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A fruit vendor waits for customers in front of a makeshift stall full of round-shaped fruits along Monteverde Street in Davao City early morning of Monday. Edge Davao
BOOSTER ACCELERATOR City now accepts walk-ins for booster shots STORY ON PAGE 2
2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 241 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021
President Rodrigo Duterte distributes relief packs to families affected by Typhoon Odette in Tisa, Cebu City last week. The President reminded concerned agencies and local officials to prioritize the medical needs of evacuees. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
BOOSTER ACCELERATOR City now accepts walkins for booster shots A
PRRD orders ‘Odette’ relief teams to prioritize medical assistance
By MAYA M. PADILLO
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he vaccination cluster of the city government of Davao said it is now accepting walk-ins for booster shots against Covid-19 after the city received the guidelines on the shortened intervals for Covid-19 vaccine boosters from the Department of Health (DOH). “Per report sa atong vaccination cluster gadawat na sila ug walk ins for booster dose. Dili na nato dugay dugayon ang
pagkuha sa atoang booster dose,” said Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday via Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
Last week, DOH informed the public in an advisory that all adults age 18 years old and above are now eligible to receive a single-dose booster of Covid-19 vaccine at least three months after the second dose of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinovac, or Sputnik vaccine, or at least two months after Janssen effective December 22, 2021.
Mayor Sara said booster shots are important to maintain protection against Covid-19. “Very important ang booster napansin nako na medyo gakamang ang atong booster. We need to remind the sectors already approved for boosters which are the health care sector, people with comorbidities, and senior
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Chiz to Philhealth: Prevent disengagement, resolve unpaid claims to hospitals
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orsogon Gov. Chiz Escudero has expressed alarm at the increasing number of private and tertiary hospitals disengaging from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) due to hundreds of millions in unpaid claims. Escudero urged PhilHealth, which oversees the country’s National Health Insurance Program, to immediately resolve unpaid claims to prevent the disengagement of hospitals and
build confidence in its ability to run the insurance program, which is essential to affordable health care. “How can you provide universal health care when you have more and more hospitals giving up their PhilHealth accreditation? This is going to hurt our implementation of the Universal Health Care Act because private hospitals are integral to a functional health service provider network, especially in municipalities
and cities where there are no public tertiary hospitals,” he said. Seven major hospitals in Iloilo have announced that they are cutting ties with PhilHealth because of unpaid claims amounting to P545 million collectively. These are the Iloilo Directors’ Hospital, Iloilo Mission Hospital, Medicus Medical Center, Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center Inc., St. Paul’s Hospital of Iloilo, The Medical City-Iloilo and Qualimed Hospital-Iloilo.
In Metro Manila, the Far Eastern University-Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation (FEU-NRMF) became the first private hospital to declare that it will no longer renew its accreditation with PhilHealth beginning 2022 because of over P200 million in unpaid claims. Even if non-accredited hospitals provide documentation so patients can seek reimbursement from PhilHealth for their medical expenses, this
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mid dwindling food, water, medicine, and other supplies in areas hit by Typhoon Odette, President Rodrigo Duterte reminded concerned agencies and local officials to ensure that evacuees’ medical needs are attended to. Duterte issued the directive during a recent command conference with local officials and military officials at the General Benito Ebuen Air Base in LapuLapu City, Cebu. The meeting was held Thursday but the video recording was aired on Saturday. “‘Yung evacuation centers, ‘yun ang pinakadelikado because they (Evacuation centers are risky
because people there can) contaminate each other. You only need one cough -- coughing person there -mag-ano na ‘yan, magkalat na ‘yan (to spread) because you crowd people and congregate them in one place,” he said. He emphasized the need to ensure that evacuees keep their distance from each other amid the threat of new and more transmissible variants of Covid-19. “Ang isang concern ko ‘yung health. Araw-araw man sana nandiyan. Ang ano, ‘yung making the rounds in evacuation areas para ma-ano ‘yung mga tao (One of my concerns is health. They’re always
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LANDBANK donates P20.9-M aid to Odette-hit LGUs
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tate-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has allocated P20.9 million-worth of financial support for the quick recovery of 195 local government units (LGUs) from the onslaught of typhoon Odette. Of the P20.9 million financial aid, the Bank has set aside P200,000 each for affected provinces, as well as P150,000 and P100,000 each for cities and municipalities, re-
spectively. “LANDBANK is exerting all efforts to extend immediate assistance to communities significantly affected by Typhoon Odette. Apart from ensuring cash availability and accessibility in these areas, we are also contributing to ramp-up relief and recovery interventions through our LGU partners,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.
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VOL.14 ISSUE 241 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021
NEWS
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Volunteers of Next Generation, a private initiative of good Samaritans in Siargao Island, deliver relief goods on Christmas Day to various parts of Siargao Island. MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO
Senior citizens can start claiming annual subsidy for 2021: CSWDO Alleged CPP Central Committee member killed in Davao de Oro
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overnment forces killed an alleged member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) during an encounter with guerilla forces in Davao de Oro on December 24. A press release issued by the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army on Saturday said Anna Sandra Reyes alias “Kaye,” allegedly a member of the CPP Central Committee and secretary of the Regional White Area Committee of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), was killed during a 30-minute encounter with troops of the 1001st Infantry Brigade and 5th Scout Ranger Company in the province. Captain Mark Anthony Tito, Division Public Affairs Office chief, said Reyes was one of 35 members of the elected Central Committee and was facilitator during the distribution of ballots and accounting in an election conducted by the CPP’s central committee and executive committee with the late Julius Giron alias “Nars” Benito Tiamzon,
and Wilma Tiamzon as supervisors of election held in Samar in 2016. Tito said Reyes had two standing criminal cases for attempted murder and murder, with no bail, before the Regional Trial Court in Davao City. Troops recovered one M653 attached with M203 Grenade Launcher, one SAR Galil Rifle; one magazine (long) of M653, 14 rounds of cartridge of Caliber 5.56mm ammo, one magazine (long), 14 rounds ammo of SAR Galil, one cartridge of caliber 40mm HE, three Nokia 2G phones with 6 sim cards; and assorted medical paraphernalia and medicines. Major General Ernesto Torres Jr., 10th Infantry Division Commander, said government forces will continue to safeguard communities in its area of responsibility against the remaining remnants of communist movement in Southern Mindanao. “Agila Troopers will continue to hit the ground running to pursue Communist NPA Terrorists disrupting peace gains in the area,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
By MAYA M. PADILLO
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enior citizens in Davao City can now claim their financial assistance as the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) will start payout for the annual subsidy for 2021. Atty. Marlisa Gallo, head of CSWDO, announced on Monday through Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) that the first to receive are the senior citizens in Barangays Gumalang, Carmen, Wines, and Tawan-Tawan in Baguio District. The payout will be held at Baguio Gym on December 28, 2021.
On December 29, 2021, a payout will be held in Baguio Gym for the senior citizens of Barangays Malagos Proper, Kadalian, and Baguio Proper. Meanwhile, a payout to those senior citizens who have not yet received their annual subsidy for the year 2020 is also ongoing.
Gallo assured that senior citizens who were left out would receive their assistance. “Gipangita na pud nato na karon. Wala man problema sa atong mga seniors kay muadto man gyud na sila. Para sa ilaha, ilaha gyud ni (assistance). Gusto nila na sila gyud muadto sa area. Naa tay case na nakalakaw na ang atong paymaster kay nibalhin na ug laing lugar, na offend siya kay wala daw siya nahulat. Mga ingon ana nga case. Balikan gyud nato ni sila tanan,” she said.
She said payout will be efficient if seniors are members of an association in their respective barangay. “Ang challenge karon kay ang pag-encourage sa tanan mga seniors nga magpa-miyembro sa association. Mao gyud ni pinaka challenge ang pagpangita sa mga seniors na wala nagpa miyembro sa isa ka association,” Gallo said. On the other hand, senior citizens are required to present their Office for Senior Citizens Affairs
day, December 16. It did not help that his son Gino, along with his girlfriend, left Siargao for Manila on December 20 to seek the help of relatives and friends. He said he “felt said living in a roofless house,” their business shut down, their workers rendered jobless with no other means to survive. But Jiji did not want to
wallow in depression. He volunteered as a driver to help Next Gen For Odette, a group of volunteers carrying out humanitarian work. Next Gen for Odette is a group of individuals using their own personal money to help fellow typhoon survivor recover. The group has been relentless since Day 1, from rescue to relief and
now to rehabilitation. “We were able to mobilize our cars and available equipment for the rescue operations,” Matt Cuadra said. Next Gen for Odette sponsored chartered flights of Sunlight to bring in relief goods from Manila and on its return, fly stranded tourists to Manila.
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A blue Christmas in Siargao but spirit of volunteerism prevails
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t was a blue Christmas for islanders still reeling from the devastation wrought by super typhoon ‘Odette’ but some spent it in a most meaningful way by volunteering to help fellow survivors. Businessman Jiji Ortiz, owner of Haole restaurant, suffered depression after ‘Odette’ made its landfall in here on Thurs-
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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 241 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021
Pedestrians buy cut up fresh fruits from a mobile stall along Chavez Street in Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao
BARMM generates P2.8B worth of investments, exceeds 2021 target B angsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) generated a total of P2.8-billion worth of investments, exceeding its target of P2.5 billion for 2021, the Regional Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI) said Saturday. In a statement, Regional BBOI chairman Atty. Ishak Mastura said the approved and registered companies that invested in the BARMM included the Al Muzafar Agriventure Inc. (P950 million worth of investments); ES Maulana Global Ventures Company Inc. (P998 million); Eight Z’s Building Property Rental (P398 million); Lanao del Sur Corn Development Corp. (P408 million); and the Prime Certification and Inspection Asia Pacific, Inc. (P49 million). “The total amount is
a strong rebound from the Php14-million investments registered in 2020, and this (came) despite the continuing struggles of investors and companies to survive the economic crisis brought about by the pandemic,” Mastura said. “Due to growth in the investment target, the Bangsamoro region has recorded a 2,287 increase in employment this year,” Mastura added. He said the notable decline in investments in the region last year was due to issues on continui-
ty under the new BARMM and the adjustments of investors due to the impending passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or the CREATE law, not to mention the lockdowns instituted by the government to contain COVID-19. The Regional BBOI said it has been promoting investment activities by conducting BARMMwide Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) consultations and other investment promotion activities which served as SIPP or the Strategic Investment Priorities Plan by next year as provided by the CREATE law. CREATE law has the list of all industries and sectors, wherein investments in the said indus-
tries are given fiscal incentives, such as income tax holiday and reduced duties and tariffs for capital equipment by investment promotion agencies. Mastura said that for the coming year 2022, there will be growing clamor for the passage of a BARMM investments and incentives law to put investments in the BARMM on a more stable footing and to meet the challenges of competition for investments with other regions, especially after the ravages of Typhoon Odette. “The BARMM needs to allocate more personnel for investments and provide a more efficient structure conducive to facilitating investments in the region,” he said.
Fuel overpricing complaints in Odette-hit areas lessening as supply increases: DOE
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omplaints about fuel overpricing in areas affected by Typhoon Odette are lessening due to the increased fuel supply, the Department of Energy (DOE) said. According to a News Live report on Saturday, the DOE said they have now supplied fuel to crit-
ical areas after the onslaught of the typhoon. They noted that about 2,000 liters of diesel were delivered to Dinagat Islands, while 20,000 liters of fuel were supplied to each of the two gasoline stations in Siargao. The said supply could last for two weeks.
An oil company earlier said that they have stable supply in Visayas and Mindanao, as they seek to reopen service stations damaged by Typhoon Odette. The DOE added that they are still trying to supply all other affected areas with enough fuel.
Several provinces still have no power supply due to Typhoon Odette which caused widespread devastation in Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan on December 16 and 17. Authorities said they are aiming to fully restore by February 2022 the electricity in these areas.
FTC-GOCC adds Les Beaute to Aeon Towers Commercial
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TC Group of Companies officially welcomed the newly-opened Les Beaute Spa to Aeon Towers Commercial on December 18, 2021. Les Beaute Longe offers the following services— nails, eyelashes, wax and drip to clients who are looking for the best place to relax and pamper their selves this Holiday season away from the bustling traffic and jam-packed malls of the city. Les Beaute is located at the Second Floor of Aeon Towers Commercial Arcade beside Aeon Luxe
Showroom. Open Mondays to Sundays from 9:00am to 8:00pm. Clients may park their vehicles at the Basement Parking available at Aeon Towers. Present in the grand opening of Les Beaute were Ms. Jazzie Telebanco, owner of Les Beaute Lounge, Aeon Luxe Properties Inc. President and CEO Mr. Ian Cruz, ALPI Vice President for Sales and Marketing Ms. Almira Mariano, ALPI Business Development Manager Mr. Jester Hospital, friends and social media influencers invited by Les Beaute.
Private hospital group pushes for PhilHealth holiday Jan. 1-5
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he Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc is encouraging its members to observe a “PhilHealth holiday” in early January to support hospitals protesting unpaid claims, an official said. Several health institutions earlier said they were eyeing the non-acceptance of PhilHealth reimbursements after payments were delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. From Jan. 1 to Jan 5,
PHAPI members are urged not to accept PhilHealth deductions for health services, PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano said. “Starting Jan. 1, I-encourage namin ang aming mga miyembro na wag muna tumanggap ng PhilHealth from January 1 to January 5 ng sa ganon po, gusto lang namin ipakita ang aming pagsuporta sa aming mga kasamang ospital,” De Grano said.
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ECONOMY 5
FTC-GOCC INKS WITH GLASSHOUSE COFFEE. FTC-GOCC President and CEO Ian Cruz welcomes Kim Fabular, owner of Glasshouse Coffee to Aeon Towers Commercial Arcade during its leasing contract signing at Aeon Luxe Showroom on December 20 2021. Witnessing the ceremony are ALPI Vice President for Sales & Marketing Almira Mariano, and Business Development Manager Jester Hospital.
FTC GoC inks deal with new locator Glasshouse Coffee Over 80 percent of employers paid 13th month pay: TUCP
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abor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said around 80 percent of employers gave their workers 13thmonth pay as prescribed by law. “Marami ang nag-comply sa 13th month payment. Itong mga deadline sa deadline sa Dec 24. Siguro kung may complaints man, we are expecting them by January,” said TUCP Spokesman Alan Tanjusay. (A lot complied with the 13th-month payment. They met the December 24 deadline. If there may be some complaints, we are expecting them by January.) “As of now we can only assume that more than 80 percent of the business enterprise in the country ay nagbigay ng 13th month pay kasi positive ang ating ekonomiya as of now, more than 80 percent of the business ay nagbukas,” he added. (As of now we can only assume that more than 80 percent of the business
enterprise in the country gave out the 13th-month pay because the economy is positive. As of now, more than 80 percent of businesses were able to open.) But despite this, workers are now faced with what Tanjusay calls as the “furloughs and floating status”. He said this has become a trend, with many companies putting employees on floating status or furlough with any due process. “Parang ang ginawa ng employers dito, in-assume nila na karapatan nilang mag-float at mag-furlough ng manggagawa dahil sa financial distress brought by the pandemic,” Tanjusay added. (What employers are doing is that they assume that they have the right to furlough or give employees a floating status because of financial distress brought by the pandemic.) The labor group said
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TC Group of Companies Corporation added Glasshouse Coffee to its roster of locators at Aeon Towers Commercial Arcade. The signing was done on December 20 2021 at the Aeon Luxe Showroom. In locating with the iconic building, Glasshouse Coffee owner Kim Fabular said she saw the opportunity to open its second branch at Aeon Towers because of its accessibility to netizens
residing and working within the downtown area of Davao City. Present in the contract signing ceremony are Aeon Luxe Properties President and CEO Ian Cruz, ALPI
Vice President for Sales & Marketing Almira Mariano, ALPI Business Development Manager Jester Hospital, Glasshouse Coffee owner Kim Fabular and her family. Glasshouse Coffee will be located at the Ground Floor Commercial Arcade of Aeon Towers beside the existing Korean restaurant Premier the Samgyupsal. Opening of the coffee shop will be an-
nounced in 2022. Meanwhile, Aeon Luxe Properties said there are still few spaces left available for lease in the same area open for businesses such as convenience stores, restaurants, flower shops, offices, and drugstores. Inquiries are welcome at Aeon Towers Commercial Leasing Facebook Page or call 0917-319-7513 or 0917-552-9818.
public offering, the first 50 megawatts are targeted to start delivering power to the grid by the end of 2022, driving profitability for the firm. SPNEC listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange earlier this month, becoming the first pure-play solar company to make its public debut so far in the country. “Once the first 50 MW begins delivering power to the grid, SPNEC plans to install solar panels for the next 175MW over half a year, and be ready to install solar panels for the rest of
the 500MW over a year, given the relative ease of adding capacity to an already operating solar farm,” the company said in an emailed statement. SPNEC has tapped its in-house engineering, procurement, and construction team for the undertaking, which earlier established the operating solar farms in Calatagan, Batangas; and in Concepcion, Tarlac. The firm previously announced that part of its initial public offering proceeds will be used to develop a 1,000-hectare expansion
for a joint venture with a partner which has yet to be identified. “The co-location of the first 500MW and the 1,000-hectare expansion in the same area will support the development of new transmission and bring economies of scale to solar in the Philippines, with these two projects being larger than all the solar projects to date in the Philippines combined,” it said. Citing data from the energy department, SPNEC said the Philippines had a
SPNEC starts construction of ‘biggest solar project in Southeast Asia region’
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ewly-listed Solar Philippines Nueva Ecija Corporation (SPNEC) over the weekend said it has started the construction of what it envisions to be the biggest solar project in the Southeast Asian region. According to SPNEC, the project will have a full capacity of 500 megawatts (MW), located in the firm’s property in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija, which it has been developing in the last five years. Funded by proceeds from its P2.7-billion initial
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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO
VOL.14 ISSUE 241 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021
On accepting walk-ins for booster shots:
Per report sa atong vaccination cluster gadawat na sila ug walk ins for booster dose. Dili na nato dugay dugayon ang pagkuha sa atoang booster dose.” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio
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VANTAGE POINTS
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HENRYLITO TACIO SERAFICA D. J. WEIS THINK ON CORNER THESE! IBP DAVAO
LOOMING WATER CRISIS It’s either too much water or none at all. That seems to be the gist of the post of senatorial aspirant Emmanuel Piñol in his Facebook post. “For a country which literally is submerged in floodwater during the typhoon season, the Philippines is facing a major crisis which could impact on the lives of the next generation of Filipinos – the lack of water,” Piñol said. You may find this absurd but that is the reality. More ridiculous is that no one, according to Piñol, is paying attention to the problem. “Sadder than this impending disaster is the fact that nobody seems to be concerned about it and that there is no wholistic plan of action to prevent it from happening,” Piñol pointed out. When Metro Manila suffered water shortage, there were those who suggested establishing the Department of Water and Water Resources. But when La Mesa Dam was filled with water after a heavy rain, the proposal was completely forgotten. Just like climate change, the water crisis should be given much attention. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Glob-
al Water Policy Project, believes water problems will be right there with climate change as a threat to the human future.” More importantly, higher global temperatures will worsen the current water problems. “Although the two are related, water has no substitutes. We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. But there is no transitioning away from water to something else,” Postel said. According to Piñol, the most serious problems the country is facing today – which need to be addressed pronto! – are climate change and food security. “What should we, the generation of today, do to leave behind a better country for the next generation?” Piñol asked. One of the reasons why the country will soon be facing water crisis is due to the fact that its forest cover has gone down to only six percent. “Anim na porsyento na lang ng kagubatan ng bansa ang naiiwan since the 1900s at meron itong matinding implikasyon sa kapasidad ng ating bansa na magparami ng pagkain para sa mga mamamayan,” Piñol deplored. Many of the country’s watersheds have been denuded. Wa-
tersheds constitute about 75% of the total land area of the Philippines. “Our country has a total of 119 proclaimed and 154 priority watersheds,” the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) said. Aside from water, watersheds also provide vital resources like soil, forest range, wildlife and minerals. “Without trees in the forests and mountains, our rivers and creeks will run dry and agriculture will be adversely affected,” Piñol said. “While we virtually drown in floodwaters during the typhoon season, we suffer from water shortage after only two or three months of drought,” Piñol continued. “This is simply because we have not even considered the adoption of a national water management and conservation program.” Piñol believed that failing to address these problems will result “to a serious water crisis and hunger.” As such, he urged the government to “seriously address the problem of deforestation and implement a national emergency program on the regreening
of the denuded highlands and mountains using a strategy which would encourage people to participate.” In his post, Piñol suggested having a law “which would impose a very stiff penalty, including a long jail term and fines, on those who encroach into the protected forest areas, watersheds and resources of headwaters.” Once this kind of law is passed, it should be “strictly enforced.” He also proposed a national water management and conservation master plan which would “enjoin every Filipino and every agency of government, especially local government units, to participate in the establishment of water catchments, levees, dams and water impounding areas to hold water and elevate the water table in the surrounding areas.” “Water is the most precious asset on Earth,” Postel reminds. “It is the basis of life.” “As water is an absolutely vital resource, at the center of life itself, it is a key integrating factor in the environment. Without sustainable water management to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of clean, safe water, the health of ecosystems and those who depend on them, especially people, suffer,” said Dr. Klaus
Toepfer, during his term as executive director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program. Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A person needs at least 24 liters of water daily or one liter per hour. Even when he breathes, he still needs water. “Our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide,” wrote Leroy Perry in a Reader’s Digest article. “It is possible to lose half a liter of liquid each day just by exhaling.” A household of five needs at least 120 liters per day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning, according to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental group. Only 2.5 percent of the water that covers over 70% of the earth’s surface is considered fresh water. And only 1.3% is available for human use since most of the freshwater is trapped in glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas. Fresh water is drawn either from wells (tapping underground sources called aquifers) or from surface flows (like lakes, rivers, and man-made reservoirs).
ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD
DEATH OF A FORMER GUNSLINGER Prior to becoming the muchfeared village chieftain of Bankerohan, Davao City, Rene V. Galope was already known to the underworld as one of the dreaded guys who helped the downfall of Adan de las Marias, alleged notorious leader of the ‘Octopus Gang’ who pestered the pier operations of James L Chiongbian, later Sarangani Province congressman, in Gen. Santos City. (De las Maria, also known as the ‘Octopus,’ was assassinated by Wilfredo Quintanilla who admitted the crime and was meted a light sentence of six months of arresto mayor to a prision correccional of one year and ten days.) Galope, who lived by the gun, was one of the two recruits of Tony Bisaya, later the village chief of Wireless, being enlisted
to stop the gang’s abuses. The other was Jesus ‘Bigboy’ Cainglet who founded the ubiquitous Reolsyl Liner that once controlled the Davao-Tagum franchise route. After the gang’s collapse, the trio moved to Davao City to start their own families. Galope became village chief of Bankerohan where he became the archnemesis of pickpockets and criminals, with jurisdiction over Bankerohan Public Market, the city’s largest. He later served as head of the civil security unity (CSU) during the mayoralty of Rodrigo Duterte. Galope went on to serve the city as an appointed Sangguniang Panlungsod member following the 1986 People’s Revolt. In January 18, 1988, in local polls, he won his first term as an elected councilor and was reelected twice before taking a respite
from public service. It was during his return to private life that Galope was fatally gunned down by hired assassins near his residence at SM Village, in Bangkal, Davao City, on November 14, 2004, while starting the engine of his Volkswagen car. Originally, the plan was to use a knife in killing the councilor to avoid commotion but Galope’s struggle forced the killers to treacherously use a handgun. The motive was traced to a discord between Galope and his live-in partner. A decade afterwards, the regional trial court under acting presiding judge Rowena Apao Adlawan ruled on July 10, 2014, finding Estela Saligumba, Galope’s common-law wife, and Roberto Pondoyo, a CSU member, and Armando Buboli, a Maligaya
taxi driver, guilty of the crime of murder. In her 23-page decision, the judge sentenced the trio to life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua and ordered to pay civil indemnity, moral damages, attorney’s fees, and exemplary damages for the excessive use of force and treachery used in the commission of the crime. The verdict was chiefly based on the testimony of Jonalyn Ambit, Saligumba’s trusted helper, who told the court that her employer shared the plan to hire the duo in killing of Galope in exchange for the P10,000 contract, employment in city hall, and a 9mm pistol. What added weight to the guilt of the killers was the finding in ballistic examination that the .45 pistol found in Pondoyo’s
possession was the same weapon used in the killing of Galope. He failed also to explain why his Nokia 5110 mobile phone was found in the crime scene. Adlawan, in her decision, wrote that the motive of the crime was traced to Saligumba’s disgust of ‘Galope’s philandering ways [of] having so many relationships with other women and that her secrets of having a boyfriend and that their joint bank account with International Exchange Bank was already depleted might be discovered.’ What added misery to Saligumba’s role as the mastermind was the implication made by the two killers during interviews conducted separately by two local television news programs where they named her as the principal behind the crime.
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COMMUNITY SENSE
The Gift of Giving to Those in Need: S
SM accepts donations at all malls, gives immediate relief, shelter to Typhoon Odette-hit areas
M Foundation, Inc. through its Operation Tulong Express program, the relief operations program that gives immediate assistance in the form of basic needs in times of disasters, provided tens of thousands of Kalinga (care and relief packs) consisting of rice, bottled water and other essentials to over 5,000 families in Butuan (Agustan del Norte), Cebu, Cagayan de Oro and Iloilo. Moreover, SM’s retail stores and malls were open when typhoon Odette struck to provide essential needs. SM malls in Cebu, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan and Puerto Princesa provided temporary shelter to customers and nearby residents by offering free Wi-Fi, charging stations, drinking water, light snacks, free over-
night parking and help desks ready to serve customers affected by the typhoon. “Our malls always serve as temporary shelter during critical times to serve our communities’ needs. We are always ready to help those most vulnerable in the affected disaster areas and deploy our Operation Tulong Express outreach program immediately.” SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan said. Donations for the communities affected by Typhoon Odette will be accepted in 86 SM malls nationwide, including 8 SMDC malls. There are 3 ways to give – through cash donation boxes located at the SM Cares Bears of Joy booths and mall entrances, through direct deposit to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) SM provides immediate relief to typhoon-hit areas (Account Name: PHILIPPINE RED CROSS; Banco De Oro – EDSA, Manda-
luyong Branch; Account Number: 012928001854; SWIFT CODE: BNOR-
SM Seaside City in Cebu serve as charging stations for residents affected by Typhoon Odette
Phoenix remains operational in typhoon-hit VisMin A midst the aftermath caused by Typhoon Odette, Phoenix remains operational, albeit not yet at full capacity, in Visayas and Mindanao. “We remain to be of service to our customers, most especially during this challenging time,” said Senior Vice President Raymond Zorrilla. “Our team has been working on getting more of our sites to be fully operational as we make ways to be of help to those in need just when they need us the most,” he added. On December 17, the company implemented a price freeze across several
sites to ensure that there is no increase in the prices of its petroleum products in affected areas. With the damage caused by the calamity, many fear that basic necessities, including fuel, may soon fall short in supply. Phoenix, however, advised that there is no need to panic as it has adequate supply to fulfill the needs of the public. To prevent hoarding, and ensure that everyone is served, the company is regulating the volume allocated per customer during transactions until normal levels of operations are restored.
Phoenix has also deployed lorry assets and personnel from Mindanao to aid in fully restoring its operations in Cebu. To further provide assistance to those affected, the company also provided fuel to Cebu Water to help ensure water supply. Typhoon Odette hit
the Philippines over a week ago with winds of up to 230kph, leaving wreckage mostly in provinces in Visayas and Mindanao, including Cebu. Based on the latest report, the death toll stands at more than 250 as authorities carry out relief and rescue operations.
PHMM) and through scanning the PRC QR codes. All proceeds will go
directly through the PRC, a partner of SM Cares and the SM Foundation, Inc.
At your service: SM employees heed the call of duty in typhoon areas to provide essential service
9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO
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IS SUGAR REALLY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH? Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO
W
ho doesn’t like sugar? Aside from making foods like cakes, pastries, chocolates, and soft drinks taste so good, they also make us feel good.
Studies have shown that consuming simple carbohydrates (like sweets) boosts the neurotransmitter serotonin, a type of chemical that helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another thus helping improve mood. Stress reduces serotonin levels, which may help explain why some people reach for sweets when they’re feeling stressed. “Sugar taps into a powerful human preference for sweet taste,” points out Dr. Marcia Pelchat, a scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a basic research institute in Phil-
adelphia. “We’re born to like sugar,” she adds. “Sugar does seem to be special in some ways,” says Dr. Pelchat – even in the womb. Doctors used to treat the problem of excessive amniotic fluid by injecting a sweet substance into the liquid, she says. The appealing taste would prompt the fetus to swallow more fluid, which was then flushed out through the umbilical cord and the mother’s kidneys. “Sugar was once a luxury ingredient reserved for special occasions,” wrote Tiffany O’Callaghan, an editor in the Opinion
section at New Scientist. “But in recent years it has become a large and growing part of our diets. If you eat processed food of any kind, it probably contains added sugar. You can find it in sliced bread, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, soups, cooking sauces and many other staples. Lowfat products often contain a lot of added sugar.” Just like salt, eating too much sugar is doing us no good. As a matter of fact, sugar is being touted as public health enemy number one: as bad if not worse than fat, and the major driving force behind obesity, heart disease and type II diabetes. Some researchers even contend that sugar is toxic or addictive. It is no wonder why health bodies are waging “a war on sugar.” The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) wants people to cut sugar consumption radically. In the United States, doctors and scientists are pressing food companies to reduce sugar and be more open about how much they add. In the United Kingdom, a group called Action on Sugar has just launched a campaign to ratchet down sugar. But is sugar really that
bad? Sugar, used to be called “white gold,” is the generalized name for a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances, most of which are used as food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide (in the body, sucrose hydrolyzed into fructose and glucose). Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose.
Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners. Mounting evidence suggests that flooding your system with sugar-sweetened beverages – such as soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced tea and sports drinks – may increase your risk of diabetes. A recent study published in the journal Diabetes Care examined more than 310,000 patients and found that those who drank 1-2 servings of the sweet stuff a day were 26% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than
those who drank it once a month or not at all. “The reason is twofold: Loading up on sugar-sweetened beverages tends to lead to weight gain, which is a risk factor for diabetes,” writes Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of Best Sugar Addiction Now! “Previous studies have found that those who toss back high-calorie drinks tend not to cut calories elsewhere from their meals. Second, sugar-loaded drinks deliver a quick rush of sugars to your body, which over time can lead to insulin resistance and inflammation.” Gary Taubes, in an article which appeared in The New York Times, noted:
FSUGAR, P10
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citizens. Kinahanglan ninyo ni because our health experts nagasulti nga after six months there is a need for booster shots so that continued ang protection from a severe case of Covid-19. What we are also trying to do is unahan ang atoang surge na mahitabo,” Mayor Sara said. Meanwhile, Dr. Mi-
chelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, reminded the Dabawenyos that regardless of the brand of the vaccines for their booster dose, they are giving the same protection against Covid-19. DOH reiterated that booster doses are not yet recommended for ages 12 to 17 years old.
there. Make sure to make rounds in evacuation areas so) that they can be attended to with their medical needs,” he said. Duterte also tapped the military and police to handle the distribution of financial aid and other forms of assistance to typhoon-stricken communities. “All assets of the government must be utilized. So mag-shortcut na lang ako (So I am going to make a shortcut). The money will be distributed by the military. Si (Interior Secretary) General (Eduardo) Año will supervise ‘yung areas na kagaya dito (areas that are), highly urbanized, ano naman lahat, diretso na sa… Tutal (Anyway) from the military, it would go to the LGUs (local government units),” he said. Assigning the task to the police and military does not mean he distrusts the local government. “Do not think that I am not -- I do not trust the local officials. But in times of disorder, kailangan talaga(there should be) even in the matter of ‘yang pag-escort ng mga truck na nagdadala ng ano, nagkakagulo kaagad ang tao eh (escorting trucks bringing aid, there is chaos). So the police must be there and the military… to see to it that the intention and the expectations of government are realized,” he said. “May lugar kasi sa
dito sa -- lahat in… Iyong hindi maabot because marami pang (There are places that are difficult to reach because of) obstacles, the fallen trees and everything, movement is slowed down considerably and it is always a -- how fast we can reach the people to save the situation,” he added. Duterte admitted that he did not expect the typhoon would be as strong as predicted by the state weather bureau. “Hindi naman natin akalain ganoon ka-ferocious ‘yung typhoon (We did not expect the typhoon to be that ferocious). We thought that it’s just another typhoon. We never expected that it would be a huge thing that would affect the country, especially -- ang problema (a problem during) Christmas time. May mga tao na (There are people) suffering,” he said. He expressed hope that much-needed assistance “could reach everybody” at the soonest possible time. Duterte earlier assured victims that the government has raised PHP10 billion for typhoon response. Acting Budget secretary Tina Rose Canda explained that of the amount Duterte promised as typhoon aid, PHP6 billion would come from the proposed PHP5.024 trillion national budget for 2022.
(OSCA) ID upon claiming the assistance. It can be recalled that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio signed Executive Order No. 1, Series of 2021, on January 20, 2021 which aims to institutionalize and effectively implement the provisions of City Or-
dinance No. 0105-19, Series of 2019. The ordinance aims to support senior citizens in the cost of their maintenance for medicines and other expenses relative to their health and mandates the grant of an annual minimum financial assistance of P1,500.
they are alarmed by this because furloughed employees do not have rights, and don’t know how long they will be “floating.” Tanjusay said they would ask the Labor Department to intervene in the issue. TUCP also expressed concerns on “independent contracting” as more businesses online are in need of workers. “Under independent contracting wala silang minimum wage, wala
silang social protection insurance kagaya ng SSS, Pag-IBIG at PhilHealth. Walang standards na ganito. Walang employeeemployer relationship,” said Tanjusay. (Under independent contracting, they do not have minimum wage, they do not have social protection insurance like SSS, Pag-IBIG, and PhilHealth. They do not have standards like this. They do not have an employee-employer relationship.)
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would not work for indigents who need PhilHealth deduction at the point of payment, Escudero said. “Kung ang mga malalaking ospital mismo ay pipiliing kumalas sa PhilHealth dahil hindi sila makasingil, paano pa ang mga mahihirap na walang konesksyon o panahon para mag-follow up ng mga claims nila? Kaya nga tayo may PhilHealth para mabawasan ang babayaran natin at hangga’t maaari ay walang out-ofpocket expenses ang mga pasyente,” the governor and senatorial candidate said. The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. warned that more hospitals in Quezon, Isabela and General Santos are planning to disengage from PhilHealth for unpaid claims as well, which means more patients across the country are expected to pay their bills in full and just seek reimbursement. “PhilHealth must find a way to pay the legitimate claims of accredited health facilities. It is given the budget to perform its mandate—to ensure
affordable, acceptable, available and accessible health care services through health insurance coverage for all. This is at the center of health reforms in the UHC Act,” Escudero said. The hospitals noted that under the National Health Insurance Act, PhilHealth is mandated to process, review and pay the claims of providers within 60 days. PhilHealth was given P71 billion this year from the General Appropriations Act, on top of some P100 billion in contributions expected from paying members. The 2022 budget increased PhilHealth’s allocation to P80 billion, lower than the requested P110 billion. “We want to know what is happening inside PhilHealth so we can all address the problem and prevent a mass disengagement of private hospitals that have the capacity to provide quality health care where our government facilities cannot. We need to make sure that our National Health Insurance Program works, or else universal health care is impossible,” Escudero said.
Among the LGUs who have already received LANDBANK’s financial assistance include the Province of Southern Leyte; City of Maasin and Municipalities of Malitbog and Padre Burgos in Southern Leyte; and the Municipalities of Hilongos and Matalom in Leyte. Donations have also been turned over to the City of Mandaue in Cebu; City of Bais in Negros Oriental; Municipality of Tubigon in Bohol; Municipality of Jordan in Guimaras; Municipality of Hinoba-an in Negros Occidental; Municipalities of Bataraza, Brooke’s Point and Coron in Palawan; and the Municipalities of Claver and Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte.
On top of its financial donation to LGUs, LANDBANK has also re-activated its LANDBANK AMBAG System (Alternative Mechanism of Benevolent Assistance for the Greater good), which is a cash donation campaign for the Bank’s employees and communities significantly affected by typhoon Odette. Majority of LANDBANK branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) remain available to service the urgent banking needs of customers from affected areas. The Bank has also been working full-time to restore the availability of all its touchpoints affected by the typhoon at the soonest possible time.
(Starting Jan. 1, we encourage members not to accept PhilHealth from Jan. 1 to Jan. We want to show our support to other hospitals) “Hindi po muna kami magdededuct ng mga PhilHealth benefits,” he added. (We won’t deduct PhilHealth benefits) De Grano said not all health facilities could immediately remove PhilHealth as some services are dependent on its payments. “Maaari po kasing mabigat para sa ibang ospital na kumalas kaagad dahil may
mga serbisyo po na talagang dependent sa PhilHealth. Ngayon po ipapakita po namin na sinusuportahan namin ang mga ospital na kumakalas,” he said. (In some cases, it’s hard for other hospitals to deviate right away due to services that are dependent on PhilHealth. Now, we want to show our support to those who are leaving) PhilHealth claims ballooned during the COVID-19 pandemic as hospitalization of COVID patients is covered depending on the severity.
total operating grid-connected solar capacity of 1,021MW as of December 2020. The government seeks to increase this to as much as 20,000MW by 2030. SPNEC is a fully owned subsidiary of Solar Philip-
pines Power Project Holdings Inc., which is part of the SP Group involved in integrated developments and solar power projects. Shares in SPNEC closed Friday, December 24, at P1.15, up 2 centavos or 1.77%.
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“In 1924, Haven Emerson, director of the institute of public health at Columbia University, reported that diabetes deaths in New York City had increased as much as 15-fold since the Civil War years, and that deaths increased as much as fourfold in some U.S. cities between 1900 and 1920 alone. This coincided, he noted, with an equally significant increase in sugar consumption — almost doubling from 1890 to the early 1920s — with the birth and subsequent growth of the candy and soft-drink industries.” Eating too many foods high in sugar may depress your immune system. Dan Hammer, writing for the smoothie-handbook. com, explains: “Your body uses white blood cells to destroy viruses and bacteria. In the 1970s, researchers discovered that vitamin C was needed by the white blood cells to aid them in the process of destroying viruses and bacteria. Researchers developed a ‘phagocytic index’ which tells them how rapidly a particular macrophage or lymphocyte can gobble up a virus, bacteria, or cancer cell to destroy it. Dr. Linus Pauling realized that white blood cells need a high dose of vitamin C to effectively do their job in protecting you.” Sugar, in the form of glucose, has a similar chemical structure to vitamin C. “As your glucose levels increase,” Hammer says, “this molecule competes with vitamin C to enter the cell. If there is more glucose present, then there will be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much glucose for this disruption to occur. A blood glucose level of 120 reduces the ‘phagocytic index’ by 75%!” Eating an excessive
amount of fat isn’t the only thing that increases your risk of heart disease. “A diet rich in sugar can also hurt your heart,” points out Emily G.W. Chau, an American health journalist. In fact, some studies found that sugar plays a direct role on the health of your ticker. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who took in more than 17.5% of their calories from added sugars were 20-30% more likely to have high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat that’s found in your blood. When you consume more sugar than you need for energy, the excess sugars form triglycerides, which are then stored in fat cells. The same study found that people who got 25% or more of their calories from added sugars were more than 3 times more likely to have low levels of HDL (the good cholesterol that helps prevent plaque buildup by carrying cholesterol from your arteries to your liver where it is then excreted) than those whose diets included less than 5% sugar. Both high triglycerides and low HDL levels contribute to atherosclerosis – the hardening of your arteries – a condition that increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. “If God hadn’t meant for us to eat sugar, he wouldn’t have invented dentists,” said Ralph Nader, an American activist and author. But Luc Tappy, a physiologist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, disagrees: “You cannot live without essential fats. You cannot live without protein. It’s going to be difficult to have enough energy if you don’t have some carbohydrate. But without sugar, there is no problem. It’s an entirely dispensable food.”
On Christmas Day, Ortiz volunteered as a driver to run errands and deliver relief goods such as boxes of banana courtesy of the Tagum Agricultural Development Company, bottles of water, and some construction materials loaded on the truck to Pilar town. “This is a meaningful Christmas to be with the needy and victims of typhoon,” Cuadra said. Foreign residents Richard Sharpe, a resident of Pilar, was stuck in Cebu for some work and made it back to Siargao and his family on five days after Odette’s landfall. Sharpe, who has a dual citizenship (Canadian-Filipino) has been living in the country for 30 years. His famous fishing lodge in Pilar, Lindum Lodge, suffered 80% damage. “Siargao is my home and I just want to help people first and once they are okay, we will restore our place,” h e said,
adding he spent a “most meaningful Christmas.” Sharpe’s family spent at least half a million pesos to help in the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts. “What we need is food and water and construction materials such as tin sheets, plywood to build makeshift houses. We need chainsaws to make lumber out of those trees that fell down,” he said. Several local and foreign residents also volunteered giving water to residents in other towns, One of the volunteers is Iago Castro, a Spanish national, who volunteered as a truck driver to deliver water to farflung villages. Castro was tasked to deliver a thousand liters of water to neighboring areas. “Awesome deed for the people and we work for the people, muy bien, Adios amigos,” he said. (Roel N. Catoo / MindaNews)
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11 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO
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EDGEDAVAO
Aeon Luxe Properties Inc. President and CEO Mr. Ian Cruz, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing Andrew Bautista, Vice President for Sales and Marketing Ms. Almira Mariano and Sales Admin Manager Luis Dollesin with representatives from Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) during the soft opening of Aeon Luxe Showroom on December 20 2021 at 2F Aeon Towers Commercial Arcade, J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City.
Aeon Luxe Showroom soft opens at Aeon Towers
A
eon Luxe Properties Inc. has opened its main showroom to showcase present and future development projcets. Davao’s top homegrown developer recently soft opened its modern and spacious showroom office at the 2nd floor of Aeon Towers, Commercial Arcade, J. P. Laurel
Avenue on December 20 2021. The showroom office will serve as the venue for agents to tour clients in the mock-up units intended for Aeon Luxe’s second
integrated development, Aeon Bleu. It is also open for client meetings and agent trainings spearheaded by the sales representatives of the company. “We made sure that our showroom office is available before the year ends to give space for our agents and clients
who are looking forward to seeing our future projects. This is just the start of many great things to come for the company,” Ian Cruz, ALPI President and CEO said. The Aeon Luxe Showroom is open Mondays to Sundays 8:00 am to 8:00 pm for tour arrangements and client meetings. For interested clients, please get in touch with our accredited agents or Busi-
ness Unit Heads. Present in the soft opening are ALPI President and CEO Ian Y. Cruz, ALPI Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing Andrew Bautista, ALPI Vice President for Sales and Marketing Almira Mariano, ALPI executives, sales team, bank partners and friends from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.
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BIG ENDING World Tong-Il Moo Do Federation-PH president Bernardino Villagante, Philippine Embassy in Kenya Chargé d’affaires, ad interim, Maria Rosanna Josue, and head coach Nicky Rambuyon at the the 9th Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championship held December 11 to 22 in Mombasa, Kenya (Contributed photo)
PH athletes bag 45 medals in Kenya martial arts competition
M
OMBASA, Kenya – The Philippine delegation bagged 19 gold, 19 silver, and seven bronze medals for second overall in the 9th Mombasa Open Tong-Il Moo-Do (TIMD) International Martial Arts Championship held December 11 to 22 here.
Jinnefer Berfulfo led the top finishers with six gold medals in the Gichoom, Individual Sparring Finweight, Individual Bon, Team Bon Women, Team Mixed Bon, and Team Special Technique events. Princess Minmi Ilustrisimo also took the gold in the Individual Special Techniques and secured bronze medals in women’s Sparring Flyweight and the Individual Bong. She was likewise part of the winning Team Form Women, Team Special Techniques, and Team Mixed Form. Other Filipino athletes who earned medals were Mharjude Delos Santos, with two golds and three silvers; Cyrus Tumanda, 3 golds, 3 silvers; Reymark Bais, 3 golds, 2 silvers, 1 bronze; Jocelyn Pablo, 2 golds, 2 silvers; Aldrige Urianza, 1 gold, 2 silvers, 1 bronze; Vincent Laguerta, 1 gold, 4 silvers, 1 bronze; Jayson Purificacion, 2 golds, 3 silvers; Rhenel Desuyo, 2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze; Rhenel Desuyo, 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze; and Marissa Arbolar-
io with one gold medal from the Gichoom event. Philippine Embassy in Kenya Chargé d’affaires, ad interim, Maria Rosanna Josue congratulated the Philippine team and commended them for bringing pride to the country. “When you compete as athletes, you do not only carry our flag, but you also get to promote sportsmanship and camaraderie across cultures, and forge connections with other people as you transcend differences in opinion, language, and beliefs,” Josue said during the sendoff at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on Thursday. TIMD is a comprehensive unified martial art discipline from South Korea founded in 1979 by Grandmaster Dr. Joon Ho Seuk. The 9th TIMD was participated in by 16 countries, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, Zambia, Turkey, and Iran. Host country Kenya was the overall champion. (PR)