Edge Davao Volume 15 Issue 28 | Tuesday, May 17, 2022

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

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Davao City remains under Alert Level 1, rest of Davao Region under Alert Level 2 STORY ON PAGE 2

A boy ties used cardboard boxes he collected from the establishments in Bangoy Street in Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte salutes past the color guard while onboard the command car in the trooping-the-line ceremony during the Philippine Military Academy commencement exercises at the Fajardo Grandstand, Borromeo Field in Fort Gen. Gregorio H. del Pilar, Baguio City on May 15, 2022. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

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Tandag Bishop condemns ‘vote-buying, vote-selling’

Davao City remains under Alert Level 1, rest of Davao Region under Alert Level 2

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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Also placed under Alert Level 1 during the same period are the following provinces, highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and independent component cities (ICCs). For Luzon: Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and

Baguio City; Region I: Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City; Region II: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and City of Santiago; Region III: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and

Olongapo City; Region IV-A: Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City; Region IV-B: Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City; and Region V: Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City. For the Visayas: Region VI: Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City; Region VII: Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City; and Region VIII: Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City,

rifle grenade exploded inside the residential compound of a village official in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao Sunday evening but no one was hurt, police said.

Lt. Col. Sabri Lakibul, the municipal police chief, said Monday no one claimed responsibility for

the explosion in the residential yard of Guiaber Dalindingan, chairman of Barangay Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat town.

However, Dalindingan believed it was related to last week’s national and local elections. He did not elaborate.

A rifle grenade is an

explosive that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than that of a grenade thrown by hand.

The grenade blast in Sultan Kudarat town came a day after grenades were also tossed in the residential compound of the mayor-elect in the Lanao del Sur

avao City will stay under Alert Level 1 status from May 16 to 31, 2022 according to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

and Tacloban City. For Mindanao: Region 9: Zamboanga City; Region 10: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro City, and Iligan City; and CARAGA: Surigao del Sur and Butuan City.

Meanwhile, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental were all placed under Alert Level 2 during the same period.

town of Pualas.

Col. Christopher Panapan, Lanao del Sur police director, said no one was hurt in the Saturday night grenade attack but caused fear among the residents.

Panapan said the blast occurred in Barangay Danugan where the residence

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Blasts rock officials’ homes in Maguindanao, Lanao Sur A

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andag Bishop Raul Dael has condemned what he described as the “massive vote-buying and vote-selling” in the province of Surigao del Sur during the May 9 elections, the amounts reaching as high as 12,000 pesos per voter in Tandag City.

“Daghang salapi ang atong gipahimuslan tungod sa massive vote buying and vote selling. Ang atong Probinsiya, taliwala sa atong kalisod mao siguro ang pinakadako nga kantidad sa pálit sa mga botante sa tibook nasud. Angay ba nato kining ipasigarbo?”

(So much money was used on massive vote-buying and vote-selling. Amid hardship, our province probably spent the largest amount nationwide for vote-buying. Should we be proud of this?), Dael said in his pastoral letter-homily on Sunday morning, a copy of which was posted in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tandag’s Facebook page.

Photos that circulated via social media group chats showed different money denominations separately stapled for each candidate in Tandag City contained in just one envelope, for a total amount of P11,690 per voter.

After the elections, he said, many are happy the candidates they supported won. But it cannot be denied that many were happy because of the huge amounts of money they received in exchange for their sacred vote, the Bishop said, adding that in the past few days, anywhere one goes, stores and restaurants are

teeming with people with money to spend.

“Should we be proud of this?” the Bishop asked.

The Bishop had earlier warned the faithful in a homily before the May 9 polls not to vote for politicians who will buy votes and instead vote those who are sincere to serve the people by not enriching themselves while in power.

“This coming election is a measure in our abstinence from vote-buying and voteselling because this is the only way to change our country,” Dael stressed in his homily.

Political observers note that the offer of cash to voters especially in Tandag City on the eve of election was the result of intense political rivalry between the camps of Rep. Prospero Pichay (Lakas) of the 1st congressional district and reelectionist Governor Alexander Pimentel (PDP).

The two were allies in 2019 under PDP. Pichay fielded his wife Carla, the mayor of Cantilan, to run for governor, a move that irked Pimentel, resulting in personal mudslinging between rival camps in their campaign rallies.

According to partial and still unofficial results, Pimentel has been reelected as Governor with 195,605 votes against Carla Pichay’s 159,746 or a 30,000 lead and Romeo Momo (Ind) won by at least eight thousand votes against reelectionist Rep. Pichay with 106,907 votes against Pichay’s 97,783.

At the national level,

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NEWS

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Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) head physician Dr. Jordana Remiterre reports that from 1993 to January 2022 a total of 3,810 confirmed cases of AIDS was recorded in Davao City and a total of 5,256 cases of the same period in Davao Region. Edge Davao

3,810 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases recorded in Davao City New green space opens in Tagum

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he newly-facelifted Tagumpay Park formerly known as Rotary Park opened officially last May 6 after its blessing and inauguration which also adds to the roster of new attractions in the city under the Rellon-Estabillo administration that champions environmental preservation.

The 18.5 million peso Tagumpay Park project is part of the Green Green Green Program of the Department of Budget and Management Office which aims to transform concrete jungles into environment-friendly tourist attractions. Prior to the selection of the area for the project, the City Government of Tagum conducted a study on which places needed rehabilitation. Tagumpay Park was then chosen to be part of the program.

The park features a gazebo which is accessible for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, children’s playground, bicycle lane, and bike parking area. In addition, a masterpiece of Kublai Millan was donated to the park known as the

giant carabao sculpture made of scrap metals from hospital beds and other recyclable metal parts which symbolizes the hard work of our frontliners during the pandemic.

“Gi una nato ang parke tungod kay kung muadto ka sa mga known cities … naa gyud silay ginatawag na Park at the Heart of the City.

Kailangan man gud ni sa mga tao gud kay kung puro building ug kalsada na lang ug sakyanan, polluted na kaayo ang lugar. We wanted na mahimong liveable syudad ang Tagum. At least naa silay masuruyan … Dili ni gikan sa atong panudlanan, inisyatibo ni, grant ni siya …

Ang epekto niini … managko na ang mga kahoy, green na kaayo ang mga carabao grass … bugnaw na kaayo ang lugara dinhi.”, explains, Mayor Allan L. Rellon. (“We [rehabilitated] the park first because just like when you go to known cities … they have a Park at the Heart of the City. People need this because if almost everything around us are buildings, concrete roads,

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

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total of 3,810 confirmed cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) were recorded in Davao City from 1993 to January 2022.

Reproductive Health and Wellness Center (RHWC) made this report indicating that there are some who have passed away while some are undergoing treatment.

“Ito ay total cases na confirmed meaning to say some of these may have died some of them are actu-

ally undergoing treatment.

Lahat lahat na ito. Ang atensyon man natin ay na-focus sa Covid but our services never stop. Patuloy pa rin ang ating clinic at facilities and testing,” RHWC head physician Dr. Jordana Remiterre said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.

Men having sex with men (MSM) are still on top of the list of the modes of transmission, however, Remiterre said there are also men having sex both with males and females and heterosexuals.

“Mataas pa rin yung sa MSM, but we also have yung men having sex both with males and females, pero meron ding heterosexual, may female to female.

Hindi lang purely MSM, but they maybe the drivers of the epidemic medyo mas marami yung sa kanila pero

nagsisimula rin na meron mga heterosexual,” she said.

Remiterre also said that there are only three modes of transmission: blood transmission, mother-tochild transmission, and unprotected penetrated sex and of the three, sex is still the highest cause of transmission.

Remiterre attributed the increase in detection of cases to the opening of community-based testing centers and more people

10th ID, said the battalion was already deactivated and its members have returned to their respective units.

The Election Duty Battalion was composed of 500 personnel from the different units of the 10th ID Division.

Tito also reported that

the recent election was generally peaceful and orderly.

“Wala ta’y recorded na any election-related violence or incidents nga nahitabo during election day and the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) were prevented also from doing any atrocities. Hapsay ug malinawon gyud ang nahitabo

na election,” he said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).

Major General Nolasco Mempin, 10th ID commander, thanked the different security forces, especially the PNP counterparts Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11), and other se-

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Military terminates Election Duty Battalion

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he 10th Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has terminated the Election Duty Battalion, a special unit that focuses on securing the May 9 national and local elections and the canvassing.

Captain Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

A porter unloads commercial rice for a rice wholesaler establishment at Bankerohan Public Market. Farmers said it’s impossible for rice prices to go down to P20 per kilo, adding that government subsidy is needed to lower rice prices. The subject of lower rice prices became an election topic after President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he plans to bring down the price of rice to P20 to P30 per kilo. Edge Davao

Duterte mandates registration of franchise deals involving MSMEs F inancial institutions (FIs) regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) are now required to have an automated and real-time fraud monitoring and detection system to address the growing incidents of cyber frauds.

President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) directing the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to create a Franchise Registry for the protection of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

EO 169, signed by Duterte on May 12, recognizes that the franchising

industry plays a crucial role in sustaining the country’s economy by creating job opportunities, boosting consumption, and promoting tourism.

“There is a need to intensify government efforts to strengthen the franchising industry to help businesses, especially MSMEs, by developing a transpar-

ent and business-friendly environment, and promoting fair and equitable practices,” the EO read.

EO 169 prescribes the minimum terms and conditions of franchise agreements.

Non-MSME franchisees and franchisors may consider the minimum terms and conditions provided as best practice and incorporate the same in their respective franchise agreements.

Under the EO, franchisors must be responsible for registering their franchise agreements with the DTI, provided that fran-

chisors that are members of duly registered franchise associations must register with the DTI their standard franchise agreement and execute an undertaking that all future franchise agreements with MSME franchisees must incorporate the minimum terms and conditions prescribed under the order.

“Franchisors that are not members of duly registered franchise associations must register all franchise agreements entered into with MSME franchisees within 30 days from execution,” the EO read.

Palace adviser bats for wage-hike exemption for micro enterprises

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palace adviser on Sunday said micro-enterprises should be exempt from the hike in the minimum wage.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion issued the statement following the decision of the wage boards of Metro Manila and Western Visayas to approve an increase in the minimum wage for workers in various

sectors in the regions.

Micro-enterprises should are already struggling from the effects of pandemic lockdowns and the high cost of commodities brought about by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Concepcion said.

“They have very little working capital and whatever they earn for the day, they re-invest in the business just to keep going,” he

wages would hit competitiveness given what it said was already the highest wages among Southeast Asian countries.

“To increase wages now might put the Philippines in a less competitive edge to attract investments into the country,” CCPI President Jose Luis Yulo said in a statement released Sunday.

“We should wait for the incoming administra-

tion to settle down first and let them make the decision. Employers however can include free or a subsidized meal, clothing, shuttle transport to help alleviate the up and down movement of prices of basic necessities,” he added.

Partial and unofficial results of Eleksyon 2022 indicate that Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is set to take over as Pres-

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Palace adviser bats for wage-hike Biz group wants next admin to take exemption for micro enterprises over before minimum wage hike

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palace adviser on Sunday said micro-enterprises should be exempt from the hike in the minimum wage.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion issued the statement following the decision of the wage boards of Metro Manila and Western Visayas to approve an increase in the minimum wage for

workers in various sectors in the regions.

Micro-enterprises should are already struggling from the effects of pandemic lockdowns and the high cost of commodities brought about by the Russia-Ukraine crisis, Concepcion said.

“They have very little working capital and whatever they earn for the day, they re-invest in the business just to keep going,” he

said.

The palace adviser added that many microenterprises are already in debt and their inputs have also gone up with commodity prices.

“We have to make this exemption for them because these are not ordinary times,” said Concepcion.

Some workers in Metro Manila meanwhile said

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t should be left to the incoming administration to decide on the minimum wage hike once it takes office, a business group said over the weekend following the decision of regional wage boards to approve upward adjustments in Metro Manila and the Western Visayas.

According to the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI), any increase in

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ECONOMY

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A pedestrian checks dozens of second hand shoes on display at the sidewalk along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City over the weekend. Edge Davao

DAR turns over utility vehicle to farmer’s group in SoCot Liberalized rice trading lowers staple food price for Filipinos

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he passage and implementation since 2019 of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) has slashed prices of the country’s staple food to the current average of PHP39 per kilogram (kg) or a reduction of about PHP7 per kilogram compared to its cost in 2018 when it peaked to a per-kilo retail cost of around PHP46.

Freed from local entrenched interests that took advantage of the protectionist policy on rice for decades, this staple food is now more affordable, especially for low-income Filipinos who spend about 16 percent of their total household budget on rice.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the RTL into law on Feb. 14, 2019 as Republic Act 11203.

The law, which later took effect on March 5, 2019, replaced rice import quantitative restrictions with tariffs.

“The Rice Tariffication Law was finally achieved after more than thirty years of failed attempts under previous administrations. The law opened up the Philippine rice market and, in turn, reduced the price of our

country’s staple food for more than 100 million Filipinos,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a statement Sunday.

As a result of this reform, which he first proposed three decades ago when he was Agriculture Secretary, rice is no longer a main contributor to inflation, Dominguez said.

“It took the strong political will of the President for rice tariffication to finally happen for the benefit of our consumers,” he added.

With rice made affordable through the RTL, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) estimates that three years from now, the proportion of malnourished children and population at risk of hunger in the country would be reduced by 2.8 percent and 15.4 percent, respectively.

These estimates are equivalent to around 2.1 million less people at risk of hunger and malnutrition, the NEDA said.

In 2018 before the RTL took effect, the retail price of regular-milled rice (RMR) spiked to PHP46.04 per kg. After RTL, the average price of this rice variety went

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Program Officer Lorna Garde said the vehicle was procured under the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty Program (EPAHPP), which was implemented by the department and other government agen-

cies to help mitigate hunger and ensure food and nutrition security.

“Under EPAHPP, BARCCO signed a marketing agreement with the National Nutrition Council XII last n support to the Tutok Kainan Dietary Supplementation Program on which the cooperative will deliver dry goods, vegetables, and other meat products to its assigned municipalities,” Garde said.

Tutok Kainan aims to prevent stunting by giv-

ing nutritious food commodities to nutritionally at-risk pregnant women and children 6-23 months old.

“Take good care of the unit and please ensure that this will serve its purpose of improving your livelihood,” Garde said.

BARCCO Chairman Sandro Simora expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the unending support from the DAR as he ensured to keep the sustainability and functionality of the vehicle.

into account while at the planning stage—because this is what we call shift left approach—considering all these pieces when you are designing, not later on that,” he said. “If you don’t do that, I think chances are that you will have a very rude shock.”

Lal added that with the pandemic accelerating the adoption of digital technology and the government’s vision to build smart cities across the country like the New Clark City in Central Luzon, investment in cybersecurity in the Philippines is projected to grow faster.

On top of the New Clark

City project —the country’s largest smart city project— the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) cited last year at least six smart city projects that the government is eyeing to pursue.

These are the Command Center Upgrade and E-government Services in the City of Manila; Bus Rapid Transit System and Digital Traffic System in Cebu City; and Converged Command and Control Center and Intelligent Transportation and Traffic Systems with Security in Davao City.

“If I can attack the op-

erational technology infrastructure of the smart city and just change the chemical composition of water being supplied. Imagine the impact it can do if I can basically go and tinker around with health data of the overall population. Imagine that sitting far away, I bring down the ATM networks or bring down the electricity grid. That is why cybersecurity considerations are real because of the external threat landscape,” Lal said.

He said that with the rise of smart cities in the region, the government

he Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) provincial office of South Cotabato recently turned over a Php300,000.00 worth of utility vehicle to Banga Agrarian Reform Community Cooperative (BARCCO).

The utility vehicle would be used by BARCCO, located in Barangay Malaya, for the delivery of their agricultural goods to the selected towns of South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

Chief Agrarian Reform

PH urged to meld cybersecurity in future smart city planning

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rban planners are urged to integrate cybersecurity investments in smart city blueprints to avoid attacks on the operational technology infrastructure of the country’s future smart cities, a cybersecurity firm said.

Cyfirma president for delivery and operations Saurabh Lal told the Philippine News Agency that it is critical to integrate cybersecurity investments during the planning stage for a smart city, and not after all digital technologies are already in place.

“If you don’t take them

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

In addressing the commencement exercises of ‘Bagong Sibol sa Kinabukasan Didigma Hanggang sa Wakas’ (BAGSIK DIWA) Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 2022 at the Fort General Gregorio H. del Pilar in Baguio City:

Today, the man in uniform must do many things at the same time, if he is to be relevant to these changing times. He must be both a warrior and a peacemaker, an arms bearer and a pencil pusher, skilled at the art of war and a depth of lifesaver, an offensive machine, an inferious defender, a tribune and a diplomat, a soldier and a civil servant.”

President Rodrigo Duterte

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF FORESTS? When he was still the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Michael Defensor admitted that “only 30% of reforestation projects succeeded.”

In a Subic meeting of local executives, he told them: “People hardly recognize the economic benefits from protecting the environment. Most sabotaged the program.”

The bluntness seemed to echo an earlier study done for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, entitled Sustainable Forest Management. It stated: “Most of the (Philippines’) once rich forests are gone. Forest recovery, through natural and artificial means, never coped with the destruction rate.”

Let’s go back in time. When Ferdinand Magellan “rediscovered” the Philippines in 1521, forests blanketed 95% of the country. When the Ormoc City, Leyte tragedy happened – which left 8,000 people dead – timber cover was only 18%.

“Where have all our forests gone?” asked Jethro P. Adang, the director of Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center. “A people without children would face a hopeless future; a country without trees is almost as helpless,” reminded

US President Theodore Roosevelt.

“Who had the privilege of cutting trees?” asked veteran journalist Marites Dañguilan-Vitug. In an article she wrote for World Paper, a Boston-based magazine, she penned: “The wealthy and well-connected. They lived in the big cities. Some even sold their rights to the forest concessions and lived off the green of the land. Moreover, money for logging supported candidates during election campaigns.”

In the past, forest resources helped fuel the country’s economy. In the 1970s, the Philippines was touted the prima donna among world timber exporters. Today, it is considered “a wood-pauper,” to quote the words of multi-awarded journalist Juan Mercado.

Even the forests in the lowlands – mangroves, that is – are not spared from denudation.

“Approximately two-thirds of the country’s original mangroves have been lost,” noted Population Reference Bureau’s Kathleen Mogerlgaard.

Aside from logging (whether legal or illegal), other causes of deforestation are forest fires, kaingin farming (slashand-burn agriculture), and

mining operations. Volcanic eruptions have also devastated some of the country’s tropical rainforests. Ditto for typhoons, which have devastated considerable hectares of forest areas.

Surging population has compounded the problem.

There were only 19 million Filipinos, according to the 1940 census. By 2020, the population will surge to 111.7 million, National Statistical Coordination Board projects.

“Poverty, lack of jobs and wages, and absence of farm lots in the lowlands have forced some people to invade the forest,” commented the late Heherson Alvarez, who served as environment secretary during the Corazon Aquino administration.

Spreading cities have also contributed to decimation of forests. “Asphalt is often the last harvest for many forests,” the late National Scientist Dioscoro Umali, a Ramon Magsaysay Award recipient, once said.

The outcome: food crisis, devastation of lands and water resources, biodiversity facing extinction. “The productivity of the country’s agricultural lands and fisheries is declining as these (forest) areas become increasingly degraded and

pushed beyond their capacity to produce,” said Mogerlgaard.

The removal of forest cover has bolstered soil erosion in the uplands. “Soil erosion is an enemy to any nation – far worse than any outside enemy coming into a country and conquering it because it is an enemy you cannot see vividly,” reminded Harold Ray Watson, the 1985 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for peace and international understanding.

As a result, food production is jeopardized. “The loss of nutrient rich soil reduces crop yields and contributes to the expanded use of chemical fertilizers – a practice that can, in turn, pollute water resources,” Adang said. “Rivers and streams also carry eroded soil to the coasts, where it interferes with fish nursery areas.”

Water crisis looms. “There has been a drop of 30% to 50% in the country’s water resources in the past 20 years or so,” pointed out Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, an academician with the National Academy of Science and Technology.

“Rapid forest loss has eliminated habitat for unique and threatened plant and animal species,” Mogerlgaard observed. “At the rate our forests are getting destroyed, many

species may no longer be around when we need them,” Adang said.

More than 400 plant and animal species found in the country are currently threatened with extinction, including the Philippine eagle, waling-waling, and tamaraw, according to the World Conservation Union.

Trees are one nature’s most efficient weapons to tie down steep hillsides, check the growth of big gullies, stabilize unsteady stream banks and screen cultivated fields from harmful winds.

But the country’s mountains are bald in large patches almost everywhere.

“The illness of our forest is complicated – and cannot be cured – with one-stop prescription of a single medicine,” reminded Alvarez.

Filipinos are therefore urged to stop cutting trees now and preserve the remaining forests the country has.

“We have laid to waste millions of hectares of forest land, as though heedless of the tragic examples of the countries of Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, where large areas have become barren, if not desertified,” Alvarez said. “If we have not, in fact, reached this state, we are almost at the point of irreversibility.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DAVAO ISSUE ANGERS JAPAN MEDIA Following the ratification of the 1935 Constitution, which disallowed foreigners from owning lands, leading newspapers in Tokyo came out with scathing remarks defending Jap-anese ‘vested interest and rights’ in Davao City.

Larry Tajiri, in ‘Village Vagaries,’ of the May 10, 1936, issue of Nichibei Shinbun, wrote: ‘The widely developed Davao area, where thousands of Japanese residents reside, is swiftly becoming a new battleground to test the rights of a nation to deny land-holding privileges to aliens. The Philippine officials are at present declared to be adamant in their claim for the land-holding contracts now existing between Japanese residents to Davao and Philippine owners. It is contended that these contracts infringe on the land laws of the new Philippine

nation.’

Earlier, the Tokyo Foreign Office in Manila, through spokesman Eiji Amau, came out with a diplomatic statement expressing hope the Philippines would ‘recognize the vested interests and rights of Japanese in Davao in connection with the question of land leases,’ adding the ‘Japanese had trade investments in… Davao at the sacrifice of thousands of lives,’ which benefited not only the residents but also the Philippine government.

The Davao question, as the agrarian issue was labeled, has long been a contentious issue such that it was regarded as the first hiatus in what was the strong Philippine-Japan rela-tions. To resolve the issue, the Japanese offered to pay the full costs of the leases on one condi-tion: That the Japanese

would be allowed to stay on the leased lands until their holding dates had expired.

The Japanese press also viewed the Davao question as a ‘hangover from the American administration, pointing to it as the primary reason for the trouble the Philippine authorities are facing in resolving the antagonistic issue.

Two periodicals that were vocal against the Philippine statute were Tokyo Asahi, the larg-est liberal daily, and Tokyo Yomiuri. The Nichibei Shinbun, in its May 13, 1936 issue, reported that Tokyo Asahi ‘declared that the Japanese nation for the sake of their prestige could not possibly bear to see their compatriots in Davao expelled as land grabbers when in reality they have been benefactors of Davao, engaging in the work of pioneers in the face

of great diffi-culties and much personal danger for the past thirty years.’

For its part, the editorial of Tokyo Yomiuri, sounding upset, ‘deplored the fact that Filipi-nos failed to appreciate the contributions of the Japanese in the development of the Island of Davao. It urged the Philippines to reconsider their unfriendly attitude toward the Japanese and counsels the Japanese government to seek a prompt solution to this question.’

Another publication, the Shin Sekai Asahi Shinbun, in its May 7, 1936 edition, reprinted a sensational story from The Machurian Daily, stating: ‘P.I. Authorities May Use American Tac-tics.’

‘Like flying sparks from a great conflagration that set ablaze many points at once, current international tension has

flared up in its newest crisis at Davao. […] The sudden hubbub […] concerns the so-called alien land ownership question […]

The establishment of the quasi-in-dependent regime at Manila appears to have brought to a head the anxiety of the Manila au-thorities to stem the steady development of the Japanese hemp industry in the Davao district. The hemp produced there is exported to Japan to supply its textile industry.’

The story compared the Davao question to the Japanese work that converted the idle are-as of ‘Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys in California into fertile orchards and truck farms.’ Like the Davao issue, a hastily enacted state alien land law ‘virtually forced them to sell the land made valuable by their unremitting labor, at sacrifice prices.’

8

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Lenovo EdVision Summit pushes for change

to fully realize the modern classroom

MANILA – The EdVision Summit that gathers leaders in the education technology industry, such as Lenovo and its partner Microsoft, along with members of the academe in the region to discuss best practices for the modern classroom, was successfully held on March 24th. Twenty-four speakers from seven markets, including the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and the Unit-

ed States, joined the Summit and expressed their thoughts on the future of education. It was attended by over 1,200 educators and stakeholders in the region with almost 700 coming from the Philippines.

This year’s Lenovo EdVision Summit focuses on the need for change in the quickly-evolving educational landscape, calling on educators and technology leaders to improve learning pedagogies and technologies based on

LANDBANK launches P50-B loan program for crisisaffected enterprises The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) launched a new loan offering to assist enterprises against economic disruptions caused by natural calamities or man-made conflicts such as the ongoing strife in Europe, civil wars, and disputes among nations.

The LANDBANK NATION SERVES (National Assistance Towards Initiating Opportunities to eNtities amidst Social and Economic Reverses which Visibly Entail Shockwaves to Businesses) Lending Program provides additional working capital for businesses to strengthen their operations, expand trading facilities, and stockpile supplies and inventories to mitigate the actual or impending impact posed by such crises.

“LANDBANK aims to bolster the resiliency of key development industries by cushioning the negative impact of economic disruptions.

Through the NATION SERVES Lending Program, we will also contribute to preventing price surges on basic commodities as we continue serving the nation,”

said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

The state-run Bank allocated P50 billion for the Lending Program as a proactive measure to support energy and fuel providers, industry manufacturers of medicines, metals, electronics, and armaments, as well as ship builders, among others.

Eligible borrowers also include renewable energy developers, agri-businesses, and aviation hard-wares and machine manufacturers.

Under the Program, customers may loan up to 85% of the actual need with an interest rate based on applicable Bloomberg Valuation Reference (BVAL) rate at the time of loan availment, plus spread of not more than 75% of the prescribed spread based on the borrower’s credit rating.

Interested borrowers may contact the nearest open LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch nationwide, or call LANDBANK’s customer service hotline at (02) 8-4057000 or at PLDT Domestic Toll Free 1-800-10405-7000.

the evolving reality of the classroom and the workplace.

“Evolving approaches to teaching and learning are critical to ensuring that our students are ready for the rapidly changing world they will graduate into,” said Delia DeCourcy, Senior Global Education Solutions Manager, Lenovo United States.

Following the plenary discussion by DeCourcy, there were five panel discussions and two work-

shop sessions for educators to fully immerse themselves and understand the learnings shared

by EdTech leaders and members of the academic community.

Beyond providing smart devices for educational use, learning pedagogies and education solutions need to evolve alongside the changing classroom and the eventual work environment that students will later join.

Launched in 2020, the

Lenovo EdVision program was launched to hone the digital literacy and skills among students and provide resources and support to teachers to enable them to build their skills and capabilities in digital teaching. The program offers distance learning solutions with technology such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Education, for schools and industry partners to promote digital transformation of education.

The program was recently updated to provide a more seamless hybrid classroom experience that offers the next level Lenovo Smart Education solutions. Hybrid learning is not just about taking classes online. Students need powerful, innovative technologies that empower them to learn more effectively, collaborate better, without compromising on security. With a focus on M365 platform, the updated iteration of the program delivers students a more engaging learning experience. It also builds a community for educators to exchange their insights and strategies to navigate hybrid classrooms.

Micheal Ngan, General Manager, Lenovo Philippines stressed the impor-

tance of the collaboration between hardware and software in addressing the challenges of online learning. “We work with Microsoft to certify our educators in the Philippines to raise their digital skills. So far, we’ve trained and certified almost 500 educators and that’s something we plan to carry on,” Ngan said.

To resolve the expertise gap in hybrid learning, Ngan explains that the solution must go beyond hardware and presents the Lenovo EdVision program as a way for hardware and software to work together and enhance the current learning experience. Furthermore, Lenovo underlines the importance of working with educators to design products that meet the rigors of e-learning.

“We are committed to being a trusted partner for educational institutions as they continue on their digital transformation journey, especially with the demand and necessity for online learning. We’ve learned a lot from two years of distance learning and we’re applying what we’ve learned into the solutions and services we offer in order to better serve our partners in delivering quality education,” Ngan adds.

Z. Caballes and Finance Division Chief Ferdinand C. Palor, including representatives from other pension servicing banks.

“LANDBANK’s renewed partnership with PVAO is centered on providing greater banking convenience to our customers. We put utmost importance on improving our operational efficiency and adopting more responsive solutions to respond to the evolving needs of pensioners and all our customers, especially in the new normal,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

The MOA also provides for the setting-up of a dedicated area for communication materials on veteran-related events to be

maintained in every LANDBANK branch handling PVAO pension accounts.

More than 60,000 Filipino veterans and pensioners who maintain pension accounts with LANDBANK, including accountholders with the former United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), are benefitting from the Bank’s improved branch network and a wide array of products and services.

As of end-March 2022, LANDBANK has a total of 607 branches and 71 branch-lite units nationwide. Pensioners can also use the Bank’s network of 2,802 ATMs all over the country for the convenient and safe withdrawals of their pensions and other benefits.

LANDBANK, PVAO expand services for veterans, pensioners

PVAO Administrator Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina (Ret.) (seated, center) and LANDBANK Senior Vice President Marilou L. Villafranca (seated, 2nd from left), together with representatives from other servicing banks, lead the signing of the amended Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Direct Remittance Pension Servicing System (DRPSS) on 18 April 2022 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. (Photo courtesy of PVAO) State-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has strengthened its partnership with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) to better service Filipino veterans and pensioners in the new normal.

PVAO Administrator Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina (Ret.) (seated, center) and LANDBANK Senior Vice President Marilou L. Villafranca (seated, 2nd from left), together with representatives from other servicing banks, lead the signing of the amended Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Direct Remittance Pension Servicing System (DRPSS) on 18 April 2022 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

(Photo courtesy of PVAO)

Under the amended Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Direct Remittance Pension Servicing System (DRPSS), LANDBANK and PVAO have streamlined procedures for pension account opening and formalized crediting of other PVAO benefits, such as medical and burial assistance, to the LANDBANK ATM accounts of pensioners.

PVAO Administrator Lt. Gen. Ernesto G. Carolina (Ret.) and LANDBANK North NCR Branches Group Head Senior Vice President Marilou L. Villafranca signed the amended MOA on 18 April 2022 at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. They were joined by PVAO Deputy Administrator Assistant Secretary Raul

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

BIGGER PICTURE

9

Suicide: More and more Filipinos these days are commiting suicide. (Wikipedia)

SUICIDE NOW PREVALENT BUT STILL GIVEN LITTLE ATTENTION Text by HENRYLITO D. TACIO Images by Manos Bourdakis/Wikipedia

S

uicide is becoming prevalent in recent years but unfortunately, it is still not given the much-needed attention it richly deserves.

“Suicide is a form of murder – premeditated murder,” explained Susanna Kaysen in Girl, Interrupted. “It isn’t something you do the first time you think of doing it. It takes getting used to. And you need the means, the opportunity, the motive. A successful suicide demands good organization and a cool head, both of which are usually incompatible with the suicidal state of mind.”

A few years back, a 17-year-old leaped to death from a seventh-floor of a school building. “The administration and studentry are so shocked about the unfortunate incident that claimed the life of our student, who committed suicide by jumping out of the window,” said the official school statement.

A flashback. Before the incident, the student reportedly “displayed erratic behavior while attending her class.” She even tried to climb out of the classroom’s window. Fortunately, the teacher was able to restrain the student.

The teacher called the guidance counsellor who then fetched the student and brought her to the counselling office. He contacted the mother of the student. While waiting, he asked some questions.

From their conversation, he learned that “she has been physically, verbally and psychologically abused by her parents at home.” However, the student did not elaborate when asked why.

The counsellor also learned that she tried to commit suicide several times already. At one time, she ingested a dozen packs of monosodium glutamate.

On another occasion, she gulped a dozen antibiotics and analgesics.

Then the mother arrived. “When the student sensed that her mother was around, she asked to go to the comfort room,” the official statement said. “Escorted by a female guidance counselor to the women’s comfort room, the student quickly went inside the cubicle and locked herself

up. And things quickly happened in seconds as she slipped out of the cubicle’s window.”

In 2014, the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) issued Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative, its first report on suicide as a public health issue. Suicide takes places as often as every 40 seconds, the report said.

According to the said report, close to 800,000 people around the world die each year due to suicide.

“For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide every year,” the United Nations health agency deplores.

In the Philippines, an earlier WHO report said, the suicide rate (per 100,000 population) was 2.5 for men and 1.7 for women. This fact may be appalling for Filipinos but the numbers are way too small compared to those in Western countries.

In fact, the Philippines has one of the world’s lowest suicide rates. The 2000 Philippine Health Statistics from the Department of Health (DOH) showed only 1.8 per 100,000 people to have inflicted harm on themselves. In comparison,

European countries had the highest figures which ranged from 30 to 42 per 100,000 people.

Let’s take a closer look at the study conducted by Maria Theresa Redaniel, May Antonnette Lebanan-Dalida, and David Gunnell, authors of “Suicide in the Philippines: time trend analysis (1974-2005) and literature review.”

In their study, the researchers found out that incidence of suicide in the Philippines among males increased from 0.23 to 3.59 per 100,000 between 1984 and 2005. Similarly, rates rose from 0.12 to 1.09 per 100,000 in females. Among females, suicide rates were highest among the age bracket of 15- to 24-yearolds; while in males, rates were similar in all age groups throughout the study period.

While suicide rates are low in the country, there is an increase of suicide incidence among adolescents and young adults. Citing a report from the National Poison Management and Control Center (NPMCC) of the Philippine General Hospital, Senator Joel Villanueva pointed out during a Senate hearing some years back that 46% of the total suicide cases recorded since 2010 were from the young people.

Studies showed suicide is the second leading

a cause of death among young people aged 15-29 years, after road injury.

Among teenagers aged 15-19, suicide is the second leading cause of death among girls (after maternal conditions) and the third leading cause of death in boys (after road injury and interpersonal violence).

Dr. Dinah Nadera, a psychologist of the University of the Philippines’ Open University told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that based on studies made on 300 cases from hospitals and police reports in 2008 and 2009, suicides happened between 8:01 in the morning and noon on weekdays, “when other people were not around in their homes.” Least suicides occurred between 12:01 and 4 a.m.

Unknowingly, there may be more Filipinos who commit suicide than what is being recorded. “Certainly, the actual rate in the Philippines is probably higher, with many doctors agreeing not to report deaths as suicides because of the stigma. But even if we could get the true figure, it would probably still be relatively low,” Dr. Michael Tan wrote in his Philippine Daily Inquirer column.

Suicide, the process of purposely ending one’s own life, has always been viewed negatively in most culture. But not in Asia,

where 60% of all the suicide deaths in the world are reported from. In fact, two of the countries with relatively huge suicide rates are Japan and South Korea, which have a very high level of competition that starts right from childhood.

“Although some attempted or completed suicides come as a shock even to family and friends, clear warnings are given in most cases,” says The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “Any suicide threat or suicide attempt is a plea for help and must be taken seriously. If the threat or attempt is ignored, a life may be lost.”

For health purposes, the Merck manual calls it as “suicidal behavior.” It says: “Suicidal behavior is an alltoo-common health problem. Although most suicidal behavior does not result in death, 10% of people who try to kill themselves using a potentially fatal means do die from their actions.”

According to the Merck manual, suicidal behavior is an unmistakable signal that a person has feelings of desperation and hopelessness. Among those with high-risk factors for suicide are males, having painful or disabling illness, living alone, having debt or living in poverty, under bereavement, experiencing humiliation or disgrace, and de-

FSUICIDE, P10

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The following provinces, HUCs, and ICCs shall be placed under Alert Level 2 classification: for Luzon: Cordillera Administrative Region: Benguet, Ifugao; Region 4-A: Quezon Province; Region 4-B: Occidental Mindoro, and Palawan; and Region 5: Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon. For the Visayas: Region 6: Antique and Negros Occidental; Region 7: Bohol, Cebu Province, and Negros Oriental; and Region 8: Leyte, Northern Samar, and Western Samar. For Mindanao: Region 9: City of Isabela, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Si-

bugay; Region 10: Lanao del Norte; Region 12: General Santos City, North Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat, and South Cotabato; CARAGA: Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, and Surigao del Norte; and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): Basilan, Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

In March this year, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III reported that it is likely that the Philippines will remain under Alert Level 1 until President Rodrigo Duterte ends his term on June 30, 2022.

of Pualas mayor-elect Amanoden Ducol is located.

He said investigation

is still going on and all angles are being considered.

(PNA)

Surigao del Sur voted Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Sara Duterte for Vice President.

Marcos Jr. got 249,177 votes against Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao’s 58,632 and Leni Robredo’s 45,812. For Vice President, Sara Duterte got 301,080 votes against Sen-

ator Francis Pangilinan’s 24,178 and Senate President Tito Sotto’s 20,473.

Surigao del Sur has a voting population of 449,070.

In Tandag City, Roxanne Pimentel, wife of the governor, has also been reelected.

are now accessing the HIV/ AIDS services.

“Dahil seguro sa maraming testing centers ngayon. As you can see meron ng nag-open na community-based centers. Medyo tumataas talaga yung kaso natin. Actually tumataas siya in number or talagang ang mga behaviors katulad ng risk sexual behaviors that is why tumataas siya and then we always have new young population coming in na nagiging exploratory so tuloy tuloy pa rin yung cycle natin,” she said.

Nidgie Tindoc, HIV/ AIDS case manager of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), confirmed that there is an increase in the number of cases as some people are still practicing unprotected sex.

“Pero kung tan-awon in a positive way there are more people nga ga access sa services labi na karon na naa nay community-based testing and self-testing.

Accessible na ang testing karon. Sa karon daghan na

gyud kaayo sa SPMC ang among na-cater. Ubay ubay na ang namahulay or nangamatay tungod sa HIV. We are actively accommodating every client na ma-diganose,” she said.

Meanwhile, Remiterre reported that there are a total of 5,256 cases during the same period in Davao Region.

On May 20, 2022, Davao City will join in the commemoration of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at Rizal Park. The activity aims to remember the many lives lost to HIV/ AIDS. “We want to remember those who have passed away because this is actually advocacy for prevention and treatment and support, nagka-Covid man at dalawang taon tayong walang activity, but of course we always do this even in the past two years kahit virtual.

Let’s not forget that HIV/ AIDS is still with us and we are still strong in prevention para ma-prevent na meron pa ring mamatay dahil sa HIV,” Remiterre said.

curity forces like the Philippine Coast Guard for collaborating with the AFP. “Gipangunahan sa atoang Comelec officials tungod kay nindot ang

coordination layo pa lang na prepare na nato ug maayo maong nindot ang resulta sa atoang election,” Tito said. By Maya M. Padillo

said.

The palace adviser added that many microenterprises are already in debt and their inputs have also gone up with commodity prices.

“We have to make this exemption for them because these are not ordinary times,” said Concep-

cion.

Some workers in Metro Manila meanwhile said that while they welcomed the wage hike, this was still not enough considering the high cost of many basic commodities today.

Inflation hit 4.9 percent in April as food and fuel prices surged.

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pressed.

Other high-risk factors: persistence of sadness even when other symptoms of depression are getting better, history of drug or alcohol abuse, history of prior suicide attempts, family history of suicide, family violence (including physical or sexual abuse), suicidal preoccupation and talk, and well-defined plans for suicide.

“Suicidal behavior includes attempted suicide, suicide gestures, and completed suicide,” the Merck manual states. “An attempted suicide is suicidal action that is not fatal. If an attempted suicide involves a suicidal action unlike to have any potential of being fatal, it is called a suicide gesture. A person taking such an action (for example, ingesting six acetaminophen tablets) may be making a plea for help or attention without having any intention of actually ending his life. A completed suicide is a suicidal action that results in death.”

Some studies have shown that practicing members of most religious groups are less likely to commit suicide. Such people are generally supported by their beliefs and are provided with close social bonds protecting against acts of self-destruction.

“But religious affiliation and strong religious beliefs do not necessarily prevent individual impetuous, unpremeditated suicidal acts during times of frustration, anger, and despair, especially when accompanied by delusions of guilt and unworthiness,” one study noted.

According to studies, one out of four people who complete suicide left suicide notes. These notes often refer to personal relationships and events that will follow the person’s death. Notes left by older people often express concern for those left behind, whereas those of younger people may express anger or vindictiveness.

The choice of method often is influenced by cultural factors and availability and may or may not reflect the seriousness of intent.

“Some methods (for example, jumping from a tall building) make survival virtually impossible, whereas other methods (for example, overdosing on drugs) make rescue possible,” the Merck manual notes. “However, even if a person uses a method that proves not to be fatal, the intent may have been just as serious as that of a person whose method was fatal.”

Drug overdose and self-poisoning are two of the most common methods used in suicide attempts.

Violent methods, such as gunshots and hanging, are uncommon among attempted suicides because they usually result in death.

Of completed suicides, a gunshot is the method most frequently used by males.

Females are more likely to use non-violent methods, such as poisoning, drug overdose, or drowning.

In the Philippines, a study showed that the methods of committing suicide included shooting oneself, 40%; hanging, 30%; poisoning, 16.7%; and jumping from high places, 13.3%. In 73% of the reported cases, suicide was committed in their own homes.

Brian Mishara, of the International Association for Suicide Prevention, said more people kill themselves each year than are killed in all wars, terrorist acts, and homicides. “Yet, we give a large attention every time there is a death by homicide and very little attention to the million lives lost worldwide to suicide,” he deplored.

“Every death (caused by suicide) is a tragedy for family, friends and colleagues,” pointed out Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general.

Most people don’t talk about suicide because of the stigma attached to it.

“Stigma, particularly sur-

rounding mental disorders and suicide, means many people thinking of taking their own life or who have attempted suicide are not seeking help and are therefore not getting the help they need,” the WHO explains. “The prevention of suicide has not been adequately addressed due to a lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it.”

There are several reasons why a person commits suicide. As stated earlier, there are those who are planning to do it and give some hints. Such was the case of the 26-year-old Nestor. He jumped off from the fifth floor of a shopping mall. Before he took his own life, he posted on his Facebook wall that he was going to do it.

“I decided to go hindi dahil sa kasalanan ko ngaun… dahil matagal ko na tong plano, sana pala ginawa ko na noon di na sana ako naka gawa pa ng ibang kasalanan at makapanakit ng damdamin ng ibang tao,” he wrote in his status. (“I decided to go not because of the mistake I did now… I had planned this before, if I had done it before I would have done other mistakes that would hurt the feelings of others.”)

A lady friend advised him not to do something drastic but he replied: “Dili ni sya dautan teh mao jud ni sya akong disisyon (This is not wrong, sister, this is really my decision).”

Suicide is for real and it is unfathomable why people try to cut their lives.

“It’s difficult to understand how a person could not give value to a survival instinct, which is to stay alive from a standpoint of a non-suicidal person,” wrote Dr. Gia B. Sison, a practicing medical doctor who specializes in occupational medicine and a strong mental health advocate.

But those who want to commit suicide actually fight. “Killing oneself is, any-

way, a misnomer,” said Sally Brampton, author of Shoot the Damn Dog: A Memoir of Depression. “We don’t kill ourselves. We are simply defeated by the long, hard struggle to stay alive.

“When somebody dies after a long illness, people are apt to say, with a note of approval. ‘He fought so hard.’ And they are inclined to think, about a suicide, that no fight was involved, that somebody simply gave up. This is quite wrong.”

Experts urge everyone to save those who want to cut their lives. “We can all help to make a difference in the lives of those around us who might be struggling with thoughts of suicide,” urges the Baton Rouge Behavioral Hospital in its website. “It can be as simple as reaching out to someone who you know is having a rough time, or keeping your eyes open for somebody who is struggling and taking a moment to talk with them. These simple acts of kindness can sometimes be the key to helping someone open up and seek support for their issues.”

For its part, the health department has issued an administrative order stipulating guidelines for the ethical and responsible reporting of suicide in the news and broadcast media, and portrayal in films, stage, and television.

“It is important that those at risk are not exposed to articles or movies that encourage or give instructions on suicide,” pointed out Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire, DOH undersecretary.

Curtailing suicide is not a job for health department only but for everyone. As WHO puts it: “Suicide is a complex issue and therefore suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labor, agriculture, business, justice, law, defense, politics, and the media.”

and cars, then the area will be polluted. We wanted to condition Tagum as a liveable city. The people will have a new place to go to … the budget did not come from us but is due to our initiatives, we were granted a budget … the effect of this … when the trees grow and the grasses become thick, lush, and

green, the place will be cool.”)

The park is set to be the connection to other parks, cultural center, and trading centers in downtown Tagum as it is also part of the Tagumpay Walk project of the UN Habitat which promotes the “walkable city” advocacy around the world.

and 3, and Jeneath Wong humbling Thuy Le Thi Thanh 4 and 3.

Singapore ousted Myanmar 2-0. Aloysa Mabutas Margiela Atien-

za, whose parents are Filipino migrants, whipped Waing Waing 4 and 2, while Hailey Loh Suanne edged Phu Pwint Yati Khine 1-up.

that while they welcomed the wage hike, this was still not enough considering the high cost of many basic

commodities today.

Inflation hit 4.9 percent in April as food and fuel prices surged.

ident in June, garnering 31.104 million votes with 98.35% of returns processed.

The statement comes after the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

on Saturday said the wage board approved a P33 wage increase in Metro Manila to bring the daily minimum wage for non-agriculture workers to P570, and agriculture workers to P533.

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and firms have to consider investing in cybersecurity that will look into not only internal threats, but also external threats.

“Because remember, it’s the weakest link that breaks

the chain,” Lal added.

“That’s why we keep saying that (the) external threat landscape is very, very important. Don’t just look inwards, look outwards. That is the key.” (PNA)

down to PHP39.13 as of April 2022, or cheaper by PHP6.91 per kg.

Another key benefit of RTL is the flow of billions of pesos in funds to the agriculture sector through the creation of the PHP10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), which is used exclusively

to finance programs that will sharpen the competitiveness of palay growers by way of providing them with easy access to fertilizer, farm machinery and equipment, high-yield seeds and cheap credit; and offering them skills training programs on farm mechanization and modern farming techniques.

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Gilas women in rousing start H

ANOI. – Banking on defense and a big third quarter surge, the Philippine women’s basketball team started its quest for a second Southeast Asian Games gold medal Monday with a 93-77 victory over Indonesia at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium here.

After a close first half, the Gilas Women went on a 32-19 tear in the third and pulled away, going into the fourth with a 72-57 lead en route to the rousing win.

Using their quickness to the hilt, the Gilas Women collected 18 steals, drawing praise from coach Patrick Aquino.

“They played so hard.

What can I ask for,” said Aquino. “That’s what we’ve been working on for the last couple of months.

Hopefully, we can sustain that.

“I’m just happy that they were doing their best.

Talagang sobrang saya ko sa kanila,” Aquino added.

Afril Bernardino led the squad with 16 points on top of nine rebounds and four steals.

She got a lot of support, with Janine Pontejos adding 15 points on 7-of18 shooting from the field and Camille Clarin scoring 11.

Gabi Bade, one of the team’s two new recruits from the United States, had 11 points in her SEA Games debut. A daughter

of former PBA player Cris, she is a mainstay of Sacramento State.

The other new player on the squad, Stefanie Berberade, a former Player of the Year in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school Westmont, scored four points.

After a one-day break, the Philippines faces Thailand, the team it beat for the breakthrough gold medal in the 2019 Games, on Wednesday in the resumption of the women’s tournament that drew six teams.

The top squad after the round-robin play wins the gold.

The scores: Philippines 93 – Bernardino 16, Pontejos 15, Clarin 11, Bade 11, Cabinbin 8, Guytingco 6, Surada 6, Castillo 5, Castro 5, Berberabe 4, Tongco 4, Fajardo 2.

Indonesia 77 – Claresta 19, Antonio 12, Pierre-Louis 11, Pratita 9, Callista 8, Elya Gradita 7, Sutijono 6, Lestari 3, Sophia 2, Anggraeni 0, Nanda Perdana 0.

After a close first half, the Gilas Women went on a 32-19 tear in the third and pulled away, going into the fourth with a 72-57 lead en route to the rousing win.

Go, Malixi save day for Pinoy golfers V

The Philippine golf team in a huddle. NGAP photo

INH PHUC. – Determined to make up for their failure to win medals in individual play, Lois Kaye Go and Rianne Mikhaela Malixi rallied in the closing holes Monday to power the Philippines, the defending champion, to a 2-0 win over Indonesia and into the semifinals of the women’s golf team event in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here.

Malixi, the 15-year-old prodigy backed by ICTSI, trailed Holly Hallim Victoria by one hole through most of the match until she caught fire, knocking in three straight birdies to post a 2 and 1 victory at the Heron Lake course.

Go, 23, a member of

the team that won the gold in 2019, also pulled off a come-from-behind 1-up win over Ida Ayu Indira Melati Putri after trailing by as many as two holes.

She began holding the lead in the first four holes until Putri won 14, 16 and 17 to take a two-hole lead.

Go took the 18th hole to reduce the deficit to one. After both played halved the hole from first to sixth, Go turned the game around by winning 7 and 9 to prevail 1-up.

The Filipinas take on top seed Thailand, which took a bye, on Tuesday.

While the women’s team advanced, the men’s bowed out after suffering a 3-0 defeat at the hands of

Indonesia.

Jet Hernandez led early after taking the second hole, but lost grip of the match and trailed by as many as two holes until he drew level on 12.

But Randy Arbenata won 13, 14 and 17 to complete a 3 and 1 victory.

Gab Manotoc was beaten 3 and 2 by Naraajie Emerald, who led all the way after winning the third hole, while Jed Dy lost to Amadeus Christian 3 and 2.

The other women’s semifinal match pits Malaysia against Singapore.

The Malaysians routed Vietnam 2-0, with Mirabel Ting Ern Hui trouncing Minh Doan Xuan Khue 5

FGO, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 28 • TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2022

The Philippines’ Junmar Fajardo dominates against Vietnam.

KEEP FIGHTING

PH goes up to second then slips to third

H

ANOI—Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino on Monday asked the entire nation to rally behind Team Philippines which, despite stumbling in events Filipino athletes were expected to dominate, stood fighting at third place halfway through the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

“We are hoping and praying to maintain our momentum although we lost in some sports like tennis, golf and basketball 3X3, among others, which we had a good chance of winning gold,” Tolentino, also the PhilCycling head, said.

“We need to recover [lost golds] and capture more golds from the other sports,” added Tolentino, who’s energy continued to surge as he tried his best to make the rounds in venues situated distant from each other to rally behind Filipino athletes. “We still have boxing, gymnastics, karate, athletics, basketball, weightlifting, taekwondo, wrestling and other combat sports where we could win medals.”

The Philippines was a fighting third in the medals race on Sunday with 20 golds, 27 silvers and 38 bronzes. Host Vietnam

was in a hurry to emerge overall champion with a front-running 67 golds, 46 silvers and 44 bronze followed by Thailand with 27 golds, 24 silvers and 38 bronzes.

Indonesia continued to threaten the Philippines with 20 golds in fourth place. Tokyo Olympian and two-time world champion Carlos Yulo led the gold medal rush for the country with three gold medals as of Monday. Kim Mangrobang also made it a double with her victories in triathlon and duathlon that were staged within 24 hours apart.

Tolentino told the Filipino athletes who have yet to compete to never lose hope, saying “the whole nation is with them in this fight.”

“Never give up and continue to fight for our country,” he said.