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PUBLIC BOOZE BAN City may extend the ban on serving alcoholic drinks in public places STORY ON PAGE 2
A skater performs skateboard tricks while his peer takes photos in front of Abreeza Mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City on Tuesday. Edge Davao
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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO
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Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega assures the public that the country is ready for a possible Omicron variant wave which seems to be upon the Philippines as the Covid-19 infections continue to increase. Edge Davao
PUBLIC BOOZE BAN City may extend the ban on serving PH ready for possible Omicron alcoholic drinks in public places variant wave, says Usec. Vega By MAYA M. PADILLO
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he city government of Davao may extend the ban on alcoholic drinks in public places and licensed venues. Nevertheless, Dabawenyos may consume liquor privately.
“Wala ta’y 24- hour liquor ban you can still consume your liquor privately,” Mayor Sara said on Monday. The mayor also said that it is not yet being discussed if restaurants in Davao City will be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages after the deadline set of serving liquors in public places.
“Sa pagkakaron wala pa na siya,” she said. Mayor Sara explained drinking in public brings people to gather, remove face masks, and interact with other people. “Ang pag-inom man gud sa public isa na siya sa mga activities nga magdugay ang mga tao magtapok and isa pud siya sa mga
activities nga naga-tanggal usually og mask ug continuous ang interaction sa mga tao,” the mayor said. On October 25, 2021 Mayor Sara signed Executive Order (EO) No. 59 modifying the liquor ban guidelines and lifting the curfew in Davao City that took effect on October 26, 202, to January 15, 2022. Otherwise known as “An Order Providing for the Modified Guidelines on Liquor Ban and the Lifting of Curfew Within
the City,” the new liquor ban is from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. thus no person or entity shall sell liquor or any alcoholic beverages during this period. Prohibited are serving liquor for consumption in bars, restaurants, sari-sari stores, palengke (wet market), videoke, and other business establishments; and drinking liquor in all public places, including, but not limited to streets, alleys, pathways, and outside of gates.
fied focused military operations of the Command and the strong support of the communities, Local Government Units, and former rebels and cadres, a total of 70 communist terrorists were killed in combat operations, 147 were apprehended, arrested and captured, 630 capitulated, and 1,224 allies withdrew their support for the Communist
Terrorist Group (CTG) in 2021. Soldiers of EastMinCom were also able to cut down the CTG’s resources by recovering 690 high-powered and low-powered firearms through combat operations and surrender. In the same vein, troops were able to secure several communities from the CTG’s indiscrim-
inate attacks through the recovery of 97 International Humanitarian Lawbanned anti-personnel mines. On top of these, 192 CTG lairs were also discovered by the troops in several parts of Eastern Mindanao through the aid of concerned citizens and former rebels who shared information with intel
EastMinCom caps off 2021 with more than 2K CTG members neutralized
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rmed with sheer determination and strong will to end the local communist armed conflict, Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom), through the leadership of LtGen. Greg T. Almerol continues to sustain its gains by neutralizing more than 2,000 communist terrorists in 2021. Through the intensi-
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he country is ready for a possible Omicron variant wave which Department of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said seems to be upon the Philippines as the Covid-19 infections continue to increase. “Well, it looks like the Omicron wave is upon us,” Vega, also the country treatment czar, said in an interview. Vega said the Philippines has been experiencing a “steady increase” in terms of the Omicron just like what happened across South Africa and Europe. “Our numbers have doubled and this is the start and we are very sure that this will peak. When it will crest down and decelerate, we don’t know. But what is very important is that we are prepared for this omicron virus,” he said. For the last two days, the Department of Health (DOH) reported more than 4,000 new daily cases, including 4,600 logged on Sunday, the highest infections since the country’s lowest 168 new cases recorded on Dec. 21, 2021. While the Omicron variant causes mild symptoms, Vega emphasized
its high transmissibility factor may bring a large volume of infected patients. “We are preparing our health systems capacity, our testing, our isolation so that we are all prepared for another ride in the waves of this Omicron virus,” he said. He added the government is also preparing its temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs). “We only have about 115 TTMF beds all over the country. That means if you have an exponential growth in this Omicron, we might have problems in terms of isolation or quarantining these Covid-positive patients,” he said. Earlier, the DOH said a surge or peak of Omicron infections can be delayed through public health interventions – proper wearing of face masks, social distancing, frequent and proper handwashing, good indoor ventilation, and vaccination. In a separate online media forum on Monday, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported 11 imported and three local cases of Omicron variant. She said of the 11 cas-
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NEWS
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Houses along the coast of Burgos town in Siargao Island were wiped out by the wrath of Typhoon Odette in this photo taken on Monday, 3 January 2022. Odette made landfall in Siargao on 16 December 2021. MindaNews photo by ROEL CATOTO
Re-imposition of ‘test before travel’ in Davao airport unlikely By MAYA M. PADILLO
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he re-imposition of the “test before travel” policy at the Davao International Airport (DIA) is no longer discussed by the City Covid-19 Task Force amid the Omicron variant threat.
According to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpiothe policy is no longer discussed as the city government wants more people to travel to Davao City. “Wala na naga discuss ang Covid-19 Task Force with regards to the test
before travel diri sa Davao City because we want people to travel more and want people to travel to Davao City,” the mayor said. The mayor added that since Davao City has already administered
1,230,000 for the first dose Dabawenyos are now protected from severe and critical Covid-19 cases so re-imposing it is not necessary. “Wala na ta’y ginahulat na lain pa nga pagabuhaton kontra sa Covid for our protection hangtod ra ta sa atong bakuna and the booster, gina-remind nato tanan nga kinahanglan mag-accept na sila sa ilang booster. Mao na lang na siya,” Mayor Sara said.
Last November 16, 2021 Mayor Sara lifted the Reverse transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) requirement for inbound travelers at DIA through Executive Order (EO) No. 66 or lifting of the RT-PCR. Under the EO, Mayor Sara said there is a need to put on hold the implementation of Davao City Ordinance No. 0477-21, known as “An Ordinance Providing for Mandatory
Testing Before Entry into Davao City Via the Davao International Airport,” because of the declining cases of Covid-19 in the city and the vaccination rollout in Davao City. The mayor also stated there is a need to provide a new guide for travelers entering the city by land, sea, or air both domestic and international, and ordered all travelers entering Davao City by land and all arriving domestic travelers
by sea and air no longer required to present their 2472 hours negative RT-PCR test results. The EO also emphasized that no document shall be required for entry except for security checks that may be required by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel, for the purposes of anti-crime, anti-illegal drugs, and anti-terrorism operations.
from the Pikit municipal health office, she said the possible cause of the typhoid fever was the contaminated drinking water that people sourced from open wells and water pumps in the area. “Many of the patients were children who are now in various hospitals in Pikit,” Rabaya said, adding that members of the IPHO sent to the village have brought with them medicine and water purification tablets to help prevent the spread of waterborne diseases. (PNA)
ore Dabawenyos have claimed their “Pahalipay” grocery packs but there are also those who opted to donate theirs. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced on Monday that the donate button for “Pahalipay” grocery packs intended for people affected by typhoon Odette on the SafeDavao QR website will run until January 15, 2022. The city government of Davao has added a “donate” feature on the distribution of Christmas grocery packs after some Dabawenyos proposed to donate their Christmas gift instead to
help victims of typhoon Odette. “Didto sa donate, makit-an nato kung kinsa to sila because naa silay assigned na tindahan depending on their address. Atoa ng kuhaon didto sa tindahan. I-collate nato ng tanan and karong January, ipahatod nato na siya didto sa areas nga naagian sa bagyong Odette,” Mayor Sara said. As of January 3, 2022 there are a total of 97,997 Dabawenyos who claimed their “Pahalipay” while 80,434 opted to donate theirs. “Isa pa pud diay na i-remind nato sa atong kaigsuonang Dabawenyo
kauban sa booster ang pag-claim nila sa ilang DQR grocery packs or pag-donate nila sa ilahang DQR grocery packs. Duna silay choice to claim or to donate,” Mayor Sara said. The mayor also reminded Dabawenyos that they can still claim their grocery packs until January 31, 2022. The city government has expanded the use of the Safe Davao QR from contact tracing of possible Covid-19 infected individuals and to prohibit non-essential movement to social services and disaster assistance to the distribution of Christmas grocery packs last year.
of ‘Pahalipay’ grocery Typhoid fever downs Donation packs until January 15 only 30 in NorCot village M H ealth officials in North Cotabato province have sent a team to help the municipal health office of Pikit town to contain the rising number of typhoid fever cases in one of its remote villages. As of Tuesday, the North Cotabato Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) said at least 30 persons have been hospitalized for typhoid fever that hit the village of Manaulanan. In a statement, Dr. Eva Rabaya, North Cotabato provincial health officer, said the 30 pa-
tients were all residents of the village that have taken unsafe drinking water since the last week of December. Manaulanan is a remote village with no potable drinking water. Residents rely on commercially available mineral drinking water in gallons or bottles but the indigents take drinking water from water pumps and open wells. “No one was reported to have died among the patients,” Rabaya said in a radio interview Tuesday. Quoting a report
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VOL.14 ISSUE 245 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022
A fruit vendor sells Mandarin orange to passing motorists along Monteverde Avenue in Davao City on Tuesday. Even at a much lower prices, sellers of fruits are struggling to dispose their goods days after the New Year celebration. Edge Davao
PRRD vetoes budget provision sparing SUC lands from CARP
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resident Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed the exclusion of lands owned and occupied by the state colleges and universities (SUCs) from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) under the P5.024-trillion budget law for 2022. Duterte’s rejection of such a provision was stated in his veto message on Republic Act 11639 or the General Appropriations Act of 2022 released by the Department of Budget and Management on Monday, January 3. “I am constrained to veto SUC Special Provi-
sion(s) Applicable to the SUCs, Special Provision No. 17, “Exclusion of Lands Owned and Occupied by State Universities and Colleges from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program,” Volume I-A, page 789, since it does not relate to any appropriation in the budget for the SUCs,” Dute-
rte said. “It is further noted that the subject matter of such provision is already covered by a separate substantive law,” Duterte added. The President was referring to Section 10 of Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988 which states that “lands actually, directly and exclusively used and found to be necessary for parks, wildlife, forest reserves, reforestation, fish sanctuaries and breeding grounds, watersheds, and mangroves, na-
tional defense, school sites and campuses including experimental farm stations operated by public or private schools for educational purposes, seeds and seedlings research and pilot production centers, church sites and convents appurtenant thereto, mosque sites and Islamic centers appurtenant thereto, communal burial grounds and cemeteries, penal colonies and penal farms actually worked by the inmates, government and private research and quarantine cen-
Response Fund was not enough but they sourced out other forms of assistance through its regional field offices. Transport assistance was provided by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to deliver 140 chainsaws for the clearing and disposal of damaged coconut trees – 50 to Surigao, 30 to Dinagat Islands, 50 to Southern Leyte, and 10 to other
parts of Leyte. An additional 50 units of reconditioned chainsaws are also ready for deployment to Southern Leyte. AFP units in Eastern Visayas and Caraga helped transport chainsaws from Tacloban to Surigao. In partnership with local government units, the PCA supervised debris-clearing to ensure
that only the felled and totally damaged trees were cut. Rehabilitation The PCA also made necessary arrangements with other national government agencies, such as the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the
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PCA pools resources to help coconut sector recover from typhoon ‘Odette’
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he Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has been working nonstop since last year’s onslaught of Typhoon Odette to assist affected plantation areas. Of the estimated PHP8-billion damage in the agriculture sector, PHP1.58 billion are in the coconut sector, according to data shared on Monday. In a Facebook post, the PCA said the Quick
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‘Year 2021 proved mankind’s resilience yet again’: Diokno
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021 will be remembered not only because of the pandemic but another year of record-low interest rate -- a measure eyed to help lift the economy while ensuring financial inclusion and digitalization of financial transactions. To date, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) key policy rate is at 2 percent, a level kept since November 2020 to encourage banks to lend more to help spur economic activity that staggered from the pandemic’s impact. BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) slashed the central bank’s key policy rates by a total of 200 basis points last year, which is among its contribution to address the pandemic’s economic impact. So far, it has injected around PHP2.3 trillion worth of liquidity into the domestic economy through various measures like rate cuts and reduction in the banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR), which has also been cut by as much as 200 basis points. BSP Governor Benjamin
Diokno said “2021 proved mankind’s resilience yet again.” The Philippines, for one, has posted two consecutive quarters of growth starting in the second quarter of this year after five quarters of negative prints. Growth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), grew by 12 percent in the second quarter this year, a turn-around from the decades-low -17 percent same period last year. It was followed by a 7.1 percent GDP expansion in the third quarter, which made economic managers revise upwards the growth target for the year, after cuts in the previous months, to 5-5.5 percent. Unemployment Relatively, unemployment has gone down to around 7.4 percent last October after rising to 17.6 percent in April last year when the government implemented lockdown to address the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Also, the manufacturing
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VOL.14 ISSUE 245 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022
ECONOMY 5
A motorcycle rider drives by a signage of current oil prices at a gasoline station along R. Castillo Street in Davao City on Tuesday. Oil firms have implemented a big-time fuel prices hike starting Tuesday morning. Edge Davao
Damage to agri caused by ‘Odette’ goes past P10B Oil prices up over supply outages in Libya, ahead of OPEC+ meeting
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il prices were up on Monday due to supply disruptions in Libya and ahead of the meeting of producers of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) on Tuesday when they will decide how much oil to pump in February. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at USD78.44 per barrel at 0656 GMT, up 0.84 percent from the previous session’s close of USD77.78. The American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at USD75.86 per barrel at the same time, a 0.86 percent gain from the previous session’s trade closure of USD75.21 per barrel. Oil prices started the new year on a positive note with Libya’s announcement on Saturday of production cuts of around 200,000 barrels of crude oil starting Tuesday due to maintenance on the main crude oil pumping line connecting the fields of Sa-
mah and Al. It was good news for the oil market amid uncertainties from the omicron variant of Covid-19. As the daily Covid-19 cases surpassed 345,000 in the US, the top infectious disease expert of the country, Anthony Fauci, warned of the danger of a surge in hospitalizations due to a large number of coronavirus cases, despite early data indicating that the omicron Covid-19 variant is less severe. On Sunday, more than 3,600 flights were canceled around the world, more than half of which originated in the US. These cancelations added to the toll of Christmas travel disruptions caused by the omicron variant, according to a running tally on the tracking website FlightAware.com More than 6,400 flights were delayed, including those that were delayed but not canceled. Investors are also keeping an eye on the meet-
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amage and losses to agriculture caused by Typhoon Odette have breached the P10 billion level as of Monday afternoon, data released by the Department of Agriculture (DA) showed. Latest data from the DA estimate the damages at P10.7 billion, up from the P9 billion recorded over the weekend, covering several areas in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Broken down, the fig-
ures cover 163,760 farmers and fishers with the volume of production loss at 244,924 metric tons and 370,142 hectares of agricultural areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas,
Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga. In terms of commodities, the fisheries sector incurred the most losses with P3.0 billion, followed by rice with P2.2 billion, coconut with P1.5 billion, high-value crops with P1.5 billion, sugarcane with P1.2 billion, and others with P1.3 billion. The DA noted that some 11,454 hectares of rice were harvested prior
to Odette, with an equivalent production of 34,433 metric tons worth P615.53 million, and 2,452 hectares of corn equivalent to 6,956 metric tons worth P82.55 million. The Visayas and Mindanao regions have been severely hit by Odette which entered the country earlier this month. It left the Philippine Area of Responsibility after causing “total devastation” in areas on its path.
cal governments, and private entities, such as Philippine Red Cross, UNICEF, World Vision Philippines, and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Inc. On December 29, CEB flew 32 medical workers from Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium, mobilized by the Department of Health (DOH) Health Emergency Management Bureau
(HEMB), free-of-charge to Siargao and Dinagat Island, where they provided free medical assistance to the victims of the natural disaster. “This would have not been possible without the coordination between the DOH, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Inc., and CEB. With this, we would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the support that these
agencies have provided to ensure the speedy arrival of the different DOH teams to the areas affected by typhoon Odette,” said Dir. Arnel Rivera, MD, FPAFP, MHA, IDHA - OIC Director IV of Health Emergency Management Bureau, DOH. The airline has also made sure it took care of its own people who are based in areas devastated by the typhoon. More than 1,600 Cebu Pacific employees
CebPac mounts relief efforts for Odette-stricken communities
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ebu Pacific continues its various relief efforts for people and communities that were affected by the recent Super Typhoon Odette, transporting since December 18, 2021, various essential goods and volunteers freeof-charge, to destinations including Cebu, Bohol, Siargao, and Surigao. To further drive help to those devastated by the typhoon, CEB has partnered with both national and lo-
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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO
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In explaining that the public ban on alcohol consumption could be extended:
Ang pag-inom man gud sa public isa na siya sa mga activities nga magdugay ang mga tao magtapok and isa pud siya sa mga activities nga naga-tanggal usually og mask ug continuous ang interaction sa mga tao.”
Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio
EDITORIAL Wise moves The Department of Health (DOH) has placed the entire Philippines back under the high-risk category as COVID-19 cases increased by 570 percent in just a few days. The action is just one of the moves made by the DOH.
Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority has ordered unvaccinated Manila residents to stay home.
The moves would mean a slowdown in business activities in Metro Manila and thousands of people losing jobs. However, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion III support-
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Concepcion was referring to announcement of MMDA Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. that local chief executives in the NCR agreed to pass ordinances that will restrict the movement and activities of unvaccinated people while the region is under Alert Level 3 until January 15.
Take note that the DOH has placed the entire country in high-risk category and the restrictions in people’s movement will soon affect everybody, including Dabawenyos, particularly the unvaccinated ones. 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
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ed the decision of Metro Manila mayors to limit the movements of unvaccinated individuals in the National Capital Region (NCR).
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VANTAGE POINTS
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HENRYLITO D. TACIO SERAFICA J. WEIS THINK ON THESE! IBP DAVAO CORNER
DISASTER CONSCIOUSNESS WHEN I was still attending elementary school in my hometown, I used to walk almost a kilometer following a pathway where rice was grown. There were times that I had to go home muddy when I fell on a stiff trail. We didn’t have any electricity at that time so we had to rely on a kerosene lamp. We ate our dinner early so we could still see the food being served at the table. Flashlights were very expensive then and so were the batteries. When we went home from school, we had to fetch water from a well near a river. We had to walk about half a kilometer but it took us about thirty minutes to fill up our pails since there were others who were ahead of us. Our house was made from lumber then. Now, we have a house fully constructed and cemented. We have electricity at our disposal. Water is abundant, although there are times when water gushes from the faucet. But those are few and in-between. Thanks to modernization, people are now living comfortably. At home, they are using electricity in everything: air-conditioner, electric fans, televisions,
cooking, washing clothes, and charging those several gadgets. Travel is no longer a hassle. It seems that people have their own vehicles already; those who don’t have cars, they can always ride a taxi, van, or bus. There are also “skylabs,” “habal-habal,” and pedicabs for hire. For every good thing, there are always bad sides. The use of too much electricity and vehicles have raised the world’s temperature. This is due to the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. In time, climate change came into existence. “Climate change is a better choice than the term global warming because it avoids the misleading implications: that all parts of the world are warming uniformly and that the only dangerous outcome of growing greenhouse gas emissions is higher temperatures,” explained Dr. Rosa T. Perez during the Climate Change Media Workshop held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel a few years back. Dr. Rosa is a research fellow of the Manila Observatory. She was one of the scientists who contributed to the Fourth Assessment
Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body which became a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. “Warming is only the tipping point for a cascade of changes in the earth’s ecosystems,” she continued her explanation. “In addition, climate change better conveys the coexistence of human-made effects with natural climate variability, a more accurate, ‘state-of-the-science’ portrayal of the causes for the phenomenon.” Dr. Perez says that the current carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is about 40% more than pre-industrial levels. “We are emitting a lot of carbon dioxide faster than the Earth can absorb any excess,” she deplores. Some members of the IPCC have come up with a list of consequences of climate change to “make it understandable and to illustrate the issues that have the greatest potential to cause real harm,” to quote the words of Chris Field of the Carnegie Institution of Science in California, told the Associated Press. A boiled-down version
of what the scientists say the warmed-up future holds for Earth if climate change continues: 1. Coastal flooding will kill people and cause destruction. 2. Some people will go hungry because of warming, drought and severe downpours. 3. Big cities will be damaged by inland flooding. 4. Water shortages will make the poor even poorer in rural areas. 5. Crazy weather, like storms, can make life miserable, damaging some of the things we take for granted, like electricity, running water and emergency services. 6. Some fish and other marine animals could be in trouble, which will probably hurt fishing communities. 7. Some land animals won’t do much better and that’s not good for people who depend on them. 8. Heat waves, especially in cities, will kill the elderly and very young. “Most natural hazards turn into disasters because of the lack of preparedness,” deplored climate change champion Loren Legarda. “Preparation is the name
of the game. It is a must that citizens understand how they can contribute to making our communities disaster-resilient and urge them to actually take part in such activities.” According to Legarda, disaster prevention starts even long before a typhoon makes a landfall, before an earthquake happens or before a volcano erupts. “Early warning and early action should be at the very heart of our efforts,” she said. “Everyone should understand the risks we face and equip ourselves with preventive measures to lessen the impact of natural hazards.” Among the community preparation for disasters she cited include regular pruning of trees, dredging of canals and esteros, and the practice of segregating garbage, among many others. “Climate is changing and will continue to do so,” reminds Dr. Perez. “Currently, the impacts on many sectors are still unclear, but may become more pronounced as warming continues. So, we need to focus on understanding, adaptation, and preparation.”
ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD
DECODING MALITA’S PLACENAME Until now, academics are not still in accord as to the place-name of Malita, a town in Da-vao Occidental. If it is a loan word, its linguistic etymology is obscure at best. Malita is likely one of the foreign loan-words that have entered, by way of trade and pro-to-diplomatic affairs, the indigenous dialects. In Sanskrit, it means ‘garlanded, crowned; sur-rounded by.’ Whatever the terms describe, their implication has been lost to oblivion; other-wise, they could have referred to lush vegetation or being surrounded by water bodies. Given that Hindu influence via Java, Indonesia, reached Mindanao prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Sanskrit-based loanword can be dated to the pre-Hispanic period. This was long before the distressed crew of the Magel-
lan expedition, its wooden ships badly bat-tered by bad weather, sought shelter at the Sarangani islands on October 26, 1521. One of the early logs about Malita is the August 30, 1628, report of Fiscal Daniel Ottens, a Dutch, who cited the “people from the negeris [Malay district], Malita, Bagobo, Canating, Djabo (Davao), Youw (Iho), Mateau (Matiao), Sommeleg (Lupon), and Leyne (Linas?)” as sources of fighting men and raiding ships. This 17th-century account directly disputes the claim that Malita comes from the Spanish maleta de viaje, or valise. Fascinatingly, Malita is also a variation of Maria. Both Spanish-inspired interpretations predate the arrival of Spanish missionaries in the area. Ottens, onboard the vessel Orangie, was sent to Mindanao
by the Dutch East Indies Company to assess Spanish gains in conversion and colonization and to build alliances with the rulers and kings. He brought with him letters and presents for the rulers of Sarangany, Tubok (Tubug Bay), Boayan (Buayan) and Solock (Sulu). Corroborating Ottens’ account is cartographic references found in eighteenth-century Portuguese and Dutch maps, suggesting that Malita, in early colonial times, was a stopover or anchorage. Another school of thought suggests Malita could be a misreading of written accounts re-garding Malaga, a name of a Spanish town given by Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villa-lobos when they entered Baganga Bay in 1543. This argument, though, is largely speculative and is not remotely suggested in histori-
cal narratives. In Bagobo dialect, Malaga is translated as ‘expensive, precious.’ The same word is also de-fined in old Spanish as ‘sea of bitterness.’ Malita’s reference to the sea is consistent in numerous foreign accounts, especially in rela-tion to its Tubalan Bay which has been, for centuries, a fisherman’s dock and mariner’s shel-ter. Sited north of the town, the cove looks like a half-submerged mud crab with extended pincers shaped like an overprotect for boats stopping for provision or sailors seeking refuge. During the American occupation, Malita, a flourishing hemp plantation region, was clas-sified as a minor port that was ‘opened up for direct shipment of raw products to the United States.’ By 1923, large freighters called at fre-
quent intervals in the bay, then one of four minor ports in the Gulf of Davao. The three other wharves were Lapuan, Lacaron, and Davao. Another etymological thread suggests that if Malita is among those places that early on were converted to Islam via Maguindanao of Sarangani, an adjacent area, the town’s name could have in the least originated from the Arabic Malika, which means ‘queen.’ All these claims to decode the orthographic and etymologic origins of Malita as a place-name, while possible, do not provide conclusive proof of the provenance of the town’s appel-lation. One thing is almost sure, though: That Malita is linked to the sea and its forest cano-pies provide a resemblance of multiple crowns that, centuries earlier, seemed to encircle the area.
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COMPETITIVE EDGE
(left photo) Candaba Mayor Rene E. Maglanque (left), Candaba Vice Mayor Michael Dan V. Sagum (right), and LANDBANK Central Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Sylvia C. Lim (center) lead the opening of the LANDBANK Candaba, Pampanga Agri-Hub (right photo) located at Candaba-Sta. Ana Road, Pasig, Candaba, Pampanga.
LANDBANK ends 2021 with new Agri-Hubs in Pampanga and Isabela
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and Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) capped-off 2021 with the inauguration of its two AgriHubs located in Candaba, Pampanga, and Echague, Isabela, as part of the Bank’s commitment to bring financial services closer to more farmers and fishers in the country’s top rice-producing provinces. The LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub is expected to provide banking, lending and agrarian services to local development players, including 22,011 farmers from Candaba’s 33 barangays including the adjacent towns of San Luis, Sta. Ana, and
Arayat. As part of the Bank’s continuing thrust of expanding touchpoints in key strategic areas nationwide, the newest Agri-Hub will also complement seven existing LANDBANK Branches and 50 ATMs in Pampanga. Candaba Mayor Rene E. Maglanque, Vice Mayor Michael Dan V. Sagum, and LANDBANK Central Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Sylvia C. Lim led the inauguration of the LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub on 28 December 2021. “I know that the construction and opening of LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub will attract
more investors to our Municipality because we now have a credible bank. We are now one step closer to the realization of our development plans because of LANDBANK,” said Mayor Maglanque. Located at the LGU Government Center, Candaba-Sta. Ana Road, Pasig, Candaba, Pampanga, the LANDBANK Candaba Agri-Hub is the seventh to open nationwide. Meanwhile, the LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub is the first Agri-Hub in the province of Isabela and eighth in the country, located at Echague-Poblacion Road, San Fabian, Echague, Isabela.
Initially opened on 29 December 2020, the LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub provides financial and technical services, with a stronger focus on supporting more than 4,000 farmers and fisherfolk in the Municipality of Echague and other nearby municipalities. Aside from agriculture stakeholders, the Echague Agri-Hub also services various national and local government offices, private establishments, as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the area. The LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub was officially inaugurated on 29 December 2021 led
by LANDBANK North Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Ma. Belma T. Turla with support from local Sangguniang Bayan Members. LANDBANK AgriHubs offer banking services such as account opening, withdrawals, and check encashments; lending services such as the processing of loan applications; and agrarian services such as processing of Agrarian Reform (AR) bonds and handling of agrarian-related concerns from landowners, bondholders, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs). The newly opened touchpoints raise the
total Agri-Hubs in the country to eight, with the six other LANDBANK Agri-Hubs situated in Calabanga, Camarines Sur; Barotac Viejo, Iloilo; Sual, Pangasinan; Echague, Isabela; Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur; and Rizal, Nueva Ecija. LANDBANK has grown its physical network to 412 branches and 71 branch-lite units as of end-2021—the only Bank with presence in all 81 provinces in the country. LANDBANK continues to expand its physical touchpoints to better serve the banking needs of customers across the country, especially in unbanked and underserved areas.
The LANDBANK Echague Agri-Hub at Echague-Poblacion Road, San Fabian, Echague, Isabela, officially opens with LANDBANK North Luzon Branches Group Head, Senior Vice President Mabel T. Turla (5th from right), Echague Agri-Hub Head Ms. Josephine A. Lorenzo (rightmost), and the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Members of Echague leading the inauguration.
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SAFER ALTERNATIVES FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO QUIT SMOKING By HENRYLITO D. TACIO iqos.com and Rhoy Cobilla
“Q
uitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health – smoking harms nearly every organ in your body, including your heart,” points out the website, hopkinsmedicine. org. “Nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke.”
The good news is: more people are now smoking less. From1.32 billion smokers in 2015, it went down to 1.30 billion in 2020, according to the latest data released by the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO). The fourth WHO glob-
al tobacco trends report estimates that the number is expected to continue to drop to 1.27 billion by 2025. “Sixty countries are now on track to achieving the voluntary global target of a 30% reduction by 2025, an increase from two
years ago, when only 32 countries were on course,” said WHO in a press statement. More people are more likely to quit smoking if they can find alternatives to cigarettes. “Nobody should be smoking antiquated cigarettes that kill half the people that use them when we now have a (safer) product,” Dr. David Abrams, a New York University professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Global Public Health, told CBS This Morning Tony Dokoupil. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are among
those products. The Atlanta-based Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that smoking cigarettes can reduce a person’s life expectancy by at least 10 years. In comparison, England’s top public health agency found in a study that vaping – the other term for e-cigarette smoking – is about 95% less harmful. “After 34 years of smoking, e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to help break away from cigarettes,” admitted Richard Lorenzen, a certified tobacco smoker. However, after a rise in
serious lung illness linked to the products, politicians and advocates in the United States have called for increased e-cigarette regulation. Dr. Abrams is very much concerned with this latest development. “Simply discouraging vaping, without also discouraging smoking, is doing more harm than good,” pointed out Dr. Abrams, who has researched smoking cessation for 40 years. “I think destroying a less harmful product (vapes) while leaving cigarettes on the market misses the point of public health,” he was quoted as saying by nyunews.com’s Ishaan Parmar. In their search for a better alternative to traditional cigarettes, Dr. Rafael R. Castillo has found heated tobacco products (HTPs). “HTPs produce aerosols containing nicotine and other chemicals, which are inhaled by users through the mouth, like the conventional cigarette, but the stick is not lit; it’s just heated using a battery-powered heating system device,” explained Dr. Castillo, a cardiologist with the Manila Doctors’ Hospital. Dr. Castillo and his team – composed of Marie A. Barrientos-Regala, Ma. Joan Dymphna Reaño, and Reginald Arimado, all from the cardio-metabolic research unit of FAME Leaders Academy – conducted a study using HTPs as “a
pragmatic middle ground” for recalcitrant smokers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. “Active smoking increases the risk of developing severe COVID-19 by around two-folds, and those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – which many recalcitrant smokers are likely to have already – have a four-fold increase in risk translating to much poorer clinical outcomes,” said Dr. Castillo, leader of the study. Even in the absence of COPD, active smoking may also increase the risk of recalcitrant for severe COVID-19. “There is an increased propensity for patients with any smoking history to develop severe COVID-19 and worse in-hospital outcomes,” said the study, which was published in Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine journal . Before the pandemic, the policy was to give up on these recalcitrant smokers after six months of making them quit smoking totally. The doctors tried their best to let them quit smoking in those span of time by doing the following: persuasion, motivation, even combining them with threats on the health hazards they are likely to develop if they do not stop smoking. “At best, we are only successful in around three
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value. Among the breakthroughs of EastMinCom since LtGen. Almerol took its helm on March 8, 2021 include the dismantling of eight CTG Guerrilla Fronts (GFs) identified as GF 4A, GF 88, GF North, GF South, GF 68A, GF 55, GF 89, GF Malayag and the Regional Guerrilla Unit, Pulang Bagani Command. EastMinCom also delivered major blows to the CTG when it neutralized a total of 22 key CTG personalities which included Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, Commander and spokesperson of the National Operations Command and also of National Democratic Front (NDF) in Mindanao; Arian Jane Ochate Ramos alias Marikit, Secretary of Guerilla Front 55, Sub-Regional Committee 5, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC); Pedro Arnado, Chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas - SMRC; Danny Huit alias Bosyong, Secreteary of GF North; Khim Agad Mapoy alias Patrick, Secretary of GF4A Sub-Regional Committee 3, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC); Ramil Banawan alias Migs/Kim, Secretary of GF Malayag; Adelaida Magpatok alias Gwen/Emyang /Kudaw/ Robby, Former Secretary of Far South Mindanao Region (FSMR), NDF consultant, and CPP-NPA-NDF Central Committee Member; Jocy Villaruel Papasin alias Domai, Front Secretary of Guerrilla Front 18, Sub-Regional Committee 2, SMRC; and Billy Berana Jr. alias Borjack/Simeon, Secretary of Guerrilla Front Alip, Regional Operations Command, Regional Sentro de Grabidad, FSMR; Anna Sandra Reyes alias Kaye, Central Committee member of the CPP and Secretary of the Regional City and Town Committee (RCTC) of the SMRC. While making sure that efforts to curtail the communist armed conflict continue their course, troops were also able to make their pres-
ence felt in times of crisis by performing their duties as frontliners during the Covid-19 pandemic and natural calamities. LtGen. Almerol lauded the troops for these accomplishments which he said were significant in helping the country move forward with its goal to quell the more than five decades of communist terrorism in the country. “Our troops have proven their true mettle not only in combat operations but also in times of crisis. Navigating through the pandemic and natural calamities while doing their mandated tasks as protector of the State and the people made our forces even more resilient and ready to come to the Filipino’s aid at all times,” LtGen. Almerol said. “All of these accomplishments, however, would not be possible without the strong support from our stakeholders who are as determined as we are in ending the local communist armed conflict in Eastern Mindanao and the entire Philippines,” LtGen. Almerol expressed, urging Filipinos to continue to be on board in order to achieve the collective dreams of long-lasting peace and development. Meanwhile, the EastMinCom Commander reiterated his call on the remaining CTG members and leaders to consider embracing a peaceful resolution of the armed conflict by accepting the government’s offer through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program. He also added that their surrender could be part of their New Year’s resolution to finally live a peaceful life together with their families.
military for coordinated and speedy rehabilitation efforts. The DSWD vowed to provide temporary employment to chainsaw operators, haulers, and helpers through their cash-for-work program; coconut lumbers will be turned over to the DHSUD to be used for the construction of temporary housing facilities; and the AFP shall assist PCA in transporting equipment and supplies. Regional offices’ help In Region 13 (Caraga), PHP2.95 million in funds were released to support the farmers in Surigao, while PHP1.05 million will go to Dinagat Islands. In Region 8 (Eastern Visayas), PHP1.066 million will be used to assist the farmers of Southern
Leyte. “These funds are intended to provide short gestation crops and small ruminants to provide food for the families of our farmers and for the consuming public, support the incentivized and participatory planting and replanting project, as well as fertilizers to rehabilitate damaged coconut trees,” the PCA stated. An additional funds of PHP480,000 was also reprogrammed by PCA for the repair of chainsaws and the deployment of generator sets. There will be a distribution of 152,014 seednuts and seedlings for the eventual replacement of the felled and damaged trees in the severely affected areas. (PNA)
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LtGen. Almerol also assured the public that EastMinCom’swillcontinuetomaximizetheir efforts in addressing thechallengesbrought by communist terrorismthroughcombatand non-militarymeans.(PREMC AFP)
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es, nine are returning overseas Filipinos while none of the cases presented severe symptoms or had resulted to fatality as they were either asymptomatic or had mild symptoms. “All reported local
Omicron cases – located and traced – have completed the minimum 10day isolation and have been tagged as recovered prior to the release of the whole genome results,” Vergeire said. (PNA)
ters and all lands with 18% slope and over, except those already developed, shall be exempt from the coverage of the Act.” “I hereby veto certain provisions and proviso introduced in this budget which do not relate to particular appropriations or those that would effectively amend existing laws. Such provisions or proviso are considered “inappropriate provisions” which are derogations to the power to legislate substantive laws, thus, have no place in this GAA,” Duterte said. “Matters of general legislation are more appropriately dealt with in separate enactments,” he added. Likewise, the President also vetoed the 2022 budget provision which expands authorized credit facilities that will manage
the Agro-Industry Modernization Credit Financing Program under the Republic Act 8435 or Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization law. The President argued that expanding such authority to thrift banks and universal/commercial banks, and Non-Bank Financial Institutions such as cooperatives, farmers or fisherfolk organizations or associations, agri fishery-based corporations is not needed because the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization law already vested this power to cooperative banks, rural banks, government financial institutions and viable non-governmental organizations. “The provisions of RA 8435, being a substantive law, shall prevail,” Duterte said.
sector has recovered, with the purchasing managers index (PMI) registering an eight-month high of 51.7 percent last November and trade sustained its recovery. These developments have transpired as the government improves its quarantine measures and allowed more people to work and let the economy slowly go back to its pre-pandemic activities. “The Philippines has gotten better at containing the virus, although we must all remain vigilant as new variants are discovered. The government’s virus-containment strategy has shifted from wide-area to more targeted granular lockdowns,” Diokno said. Digitalization of financial system For next year, Diokno said they will further push for increased digitalization of the financial system, a goal that got a boost during the pandemic as more people turn to digital transactions to lessen chances of contracting Covid-19. BSP has adopted a Digital Payments Transformation Roadmap, wherein it aims to make digital payments half of the total transactions by 2023. As of 2020, share of digital transactions has risen to 20.1 percent of the total and this is expected to increase further towards the end of 2021 since more people have realized the convenience of using the various digital payments platforms. The BSP has also prioritized financial inclusion, allowing more people, especially those from low-income households, to be part of the formal financial system. It targets to have at least 70 percent of Filipino adults a part of the formal
financial system by 2023. As of the second quarter of 2021, around 53 percent of adult Filipinos are now part of the system from only around one-third of the total some years ago. Diokno said “faster processing of payments speeds up capital turnaround and, therefore, income growth.” “Looking forward to 2022 and beyond, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is working incessantly toward a better-than-ever Philippine economy. The goal is not to simply regain what was lost. Besides robust growth, we are gearing up for a post-Covid economy that is more technologically advanced, more inclusive, and more sustainable than ever before,” he said. The central bank chief also stressed that monetary authorities “will ensure that monetary policy remains in sync with other initiatives to hasten our economic recovery.” Contribution to environment protection He also sees the need to widen the central bank’s contribution not only to the economy but also the environment, citing that “climate change is real and its impact devastating.” In line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Philippine government bids to cut its carbon emissions by 75 percent by 2030. The BSP issued the “Sustainable Finance Framework” in April 2020, a measure that enjoins the banking sector to adopt sustainability principles in their operations. It also issued the “Environmental and Social Risk Management Framework” in October 2021 and this requires banks to set environmental and social objectives that include green financing.
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out of 10 cases,” Dr. Castillo recalled. Then, the pandemic happened. “(It) has made us rethink our policy and explore other means of assisting those who simply could not give up their nicotine addiction,” Dr. Castillo wrote. And that’s how HTPs came into the scenario. Based on the preliminary information the research team had gathered on less harmful effects of HTPs compared to cigarette smoking, “we have allowed our recalcitrant smoker-patients to shift to this alternative, but always reminding them that quitting smoking is the ultimate goal,” the study said. “The jury is still out on its long-term benefit or harm,” the study surmised. “From where we stand now, HTPs appear to be a relatively less harmful middle ground than traditional smoking.” And with current data at hand, it looks evident that HTPs are likely less harmful than traditional smoking, but are still more harmful than not smoking. “This has to be thoroughly discussed with an open mind by not only the medical or scientific community, but the legislators and regulators as well,” Dr. Castillo urged. “After all, the lives of tens of millions of recalcitrant smokers may depend on the options we offer them if they really cannot quit smoking.” Dr. Castillo and his research team agreed that HTPs should not be recommended among the young-
er generation and those who have not smoked yet. “HTPs are better alternatives to cigarettes but not completely risk-free so minors should not use them,” concurred Dave M. Gomez, communications director of PMFTC Inc., an affiliate of the Philip Morris International, Inc. The core of the matter is nicotine, which is highly addictive. “(Nicotine) causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving,” said Dr. Michael Joseph Blaha, director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, in a statement. Since nicotine is a toxic substance, there is where legislation and regulation come in. “It is essential to have a strict but balanced regulation,” Dr. Castillo and his team said. “Strict control measures must be put in place to prohibit sales of HTPs to nonsmokers and youth.” As for current smokers, they “must be given free choice to shift to it, if they wish to, and especially with the guidance of their physician,” Dr. Castillo suggested. Although HTPs are smoke-free, Dr. Castillo believed they should not be allowed in public. “Although the harmful particulate pollution they cause is relatively less compared to passive cigarette smoking, the potential harm to secondhand smoke could not be completely discounted,” he said.
ing of producers of the OPEC group and its allies, known as OPEC+, on Jan. 4. The group will determine whether or not to boost output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in February.
In their previous meeting, OPEC+ producers agreed to adhere to the planned output scheme, despite calls from several countries, particularly the US, to increase supply. (Anadolu)
across its 16 stations that were affected by Odette needed assistance. Relief goods and emergency cash were provided to them, while other CEB employees in Manila also extended helping hands to assist in operations at the Cebu and Manila Airports. Apart from the free transport of essential cargo during this time, CEB has also mounted 12 sweeper flights to bring home stranded passengers from Siargao and Puerto Princesa. To date, it has already safely flown more than 500 individuals from Siargao to Manila. “We know that the areas severely affected by the Super Typhoon Odette need a lot of assistance as they work towards recovery, and we are here to support however we can. We in CEB ensured our cargo operations remain unhampered so we can fly in supplies, resources, and much-needed humanitarian assistance at the earliest opportunity; at the same time, mount rescue
flights wherever it’s needed most,” said Michael Ivan Shau, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Cebu Pacific. As of December 26, CEB has already transported more than 235 tons of humanitarian cargo, mostly composed of water, sacks of rice, other food items like canned goods, water purifiers / filters, health kits and shelter items, medicines and other necessities. “This will be a long continuing process of coordination and partnership among these agencies, and we hope for their continued support,” added Rivera. “It has always been part of the airline’s core purpose to give back to its community in any way it can, and this is one of the times we can all come together and show BayaniJuan for our kababayans. We will continue to closely coordinate with government agencies, organizations, and partners to aid in air transport services,” added Shau.
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6. EJ Obiena After setting the new Asian record, EJ Obiena has solidified his status as Asia’s newest pole vaulting sensation. While he failed to land a medal in the Tokyo Olympics, being the only Asian in the final round is something to treasure. Not to mention the wins he had during his European tour. However, while Obiena is a big winner this year, 2021 did not exactly end well for him. He is currently embroiled in a clash with his national sports association, the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association over allegations of not immediately paying his coach. The row prompted the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Executive Board to approve the recommendation of its Ethics Committee that declared PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico as persona non grata. POC president Abraham Tolentino, however, said the PATAFA maintains the POC’s recognition as the national association for the sport despite the sanction on Juico. 7. Caloy Yulo Caloy Yulo showed that he is more than just a floor exercise expert. Despite faltering in his pet gymnastics event
during the Tokyo Olympics and the World Championships, Yulo proved that he is a gymnastics champ by winning it all in the vault event of the World Championships in Kitakyushu also in Japan. This came a few months after nearly snatching the bronze in the same event in the Olympics in the Japanese capital. He capped the year with a silver in parallel bars. Expect Yulo to assert his dominance in the Asian circuit in 2022 with the Asian Games and the Southeast Asian Games coming up. 8. Nonito Donaire At age 39, Nonito Donaire is on a career resurgence in 2021. He stunned the world on May 30 when he knocked out Nordine Oubaali for the WBC bantamweight title. In the process, “The Filipino Flash” became the oldest boxer to win a title in the 118-pound division. He successfully defended the belt on Dec. 12 after another knockout win, this time against Reymart Gaballo in an all-Filipino fight. What awaits Donaire in 2022 is either a rematch with Japanese star Naoya Inoue or a grudge match against current World Boxing Organiza-
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Carlo Paalam (World Championship silver) tion champ John Riel Casimero. For sure, the fans will watch it. 9. The fans Filipino sports fans are big winners in 2021 too. Aside from witnessing history unfold before their eyes, they ended the year getting a chance to see live sports action again after both the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) opened their
Nesthy Petecio (Olympic silver)
Eumir Marcial (Olympic bronze)
Nonito Donaire (WBC bantamweight champion)
Yuka Saso (US Open Women’s winner)
games to them. While some Covid-19 protocols have been set, like requiring everyone to be fully vaccinated to enter the arena and not eating anything inside the bleachers, seeing the fans watching the games in flesh is a good sign that we might be going back to how it was pre-pandemic. It came at a price, though, as both Quezon
City, which hosted the PBA games, and Pasay, which hosted the Chooksto-Go MPBL Invitational, have experienced a steep rise in Covid-19 cases as well as other Metro Manila cities which according to OCTA Research fellow Guido David is concerning. Metro Manila has been placed under Alert Level 3 from Jan. 3 to 15, which
means the PBA games must be held behind closed doors again and the players might need to enter a bubble, possibly with Novotel as the billeting area assuming the league insists to continue on at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Here’s to hoping that the Covid-19 surge would be mitigated very soon. (PNA)
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BIG WINNERS Tokyo Olympic medalists Hidilyn Diaz (Olympic gold)
2021 goes down as one of biggest years in PH sports
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f there is a discussion on which year should be considered the best in Philippine sports, 2021 should at least be in the conversation. This past year gave a lot of good news to sports fans locally amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. This year-ender will tackle some of the people that won big time in 2021. 1. Hidilyn Diaz Kicking things off is no less than the first-ever Filipino gold medalist in the Olympics. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz’s historic moment on July 26 in Tokyo could even overshadow President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address earlier in the day. Diaz’s feat turned out to be the icing on the cake of what would be the Philippines’ best showing in an Olympiad. 2-4. Nesthy Petecio, Carlo Paalam, and Eumir Marcial That lead us to the other three medalists in the Tokyo Olympics. Although they came up short of duplicating Diaz’s gold medal conquest, silver medalists Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, and bronzer winner Eumir Marcial
showed that the Philippines remains a threat in Olympic-style boxing globally. Boxer Nesthy Petecio Considering that this year has been the closest the Philippine team has gotten to the elusive Olympic boxing gold, expect Petecio and Paalam to come back with a vengeance in the 2024 Paris Olympics. While Marcial already hinted that he will now focus on his pro career from hereon, do not be surprised if he gives the Olympics another shot with the experience that he has attained. 5. Yuka Saso Yuka Saso was on the rise this year especially when she won the US Women’s Open. Saso in the process became the first Filipino golfer to win a major tournament. And at age 20, the future looks bright for Saso. However, come 2023, Saso is expected to honor her Japanese citizenship and will represent Japan in events. But whatever happens from here on, we can still be proud of and continue to support arguably Philippine golf’s newest superstar.
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