Edge Davao Volume 15 Issue 30 | Thursday, May 19, 2022

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VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

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NO FAVORITES

Sara will not recommend Davao City officials for cabinet positions STORY ON PAGE 2

Construction workers work on the metal structures for the foundation of a condominium building along C.M. Recto Avenue in Davao City on Wednesday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Major Ma. Teresita Gaspan says during this week’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel that DCPO is currently fine tuning its security plan in preparation for presumptive vice president Sara Duterte-Carpio’s inauguration in Davao City slated on June 19. Edge Davao

NO FAVORITES T

3 Davao guvs cited as ‘peace partners’

Sara will not recommend Davao City officials for cabinet positions

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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resumptive Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio stressed she will not recommend to presumptive President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. Dabawenyo officials for cabinet positions.

“Wala ko (recommendation) because ang cabinet position is a position of trust and confidence sa President. Karon kung pakialaman nato ang pangulo sa mga i-appoint niya na mga secretaries, ang success or failure niana tulubagon na sa President because the

president is the appointing authority,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio added that the President will be responsible for the performance of the cabinet secretaries.

“Kung ako ang pangulo, unya giing-ana ko ninyo ‘kini i-appoint ni si kuan’, of

course malain ko ug masuko ko, because this is my administration and ako ang mutubag sa performance sa mga cabinet secretaries, so angay ra ako ang mag decide kung kinsa ang cabinet secretaries,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio also said that there is a search committee that is being tasked to look for the officials who are in the President’s view are appropriate to be appointed and whom he believed can help his administration to continue what

bout 215 families affected by the COVID19 pandemic who went home to their provinces in Davao Region are being assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development XI (DSWD) through the Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2P).

Lee Berdors, BP2P focal of the DSWD XI bared that as early as second quarter of the year, the agency has already exceeded its target number of families who qualify to receive assistance from the DSWD. “Our target number of families who will have to receive assistance from

the agency is supposedly 150, However, the DSWD reached out to as many as 215 families who asked help as they went home from Metro Manila after getting affected by the pandemic”, said Berdos.

The BP2P focal explained that the DSWD while waiting for the actual

President Rodrigo Duterte has started as well carry out his (Marcos) vision for the country.

“So wala po ta’y recommendation nga gihatag kay President Marcos because there is a search committee and mao kana ang purpose sa search committee sa team ni Bongbong Marcos is to look for the people na sa tan-aw niya maoy angay nga i-appoint para maduso ang, of course, ang continuity sa administration ni

dispatch of relocatees from Manila who underwent the BP2P regular application, the DSWD expanded its scope of providing assistance to pandemic-affected families.

“Kahit pa hindi talaga sila nadisptach ng BP2P, as long as sila ay nakauwi

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DSWD-11 assists 215 families thru Balik Probinsya program A

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hree provincial governors in Davao Region were recently recognized as “Peace Partners” by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

OPAPRU Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. recognized them during the Peace Partners’ Recognition Day 2022 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay City, Manila, on May 16.

Recognized Peace Partners provincial governors were Edwin I. Jubahib of Davao del Norte, Nelson L. Dayanghiran of Davao Oriental and Jayvee Tyrone Uy of Davao de Oro. They were recognized for their respective efforts in pushing forward at the grassroots levels their support for Executive Order No. 70 that primarily aims to end local communist armed conflict (ELCA) through institutionalizing the whole of nation approach to good governance.

They hauled various services of local and national line agencies to areas which were once hard to reach and seemingly left out of much-needed government services particularly roads, schools and classrooms, housing along with services to health and livelihood opportunities.

“Through the partnerships, we have established and nurtured over the years, we have implemented programs and projects that are uplifting the lives of our beneficiaries, particularly former combatant,

their families, and communities,” Galvez said as quoted by the Philippine News Agency in his speech during the event.

Galvez noted that collective efforts for ELCAC have significantly eroded armed conflict with insurgents, saying some 24,000 former rebels have returned to the folds of the law.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Information Communication and Knowledge Management Office (PICKMO) of Davao del Norte noted Governor Jubahib’s peace effort for ELCAC has generated about 3,000 rebel surrenderees and significantly pegged the recruitment of communist terrorist group to “zero rate”.

Jubahib has initiated a convergence delivery of socio-economic services to geographically isolated and depressed areas which usually were under the influence of CTGs. He has opened up access roads to far-flung indigenous peoples communities, delivered services to health, generated housing projects for IP, and introduced livelihood projects and activities.

In Davao Oriental, Governor Dayanghirang has bannered his Nagkakaisang Lingkod Bayan ng Davao Oriental barangay outreach project to haul convergence of services and projects for residents of GIDAs He has an active Provincial Task Force on ELCAC that initiated peace dialogues with members of CTG-influence communities.

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NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

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Senator Ronald Dela Rosa commits to work for the P41.9 million budgetary requirement of a dormitory for the beneficiaries of “Tatag IP Students Project”. Edge Davao

TF Davao, DCPO nab ‘shabu’, unlicensed firearms in Lasang Environmentalist, Diocese of Marbel slam lifting of open-pit mining ban

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n environmental group in Davao City and the Diocese of Marbel slammed the recent lifting of the open-pit mining ban in South Cotabato.

On May 16, 2022 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of South Cotabato approved the proposal to lift the controversial open-pit mining ban. The SP members also amended the Environment Code of the province on second reading that allows all forms of mining, including open-pit, in the province.

The lifting of the ban now allows the operation of the controversial Tampakan Mining Project of the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated, which has the biggest open-pit mine projects in the world.

The Diocese of Marbel considered the lifting of open-pit mining ban in South Cotabato not only sad but a tragedy that hit the province.

Bishop Cerilo Casicas of Marbel confirmed in a virtual press conference that there should have been consultation with the people prior to the lifting.

“Una sa tanan hindi man sila obligado na mag-consult sa amon, ang mas im-

portante konsultahon ang mga tao,” Casicas said.

In a statement, the Diocese emphasized that amending the ban welcomes more serious consequences in the near future due to the effects of climate change.

“As many communities within and nearby the province have been experiencing tragedies due to the effects of climate change and global warming. As we face economic uncertainties because of the pandemic, war in Ukraine and other challenges, the least we need at present is to allow open-pit mining in South Cotabato,” it said.

The Diocese of Marbel remains hopeful and will continue to call on the people of South Cotabato to make their own voices of opposition louder against open pit mining.

“Ang priority natin ngayon ay ang laban dito sa local muna kasi sa projection namin puwedeng matapos na ito within this week. Parang reading namin parang minamadali talaga. posibleng pipirmahan na yan ng governor within this week kaya kailangan hindi na tayo maghintay

FENVIRONMENTALIST, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ask Force Davao (TF Davao) in coordination with the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) intercepted illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms at Lasang checkpoint in Davao City on May 18, 2022.

In a statement, TF Davao reported that at 4:30 a.m. of Wednesday, the authorities apprehended a certain Thomas Timotea Apat Malim, a resident of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 11 (BJMP 11) spokesperson Captain Edo Lobenia bares during this week’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel that the P300 million New Davao City Jail Building located in Barangay Wangan, Calinan, Davao City is now 80 percent complete and may start operating at the end of the year. Edge Davao

Brgy Mua-an, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, when accosted in the mandatory inspection at the said checkpoint.

Intercepted from his

possession were a sachet of suspected shabu weighing more or less 4.95 grams with an estimated street value of P79,200, and a Smith and Wesson Cal. 40 with serial number 39314421 along with a magazine loaded with eight live ammunitions.

‘From Tagum City siya pa uwi na ng Kidapawan,” Captain John Louie Dema-ala,

public information officer of TF Davao, told Edge Davao.

TF Davao Commander Colonel Darren E. Comia stressed that the law shall be applied to all regardless of their socio-economic status, no one is exempted.

The suspect was turned over to the Bunawan Police Station for proper filing of appropriate charges in court.

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte approves a law that aims to protect consumers from financial fraudsters by expanding the powers of regulators. Presidential Photo

PRRD OKs law boosting consumer protection

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regulators are authorized to formulate their own standards for financial products and services Market conduct surveillance and examination of service providers Market monitoring or the authority to require service providers and their third party providers to submit relevant docu-

ments.

Enforcement, including restricting unreasonable fees, disqualification of employees or officers of service providers, imposition of fines, issuance of cease and desist order without a prior hearing, and suspension of operations, among others Consumer redress or complaints handling mechanism Adjudication of financial transactions that are purely civil and where the claim or relief sought by the consumer does not exceed P10 million Though regulators

could issue a cease and desist order if they deem there is fraud, a violation of RA 11765, or there could be grave or irreparable injury to consumers, financial service providers would be given “an opportunity to defend its act or practice in a summary hearing” upon their request.

payers Service of the BIR Head Office.

All tax returns up to the taxable year 2020 have been examined and all previous deficiency assessments have already been paid for by the company and duly cleared by the BIR head office, it said.

“Records with the BIR will confirm that Megaworld has no outstanding or unpaid past tax liabilities needing any enforce-

ment action,” the Andrew Tan-led firm said in a statement.

“There was an initial disagreement with the BIR Regional Office 8-B after we raised some issues with regard to their jurisdiction on conducting tax audit of some of our properties, but the matter has been clarified and resolved yesterday,” it added.

Megawold said it re-

mains committed to “maintain its stance of full cooperation” with the tax authorities.

The BIR on Tuesday issued an advisory requesting for media coverage for the issuance of a closure order for Megaworld Corporation.

On the same day, Megaworld said the issue has been resolved with the BIR, putting the closure order on hold.

o make rice more affordable, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking to again make NFA rice available in the market but only for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved a law that aims to protect consumers from financial fraudsters by expanding the powers of regulators.

Republic Act No. 11765, signed by the President on May 6, gave financial regulators the following powers.

Rule-making in which

The law also lists the rights of financial consumers to equitable and fair treatment, disclosure and transparency of financial products and services, protection of consumer

FPRRD, P10

Megaworld says it has no unpaid tax dues

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egaworld Corp on Wednesday said it has resolved a disagreement with a Bureau of Internal Revenue’s regional office and that it has no unpaid liabilities connected to a suspended closure order.

In a statement, Megaworld, which operates malls, hotels and townships nationwide, said the company is regularly audited by the Large Tax-

2 major banks hike GDP forecast for PH

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wo major global banks hiked their 2022 growth forecast for the Philippine economy following the higher-than-expected expansion in the first quarter, which is also the reason for the projected hikes in the central bank rates.

In its global research released Tuesday, HSBC revised upwards to 6.5 percent from 5.7 percent its economic growth forecast, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), for the year and the 2023 projection from 5.3 percent to 5.6 percent.

It said the 8.3-percent expansion of the economy in the first three months this year is a “good opportunity to pre-empt potential inflation and capital outflows.”

This, as the rate of price increases is expected to accelerate further following the 4.9 percent print last April, which is already

above the 2 to 4-percent target of the government.

The average inflation to date stood at 3.7 percent but authorities and economies alike forecast sustained acceleration given the uptick in the prices of oil and other commodities in the international market.

“Data show that second-round effects are beginning to take effect and may further materialize over the coming months.

Thus, we now expect inflation to accelerate to 5.5 percent in 2Q22 (second quarter of 2022 compared to the previous forecast of 4.7 percent), and to gradually taper back within the BSP target range by 1Q23 (first quarter of 2023),” it said.

The report said that while the economy continues to recover, risks like the developments in the job market as well as the rate of the vaccination program against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) persist.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

ECONOMY

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A hawker braves the heat of an afternoon sun to sell bottled water and food snacks to beach goers and tourists visiting Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS). Edge Davao

DavSur coffee farmers rake in P1.5M in auction Local fiber provider posts 52.5% subscriber growth in 1Q 2022

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ocal fiber broadband provider Converge has seen over a 50 percent increase in its residential subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 compared to March last year, with its network now able to reach more than 12.2 million homes nationwide.

In Converge’s first-quarter results briefing on Monday, Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Antho-

ny Uy reported a core net income growth to almost PHP2 billion in the first quarter of 2022, representing a margin of 25.4 percent.

“We are seeing a solid growth of our financials in the first quarter of 2022 and we expect to hit our fullyear targets as we remain aggressive in our network rollout and marketing activities both in the residential

FLOCAL, P10

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fter three consecutive weeks of shunning deliberations on the proposal to lift the controversial ban on open pit mining in South Cotabato, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on Monday approved the measure, removing the decades-long thorn in the throat of the $5.9-billion Tampakan project, Southeast Asia’s largest untapped copper-gold minefield.

Nine Davao del Sur coffee farmers, who were part of the Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) 2022 Top 12 Best Specialty Arabica Coffee, made it big in this year’s Micro-Lot Auc-

tion.

The auction, conducted last May 7 via Zoom and streamed live via Facebook for three hours, was opened to all coffee enthusiasts from all over the world, including

10 workers. The exemption will also provide a breathing space for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that suffered from the pandemic to resume their business operations and to fully recover,” it added.

DOLE said businesses in the retail or service sector employing not more than 10 workers shall submit their application for exemption, including their affidavit of undertaking and certified true copy of their business permit, to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards having jurisdiction over their workplace.

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DOLE: Biz with less than 10 workers may apply for wage hike exemption

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he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday said micro businesses as well as pandemic-hit firms may apply for exemption from the wage hike.

The daily minimum wage of workers in the National Capital Region will increase by P33 while those in Western Visayas will be up

by P55 to P110, the DOLE announced over the weekend.

DOLE said under the Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Determination small enterprises with few employees and establishments affected by natural

calamities or human-induced disasters, including the pandemic, may apply to be exempted from recently approved minimum wage order.

“From the 2020 List of Establishments of the Philippine Statistics Authority, micro establishments comprise 88.77% of the total business enterprises in the Philippines,” the department said in a statement.

“Hence, the exemption will temper the impact of the wage increase on the business operation of retail/service establishments employing not more than

the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Hong Kong, and China, among others.

The bid closed with the Davao del Sur PCQC winners amassing US$31,893.00 or approximately Php1.5 million pesos. This surpassed last year’s earnings of US$21,665.00 or approximately Php1 million pesos of the province’s coffee farmers and 2021 PCQC winners amounting.

Accordingly, the highest bid was given to the micro-lot (114 kilograms) of

Marifel Dela Cerna, winner of PCQC 2022 – Best Specialty Arabica Coffee, with a closing price of US$75.00 per kilogram or a total value of US$8,550.00 or almost Php500,000 pesos. This was significantly higher than last year’s bid for the micro-lot of Marites Arellano, 2021 winner of Best Specialty Arabica Coffee, at a closing price of US$52.50/kg.

The winning bidder for Dela Cerna’s micro-lot was Teofilo Coffee Company based in the US. The auction results for

“As I said, there is no time for a learning curve to the next officials of agriculture, because we are now facing a crisis, food crisis, this is not a drawing [a hoax], this is truth, it’s increasing, like the fertilizer’s price, it tripled, our corn [price] has doubled, likewise, the petroleum. So there’s definitely a threat in food security,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.

Adriano said the NAFMIP as a strategy not only aims to secure stability despite the brewing food crisis but also promotes global competitiveness among lo-

cal farmers and fishers, by raising their production in the country, with the help of the private sector.

He noted that the program may even double the income of farmers and fishers while benefiting the consumers.

“The ultimate objective is to increase farmers’ productivity, that means we want the farmers and fishers to be efficient producers to be competitive, and when we say efficient, [it means] increased harvest, but they shall sell to consumers at a lower price,” he added.

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No time for ‘learning curve’ for next agri officials: DA n official of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Tuesday urged the incoming set of government agriculture leaders to adopt the strategies during the Duterte administration, instead of starting from scratch.

In a virtual press conference, DA Undersecretary Fermin Adriano said the new administration is more than welcome to use the strategic plan that they have prepared, particularly the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan (NAFMIP).

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

On Australia’s investment of at least 90 million Australian dollars between 2017 and 2026 to help strengthen basic education in the Bangsamoro region:

Peacebuilding too is important to Australia and what we do down in the south, in the BARMM really matters.

We’re a strong supporter of peace and development in Mindanao.”

Australian Ambassador Steven Robinson AO

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

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 30 • THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

HIV/AIDS STILL MATTER Age doesn’t matter – but AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) still matter!

Like SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – HIV is contagious. But unlike SARS-CoV-2 (which can be spread when people cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe), HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact and injection or infusion of contaminated blood. An infected mother can also transfer the virus to her child before birth, during birth or after birth (through her milk).

HIV/AIDS was first reported in the Philippines in 1984. Since then, the numbers of those infected and died have continued to increase.

The Davao region is not spared.

In fact, from 1993 to January 2022, a total of 5,256 cases of HIV/AIDS have been confirmed as per record from the Department of Health.

More than half of the cases – 3,810 – were recorded in Davao City.

“Ito ay total cases na confirmed meaning to say some of these may have died; some of them are actually undergoing treatment. Lahat lahat na ito,” Dr. Jordana Remiterre, head physician of Reproductive Health and Wellness Center

(RHWC), told those who attended the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City recently.

In the past, the figure was a little bit low because not too many knew where to get tested or the idea they had about HIV/AIDS was miniscule.

In fact, according to Maya Padillo, one of the scribes who attended the forum, said the RHWC doctor “attributed the increase in detection of cases to the opening of community-based centers.” In addition, “more people are now accessing the HIV/AIDS services.”

“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,” Dr. Remiterre was quoted as saying.

Anal or vaginal sex without a condom is a risky behaviour. Oral sex carries little or no risk for getting or transmitting HIV. “Theoretically, transmission of HIV is possible if an HIV-positive person ejaculates in his partner’s mouth during oral sex,” hiv.gov explains. “However, the risk is still very low, and much lower than with anal or vaginal sex.”

Factors that may increase the risk of transmitting HIV through oral sex, according to hiv.gov, are oral ulcers, bleeding gums, genital sores, and the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases, which may or may not be visible.

Unknowingly, HIV is relatively fragile and can be easily killed by household disinfectants. But once it is inside the human body, there is no way a person can eliminate the dreaded virus.

Unlike flu, which already gives you the symptoms the following day after acquiring it, HIV infection can show no symptoms for several years. Studies have shown that it could be as short as three years or as long as 12 years.

Symptoms differ widely. In most cases, HIV infection starts with flu-like symptoms that resemble mononucleosis (the socalled kissing disease). These may persist for two weeks to a few months after HIV enters the body.

A person will only know that he or she is infected with HIV if he or she undergoes testing for HIV. “The HIV test works by detecting antibodies produced by a person after exposure to the virus,” explained Dr. Willie Ong, author of Doctors’ Health Tips and Home Remedies.

“A common problem here is when to do the HIV test. If a person has become infected with the HIV virus, how long is the lag time before the person test positive?”

According to studies, most persons will develop a positive HIV test within 2-8 weeks after exposure. “Around 97% will develop these antibodies within 3 months of exposure,” Dr. Ong said.

“A few rare cases (less than 3%) will take 6 months to become positive,” Dr. Ong said. “Because of this, experts recommend that a person get an HIV test at 6 weeks and at 3 months after exposure. It is optional to take another test 6 months after exposure.”

Currently, there is no cure known for HIV but the virus can be controlled with proper medications called antiretrovirals.

“These antiretrovirals are provided for free by the government,” says Dr. Louie Mar A. Gangcuangco, an infectious disease researcher whose expertise in the HIV field is recognized internationally. “With healthy lifestyle and if antiretrovirals are taken every day, people with HIV can have an ‘undetectable’ virus in their blood.”

By “undetectable,” he means that the virus is still in the body but

in very low amounts that it cannot be detected by the machine.

According to Dr. Gangcuangco, there are two benefits of taking medications for HIV. First, it prevents HIV from destroying the immune system of someone with the virus. Second, it prevents the spread of HIV because the virus will also be very, very low in the semen and other body fluids.

Another good news: there is now a medication, when taken every day, can prevent HIV infection.

It is called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP for short).

“This medication is a pill that contains antivirals,” explains Dr. Gangcuangco. “When HIV enters the body, a person who takes PrEP is protected against HIV infection.

PrEP blocks the virus from reproducing in the body and is effective to prevent HIV transmission by more than 90%.”

Dr. Gangcuangco, however, dispelled the idea that PrEP can now replace condoms and other preventive measures for HIV. On the contrary, PrEP should be offered together with them. “PrEP is not meant to replace counseling and condom use but should be used as an adjunct to prevent HIV,” he explains.

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG PEYUPS

UPFIGHT: UAAP BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS AFTER 36 YEARS. The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons Men’s Basketball Team (MBT) has earned the moniker “Cramming Maroons” due to their nail-biting, cardiac victories.

Cramming is life for the UP community—even basketball games are no exception in that habit.

UP Fighting Maroons ultimately claimed their first championship in 36 years when it dethroned the Ateneo Blue Eagles at the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) basketball tournament Season 84.

The Blue Eagle’s dominance ended with the 72-69 overtime triumph by the Fighting Maroons in Game Three of the Season 84 Finals last May 13, 2022 at the MOA Arena.

Not even the Friday the 13th jinx could spoil that long-coveted bid.

UP won Game One of the finals (81-74); then the Blue Eagles took it back in Game Two (69-66) . Game Three was an epic overtime win for UP (72-69), bagging the trophy.

Malick Diouf led UP with 17 points, nine rebounds, and three steals. He averaged 12.3 rebounds, 11.7 points, 2.7 steals, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks in the series to win Finals MVP. The breakdown of the winning 72 points: Diouf 17, Cansino 14, Cagulangan 13, Rivero 9, Alarcon

8, Tamayo 6, Spencer 3, Lucero 0, Abadiano 0, Fortea 0.

Quarter scores : 17-11, 31-27, 46-47, 59-59 (overtime), 72-69.

A campus anecdote was that the varsity team was once known as the UP Parrots. It was replaced with a new moniker that revived the old (circa 1920s) name Maroons along with the adjective “fighting” to describe the sportsmanship attitude that the UP varsity teams must possess during the games.

This is UP’s third title in the league. They won their first title all the way back in 1939 (Season 2) then followed it up 47 years later in 1986 (Season 49). Then there was the 36 years championship drought until this year.

In 1986, or forty seven years after its first trophy, UP won over UE Red Warriors under the guidance of legendary coach Joe Lipa with star players Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc and Eric Altamirano. It was the same year when Edsa People Power happened wherein the dictator was ousted.

A year later, I entered UP Diliman as a freshman in 1987 but I still felt the championship euphoria as I often see Benjie Paras around the campus.

Sadly, interest in the games dwindled. As chief photographer of Philippine Collegian from 1989 to 1991, I remember my coverages of the games with very few, if none,

UP denizens inside the playing venues, mostly as required for PE classes.

More than 30 years later after the second trophy, securing tickets became a challenging feat in every game due to the increasing number of enthusiastic fans eager to shout “UP Fight” as the maroons battle it out to earn the spot for the final games.

The UAAP games galvanized an extraordinary sense of solidarity for UP constituents, often described as the microcosm of a highly diverse nation.

An academic community all too easily fractured by politics and personal interest, the cheer “UP FIGHT!” reverberated during the past UAAP games as the UP Fighting Maroons fought UP style - “may giting at tapang.” Every point is worth screaming.

Each game became mini-re-

unions of Titos and Titas with endless photo-ops and reminiscing of college days memories over coffee, lunch, merienda or dinner.

In 2014, UP lit up a bonfire at the Sunken Garden to mark one win after a 27-game losing streak in 720 days.

A UP colleague aptly said that it wasn’t self-deprecation nor sarcasm, but more than celebrating that one single win, it was to kick out and say goodbye to the long season of loss and welcome new beginnings with hope and a promise to get out of the slump.

In 2018 Season 81, UP’s bid for the championship trophy unfortunately ended when it lost to Ateneo.

In 2019 Season 82, UP was defeated by UST during the Final Four round.

In 2020/21 season 83, there was no tournament due to the

pandemic In 2022, the Maroons had their best record as champions in Season 84.

We celebrated with a bonfire the day after to give honor to our boys.

The cheer “UP Fight” resonated inside the MOA Arena in every game as men and women who solidly believed in the team, including the support group Nowhere To Go But UP, stood by their side in their journey.

The crowd was also chanting former team captain Paul Desiderio’s mantra “Atin’to”, a battle cry that finally has gone full circle.

“UP Fight” was modified this season to “UPink Fight” as part of the systemwide campaign spearheaded by alumni and students calling for the conduct of a clean and honest election. Many wore pink themed shirts and chanted in support of the tandem of fellow alumni Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan.

It was a win as poetic and as heartfelt as the words of UP Naming Mahal lovingly sang by many generations of Iskolar ng Bayan before the bonfire.

(Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty.

Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 0908-8665786.)

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Lenovo combines style and stealth with apex performance in the latest Legion gaming devices Lenovo today launched its latest generation of stylish and savage gaming devices in the Philippines, combining a new design language with portable powerhouse performance – opening up a broad range of entertainment and battle-ready attributes, while supporting the full span of features that can support users’ personal and professional lives.

Designed with details custom-built for top title performance, gamers can look forward to the new Lenovo Legion Gen 7 lineup featuring: The Legion 5i and 5i Pro, Legion 7i, Legion Slim 7i, Legion Tower 7i, and IdeaPad Gaming 3i.

These new gaming laptops come available with Windows 11 gaming performance that comes with FREE Xbox PC Game Pass, the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors, and up to the latest fully powered NVIDIA GeForce RTX laptop GPUs. Inspired by gamer research, users can also enjoy a top-placed camera bump with eShutter that helps create a more inclusive experience focused on player enjoyment, advanced thermals of next-level Legion Coldfront 4.0, the hair-trigger speeds and improved ergonomics of Legion TrueStrike keyboard, and optimized tuning via Lenovo Vantage for gaming.

Lenovo Legion 5i Built for players who want an all-rounder PC to help them excel in their

studies, produce high-quality work, stay connected, and have fun without sacrificing performance, the 15-inch Lenovo Legion 5i laptop with up to 12th Gen Intel Core 17-12700H processor strikes a sleek, happy medium. There’s no need to choose between one or another, as it is able to deliver optimal gaming performance while also handling multitasking, productivity, and entertainment needs beautifully. It also comes equipped with up to the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 140W maximum TGP for new levels of gaming excitement.

The Legion 5i offers intense speed for high performance gaming with flexible display configurations for every gamer, including an up to 15-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) IPS 16:9 display with a super-fast 165Hz refresh rate and full spectrum visuals with Dolby Vision with 100% sRGB color accuracy.

The laptop is also equipped with an improved stealth cooling system that is thermally more efficient and quieter – offering a 40 percent more powerful fan with a 45% larger exhaust fan area compared to its previous generation.

The Legion 5i is designed to be portable with its all-new metal chassis -- both thinner and lighter than the previous generation for even more mobility. Available in Storm Grey, it comes with a choice of 4-Zone RGB

or white backlighting via the new Legion Spectrum RGB Lighting solution built into the Legion TrueStrike keyboard. Don’t miss out and get the Lenovo Legion 5i starting at PHP 89,995.00.

Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Engineered to handle full-powered graphics and third-party tested for maximum performance, the esports-centric Lenovo Legion 5i Pro is the world’s first 16-inch laptop series with a QHD+ up to 240Hz adaptive refresh rate gaming display to help gamers rise in ranks and gameplay.

The Legion 5i Pro is powered with the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H processor and is equipped with up to the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070Ti with 150W maximum TGP. This powerhouse also features a 2960 x 1600 IPS display in 16:10 format with 100% sRGB color gamut and up to 3ms response time. It is supported by Dolby Vision®, which brings crowd favorite entertainment and games to life with spectacular picture quality and buttery smooth gaming via NVIDIA® G-SYNC® for less screen tearing.

The Legion 5i Pro features expanded bandwidth from 4800Mhz DDR5 memory and up to 1TB PCle SSD (Gen4) of storage. Gamers will also experience less lag with the improved Wi-Fi 6E antenna placement and an 80Whr battery capacity with Super Rapid Charge to

GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon was recognized as a Master Innovator for Digital Transformation Innovation during the recent 2nd Annual Mansmith Innovation Awards and Summit.

Mansmith and Fielders Inc. is an advocacy-based training and consultancy firm.

Sazon was recognized for helping create innovative digital products and services to improve the lives of Filipinos. Sazon joined other business leaders who were also recognized, namely Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. President Ronald Mascariñas, Cebuana Lhuillier Group of Companies CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, and Converge-ICT Chairman and

CEO Dennis Uy. During the summit, Sazon shared insights on how GCash was able to drive successful innovations by quickly responding to the demands of customers. She attributes GCash’s exponential growth to introducing relevant fintech products driven by the powerful insights from its customers.

“At GCash, we believe in innovation for good, driven by the real needs of our customers. We look to our customers as our guide, our North Star as we push for financial inclusion. Our contributions in the individual lives of our users add up to a snowball effect that creates meaningful waves of impact in the country,” said

Sazon.

Meanwhile, in his opening remarks, Mansmith and Fielders Inc. Chairman and Chief Innovation Strategist Josiah Go acknowledged the hard work that comes along with innovating and thriving, especially during difficult times.

“The pathway to innovation is not easy. The path to creating something not just new but also successful and sustainable is no easy task.

However, a little difficulty doesn’t stop people from innovating. In fact, oftentimes, it becomes a driving force for innovation,” he said.

To address the pain points of the unbanked and underserved Filipinos, GCash introduced breakthrough financial services such as GSave for a savings account, GInvest for easy access to local and global funds for as local as P50, and GInsure for insurance in times of emergencies.

“At GCash, we’re changing the mindset that financial services are only for the wealthy by making our digital products more accessible, affordable, and easy to understand,” said Sazon.

go from zero to 80 percent battery life in just 30 minutes of charging.

The laptop’s cooling system includes an updated fan system, larger exhaust area, and improved penta heat pipe layout that efficiently ushers air to lower skin temperatures. The Legion Coldfront 4.0 also received an upgrade as it now offers noise suppression thanks to a noise-insulated chassis.

Available in Storm Grey, the durable body of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro series is thinner than the previous generation. It also features the new Legion Spectrum RGB Lighting. Get the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro starting at PHP 119,995.00.

Lenovo Legion 7i and Lenovo Legion Slim 7i Perfect for the gamers who wish to have thin and lightweight but portable

powerhouses, the Lenovo Legion 7i and Legion Slim 7i sits at the apex of gaming performance. Crafted with precision, these gaming laptops showcase breathtaking visuals and feature the world’s first 16” WQHD+ Mini LED display on a gaming laptop.

The new Lenovo Legion 7 series laptops exceed expectations with a number of innovation firsts that adapt to and balance the multi-dimensional needs of modern gamers and professional players. Crafted with a minimalist design, long battery life, and whisper-quiet artificial intelligence (A.I.) tuned thermals are purpose-built for those who want performance and mobility.

The Lenovo Legion 7i laptop is perfect for gamers who demand the highest performance in their gametime. Underneath the lap-

tops’ sleek covers is sheer power. It packs a serious punch with the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900HX processor. Gamers are also treated with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti that instantly provides a different kind of incredible reality.

The laptop also offers up to 165Hz smooth refresh rates, enabling fast response times and has Tobii Horizon software, which brings a more immersive experience for gamers, as well as Tobii Aware, which uses smart sensor technology to help improve users’ security, privacy, and wellbeing. With the Legion 7i, multitasking, streaming, gaming and content creation are made even easier with ample storage of up to 2TB SSD Gen4 and up to 32GB DDR5 of memory – all tuned for maximum performance via the Lenovo Legion A.I. Engine 2.0.

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) remains the biggest lender to the agriculture sector, with loans reaching P236.8 billion as of 31 March 2022.

The loans were used to finance various economic activities of major players in the industry—from small farmers and fishers to large agribusiness enterprises, as well as local government units (LGUs) and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) for agri-aqua related projects and construction of needed infrastructure such as public markets, cold storages, irrigation systems, farm-tomarket roads, warehouses, and slaughterhouses.

Small farmers and fishers benefited from the P35 billion loans channeled through cooperatives and farmers’ associations, rural financial institutions and other partner conduits of LANDBANK. “We continue to intensify our support to the

agri sector, particularly the farmers and fishers whom we celebrate in this month of May. LANDBANK is committed in delivering timely and responsive support to boost their production and income,” said LANDBANK president and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

Financing for small, medium, and large agribusiness enterprises accounted for P146.62 billion of the total loans, P55.19 billion supported LGUs and GOCCs, and the remaining P99.64 billion backed the construction and improvement of essential infrastructure.

In terms of economic activities, P56.39 billion of LANDBANK’s total agri sector loans financed crops, livestock, and fisheries, while P80.83 billion was channeled to agri-processing and trading.

As part of its intensified support to the agriculture sector, LANDBANK continues to implement regular loan offerings alongside lending programs in partnership with the Depart-

ment of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

As of 31 March 2022, LANDBANK has released a total of P12.51 billion under the programs administered for DA, which include the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), the Socialized Credit Program under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SCP-SIDA), the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF), the Survival and Recovery Assistance Program for Rice Farmers (SURE Aid), and SURE COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the Bank’s cumulative loan releases under DAR’s Credit Assistance Program for Program Beneficiaries Development (CAPPBD) has reached P700 million.

LANDBANK remains fully committed towards advancing a more vibrant, productive, and resilient agriculture sector in line with serving the nation.

GCash President and CEO honored as Master Innovator for Digital Transformation LANDBANK loans to agri sector reach P237-B as of Q1 2022

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COMMUNITY SENSE

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Salinta Monon weaving: Here, she showed the intricacies of abaca-weaving when she was still alive.

REMEMBERING BANSALAN’S

LAST BAGOBO WEAVER Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

S

alinta Monon will go down the history of Bansalan town in Davao del Sur as “The Last Bagobo Weaver.”

As a fitting tribute to the town’s national treasure, a Birth Centennial Bust Statue and Marker of the late Monon was unveiled by the municipal government last May 16.

The unveiling was held in cooperation with the National Commission on Cultural Arts (NCAA), the same institution which named Monon as Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA)

in the weaving tradition in 1998.

The prestigious GAMABA award, an equivalent of the National Artist award, is given to individuals “engaged in any traditional art uniquely Filipino whose distinctive skills have reached such a high level of technical and artistic excellence.”

The bust: Her bust was unveiled during the celebration that was held in her hometown in Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

Photo exhibit: The life and works of Salinta Monon were displayed at the lobby of the municipal hall.

The award, the NCCA adds, hopes to “bring ageold customs, crafts, and ways of living to the attention and appreciation of Filipino life.”

A dyed-in-the-wool Tagabawa Bagobo, Monon was given the recognition “for fully demonstrating the creative and expressive aspects of the Bagobo abaca ikat weaving called inabal at a time when such art is threatened with extinction.”

“The quality of her work and the intricacies of her designs over a golden year as a weaver reflected the pride, beauty, and knowledge of our Tagabawa Bagobos,” said NCAA Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay in a message that was read by his representative Carl Louie Sebastian.

“This then is a pursuing drive for our indigenous people, our cultural educators, cultural workers, and

advocates to see this event as a potent driver and persuasive catalyst for a sharper Filipino development of our own culture, arts, and traditions,” he added.

Also, during the said occasion, an exhibit of Monon’s works and life was exhibited at the lobby of the municipality. During the program, a replica of a stamp bearing Monon’s picture was presented to

FREMEMBERING, P10

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President Duterte and kung unsa ang vision ni President Marcos para sa atoang nasud,” she said.

It can be recalled that Marcos firstly announced that he appointed Duterte-Carpio as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Marcos also named Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Benjamin “Benhur”

Abalos Jr as Interior and Local Government Secretary.

Lawyer Vic Rodriguez, chief of staff and spokesperson of Marcos, announced that Marcos named Bienvenido Laguesma as incoming Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) head and Susan “Toots” Ople as incoming secretary of the newly-created Department of Migrant Workers.

na sa probinsya at talagang apektado ang trabaho dahil sa pandemya, binibigyan naming talaga sila ng tatlong klaseng assistance”, Berdos added.

The first assistance is the transportation allowance which is given to those who have been dispatched from Manila back to their province in Davao Region.

Another assistance that DSWD provides is the livelihood assistance which they have synchronized efforts with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The livelihood settlement assistance could reach as high as P50,000

per family which can really help them start a new business and sustain it through the years.

Last May 11, 2022, the DSWD awarded the livelihood grant amounting to P50,000 to the Coderias Family of Davao del Norte.

The 215 family beneficiaries are now settling in Sto Tomas, New Corella, Carmen, Asuncion, San Isidro, Kapalong, Braulio Dujali, IGACOS, and Panabo all from Davao del Norte Province; Davao City; Mati and Tarragona in Davao Oriental; and Kiblawan and Sta Cruz from Davao del Sur. (PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

In Davao de Oro, the Provincial Information Office noted the significant decrease of guerilla fronts operating in the province from 11 in 2016 to only 1 in 2021.

The Provincial Government of Davao de Oro

under Governor Uy has helped 800 former rebels transformed their lives through various services while it continue delivering basic services in GIDAs and conflict-affected areas.

(Jeanevive Duron-Abangan, PIA XI)

na maglobby o kumatok kay Governor Reynaldo Tamayo,” Casicas said.

Meanwhile, the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) also condemned the amendment of the said environment code specifically the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining.

In a statement, the group stated that the members of the SP did not consider the magnitude of the effects their actions have on the people and the environment, not only in South Cotabato.

The group added that with this action alone, it will affect multiple watersheds of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Davao del Sur. Further, it will also threaten the ecological integrities of Allah Valley (102,000 hectares) in Sultan Kudarat, the watershed of the Padada River (120,000 hectares) in Davao del Sur, and the watershed of the Marbel River (122,000 hectares) in the Province of Cotabato.

“Watersheds are geographical ecological units, and what happens in one part of the watershed will

influence the whole watershed from forests, agricultural, urban, and coastal to estuarine ecosystems due to its geomorphological characteristics, connected rivers and tributaries at the surface, and including groundwater reserves,” it said The group also states that the Tampakan openpit mining will demand and use groundwater resources and transport highly toxic wastewater through a 150km pipe from the Municipality of Malalag draining to Davao Gulf.

“There is a treatment process presented, however, the risks of overland flow, flooding disasters, or possible collapse of tailings ponds will inevitably impair marine and aquatic biodiversity, fish stocks, and aquaculture in the coastal areas, similar to the incident in Mapagba River in Banaybanay in January this year.

“We call on the people of the Davao Region, particularly Davao del Sur, to participate in this issue, as we will also be affected by the impacts of this project,” it said. By Maya M. Padillo

the other Davao del Sur coffee farmers were as follows: Cherry Gil Cabanday (Top 2) – US$19.50/ kg; Ronald Dicdican – US$21.50/kg; Cecilia Cavalida – US$21.50/kg;

Jhon Lawrence Dela Cerna – US$21.00/kg; Marilyn Tibog – US$20.50/kg; Leizel Silvano – US$19.50/ kg; Rosemarie Rupecio – US$40.50/kg; and Jerry Lapasigue – US$30.50/kg.

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the heirs of the late national artist.

According to Casaysay, the “unbreakable determination” of Monon “to live out the Bagobo tradition as one of the last weavers amongst the community has been a remarkable ground to the weight of importance to conserving, preserving, and promoting our local culture, arts, and traditions.”

Outgoing Mayor Quirina T. Sarte echoed the same sentiment. “We are very much honored that we have in our midst, from our hometown, a national artist,” she said. “Today’s generation need to know that we have such kind of personality here.”

Unfortunately, not too many people from Bansalan know her. Even after her death, no one ever heard of Monon. When she died in 2009, no one noticed of her passing.

But Malacanang has never forgotten her. So much so that President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared December 12, 2020 to December 11, 2021 as the Centennial Year of Manlilikha ng Bayan Salinta Monon.

It was through the late Councilor Lord Espina that I came to know Monon. At one time, he mentioned the last Bagobo weaver, as she was known, to me and that she was recognized by the national government as a GAMABA recipient.

Not too many people had the opportunity of meeting her personally. One deterrent is the remoteness of her barangay, Bitaug, which at that time can be reached via dirt roads that can only be traversed by so-called “skylab” vehicles (motorcycles to which wooden planks have been strapped to accommodate

other passengers).

Although Bitaug is just about six kilometers away from the national highway, it would take some thirty minutes to visit her place.

But once you got to the place and talked with her, it was a great honor.

Salinta was weaving when I first saw her. She was busy but when she saw us standing outside the door, she stopped and said, “Dayon mo” (the Visayan words for “Come in”). We did and my eyes wandered around the place.

She was shy and a woman of few words. She won’t say a word unless you asked her. To start our conversation, I asked her about her encounter with then American President William “Bill” Clinton (as I saw a picture frame of her picture together with him hanging in the wall).

The encounter happened at the White House.

“I was weaving,” she said in her dialect, “and he came to me. I think he was asking me about something but since I couldn’t understand what he said, I just smiled and went back weaving.”

Salinta was born on December 12, 1920 in Bitaug, a place inhabited by the Bagobos. She was still a little girl when she watched her mother weave ikat, a cloth made from abaca fibers.

Abaca looks like a banana plant. Like pili nut and narra, it is endemic in the Philippines. In the international market, it is known as Manila hemp.

At 12, Salinta asked her mother if she could teach her how to work the loom which her mother obliged.

In just a matter of a few months of constant practice, she quickly excelled in the craft. “You are good,” her mother told her.

It wasn’t until Salin-

ta was already a teenager that she developed a keen eye for traditional designs.

One of her favorites was the most difficult binuwaya (crocodile). According to New York-based anthropologist Cherry Quizon, one of the first people to meet her, Salinta’s designs could be traced back to as far as 100 years.

Salinta grew up to be a beautiful lady. She caught the attention of many men but there was only one man who caught her attention: Agton Monon. Because of her weaving skills, the groom, who was a farmer, had to pay a higher bride price to Salinta’s father, Datu Bansalan Barra, so he could marry her on July 4, 1946.

The couple was blessed with five children: daughter Roda and sons Sayko, Elias, Marciano and Danilo. After her husband died in the early 1970s, Salinta tended the farm, took care of her children and continued weaving as a source of extra income.

Alexis Laura Feliciano, in an article which appeared in The Manila Times, observed: “She never thought of giving up her craft even with the dwindling number of Bagobo women interested in weaving, as only a few women have the inclination, patience or perseverance to last through the intensive training and discipline to become a fullfledged weaver.”

Abaca weaving is a laborious task. According to Salinta, it would take her three to four months to finish a fabric that measures 3.5 meters by 42 centimeters in length. One abaca tube skirt can be finished within a month. “It takes time but the result is great,” she pointed out.

The painstaking pro-

cess commences with the stripping of the abaca plant to get the fiber for textile, drying the threads and tying each strand by hand.

What follows next is the delicate task of setting the strands on the “bed-tying” bamboo frame. The bud or the tying of abaca fiber is what actually defines the design, she explained.

For Salinta, she was just doing what her mother and grandmothers did before her. So, when she was named as one of the GAMABA awardees, she was completely lost for words to describe her emotions. “I was totally caught by surprise when I was chosen as one of the country’s folk artists,” she said.

During the town anniversary in 2007, then Mayor Edwin Reyes bestowed on her the recognition she rightfully deserved. She was also part of the grand parade that year when a program was held in her honor.

On June 4, 2009, at the age of 88, Salinta died peacefully. “Born in ambiguity from a vanishing aboriginal tribe, she died a giant among men.” Such was the tribute of the former Mayor Reyes when he learned of Salinta’s demise.

Reyes referred to Salinta’s death as “an irreparable national loss.” It ended an era that put Bansalan on the world map. “We lost a priceless cultural treasure,” he added.

But Monon will live forever – in the hearts of those whom she touched and taught.

“Forging her heart as a mentor, a creative warrior, and a Manlilikha ng Bayan, may we also live in our hearts the purpose of her hard work and firm stand to safeguard Bagobo textile weaving,” Casaysay urged.

assets against fraud and misuse, data privacy protection, and redress of complaints.

WHY IS THE LAW NECESSARY? While the number of banked Filipino adults expanded by 53 percent during the first quarter of 2021 due to the rise of e-money accounts, consumers faced the risks of small scale fraud, investment scams, and financial hacking, Sen. Grace Poe earlier said.

Around 44 percent of Filipinos have been

targeted by digital fraud while fraud attempts against businesses have risen by 31 percent, she noted, citing data from credit reporting company TransUnion in March 2021.

“The increase in financial inclusion resulted in the marked increase in incidence of financial fraud and scams… thus the need for the law that lists all rights of financial consumers,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies.

enough to foil the challenge of hometown favorite Cong Lich Quach, who finished with 50.82. Singapore’s Jun Jie Calvin Quek bagged the bronze with 51.19.

Cray, a Fil-American, holds the SEA Games record of 49.40.

The other Filipino hurdler in Francis Medina ended in fifth with 51.77, just behind Vietnam’s Duc Son Nguyen’s 51.40.

Cray’s gold was the fourth for the athletics contingent here, to go with Ernest John Obiena’s

record-smashing performance in pole vault, William Morrison’s shotput triumph, and Clinton Kingsley Bautista’s new national record of 13.78 seconds in the 110m hurdles that broke his own mark of 13.97 set during the 2019 SEA Games.

Efren “Bata” Reyes remained in the running in the 1-cushion carom singles as well as Chezka Centeno, who is still in the hunt in 10-ball-singles where she is the reigning champion

and enterprise segments,” Uy said.

In the first quarter of 2022, the company has grown its revenue by 50 percent to PHP7.75 billion compared to the same period last year.

Converge said the first quarter of 2022 ended with the company having 1,802,202 residential subscribers, a 52.5 percent increase from March 2021.

The company also continues to “aggressively” roll out its fiber ports nationwide, reaching 6.5

million ports in March this year, on track to reach its “accelerated target” of 7.5 million to 8 million ports by 2023.

In the first three months of 2022 alone, Converge deployed 643,528 new “fiberto-the-home” ports.

This, it said, was the “fastest among the local players in the industry.”

As of March 31, 2022, Converge’s nationwide network has reached more than 12.2 million homes, representing 47.3 percent household coverage.

than half of the outputs Monday with four and three minutes, respectively, with the pair of Jean Mischa Aranar and Ana Nualla, completing a golden treble in tango, Viennese waltz, and all final dance standards at the Long Bien Gymnasium.

World champion Carlos Edriel Yulo, on the other hand, emerged as the country’s top individual athlete by adding the men’s vault and high bar mints to his bulging collection plus a silver in parallel bars at the Quan Ngua Sports Palace.

Among those who

shared the spotlight were swimmer Chloe Isleta and bowler Merwin Tan, who produced the first golds for their respective disciplines in the 200-meter women’s backstroke and men’s singles events, respectively.

“We still have several sports where our athletes can win medals, and hopefully they can deliver,” said Fernandez, who is also a commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission and has been in the Vietnamese capital since May 1 to oversee the needs of the Philippine delegation.

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The Philippines’ Eric Cray proudly celebrates with the flag.

Cray wins 7th career gold in SEA Games

H

ANOI – Ageless Eric Cray extended his reign as the region’s 400m hurdles’ king with another blazing show at the track to clinch his seventh career gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games at the My Dinh National Stadium here on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old Cray, given up for dead by critics for failing to join the Tokyo Olympics team due to injury, was back with a

vengeance as he submitted a time of 50.41 seconds to clinch his fifth straight 400m hurdles’ SEAG gold in a reign that began during

ANOI – Halfway through the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, national team chef de mission Ramon Fernandez was optimistic that if the trend continues, the county will hit its goal of finishing third overall in the medal standings.

“We are halfway through the Games, and we are in the top three of the medal standings, thank

God. We are well within our target of finishing at least third overall. We just have to maintain our performance until the end,” Fernandez said Tuesday.

Despite limited resources and training that was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic back home, the Filipino campaigners were putting up a gallant stand, delivering their biggest haul thus far

the 2013 biennial meet in Myanmar.

“Man, it’s a blessing (winning his seventh SEAG gold), I thank God for this, I feel that I still got one more left in me,” said Cray, who had to endure hamstring issues in these games.

Cray’s time fell short of the 50.21 he did in the 2019 Philippine SEA Games, but it was enough to foil the challenge of hometown favorite Cong Lich Quach, who finished with 50.82.

Singapore’s Jun Jie Calvin Quek bagged the bronze

PH on track to finish 3rd overall: Fernandez H

the other day of 10 gold medals.

They were in the third spot with a tally of 30 golds, 34 silvers, and 50 bronzes as of Monday night, within striking distance of No. 2 Thailand (34-35-50), while host Vietnam continued to be out of reach at the top (83-50-55) Dancesport and gymnastics accounted for more

FPH, P10

with 51.19. The Fil-American Cray holds the SEA Games record of 49.40.

The other Filipino hurdler in Francis Medina ended in fifth with 51.77, just behind Vietnam’s Duc Son Nguyen’s 51.40.

Cray, the 2017 Asian Athletics’ champion, is expected to suit up in the 100 meters on Wednesday to shoot for a personal 8th gold when he runs in the century dash, where was the champion during the 2015 Singapore SEA Games.

“That would be intense,

so I will try to rest up tonight,” added Cray, who was also part of the 2019 4x100 mixed relay champion team during the 2019 edition.

Cray’s feat was the fourth gold for the athletics’ contingent in the biennial meet, to go with Ernest John Obiena’s record-smashing performance in pole vault, William Morrison’s shotput triumph and Clinton Kingsley Bautista’s new national record of 13.78 seconds in the 110m hurdles that broke his own 13.97 set during the 2019 SEA Games.

In other results Tuesday, Morrison settled for the bronze with a hurl of 50.44 meters in the men’s discus throw ruled by reigning champion Malaysian Irfan Bin Shamshuddin.

Also late Monday, three athletics’ bets bagged bronze medals, namely Alyana Nicolas in pole vault with a leap of 3.6 meters, Joida Gagnap in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase and Jelly Paragile in the women’s 110m hurdles with a clocking of 0:00:13.720. (PR)

Ella Fajardo ((5) in action in women’s basketball.

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Lebron Lopez shone in his SEA Games debut, wowing the crowd with his high-flying moves, and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks as Gilas scored its second straight win, a day after holding off perennial rival Thailand 76-73.

DOMINATION

Gilas stamps class over lowly Cambodia

H

ANOI – Gilas Pilipinas proved too strong for Cambodia, scoring a runaway 100-32 win at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium, while the Gilas

women, bolstered by a rousing opening-day win over Indonesia, faces a big test Wednesday when it battles a Thai side seeking revenge.

Lebron Lopez shone in his SEA Games debut, wowing the crowd with his high-flying moves, and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two blocks as Gilas scored its second straight win, a day after holding off perennial rival Thailand 76-73.

Evergreen Eric Cray extended his reign as the 400-meter hurdles’ king to highlight a lean four-gold medal production as the Philippines held on to third place Tuesday in the 31st Southeast Asian Games here.

Taekwondo produced a second gold courtesy of Kurt Bryan Barbosa, Rubilen Amit delivered the first mint in billiards, and a Muay Thai women’s pair also triumphed for the national squad keen on wrestling second overall from Thailand.

A day after basking in a 10gold surge, the Filipinos, whose stint here is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, improved their tally to 34 golds, 37 silvers and 47 bronzes, while Thailand threatened to solidify its hold on second with a 40-40-62 haul.

Host Vietnam continued to widen its lead with a 95-62-62 count, with Singapore in fourth (27-31-32) and Indonesia in fifth (25-38-35).

Pinoy athletes also won four silver medals, two of them in athletics, on top of nine bronzes.

Given up for dead by critics after missing the Tokyo Olympics due to injury, the 33-year-old Cray returned with a vengeance, clocking 50.41 seconds for his fifth straight 400m gold in a reign that started during the biennial meet

in Myanmar.

Also the winner of the 2015 century dash in Singapore and a member of the winning 4x100m mixed relay team in 2019, Cray is expected to suit up in the 100 meters on Wednesday to shoot for a personal eighth gold medal at the My Dinh National Stadium.

“That would be intense, so I will try to rest up tonight,” said Cray, the 2017 Asian Athletics champion.

With Philippine Olympic Committee President and Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino watching, Barbosa routed Jaijulla Panachai of Thailand 16-7 in the men’s minus 54 kg of taekwondo at the Tay Ho Gymnasium, adding to the golden win of Jocel Lyn Ninoble in women’s poomsae last Sunday.

Billiards, which has been a constant source of pride in the international scene, helped propped up the country on a lean day, with Amit beating Jessica Chan of Singapore 7-1 in the women’s finals of 9-ball singles at the Hadong District Sporting Hall.

Another sure gold will come from billiards on Wednesday, with Carlo Biado, the reigning US Open champion, facing Johann Chua in an all-Filipino finals in men’s 9-ball singles.

The Muay Thai tandem of Islay Erika Bomogao and Rhichein Yosorez perked up the sagging Pinoy spirit later in the day by topping the women’s waikru mai muay contest.

Cray fell short of his time of 50.21 seconds in the 2019 Philippine SEA Games but it was

FDOMINATION, P10