago just when President Rodrigo Duterte, considered a darkhorse at the start of the presidential campaign, marched up the stairs of Malacanang as the 16th President of the Philippines, everyone has started to train their eyes on his daughter Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Thus, it was not surprising that Mayor Sara’s build up started from Day 1 of the Duterte presidency.
Seeing Sara running for Vice President, for many observers, was like accepting the fate of a probability no Duterte supporter will imagine--for her to be no. 2 to a no. 1 Leni Robredo if the latter succeeds in the presidential race. This scenario would likely haunt President Duterte.
What really happened? They didn’t know what hit them.
To assign the term “heir apparent” or “successor” to Mayor Sara’s name didn’t need an active human brain to comprehend. Thus, the lead up to the filing of candidacy was focused on the presidential daughter’s decision to take on the call up. Despite the filing of candidacies by former Senator Bongbong
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Mayor Sara looks unbeatable at both President and VP, but opting for no. 2 could be disastrous for the BBM-Sara tandem. It’s like putting your best horse at the rear end.
And for the diehard Duterte supporters, it’s like having to live an orphaned life. 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
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
At the close of the November 15 deadline, the dreams and aspirations of the legions of Duterte supporters fizzled out.
SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance
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EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 224 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
VANTAGE POINTS
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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!
PHILIPPINE FORESTS: GOING, GOING, GONE? If it does not do something drastic now, the Philippines would be the first country in Asia to completely lose its forest cover soon. Experts say that the country lost most of its forest in the past 50 years. The next generation will have to seek solutions to this problem. At the recent fifth ASEAN Plus Three Junior Science Odyssey held at the University of the Philippines Los Baños in Laguna, Dr. Rodel Castro was quoted as saying: “There’s only a little time left. Your generation will inherit this problem (on climate change) and it is, indeed, your generation that will have to wrestle and seek solutions to this problem.” “We have lost most of our forest of old over the past 50 years and, along with them, many of the ecological services they provide,” deplores Peter Walpole, executive director of the Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC). In 1934, forests comprised more than half (54%) of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares. In 2010, the forest cover had gone down to 23% or about 6.8 million hectares, according to a report compiled by the Senate Economic Planning Office (SEPO). Based on the 2010 satellite imageries released by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA),
open forests accounted for 68% (4.595 million hectares) of the country’s total forest cover, 28% are closed forests while the rest are mangroves. Most of the remaining mangroves can be found in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Caraga Region has the highest total forest cover in Mindanao, with 683,112 hectares. Davao Region is closely trailed with 428,716 hectares. The rest of the regions: Northern Mindanao (377,858 hectares), ARMM (301,894 hectares), and Zamboanga Peninsula (176,918 hectares). “Where have all our forests gone?” asked Jethro P. Adang, director of the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC). “Why are we losing our trees at a very fast rate?” The ever-growing population can be partly blamed. “The most likely causes were the increase in population – up from more than 500,000 in 1521 to around seven million in 1900,” the ESSC publication surmised. Today, the Philippines is home to more than 100 million Filipinos. “This was accompanied by the spread of commercial crops (abaca, tobacco and sugarcane) and by growth of pasture lands for cattle raising as the
Philippines became part of the world economy,” the publication continued. But logging – both legal and illegal – is seen as the primary culprit. “An important source of deforestation has been the dramatic expansion of destructive logging,” wrote Robert Repetto in The Forest for the Trees? Government Policies and the Misuse of Forest Resources. “Logging is more than an ecological problem,” the book, Saving the Earth, published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, surmised. “It is a social, political and economic dilemma as well. At the root of the malaise are stupendous profits and the ease with which they can be raked in.” Upland migration and agricultural expansion had also contributed to the fast disappearance of the country’s forest cover. “Some 80,000 to 120,000 families cleared an estimated 2.3 million hectares of forest land,” Repetto wrote. “The spread of shifting cultivation largely reflects population growth and the economy’s failure to provide employment alternatives for the country’s rural poor.” The ESSC believes that had all these factors been carried out in a manner that contributed to the overall development of the
country, “the majority of the people could have benefited.” However, historical land classification indicates that only very few people – less than 500 individuals or corporations – had held access rights to most of the country’s forest resources. “This figure highlights the injustice,” the ESSC publication points out. The ESSC thinks the responsibility for the present sad state of the Philippine forests rests with past administrations. “There has been a near total failure on the part of the government to recognize the socio-cultural and ecological values of the forests,” it says, adding that they failed “to recognize any value except shortterm economic gain.” The ESSC also fears that this “short-term economic gain” thinking may also be “repeated in the drive to adopt mining as the answer to our economic development.” In the Philippines, mining operations are oftentimes located in ancestral land, forest land, and even prime agricultural land. But the destruction caused by deforestation is already written on the wall. “Deforestation has left upper watersheds unprotected, destabilizing river flows, with significant effects on fish population and agriculture,” Repetto wrote. “The implications for hydroelectric
projects and irrigation facilities have already become apparent in Luzon, where anticipated lifetimes of important reservoirs have been cut in half by sedimentation.” The Philippine Eagle Foundation said that a pair of Philippine eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as nesting territory. “The Philippine eagle has become a critically endangered species because the loss of forest has made it lose its natural habitat,” explained Dennis Salvador, PEF’s executive director. According to Dr. Rodel D. Lasco, a member of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), deforestation is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions. “Ten billion to 12 billion tons of carbon dioxide are released per year due to deforestation, that is loss of forest, as well as through agriculture, such as livestock, soil and nutrient management,” he pointed out. That’s why Filipinos are urged to plant a tree – even at the end of the world, so goes a saying. American President Theodore Roosevelt once reminded: “A person without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless.”
ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD
JESUIT ACCOUNT OF DAVAO’S FALL One of the interesting accounts written about the conquest of Davao by the Spanish-led 1848 expedition was Jesuit priest Fr. Mateo Gisbert’s narrative that was included as one of two exhibits in the 1902 U.S. Annual Report of the War Department. The padre’s account is rich in details and clearly written, citing the Oyanguren expedition as ‘a very small force’ fighting Datu Bago who was capable of bringing together over 400 fighters at any given time. But with a superiorly armed party battling under divine protection, the voyage, right from the start, already felt favored. Before reaching the bay, the expedition had already come across a boatload of Moro pirates at Cape San Agustin, which they overpowered. Another inspiring happening that afforded the party confidence was the reception and
pleasantness extended by the residents of the gulf who confided of the ‘robberies and outrages’ committed by the Moros. When told of the purpose of the expedition and the intent to establish a Christian authority, the inhabitants declared their support to the invading team, warning them of the cannons the Moros had and the fort that secured the entrance to Datu Bago’s territory. The Oyanguren expedition reached Malipano island in September 1848 where they got a handful of information from the Samal leaders who were similarly angered by the incursions in their areas by raiders belonging to Datu Bago’s company of assistants. The datu’s main turf had other features. On top of an elevation called Tagum (where the first Spanish graveyard was opened at San Pedro Extension),
another fortress with cannon and men was strategically built. In case of attack, the men, using the Davao River, could easily link with the Moros of Maa and Lapanday with an aim to frustrate the Oyanguren invasion. Oyanguren, suffering an initial three casualties when they tried penetrating the river, opted to change the plans, preferring instead to conduct the raid from land. To ensure success, he sent scouts to explore by night. By day, the lookouts hid, observed the movements, recorded the number of foes, and determined the positions occupied, returning only during the weekend to report. After assessing all the reports, Oyanguren decided to build a fort at Santa Ana to deposit and secure the equipment. It took three months before the bastion was completed. Fr. Gis-
bert wrote: ‘[The Oyanguren crew] opened a road through the middle of the swamp which lay beyond the fort at Santa Ana, in order to pass the meadow where was the fort of Dato Bago, on the site of the present cemetery. In this road the Samales worked faithfully to the end, their work being paid for by Oyanguren with two yards of cloth for every yard of road which they made. The principal object of this road was to be able to take by land a pair of cannons, with their caissons, which were conveniently located on the hillside of the present cemetery, that they might easily bombard the fortifications of Dato Bago, the principal ruler of this bay.’ To complete the road, the invaders had to ward off the nocturnal harassments of the Moros who incessantly harmed
the soldiers and civilians working on the project. The nightly raids, however, resulted in many deaths, forcing Datu Bago to escape up the river in dugout boats towards Lapanday. Called to surrender through an emissary, the Moro chief did not capitulate. In the end, thirteen cannons were captured by the invading forces from the chieftain’s campsite. The other Moro settlements also showed their willingness to repulse the invaders and regain Datu Bago’s captured land but all they could show were some crudely wooden guns. After the datu sought shelter in Tagum where he was secure, Oyanguren, after a year had passed, declared the gulf to have been cleansed of bad elements. This complacency would later result in the death of Davao governor Jose Pingzon y Furga in the hands of the Moros of Tagum in 1861.
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Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez urges businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to explore the“halal”market. Lopez said the halal industry could boost Philippine exports with the developments in the global halal economy. Edge Davao
Agri dept seeks additional P12-B
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he Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking additional PHP12 billion, on top of the recommended PHP95-billion budget for 2022, to address surmounting food and agriculture global challenges onto the “new world”.
“We are entering a ‘New World’ -- the global scale of the ‘new normal’ as an offshoot of the Covid-19 pandemic -wherein every country in the world is coping with huge challenges. These include the lingering and mutating Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, increasing prices of petrol, fertilizers
and feeds, climate change, population dynamics, urbanization and aging farmers, and preventing entry of transboundary animal and plant diseases,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement on Thursday. “These global challenges will continue to impact adversely on food production, distribution,
and consumption next year and beyond. Hence, in the case of the Philippines and we at the Department of Agriculture, there is a felt need for bigger budgetary support,” he added. In a letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Dar said the country is in need of a “lifeline” to sustain its productivity and meet its food security needs. “We believe that there is an urgency for the government to support our farmers in dealing with these global and local
challenges,” he said. Part of the DA’s proposed PHP12-billion augmentation includes PHP8.9 billion for fertilizer subsidy, PHP2 billion additional budget for corn program, and PHP1.1 billion for urban agriculture. “The increase in prices of inorganic fertilizers due to the declining global supply has been alarming. Big countries and producers have stocked up most of the fertilizer supply to ensure their local requirements for crop production and food security,” Dar said.
FAGRI, A3
SEC accelerates digitalization to improve ease of doing biz
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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accelerated the implementation of its digitalization reforms under the Duterte administration to further improve the ease of doing business in the country and spur the growth of domestic enterprises through initiatives that allow companies to register, file their reportorial requirements, and pay transaction fees online. In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, SEC chairman Emilio Aquino said among the commission’s latest digital transformation initiatives are the Electronic Simplified Processing of Application for Registration of Company (eSPARC) that was launched last April and has so far processed 26,875 applications of business regis-
tration online. Such online applications are completed in just one day and as fast as less than two minutes under eSPARC, he said. Aquino said the fastest time recorded for processing an eSPARC application after the payment of the registration fee had been made was one minute, 14 seconds, while the longest time was two hours and 37 minutes. Even before the pandemic broke out early last year, Dominguez had already directed the SEC and other Department of Finance (DOF)-attached agencies to fast-track their respective digitalization programs. Dominguez reiterated last year this directive for DOF offices and its attached agencies and corporations on the dig-
he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Thursday it would close the applications for new non-bank electronic money issuers (EMI) on December 16. Currently, the BSP supervises a total of 65 EMIs, out of which 35 are non-banks such as PayMaya and GCash. The suspension will allow the central bank to “mitigate the inherent risks” as well as to further understand the technol-
ogy, BSP Gov. Benjamin Diokno said in a virtual briefing. The application window will be closed for two years, he said. The suspension of new non-bank EMI applications is part of the BSP’s recalibration of new electronic money issuer licenses, he added. “There has been a dramatic shift in consumer behavior towards digital payments. Hence, we have
BSP to halt new e-money applications on Dec. 16
DTI calls on Senate to immediately give nod to RCEP trade agreement T
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he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is calling on the Senate to give its nod to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which is set to take effect on January 1, 2022 and to which the Philippines is a signatory. Treaties or international agreements entered into by the gov-
ernment require Senate concurrence. At present, six Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states—Brunei, Cambodia, Singapore, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam— and ASEAN Free Trade Partners Australia, China, Japan, and New Zealand have already deposited their respective Instruments of Ratification.
The RCEP will enter into force 60 days after the date at which the minimum number of Instruments of Ratification/ Acceptance (IOR/A) are received. This means that the mega trade deal shall enter into force on January 1, 2022. The RCEP was ratified by the Palace in September and brought to the Senate for concurrence.
Members of the Senate foreign relations committee began deliberations on the RCEP early last month. As the entry into force of the agreement gets closer, the DTI is asking the Senate for the immediate concurrence of the RCEP agreement. Trade Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty said the
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Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno says the market might have exaggerated its reaction towards the impact of Omicron after the new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant. Presidential Photo
SMS launches hospitality biz A Philippine based company came into being to focus on assisting small and medium sized hotels and resorts, in boosting sales and improving their management capabilities. SMS Hospitality Network has set its targets to streamline sales and distribution channels for its client hotels, resorts and other leisure and lifestyle outlets, to reduce costs and maximize profits. Part of its services, apart from streamlining existing sales and reservations systems, is to offer hotel management contracts to free its property owners of several challenging factors. SMS Hospitality Net-
work is founded by travel industry veterans Nikki Rocha as President and CEO and Francis Asuncion as its Managing Director. Together with a team of consultants and senior staff, it has an accrued total of over 100 years of hospitality experience from hotel, online travel, and destination marketing. “SMS’ main focus is to make a profit for the owners. We believe in healthy hotel management. It is not just about selling the lowest to gain higher market share but with a right balance of market mix, creating the demand, selling at the right distribution channel, at the right
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DTI chief urges biz to tap ‘halal’ market D
epartment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez has encouraged businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to explore the “halal” market. During the 4th Philippine National Halal Conference on Thursday, Lopez said the halal industry could boost Philippine exports with the developments in the global halal economy. “The halal industry will add more exports, more to our export promotions because this is really a game-changer and a new segment for
our export market,” he said. As the country rebounds from the pandemic, the trade and industry chief said his department remains committed to implementing the Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Act of 2016 to guide businesses in the production and promotion of halal goods and get a share in
forts to educate customers to prevent them from falling victims to scammers,” GCash told ABS-CBN News. It said it added “extra security features” such as the Help Center and Customer Protection Program designed to help customers detect and prevent fraud. “At the core of our business, we are a payment channel and we will continue to provide a safe and convenient way to provide
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the global halal market. “The Philippine Halal Export Development and Promotion Program, through our Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), committed to provide capability-building programs for the food and non-food MSME exporters to equip them with the right information when it comes to halal requirements, standards, processes, and regulations,” Lopez said. The program has developed 10 training modules that have benefitted and trained more than 400 MSMEs and export-
ers and more than 10 halal certifying bodies. “(The) DTI, for our part, has been pushing for a more inclusive approach to improving the halal industry. The official launch of the PH Halal App will boost our country’s readiness to supply halal-certified products and services and provide an easy access guide for halal establishments and products,” he said, adding that the app will also help Muslim tourists visiting the Philippines to locate mosques and halal-certified restaurants.
dipped below the 7,000-level on Monday. “We’re not so concerned with the new variant,” Diokno said in a briefing Thursday. “I think there’s too much exaggeration on the impact of that.” The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained on this day’s trading on bargain hunting as investors stayed away from economies with confirmed Omicron variant.
So far, 25 countries have confirmed cases of the new Covid-19 variant. These include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.
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GCash rolls out ‘extra security’ Market exaggerates reaction to protect users from SMS scam to Omicron variant: BSP chief
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Cash on Thursday said it is working with authorities and has ramped up its efforts to protect consumers from the proliferating SMS or smishing scam. GCash, along with UnionBank, were found to be among the payment portals used by fraudsters when asking money from their victims, according to initial investigation of the National Privacy Commission.
When unsuspecting victims click a spam link that’s offering a job, they will be redirected to a Whatsapp chat where they will be asked to pay the cybercriminal either through GCash or UnionBank before earning the promised commission. “In response to the recent spate of spam messages that mislead customers and direct them to use payment channels like GCash, we have intensified our ef-
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angko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the market might have exaggerated its reaction towards the impact of Omicron after the new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant was confirmed in the latter part of November. This amid consecutive shedding of the local shares since Thursday last week. The local stock market
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“Other threats such as the rising oil prices, increasing prices of raw materials for feeds, and increasing cost of transport due to backlog in lo-
gistics transport service are adding to the lingering effect of the pandemic, which is still affecting the global supply chain,” he added. “Now, more than ever, the ‘OneDA family’ will strongly encourage local government units and the private sector to invest in agriculture and fishery infrastructure and livelihood projects, particularly in palay procurement, provision of drying, storage and rice milling facilities, farmers’ trading and consolidation centers, cold storage facilities and logistics like reefer and food delivery vans,” Dar said. He said the DA will also encourage more foreign direct investments, tasking its marketing and international affairs teams to package big ticket investment projects, under the leadership of DA undersecretary for fisheries and for agri-industrialization Cheryl Marie Natividad Caballero. Meanwhile, Dar said the DA will continue initiatives to mitigate the impact of climate change through its Climate Resilient Agriculture Office, particularly in the establishment of more “AMIA” villages in vulnerable regions. AMIA stands for adaptation and mitigation initiative in agriculture. To date, the DA has set up 116 AMIA villages nationwide. The DA is also looking
into strengthening research and development, farm-tomarket roads, postharvest facilities (including coldchain), small irrigation system (rainwater catchment basin), access to credit for small farmers, and ports, markets. Dar said there is a need to devote more resources to crops where the country has comparative advantage, resulting to greater exports, and encourage Filipino farmers, fishers and entrepreneurs to be more cost-efficient and world class quality-conscious. He said the ‘OneDA family’ will also continue to focus on promoting farm consolidation and clustering in partnership with farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs), LGUs, and the private sector, including foreign investors. Finally, as the local government units (LGUs) will receive more budget starting January 2022 in compliance with the “Mandanas-Garcia ruling of the Supreme Court,” Dar said the DA will counterpart with LGUs in building agri-fishery infrastructure, and pursuing production, processing and marketing projects, including the implementation of the Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Systems (PAFES). “Rest assured that we at the ‘OneDA family’ will continue to prioritize local production through the use modern science and technology to increase the productivity and incomes of our farmers, fisherfolk and agripreneurs, young and old,” he said. (PR)
Other programs of the DTI to strengthen the local halal industry are the inclusion of halal food in its FOOD Philippines branding and expanding the number of halal-certified products. “In the future, we look
forward to crafting a Philippine Halal Development plan, which is guided by an overarching goal of creating a Philippine halal ecosystem that is organized, structured, and recognized in the global halal economy,” Lopez said. (PNA)
gains and opportunities that the agreement will create cannot be overemphasized. “The size of the market alone and the extent of economic activities happening in the region demands that the country must be part of this free trade area. This is not to mention that this is an ASEAN-led FTA”, Gepty added. More than being the largest free trade area, the DTI said RCEP represents 50% of the global manufacturing output; 50% of global automotive output; 70% of electronics; 26% of Global Value Chain (GVC) Trade Volume; 60% GVC for Electrical/Machinery, Petroleum/Chemicals, Textile/Apparel, Metal & Transport Equipment, 35% Contribution to Global Exports of Electronics and Machineries; and the main GVC hubs of big economies such as South Korea, Japan and China. For the Philippines, it said the RCEP is expected to generate a 10.47% increase in the country’s exports and 2.02% increase in real gross domestic product. In November last year, Lopez signed the RCEP trade pact on behalf of the Philippines at the conclusion of the 37th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits. The DTI had expected the Senate to ratify it in November. RCEP is a trade accord
that involves the 10-member ASEAN along with China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. India was initially included in the negotiations for the trade deal, but eventually pulled out in 2019 reportedly over various concerns, including possible influx of cheap Chinese products. The RCEP will facilitate free or liberalized and simplified trade among the participating nations in the Trans-Pacific Region. “The government together with key economists and experts have shown the net benefits of being part of RCEP and its positive contribution to GDP (gross domestic product) and trade, and conversely, the negative impact on growth, trade, investments and jobs of delayed or non-participation of the Philippines,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said. “We should not be left behind. There are enough safety nets to vulnerable sectors and even the exclusions of sensitive lists of agriculture products,” Lopez said. Rice and other agricultural produce are protected from tariff reductions and eliminations under the RCEP, the Trade department earlier said. Some experts, however, have objected to the trade deal, warning of risks to local industries.
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ital switch to ensure the continued delivery of services to the public amid
the pandemic and to prepare them for the transition to the new economy. “I think you are going in the right direction, (SEC chairman) Emil (Aquino). I think what you have achieved these last couple of years is a transformation of SEC into real digital space. Thank you. I think it’s excellent,” he said during a recent executive committee (Execom) meeting for DOF-supervised state corporations. Aquino said eSPARC currently caters to the registration of domestic stock corporations with a minimum of one incorporator and a maximum of 15 incorporators, board of directors, and stockholders. The One-day Submission and E-registration of Companies (OneSEC) is a subsystem of eSPARC. Since most of the company information is pre-filed under OneSEC, the application of companies applying for registrations requires minimal encoding of data online. “The OneSEC processing system is completely seamless. It’s fully automated in the absence of human intervention on the part of the Commission --starting from the name verification of the proposed corporate name until the issuance of the Digital Certificate of Incorporation,” Aquino said in his report. He said the Commission also launched last March 1 its Electronic System for Payments to SEC (eSPAYSEC) to facilitate the payment of registration charges, penalties and other transaction fees with the SEC online using debit and credit cards, digital wallets, and other cashless payment options. The SEC also launched on March 15 the Electronic Filing and Submission System (eFAST) that allows companies to submit the audited financial statement (AFS), general information sheet (GIS), sworn statement for foundations (SSF), general form for financial statements (GFFS), special form for financial statement (SFFS), and other reportorial requirements.
Aquino said the SEC has implemented its company investments and financial statistical system (CIFFS), which functions as the Commission’s central database and processing software for all the data that it receives from all the corporations it monitors. The SEC is also set to launch more digitalization programs, including the external auditors and auditing firms accreditation registry system (EAAFARS), integrated compliance monitoring, evaluation and enforcement system (ICMEES), stress testing for capital market intermediaries, e-media hub, and complaints management system. Aquino said the SEC will also employ digital technology for its human resource management information system (HRMIS), online strategic performance management system (SPMS), integrated learning resource management system (ILRMS), asset management information system (AMIS), procurement monitoring and tracking system (PMTS), financial management information system (FMIS), and its records management information system (RMIS). The SEC is seeking a budget of PHP2.6 billion over a five year period from 2021 to 2025 to fully implement these digitalization initiatives, Aquino said. He said the SEC also launched several new units, such as its PhilFintech Innovation Office in 2019 to ensure that the Commission keeps up with the fast-changing financial landscape in the country, supports financial technology innovations, and strengthens its protection of investors and consumers from scams and unfair financial practices. It has also set up its International Affairs Office to facilitate cross-border regulation and the adoption of international best practices. Aquino said the SEC will also establish the Office for the Advancement of Strategic Investments in SMEs (OASIS) to support the interests of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and encourage them to undertake initial public offerings (IPOs).
to take a proactive stance in terms of safeguarding the public trust,” Diokno said. “This strategic change will enable the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to monitor the performance of current market players and the risk they pose to the financial industry. This will also allow us to assess the impact on BSP’s financial inclusion and digital transformation objectives “ he added. The use of electronic fund transfers such as InstaPay and PESONet surged, in terms of volumes and value, in the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. COVID-19 helped accelerate the adoption of cashless payments as Filipinos sought ways to complete financial transactions while they’re stuck at home. Applications for digital banking licenses were also suspended in August. The BSP granted a total of 6 digital banking licenses for the testing phase under the new banking framework. Despite the recalibration, the BSP has been actively pushing for innovations “that will help heal market gaps” and boost financial in-
clusion in the country, Diokno said. Under its BSP Digitalization Roadmap, the central bank aims to digitize 50 percent of payments and encourage at least 70 percent of the population to open bank accounts by 2023. As the pandemic continues to drive the shift to digital, the BSP also encouraged consumers to only deal with licensed money issuers. Diokno also warned the public against virtual assets. “We encourage the public to practice good cybersecurity practices especially as our lives become more integrated with the digital economy… Be reminded that virtual assets are not considered legal tender and they are not insured by the Philippine Insurance Corp.,” he said. The BSP earlier ordered Lyka to suspend payment operations until it registered as an Operator of Payment System (OPS). Meanwhile, other e-wallets and online platforms have been offering cryptocurrencies. The full list of licensed e-money operators is found on the BSP’s official website.
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Pascal Siakam scored 20 points and Scottie Barnes had 13 as the Raptors won for the first time in four games and snapped a five-game home losing streak, their longest since January 2011. Toronto is 3-8 at home. VanVleet shot 9 for 17, including 5 for 10 from long range. He also had four assists and five rebounds. “He was kind of involved in all of it tonight,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. VanVleet scored 26 of his 29 points in the second half after making one of three attempts in the first two quarters. “I just reset at half and just made sure I’d be aggressive,” VanVleet said. “I knew that we probably couldn’t win without me being aggressive.” Jrue Holiday scored a season-high 26 points, Khris Middleton had 22 and Bobby Portis Jr. had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Bucks, who lost for the first time since a Nov. 14 defeat at Atlanta. Newly signed center DeMarcus Cousins was out for Milwaukee. Cousins scored seven points in 15 minutes in his Bucks debut Wednesday. Gary Trent Jr. returned to Toronto’s starting lineup after missing the past two games because of a sore right calf, but forward OG Anunoby (left hip) and Khem Birch (right knee) sat for the eighth straight game.
Holiday shot 10 for 19 and scored 20 or more for the third time in his past five games. “He carried a big load tonight,” Budenholzer said. The Raptors made six of 10 from 3-point range in the first to lead 26-23 after one, then missed seven straight from beyond the arc to begin the second. Toronto led 48-40 at halftime. VanVleet made three 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the third. Middleton replied with seven points in the final minute of the quarter, including a buzzer-beating jump shot, but the Raptors took a 73-68 lead into the fourth. Portis made a 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining to bring the Bucks to within 93-90, but VanVleet answered with a pair of free throws. Precious Achiuwa fouled Middleton on a 3-point attempt, then picked up another foul battling Portis for the rebound after Middleton missed his third attempt. Portis made the first but missed the second, Milwaukee got the rebound, but Pat Connaughton missed a corner 3 that would have given the Bucks the lead. “Shot felt good,” Connaughton said. “I’ve made a lot of shots in that right corner. Just one that I’d like to have back.” VanVleet made two more from the line to seal it for Toronto.
time and improving visibility and operations efficiency will help improve the hotel’s occupancy and will eventually increase the average rate” explained Rocha. “Introduction of corporate accounts and travel trade business through the hotel’s own booking system, will give the hotel a higher achieved rate. It opens up the hotel significantly to B2B and B2C businesses” One interesting feature of SMS is its capability to provide technology to reflect the most relevant and up to date report in revenue management. Its expertise also considers vital partnerships in marketing and destination promotions in the all-important digital platforms. Initially, it has established strategic relationships with Rakuten Travel Xchange, StreetGooser and COTECNA -all experts in their respective fields global-
ly. SMS will link its small and medium sized portfolio of hotels and resorts to strong international networks. SMS offers a professional comprehensive hands-on hotel management agreement or strictly consultancy service with easy to understand contracts. “Our years of experience and market knowledge of the hospitality scene puts us in a stronger position to offer what our local hotels and resorts badly needs. The important thing is we build and work on a partnership for a successful venture,” added Rocha. SMS Hospitality Network is located at 2105-A, 21st floor, West Tower, Tektite Towers (formerly Philippine Stock Exchange Centre), Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Visit their website: www. smshospitalitynetwork .com for more information about their products and services.
the services that our customers love,” GCash said. “We are working closely with the NPC and relevant government agencies to bring any fraudulent cyber act to light, be thoroughly investigated and dealt with accordingly,” it added. The NPC is also investigating telcos, banks and e-commerce sites and their processes in dealing with data aggregators. Telcos are expected to provide the agency information that will help in the
investigations. To avoid falling prey to cybercrimes, GCash urged consumers to observe the following: • Never share the MPIN or OTP with anyone • Do not entertain calls or messages from suspicious sources • Do not click on links to register for a job opportunity or cash offer • Trust only legitimate messages from the official GCash site.
Diokno added that the government should focus on its vaccination efforts amid the threats of the Omicron variant. “I think the best thing to do really for the Philippines is vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate, and we have sufficient vaccines available,” he said. On Wednesday, the government finished its three-day national vaccination drive aiming to boost inoculation in the
country before the year ends. The free inoculation is extended until Friday. The BSP chief vowed that the Monetary Board will continue pursuing a policy that will aid in the country’s economic recovery. “We will continue our accommodative monetary policy until needed by the national government,” Diokno added. (PNA)
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Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
Fred VanVleet came alive in the second half. PHOTO: AP
PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up feature wellness gardening The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) joins the celebration of UNESCO’s World Soil Day with its special webisode “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity” on Rise Up Shape Up this Saturday. “The PSC has always advocated physical and mental strength and wellness as vital to sports excellence. We are planting symbolic seeds into the minds of ‘Rise Up! Shape Up!’ viewers that will motivate them to pursue health and wellness,” PSC Women in Sports oversight commission-
er Celia Kiram. The lady official will also feature gardening in “K-Isport” segment. The episode will feature Sonya Garcia, owner of Sonya’s Garden, who will talk about her passion for gardening and growing her own food. Also included are tips on urban gardening and farming, to be shared by couple Louie and Mae Ocampo Gutierrez. “Health and wellness is a balance of physical activities and right nourishment. It is about what we eat, as much as what we do to keep fit.” Kiram concluded.
Raptors pounce on Giannis-less Bucks
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ORONTO — Fred VanVleet scored 13 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo sitting out with a sore right calf to beat Milwaukee 97-93 Thursday night (Friday, Manila time), ending the Bucks’ winning streak at eight.
Raptors vs Bucks recap Antetokounmpo sat one day after he scored 40
LeBron cleared to play after testing negative for COVID-19
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os Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocol earlier this week after it was announced he had tested positive for COVID-19, has been cleared to return to action Friday. After registering multiple negative tests for the virus, James was given the OK to play. He missed the Lakers’ game Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings because he was in COVID protocol. “James was originally placed in the Protocols on Tuesday, November 30 after a series of tests
delivered conflicting results, including an initial positive test that was collected on November 29,” a statement from the NBA said Thursday. “Additional testing confirmed that he is not a positive case.” The Athletic on Thursday quoted sources as saying James has had several negative tests since he returned to Los Angeles from Sacramento on Tuesday evening. The initial positive test turned out to be inconclusive upon being re-run. The Lakers will host the Los Angeles Clippers
on Friday night. In September, James said he received a vaccine for COVID despite being skeptical at first. Vaccinated players still have to quarantine if they test positive, whether or not they show symptoms. Vaccinated players are not required to be quarantined for a close contact of a positive case, but they would then be tested for the coronavirus. James has played in only 11 games this season due to an abdominal strain. He is averaging 25.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game.
points as Milwaukee beat Charlotte 127-125. The two-time NBA MVP didn’t
play for the first time since Nov. 12, when he missed an overtime loss at Boston because of a sprained right ankle. “He’s got some soreness,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He feels it on certain things. I think we feel like it’s hopefully something that’s very short term and that a day or two and hopefully he’ll be ready to go.”
Milwaukee is off Friday before hosting Miami Saturday. VanVleet said the Raptors found out Antetokounmpo wasn’t playing about 30 minutes before tip-off. “You don’t flinch,” VanVleet said. “In the back of your head you just thank the man upstairs, and you go out there and try to get a win.”
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Staples Center. The Lakers defeated the Pistons 110-106. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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EDGE DAVAO EDGE DAVAO
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Zone and Conservation Area is used interchangeably in this Ordinance.
Republic of the Philippines City of Davao Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod
4. Solid waste – refers to all discarded household, commercial waste, nonhazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic solid wastes;
19th City Council 30th Regular Session Series of 2021 PRESENT: Councilor Presiding Officer Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor
Edgar P. Ibuyan Jr.
-
Temporary
Ralph O. Abella Nilo D. Abellera Maria Belen S. Acosta Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique N. Advincula Wilberto E. Al-ag Dante L. Apostol Sr. Conrado C. Baluran Jessica M. Bonguyan Louie John J. Bonguyan Pilar C. Braga Augusto Javier G. Campos III Danilo C. Dayanghirang Jonard C. Dayap Edgar R. Ibuyan Sr. Richlyn N. Justol-Baguilod Pamela A. Librado-Morata Diosdado Angelo Junior R. Mahipus Jaffar U. Marohomsalic Bonifacio E. Militar Myrna G. L’Dalodo-Ortiz Antoinette G. Principe-Castrodes J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. Alberto T. Ungab Mary Joselle D. Villafuerte Jesus Joseph P. Zozobrado III
ABSENT: Vice Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte
- On Official Business
5. Private Property – refers to property or properties not owned by the City or any other government instrumentalities. For purposes of this Ordinance, it shall refer to all lands covered by Original Certificate of Title, Transfer Certificate of Title, including Certificate of Land Ownership Award; and tax-declared alienable and disposable lands with pending application for titling through administrative or judicial process;. SECTION 4. REGULATIONS. – Persons found within Conservation Zones of the Watershed Areas of the City for recreational activities or those who intend to enter the said conservation zones for recreational activities shall comply with the following regulations: 1. The Barangay should be informed of the activity at least seven (7) days prior to the date of the activity, for information and orientation purposes; 2. Designated trails should be strictly followed. Visitors are not allowed to create their own trails. No one should enter any grass fields or trample on the flowers; 3. Removing any kind of plants or flowers or boundary marks/ signages or any product derived therefrom is prohibited; 4. Catching of insects and hunting of animals are prohibited; 5. Unless there is a predetermined designated safe area for open fire cooking, cooking in any part of the area is prohibited; 6. Visitors to the area must have a list of all items to be brought in the area which will be submitted to the barangay serving as point of entry. All items in the list must be the same items to be brought back upon exit;
ORDINANCE NO. 0675-21 Series of 2021
7. All trash must be carried off the area, including vegetable or fruit peelings;
AN ORDINANCE REGULATING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITHIN WATERSHED CONSERVATION AREAS OF DAVAO CITY FOR THE PROTECTION, CONSERVATION, PRESERVATION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
8. There shall be no activities that will pollute the streams and other body of water in the area, including human excreta disposal, use of soaps and detergents, and other acts tending to pollute the environment;
Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City in session assembled, that:
9. Items such as alcoholic beverages, permanent markers, paints, spray paints, and the like are not allowed within Conservation Zones. These items may be deposited temporarily and returned to the owner after the recreational activity. In case of discovery of illegal drugs and other illegal substances in the possession of the visitor, the Barangay shall directly report the incident to the nearest police station for proper disposition;
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE – This Ordinance shall be known as the “WATERSHED CONSERVATION AREA PROTECTION ORDINANCE OF 2021”. SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY - It is the policy of the City of Davao to preserve, conserve, and protect the natural environment and its natural resources. Conservation Areas, being environmentally critical areas, must be safeguarded for the benefit of future generations. SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF TERMS 1. Recreational Activities – refer to activities people do for fun and enjoyment. For purposes of this Ordinance, recreational activities shall refer to trekking or hiking, mountain biking, running, camping, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, tubing, for recreational purposes; 2. Watershed Areas - are areas defined under the Watershed Code and its Implementing Rules And Regulations (IRR) referring to lands within the territorial jurisdiction of Davao City, in which rainwater drains from a river system to a common outlet such as dam, lake or the sea. It is an area where the rain from the highest level of land flows down to a river or stream then the Davao Gulf, or a topographical delineated area of land from which rainwater can drain as surface run-off via a specific river or stream system to a common outlet point which may be a dam, irrigation system or a municipal water supply take-off point, or where the river or stream discharges water into a larger river, stream or lake. 3. Conservation Zone – are the Conservation Areas defined under the Watershed Code of the City of Davao as referring to Environmentally Critical Areas in Davao City consisting of 34,254 hectares (and those other areas stipulated in Presidential Proclamation 2146 dated December 14, 1981). Conservation
10. Smoking in the area is strictly prohibited; 11. Visitors must have the proper clothing and footwear for the purpose; 12. Visitors are required to always take important medicines and first aid kits with them. Visitors with medications must take their medicines; 13. Creating unnecessary noise is prohibited. Bringing of any sound system that causes disturbance in the area is not allowed; 14. Bringing in of disposable facemasks is discouraged unless for health and medical reasons. Provided that all facemasks shall at all times be strictly accounted for upon entry and exit from the area; 15. Sachets, Single-Use Plastics and other disposable packaging are strictly prohibited within Conservation Zones; Provided that acts in violation of the Watershed Code (Ordinance No. 0310-07, Series of 2007), Anti- Smoking Ordinance of Davao City (Ordinance No. 0367-12, Series of 2012), The Liquor Ban Ordinance (Ordinance No. 004-13, Series of 2013), The Sobriety Ordinance of Davao City (Ordinance No. 0410-18, Series of 2018), and all other pertinent laws, ordinances, rules and regulations, committed within the Conservation Area during recreational activities shall be penalized accordingly under applicable laws and ordinances.
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SECTION 5. ENFORCEMENT – The Barangay Watershed Management Council under the Punong Barangay of the area shall formulate and implement measures in order to establish a security outpost, provide information of the regulations under this Ordinance prior to the recreational activity, and introduce measures for the strict enforcement thereof. The Barangay Watershed Management Council or the Punong Barangay may require a duly designated individual to accompany the visitors during the visit to ensure compliance of this Ordinance. The Barangay Watershed Management Council concerned shall identify predetermined trails and shall put up necessary signs for the information and safety of visitors to the area. The existing trails and any proposed trails for recreational purposes inside Conservation Zones shall be submitted to the Watershed Management Council of the City for approval. Any Protest or Non-compliance of Section 5 hereof prior to entry to the Conservation Zone shall be recorded and referred to the Barangay Watershed Management Council for appropriate action. Provided, that no proposed recreational activity in the said area by the non-compliant visitor shall be permitted.
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In case the violator opts to pay the fine, the fine shall be One Thousand Pesos (P1,000.00) or otherwise in case of community service, the voluntary community service shall be sixteen (16) working hours. In either case, the offender shall be given an orientation in relation to this Ordinance. The violator, who avails of the No Contest Provision and opts to pay the fine imposed, shall secure an Order of Payment from the Office of the City Mayor or the City ENRO, as may be authorized by the City Mayor. All payments of fines shall be to the City Treasurer’s Office. After payment of the fine, the person cited for violation of this Ordinance shall present the Official Receipt issued by the City Treasurer’s Office to the City ENRO and a copy thereof shall be endorsed to the City Legal Office, which shall consider the case closed.
Subject to the last paragraph of Section 4 hereof, non-compliant recreational activities in Conservation Zones covered by this Ordinance shall be penalized under Section 10 hereof.
The City Treasurer is hereby authorized to collect the fine under this Ordinance. In case the violator opts to voluntarily render community service, he/she shall secure from the Office of the City Mayor or the City ENRO, as may be authorized by the City Mayor, an assigned environmental protection related community service that will be required of the violator, including, but not limited to, cleanup activity, greening and tree planting activity, solid waste management activity, wastewater management activity, or Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) service.
SECTION 6. NON-ENFORCEMENT – Any public official or employee who, in dereliction of duty, intentionally fails to enforce the provisions of this Ordinance shall be the subject of an administrative investigation and possible liability under existing laws and issuances.
After the completion of the community service, the City Mayor or the City ENRO, as may be authorized by the City Mayor, shall issue a certification of completion of community service and endorse a copy thereof to the City Legal Office, which shall consider the case closed.
SECTION 7. FEES – The Barangay exercising jurisdiction over the point of entry of visitors for recreational purposes in Conservation Zones may enact an Ordinance levying lawful environmental fees.
If the violator had already availed of the No Contest Provision, he/ she can no longer avail of the same and the corresponding complaint for the violation of the Ordinance shall be filed against the offender.
SECTION 8. EXEMPTIONS – Recreational activities within private properties classified as within Conservation Areas under the Watershed Code is allowed and is not covered by this Ordinance provided that there shall be no pollution of the natural environment.
SECTION 14. IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS - The City Mayor or any designated committee or body duly authorized by the City Mayor may formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) necessary to carry out the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 9. TEMPORARY CLOSURES/RESTRICTIONS TO CONSERVATION ZONES – Subject to Sec. 8 hereof, the Watershed Management Council of the City may prohibit entry to, or restrict recreational activities in specified areas of the Conservation Zones covered by this Ordinance, temporarily or for an indefinite period of time, for the following reasons:
Provided that, absence of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) shall not prevent the effectivity and enforcement of this Ordinance.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Danger to natural flora and fauna; Rehabilitation; Topographical dangers; Failure of the Barangay to implement the provisions of this Ordinance; 5. Other similar reasons for the preservation, protection, conservation of the natural environment; Subject to the last paragraph of Section 4 hereof, violations of the prohibitions or restrictions imposed under this Section shall be penalized under Section 10 hereof. SECTION 10. PENALTIES - Subject to the last paragraph of Section 4 and Section 12 hereof, any person who, by act or omission, is found to have violated this Ordinance shall be penalized with not more than P5,000.00 and/or imprisonment of not more than one (1) month at the discretion of the courts. SECTION 11. ORDINANCE VIOLATION RECEIPT/CITATION TICKET – An ORDINANCE VIOLATION RECEIPT, otherwise known as a CITATION TICKET, shall be issued to violators of this Ordinance. The Citation Ticket shall state the name and address of the violator, the specific violation committed, and the provisions of Section 12 hereof on the “No Contest Provision”. SECTION 12. NO CONTEST PROVISION - Any person cited for violation of this Ordinance who does not wish to contest the citation and is willing to pay voluntarily the fine imposed upon him/her, or in case of inability to pay the fine, is willing to voluntarily render community service, such person shall be allowed to pay said fine with the City Treasurer or render community service as settlement for the citation. Any person who qualifies and successfully avails of the “No Contest Provision” shall be exempted from liability under this Ordinance. SECTION 13. PROCEDURE IN THE AVAILMENT OF THE NO CONTEST PROVISION - The person cited for violation of this Ordinance shall be given five (5) working days from the issuance of the Ordinance Violation Receipt or Citation Ticket within which to voluntarily pay the fine or to voluntarily render community service.
SECTION 15. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE – If, for any reason, any section or provision of this Ordinance is declared unconstitutional or invalid, other sections or provisions hereof not affected by such declaration shall continue to be in full force and effect. SECTION 16. REPEALING CLAUSE – All Ordinances, issuances, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. SECTION 17. EFFECTIVITY - The provisions of this Ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least three (3) newspapers of general circulation in Davao City. ENACTED, on the 10th day of August 2021, by a unanimous vote of all the Members of the Sanggunian present, there being a quorum. CERTIFIED CORRECT:
ATTESTED:
EDGAR P. IBUYAN JR. President Pro Tempore Temporary Presiding Officer cns/ray
SEPT. 24 APPROVED : ________________, 2021
8 SPORTS
EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 224 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021
Kapatagan’s four-game winning run ended after Roxas dealt them with a 90-72 rout in the VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Challenge Thursday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium.
END OF A RUN
Roxas ends Kapatagan’s streak, claims solo lead
R
oxas snapped Kapatagan’s four-game winning streak with a 90-72 rout in the VisMin Super Cup Mindanao Challenge Thursday at the Pagadian City Gymnasium. Marlon Monte paced Roxas with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting along with five rebounds, four assists, and a block. Roxas built a 10-point advantage at the half, 42-32, thanks to a hot 51.6 percent shooting from the field while limiting Kapatagan to just 33.3 percent. Then the Vanguards blew it up in the third period where they scored 31 points while holding the Buffalos to just
19 for an insurmountable 22-point lead heading to the final frame, 73-51. “Kailangan namin dumepensa kasi galing kami sa tambak na talo,” said Roxas head coach Alvin Grey. “Dapat baligtarin natin, magbounce back tayo tambak din na panalo.” The Vanguards rose to solo first place at 5-3, while pulling the Buffalos down to 4-3, tied with MisOr and Zamboanga Sibugay for second.