Edge Davao Volume 15 Issue 20 | Saturday, May 7, 2022

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

f

@EdgeDavao

www.edgedavao.net

FOR THE FLAG SPORTS P 12 edgedavao@gmail.com

GOOD TO GO Comelec 11 all set for May 9 polls

Presidential aspirtant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio wave Philippine flags in front of their supporters during UniTeam’s Mindanao Miting de Avance in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Thursday night. Edge Davao

STORY ON PAGE 2

P 15.00 • 12 PAGES

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

Supporters of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and vice presidential candidate Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s UniTeam brave the heavy downpour during UniTeam’s Mindanao Miting de Avance in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Thursday night. Edge Davao

GOOD TO GO Comelec 11 all set for May 9 polls

By MAYA M. PADILLO

T

he regional office of the Commission on Election (Comelec 11) is all set for the upcoming national and local elections on Monday (May 9, 2022).

Comelec 11 assistant regional director lawyer Gay Enumerables told media that Vote Counting Machines (VCMs) and ballots to be used in the election have already distributed in cities and towns in Davao Region.

The final testing and sealing of the VCMs were conducted on May 5, 2022

in various schools serve as polling precincts in Davao Region.

“Ang number of VCMs mag-equal didto sa number of clustered precincts na established para sa elections.

I’m not sure but I think it is more than 4,000 VCMs,” she said.

Enumerables said the sealing and testing of the

VCMs aim to test any defects and if these will be simple problem enough to be fixed immediately in the region and no not need to be sent to the central office of the Comelec.

The official added that all the teachers who will serve as the electoral board in the upcoming elections are all prepared.

“Barring any problems kanang naay mga problema sa presinto dali lang gyud magboto kay shading lang tayo but pagsulod sa esk-

welahan mag-undergo pa ang voter ug thermal scanning kung taas ang iyahang temperatura and then if okay siya, then the voter kung wala pa sila kabalo asa siya magboto ug wala pa niya na verify ang iyahang presinto mag proceed siya sa amoang voter’s desk,” she said.

Enumerables also reminded the public that it is not allowed to take pictures while voting and taking pictures of the ballot inside the polling precinct this election.

Diamond Hotel in Makati City on April 27, 2022.

CADAC Chair Michael Denton “Mikey” Aportadera, in an interview with Byaheng Do30, said that Davao City was among the seven local government units (LGUs) and the only one from Mindanao invited to attend the awarding rites of the competition, which was held in partnership

with the Bureau of International Narcotics & Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States Department of State (USDS).

The contest was conducted under the theme, “Communicating right information relating to COVID-19.”

“I’m very happy that our entries were given due notice sa mga efforts sa

atoang mga drug reformists nato (I’m very happy that our entries were given due notice over our efforts for our drug reformists).

There were three categories - short video, traditional poster, and digital poster.

These entries aim to create awareness in the rest of the country on the efforts of reforming people through

Davao’s CADAC places 3rd in two UNODC categories

T

he City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) of the City Government of Davao bagged two third-place honors in the “Komunikasyon Korek 2021: Tamang Mensahe, Tamang Aksion para sa Healthy Pilipinas” drug prevention media campaign competition of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) held at the

FDAVAO’S, P10

2,414 individuals fail to pay fines for face mask violation

I

ndividuals who were issued citation tickets for not wearing face masks are facing cases in court after failing to pay the fines prescribed under the Davao City Ordinance No. 030720 or the Face Mask Ordinance.

Davao City Police Office Director Police Colonel Alberto Lupaz in a virtual interview with Byaheng Do30 Wednesday said that there are 2,414 individuals issued with citation tickets and failed to pay fines at the City Treasurer’s Office. They are all first-offense violators.

According to Lupaz, they are among the 10,147 individuals issued citation tickets since the start of the implementation of the Face Mask Ordinance from the period January 1, 2022, to April 23, 2022. Of the 10,147, only 2,861 were able to pay the fines and penalties.

“We have already filed 2,414 cases through regular filing. Binibigyan natin sila ng (we give them) three to five days to pay. If they cannot pay within three to five days we will commence the filing of cases against them,” Lupaz said, adding, “the prescriptive period of the offense is two months so as much as possible they file the cases within 15 days to one month after the violator fails to pay within 5 days”.

Under the ordinance, the individual apprehended for not wearing a face mask is fined Php500 for the first offense; Php2,000 for a second offense; and, Php5,000 or one-month imprisonment for the third offense.

He said that while the

implementation of the Face Mask Ordinance is generally smooth, the number of people who have yet to settle their citation ticket obligation is causing great concern and this has been relayed to the COVID-19 Task Force meeting on Monday, May 2, 2022.

“Ang problem na nasalubong namin is the filing of cases kasi as of now 7,286 ang hindi nakabayad.

Napag-usapan na namin sa Monday Conference ng COVID-19 Task Force on how we can monitor and push people to pay their obligation in terms of this violation (The problem we are experiencing so far is the filing of cases because as of now a total of 7,286 have not paid their obligation. We already discussed during the COVID-19 Task Force last Monday how can we monitor and push people to pay their obligation in terms of this violation),” Lupaz said.

Those who have not paid their fines yet can go to the City Treasurers’ Office or their District Treasurer’s Office.

Lupaz added that people should be reminded that they can only remove their face masks when eating or drinking.

He said that even if the city is under Level 1, new COVID-19 cases and new infections are still recorded by the City Health Office (CHO). The wearing of face masks remains mandatory.

“Kaya nga ini-implement natin ito [Face Mask Ordinance] kasi ang ibang mga tao nag-re-relax na na sabi nila na pwede nang tanggalin ang face mask

FINDIVIDUALS, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

NEWS

3

Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte is greeted by supporters during a political rally in Davao City. Duterte, who is expected to succeed his sister, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, as mayor of the city, led the Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) Miting de Avance on Friday evening. Edge Davao

BBM-Sara UniTeam holds Mindanao Miting de Avance in Tagum City PRRD appoints former DCPO chief as PNP OIC

P

resident Rodrigo Duterte designated Lieutenant General Vicente Danao Jr. as Officer-In-Charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), replacing General Dionardo Carlos who is retiring on May 8, 2022, according to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Danao was the former director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) of then mayor Duterte from 2013 to 2016.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Martin M. Andanar

FPRRD, P10

6 SoCot towns under heightened security

P

olice have beefed up security in six municipalities in South Cotabato province that are considered “areas of concern” or potential hotspots in line with Monday’s local and national elections.

Capt. Renjun Bagaman, public information officer of the South Cotabato Police Provincial Office, said they deployed additional personnel starting Thursday to secure and ensure the conduct of “safe and fair” elections in these areas.

He said Banga town was

placed under the red category or “areas of grave concern” due to the recorded election-related incidents in the previous polls.

The municipality, through recommendations from the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was declared a possible hotspot by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as early as the 2007 elections due to the reported presence of armed groups.

Bagaman said Comelec

F6 SOCOT, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

A

Despite heavy downpour, muddy spot, and earthquake, the activity was

packed with the tandem’s thousands of supporters who stayed throughout the

“Miting de Avance” held in the same site where the contending party also held its own “Miting de Avance.”

The province is also tagged as the political bailiwick of the Dutertes.

Based on the drone shots shared by the Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP), it was considered the grandest and biggest political gathering held in the province that was attended by Marcos, Mayor Sara

hree term senator and House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda remains one of the most trusted public officials in the country based on a recent survey by Pulse Asia Research, Inc. (Pulse Asia).

Conducted from September 2021 to March 2022, Legarda’s trust rating soared to 76 percent from 63 percent five months ago.

The trust ratings of other senators are not immediately available.

Legarda expressed sincere gratitude for the people’s continuing trust in her

work as a public servant, particularly her long-time advocacies on environmental protection and climate change adaption; employment and livelihood creation; health; education; and many others.

“My sincerest gratitude to all the survey respondents and all Filipinos who continue to believe and trust my ability to deliver the best kind of public service, especially those who need it most in this time of the pandemic,” she said.

Once reelected to the Senate, Legarda vowed to

continue crafting laws and providing much-needed funds to protect the environment, increase the salaries of government workers, and build infrastructure to hasten economic recovery after COVID-19.

The veteran lawmaker joined President Rodrigo Duterte and Senate President Vicente Sotto III who received trust ratings of 69 percent and 60 percent, respectively, in Pulse Asia’s Comparative Trust Ratings of Selected Public Figures.

Seeking a Senate comeback as a candidate of the

fter gathering a massive crowd in Guimbal, Iloilo City last Tuesday, the UniTeam of Presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, and his runningmate Vice Presidential bet Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio capped its Mindanao leg “Miting de Avance” at the City Hall Grounds of Tagum City, Davao del Norte on Thursday evening.

and senatoriables Larry Gadon, Harry Roque, Win Gatchalian, Robin Padilla, Gibo Teodoro, Jinggoy Estrada, Mark Villar and Migz Zubiri, and SAGIP Party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta.

In her speech, Mayor Sara shared again the story of “Larry”, a Davao City fish porter who died from a bomb attack by “a group that wants to bring the gov-

Nationalist People’s Coalition, Legarda’s campaign recently received a big boost following the consecutive endorsements of two influential religious groups – the Iglesia Ni Cristo and El Shaddai Catholic Charismatic Movement.

The three term senator was also endorsed by President Duterte, the League of Provinces of the Philippines, various leagues of municipalities throughout the country as well as labor groups led by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

FBBM-SARA, P10

Legarda’s trust rating soars T

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

Porters use wooden cart to transport goods from Sta. Cruz Port in Talicud Island, Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) to the barangay’s public market. Edge Davao

Number of jobless Filipinos down to 2.87M in Mar.: PSA

T

2020, when the all-time high unemployment rate of 17.6% or 7.3 million jobless was recorded.

This is lower than the 3.13 million jobless adults recorded in February, reflecting an unemployment rate of 6.4%.

In a statement, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) attributed the lower job-

lessness rate to the shifting to Alert Level 1 of most of the country in March.

Under Alert Level 1, businesses are allowed to operate at 100% capacity with no age restrictions and physical barriers.

“The March labor force survey results reflect the gains from moving around 70% of the economy to Alert Level 1. As we continue to manage the risks, we reiterate our recommendation to shift the entire country to alert level 1 to generate more employment and strengthen the domestic economy against external shocks,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl

Kendrick Chua.

More Filipinos also joined the labor force amid the increased mobility and the lower alert level, according to the NEDA. Mapa reported that the country’s labor force participation rate — the percentage of individuals who are actively looking for work in the adult population — continued its uptrend to 65.4%, also the highest rate since the start of the pandemic, from 63.8% in February.

In terms of magnitude, the number of labor force participants stood at 49.85 million in March from 48.61 million in February.

general Charito Plaza said the decline in registration of investment activities in economic zones is anticipated given the ongoing pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the upcoming national elections.

“Usually during the election period, the investors would wait for what is going to be the result of the election because they already anticipated that there will surely be new policies and laws and rules that will be adopted by the new ad-

ministration,” Plaza said.

Aside from the change in administration in June this year, the PEZA chief added that investors are cautious in their investment decisions here, especially firms in the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) sector, as the government no longer encourage the workfrom-home (WFH) set-up for this industry.

She added that since the country has yet to issue the Strategic Investment Prior-

ity Plan (SIPP), the government’s three-year blueprint for priority industries and economic activities that can be granted fiscal incentives, investors put on hold their decisions to register their businesses in PEZA. Status quo With the issues on eliminating fiscal incentives of PEZA-registered companies that will opt to maintain the WFH set-up as well as the risks of some sectors to lose their tax perks with

he number of jobless Filipinos declined in March this year, bringing the unemployment rate down to its lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

At a virtual press briefing, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the number of unemployed adults aged 15 and above in March stood at 2.87 million, reflecting an unemployment rate of 5.8%.

March’s unemployment rate is the lowest since the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in April

FNUMBER, P10

PEZA OKs P8.14B investments in Q1

T

he Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has approved a total of PHP8.14 billion in investments from January to March this year.

Comparing the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), investment approvals of PEZA in the first quarter this year plummeted by 67.9 percent from PHP25.38 billion project registrations in the same period in 2021.

In a press conference Thursday, PEZA director

FPEZA’, P10

BSP eyes AI applications to enhance functions

T

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is exploring applications of machine learning (ML) techniques, particularly in the areas of natural language processing, nowcasting, and banking supervision.

“Central banks’ interest in ML has been increasing over the years, mainly due to its potential to enhance the existing tools used for regular monitoring as well as its ability to uncover underlying relationships between data to better understand the economy and the financial system,” BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said.

Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence (AI) involving algorithms that deliver output based on patterns learned from data.

Natural language processing at the BSP is used to convert text into data to produce a quantitative summary, such as the news sentiment index and economic policy uncertainty index that are currently being developed.

The BSP also employs ML approaches to generate nowcasts of regional inflation and domestic liquidity.

These models supplement the BSP’s existing suite of models for macroeconomic forecasting.

In banking supervision, the BSP aims to utilize ML techniques to enhance its data validation processes and better identify atypical data.

Diokno said ML offers diverse opportunities in central banking, especially when combined with techniques from other disciplines, such as econometrics and network science.

Diokno also highlighted several challenges associated with ML processes. The most often-cited limitation is the black-box approach to ML, which could result in difficulties in interpreting the causal relationships in ML models.

Like traditional econometric techniques, ML algorithms may also encounter some challenges in accurately predicting tail risk or low likelihood events.

The adoption of ML models would also necessitate investments in information technology (IT) infrastructure and capacity building, as well as a change in the organizational mindset.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

ECONOMY

5

Market goers buy fresh vegetables from a stall at the vegetables and fruits section inside Agdao Public Market in Davao City. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has reported that inflation clocked in at 4.9 percent in April, up from 4.0 percent in March and 4.1 percent the same month last year. Edge Davao

SEC approves VistaREIT, Raslag IPOs

T

he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has considered favorably the initial public offerings (IPO) of VistaREIT, Inc. of up to PHP9.178 billion and of Raslag Corp. worth up to PHP700 million.

In its meeting on May 5, the commission en banc resolved to render effective the registration statements of VistaREIT and Raslag covering 7.5 billion common shares and 1.5 million common shares, respectively, subject to the companies’ compliance with certain remaining requirements.

VistaREIT VistaREIT is a real estate investment trust (REIT) sponsored by Villar-led companies – Masterpiece Asia Properties, Inc., Manuela Corporation, Vista Residences, Inc., Crown Asia Properties, Inc., and Communities Pampanga, Inc. The company will offer up to 3,337,500,000 common shares at a price of up to PHP2.50 per share, with an over allotment option of up to 333,750,000 common shares.

The shares, which are currently owned by the sponsors, will be listed and traded on the Main Board of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

Assuming the overallotment option is fully exercised, VistaREIT will net PHP8.79 billion from the offer.

The sponsors will receive the entire proceeds of the offer, which shall be re-

invested in the Philippines, pursuant to the revised implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9856, or the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Act of 2009.

New investors will corner 48.95 percent of VistaREIT’s issued and outstanding common shares, while existing shareholders will retain the remaining 51.05 percent, should the company exercise the oversubscription option.

As mandated by law, VistaREIT shall distribute to shareholders at least 90 percent of its annual distributable income as dividends.

The distributable income refers to the company’s net income as adjusted for unrealized gains and losses/expenses and impairment losses, and other items in accordance with internationally accepted accounting standards. It excludes proceeds from the sale of the REIT’s assets that are reinvested in the REIT within one year from the date of the sale.

VistaREIT expects to conduct the IPO from May 10 to 16 and debut on the PSE on May 26, based on the latest timetable the company has submitted to the SEC. The company engaged BDO Capital & Investment Corporation, China Bank Capital Corporation, PNB Capital and Investment Corporation, RCBC Capital Corporation, and SB Capital Investment Corporation as joint lead underwriters for

FSEC, P10

Inflation surges to 4.9% in April

C

onsumer prices in the Philippines continued to grow at a faster rate in April to mark the fastest in over three years, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Thursday revealed.

Inflation clocked in at 4.9% in the past month, up from 4.0% in March and 4.1% the same month last year. This is the fastest since December 2018, when the print was recorded at 5.2%.

The latest reading brings the year-to-date average to 3.7% so far, already higher than the full-year average of 3.9% recorded in 2021.

In a virtual briefing, National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the main sources of inflation for the month include food and non-alcoholic beverages as prices climbed by 3.8%, contributing a 51.5% share to the uptrend.

This comes as prices of vegetables and tubers increased by 9.2%, meat and others by 4.2%, and fish

and other seafood by 5.0%.

Meanwhile, transport prices jumped by 13.0%, faster than the 10.3% recorded in March. This contributed 27.8% to the overall uptrend.

Broken down, diesel prices surged by 83.7%, gasoline by 43.0%, and passenger transport by sea by 13.6%.

The latest data available from the Department of Energy show that year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P15.45 per liter for gasoline, P27.35 per liter for diesel, and P21.55 per liter for kerosene.

he Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is set to collect higher premium contributions from its members in June in accordance with the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law. PhilHealth said the contribution rate will be hike to 4% for members earning P10,000 to P80,000 per

month.

PhilHealth officials said the hike in contributions would be imposed next month as they the company was still upgrading its Information Technology System.

President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019 signed the UHC to guarantee all Filipinos equal access to quali-

ty and affordable goods and services in healthcare.

Under the UHC Law, the premium rate shall increase by increments of 0.5% every year starting from 3% in 2020 until it reached 5%.

The premium contribution was supposed to increase from 3% to 3.5% in January 2021 but was

Data from the same agency show that prices in Metro Manila range from P66.45 per liter (Pasig City) to P89.75 per liter (Muntinlupa City) for gasoline, and from P68.20 per liter (Quezon City) to P85.20 per liter (Pasay City) for diesel.

Broken down geographically, inflation in the National Capital Region (NCR) stood at 4.4% in April, up from 3.4% in the previous month and the 2.4% recorded in the same month last year.

Inflation in areas outside NCR increased to 5.1%

suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PhilHealth is still studying the possibility of charging its members the amount of the contributions that were not collected because of the suspension.

The agency aims to collect about P180 billion for this year.

FINFLATION, P10

PhilHealth contribution rates increased in June 2022 T

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

In reminding Filipino voters to be discriminating in choosing the next president and look into the biodata of all 10 candidates:

There are predictions but they are not... [They] remain to be a prediction only. But you know who is the leading candidate in the survey. Sana mag-peaceful lang at makaano tayo (I am hoping for peaceful elections).”

President Rodrigo Duterte

EDITORIAL Make the polls peaceful The elections are trickling down to the final days and on Monday the nation will make their decisions.

they should not sell their votes. What is at stake is the future of the entire nation. That future is now in their hands.

He said Filipino voters must be discriminating in choosing the next president and look into the biodata of all 10 candidates. Much like looking closely at the CV of every job applicant. It makes sense. The people cannot simply rely on the surveys and the popularity of candidates. Much less,

Election day violence is not strange in our jurisdiction.

Historically, election-related violence happen during the actual casting of votes. We can only hope that no lives will be wasted on the day we troop to the voting precincts to exercise our sacred right of suffrage.

President Rodrigo Duterte stayed on neutral ground, making good his stand not to endorse his successor. However, the President in an interview with evangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy gave his guiding points for the electorate when they cast their votes on Monday.

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

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

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

The President likewise prays for a peaceful elections.

There had been a spate of election-related violence the last one involving a barangay captain in Digos City who was shot dead by a gunman. Another barangay captain in Mati City was killed earlier in the campaign.

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.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

NOT A DROP TO DRINK? One Monday morning, nineyear-old Junjun woke up early because he didn’t want to be late in going to school. He went straight to the kitchen and drank the tap water from the faucet. He then took a bath, wore his uniform, and went straight to the table to eat the food his mother had prepared.

While at school at nine o’clock, Junjun complained of a stomach ache. His teacher told him to go home. Just a few blocks away, the boy did. His mother was surprised to see his son coming home too early.

“What happened?” she asked.

Before Junjun could answer, he went straight to the comfort room. When Junjun did it three times, his mother became worried. So, she decided to bring her son to a nearby hospital.

“Diarrhea, that’s what hit your boy,” the doctor told her.

Junjun was lucky. Each year, 1.8 million children die each year from diarrhea – that’s 4,900 deaths each day. “Every 8 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease,” deplored the Geneva-based World Health Organization. “At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease,” it added.

In the Philippines, where

water is becoming a scarce commodity, water-related diseases are bound to stay.

President Rodrigo Duterte has called for a “bolder vision” and “urgent action” to solve water-related issues in the Asia-Pacific region, saying developing countries like the Philippines still face challenges To ensure people’s universal access to safe, affordable and accessible water, President Rodrigo R. Duterte has called for a “bolder vision” and “urgent action.” He said those recommendations in a video message delivered during the heads of states and government meeting at the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Kumamoto City, Japan.

As reported by the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA), the outgoing president said countries in Asia-Pacific and its partners must forge “a strong alliance” to address water woes in the region.

“Now is the time for bolder vision and urgent action,” Duterte stressed. “We need to decide wisely for ourselves and for future generations.”

According to Duterte, solutions to water-related issues must not come from the government alone but also from non-government stakeholders

as well.

Access to water and its related services, Duterte said, is rightly considered a basic human right, since it is a resource so vital for humans and ecosystems for survival and sustenance.

During her term as head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Elisea Gozun pointed out: “On a macro-level, it appears there is plenty of water, but we are now experiencing problems and, in some instances, some areas (of the country) are (now) suffering from lack of water.”

A recent study released by the environment department estimated that only 1,907 cubic meters of fresh water are available to each Filipino a year.

This puts the Philippines at the low end among Southeast Asian countries with fresh water availability.

Each day, Filipinos consume 310 to 507 million cubic meters of water.

“A household of five needs at least 120 liters per days to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning,” wrote David Satterthwaite and Gordon McGranahan in their collaborative report pub-

lished in the State of the World 2007.

Although water is a renewable resource, it is also a finite one. Less than three percent of the world’s water is fresh, and more than 75 percent of this is frozen - mainly at the North and South Poles.

Of the remaining freshwater, 98 percent lies underground.

People and land-dwelling animals can only access about 0.01 percent of the entire world’s water.

Water is drawn in two fundamental ways: from wells, tapping underground sources of water called aquifers; or from surface flows - that is, from lakes, rivers, and man-made reservoirs.

About 2,000 cubic kilometers of freshwater are flowing through the world’s rivers at any one time; nearly one half the total is in South America and another one fourth is in Asia.

“We cannot talk of providing sustainable water to the people unless we protect the sources of the commodity – the watersheds,” Gozun was once quoted as saying.

In a report a couple of years ago, the DENR said that 90 percent of the 99 watershed areas in the country were “hydrologically critical” due to their de-

graded physical condition.

Massive destruction of the once-productive forested watersheds by loggers – both legal and illegal – and uncontrolled land use from mining, overgrazing, agricultural expansion, and industrialization have contributed to water depletion.

Because most people are now health conscious, they prefer to drink bottled water.

Although its contents might appear the same everywhere, bottled water essentially comes in three different forms: natural mineral water, spring water, and purified water.

Most consumers assume that water purchased in a bottle is better regulated, purer, or safer than most tap water. But is it?

“While the sources of these waters are protected from pollution, since the water is not disinfected it can contain naturally occurring bacteria,” writes The Green Guide’s Paul McRandle. “And though bottlers guard against it, contamination is always possible.”

“The world has got a very big water problem,” says Sir Crispin Tickell, former British ambassador to the United Nations and one of the organizers of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. “It will be the progenitor of more wars than oil.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DESIDERIO N. GIL, DEPUTY GOVERNOR The son of Spanish Gregorio Gil and Carlota Nobleza, also of Spanish lineage, Desiderio Gil was born in La Paz, Iloilo, on June 29, 1889. He took up early education in his hometown. For his tertiary studies, he enrolled at El Colegio de San Beda where he finished Marine Engi-neering.

After college, he joined Fernandez Hermanos, a shipping firm based in Manila. Shortly thereafter, he was assigned as part of the company’s Davao branch with Feliciano Iñigo, a migrant from Manila, as the managing agent. Through his savings, he acquired a homestead and farmlands in Carmen, Davao del Norte, which he chiefly planted with coconut.

Gil’s first public service stint was as Davao’s first town police chief in 1918. He served the post for only a couple of years as a result of his designation

as municipal district president of Tagum, including Hijo area which became the seat of government of the municipality of Tagum. He did not stay long, though, in civil service; he gave it up in favor of cultivating his lands.

On the side, he also bought a motorized launch that carried people and farm products, particularly hemp and copra, from the Tuganay dock in the north to the port of Davao at the Santa Ana district. He named his conveyance ‘Hijos de Gil.’ Inspired by his successful transport business, he went on to build bigger launches that navigated the inner waterways of Tuganay River. Using his knowledge and skills as a marine engineer.

As municipal district president, he is credited for opening feeder roads and setting up countryside schools. A portion of his land was donated for the

opening of a road that would connect the dock to the inner regions of Tuganay, now under the town of Carmen. From 1927 to 1930, he became village chieftain of La Paz, which is also a barangay of present-day Carmen.

Four years later, during the second term of Davao governor Juan A. Sarenas, Gil was chosen deputy governor, with the jurisdiction of the northern areas of Davao Province. His watch was chiefly regarded as successful in nurturing friendship and collaboration between Christian and Moro settlers, which earned him the Datu Puti distinction bestowed by Datu Sali de Porcan.

Gil met his wife, Modesta, the daughter of Manuel Ureta and Lucena Ramos in Davao.

Their union produced ten children, namely Ruben Pilar, Hortencia G. Buhay, Aida Da-

maso, Pacifico, Gregorio, Lydia Warr, Exuperia Madrazo, Resurreccion, Zenaida Gragasin, and Nestor.

On their own, most of Gil’s children earned honorable merits in the fields of education, law, business, civil service and politics, and urban development. Ruben Pilar, Hortencia, and Exuperia excelled in Education, while Aida holds the recognition as Davao City’s first lady lawyer.

Lydia and Zenaida held high positions in civil service, while Nestor, the youngest in the brood, was a pillar in urban planning as manager of Regional Cities Development Project.

Gregorio and Resurreccion, meanwhile, became local leaders. Only Pacifico made a name in athletics.

Gloria P. Dabbay, in ‘Davao City: Its History and Progress’ (1998), wrote that the Kiwanis

Club of Tagum awarded Gil with a posthumous ‘token of appreciation’ but no mention of the date it was given. In part, the award was presented for his pioneering efforts in Tagum in 1919, for introducing the first motorized transport in the same area, and for constructing feeder roads ans barrio schools while actively serving as municipal district president of Tagum.

Gil’s contributions to the current cities of Panabo and Tagum and the municipality of Carmen at a time when these areas hosted only hamlets, need more exhaustive research, es-pecially the role his transport business played in the development of the abaca industry north of the old Davao town, and his share in the development of small riverbank settlements that would eventually become thriving barangays and population centers.

8

EDGEDAVAO EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Taking on the driver’s seat

Liza Ganabol, 43, drives her late husband’s tricycle around the small town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro to support her family.

Buses, jeepneys, and tricycles often dominate the streets of the Philippines. In fact, jeepneys, being the primary mode of transportation of the masses, are called hari ng kalsada or king of the road. This is due to the engine’s propensity to rev up and make a statement, and in part, because men steer the wheel.

May it be buses, jeepneys, or tricycles, motorists are often men, while women are usually delegated to the passenger’s seat. However, one woman in the small town of Pola in Oriental Mindoro took the driver’s seat of her own life, becoming the only female tricycle driver in their barangay.

A Woman’s Weakness Behind Liza Ganabol’s strength is a story of vulnerability. With her husband diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, Liza had to look for ways to sustain her husband’s needs. For years, Liza had to take over her husband’s tricycle to bring him to and from the hospital for his

weekly insulin medication. She balanced her time between her service to her husband, her support in the education of her children, and her work in the rice fields.

Alas, after two decades of fighting the condition, her husband died in September 2021. From then on, Liza committed to taking the driver’s seat for her and her two children.

A Woman’s Strength From the day Liza assumed the responsibility of being the head of the household, driving her tricycle around Pola, she had exuded courage unlike any other. But even the best warriors get weary in their battles. Fortunately, CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) became the gasoline that kept them running when her husband died.

Being a client of CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank under CARD MRI, Liza is automatically enrolled as a member of CARD Mutual Benefit Association (CARD MBA), one of CARD MRI’s microinsurance arm. When her husband died, Liza received approximately PhP70,000 from the Association,

which helped her and her family start over. With the benefit she claimed, Liza was also able to settle her children’s tuition fees as well as the debt that accumulated during her husband’s medication.

With her bravery in facing death, her strength in raising her children, and CARD MRI, her partner in spurring her life towards recovery, Liza continues to steer the course of her family’s life through the tricycle that now dominates the roads of a small neighborhood in Pola.

CARD MRI is a group of mutually reinforcing institutions working together to bring out relevant and affordable services for the Filipino poor.

With the microfinance institutions (MFIs) under CARD MRI, CARD Bank being one of them, clients are provided with assistance in the form of loans, savings, remittance, and other products and services that aim to support their financial needs. On the other hand, CARD MBA secures the future of the MFIs’ clients by providing financial and non-financial assistance in the form of insurance and other services.

Cagayan farmers celebrate increased yellow corn yield through harvest festival Farmer beneficiaries from the Municipality of Baggao, together with officials from the Municipality of Baggao, Cagayan provincial government, Department of Agriculture (DA), and stakeholder partners, celebrate the success of the Yellow Corn Project through a harvest festival on 28, April 2022 in Baggao, Cagayan, organized by Cargill Philippines and Save the Children Philippines.

Launched in October 2021, the Yellow Corn project is a 6-month inclusive business pilot project by Cargill Philippines and Save the Children Philippines that provides training on good agricultural

practices,farming inputs, post-harvest support, and integration of farmers directly into the animal feed value chain.

Since then, 430 farmer families have benefitted from the project and showcased a higher-level of agricultural process and improved livelihood together with their school children.

Francis Samilin, a farmer beneficiary partner, shared that the trainings they received through the Yellow Corn project improved their knowledge and skills in corn farming.

“The quality of the produced corn is good. The volume of our harvest in-

creased and our incomeincreased. If this continues, this will help us improve our status in life and the welfare of our children, especially the younger ones, for their education,” said Samilin.

Highlights of the event included the unveiling of a visibility marker of the flatbed dryer that was repairedthrough the project and the official announcement of Sto. Domingo Multi-Purpose Cooperative as an accredited supplier of yellow corn to Cargill.

Since March 30, Sto. Domingo Multi-Purpose Cooperativedelivered almost 314,000 kilos of corn to Cargill.

Monico Castro, Chief of Field Operations Division of DA Region Field Unit 2, expressed gratitude to Cargill for helping the corn industry in the Cagayan Valley – dubbed as the Corn Capital of the Philippines– and transforming Philippine agriculture.

“We are very thankful to Cargill for this initiative, because given that resources are scarce, we needconvergence.

We need collaboration so we can implement programs in accordance with the One DA Framework: Consolidation, Modernization, Industrialization, and Professionalization,” said Castro.

The Yellow Corn Project is aligned to the One

DA Framework and the National Corn Program.

Thisinclusive business project with small-holder corn farmers is the official contribution of Cargill to the TaskForce Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG), a multi-sectoral movement led by the private sector established tohelp eradicate hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines by 2030.

Cargill Philippines and Save theChildren Philippines are active members of the PKG Workstream 1 – Availability and Accessibility.

This project has been recognized both by the DA and PKG for its contributions in improving the productivity and lives of

small-holder farmers.Cargill Philippines hopes to replicate this program on a wider scale with more corn cooperatives in theCagayan Valley region and even beyond.

“Empowering local farmers is key to building resilience in farming communities, as well as addressing food security challenges.

Building upon the success of the Yellow Corn Project, Cargill hopes to find morevalue-creating opportunities for small holder farmers as we nourish the world safely and sustainably,” said Sonny Catacutan, President of Cargill Philippines and Managing Director of Cargill Animal Nutrition and Health Philippines.

9 TRAVEL EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

Dahican Beach: The view of a 7-kilometer stretch of crescent-shaped coastline makes you feel like you’re vacationing in Miami, Florida.

LOOKING WHERE TO SPEND YOUR SUMMER? MAKE IT MATI Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“A

s I traversed the road, I could really feel the beauty of the place,” said Atty. Lorenzo R. Tañada III. The human rights and labor rights advocate was talking about Mati, the lone city of Davao Oriental.

It was his first time to visit Mati, where he was invited as the guest speaker for a tourism business and investment forum. During his speech, he said he was impressed by how the city preserved its scenic spots.

“This is a tourism haven,” he

said.

In the past, Mati City was considered Davao Region’s “best kept secret.” Now that the word is already out, it has positioned itself as the alternate tourism destination of Davao City, according to Dashiel E. Indelible, Jr., the

city tourism officer.

Even during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Mati opens its gate to people who want to visit the place. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we totally closed our city,” the boyish-looking Indelible said. “But in June 2020, we gambled by opening our doors to visitors.”

Part of the reason was because people need income to make both ends meet. He called it: “Saving Lives, Saving Livelihood.”

Pujada Beach: This 156-hectare private property is located at the entrance of Pujada Bay.

Buso Hot Springs Nature Park: The mineral water that sprouts from the spring can provide an invigorating and relaxing sensation.

Despite the fact that it was still “business as usual,” he said they have to follow all the necessary health protocols to keep concerned people from being infected with the dreaded coronavirus.

The gamble paid off.

Since most tourist destinations in the region (particularly Samal and Davao) were closed, people came to flock to Mati City to take the much-needed rest and be far away from the crowd.

The gamble paid off.

From 264,706 local visitors in 2019, it went down to 203,244 in 2020 but increased to 369,2008 in 2021. In the first quarter of 2022, there are already 91,859 local visitors.

Tourist arrival from other countries was also affected by the pandemic.

From 7,694 foreign visitors in 2019, only 742 came in 2020 and 217 in 2021. From January to March, 129 foreign visitors have come to the city.

Mati faces the Pacific Ocean and it has a coastline of 150 kilometers. It has three bays: Pujada, Balite, and Mayo. All three bays have been accepted by the board of directors of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World.

Pujada Bay, which covered 21,200 hectares, was declared a marine protected area in 1994 by then President Fidel Ramos. “Pujada Bay is almost a virgin paradise,” said Bruno Bodard, the club’s founder and manager. “It is much more beautiful than we expected. You

FLOOKING, P10

10 EDGEDAVAO DAVAO’S ... FROM2

proper programs of the LGUs. We won third place in both traditional and digital poster categories,” he said.

However, the city’s short video entry failed to win. Aportadera said the video created

by Davao’s drug reformists may have just been “too real” for people to accept, considering that he allowed them to create and express themselves through the posters and the short video. He only oriented them on the guidelines and mechanics.

He brought some drug reformists with him to the awarding program, and they were so happy to be given the opportunity to be recognized by the UNODC. The CADAC chair, who also heads the Sports Development Division of the City Mayor’s Office (SDD-CMO), said: “Daghan kaayong salamat sa inyong cooperation kay ang kadaugan sa atoang LGU tungod sa inyoha, dili lang sa amoa, ug kadaugan pud ni sa atong mga ginatabangan na kaigsoonan

na duna’y problema sa droga (Thank you for your cooperation, the victory of our LGU is because of you, it’s not just us, and also this is a victory for those we have been helping with their drug problem).

Congratulations to the City of Davao, we encourage other people to be inspired to help people to change. Some people need our help. Give them hope and they will become better citizens.”

Joining the competition provided excitement to the city’s drug reformists as it boosted their pride and confidence as they see their works shown as a part of the UNODC’s campaign against drugs and crimes.

“To be given this opportunity means a lot to us because we all know Davao City is very stern with the advocacy against drugs. This is a big pride for Dabawenyos that we made it into this competition. For our efforts in the community to be recognized really makes me happy,” Aportadera added.

which is not correct.

Sa lahat ng tinanggal na [minimum public health standards] ito lang face mask ang iniwan because it is very clear based on the presentation of [CHO Acting Head] Doctor Ashley Lopez that COVID-19 is still here (That is why we are implementing this Face Mask Ordinance because people

tend to relax and say that they can already remove their face mask which is not correct.

Of all the [minimum public health standards] only the wearing of face masks has not been lifted because it is very clear based on the presentation of [CHO Acting Head] Dr. Ashley Lopez that COVID-19 is still here],” Lupaz said. CIO

confirmed Danao’s appointment saying Malacanang is confident that he will continue efforts to transform the PNP into a more dynamic and more professional organization performing its mandate of serving and protecting the people.

Meanwhile, Año, in a statement said as OIC of the PNP, Danao’s first order of the day is to ensure that all security preparations are in place and

all police units are mobilized and on alert so that the country will have a peaceful, orderly, and honest elections on May 9, 2022.

Año was reportedly counting on Danao to pursue and further intensify the PNP’s campaign against criminality and lawlessness, communist terrorism, and illegal drugs among other forms of criminality. By Maya M. Padillo

has also placed five other municipalities – Tupi, Tampakan, Polomolok, Lake Sebu, and Tboli – under the orange category or “areas of immediate concern.”

“These are mainly slight threats. Our public safety forces are already deployed to secure these areas,” he said in a media forum.

He said this city and the municipalities of Tantangan, Surallah, Norala, and Sto. Nino are under the green category or areas with no security concern while none were placed under the yellow category.

Comelec identified those under the yellow category as areas with a history of election-related violence or exis-

tence of political rivalry, orange as areas with serious armed threats by terrorist groups or other armed groups, and red as areas with a political climate warranting the declaration of Comelec control.

Since the start of the election period last Jan. 9, Bagaman said they have not recorded any case of election-related incidents or violence within the province.

He said the killing of Barangay Veterans, Surallah councilor and former barangay chairman Eugene Lastrella in Barangay Sinolon, Tboli town last April 27 was considered isolated and not related to the upcoming elections.

the offer, with Abacus Capital and Investment Corporation as participating underwriters.

VistaREIT’s portfolio currently includes 10 community malls and two office buildings with a gross leasable area of 256,403.95 square meters.

The company’s malls are located in Metro Manila, Cavite, Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Cebu, while its office buildings are in Taguig and Bacoor, Cavite.

The company tapped VProperty Management, Inc. and VFund Management, Inc. as property manager and fund manager, respectively.

Raslag Raslag will offer to the public up to 350 million common shares priced at up to PHP2 per share, with an over allotment option of up to 52.5 million com-

mon shares to be offered by selling shareholder J Ten Equities, Inc. The shares will be listed and traded on the Main Board of the PSE. The company expects to net PHP648.08 million from the offer, while the selling shareholder will receive the proceeds from the exercise of the over allotment option, which could reach up to PHP105 million.

Proceeds from the offer will be used to finance the company’s solar projects, namely RASLAG-4, a 35.1-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic plant in Magalang, Pampanga, and RASLAG-5, with a capacity of about 60MW. The offer period for Raslag’s shares is set to run from May 24 to 30, in time for their listing on June 6, based on the latest timeline submitted to the SEC.

INDIVIDUALS... FROM2

PRRD... FROM3

6 SOCOT... FROM3

SEC... FROM5

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

LOOKING... FROM9

have a jewel in Pujada Bay.” During our recent visit, we stayed at Bahia Resort, which is located at Pujada Bay. The following day, we had the pleasure of going to Pujada Island, a 156-hectare located at the entrance of Pujada Bay. It is about 45 minutes by boat from where we were staying.

I had been to the island before but this time, I finally took a dip in its crystal-clear waters with varying hues of blue. I was having fun walking on its fine white sand, which reminds you of those in Boracay.

There are two other islands which you can visit. For one, there’s Waniban Island, a 15-minute ride from either barangay Bobon or Tamisan.

Comprising about three hectares, the island is ideal for picnic, swimming and sunbathing.

Oak Island is “now you see, now you don’t” as it is vanishing from the eyes during the high tide. Located in barangay Lawigan, it can be reached by a one-hour motor ride from barangays Bobon or Tamisan.

Mati is noted for its beaches.

Let’s highlight Dahican Beach first, about a 15-minute ride from the heart of the city. It is known as Mindanao’s mini-Hawaii as it is a prime location for surfers and skimboarders. The strong wind is ideal for wind and board surfing.

If you’re lucky, you get to meet Sonny Boy “Bayogyog” Aborpo, who has won several skimboarding competitions in various parts of the world.

He was once a member of the homegrown group of surfers called Amihan, which refers to the easterly winds of the Pacific Ocean.

It is also in Dahican where you can proceed to Menzi Visitors Information Center. It has a campsite along the shoreline and is a joint project of the city

government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

There are several resorts located in Dahican but if you want to go inside and don’t have the budget to pay for entrance fee, you can go directly to the access road. There’s no entrance fee; just follow the road which will bring you to the Dahican Beach.

The Mayo Beach, ideal for picnic and small gathering, can be reached by 30-minutes travel from the poblacion.

The place reminds you of the Brooke Shields movie because it has a deep blue lagoon and cold spring water. The wind coming from the ocean could soothe your tired mind and body.

The Lawigan Beach has fine white sand beach and is near a marine protected area, which is perfect for diving and swimming. It is about 45 minutes from the heart of the city by vehicle.

If you’re tired of swimming and island hopping, you can always go to the Guang Guang Mangrove Park. It is composed of three coastal ecosystems: mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs. Spanning 21,000 hectares, it serves as a sanctuary for various marine species, including the endangered pawikan. The park and its nursery are a joint project of the Guang Guang community and DENR. Aside from pawikan, Mati is also home to a wide variety of other marine mammals like dolphins and dugongs. If you are interested to see them up close, you may opt to do the Dahican cruises. Most of them are already endangered but you can watch them live at Mati waters.

On land, there are several places you can visit. You can scale Mount Hamiguitan,

ernment down”.

Mayor Sara assured that Marcos would never make deals with the country’s enemies.

Meanwhile, HNP-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) is

also scheduled to conduct its “Miting de Avance” at the San Pedro Square in Davao City to be led by Mayoralty candidate Sebastian “Baste” Duterte. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to join the “Miting de Avance”.

“Together, these translated to significant employment creation of 1.5 million between February and March. This brings the net employment to 4.4 million above the pre-pandemic level,” according to the NEDA. Employed, underemployed As the number of jobless people declined, the number of employed persons increased to 46.98 million in March from 45.48 million in February.

This translates to an employment rate of 94.2%, the highest since the peak of the pandemic in April 2020, from 93.6% in February.

However, the underemployment rate increased from 14% to 15.8% as more employed workers expressed desire to have additional work.

Underemployment rate refers to the percentage of persons in the labor force with jobs or livelihoods but expressed desire to have additional hours of work or to have an additional job.

Face-to-face classes Chua said the country has made significant progress in its recovery as 81% of the economy has already shifted to Alert Level 1 as of May 1, 2022.

However, the NEDA chief emphasized that the country cannot fully recover without fully resuming face-to-face classes.

“We have already seen a significant recovery in badly hit sectors such as tourism and leisure. We need to take advantage of our progress in vaccination and mobility to fully reopen all sectors, especially face-to-face schooling.

This will help secure better opportunities for future generations,” noted Chua.

The NEDA chief earlier said that opening all 60,743 schools for in-person learning will increase economic activity

by P12 billion per week.

This is on top of the estimated P16.5 billion to be added to the country’s gross domestic product each week the entire Philippines is under Alert Level 1.

the release of the SIPP, PEZA officials urged the current administration to let the next leadership to handle these issues.

“Let’s not rock the boat further,” Plaza said, adding that PEZA wants to further contribute to the country’s develop-

ment and job creation through attracting more investments within the last months of the Duterte administration.

“We will have a new administration. So we hope that the new administration will address this immediately,” she added. (PNA)

BBM-SARA... FROM3 NUMBER... FROM4

PEZA... FROM4

where you can marvel at the 2,500-hectare pygmy (bonsai) forest. In barangays Cabuaya and Luban is the 7,000-hectare tropical forest, which is considered home to the endangered Philippine Eagle.

Amidst the forest of barangay Buso is a hot spring whose mineral water can provide invigorating and relaxing sensation. Just recently, the government developed the Buso Hot Spring Nature Park, where people can take a bath and enjoy the serenity of the place.

Ivy Jean Gallego, a tourism staff, said that visitors can also do horseback riding, river trekking and see actual performances of members of the indigenous communities as they showcase their culture and traits.

If buildings and landmarks are your thing, Mati has something for you, too. First, visit its Subangan Museum, which showcases the rich heritage and diversity of everything the province has to offer. When you enter the museum, you will be welcomed by Davor, a complete skeleton of a sperm whale weighing 20 metric tons at 53foot long.

Another landmark you should not miss is the Pylon Monument. Built more than 50 years ago, it serves as a gateway of Mati’s commemoration. It was erected in memory of the late Mayor Luis G. Rabat.

Not far from the monument is the Centennial Park.

Described as a “magnificent edifice with clock tower,” it has a pathway of leaders and symbolizes the 100th year of Mati’s existence. The idea was conceptualized by the late mayor Francisco G. Rabat (FGR).

Speaking of FGR, a park and baywalk was built in honor of him. Almost always, visitors have their pictures taken on the wall with the signage “I

love Mati.” To those who live in the city, it’s a place where they can converge to seek relaxation with families and friends or simply enjoy the cool breeze of the morning sun overlooking the Pujada Bay. Before the day is over, they can have the stunning postcard view of the sun as it sets behind the mountain.

Mati City is also the home of the provincial capitol. It is considered as one of Mindanao’s most beautiful capitol buildings and is called White House due its color. Started during the time of Ma. Elena Palma Gil, it was completed by the time Corazon Malanyaon became the governor.

When you enter Mati, you pass first barangay Badas, where a zigzag road along the top of a cliff offers a captivating vista of Pujada Bay. Badas Highway is lined with trees and its every bend lets you take a peek at the serene blue ocean below.

From this viewpoint, you get to see the so-called “sleeping dinosaur,” a natural attraction approximately 579 hectares.

Mati City, the capital of Davao Oriental, takes its name from the Mandayan word maati, referring to a local creek that quickly dries up even after heavy rain. Now, the center of commerce, education, and government, it became a municipality in 1903.

Mati became a component city on June 19, 2007 by virtue of Republic Act No. 9408, Mati became a component city on June 19, 2008. It has a total land area of 791.09 square kilometers, with more than half of it covered with forests.

The only thing about Mati is that there are no taxis in the city. The major means of transportation are pedicabs, tricycles, and underbone motorcycles. Don’t worry about finding a place to stay, though. There are plenty in the city

everything is unpredictable,” Franquelli said on Thursday.

“I’m just hoping we execute our game plan against anybody.”

After Thailand, the Philippines faces Vietnam on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Singapore on Sunday at 4 p.m. On May 9, the Philippines will again meet Thailand also at 4 p.m., then Vietnam the following day at 5 p.m. and Singapore on the last day at 4 p.m.

The 10-member team is composed of Jamael Pangandaman, Josef Maximillan Valdez, Mark Vincent Dubouzet, Andrew Michael Harris, Rey Joshua Tabuzo, Manuel Lasangue Jr., Dhane Miguelle Varela, Van Jacob Baccay, John Michael Pasco and Daryoush Zandi.

They are also coached by Aurora Adriano, Luzviminda Pacubas and Tomas Luis Telan.

The beach handball final is set for May 11.

The Azkals under-23 team

of head coach Norman Fegidero are up for a stiff challenge from defending champion Vietnam on Sunday at 8 p.m., followed by Myanmar on Tuesday at 4 p.m. They play Indonesia on May 13 at 4 p.m. to conclude the group stage.

Football competitions in the SEA Games are restricted to under-23 but each country could field two athletes from its senior’s squad.

Stephan Schrock, 35, and Joven Bedic Hervas, 31, lead the team composed of Enrique Fernandez, Enrico Alañanon, Scott Philip Galang, Francis Palogan, Jaime Domingo, Christian Mangaron, Sandro Miguel Sison, Geri Veliganio, Jacob Reyes, Matt Ocampo, Miguel Antonio Pangcog, Quincy Boltron, Jayvee Solon, Yrick Rapisura, Jermi Navarro, Dennis Salazar, Oliver Saludares, and Oskari Kekkonen.

The Philippines is hoping to reach the semifinals for the first time since 1991. (PR)

in the month, up from 4.1% in March and 4.5% the same month in 2021.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) earlier predicted that inflation, or the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services, is expected to settle within the range of 4.2 to 5.0% in April.

“The inflation outturn is consistent with the BSP’s assessment that inflation will remain elevated over the near term due to the continued volatility in global oil and non-oil prices, reflecting largely the continued impact of the continued impact of the conflict in Ukraine on global commodities market,” BSP Governor Benjamin Dio-

kno said in a separate message to reporters.

The BSP expects inflation to average 4.3% this year, reflecting the impact of higher global commodity prices. This is then expected to decelerate to the target band within the first quarter of 2023.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said the Duterte administration’s economic team is “closely monitoring” inflation.

“We shall work double time to address the socioeconomic concerns of our people while taming high prices of goods and commodities,” he said.

PH... FROM11

INFLATION... FROM5

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

11

Stephan Schrock (17) leads the U-23 Azkals in the SEA Games.

PH opens SEAG bid in beach handball, football

T

he opening ceremony for the 31st Southeast Asian Games is due on Thursday but two Philippine teams -- football and beach handball -- plunge into competition in separate venues on Friday.

The men’s beach handball squad faces Thailand at 4 p.m. on Friday at the Tuan Chau Resort Ha Long in Quang Ninh, while the foot-

ball team battles Timor Leste in Group A action set for 4 p.m. at the 20,000-seating Viet Tri Stadium in Phu Tho -- Vietnam is one hour be-

hind Philippine standard time.

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino wished the beach handball and men’s football athletes good luck as they start the country’s bid to defend its overall title in the SEA Games that were originally scheduled last November but were postponed because of the

drove for a basket.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr later attacked Brooks’ foul as “dirty” and the NBA followed on Thursday by issuing a one-game suspension to Brooks for “unnecessary and excessive contact” with Payton.

Brooks will serve his suspension on Saturday when the Warriors host Memphis in game three on Saturday. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.

Golden State issued a statement on Thursday detailing the extent of Payton’s injuries following an MRI scan.

“The MRI confirmed that Payton suffered a fracture in his left elbow, in addition to

ligament and muscle damage,” the team said.

“He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.”

The Warriors also updated the injury status of Andre Iguodala, who has missed the last three playoff games with a neck injury.

Golden State said Iguodala was “making good progress in his recovery and will be re-evaluated again in one week.”

The NBA also issued a $25,000 fine to Golden State’s Draymond Green for his obscene one-finger gesture to the crowd as he walked from the court to the locker room for medical treatment after Tuesday’s first quarter.

Payton suffered multiple injuries in Grizzlies clash

S

AN FRANCISO, United States - Gary Payton II will be sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a fractured left elbow as well as ligament and muscle damage during a controversial incident during Golden State’s NBA playoff loss to Memphis, the Warriors confirmed on Thursday.

Warriors ace Payton was knocked out of Tuesday’s bruising game two in the opening three minutes after being flattened by the Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks.

Brooks was ejected from the game -- eventually won 106-101 by Memphis -- after crashing into Payton in mid-air as he

pandemic.

“To our ‘Fighting Team Philippines,’ I wish you good luck,” said Tolentino, who’ll fly to Hanoi on Wednesday, a day before the opening ceremony at the 40,000seat My Dinh Stadium, the same venue where Vietnam opened its initial hosting of the biennial games in 2003.

Tolentino, however, reminded the 641-strong Team Philippines to stay

safe from Covid-19. Three athletes tested positive and according to Tolentino, two of them were cleared after a second test while the third has yet to yield a negative result. Their identities and sports were not disclosed.

Formalities for the kickboxing events will also start with the medical examinations, weigh-in and technical meetings on Friday with the competitions set for

Sunday at the Bac Ninh stadium, some 100 kilometers away from the main hub Hanoi.

Philippine Handball Federation coach and training director Joanna Franquelli said the target is to improve on the bronze medal finish at the 2019 SEA Games in Subic.

“We have a chance for another podium finish but

FPH, P10

Gary Payton II will be sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering a fractured left elbow as well as ligament and muscle damage.

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 20 • SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2022

PSC Commissioner and 31st Southeast Asian Games Chef de Mission Ramon Fernandez gave the Philippine Men’s Beach Handball team a pep talk as PSC distributed their allowances Wednesday as they start their on-venue training here in Hanoi.

FOR THE FLAG

CDM Fernandez inspires athletes to win medals

H

ANOI—Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Ramon Fernandez boosted the confidence of Filipino athletes from beach handball, and kickboxing in their quest to capture medals in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here.

Fernandez, the Team Philippines chef de mission to the Games, visited the billeting areas of these sports and inspired the Filipino athletes with an inspirational talk for them to compete at the highest level and make the country proud.

“Our athletes have prepared well for the SEA Games, and I trust that all of them will put in their best effort to deliver those medals,’’ said Fernandez.

The PSC staff likewise distributed the allowances of the teams and assured that the government sports agency will provide the assistance the athletes and coaches need.

The men’s football team has also arrived in Hanoi. Teams from women’s football, kurash/ judo, rowing, and diving are set

to arrive on Friday, six days before the opening ceremony of the Hanoi, Vietnam Games on May 12.

The PSC has been funding the entire participation of the 879-strong Philippine delegation, including 641 athletes and 238 officials gearing up to corner a large chunk of the gold medals at stake in 39 of the 40 sports in the SEA Games program.

Team Philippines is the defending overall champion of the 11-nation sportsfest during the country’s hosting in 2019. Back then, Filipino athletes collected 149 gold medals, 117 silvers, and 121 bronzes to secure the nation’s second overall title after winning it in 2005 Manila.