Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 319 | Saturday, April 2, 2022 by Edge Davao The Business Paper

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KEEPING IT LOW Davao City remains at a very low positivity rate STORY ON PAGE 2

A police officer of Sta. Ana Police Precinct inspects a motorist’s bag at a Comelec checkpoint along R. Castillo Street in Davao City. Sixteen municipalities in the Davao Region were placed by the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 under a watchlist nearly a month before the May 9 local and national elections due to intense political rivalry and presence of the New People’s Army (NPA). Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 319 • SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his speech during the joint National Task Force-Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-RTF ELCAC) VII meeting at the JPark Island Resort and Waterpark in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu on Thursday. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

KEEPING IT LOW T

ASF hits village hog farm in Sarangani

Davao City remains at a very low positivity rate By MAYA M. PADILLO

n official of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force reported that Davao City has kept the positivity rate of Covid-19 o “very low” level.

“Nagpabilin gihapon na low ang positivity rate and hopefully, magpabilin na low kasi we wanted na tuloy tuloy na ang atoang open policy and economic recovery,” said Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force on Friday. Schlosser added that Davao City’s positivity rate in the previous weeks was also very low.

resident Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the Philippine government has been forced to borrow money due to a lack of fund sources. Duterte gave the explanation, as the country’s outstanding debt rose to PHP12.09 trillion, as of end-February. In a speech delivered in Lapu-Lapu City, Duterte

“Kung basehan ang atoang positivity rate more or less nagadula lang ta sa less than one percent ang atoang positivity rate and then for many weeks nagpabilin sa around one to two percent every week,” she said. Schlosser also reported that based on the daily case monitoring the city recorded one case of Covid-19 as of April 1, 2022.

“Dako na nga achievement for the city pero again mag remind ta sa tanan naa gihapon ta’y bantayan, naa gihapon ta’y pagabuhaton para proteksyunan ang atong sarili against the disease, nagpabilin gihapon ang atoang health mandates and protocols such as wearing of face masks and get vaccinated,” she said. Meanwhile, Davao City remained under Alert Level 1 from April 1 to 15, 2022 as announced by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on March 31, 2022. Apart from Davao City, the cities and municipali-

ties in Davao Region under Alert Level 1 are Montevista in Davao de Oro, and Cateel and Mati City in Davao Oriental. Other areas under Alert Level 1 are: entire National Capital Region; Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, and Baguio City; Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City; Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, City of Santiago, and Quirino; Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Angeles City, Tarlac,

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he Provincial Veterinary Office (ProVet) confirmed a positive case of African swine fever (ASF) in a village backyard hog farm in Malapatan, Sarangani on Thursday. Dr. Bernard Cababat, acting ProVet chief, said the case came from Barangay Lun Padidu after years of zero cases in the town. He said the outcome was based on the results from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory where hog blood samples were earlier taken from the infected backyard swine farm in the village. “According to the report from the municipal agriculture office, several hogs have died in the backyard hog farm in the village. We immediately conducted a swine blood sample collection, submitted it to the DA laboratory and the result came out that there is

an ASF positive case in the area,” he said. Cababat said they immediately culled hogs in the hog farm village and implemented containment measures to protect other backyard raisers in nearby areas. “We have culled 39 hogs so far with the owner cooperating,” he said. He said they are continuously monitoring the village for the possible spread of the virus. Affected hog farmers, he said, must report suspected ASF cases early so they could immediately conduct the culling or depopulation of infected and susceptible hogs. This city and other localities in Soccsksargen (Region 12) have earlier blocked the transport of live hogs and pork from Glan, Malungon, and adjacent towns due to the ASF threat. (PNA)

Davao City remains bird flu-free: vet exec

stressed the need for government borrowings, saying the money would be used to finance big-ticket projects. “The government is like a house. Ngayon, ang sweldo ko, ganito lang (Now, my salary is just this much), pero (but) my house needs [repair]. The roof is leaking o (or) you need another balay (house). Wala kay kwar-

ta (You have no money), then you borrow,” he said during the joint meeting of the National and Regional Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict. Duterte said his administration was left with no choice since revenue collection is not sufficient. Just like the private companies, the government has to borrow to avoid “col-

lapsing,” he said. “‘Yung iba kasi ‘pag sabihin, utang nang utang. Walang gobyerno sa mundong ito na walang utang. Because ‘pag maghinto ako ng utang at kinulang ‘yung taxes nakolekta ko (Some are saying we keep on borrowing money. Every government in this world has debt. If the tax collection is

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he City Veterinarian Office (CVO) confirmed Thursday that the city remains free from avian or bird flu. The statement came after the initial monitoring of the CVO that showed negative results in samples taken from some poultry farms in the city. “Based on our monitoring and from the samples

from some farms within the city, the results are negative,” said Dr. Cerelyn Pinili, the CVO head. Last month, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) detected cases of bird flu in Baliwag, Bulacan, and recorded a similar outbreak in Candaba and Mexico towns in Pampanga. On March 10, BAI con-

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EDGEDAVAO

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NEWS

Vice Presidential candidate Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expresses gratitude to the different political parties endorsing her VP bid. Edge Davao

Tech firm to take in more workers from Davao City 16 towns in Davao Region under election watchlist

he Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 has placed 16 municipalities in the Davao Region under a watchlist nearly a month before the May 9 local and national elections amid intense political rivalry and presence of the New People’s Army (NPA). Maj. Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson for PRODavao, said during an interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Thursday that police authorities have beefed up police presence in these areas to deter any election-related incidents. Of the total, eight were placed under the “yellow” category classified due to the intense political rivalry in previous elections. These areas Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Malalag, Hagonoy, and Padada in Davao del Sur; New Corella in Davao del Norte; and Monkayo in Davao de Oro. Meanwhile, these municipalities have been placed under “orange”

category due to the presence of NPA: Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Montevista, New Bataan, and Pantukan in Davao de Oro; Lupon, Davao Oriental; and Kiblawan, Davao del Sur. Gultiano said the start of the local campaign period in the region last March 25 was peaceful as authorities received no election-related incidents, except for “political statements” between parties that authorities do not consider as “harassments.” “In Davao Region, the start of the local campaign period was very peaceful. We have no reported untoward incident. So far, the local candidates are compliant with the procedures and other rules and policies while conducting their campaign rally,” said Gultiano, who is also a lawyer. She said no area in the region was placed in the highest “red” category where both history of intense political rivalries and sightings of NPAs are pres-

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

Poplar Homes is a property technology company in the US that empowers property owners and renters with its full-stack technology designed to streamline the entire rental process. It opened its sales office in Davao City, which

also serves as its Philippine office, in June 2016 with a team composed of operations, market development, engineering, marketing, and communications. Rico Mok, chief technology officer and co-founder of Poplar Homes, in an inter-

view said engineering-wise the company is employing 40 people, and company-wise the company has about 250 people. Mok said for the engineering team alone, they are looking to double the number within the next quarter. The company is on the lookout for fresh local talents to expand its Philippine team after securing $53 million in Series B funding (the second round of funding for a company that has past the

s the election campaign grinds on, more groups are expressing support for Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s Vice Presidential bid, the latest being the National Unity Party (NUP), which recently announced it is backing her VP bid. “I am profoundly grateful to the leadership and members of the National Unity Party for their endorsement of my candidacy for Vice President. Mahalin Natin Ang Pilipinas is a call

to action to all Filipinos to put country above self at all times,” Mayor Sara said in a statement. The NUP, which is one of the biggest political parties in the House of Representatives was formed in 2010 as a breakaway faction of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), which is being chaired by Mayor Sara. The mayor also stated that NUP’s expression of solidarity with this movement further strengthens her re-

solve to engender the love of the country among people from all walks of life. “And to continue in the Uniteam’s campaign for the country to rise to its full potential through unity,” it said. In a statement, NUP is calling upon all the party members to join hands with the Uniteam in nurturing national unity, peace, and development. The party is also endorsing the tandem of Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, and Mayor Sara.

n official of the tech-enabled Silicon Valley-based property management company Poplar Homes confirmed that the company is eyeing to hire more workforce from Davao City.

initial startup stage) as well as broadening its scope of services. Mok said the company is open to fresh graduates, as well as to people who have 10 to 15 years of experience in the industry regardless of age. “Our engineering team is based here in Davao City, we have a team of about 40 people engineers-being web developers, people who create the products and it’s a

Meanwhile, the Villar-led Nacionalista Party (NP) also announced recently its full support for the candidacies of Marcos Jr. and Mayor Sara. Based on its statement, the party believes that the tandem’s message of unity is crucial in binding the country together and inspiring the people in rebuilding not only from the pandemic but also from the political chasm that divides the people. The party added that

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Support snowballs for Sara A

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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The PCCI-Mindanao, the Department of Trade and Industry, Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco (leftmost) support MSMEs to fast-track economic recovery through exhibits such as the Hechos de Zamboanga (Products of Zamboanga) Trade Fair in December 2021. Photo courtesy of DTI-Zamboanga City thru MindaNews

BSP forecasts March ’22 inflation at 3.7%

onetary authorities project an acceleration of domestic inflation rate for March 2022 to 3.7 percent from the previous month’s 3 percent due to an uptick in oil prices, among others.

In a Viber message to journalists on Thursday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said the forecast range for the month is between 3.3 to 4.1 percent. “The continued oil price hikes, along with high electricity rates in

Meralco-serviced areas, higher meat prices, and the peso depreciation are the primary sources of inflationary pressures during the month,” he said. These factors are, however, projected to be countered by the lower water rates in areas be-

ing serviced by both the Maynilad and Manila Water as well as the decline in the prices of rice, fish, and vegetables “owing to easing supply conditions,” he said. “Looking ahead, the BSP will continue to monitor emerging price developments and possible second-round effects to help achieve its primary mandate of price stability that is conducive to balanced and sustainable economic growth of the economy,” he added.

The rise of oil prices in the international market made the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) hike the BSP’s average inflation forecasts recently. BSP’s average inflation projection for this year was changed to 4.3 percent, which is higher than the government’s 2-4 percent target band, and to 3.6 percent for 2023. These were previously at 3.7 percent for 2022 and 3.3 percent for 2023. (PNA)

Ramon Lopez said SpaceX is expected to formally put up its operation here in the remaining three months of the Duterte administration. Lopez on Wednesday had a meeting with SpaceX senior manager for Government Affairs Rebecca Hunter and SpaceX Market Access director Ryan Goodnight. “They (SpaceX) noted that the signing of the amended Public Service Act

(PSA), which allows up to 100 percent foreign ownership of public services in the country, was a critical factor in the company’s decision to invest, as all its technologies are proprietary,” the DTI said in a statement. The DTI chief said the company is finalizing its initial investments here, but it is already in the process of selecting sites for gateways. SpaceX will provide internet services in the coun-

try using its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network constellation called Starlink, which has over 1,600 satellites as of middle of 2021. “Their system will augment as well as complement existing broadband capacities. This will further capacitate micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), facilitate online learning, e-commerce and fintech,” Lopez said.

PH eyes to be 1st SEA country to use internet via satellite tech

he Philippines will be the first Southeast Asian nation to use the internet via satellite technology of world’s richest person, Elon Musk, as its company, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), is currently registering its business in the country. In a Viber message to trade reporters Thursday, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary

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BSP warns against NFTs anew after $600-million crypto heist

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has again flagged the risks of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), following the theft of $600 million worth of digital tokens from a digital ledger used by players of the popular online game Axie Infinity. BSP Payment System Oversight Department Deputy Director Bridget Rose Mesina-Romero called on the public to exercise caution over playto-earn games, citing the risks that come with such instruments. “We have been reminding the public that they should be aware of how these games work, the risks attended to them, and they should for example know how they can have recourse or remedies,” she said in a virtual briefing on Thursday. “They should only place funds that they are willing to lose because of the risks,” she continued. This comes after the Ronin Network— used by Axie Infinity as its digital ledger—said hackers

amassed 173,600 Ether and $25.5-million worth of the USD Coins, equivalent to $615 million as of Tuesday but worth $540 million at the time of the attack. Axie Infinity maker Sky Mavis said they were made aware of the security breach on Tuesday, after Ronin said hackers gained access to private keys to withdraw digital funds. About 35% of traffic in Axie Infinity comes from the Philippines, accounting for the biggest share of its 2.5 million daily active users. The BSP earlier said it is monitoring transactions involving Axie Infinity’s small love potions (SLPs), which users can either cash out or use to breed new Axies or digital pets. The central bank has earlier noted that SLPs are excluded from its scope under the guidelines for Virtual Asset Service Providers, as its regulatory focus is on the exchange

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ECONOMY

Dabawenyo computer engineers offer services to thousands of Poplar PH customers worldwide from the company’s newly-opened headquarters in Davao City. Poplar is a tech-enabled Silicon Valley-based property management company. Edge Davao

PH gov’t debt balloons to P12.09T as of Feb.

Supply of chicken meat, eggs unaffected by bird flu: BAI

he Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on Thursday assured the public that the supply of chicken meat and eggs should not be a problem amid the bird flu hitting several parts of the country. In a teleradio interview, BAI Director Reildrin Morales said there were several cases monitored in some egg-laying hens but were eventually resolved. “Ang apektado po rito ay duck and quails, kaya po hindi natin nakikita na magkakaroon tayo ng kumplikasyon sa itlog ng manok at dito sa karne ng manok dahil technically speaking, wala pong tinatamaan pa na mga 42-day old na manok (What’s affected here are ducks and quails, we don’t see complication in chicken eggs and meat, because technically speaking, no 42-day-old chicken was hit),” he said. Cases are considered resolved when infected birds have been culled or incidents have been fully monitored, with affected farmers being given indemnification from the government. Morales said the BAI is giving PHP100 per culled

chicken or duck, and PHP15 per quail. Earlier, Agriculture Secretary William Dar assured the public they are strictly monitoring and implementing biosafety guidelines to avoid its spread to other areas. “Mayroon naman tayong pagtugon agad doon sa mga apektado at culled-out na at nabibigyan na rin ng ayuda ang mga naapektuhan. So kami ay in tandem (We have immediate response to those affected and those with culled-out [ducks or quails], we are giving aid. We work in tandem) with local government units, even with the Department of Health kasi kailangan po iyong (because it is needed) relationship sa (to) human health ay matingnan continuously. Ito po ay (This is) properly handled,” he said in a Laging Handa briefing on Wednesday. To date, 45 cases of bird flu have been reported in the country, of which the majority are confined in some areas in Central Luzon. “‘Yun pong bird flu, hindi po siya ganun kalawak dahil tayo po ay free from avian

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the P12.029 trillion recorded as of end-January. The increase in the government’s total debt stock was due to “currency fluctuations and net financing

from both local and external sources,” according to the BTr. Sought for comment, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the new record-high outstanding debt was brought by “increased government borrowings to finance wider budget deficit.” As of January, the government’s fiscal balance stood at a deficit of P23.4 billion, 66.30% wider than the P14.1-billion shortfall seen in the same month last year as growth in state spending

surpassed gains in revenue collections. Ricafort said the country is still reeling from the adverse economic impact of the pandemic since 2020 in terms of reduced tax revenue collections and increased government expenditures on various COVID programs and increased infrastructure spending to also stimulate the economy. The government’s debt is composed mostly of domestic borrowings at 69.6%, while the balance of 30.4% was sourced externally.

ment in mobility and market demand,” the BSP said in a statement. “The BSP continues to see scope to safeguard the momentum of economic recovery amid increased uncertainty, even as indications of sustained improvement in credit activity allows the BSP to gradually unwind its pandemic-related interventions,” it added.

The Monetary Board earlier decided to maintain the country’s benchmark borrowing rate at its record-low of 2 percent despite rising commodity prices, as it focus on supporting economic growth. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the central bank is waiting for the right conditions to unwind pandemic stimulus.

Lending was dragged by the pandemic consumer spending and business expansions slowed down the past few years. Economic activities, as well as bank lending, benefitted from the lowering of mobility restrictions to Alert Level 1. The Philippines is awaiting an update on mobility restrictions for April.

he Philippine government’s running debt stock ballooned further and reached a new record-high as of end-February this year on continued state borrowing efforts to finance COVID-19 recovery measures coupled with a weaker peso during the period, data released Thursday by the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) shows. Treasury data showed that the end-February national government outstanding debt amounted to P12.09 trillion, 0.5% or P63.828 billion higher than

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Bank lending expands by 8.8% in February: BSP

angko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday said the outstanding loans of universal and commercial banks, net of reverse repurchase placements, grew 8.8 percent year-on-year in February compared to the previous month. “Credit activity continues to gain momentum as easing COVID-19 restrictions drive the improve-

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 319 • SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2022

On more groups expressing support for her Vice Presidential bid:

I am profoundly grateful to the leadership and members of the National Unity Party for their endorsement of my candidacy for Vice President. Mahalin Natin Ang Pilipinas is a call to action to all Filipinos to put country above self at all times.” Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL Butch’s magic It took the fatherly persuasion of Philippine Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez to settle a long conflict between world-ranked pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) through a mediation process.

Butch, a former professor at Ateneo de Davao University, succeeded in putting both parties in one table with the mindset of settling their differences. After the session, the parties came out blowing the peace pipe in what was to be a breakthrough for sports mediation as a vehicle for resolving conflicts. The Dabawenyo sports leader was the perfect fit for the job of reconciling Obiena and PATAFA led by its president and former PSC chairman Philip Ella Juico. Butch served as the sole mediator in the proceedings. He expressed his happiness that the

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It ended months of hurling accusations and explanations. The most significant event is that the mediation ended the stalemate that would have put our top athlete out of the World Indoor Athletics Championships and the Southeast Asian Games.

At the end of the mediation, Butch said: “It is with much joy that we announce that both parties have agreed to a settlement and the proceedings ended successfully.” So now the PSC, Obiena and the Patafa can concentrate on the bigger and more important agenda and that is to win medals in the coming international competitions involving Obiena and the rest of the country’s athletes. ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

ANA MARIE G. SILPAO Layout

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

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

first-ever sports mediation conducted by the PSC successfully assisted both parties to arrive at a settlement.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 319 • SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THAT REGRETFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT The biggest story that came out during the 94th Oscar awards is not the winning of CODA as the first movie from a major streaming service to win the coveted trophy for best picture. But the incident where Best Actor winner Will Smith – who won for his performance as the hard-driving father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard – slapped comedian Chris Rock in front of a live audience. Smith did the “crazy thing” after Rock made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, being in a sequel to G.I. Jane, a reference to her close-cropped haircut. (The original film starred Demi Moore, who went bald when doing the movie.) Pinkett lost her hair due to alopecia. The day after the incident, Smith wrote an apology. “Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable… I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.” The incident came to mind while reading a chapter of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, which was

on the number one New York Times bestseller. “Whenever you are in business – or when you are taking risks, making things happen, interacting with others, or in the public eye – you are bound to make mistakes,” wrote Dr. Richard Carlson, the book’s author. “At times, you are going to use bad judgment, say something wrong, offend someone, criticize unnecessarily, be too demanding, or act selfishly,” he continued. “The question isn’t whether you will make these mistakes – we all do. The question is: Can you admit to them? If so, the question becomes: Can you apologize?” Before answering that inquiry, listen to the words of Sandeep N. Tripathi: “Ego said, ‘I will not apologize for who I am’. Experience replied, ‘Unless your self-realization comes to light, your apology is worthless. And, when your self-realization does come to light, which it will, your apology will be of little or no value at all.’” People who never ask for an apology are described as liars. In The Bimbo Has Brains: And Other Freaky Facts, Cathy Burnham Martin wrote: “Liars are highly unlikely to admit their lies, never mind apologize for the hurt they’ve caused. Liars

don’t genuinely apologize. “Deceit has become their full-out lifestyle,” Martin further wrote. “They are centered on themselves with no thoughts of the consequences of their lies. In cowardly style, they tell more lies to try and cover their tracks. They are not good at admitting they actually have shortcomings.” That’s what makes asking for an apology hard. As Dr. Carlson pointed out, “Many people never apologize. They are either too self-conscious, self-righteous, stubborn, or arrogant to do so. The unwillingness to apologize is, not just sad, it is a serious mistake as well. “Almost everyone expects others to make mistakes. And with a humble and sincere apology, almost everyone is willing to forgive. However, if you are a person who is either unable or unwilling to apologize, you will be branded a difficult person to work with,” he further elaborated. And there’s a big hitch if you keep on not apologizing for the behavior or actions you have done: “Over time,” Dr. Carlson said, “people will avoid you, speak behind your back, and do nothing to help you.” “I am sorry.” That may only be three words but saying it to the person you have done some-

thing wrong is for sure a herculean task. “‘Sorry’ is, indeed, one of the most difficult and most powerful words in the English language, provided one can feel and say it at the same time,” wrote Uday Mukeriji in Love, Life and Logic. “It’s difficult because you sincerely need to feel the pain of the other person and rise above your ego and say it; it’s powerful because you overwhelm the other with the opposite reaction of what they were expecting.” Martin, who was mentioned earlier, said that by saying apologies, you are actually admitting your mistakes. “Apologies require taking full responsibility,” she explained. “No half-truths, no partial admission, no rationalization, no finger pointing, and no justifications belong in any apology.” Beverly Engel seemed to agree. “A meaningful apology,” she wrote in The Power of Apology: Healing Steps to Transform All Your Relationships, “is one that communicates three R’s: regret, responsibility and remedy.” Don’t wait for tomorrow to ask for an apology. “The longer you hold onto an apology,” David Arnold reminded, “the harder it is to give.” For as Dr. Carlson said, “The ability to apologize, to admit mistakes, is a beautiful human quality that brings peo-

ple closer together and helps us succeed.” But never use an apology to manipulate others, as some people do. “Stiff apology is a second insult,” Gilbert K. Chesterton once said. “The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.” Dr. Carlson said it this way: “You must never apologize as a tool of manipulation, to try to get a response like this or to get something out of it. When you apologize from your heart, you keep most of your existing doors open. Occasionally, you may even open doors that had previously been closed.” Forgive and forget – this should be the attitude of those who have been given an apology. Again, Martin reminded: “If there were past mistakes, I do not believe we should nag or repeat them, never mind throw them in someone’s face. If they sincerely apologized and we genuinely forgave them, we must move on. Learn from mistakes, but move on. If we bring them up and toss them at the offender, we may not have actually forgiven them, even if we claim we have.” After all, forgiveness, to quote the words of Isaac Friedmann, “is the sweetest revenge.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

ISLAM IN MINDANAO VIA CHINA The popular notion the early Islamic preacher Makhdum Karim reached Sulu travelled the Indian Ocean and settled in Melaka, Malaysia, a Sufi Muslim according to tradition, be-fore migrating to Sulu in 1380 CE (758 AH) may stand on shaky grounds. (Some sources claim he was a Hanafi of the Sunni school of thought.) Claims say the introduction of Islam in China took place in 616-18 CE, sixteen to eighteen years before prophet Muhammad died of poisoning. From there, due to the liberal policy of allowing foreigners to enter China during the Mongols-founded Yan dynasty (1271-1638), thousands of Islamic converts from central Asia, notably Persia, moved to China. When em-peror Genghis Khan, Islamic restrictions such as the halal were banned in the country.

In 1357, the Ispah rebellion led by Persian Sunni Muslims Sayf al-din (Sai-fu-ding) and Awhad al-Din (A-mi-li-ding) against the Yuan dynasty in Quanzhou erupted; they even tried reaching the capital city of Fujian, which is Fuzhou. But the uprising failed; as a result, Muslims with foreign bloodline were massacred in Quanzhou and adjacent areas in 1366. Quan-zhou is facing Formosa (now Taiwan) and is only a few days by ship from the northern re-gions of the Philippines where, historically, Muslim rules were reported. The Chinese persecution of Muslims forced thousands to flee to Java and other areas of Southeast Asia where they started spreading the Islamic religion. At the time Java, in Indone-sia, was ruled by the Majapahit Empire, which was

founded by a prince. He was described as ‘Vijaya, a prince of Singhasari who escaped when Jayakatwang, the ruler of Kadiri, seized the palace.’ Vijaya, who later controlled regions of Indonesia and Malaysia, overthrew his predeces-sor by collaborating with the Mongols under Chinese emperor Kublai Khan in. The victory led him to give certain concessions to the Mongols who, due to falling out, were expelled from his kingdom. Later, the empire collapsed in the late 15th or early 16th century following the propaga-tion of Islam and the emergence of Islamic states on the northern coast of Java. It is interesting also to note that the Muslim diaspora resulting from the Yuan dynasty persecution also ended the significant role the Sunni Muslims

played in the flourishing trade of Quanzhou. According to tradition, those who survived the oppression fled to Vietnam, Brunei, Sumatra, Java, and Manila Bay, where Islamic kingdoms soon surfaced. Historian Ma Huan, who was Chinese explorer-admiral Zheng He’s official chronicler, also wrote that Guangdong, another Chinese province south of Quanzhou, was the original settlement of Hanafi Muslims who escaped the persecution by migrating to Java. Sharif Kabungsuwan’s arrival in Maguindanao from Java to preach Islam coincides with the 16th century fall of the Majapahit Empire. Originally from Johor, Malaysia, he is credited for introducing the monotheistic Islamic religion. His title ‘sharif’ refers to an Islamic leader or judge who is de-

scended from Muhammad via the lineage of daughter Fatima, which entitles him to wear green turban. Historically, the founder of Islam had a son but did not survive majority age. Following Islamic traditions, Kabungsuwan married numerous local maidens of the prominent Maguindanao clan in Dulawan (later renamed Datu Piang after a Chinese trader who converted to Islamic) which became the backbone of the Maguindanao sultanate. Many centuries later, Chinese influence in Islamic polity and culture in the sultanates of Sulu and Maguindanao becomes more pronounced following intermarriages and the intro-duction of Chinese gongs, tableware and other merchandise normally associated with yellow, which is the color that refers to royalty in mainland China.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Alagang GCash supports OFWs and their families towards a brighter future

“Hirap kaming makapagbakasyon. Dati every year ako umuuwi. Gamit na gamit ko ang GCash like sa emergency needs.” Like many Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), such was the experience of Jelmar Angel Orig during the pandemic. Orig, who has been working for more than 13 years abroad, is his family’s breadwinner. Aside from being a full-time Senior Executive Assistant on weekdays, Orig also hustles on the side to make sure he

can provide for his family back home. At an Alagang GCash for OFWs webinar, Orig shared how he has been missing going home to the festive and heart-warming welcome of loved ones. Good thing he can easily connect with his family virtually and show them care and assistance via GCash. “Nagpapadala ako sa kanila using online remittance. Ako ‘yung eldest, tatlo po ‘yung nag-aaral ng college. Kapag may emergency,

padala agad sa GCash kasi real-time natatanggap ‘yung padala,” he shared. Just like Orig, Davin Feria, an OFW in Saipan, USA, also longs for his family’s company. His yearly homecoming was paused because of the pandemic and the high cost it takes to travel. “Dapat po yearly pwedeng umuwi. Hindi muna ako umuwi dahil walang pamasahe. ‘Yung pang pamasahe, ipinapadala ko na lang or gagastusin ko dito sa Saipan,” he added.

While these modern-day heroes expressed how they have missed their families in the Philippines, the feeling is mutual for those left at home, as in the case of Mau Mauricio, a flight attendant and son of an OFW who has been based in Germany for 20 years. Although grateful for the sacrifices of his mom, Mau said: “My mom was able to provide for my needs and send us support. But like what I always tell my mom, it’s not always the material

things that are important. It’s time pa rin.” And to make up for the sacrifices of their loved ones abroad, Jae Miranda, whose brother is an OFW in Singapore, used to make food delivery surprises for his Kuya, who has been their goto person for emergencies. He also makes sure to make up for the time that his Kuya was not around by giving surprises to their mom, a gesture his brother loves to make. “May mga days po talaga na nangangailangan. He is our go-to person. Madalas siyang nakakatulong sa amin. Tinulungan niya akong mag-ipon for a camera. Kumbaga binuo niya ang pangarap ko because of all the help that he gave,” said Miranda. Aside from being homesick, longing for family, and missing special occasions such as birthdays and graduations, OFWs are worried about high remittance charges, long queues at remittance centers, and monitoring the status of their money transfer. Heeding these concerns, GCash became a significant partner of OFWs in extending their presence to their loved ones, especially during the pandemic. GCash leverages technology to take care of OFWs and their families by ensuring real-time, hassle-free, safe and secure remittances with access to other financial services.

“The valuable services of our OFWs not only benefit their loved ones but also the economy. Because of this, GCash continues to come out with new products and services to deliver fast, affordable, secure, and convenient services to OFWs and their families. We also advocate for financial literacy and the use of financial technology to help them manage their finances responsibly and prepare for their future,” said GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon. Even abroad, OFWs can still pay household bills, buy load, avail of promos, and purchase goods and services with the GCash mobile app. The app’s new features, GInsure, GInvest, and GLoan, provide OFWs a way to invest in stocks and bonds, ensure the physical well-being of their loved ones, and apply for loans. GCash is the leading e-wallet platform in the Philippines and is one of the portfolio companies under 917Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe. The Globe Group strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, highlighting the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. It is committed to upholding the UN Global Compact principles and contributing to 10 UN SDGs. To learn more about GCash, visit www.gcash.com.

Maynilad, Globe, Smart, PLDT, Cignal, RCBC, and Metrobank when they settle their bills with ShopeePay. For more information on the 4.4 ShopeePay Sale and other attractive deals on Shopee, visit: https:// shopee.ph/m/4-4 . ShopeePay sets milestones in digital financial services Shopee aims to give consumers a valuable and seamless digital experience. It continues to innovate and explore new opportunities to help more

consumers and merchants benefit within the ecosystem through ShopeePay. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), digital payments made up 20.1% of all transactions in 2020—one in five payments or a total of 910 million transactions were done online1. This gives a better understanding of Filipinos’ growing acceptance of digital payments, accelerated by the pandemic. Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Consumer lifestyles have become more digital-first; with a preference to meet their needs online not just for shopping but also for other financial transactions such as sending money, buying load, paying bills, and more. Consumers have a wide range of payment needs and ShopeePay’s features aim to cater to a variety of different habits and preferences. With ShopeePay, we aim to continue helping more Filipinos access the benefits of digital payments and fulfill our mission to better the lives of individuals and businesses with financial services through technology.”

ShopeePay empowers Filipinos to embrace digital payments through cost-saving features such as ‘send money for free’ and ‘cheapest load up to 5GB for P10’ MANILA - Since its launch in 2019, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, has been providing convenience, security, and rewards and it continues to introduce features that impact the lives of FIlipinos. With the lifting of restrictions and individuals and businesses adjusting to the new normal, the preference for digital payments is here to stay. Recognizing this need and shift in consumer behavior, ShopeePay provides useful features such as ‘send money for free’ and the cheapest load up to 5GB for ₱10 this 4.4 ShopeePay Sale. ShopeePay offers greater convenience and cost-saving rewards at the 4.4 ShopeePay Sale From March 27 until April 6, consumers can look forward to even more rewarding perks at the 4.4 ShopeePay Sale such as zero transaction fees when sending money and the cheapest load offers. ShopeePay is also giving instant savings with exclusive free shipping vouchers and cashback promotions. • Send money for free To make the payments

experience more rewarding, ShopeePay users can send money for free. This feature allows users to send money from their ShopeePay wallet to any bank, e-wallet, or Shopee user with zero transfer fees. As an additional treat, new users can get up to free ₱200 when they fully verify their ShopeePay account and make their first transfer (at least P50) to any bank, e-wallet or Shopee user via ShopeePay from March 27 to April 4. Their transfer also qualifies them for the “Send, Scratch & Win” raffle promo where they can get a chance to win coins, vouchers, and earn an entry for the raffle draw of ₱100,000 weekly. For more info, visit https:// shopee.ph/m/shopeepaysend-money-for-free. To send money for free from the ShopeePay Wallet to any bank, e-wallet, or Shopee user, users’ ShopeePay account must be verified. Click here to watch the video on how to send money. • Cheapest load offer ShopeePay users can avail of affordable load and

data packages from major telcos. Get ShopeePay’s cheapest load offer to get up to 5GB data for only ₱10 at the 4.4. ShopeePay Sale. On top of this offer, all users can enjoy up to 50% off on load at the 4.4 ShopeePay Sale. New users can also avail of ₱75 load for only ₱1 when they purchase for the first time via ShopeePay from March 27 to April 4. ShopeePay also partnered with various brands to offer an alternative payment in stores. Through

ShopeePay’s Scan To Pay feature, users can do contactless payment via QR code and receive 20% cashback for products and services purchased at partner merchants such as Potato Corner, Papa John’s, Gong cha, Puregold, and more. In addition, users can also get big savings when they visit “ShopeePay Near Me” on the Shopee app and purchase ₱1 Deals. Starting March 27, users can also get up to 100% cashback on participating billers such as Meralco,

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AGRITRENDS

Farmers can have more income from less space by adopting vertical farming. (PhilRice)

f you are a rice farmer and looking for additional income, vertical gardening may be the answer to your problem.

“Adding a vertical garden in a rice-based farming system augments sources of income,” says the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) in a press statement. The line agency of the Department of Agriculture has an established setup in its Palayamanan farm in Nueva Ecija. Palayamanan is a term coined from the words palayan (rice field) and kayamanan (wealth), which then refers to a field where more wealth is created based on rice as well as some other crops. Dr. Marissa V. Romero, lead of the PhilRice’s project Modernized Rice-based Farming Systems and Value-adding Technologies, said that integrating a vertical garden in the Palayamanan increases sources of food and income and enhances resiliency. Engr. Kristine S. Pascual, activity lead, detailed that they harvested an average of one kilogram of lettuce from each growing tower 25 days after transplanting. “This is 10 times higher than the usual harvest from the same area,” she said. At P200 to P300 per kilogram at gate price of lettuce, she said that P20,000 to P30,000 can be generated from 100 towers in one cycle. The vertical garden at the Palayamanan farm was established in a 100-meter 2 greenhouse where vegetables were grown following the hydroponics and aeroponics systems. “This is the system suited for farmers with limited space for vegetables,” Pascual

said. Hydroponics and aeroponics are production methods where plants are grown in a nutrient solution rather than in soil. Hydroponics uses a medium for growing the plants while aeroponics is in an air or mist environment. Pascual shares that they used cocopeat as material to plant vegetables for the hydroponics system. This is being enriched with nutrients during fertigation in which the fertilizer is incorporated within the irrigation water. “For the aeroponics setup, plant roots are suspended in the air, but we used a polyfiber to hold them,” Pascual explained. In collaboration with the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) College of Engineering, 100 units of growing towers made of white polyvinyl chloride pipes were installed. The towers have 6-in diameter and 1.5-m height. They are connected to a series of buried pipes that serve as drainage systems of the nutrient-enriched recirculating water during irrigation, and act as the ground heat exchanger system. Meanwhile, the Laguna-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is aiming to popularize vertical farming technologies as part of its contribution to transforming food systems to better achieve food security. Muneer Hinay, founder of Kids Who Farm (KWF) seemed to agree. He said

VERTICAL FARMING IS GETTING POPULAR By HENRYLITO D. TACIO courtesy of PhilRice

that households can significantly contribute to solving the country’s food security concern. “I realized that even a small child can actually propose solutions to the pressing problems of food security,” he explained during a “Pista ng Pagkain at Kabataang Pinoy” festival held by SEARCA. Obviously, it is important for households to have easy, nearby access to their source of food – making it fresh and nutritious, Hinay stressed. And what a better way to have a nearby urban farm, no matter how small, than through hydroponics technology. “When we talk about urban agriculture, a big challenge is space. But the truth is when you have a small space, then what you need is a big mindset,” he said. Hydroponics, which has been proven productive long ago from the Hanging Garden of Babylon to the Aztecs’ floating garden, comes from two Greek words: “hydro (“water”) and ponos (“work”). That is working or cultivating plants with water. “In hydroponics, the plant roots absorb bal-

anced nutrients dissolved in water that meet all the plant development requirements. The basic setup is you have a container or grow box, water inside with nutrient solution, and an air space so the container is not filled with water,” said Hinay. The plants are in a growing media such as coconut coir or coconut peat – instead of soil. The plants get their nutrients from air and water – macronutrients, micronutrients – vitamins and minerals. Among the plants that can be grown via hydroponics are lettuce, pechay, kangkong, bell pepper, tomato, and herbs like basil. While the sizable portion of food production is still soil-based, 95%, producing food from hydroponics offers advantages. Among these are its modular setup (vertical or horizontal), ability for monocropping season after season, and nearly pestfree nature. “There isn’t so much waste,” Hinay said. “There is no leaching (contamination of the water table since plants are in a contained area). Generally, it is hy-

gienic, and there’s no emergence of pests and diseases. It is very rare that a hydroponics setup gets pests.” The idea of vertical farming originated from Dickinson Despommier, an American professor of Public and Environmental Health at Columbia University. In 1999, he challenged his class of graduate students to calculate how much food they could grow on the rooftops of the thickly-populated New York. The students concluded that they could only feed 1,000 people. The professor was not satisfied with their findings, so he suggested growing plants indoors instead, on multiple layers vertically. Prof. Despommier and his students then proposed a design of a 30-storey vertical farm equipped with artificial lighting, advanced hydroponics and aeroponics, that could produce enough food for 50,000 people. Although the “skyscraper farm,” as it has been called, has not yet been built, it popularized the idea of vertical farming and inspired many later designs. Vertical farming is a

form of urban agriculture. The United Nations Development Program estimates that 800 million people are involved in urban farming around the world, with the majority in Asian cities. Of these, 200 million produce food primarily for the market, but the great majority raise food for their own families. In a survey conducted for the United Nations, cities worldwide already produce about one third of the food consumed by their residents on average. This percentage is “likely to grow in coming decades, given that the need for urban agriculture could be greater now than ever before,” wrote Brian Halweil and Danielle Nierenberg in their collaborative report published in the recent issue of State of the World, published by Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute. Urban agriculture is nothing new. The hanging gardens in Babylon, for instance, were an example of urban agriculture, while residents of the first cities of ancient Iran, Syria, and Iraq produced vegetables in home gardens.

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Zambales, and Olongapo City; Region IV-A: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Lucena City; Region IV-B: Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City; Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City; Region VI: Aklan, Guimaras, Capiz, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City;

Region VII: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; Region VIII: Biliran, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City; Region IX: Zamboanga City; Region X: Camiguin, Bukidnon, Iligan City, and Cagayan de Oro City; Region XIII (CARAGA) : Surigao del Sur, Surigao City, and Butuan City.

not enough), I have to borrow money,” Duterte said. “If it’s not enough for our needs, then tapos may gusto kang gawing big projects anang tulay (then we want to pursue big projects like bridges). Duterte said there was nothing wrong with borrowing money, so long as there are no irregularities in government spending. He even enjoined local governments to borrow money but reminded them to make sure that would not be used for corrupt activities. “It’s not bad to borrow. Maski kayong mga local government, makahiram kayo, just be sure na ‘yungcorruption, tignan lang ninyo na (Local governments can even borrow, just be sure there is no corruption). It is not … I will approve anything there basta

(as long as it is) for the good of Filipino people. If it’s in our interest to do it, then go ahead. Wala akong problema (I have no problem with it),” Duterte said. The country’s debt pile as of end-February was 0.5 percent or PHP63.83 billion higher than the PHP12.029 billion recorded as of end-January, according to the data released by the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) on Thursday. The surge in the Philippines’ debt was due to “currency fluctuations and net financing from both local and external sources,” the BTr said in a statement. Around 69.6 percent or PHP8.41 trillion of the government’s PHP12.09-trillion debt were domestic borrowings, while the remaining 30.4 percent or PHP3.68 trillion were sourced externally. (PNA)

firmed another outbreak in Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, where 1,000 ducks had been culled. The DA also issued Memorandum Circular No. 6 mandating that the transfer of live birds from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao are temporarily suspended for 30 days. “We focus our surveillance in Talomo and Tugbok areas where the concentration of commercial poultry farms are located,” Pinili said. She said strict measures are in place for any entry of poultry products from Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat - the nearest avian flu hit area to the city. Pinili said more check-

points have been placed at entry points from North Cotabato to Davao City and Buda and Marilog areas, including the Arakan - Dalaglumot, Marilog border She added that the entry of poultry from regions free from avian flu is allowed provided that documentary requirements are complete. She said avian flu can affect not only commercial poultry but also fowl such as game fowls, broilers, pigeons, quails, turkey, ducks, and migratory birds. Pinili confirmed that there is no case of poultry to human transmission recorded in the city or even in avian flu-hit areas. (PNA)

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He added having satellite internet services in the country will help in the development in the rural areas, where access to internet services is scarce.

The Board of Investments (BOI) has also vowed to facilitate the application of SpaceX for its registration under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan. (PNA)

of fiat money for virtual assets. Sky Mavis is not registered as an operator of payment systems (OPS), and the BSP said it is in coordination with other regulators to determine whether the firm should fall under such a category. “Since this is a digital field, it creates a borderless area where fraudsters can really enter and perform illicit activities, so the public should practice cyber hygiene in order to protect your personal data and identity,” Romero said.

In the same briefing, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno reiterated the volatility that comes with digital tokens. “We wish to emphasize that there are risks associated with NFTs such as price volatility which may result to significant financial losses, and also other types of risks relating to cyber fraud and scams,” he said. “As such, we would like to remind the public to transact only with BSP-registered entities,” he added.

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Gultiano said authorities are constantly assessing the local governments on election-related incidents. She said authorities will beef up its operations to secure the areas days before the election.

“Our deployment has been set. So far, the situation has been well-handled by our commanders. Once there’s a request for augmentation and deployment, they will be prioritized for deployment,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

true testament of what the team can do. Ultimately, our investors have invested in the talents that we have and also the products that we created all of which came from Davao City,” he said. Mok said he was impressed with the diverse talents and potentials of Dabawenyos the reason why the company opened an office in Davao City. According to him, their Davao team is better in some sense than their team in Silicon Valley. “In Silicon Valley, we need talents from customer service to engineering talents. We started our team here with customer service first and as we developed the team we found out that the talents here are very diverse, not just concentrated on voice or non-voice. And I came to know a couple of developers meaning engineers, computer engineers and you know they were very impressive and I see that they are better in some sense than our team in Silicon Valley, so we decided to create our team here as well,” he said. Formerly called One Rent, the company rebranded to Poplar Homes in 2021

to reflect its vision to be the lifetime partner of homeowners and residents in real estate. “As a company, we started as Silicon Valley in the estates and we started an office here about five years ago and our office has been going year after year and today we are very proud to have a full-fledged office and a team here that spans across everything from engineering, web development, to sales, customer service, operation-anything you can come we have a big representation here,” Mok said. The company is positioned to build partnerships with its customers by providing the most accessible full-service in real estate from renting to buying. “Our team is growing up that our team here is developing fresh products that we haven’t developed and what you see today again is about 95 percent developed here. We can service thousands of customers and hundreds of millions of renters looking for assistance and our development team here gave investors more confidence for them to invest in Davao City,” Mok said.

BBM-Sara’s Uniteam has the platforms of government, qualification, and track record to lead the country towards unity and prosperity. “Naglabas na ng statement ang Naciona-

lista, kami supporting the candidacies of Bongbong-Sara candidacies,” said Senatoriable Mark Villar, who is also among in the senatorial slate of the BBM-Sara Uniteam. By Maya M. Padillo

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez earlier defended the uptick country’s programmed debt, which is expected to hit the internationally recommended threshold of 60% proportion of gross domestic product this year. The Philippines ended 2021 with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 60.5%, slightly higher within the accepted sustainable threshold. Dominguez earlier said the Department of Finance (DOF) is preparing its fiscal consolidation proposal which would likely involve tax hikes to repay the country’s increasing debt. The Finance chief has also expressed willingness to sit down with all the presidential candidates to discuss how to manage the trillions of pesos in government debt the next presidency will inherit from the Duterte administration. Domestic debt, meanwhile, stood at P8.41 trillion, P45.42 billion or 0.5% higher than the end-January level “primarily due to net issuance of domestic govern-

ment securities amounting to P44.89 billion.” External debt totaled P3.68 trillion, up by P18.41 billion or 0.5% from the previous month. “For February, the increment in external debt was due to the impact of peso depreciation against the US dollar amounting to P17.91 billion and the net availment of external obligations amounting to P3.25 billion,” the Treasury said, noting that the local currency depreciated against the greenback from P51.135:$1 as end-January 2022 to P51.385:$1 as end-February 2022. “These more than offset the P2.74 billion reduction caused by adjustments in other foreign currencies,” the BTr said. Ricafort said government debt could still increase in view of the P457.8 billion Retail Treasury Bond issuance and the $2.25 billion global bonds issuance both for the month of March “to finance the budget deficit amid increased infrastructure spending especially be-

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grant foul midway through the third quarter, when he brought down Bruce Brown as the Nets player rose for a dunk. Although the Bucks led, 96-92, with 8:12 remaining in regulation, they suddenly went cold and the Nets powered ahead with an 11-0 scoring run before Milwaukee steadied themselves and forced overtime. Antetokounmpo came into the contest game 39 points behind Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s career-scoring leader who started his career with the Bucks and scored 14,211 points for them from 1969-75. But the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, who is staking his claim to another MVP award, wasn’t interested in talking about the franchise record, focusing instead on the Bucks’ home game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday and the quest to dislodge the Miami Heat from the top spot in the Eastern Conference. “There’s things that have to be done,” Antetokounmpo said. Hawks win over Cavs In other games, Trae Young scored 30 points and

handed out nine assists to lead the Atlanta Hawks in a wire-to-wire 131-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks notched their fourth straight win and secured a place in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, in which the seventh- through 10th-placed teams will battle for the last two berths in the playoffs proper. The Cavs’ defeat also meant the Boston Celtics officially punched their playoff ticket, even though they didn’t play on Thursday. In Detroit, the lowly Pistons stormed back in the fourth quarter to stun Philadelphia despite 37 points and 15 rebounds from the 76ers’ MVP candidate Joel Embiid. Saddiq Bey scored 10 of his 20 points in the final five minutes for Detroit, who were already eliminated from playoff contention. “I thought we played with very little life tonight, didn’t play together tonight at all,” said 76ers coach Doc Rivers, whose team are fourth in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind leaders Miami.

Board in contempt after finding the athletic body escalating the conflict and disobeying the orders of the Senate panel to settle differences with Obiena. The PATAFA initially excluded Obiena from the list of national athletes who will see action in the Viet-

nam SEA Games and other major international sports events, including the World Athletics Indoor Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia from March 18 to 20. “I look forward to seeing EJ jump again for the honor and glory of our country!” Cayetano said. (PNA)

Both will be tempting propositions for Pacquiao, renowned for his will to continue fighting. If it weren’t for the Presidency bid, Pacquiao would still be fighting today. Many fans worldwide would love to see him grace the ring again, as there was no mention

of retirement before the Ugas fight. At least one more farewell fight, if not a shot at a 147 belt, would undoubtedly be the order of the day. The great Manny Pacquiao could have the sendoff he deserves as one of the best competitors to lace up a pair of gloves.

influenza…Kahitisalamang ponakasoorinsidenteng birdfluayreportablepoito, obligadopotayongnai-reportitosaWorldOrganizationforAnimalHealth(The birdfluisn’twidespread,becausewewerefreefromthe avianinfluenza,although there’sonlyonecaseorincident of bird flu, it’s still reportable.Weareobligated toreportcasestotheWorld Organization for Animal

Health),” Morales said. Avian Influenza (AI) H5N1outbreakshavebeen recordedinduckandquail farmsinBulacan,Pampanga,Laguna,CamarinesSur, NuevaEcija,Bataan,Tarlac, SultanKudarat,andBenguet. TheDAhasbeenattributingthespreadofthevirus tothepresenceofmigratory birds,whichareconsidered natural hosts. (PNA)

fore the March 25, 2022 ban on some public works and in preparation for the May 2022 elections.” “However, measures to further re-open the economy towards greater normalcy such as the proposed nationwide Alert Level 1, resumption of in-person schooling, further boosting local and foreign tourism, among others, as also consistent with the government’s

10-point agenda as well as to mitigate the adverse economic effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for more than a month already… would help further boost the government’s recurring tax revenue collections with increased economic activities and also help reduce the government’s expenditures for financial assistance and other COVID programs,” he added.

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SPORTS

Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the victory -- which could well be a preview of a first-round playoff series.

Record-setting Giannis lifts Bucks over Nets Gintong Gawad Awardees on PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up

he PSC’s Rise Up Shape Up (PSC-RUSU) will present two Gintong Gawad 2021 awardees in a separate episode this weekend. On April 2, the online series will feature the province of Pangasinan and its various local sports development initiatives that earned them the recognition as “Kaagapay ng Isport sa Komunidad” awardee of the 2021 Gintong Gawad. One of the province’s notable sports development projects is the establishment of the Pangasinan Sports Academy, which offers training programs for numerous sporting events such as lawn tennis, archery, basketball, taekwondo, among others to build athletes with excellent athletic skills. On April 3, the webisode will present the inspiring story of Kyla Ong Soguilon, a 17-year-old swimming prodigy who was honored as Gintong Gawad 2021 “Babaeng Atleta, Modelo ng Kabataan”. Soguilon, a native of Kalibo, Aklan was a two-time recipient of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Tony

Siddayao Awards in 2014 and 2015. From 2014-to2017, Soguilon was also recognized as Philippine Junior Athlete of the Year and Milo Junior Athlete of the Year – a feat that no other junior athlete in the Philippines has achieved to date. PSC Commissioner oversight for Women in Sports Celia Kiram values the support of grassroots communities in helping PSC in its vision of developing sports excellence nationwide and training top-performing athletes. In back-to-back webisodes, Comm. Kiram will discuss the legal mandates related to grassroots and community sports and take us on a virtual tour of the country’s natural pools in her regular segment “K-Isport.” PSC’s Rise Up! Shape Up! is a weekly web series streamed via Facebook and YouTube on Saturdays and Sundays at 7 PM. For more information on Rise Up! Shape Up! visit its official Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/riseupshapeup and YouTube page at https:// www.youtube.com/riseupshapeup.

iannis Antetokounmpo forced overtime with a milestone three-pointer and drained two free throws to seal a 120-119 Milwaukee victory over Brooklyn Thursday that clinched the NBA champion Bucks’ playoff berth.

Milwaukee superstar Antetokounmpo finished with 44 points, 14 rebounds and six assists in the victory -- which could well be a preview of a first-round playoff

series. Kevin Durant had 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for Brooklyn, but his potential game-winning three-pointer as time ex-

pired bounced off the rim. Antetokounmpo broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Bucks’ franchise scoring record -- moving into first on the club’s all-time list with a step-back three-pointer over Nets center Andre Drummond with 18.7 seconds left in regulation. That knotted the score at 110-110 and Durant then couldn’t get a jump shot to fall.

Three free throws from Durant put the Nets up 119118 with 8.7 seconds left in overtime. But Antetokounmpo took an inbounds pass and drove to the rim, drawing a foul and calmly making the winning free throws. Jrue Holiday added 19 points for Milwaukee and Khris Middleton had 16 before he was ejected for a fla-

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PSC-led mediation of EJ Obiena-PATAFA row lauded

enator Pia Cayetano on Thursday said she is looking forward again to seeing world-ranked Filipino pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena compete as she lauded the successful resolution of the disputes between the Tokyo Olympian and the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA). “It’s over! This long-running ordeal between world No. 5 Olympian pole vaulter Ernest Obiena and his national sports association, PATAFA has come to an end,” Cayetano said in a statement. On Wednesday, the Philippine Sports Commission announced that Obiena and

PATAFA have finally settled their misunderstandings as PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez succeeded in reconciling the two parties through the mediation process. The PSC also said PATAFA has also endorsed Obiena to play in the Southeast Asian Games in May in Hanoi, Vietnam and the 2022 World Outdoor Athletics championship in Oregon from July 15 to 24 this year. “All details regarding the mediation are confidential,” Cayetano, member of the Senate committee on youth and sports, said. Cayetano earlier filed a motion to cite PATAFA

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Senator Pia Cayetano with EJ Obiena.

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VOL.14 ISSUE 319 • SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2022

DOOMEDW Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s Presidential bid is on course for failure

hether it’s the oddsmakers or the fraction survey numbers, Manny Pacquiao won’t be the next leader of his home nation. Pacquiao is likely to lose the forthcoming Presidential election in the Philippines on May 9th. The early frontrunner in the race is former Senator Bongbong Marcos and at where the 8-time world champion sits, it would need a miracle of epic proportions for the ‘Pambansang Kamao’ to reverse the tide and win the elections. Having launched his top political bid after retirement in 2021, he’ll soon has a big decision regarding a comeback to action. Reports are already surfacing that Pacquiao will need money from fighting after spending a lot on his campaign. The eight-weight world champion embarked on an ambitious plan when he ended his boxing career after losing to Yordenis Ugas. But now, Pacquiao is way behind in the opinion polls as Marcos edges towards victory on May 9th. Pacquiao stands at a 12/1 shot to win, with Marcos at 1/8 to succeed Rodrigo Duterte. As a result, predictions of a Manny Pacquiao event in Las

Vegas this August are already in the pipeline. Errol Spence Jr. fights Yordenis Ugas on April 19th in Texas for three versions of the world welterweight title. Pacquiao has ties to both champions. He was due to battle Spence before an eye injury ruled the WBC and IBF ruler out close to the August 2021 headliner. Ugas, competing on the undercard, stepped in to shock Pacquiao. MANNY PACQUIAO COMEBACK That’s when the “Pacman” decided to hang up his gloves. But failure to secure the top job in Filipino politics will mean Pacquiao has more time on his hands to compete. Terence Crawford, the WBO titleholder, would like to share the ring with Pacquiao. However, the WBO may require Pacquiao to win a fight before challenging ‘Bud’ for his belt. Therefore, Pacquiao has the option to fight in August before a potential world title bout against either the winner of Spence vs. Ugas or Crawford.

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