Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 94 | Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022

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VOL.15 ISSUE 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

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HITTING BACK Sara lambasts Makabayan bloc over SONA attire, Salugpungan schools STORY ON PAGE 2

A resident walks by piles of concrete blocks that will be used for the ongoing construction of the Davao Coastal Road project near a community in Brgy. 23-C Isla Verde, Davao City over the weekend. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday promised to continue the infrastructure projects of the Duterte administration. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

Former President Rodrigo Duterte describes the late President Fidel Ramos as a great statesman, mentor, and friend. Ramos passed away on Sunday at the age of 94. Edge Davao

HITTING BACK T

Cotabato City Health Office now under BARMM’s Ministry of Health

Sara lambasts Makabayan bloc over SONA attire, Salugpungan schools

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ducation Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte lambasted the Makabayan bloc for the adverse comments over her traditional Bagobo Tagabawa attire during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Vice President said the Makabayan lawmakers are “desperately spinning things around as they scramble to make sense in a world that has already rendered them inconsequential.”

The Makabayan bloc

reportedly denounced her Bagobo Tagabawa outfit as “callous and twisted justification” and likened her to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “red-tagging and terror-tagging” and closing down of Lumad schools in Davao City.

“From the Bagobo Tagabawa dress that I wore to the SONA to Salugpungan schools shut down in Davao City and the red-tagging of Eufemia Cullamat — we have seen how Makabayan Bloc is desperately spinning things around as they scramble to make sense in a world that has already rendered them inconsequential. Makabayan bloc, with member partylist groups suffering the tragedy of losing during in the election last May — and this is something that speaks

volumes of their relevance today and could, even more, speak volumes of their contribution to nation building, or the apparent lack of it — now attempts to make the Filipino public believe that their intentions are noble when they curiously started this tit-for-tat with a criticism of that Bagobo Tagabawa dress I wore to the SONA,” Duterte said in a statement.

Duterte stressed that Makabayan bloc cannot be trusted and no self-respect-

top post.

“I am one with his wife, Ming, his family, his friends, and the entire Filipino people in mourning the death of a great statesman, mentor, and friend,” Duterte said.

“As we grieve for his loss, let us honor his legacy of service and his signifi-

cant contributions to the country,” he added.

The Ramos family announced his death in an official statement.

“We thank you all for respecting our privacy, as the family takes some time to grieve together,” the family said.

Wake and funeral ar-

rangements for the former president will be announced later, the family added.

Ramos was President from 1992 to 1998.

Before that, he was Secretary of National Defense from January 22, 1988 to July 18, 1991, Chief of

FHITTING, P10

Ex-Pres. Duterte on FVR: ‘great statesman, mentor, and friend’

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great statesman, mentor, and friend” was how former President Rodrigo Duterte described the late President Fidel Ramos.

Ramos supported Duterte’s bid for the Presidency in 2016. He was among those who convinced him to run for the

FEX-PRES. , P10

he City Health Office (CHO) of Cotabato City is now under the supervision of the Ministry of Health (MOH) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The turnover ceremony has held on Friday, July 29, the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO) reported.

It quoted OIC Minister of Health Zul Qarneyn Abas as saying “buong puso naming tinatanggap ang (we wholeheartedly accept the) City Health Office into the folds of BARMM, especially to the Ministry of Health.”

Abas said there will be no major changes in the office as it is still be under the city government.

“We are confident with the leadership and capability of your City Health Officer, your doctors, and program coordinators,” he added.

Cotabato City voted for inclusion in the BARMM in the plebiscite of January 2019 but then Cotabato City mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi urged then President Rodrigo Duterte to maintain the status quo until the end of the transition period on June 30, 2022. The transition period was extended to June 30, 2025.

The city officially became part of the region on December 15, 2020.

Guiani lost her reelection bid for mayor. The new mayor, Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao, ran under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that has a peace agreement with the government – the Comprehensive Agreement of 2014.

The MILF leads the 80-mem-

ber Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the body tasked to govern the BARMM during the transition period.

During the turnover, Abas received from City Health Officer II Dr. Marlow Niñal a copy of the CHO’s Local Investment Plan for Health and Annual Operation Plan, which Abas promised to review so the ministry can respond accordingly.

The BIO also reported that Niñal narrated that lack of facilities and human resources are among the major problems that he hopes the MOH will address to enhance CHO’s quality of service delivery.

“Kung naibigay sa amin ito (tulong) noon pa, siguro naging center for excellence itong Cotabato City. Ngayong nandito na kami, nakikipagtulungan na kami sa BARMM— malaking pasalamat namin dito at malaking epekto ito sa mga Cotabateño” (If this help had been given to us before, Cotabato City would probably have been a center for excellence), the BIO quoted Niñal as saying.

The BIO said a coordination meeting was held after the turnover ceremony where the programs of the MOH were presented under its Family Health cluster, Non-Communicable Cluster, Infectious Disease Cluster, Regulations, Licensing and Enforcement Division, Nutrition, Water Sanitation, and Hygiene Cluster, Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Units / Health Emergency Management Bureau, Human Resource for Health, Barangay Health Workers, and Health Facility Development Division. (MindaNews)

EDGEDAVAO

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NEWS

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Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORDECO) officer in charge Elvera Alngog bares during this week’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao that the submarine cable project on the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) in Davao del Norte, which will address its power problem, is already 75 percent complete and will be operational next year. Edge Davao

Pulong forgives Aussie who tried to run him over in 2013 ‘Anyone is at risk’ of monkeypox via intimate contact, expert says

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nyone can get infected with monkeypox through close intimate contact, an infectious disease expert warned Monday.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that 98 percent of those infected with monkeypox were gay or bisexual men, and 95 percent of cases were transmitted through sexual activity.

“It’s safe to say anybody who has close intimate contact with a person having monkeypox then you have high risk of getting the infection,” Dr. Rontgene Solante, head of adult infectious diseases at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, said.

“This is an infection that everybody or anyone is at risk, it just so happened at this point in time this outbreak has occurred in this group of population.”

Solante warned against improper labeling of the disease as it can lead to stigmatization and discrimination.

“We just have to advise

that who had these lesions, anybody can get the infection regardless of what risk group are you and the important message there is anybody is at risk of monkeypox,” he said.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and then followed by skin lesions.

“These lesions may not totally look like chickenpox, most have very few lesions, less than 10 or 20, unlike in chickenpox or smallpox it usually spreads all over the body,” he said.

“There are also symptoms like tonsillitis, oral lesions which are not common with monkeypox in the past.”

The disease is self-limiting “most of the time,” lasting 2 to 3 weeks, according so Solante.

“When you have skin lesions you have to isolate already,” he said.

The disease has a “very low fatality rate,” Solante added. Out of 22,000 re-

F’ANYONE, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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Michael Hatcher, 82, was apprehended by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) operatives after he filed a complaint at the Pasig police station.

According to the report of Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, CIDG National Capital Re-

gion field unit chief, Hatcher went to the police station to report a man posing as a treasure scammer who allegedly is attempting to dupe him into buying one ton of gold bars from Mindanao in exchange for P54 million.

Upon checking Hatcher’s name at the E-Warrant System during a background investigation, it turned out he has a warrant of arrest issued by a court in Davao City in September 2015 for direct assault upon an agent of the person of authority with attempted murder.

It also found out that Hatcher was accused of trying to run over Duterte and a police escort along McArthur Highway in Davao City in 2013.

After he was informed of the arrest, Rep. Duterte issued a statement forgiving

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CO, told media in a press briefing on Sunday that the project is already 75 percent complete and is targeted to be operational by the first quarter of 2023.

The submarine cable will be transported possibly

by September. Transportation of the cables will take

three months.

“Meron tayong submarine cable na almost done na. Supposedly, this year pero na delay due to the pandemic. Ang submarine cable is around 75 percent complete na kay gi-travel naman ang cable so by the first quarter of 2023 possi-

orgive and forget.

That’s exactly what Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte did after learning that an Australian man he sued for attempting to run over him in 2013 was “accidentally” apprehended by Police in Pasig City on Thursday.

Hatcher who was wanted for trying to run him over in 2013 when he was still the vice mayor of Davao City.

“It has come to my attention that a certain Michael Hatcher was apprehended

by CIDG supposedly under a warrant of arrest issued for a pending case in Davao City involving me and a local police officer. I remember very well what happened between me and Mr. Hatcher and it pains me every time I am reminded of it,” Duterte said in a statement.

Nevertheless, Duterte

ble na ma implement na ang submarine cable,” Alngog said.

The 14.7-kilometer submarine cable, which will have a carrying capacity of 50 megawatts (MW), will connect Barangay Aundanao in IGaCoS to the Pantu-

FPULONG, P10

Submarine cable expected to stabilize power supply in Samal he P1.1-billion submarine cable project of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative Inc. (NORDECO) is expected to stabilize the power supply in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS).

Elvera S. Alngog, officer-in-charge of NORDE-

FSUBMARINE, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

vehicle is being refilled at a gasoline station in Brgy. Sasa, Davao City on Monday. Oil firms have implement another fuel prices adjustment starting early morning today. Edge Davao

Oil firms adjust fuel, LPG prices

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il companies announced adjustments on prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and petroleum products at the start of August.

Petron said it cut LPG prices by PHP2.05 per kilogram and PHP1.15 per liter for AutoLPG. Petron’s price rollback started at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.

“These reflect the in-

ternational contract price of LPG for the month of August,” Petron said.

Eastern Petroleum also said it will slash Eastern EC Gas LPG by PHP1.70 per kilogram.

With the rollback, prices of regular 11-kilogram LPG decreased by PHP18.70 to PHP22.55 this month.

LPG prices have gone down for four consecutive months.

Meanwhile, oil firms will adjust fuel prices starting Tuesday morning.

Cleanfuel, Eastern Pe-

he newest international cable system in the Philippines went officially online after PLDT launched the system on Friday.

In a statement, PLDT said the Jupiter Cable system has been “fired up” and is seen to “immensely boost” the country’s international data capacity and advance digital infrastructure.

“The 14,000-km. Jupiter Cable system is the newest international gateway connecting the Philippines

directly from PLDT’s cable landing station in Daet, Camarines Norte to Japan and the US West Coast,” it said.

The cable system, it said, would triple PLDT’s international capacity to 60 Terabits per second and is seen to be especially useful since a bulk of Internet content and services accessed by Filipinos are from servers in the US and Japan.

“The capacity offered by Jupiter is expected to help promote the Philippines to global hyper scalers and po-

sition the country as the new digital hub in the Asia-Pacific,” the statement added.

“Hyper scalers” are usually cloud service providers that use hyper-scale computing, an agile method of processing data that can quickly go up and down depending on data traffic.

This computing method can be used in data centers and the cloud to accommodate fluctuating demand.

By increasing the country’s international data capacity, it said the Jupiter

troleum, Petro Gazz, Seaoil and Shell said they will roll back diesel prices by PHP0.60 per liter and will implement an increase of PHP0.75 per liter for gasoline products.

Seaoil and Shell will also slash kerosene prices

by PHP0.75 per liter.

Other oil industry players are expected to follow suit. (PNA)

cable would enhance the country’s image as an investment destination.

The cable system was launched in a celebration at the Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, led by PLDT chairman Manuel Pangilinan. Among the guests were Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Japan Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko, and US Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson.

Jupiter cable: PH’s newest data link to US, Japan now online T

DAR installs 58 ARBs in M’lang, NorCot

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total of 58 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) have finally occupied the 55.9-hectare agricultural land in Barangay New Kalibo, M’lang, North Cotabato after they were installed by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Charish Paña said that prior to the installation of the ARBs to the then banana plantation, there were individuals, who were not among those identified as legitimate fa r m e r - b e n e f i c i a r i e s , who intruded the area, thus restraining the entry of the DAR’s identified ARBs or land title holders.

“Because of the intrusion, the DAR was constrained to recommend the issuance of a writ of installation. The activity was another social justice served for our ARBs. Aside from the land given to them, we will ensure that they will also get the support services they need to make their lands productive,” Paña said.

The landholdings were acquired by the DAR through the Compulsory Acquisition Scheme of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which is the redistribution of public and private agricultur-

al lands to farmers and farmworkers who are landless, irrespective of tenurial arrangement.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Oding Yusoph thanked the DAR management for their full support and prompt action in the issuance of the writ of installation.

“We are very happy about this feat for the ARBs and we also appreciate the active collaboration of partner agencies, particularly the barangay governments of New Rizal and New Kalibo for their facilitation in the area as well as the Municipal Police Office of M’lang for providing security assistance,” Yusoph said.

Meanwhile, New Kalibo Barangay Chairman Haide Pines expressed her gratitude to the DAR for their time and effort in the process of coverage until the installation of the ARBs in the area.

“We are very happy that all the beneficiaries are already occupying the assigned lots and that we can call the land of our own now,” Pines said.

She also committed that they would do their best together with the other beneficiaries to take good care of the land and make it productive for their families survival and daily sustenance.

EDGEDAVAO

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ECONOMY

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Lifebuoys of various shapes and sizes are being sold across the series of swimming pools of Timoga in Iligan City. More than a dozen pools have been built in the area because of the natural cool waters cascading from the mountains. Photo taken Saturday (30 July 2022) by BOBBY TIMONERA / MindaNews

DTI 11 signs pact with UP-Min’s incubation program beneficiary T he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with one of the beneficiaries of the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao’s incubation program.

The agency, being a strong ally of innovation, has been consistently looking for ways to keep on improving its processes. It has been constantly implementing programs and projects that would positively impact its clients - the business sector and consumers.

Among the latest initiatives of DTI 11 is its partnership with GeoPik Technologies, Incorporated.

The tech firm is a beneficiary of the University of the Philippines Growing and Developing Enterprises-Technology Business Incubation (UPGrade-TBI).

As an “incubatee” of the

JFC opens first branch of Tim Ho Wan in Hangzhou

J

ollibee Foods Corp said it has opened the first Tim Ho Wan branch in Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province in its bid to grow its presence in China.

The new outlet, Tim Ho Wan’s 9th in China, opened last June 29 “as part of the company’s aggressive expansion in overseas markets,” JFC said in a statement.

“We are excited to continue growing the Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan in Mainland China. We are encouraged by the strong reception and continued patronage for our brands

in this region,” said Jollibee Group CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong.

The new branch is located in the Mixc Mall in Hanzhou, which is considered among the largest urban areas in the country, JFC said.

“Opening Tim Ho Wan in Hangzhou, one of China’s key cities, is instrumental to the expansion of the Tim Ho Wan and the growth of Jollibee Group in this part of the globe,” said Jollibee Foods Corporation China and Yonghe King President Louie Liu.

program, it is a recipient of the interventions provided by the Davao City-based technology business incubator.

The UPGrade-TBI assists in the growth of aspiring entrepreneurs and startups through its innovation and incubation programs. It started last December 2021 and will run for nine months.

The MOA signing today marks another milestone for DTI 11 and GeoPik Technologies, Inc. since this signals an improvement in how it manages its reports and numerous data.

The latter will provide its technical expertise for free, specifically in developing

a system that will manage the former’s data sets.

DTI 11 Assistant Regional Director Delia M. Ayano, who represented Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi, shared her appreciation for GeoPik Technologies in her opening remarks.

“Initially, we thought of developing this system on our own. We tapped our information technology unit to work on it with our knowledge management team since we really want it to be integrated into our Knowledge Resource Hub,” Ayano said. “However, with the vital features that we want to be included in it, we realized that it’s too

complex already. This is the very reason why we are grateful to Geopik Technologies Inc. for readily extending a hand for us to realize this vision.”

She added that as an organization, the DTI 11 has always embraced the value of passion.

“It is nothing but normal for us to adapt to changes by continuously improving our competence to deliver better services to our clients. And how do we do this? Of course, through innovation,” the local trade official noted.

In the meantime, Ayano shared that the DTI 11-GeoPik Integration project is a timely response

to address the demands of a more effective and efficient reporting of accomplishments. Likewise, it is also seen as a data analytics program that will put substance and quality into its performance reports.

Meanwhile, for his part, GeoPik Technologies, Inc. founder John Ryan Loyloy expressed his commitment to ensuring that the solution it is developing will be beneficial to the organization. Further, he reiterated that he and his team are committed to maximizing the benefits of analytics.

The project is expected to be done by December this year.DTI11

businesses, the bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

Customer loan portfolio went up by 9 percent driven by an 11 percent increase in CASA or Current Account Savings Account deposits, it said.

Its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio or bad loans is down to 2.39 percent while its NPL coverage is higher at 138 percent.

Capital ratios, meanwhile, remain comfortably above the regulatory minimum, BDO said.

It said it is also continuously rolling out digital capabilities and self-service technologies to make banking services more accessible and easy to use.

BOD has over 1,500 operating branches and 4,500 ATMs nationwide.

BDO net income up 12% to P23.9B in H1 of 2022

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DO Unibank on Monday said its net income for the first half reached P23.9 billion, up 12 percent compared to the same period last year.

The performance was attributed to the strong results across its core

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

On the Makabayan bloc’s adverse comments over her traditional Bagobo Tagabawa attire during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.:

From the Bagobo Tagabawa dress that I wore to the SONA to Salugpungan schools shut down in Davao City and the redtagging of Eufemia Cullamat — we have seen how Makabayan Bloc is desperately spinning things around as they scramble to make sense in a world that has already rendered them inconsequential.

Makabayan bloc, with member partylist groups suffering the tragedy of losing during in the election last May — and this is something that speaks volumes of their relevance today and could, even more, speak volumes of their contribution to nation building, or the apparent lack of it — now attempts to make the Filipino public believe that their intentions are noble when they curiously started this tit-for-tat with a criticism of that Bagobo Tagabawa dress I wore to the SONA.”

VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE

Concurrent Education Secretary

EDGEDAVAO

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ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN MEGHANN STA. INES FERINA SANTOS Lifestyle

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 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

PREFER LOCAL RICE THAN IMPORTED RICE “One more rice, please!”

That call, which rings at dinner time in all restaurants and small eateries, best sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up. Viand, after all, is expensive while rice is not.

Since most people can’t fill up with ulam, they fill up their consumption with rice. Studies have shown that one-half cup of rice can furnish 82 calories of energy, enough to give someone energy to walk 26 minutes.

Although rice is basically a complex carbohydrate, its protein contains all eight of essential amino acids and complements the amino acids found in many other foods. Low in sodium and fat, with no cholesterol or gluten, it is a boon to weight conscious and those allergic to other grains. It is also low in fiber and easily digested.

“Rice is the principal food for over 60% of mankind,” points out the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). It is particularly important to Asia where over half of the world’s population lives.

In the Philippines, rice is the staple food, along with fish. In fact, rice seems to represent life itself. “Rice is everywhere, in our language as metaphor,” said noted novelist F. Sionil Jose. Thus, if you want to tell someone that he still has a lot of growing up to do intellectually, you would say, “Marami ka pang bigas na kakainin.”

“During the colonization period, rice became a symbol of the power of the landlord over the tenant,” wrote national scientist Gelia T. Castillo, a rural sociologist.

“In times of scarcity, only tutong and lugaw are eaten; hence, the lack of rice has become the symbol of poverty. In the theater, rice portrays our politics and our economics.”

Despite the popularity of burgers these days among the non-poor and the proliferation of fast-food outlets, most Filipinos still consider a meal incomplete without rice.

In a survey done for the World Bank, it was found that eighty-percent of all respondents consumed rice three or more times a day.

Sixteen percent said they ate rice twice a day while only one percent said once. Most of those who ate rice thrice a day belonged to the middle class (81%) and the rich (79%).

“If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino,” said the late food epicure Doreen Fernandez.

The Philippines is one of the world’s biggest rice producers.

In 2019, it produced about 18.8 million metric tons of palay (unhusked rice). That is almost close to the average amount the country produces, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The figure might be huge but it was not enough, said an Esquire

report. In fact, the Philippines is also one of the world’s biggest rice importers. In 2019, it purchased 2.9 million tons of the grain. It is still doing now to fill the gap.

Some government officials said that it is much cheaper to import rice. As a result, the country experienced a proliferation of inexpensive, low-quality imported rice.

Alarming is the fact that those imported rice are “of very low quality” and “go stale easily,” observed the consumer group, Samahan at Ugnayan ng mga Konsyumer para sa Ikauunlad ng Bayan (SUKI).

What most Filipinos don’t know is that locally-produced rice is safer to eat and healthier compared to those imported ones.

“Consumers can be assured that locally-produced rice is safe because it is not being shipped and stored for a long time,” explained Dr. Marissa V. Romero, a food scientist at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice). “There is no need to fumigate them with chemicals.”

In addition, no one knows how those imported rice were grown.

In a webinar aired on PhilRice’s social media page, Dr. Romero shared a study comparing pesticide use in rice farms in the country and other Asian countries (China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam).

“The study shows that Filipino farmers use less pesticides,” she pointed out, adding that Filipino

rice farmers are being taught to use integrated pest management to protect their crops from pests.

In a study conducted by PhilRice, researchers collected imported rice samples from Southeast Asia, which were compared with locally-produced rice in terms of heavy metals.

“All 20 samples had below the allowed maximum level (ML) for arsenic, mercury and cadmium but samples from Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand exceeded the limit for lead,” Dr. Romero said.

Esquire said heavy metal contamination is oftentimes caused by mining, fertilizers, pesticides, and sewage sludge. “Consuming these heavy metals can lead to serious health conditions like hypertension, skin disease, and neurological defects,” it said.

The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standard has established the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for milled rice, which includes the maximum residue limits for pesticides and ML for heavy metals in rice. In fact, the country has even a separate PNS when it comes to specific pesticide residue for rice.

More importantly, the Philippines has diverse rice varieties catering the different preferences of rice stakeholders.

“We always have quality rice to offer depending on the quality that consumers look for: from milling, physical, physichochemical, cooking, eating, and nutritional quali-

ties,” Dr. Romero said.

Meanwhile, Filipinos could lessen the rice shortage by minimizing wastage. The Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said every Filipino wastes an average of three tablespoons (9 grams) of rice daily.

That is equivalent to 3.3 kilograms per year.

IRRI said in its publication, “That rice you throw away,” that wasted grams per head vary in different regions of the Philippines.

For Luzon, the daily rice and product wastage is 16 grams per capita or higher than 12 grams for both the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Also, middle-class families tend to waste more than low-income families. Apparently, the more people have, the more they waste,” the IRRI report said.

Filipinos have been eating rice since time immemorial. The world-famous Ifugao Rice Terraces is a living testimony to that. In his chronicle, “First Voyage Around the World,” Pigafetta wrote that the salty meal of early Filipinos was balanced by rice, a bland background for the main dish.

Rice (scientifically known: Oryza sativa) is the common name for about 19 species of annual herbs of the grass family. It is cultivated in most countries of East Asia, Egypt and the countries of southernmost Europe, the southern United States, and Brazil are other important rice-producing regions.

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG PEYUPS

CINEMALAYA THROUGH THE YEARS I have been watching Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival since it started in 2004, or 18 years ago, which is held annually at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and various cinemas.

The films, often called “indie films”, embody Cinemalaya’s vision : “the creation of new cinematic works by Filipino filmmakers“ works that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.”

It also aims to invigorate the Philippine filmmaking by developing a new breed of Filipino filmmakers.

After a two-year wait as a result of the series of COVID-19 lockdowns, Cinemalaya will finally again be a face-to-face event with a full-length feature category. It will run from August 5 to 14, 2022 at the CCP. With the theme “Breaking Through the Noise,” this year’s eleven competing full length films include Kaluskos, 12 Weeks, Angkas, Bakit Di Mo Sabihin?, Batsoy, Blue Room; Bula sa Langit, Ginhawa; Kargo, Retirada, and The Baseball Player. The short film section has twelve competing en-

tries.

The past winning films in the New Breed category included Pepot Artista (2005), Tulad ng Dati (2006), Tribu (2007), Jay (2008), Last Supper No. 3 (2009), Halaw (2010), Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011), Diablo (2012), Transit (2013), and Bwaya (2014).

The winners in the Directors’ showcase included Donor (2010), Bisperas (2011), Posas (2012), Sana Dati (2013) and Kasal (2014).

The winners in the Main competition included Pamilya Ordinaryo (2016), Respeto (2017), Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (2018), and John Denver Trending (2019).

Eddie Garcia won Best Actor thrice for ICU Bed#7 (2005 ), Bwakaw (2012), and ML (2018) while Baron Geisler twice for Jay (2008) and Donor (2010).

Two actresses won the Best Actress awards twice: Merylle Soriano for Room Boy (2005) and Donor (2010) and Ina Feleo for Endo ( 2007) and Sanglaan (2009).

Two persons won the Best Director award twice : Aureus Solito for Pisay (2007) and Busong (2011) while the late Eduardo Roy,

Jr for Pamilya Ordinaryo (2011) and Fuccbois (2019). Roy died last February 21 due to pulmonary embolism.

Roy also directed Quick Change where transgender Mimi Juareza won as Best Actor in the 2013 New Breed section.

In the Directors’ showcase, Vilma Santos won Best Actress in Ekstra (2013) while Nora Aunor won the following year for Hustisya (2014) while there was no winner for Best Actor in 2013.

In 2012, the best actress award was given in the Director’s showcase to an ensemble, Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro, and Janice de Belen of Mga Mumunting Lihim. The same happened in the New Breed category in 2007 when the cast of Tribu grabbed the trophy for best actor award also as an ensemble.

The youngest winner of best actor award was Noel Comia,Jr. for Kiko Boksingero (2017) when he was then 13 years old followed by 15-year old Jansen Magpusao for John Denver Trending (2019).

Only short films competed in 2015, 2020 and 2021.

Although it did not won the Best film award in 2005, “Ang Pag-

dadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” by Auraeus Solito became one of the icons of indie films.

My passion in watching Cinemalaya films perhaps is an offshoot of my exposure to experimental films during my college years in the late ‘80s and ‘90s at the UP Diliman where I saw several highly sensitive and political films.

The UP Film Center served as a venue to screen films free from censorship as some of them were even banned from commercial viewing.

Some of the films I saw included Lino Brocka’s “Maynila, Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag” (1975) and “Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim” (1985), Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala” (1982), Mike de Leon’s “Sister Stella L.” (1984), and Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s “Karnal” (1984) and whose daring works portrayed revolt, labor unionism, social ostracism, and class division. Even “pene” films that had grown more pornographic and taboo were also screened.

Decades before the word “indie films” became a trend, I had the opportunity to meet and see the works of alternative filmmakers.

Indie films are sometimes distinguishable by their content and style and the way in which the filmmakers’ personal artistic vision is realized.

Usually, but not always, indie films are made with considerably lower budgets than major studio films.

During my several conversations with 2022 National Artists awardee Ricky Lee during Cinemalaya, his thoughts on the future of young movie makers is essentially captured by his speech at a commencement exercise: “Magkaroon ka ng boses. Ng opinyon.

Mundo mo ito. Di ka parang hanging nagdaan lang. Mag-iwan ka ng marka. Huwag kang matakot magkamali. Kahit mabigo ka, huwag kang mag-alala. Sa paulit-ulit na pagkabigo ay mas matututo ka.

Para kang sinusulat na nobela na kailangang paulit-ulit na i-revise.

Hanggang sa kuminang.”

(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

Coins.ph allies with Gamers at CONQuest Festival 2022 Fun, action, and excitement ruled over the weekend as Coins.ph, the Philippines’ leading fiat and crypto wallet services provider, joined gamers and pop culture enthusiasts at the recently concluded CONQuest Festival 2022 in Pasay City.

Staged as a Gamingmeets-Pop culture-meetsTech event, this is the Manila debut of organizer AcadArena’s premiere gaming and pop culture festival from its home base in Iloilo City. Big names in the gaming community headlined the event, including Southeast Asian Games esports

champions and popular streamers. Festival-goers came in hordes—many having donned intricate costumes that showcased their favorite characters— to play, connect, earn, and discover where their passion for games can take them.

Meanwhile, visitors at the Coins.ph booth enjoyed instant bonuses upon signing up for an account; crypto credits, gaming gears, and merchandise in raffle prizes; live games reminiscent of their favorite video games; as well as photo opportunities with well-known cosplayers and

Coins.ph CEO Wei Zhou joins the CONQuest Festival 2022 to show solidarity with the gaming community and recognize its contribution to the esports industry.

gamers.

“Coins.ph is constantly evolving with the technology, and with this, we are also evolving the experiences we build for our customers. The gaming community has always been open to new ideas and ways of doing things that tapping into this segment is a great opportunity to reach like-minded young people who are always excited for the future. We aim to be better ingrained in Filipinos’ culture and lifestyle by providing opportunities to pursue financial freedom through crypto and other innovative digital financial services,” said Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph.

Coins.ph offers the easiest way to buy and sell crypto, where players can create their financial transactions for blockchain games. Apart from this, it empowers users to conveniently complete digital financial transactions such as purchasing game credits, buying load, paying bills, sending and receiving remittances/payments, paying for travel bookings, and buying credits for streaming services. Truly the best of both worlds—web2/ web3—fiat/crypto—all in one easy-to-navigate platform.

Currently, it enables support for the following play-to-earn-related tokens: AXS and SLP (Axie Infinity game), GALA (GALA Games), SAND (The Sandbox), and MANA (Decentraland), thereby giving gamers a hassle-free way to convert in-game currencies to real-world cash.

Gamers who will just

Coins.ph welcomes gamers and pop culture enthusiasts at the CONQuest Festival 2022.

Guests enjoy sign up bonuses, raffle prizes, live games, and photo opportunities with featured cosplayers

be joining the Coins.ph community on Telegram and Discord will also get to experience a vibrant and inclusive environment where they can freely share their thoughts, tips/tricks, and experiences with the platform and help shape the app according to their needs and preferences.

Moreover, the Coins Champions program enables users themselves to play a huge role in leading some of the company’s online and offline initiatives.

Followers can expect Coins.ph to be more present in the gaming industry, both in the digital realm or offline even after CONQuest 2022. It revels in fostering genuine connections with the community, which can only be achieved by being present in events and having a direct dialogue with gamers. It is also beefing up support for blockchain

gaming via its token offerings, more crypto products, and soon enough, by delving into the world of esports.

Crypto education advocacy Coins.ph’s foray into the world of gamers is only a step in achieving its goal of becoming deeply involved in the Philippines’ culture and lifestyle. Just recently, the company has also taken part in Filipinos’ favorite activities and events, such as the Miss Universe pageant and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) games.

By engaging through quality and fun content, it is able to break into relatively untapped segments, much like how it provided the unbanked population access to the wider financial ecosystem.

“Our long-term goal is to make the concept of cryptocurrencies and

crypto trading less intimidating to the average Filipino. By strengthening our initiatives on crypto education at the grassroots level, we are able to achieve our vision of widening financial inclusion through technology and innovation,” Zhou said.

Coins.ph is regulated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and is the first ever blockchain-based company in Asia to hold both Virtual Currency and Electronic Money Issuer licenses from a central bank.

It has earned the trust of over 16 million unique users who transact with the platform and enjoy various perks and loyalty rewards. Download the app or sign up for an account at <https://coins.ph>. To be updated on news and promotions, follow Coins.ph on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

tion Offices (LTO), get your passport renewed at Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sites, register safely and easily for a National ID, and tick off your adulting must-haves checklist such as SSS, PhilHealth, and PAGIBIG! As your reliable companion in your important

tasks, SM is your #KaSMa in efficiently fulfilling your responsibilities and achieving your goals. Through the SM Government Service Express, preparing for your new career milestone, securing the future of your loved ones, getting ready for your first driving experience and planning your up-

coming trip out of the country are now made safer and more convenient.

“We have the most number of locations in the Philippines to provide our communities access to quality services that the SM Government Service Express can offer. At SM, #YoureAlwaysWelcomeHere so we want our SM malls to not only be a place where you can relax, shop and dine. We will be your trusted #KaSMa in every endeavor you have, making it easier, safer, and more convenient for you,” SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan said.

Head on to your favorite SM malls to check out the government services available at the SM Government Service Express. To know the full list of branches and services, go to http:// gosm.link/GovtServicesFB or scan the QR codes at an SM Government Service Express near you.

SM Supermalls opens SM Government Service Express in select malls nationwide

Need to access government services at your convenience? SM Supermalls has got your back! It doesn’t matter where you are in the Philippines, because there will always be an SM Government Service Express near you.

SM Supermalls has the highest number of loca-

SM MALL of ASIA

tions in the country to give you most if not all, the offsite government services you need. From Luzon all the way to Mindanao, SM Supermalls has made sure you can get all your government documents at an SM Government Service Express nearby.

You don’t just go to an

SM Mall to shop anymore.

Now you can accomplish errands such as government ID applications and so much more in the most convenient place possible.

With an SM Government Service Express within your reach, you can now renew your driver’s license in Land Transporta-

SM CITY PAMPANGA

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Most of the plastics end up in waterways and coastal areas.

A

ENVIRONMENT

THE HAZARDS OF

ccording to historical account, it all started in 1933 when chemists in Norwich, England accidentally produced polyethylene.

By 1960, a Swedish company figured out how to make bags using thin film polyethylene. Five years later, Gustaf Thulin Sten perfected the process and (First of Two Parts) invented what is known as the T-shirt plastic bag.

Text and photos by In 1979, single-use ute and rising.” plastic bags hit the market.

These caught the attention of urban shoppers. Soon enough, it became popular around the globe, including the Philippines. “Plastic shopping bags are now an omnipresent product found in every corner of the world,” said the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

“Since they were introduced in the 1970s, plastic bags have infiltrated our lives,” wrote Caroline Williams in New Scientist.

“Globally, we carry home between 500 billion and a trillion every year – about 150 bags for every person on earth, or to put it another way, a million every min-

9

SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

UNEP said one to five trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide every year. Five trillion is almost 10 million plastic bags a minute. If tied together, they would go around the world seven times every hour and cover an area twice the size of France.

“Plastic is a miracle material,” said Erik Solheim, UNEP head. “Thanks to plastics, countless lives have been saved in the health sector, the growth of clean energy from wind turbines and solar panels has been greatly facilitated, and safe food storage has been revolutionized.”

In the Philippines, the so-called “sachet econo-

Not all plastics, however, can be recycled.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO

Plastics are popular among consumers because they are lighter.

my” has contributed to the proliferation of plastics.

Products sold in single-use sachets include instant coffee, shampoo, soy sauce, cooking oil, food seasoning, and toothpaste.

“Because they are easy to sell – ribbons of single-use products hang from neighbourhood stores even in the most remote communities – large multinational manufacturing companies continue to market them,” the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) observes.

Plastic is cheap, light-

weight and easy to make.

“Much of the plastic we produced is designed to be thrown away after being used only once,” the UNEP stated. “As a result, plastic packaging accounts for about half of the plastic waste in the world.”

In the Philippines, for instance, Filipinos discard 60 billion plastic sachets each year, according to one research group. That’s about one sachet per person per day on a per capita basis.

“The problem with

plastics has been escalating for decades, and the Philippines has been identified as the world’s third largest contributor of plastics in the ocean,” WWF said. “Plastic pollution has always been a huge issue in the Philippines with the continuous generation of plastic wastes and poor waste management.”

This must be the reason why in Davao City, the local government – through the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – is urging Dabawenyos to start using recyclable or biodegradable counterparts ahead of the implementation of city ordinance no. 0500-21 series of 2021 – otherwise known as the “No to Single-Use Plastics Ordinance of 2021.”

The ordinance does not only regulate single-use plastics in business establishments but also their individual use. Its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) is expected to be imposed in the third quarter this year.

The City Information Office (CIO) in a press release said, quoting Orly Limpangog, “the ordinance is not only aimed at managing the city’s solid waste but also to lessen

FHAZARDS, P10

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ing Filipino should fall for its drama.

In October 2019, the regional office of the Department of Education (DepEdDavao Region) ordered the closure of the 55 controversial Salugpungan Ta’Tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center, Inc. (STTICLCI) because the schools were not serving the interest of the learners, which is to provide them with basic education.

“The Salugpungan schools in Davao were all shut down because they lacked permits and documents that would have lent legitimacy to the existence and operations of the schools. While the Salugpungan schools were shut down because they were illegally operating — the schools were run by teacher volunteers who allegedly had links with the terrorist group New People’s Army, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” Duterte said.

Duterte warned the Filipino people not to fall for “the fakery being peddled

by Makabayan bloc or to this disgusting deliberate effort to twist the narrative to favor their interest and the interest of the NPA, CPP, and NDFP.” “The dress that I wore to the SONA and why I wore it doesn’t really interest Cullamat and the rest of Makabayan bloc. They can lie about it but the Salugpungan schools that we shut down do not also matter to them. And the IP children being potential recruits of the NPA is something that’s within their political agenda so it’s only convenient for them to turn a blind eye on this,” she said.

The vice president’s irritation at the bloc did not

end there because, in her latest statement released on Monday, Duterte stressed that the Makabayan bloc has fooled many people, is good at propaganda and is good at lying.

“Sa loob ng maraming panahon, walang naglakas-loob na ilabas ang katotohanan tungkol sa kanila.

Gagawin natin ito ngayon.

Ilang batang Pilipino na ang kanilang nahikayat na sumanib sa NPA para sumali sa isang gyera na hindi naman nauunawaan ng mga kabataan — isang gyera na hinding-hindi nila maipapanalo dahil isa itong gyera na laban sa kapwa nila mga Pilipino,” she said.

Duterte congratulated the Filipino people for finally purging Congress with the likes of Bayan Muna and Eufemia Cullamat. She said with Bayan Muna and Cullamat removed from the halls of Congress means that the country, the Filipino children, most especially the IP children, are now more protected from the ideology of destruction and war than the Makabayan bloc espouses.

“I always have time for Makabayan bloc. The laugh that I get reading Makabayan bloc’s hypocritical and dramatically rehashed statements — while thinking about how the Filipino people rejected the bid of Bayan Muna and two other Makabayan bloc partylist groups to once again infiltrate Congress and legitimize their existence while pretending that we do not know about their ‘love affair’ with the NPA, the NDFP, and the CPP — is a way to de-stress from all the challenges the Department of Education and the government need to address without the help of Makabayan bloc, of course,” she said.

decided to forgive Hatcher and move on as he believes it is the more noble thing to do than to forever hold a grudge against an 82-yearold man.

“I also pray that Mr. Hatcher will finally find peace in his heart and live the rest of his life happily with his loved ones,” he said.

kan grid in Pantukan, Davao de Oro. Meanwhile, Alngog also expressed her gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for vetoing House Bill No. 10554, which would expand the franchise coverage area of Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to the cities of Tagum and Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), and the Municipalities of Talaingod, Asuncion, Kapalong, San Isidro, and New Corella, Davao del Norte.

“Naa mi sa 90 percent na victory. Apan dili ta mag-

kumpyansa though we are celebrating initial victory sa Nordeco,” she said.

She said the electric cooperative is preparing plans and programs to improve its services.

“We are exerting our efforts to improve our services. Nag-prepare kami ng plans and programs to address the problems in relation to brownouts. For the members and consumers, salamat sa inyong walay puas na suporta sa atoang cooperative bisan pa sa mga kalisod,” she said. By Maya M. Padillo

corded cases worldwide, there were around 7 deaths, he said.

“Most deaths are immunocompromised and are HIV positive and not taking anti-retroviral agent,” he said.

The Philippines last week confirmed its first

monkeypox case in a 31-year-old patient with travel history to countries with recorded infections.

It is important for government to procure vaccines and give these to the highly vulnerable, according to Solante.

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HAZARDS... FROM9

the amount of garbage that ends up in Davao City’s waters and coastal areas.”

“The big fast-food chains like McDonald’s and Jolibee are now using wooden utensils,” said Limpangog, who is the representative of CENRO Information Education Unit during the recent “Go Clean, Go Green” program.

Those who are caught violating the ordinance for the first time are fined P1,000 or render an 8-hour environmental service.

The second offense entails a P3,000 fine or a 16-hour environmental service. The maximum penalty is set at P5,000.

Data from the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) showed that in 2020 that four hundred and eighty-eight (488) local government units have ordinances banning single-use plastics.

A WWF report launched in October 2020 showed the challenges for waste management in the country. More than 2 million tons of plastic waste, 15.43 kilograms per capita per year, is generated annually in the country, 760,000 tons or 35% are leaked to the open environment while 706,000 tons or 33% go to landfills and dumpsites while only 9% is recycled.

About 35,800 tons of garbage, which include plastics, are generated each day by Filipinos, according to a position paper written

by Alicia Castillo and Suchiro Otoma. “On average, each person in the country produces about 0.5 kilogram and 0.3 kilogram of garbage every day in the urban and rural areas, respectively.”

Another report – from the National Solid Waste Management Commission and the World Bank – said 2.27 million tons of garbage are collected every year out of the 2.7 million tons produced. “Of this, 386,000 tons are still leaked into the ocean,” the report said.

“An absence of garbage collection services in secondary cities and many of the country’s smaller islands is largely to blame for the overwhelming amount of plastic coming from the country,” Froilan Grate, executive director of the Philippine branch of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

A news report said sin-

gle-use plastics for food and cosmetics are one of the main contributors to plastic waste in landfills and in oceans. Around 40% of all plastic that is produced is used for packaging, and the World Economic Forum estimates that 95% of this is not recycled after its initial use.

A landmark report by the international non-profit organization, Reloop, said that single-use beverage containers are rapidly displacing refillable systems in many parts of the world and resulting in massive increases in wastage and pollution.

According to the report, What We Waste, beverage container sales have practically doubled between 1999 and 2019 across 93 countries around the world. Over the same 20year period, the proportion sold in PET (polyethylene terephthalate, the chemical name for polyester) plastic has also more than doubled – from 17% to 41%! – resulting in a corresponding spike in wastage especially in countries which saw an increasing rise in sales of single-use plastics or oneway containers.

These reports are alarming, indeed. “Following the trajectory of plastic production and mismanagement, United Nations reports predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish,” said Roy E. Cimatu when he was still the environment secretary.

In the award-winning 1967 movie, The Graduate, the character portrayed by newcomer Dustin Hoffman (who received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor) asked some advice on career direction.

“Plastics, my boy. Plastics,” he was told.

Businesses all over the world are heeding the advice.

Unknowingly, no one knew at the time the other side of plastics, which are non-biodegradable. As a matter of fact, plastics are materials made to last forever.

“Disposed plastic materials can remain in the environment for up to 2,000 years and longer,” wrote Barry E. DiGregorio in an article.

“Most plastics do not biodegrade,” UNEP said.

“Instead, they slowly break down into smaller fragments known as microplastics. Studies suggest that plastic bags and containers made of expanded polystyrene foam (commonly known as ‘Styrofoam’) can

take up to thousands of years to decompose, contaminating soil and water.”

Microplastics, if ingested by fish or other marine life, can enter the food chain. Microplastics have already been found in common table salt and in both tap and bottled water.

Although in recent years research on the effects of microplastics has been growing, still little is known about the exact impacts on human health.

Plastics “is in our air, our water, our food, our excrement,” Nina Butler, the chief executive officer of More Recycling, a research and consulting company that works with the plastic industry on recycling, was quoted as saying by the media. “It’s very, very pervasive.”

Plastic bags and other single use plastics can choke waterways and exacerbate natural disasters. In 1988, poor drainage resulting from plastic litter clogging drains contributed to devastating floods in Bangladesh, causing several deaths as two-thirds of the country was submerged.

Jonas Leones, then the DENR undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs, said the effects of plastics can be devastating for marine biodiversity. “Small litters like candy wrappers end up in our oceans,” he said. “It is eaten by marine species, clogging their stomachs and causing their death.”

In 1997, sailor and researcher Charles Moore discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the largest of several gyres in the world’s oceans where immense amounts of plastic waste have accumulated.

Plastics also play a role in climate change as its production, refining and manufacture is a source of greenhouse gas emissions since it uses fuel in extraction and transport.

“Greenhouse gas emissions from the plastic lifecycle threaten the ability of the global community to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C,” said Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) in a statement.

“By 2050, the greenhouse gas emissions from plastics could reach over 56 gigatons, which is 10-13% of the entire remaining carbon budget.”

Plastics are also hazardous to human health.

Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals are of critical concern for human

health: bisphenol-A and additives used in the synthesis of plastics, which are known as phthalates.

Exposure to these two chemicals, said a study conducted by the Arizona State University Biodesign Institute, is linked to cancer, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments.

“The economic damage caused by plastic waste is vast,” UNEP stated in its report, Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability.

“Plastic litter in the Asia-Pacific region alone costs its tourism, fishing and shipping industries $1.3 billion per year.”

Studies suggest that the total economic damage to the world’s marine ecosystem caused by plastic amounts to at least $13 billion every year. “The economic, health and environmental reasons to act are clear,” UNEP said.

During the time of President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003) was signed. It aims to promote environmental awareness and action among Filipinos and establish public participation in the development of national and local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs.

In 2020, then DENR Secretary Cimatu signed the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) Resolution No. 1363, series of 2020, which bans the use of “unnecessary” single-use plastics products, particularly cups less than 0.2 millimeter in thickness, drinking straws, coffee stirrers, spoons, forks, knives, labo or thin and translucent bags, and thin-filmed sando bags lower than 15 microns.

As a result of the resolution, the DENR managed to ban “unnecessary” single-use plastics at government offices.

Another good news: the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) announced that plastic straws and stirrers are officially included in the Non-environmentally Acceptable Products and Packaging (NEAPP).

The blatant use of plastics has to stop – now! “It is high time we refrain from using disposable plastic products that are used in minutes, but persist in the environment forever,” Cimatu stressed. (To be concluded)

Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from February 25, 1986 to January 21, 1988, Chief of the Philippine Constabulary from 1972 to February 25, 1986.

He and then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile, were among those who withdrew support for the dictator Ferdinand Edralin Marcos, Ramos’ second cousin.

Marcos fled Malacanang on February 25, 1986. Corazon Aquino,

widow of the assassinated former Senator took over as President.

Marcos’ son and namesake, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., was elected President on May 9, 2022.

In a statement, incumbent President Marcos said Ramos “lived a full life as a military officer and public servant.”

“Our family shares the Filipino people’s grief on this sad day. We did not only lose a good leader but also a member of the fami-

ly,” he said.

In a statement, Vice President Sara Duterte said Ramos as President “made peace possible in Mindanao”w tih the signing of the 1996 peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front under Nur Misuari.

“FVR aggressively championed Filipino competitiveness in the global arena and through his socio-economic agenda called ‘Philippines 2000’, liberalized the country’s

economy — resulting in the significant improvements in the average income of Filipino workers,” she said.

“He was a real patriot — one who encouraged men and women in uniform to value their integrity as public servants.

May we find inspiration from FVR’s life and the immensity of the legacy that he built out of his love of country and fellow Filipinos,” she said. (MindaNews)

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SPORTS 11 Magnolia’s Paul Lee tries to wiggle past NLEX defender. PBA

Magnolia edges NLEX in OT to enter PBA PH Cup semis

M

agnolia Hotshots booked a place in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals with a 112106 overtime win against NLEX Road Warriors in the deciding game of their best-of-three quarterfinal series on Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Jio Jalalon took over in the extension as he was responsible for nine of the Hotshots’ first 11 points, scoring seven on his own and assisting on a layup from Calvin Abueva to open a 108-100 lead with 1:15 remaining.

Don Trollano tried to play hero for the Road Warriors as he hit back-

to-back triples to cut the lead down to two, 108106, with exactly a minute remaining, but he eventually fizzled in the end as free throws from Abueva and Mark Barroca sealed the deal for the Hotshots.

Sangalang finished with 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two

blocks, and two steals to lead Magnolia, which set a finals rematch with TNT in their best-of-seven semifinal affair beginning Wednesday.

Lee, making his first start since returning from his injury, added 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting on threes, including a corner shot that sent the

game to overtime, four rebounds, and five assists.

Calvin Oftana made 32 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and three steals, Trollano added 22 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one block, and Kevin Alas chipped in 17 markers, 11 boards, five dimes, and one steal for NLEX. (PNA)

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

HEART STOPPING PBA QUARTERS Very seldom that Pinoy basketball fans watch thrilling PBA contests that can be appreciated as real, wholesome, down-thewire, devil may care Philippine Cup matches such as what was played between Meralco versus Barangay Ginebra and between NLEX against Magnolia last Sunday.

The Bolts survived the Gin Kings furious fourth quarter rally with a narrow 106-104 triumph while the Hotshots overcame a 26 point deficit to take the victory 112-106 in overtime.

A furious LA Tenorio uttered before reporters: “The referee decided the game.”

Because the respective games

were the third and last of a best of three, all players of all four teams displayed “suicidal” performances - diving for the ball, aggressively grabbing rebounds, saving loose balls, pushing and shoving the opponent, holding (and at times I thought there were some flip floppings) and sneaking an elbow - which evoked superlatives from audiences inside the MOA and those watching on TV. No wonder the “kill or be killed” mindset was evident on everyone, either inside the court or on the bench.

LA Tenorio’s post-game comment on that particular drive by Scottie Thompson when the refs called it an offensive foul that nul-

lified the two points somehow dampened the Bolts’ sweet revenge win.

On review, even the TV coverage announcers saw and described how Thompson, the current PBA MVP, rushing downcourt for a lay up, extended his left arm to ward off Cliff Hodge who ably defended.

Before that, Tenorio scored the trey that put Ginebra ahead 104-103 as the Kings pounded inexhaustibly to erase a 21 point deficit.

But Raymond Alnazan responded promptly on the return play after, receiving an assist pass from Chris Newsome with his own three pointer atop the arc to

put Meralco back on the driver’s seat.

Thompson however diplomatically waved off the ref’s offensive foul whistle as a “benefit of the doubt” case.

In the first decided match between Magnolia and NLEX, the Hotshots worked steadily hard and erased a 26-point NLEX lead in the 3rd period.

The sweet shooting Paul Lee proved his dependability by tossing the three point basket to extend the game while firebrand Jio Jalalon single handedly fixed what needed fixing in the extra five minutes.

Surprisingly, NLEX appeared dazed and confused by

the swarming pressure defense of Magnolia, committing forced errors that allowed Jalalon to score what eventually was to be the dagger that killed the Road Warriors furious attempts to save their skin.

As point guards remain to be the vital cog of every basketball team, Jalalon did what Kevin Alas splendidly did in Game 2 that gave NLEX a much needed reprieve to proceed to Game 3.

Well, you lose some and you win some.

In the end, the PBA fans got their money’s worth. See you in the semis, folks!(Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)

GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 94 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2022

SAMAL TORPEDO Davao’s Ernie Gawilan ruled the men’s 400m freestyle S7 TF event of para swimming, beating competitors from Thailand and Indonesia.

Davao’s Gawilan wins PH’s first gold in ASEAN Para Games

A

s expected, two-time Paralympian Ernie Gawilan bagged the Philippines’ first gold in the 11th ASEAN Para Games on Monday morning at the Jatidiri Sports Complex in Semarang, Indonesia.

Gawilan, 31, ruled the men’s 400m freestyle S7 TF event of para swimming, beating competitors from Thailand and Indonesia.

Some 30 minutes later, Roland Sabido made it two golds as he won the men’s 400m freestyle S9 class, also in para swimming.

Another para swimmer, Edwin Villanueva, took the bronze in the men’s 400m freestyle S8 class.

Meanwhile, Daniel Enderes Jr. seized the bronze in the men’s 5000m T20 competition in para athletics, and the trio of Smith Billy Cartera, Racleo Martinez and Darwin Salvacion added another bronze from men’s table tennis TT4.

The Philippine men’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball team broke the ice for the country on Sunday, winning silver in their event.