P 15.00 • 12 PAGES@EdgeDavao edgedavao@gmail.comwww.edgedavao.netf EDGE Serving a seamless society DAVAO SPORTS P 12 VOL.15 ISSUE 127 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 ALL OUT CLOSED DOWN 3 private elementary, junior high schools in Davao City opt to stop operations, other schools express intention to close STORY ON PAGE 2 Davao City Cham ber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) president Dr. Maria EdgeCityCenteratstructingduringonecolorcreativityRabat-Tan11)TourismDepartmentMonteverdeLourdesandof11(DOTdirectorTanyatrytheironthestorieswallofoftheboothstheopenofPhilCon2022exhibitSMXConventioninDavaoonThursday.Davao
“What we received is a letter only,” Atillo said. There are 500 private schools in the entire region and apart from the three that opted to close, the re maining schools are oper ating.Meanwhile, Atillo said their schools expressed interest to implement fullblown face-to-face classes ahead of the scheduled fullblast F2F on November 2, 2022.“Yes, and they are al lowed. We eradicated some requirements and give 3 private elementary, junior high schools in Davao City opt to stop operations, other schools express intention to close An official of the Department of Edu cation 11 (DepEd 11) confirmed that three private schools in Davao City opted to stop operations this school year (SY) due to the impact of the Covid-19 pan demic on the previous years.
By MAYA M. PADILLO
The Army’s 6th Infan try Division (ID) will cooperate with Task Force Davao (TF-Davao) following the arrest of one of its personnel with high-powered firearms while entering Davao City, an official said Thursday. Lt. Col. Dennis Almora to, the 6ID Civil-Military Operations Battalion com mander, said they were sur prised by the news about the arrest Wednesday of Pfc. Mohammad Kitig at the TF-Davao Sirawan check point in Davao City.
TF-Davao personnel found inside Kitig’s Kia Op tima vehicle seven firearms, gun parts and ammunition. Among the gun items seized were four Carbine rifles, an Army-issued .45-caliber pistol, two up per receivers for R4 rifles, two lower receivers for R4 rifles, firearm clips and var ious ammunition. “I was surprised to hear the news because we have no idea he was into gun-running, but we have to wait for the investigation
At least 284,700 indi gent senior citizens in the region have benefited from the Social Pension (SocPen) for Indi gent Senior Citizens pro gram during the third quar ter of 2022.
6ID backs TF Davao investigation on soldier’s alleged gunrunning activity
The Chinese contractor of the Samal-Davao bridge has secured a notice to proceed, more than two months after the Philip pines secured a loan from China for the construction of the long-awaited bridge, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said. The notice to proceed was issued on September 1 to the Chinese contractor of the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) connector project. DPWH undersecretary Emil Sadain told MindaNews on Wednesday that a geotech nical survey commenced last week in preparation for the actual construction of the bridge project. The state-owned China Road and Bridge Corpora tion (CRBC) has been select ed as the contractor for the project.Hesaid the DPWH has yet to schedule the ground breaking of the SIDC, also known as the Davao City-Sa mal Island Bridge project, as they are confirming the schedule of President Fer dinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who will grace the cere mony. Last June 13, Chinese Ambassador to the Phil ippines Huang Xilian ex changed with then Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III the signed Framework Agreement and Loan Agree ment between the Philip pines and China for a loan grant worth $350 million or P18.67 billion for the bridge project.The Chinese loan will cover 90 percent of the proj ect’s ₱23.039-billion price tag, according to DPWH. The landing point of the SIDC project is situated on the coast of Costa Marina Beach Resort, which is adja cent to Paradise Island Park
The DSWD-11 also added that the fourth (last) quarter payout will begin between October to De cember this year. Teofista Baroy, one of the beneficiaries from Barangay New Visayas Montevista, Davao de Oro thanked the government for the cash assistance. “Thank you DSWD, I can buy medicine for my asthma. I can also have my eyes checked,” she was quoted as saying.
“We have three schools, all of them are private schools in Davao City, el ementary to junior high schools. Reason, grabe ang effect sa Covid pandem ic sa ilaha, wala gyud sila kabakon,” said Jenielito “Dodong” Atillo, spokes person of DepEd 11. He added that although, the number is very mini mal but is quite not okay because when the school
Chinese contractor of Samal-Davao connector issued notice to proceed CHINESE, P10
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In a statement Wednes day, the Department of Social Welfare and Devel opment in Davao Region (DSWD-11) said it has wrapped up its third quar ter payout and disbursed a total of PHP420 million or about 98.36 percent for the whole Davao Region.
“This successful payout was made possible through the help of various Munici pal/City SWDO’s and other local government units,” the agency said.
SocPen for Indigent Senior Citizens Program is in line with the fulfillment of the obligation of the government to the most vulnerable sector through social protection and for the full implementation of RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The program provides a monthly stipend amount ing to PHP500 to augment the daily subsistence and other medical needs of in
P420-M social pension aids
2 EDGEDAVAO NEWS
Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte emphasizes zero-tolerance policy for all forms of abuses perpetrated in the schools, especially against the learners. Edge Davao closes it has a grave impact not only on the learners but also on the workforce and owners of the schools.
“We do hope that they reconsider their decisions and will go back to opera tions next SY,” he said. He also said that other schools signify their inten tion to close but are not ap proved as they have to sub mit a board resolution yet.
FSOCIAL, P10 F6ID BACKS, P10
PhilConstruct officials lead the cutting of the ribbon to mark the opening of PhilConstruct 2022 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Thursday. Edge Davao
Ronaldo Elepano Jr., PhilConstruct overall chair man, said the activity aims to maintain and connect people in the building and construction industry in the island region for this yearly gathering offering discoveries, learnings, and networking and marketing opportunities.
Davao Contractors Association Center Incorporated (DCACI) president Antonio Uy Jr. says PhilConstruct 2022 enables companies to generate more business and more projects in the future. Edge Davao
he Department of Education, under the leadership of the Vice President and Secretary of Education Sara Duterte, emphasized zero-toler ance policy for all forms of abuses perpetrated in the schools, especially against learners. In a statement, DepEd spokesperson lawyer Mi chael Poa said DepEd is tak ing all reports about sexual abuse and violence against the learners in schools seri ously as the department is determined to ensure that schools all over the coun try are safe spaces for the learners and free from sex ual predators.“Weunderstand that re porting experiences of sex
The DepEd urged those concerned to submit com plaints about alleged abus es in schools and against the “Yourstudents.personal informa
tion and the nature of your reports will be treated with utmost confidentiality. Help us help you bring these per petrators to justice and end sexual abuse and violence in our schools,” Poa said Meanwhile, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) supports the government’s pronouncement declar ing an all-out war against Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and in fact encour age people who may have information to help the authorities solve these in creasing problems globally as it is one step closer in unmasking the suspected sexual predator in different online platforms.
By Maya M. Padillo
Sara emphasizes zero-tolerance policy for abuses vs learners
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Two months ago, Dute rte has requested the Na tional Bureau of Investiga tion (NBI) to form a special team to look into alleged abuse cases reported at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) at Mt. Makiling in Los Baños, La guna.
mandate:
DOH prefers to keep face mask Vergeire The Department of Health prefers to keep the mandato ry wearing of face masks in the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic, its of ficer-in-charge said Thurs day. This was the agency’s position during the first meeting of the govern ment’s pandemic task force on Monday, Health Under secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has since recom mended to lift the outdoor mask mandate. “The position of the De partment of Health is for us to continue on masking but there were several data that were presented also that have led to this decision,” she Accordingsaid. to data from the Department of the Interior and Local Gov ernment, the Philippines and Myanmar are the only Running from Septem ber 8 to 10, 2022 at the SMX Convention Center in SM Lanang Premier, the hybrid expo attracted more than 200 booths represent ing over 500 brands at the premier venue for business and networking in Mindan ao as well as construction industry’s leading local and international players in a conducive venue that include Boysen, Equiprime Optimum Solutions, In framachineries, Topspot, Smarthouse, and Zoomlion. “This event enables companies to generate more business and more projects in the future. Every year the event covers every aspect of the construction industry, from products FPHILCONSTRUCT, P10FDOH, P10
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Touted as the largest and most antic ipated annual event in the industry, PhilConstruct Mindanao 2022 expo is expected to boost Davao City’s construc tion industry. and services to innova tions,” said Antonio Uy Jr., president of the Davao Con tractors Association Center Incorporated (DCACI) in his message.
“I feel so proud and fulfilled every time I real ize that for over a decade now, the PhilConstruct se ries has contributed to the construction industry’s de velopment and has brought together thousands of in dividuals from across the nation in one location to collaborate,” Uy said. PhilConstruct Mind anao 2022 is being held simultaneously with two other industry events, all in the same venue—the Hotel Suppliers Show Mindanao 2022, which is the leading hotels, resorts, restaurants, By MAYA M. PADILLO
PhilConstruct Mindanao 2022 expo to boost Davao’s construction industry
ual abuse and violence are often hampered by fear and feeling of embarrassment, but we urge Kindergarten to Grade 12 victim-survi vors to report these inci dents directly to the Office of the Secretary,” he said.
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Chinese visitors check out the products being offered by one of the exhibitors in the ongoing PhilConstruct 2022 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Thursday. Edge Davao
Longer-term growth prospects of the do mestic economy made HSBC officials optimistic on launching a new product that would help secure the future of Filipinos amidst the continuing threat of the pandemic. In a briefing on Wednes day, HSBC president and chief executive officer Sandeep Uppal said they have a positive outlook on the Philippine economy and the opportunities it willUppalprovide.said “it is quite difficult to pick an oppor tune time” on when to in vest amid the long-term outlook.“The key is to get in as early as you can get. So for us, it’s not about why we launch in August. The ques tion will be why we didn’t launch it in July. So the sooner, the better,” he said, answering a query on why they are launching HSBC Wealth this time.
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HSBC launches new product on positive PH growth prospects
HSBC Investment and Insurance Brokerage Phil ippines Inc. vice chair Peter Faulhaber, during the same briefing, said they studied the concept of HSBC Wealth for some Faulhabertime. said the main reason behind HSBC Wealth is to cater to their clients’ specific needs, such as investing, at a minimum of PHP3 million, to send kids to school overseas or to be able to tap investment the pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure and we will get back stronger than ever,” she added.
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WTA awarded the Phil ippines for the sixth time as the leading beach destina tion in Asia besting India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet nam, and at the same time achieving Asia’s Leading Dive Destination title for four straight years since 2019, edging Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Frasco said the dive ci tation from WTA cement ed the premise of the DOT in hosting the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022, which is considered the country’s largest platform to net work and promote the dive industry.
PH named Asia’s top dive, beach destination anew
Intramuros also re claimed its title as Asia’s leading tourist attraction. Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thurs day welcomed the back-toback win, saying it proves the beauty of the Philip pines.“The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirma tion to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic,” she“Wesaid.look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive The Philippines was again named as Asia’s leading dive and beach destina tion by the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam on Sept. 7.
The Philippine Com mission on Sports Scuba Diving, an attached agen cy of the DOT in charge of marine sports, has recent ly appropriated a budget of PHP9.53 million for the first time by the national government for more in tensified dive tourism pro motion and development.
The Philippines is keen on forging stronger ties with the Singa porean business commu nity, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.Hemade this remark as he invited inventors to take part in the Philippines’ “economic resurgence” in a speech during the first-ev er international Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) at Shangri-La Hotel, Singa pore.“We will change the game by structural reforms that we have set in place to allow for wider participa tion in our industries,” he said. Citing the Corporate Re covery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act or the CREATE law and economic liberalization measures in place, Marcos said the coun try has expanded the space for foreign investments and joint venture opportunities for industry players. The CREATE law, which aims to encourage more in vestors to put their funds into the domestic economy, is the government’s pan demic relief measure for local and foreign firms op erating in the country. Marcos also vowed to maximize the country’s trade and economic coop eration with Singapore to attract investments, create more jobs, and speed up post-pandemic economic growth. ‘Strong recovery’ Meanwhile, Marcos ex pressed confidence that the Philippines’ next six years will be grounded on a fa vorable investment policy environment, sound mac roeconomic fundamentals, and a strong and decisive economic team. “We are presently on a steady path to a strong re covery from the pandem ic and a robust economic expansion. In the next few years, our economy is ex pected to outperform our regional peers,” he said. He said his administra tion is committed to estab lishing a more competitive business climate, conducive to high-value investments
PH keen on forging stronger ties with Singaporean biz community HSBC, P10 PH KEEN, P10
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China will soon start importing durian from the Philippines. In a Facebook post, Chi nese Ambassador Huang Xilian said Philippine duri an will soon be available in China.“Good news! Fresh du rian from the Philippines will soon be available in the Chinese market, according to the results of an assess ment conducted by a team of experts organized by the Chinese embassy recently,” it said.Huang added that a team from China recently went to Davao region to look at durian exports from A local trader transfers durian to a plastic container in Bangkal, Davao City. Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian said fresh durian from the Philippines will soon be available in the Chinese market, based on the results of an assessment conducted by a team of experts organized by the Chinese embassy recently. Edge Davao DAVAO
Coming second is an investment in renewable energy, specifically the new technology of floating solar valued at USD1.2 billion. “You will notice that the top two investments of Sin gapore to the Philippines are both environment-friendly and are aligned with the government’s program on climate change,” Press Sec retary Trixie Cruz-Angeles was quoted saying. The third top Singapor ean investment is the setting up of in-country Data Center valued at USD200 million, $5-B worth of e-trikes top list of Singapore investments to PH The country’s gross in ternational reserves (GIR) level slightly declined again in August to $99 billion from $99.8 billion the previous month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pili pinasThesaid.total is “more than adequate” external liquid ity buffer equivalent to 8.3 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income, the BSP said in a statement. It is also about 7.1 times the country’s short-term external debt based on orig inal maturity and 4.6 times based on residual maturity, the central bank added.
“The month-on-month decrease in the GIR level re flected mainly the National Government’s foreign cur rency withdrawals from its deposits with the BSP to settle its foreign currency debt obligations and pay for its various expendi tures, and the downward adjustment in the value of the BSP’s gold holdings due to the decrease in the price of gold in the international market,” it said. In previous years, the country’s “hefty” dollar re serves enabled the govern ment to swiftly address the COVID-19 pandemic, the country’s economic manag ers have said. BSP Governor Felipe Medalla earlier said the country’s reserves act as a “safety net” from global headwinds. Recently, however, the
PH’s gross int’l reserves decline anew to $99 billion in AugustA China to start importing durian from PH: envoy FCHINA, P10 FE-TRIKES, P10 FPH’s GROSS, P10
“Kaning e-stall man agement system, system ni namo sa public market para ma-isyuhan na namo sila diretso og order of payment nga naka-link pud diretso sa may atong treasurer’s office. (This e-stall management sys tem is a system for public market and is used for the issuance of an order of payment, which is direct ly linked to the City Trea surers’ Office),” Macalipes said.The system contains the details of the owner of a stall, the area occupied, and the corresponding Davao City Economic Enterprises (CEE) head Maximo Macalipes, in an interview over the Davao City Disas ter Radio, said that they have developed an electronic stall management system, to gether with the City Information and Tech rate. It also provides a link for the order of payment number that will be pre sented to the City Trea surer’s Office for easy ac cess to their balance and also for Macalipespayment. added that through the system, they can do away with the manual recording of payment and provides an easy generation of reports for order of pay ment“Helpfulreports.siya kay ma hibaw-an namo if nakaba yad na atong vendors on time and maka-generate man pud ta og mga report (It is very helpful because it lets us know if the ven dors have paid on time and we can also generate reports),” he said, adding that the system generated reports saves them time. A text blast sent ev ery 20th of the month to remind vendors of their obligations is also part of the system’s function. Macalipes said that the e-stall management system is already being FE-STALL, P10 The Philippines is poised to reap USD6.54 billion (PHP374.57) of invest ment deals from the twoday state visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Mar cos Jr. to Singapore. Marcos’ Singapore trip resulted in the signing of several letters of intent to invest in the Philippines during the Singapore busi ness roundtable meeting on Wednesday.Theseletters of intent are expected to generate an estimated 15,000 jobs for Filipinos, according to a news release from Mala cañang. Topping the list of Singa porean investments in the Philippines are electronic tricycles valued at USD5 bil lion.“This investment in the transportation sector is seen to lessen air pollution emit ted by an estimated 3.5 mil lion tricycles nationwide,” the Palace said but gave no further details.
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E-stall mgt system offers efficient lease collection
VOL.15 ISSUE 127 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 On PhilConstruct Mindanao 2022 expo to boost Davao City’s construction industry: This event toproductsindustry,ofcoversEveryprojectsbusinessgeneratecompaniesenablestomoreandmoreinthefuture.yeartheeventeveryaspecttheconstructionfromandservicesinnovations.AntonioUyJr. President, Davao Contractors Association Center Incorporated (DCACI) 6 EDGEDAVAO VANTAGE Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO “GICO” G. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER M. PEREZ OLIVIA D. VELASCO General Manager Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-Yacapin Sts. Cagayan de Oro City Tel: (088) 852-4894 RICHARD C. EBONA Advertising Specialist SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance EDGEDAVAO Providing solutions to a seamless global village. NEILWIN L. BRAVO Editor in Chief Columnists: ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO • JOHN CARLO TRIA • MUJAHID NAVARRA • FRED C. LUMBA DENNIS R. GORECHO • VIDA MIA S. VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE • MOSES BILLACURA ANA MARIE G. SILPAO Layout ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO NIKKI MEGHANNGOTIANSE-TANSTA.INESFERINASANTOS Lifestyle edgedavao@gmail.com MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA Product Development officer Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe) LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. Desk Editor ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. Correspondent OLIVIA D. VELASCO President SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance JASPER V. BACSAL General Manager / VP Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE the national association of newspapers GREGORIO G. DELIGERO Consultant MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter MOSES BILLACURA Sports Editor
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they are capable of doing.” - GOETHE
While*******the global community has been able to systematical ly battle the pandemic and ease past restriction protocols, China continues unrelentlessly to pur sue a Zero Covid national health policy. At least 65 million people, the New York Times reported, are under some form of a lock down. Chengdu, China’s south western city populated by 21 million people, has been in total lockdown in efforts to complete ly contain the virus and prevent its spread to other parts of the country. Videos from various interna tional media orgs have shown how the strictest of compliance was being literally enforced by authorities. While reports say just about only one thousand persons are inflicted with the disease, no one in Chengdu is allowed freedom to move out of their residence. Because of these, many Chi nese double time in their efforts to scrape more money, buy food and store more than enough in case the lockdowns get longer. Every week, citizens here are required to undergo tests and health protocols, including en suring that everyone gets vacci nated.Unfortunately, as the media observed, China is only using vaccines made locally and as ap proved by the central authorities, which is reported to be not as ef fective as the foreign vaccines. It is perceived that the pur suit of a Zero Covid policy is being implemented to support Xi Jin Ping’s political aspiration to be elected anew as president when the Chinese Communist Party meets next month in its annual gathering. By itself, China is situated in a corner in a desperate bid to set it self as a model to the West and to the global community, in general. In our case, PBBM has earli er declared that there will be no more lockdowns. But the question of the con tinued wearing of a face mask is causing a national dilemma. Cebu City put forward its de sire to do away with this incon venient face mask by issuing an executive order allowing its resi dents to make this health proto col voluntary. DOH OIC Usec. Maria Rosa rio Vergeire tiptoed on making a unilateral decision and ada mantly stated that everybody should wait for a presidential approval and consent. More LGUs are expected to follow the Cebu City example. The DILG is now in a frenzy, trying to caution local officials to patiently wait until a final reso lution is Meanwhile,achieved.Filipinos are glad PBBM has come home bringing back good news after a two day state visit to nearby Singapore.
FROM time to time, we come across statements and quota tions that really strike us. In some instances, we use them to spice our writing or speech es. But there are also those that boggled our minds. The quot able quotes are either funny or direct. Or, it may be because these people are really telling the truth when they share those feelings or ideas.
THOSE WITTY REMARKS
That is the icing on the cake. Happily, Pinoys welcomed news reports that Covid 19 in fections have decreased and continue to decrease as more LGUs in the entire archipelago are now under Alert Level One. In fact, the face-to-face class es ordered by Dep-Ed Sec, and VP INday Sara Duterte is the unimpeachable proof that Pi noy are safe and are no longer threatened, in an alarmingly sort of way. No longer do we hear the unceasing news reports from radio and TV raising fears about COVID 19 contaminations. The mainstream media have stopped their cantankerous, ear-splitting, repetitive COVID reports. Why? Because it is clear as day that the virus has slowly but surely left us, despite - again - scary pronouncements from sectors that variants are threateningly mutating.
Among the famous quotable quotes are the following: “My brother is not a girl; he’s a gen tleman.” “That’s why I’m a suc cess. It’s because I don’t meddle in other people’s lives.” “Don’t judge my brother, he’s not a book.” “I won’t stoop down to my level.” “I don’t eat meat, I’m not a carnival.”
Marriage, which has been with us since time immemori al, is one of the world’s greatest institutions. A lot of quotations and statements have been writ ten about it. Married people have given some synopsis; oth ers are simply lost for words. Socrates said: “By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.” Film actor Groucho Mark also said: “I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.” Robert Burton declared: “One was never married, and that’s his hell; another is, and that’s his plague.” W.A. Clarke remarked: “Before marriage a man yearns for a woman. After ward the y is silent.” Benjamin Franklin shared: “Keep your eyes wide open before mar riage, and half-shut afterwards.” If you’re watching stage plays, how do you know it’s a tragedy or a comedy? Listen to the words of Lord Byron: “All tragedies are finished by a death, all comedies by a mar riage.” Got it? Mother knows best – espe cially when it comes to mar riage. Here’s a piece of advice from Phyllis Diller: “Whatever you may look like, marry a man your own age – as your beauty fades, so will his eyesight.” Cher said: “The trouble with some women is that they get all ex cited about nothing – and then marry him. “ Nobody knows when the battle of sexes started. But the male and female species have shared their viewpoints about themselves. Oliver Wendell Holmes quipped: “Man has will, but woman has her way.” Mae West said: “It’s not the men in my life that count, it’s the life in my men.”
GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES! CHINA’S BRUTAL COVID 19 LOCKDOWNS HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE! FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE
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IATF and DOH officials are now claiming that the vaccina tions were largely the reason why COVID 19 was arrested in the nick of time, before thou sands more deaths occurred. So, one sees - in a compara tive way - how the Philippines and China are treating the pan demic in their own assessment and evaluation. I believe that the culture of de mocracy is the perspective upon which the Philippine government is basing its national policy. Freedom-loving Pinoys don’t want to be shackled and herd ed like timid sheep. They know their freedoms are sacredly en shrined in the Constitution and also know when these freedoms are already being violated. And as the national anthem goes, “ Ang mamatay nang da hil sa iyo” is the phrase that will mutter on everyone’s lips when the time arises. Now - however fragile - ar en’t you glad you are living in a democracy? (Email your feed back to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)
Jilly Cooper said, “The male is a domestic animal which, if treated with firmness and kind ness, can be trained to do most things.” Zsa Zsa Gabor said, “I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.” Rita Rudner claimed: “Men forget everything; women remember everything. That’s why men need instant replays in sports. They’ve already forgotten what happened.”Thereare witty remarks and there are witty remarks. In the Philippines, one of the most often quoted persons is Melanie Marquez, an actress and former Miss International titleholder. In fact, there such thing as Melanism coined from malapropism (meaning “a ludi crous misuse of a word,” which is derived from Mrs. Malaprop, a character in the play ‘The Ri vals’ by Richard B. Sheridan).
Consider the following: When Lillian Gordy was only six months away from re ceiving her registered nursing degree, her boyfriend, Earl Car ter, asked her to marry him. She agreed, and the two planned to be married after her train ing was complete. She finished her nursing training and on September 26, 1923, at Plains Baptist Church, Lillian and Earl were married. She once remarked: “Some times, when I look at my chil dren, I say to myself, ‘Lillian, you should have remained a virgin.’” The Carters had four children with Jimmy Carter be ing the eldest child, who later on became the 39th President of the United States. After the death of her hus band, Eleanor Roosevelt built a career as author and speaker. She was a leader in forming the United Nations, the United Na tions Association, and Freedom House. She chaired the commit tee that drafted and approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered,” said the woman whom Harry S Truman described as the ‘First Lady of the World,’ in honor of her extensive travels to pro mote human rights. “But I was not pleased to read the descrip tion in the catalog: ‘No good in a bed, but fine against a wall.’” Although Mark Twain (born Samuel Langhorne Clemens) was confounded by financial and business affairs, his humor and wit were keen, and he en joyed immense public populari ty. At his peak, he was probably the most popular American ce lebrity of his time. Twain, whose wife, Olivia Langdon, was known as Livy to her family and friends, had written some witty lines about women. Here’s one: “Last week, I stated this woman was the ug liest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to with draw that statement.” On an other occasion, he was quoted as saying: “What would men be without women? Scarce, sir, mighty scarce.” George Burns, the oldest man to receive an Oscar for his supporting role in The Sunshine Boys, was “arguably the great est straight man of 20th-centu ry American comedy.” To preachers and priests, he has one piece of good advice: “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possi ble.” By the way, he once played God in two movies.
University of the Philippines Min danao atlongholdingchezonneSamuelleInstructorMari“Sam”SaniscurrentlyaweekphotoexhibittheCollegeof Humanities and Social Sciences at the UPMin campus in Mintal, Davao City.The exhibit mounts pho tographs taken during the faculty member’s own time as a student of Communica tion Arts. The materials depict UP Mindanao’s campus life at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t exist. Sanchez aims to use the exhibition as a catalyst to reminisce about college life within the UP Mindanao community.Fortheold students, the exhibit serves as a re minder of their experiences during face-to-face classes. In contrast, students discov ering the campus for the first time realize that they will have these experiences for themselves once classes begin. Among the captured photos was the enrollment process. Others might see lining up as inconve nient, but students who experienced this before the pandemic might recall these moments as their first opportunity to social ize. Photographs of the cheerdance highlight the spirit of competition of each program. And finally, the old students’ favorite, joining seminars and org booths to enjoyBeingsnacks.an Iskolar ng Bayan has its perks, but it also comes with the respon sibilities that fit the title. The images cast remind old stu dents of their life on campus prior to the pandemic. The iconic blue book was also featured to depict students’ hard work and dedication. The photographer finished his Master of Arts in Integrated Design at the Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. He is currently the Faculty head of the BACMA Sibya Media Production Unit and an adviser for the Communica tor’s Guild. The said exhibition will last from September 5 until 9, 2022, on the first floor of the CHSS Wing in front of the Mini Theater of UP Mindanao. After that, the exhibit will move to the Col lege of Science and Mathe matics (CSM) on September 12 and will be there until September 16, 2022.
A HINT AND A REMINDER “Days past lives present” photo exhibit at UPMin
VOL.15 ISSUE 127 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 20228 EDGEDAVAO EVENT VOL.15 ISSUE 127 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2022
Photos by Julius R. Paner
Many of us love birds. However, only a few of us want to see birds in their natural habitat – in the for ests, up in the trees, and flying in the open skies.
EDGEDAVAO GAME CHANGER
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Julius R. Paner, tourism officer of the municipality of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur since 2012, is one of them. His love for birds start ed when he was a child. “Even when I was still a kid, I already liked seeing birds because I grew up in the countryside and there were plenty of birds then,” he recalled.So,itwas not surprising at all when Paner included bird watching as one of the tourism activities in his hometown. But it was just a recent“Theaddition.sellingpoint of Sta. Cruz in terms of tourism are our natural attractions like mountain ranges, summits, caves, waterfalls, beaches and forests,” he explains. “A lot of activities can be done here like mountain climb ing, caving, falls hopping, trail running and island hopping.” In 2018, he started bird watching as a hobby when he joined a group in Malagos led by expert birder Pete Simpson, who is a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philip pines-Davao. He learned so many things from it that
WHEN WATCHING BIRDS IS MORE FUN
Julius R. Paner at work.
Flock of cola sisi bird.
By HENRYLITO D. TACIO
A female Buff-spotted flameback. A Philippine Cuckoo dove. he thought of adding bird watching as tourism activ ities.When he presented the idea to the government offi cials, no one objected. “Our municipal leader ship here is actually very supportive of our tourism programs and projects and that includes bird watch ing,” he says. “In fact, there is a budget allocated here for biodiversity conserva tion in general, and bird inventory activities in par ticular.” So, in 2019, even before the pandemic started, he opened birding activities in the “Themunicipality.latest ecotour ism trend recently is bird watching,” he points out. “Although not a lot of peo ple are into it right now but it has gained tremendous attention from naturalists that’s why we integrated this activity to our pool of must-tries here in Sta. Cruz. We also have plenty of bird ing sites here, both in the forest and in our wetlands.” Among the towns of Davao del Sur, Sta. Cruz is the only municipality of FWHEN, P10
CHINA...
WHEN... FROM 9 fering such activities. It’s understandable. “Mod esty aside, I can say that Sta. Cruz is one of the best birding sites in Mindanao because of the presence of forest and wetland birds which serves as home to more than a hundred en demic, resident and migra tory species,” he says. A huge portion of the country’s highest peak, Mount Apo, is part of Sta. Cruz. As such, “we have an excellent record of Philip pine and Mindanao endem ic birds, or those that can only be seen in the Philip pines and Mindanao such as the Philippine Eagle, Apo Myna, Mindanao Jungle Fly catcher, Apo Sunbird and Grey-hooded Sunbird.” Those birds can be found in the forested up land areas. In its lowlands, particularly those near the waters, exotic birds also abound. “Our coastal stretch and marshes are also refuge to migratory birds flying within the EastAsian Australisian Flyway,” PanerAccordingsays. to him, those who are interested in bird watching in Sta. Cruz must first coordinate with the local government unit through the tourism office. The ideal birding group ranges from 5 to 10 per sons. “I would also like to inform everyone that Sta. Cruz now is open for local and domestic tourists for as long the COVID-19 pro tocols will be strictly fol lowed,” Paner says. He says the best time for birding is early morning from 6:00 in the morning up to 10:00 in the morn ing. “There are cases where birding requires 2 to 3 days depending on the location especially if it requires ma jor hiking like Mount Apo and if one aspires to see a very rare species,” he says. Unlike other tourism ac tivities, bird watching needs a lot of work. Aside from doing research before com ing into the area, they must also follow all the rules.
E-STALL...
FROM 5 used at the Agdao, Toril, and Mintal public mar kets. For Calinan they are still updating the profiling of the awardees to ensure that verified information will be encoded into the system. They are also waiting for the final list of awardees from the Bank erohan Public Market. He said that hopefully, the system will cover all markets soon. CIO
PH’s GROSS... FROM 5
Marcos said his ad ministration will also be pursuing a medium-term fiscal framework that will widen fiscal space and allow continued invest ments in public infrastruc ture and human capital development.“Wewill expand our high investments in public infrastructure by leveraging our public-private partner ships mechanisms. We will improve interconnectivi ty through infrastructure,”portsernizeourtrackdevelopment.transportationWewillfast-thedevelopmentofrailwaysystems,modourairportsandseaandenhanceourroadhesaid.
CLOSED... FROM 2 SOCIAL... FROM 2 them the full authority to decide as long as they strict ly follow the requirements enumerated in DepEd Or der 34 Series of 2022. We want them to decide kung kaya ba nila and of course with the consent of the parents. They have to seek the consent of their parents and once they secured that then they can employ. Kasi transition period na ito very critical period ito for the full-blown implementa tion. Others also are more into blended muna because they are more secure but we urged them to better be serious on the November 2 schedule,” he said. Through DepEd Order 34 s. 2022, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte mandated all public and private schools to adopt five-day in-person learning starting Novem ber 2, while distance and blended learning modali ties may be implemented from August to October 31. This will serve as the transition period in prepa ration for full face-to-face classes.
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FROM 3 and leisure trade show in the region; and the Print and Label, Packaging and Plastics Mindanao 2022, which is a comprehensive expo for the packaging, printing and plastics indus tries.“This year the event is even more unique as we welcome our friends not only from the construction industry but also from the printing and packaging as well as from the hospitality and furniture industries,” Uy said.Aside from the indoor and outdoor displays from a wide range of exhibitors and brands from small to the country’s biggest sup pliers and manufacturers, there will be trade shows and seminars for the indus try players also.
PH... FROM 4 Intramuros, mean while, won over other competitors such as the Angkor Temples of Cam bodia; Borobudur Temple Compounds of Indonesia; Ha Long Bay of Vietnam; Sengan-en and Shoko Shu seikan Museum of Kagoshi ma in Japan; Taj Mahal of India, teamLab SuperNa ture of Macao, Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Terracotta Warriors, all in China; Tokyo Imperial Pal ace of Japan; and Victoria Peak of Hong Kong. Frasco said the Philip pines is ready to receive tourists while continuing to promote the “Filipino brand” of hospitality. “We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit and I invite each and ev ery one of you to visit our beaches, our dive sites, and our tourist destinations,” she said. (PNA) HSBC... FROM 4 opportunities on equities overseas. “Customers like the brand. They like the prop osition. They like that we help them connect interna tionally but we need more wealth products to help them meet those needs,” he said.Thus, the bid to achieve the clients’ requirements through diversification of their investments and pro viding wider access to op portunities, he added.
“Good planning is nec essary,” Paner says. “First is to research the location especially if it is new to the group. Coordination and getting a local guide are also crucial. When doing it in protected areas the ‘leave no trace principles’ should be practiced. The most im portant is that no birds and other wildlife forms should be harmed while doing birding tours.” On why he encourages the protection of birds, he replies, “Birds are special because they are the best indicator of a healthy envi ronment. If there are birds in a certain area it means that the ecosystem is sta ble. Personally, birds are my antidote to stress and de pression. I love seeing them in their natural habitat. As I have been saying before, they represent the spirit. Birds symbolize freedom.” Paner’s love for birds is indeed for real. As a matter of fact, he always encourag es his co-tourism officers in the province to do bird inventory and start birding tours in their areas. “But most of them are not con vinced – at least for now,” says the tourism officer who finished his Master’s in Business Administration from Davao del Sur State College.Ina feature, which ap peared in Philippine Star, Paner said that now is the time for local tourism offic es to embrace birdwatching as one of their tourist at tractions. “In the Philippines, we have around 700 species of birds,” he was quoted as saying. “We are one of the most biodiverse countries for birds, and only a few people are going into it.” Paner said his group has received several inqui ries from people in England (and other countries) who are interested in birdwatch ing here. “Our endemic birds are considered one of the best and most sought after by birdwatchers,” he stressed. “It’s high time we take advantage of that.” Recently, he joined the Big Year Davao, Inc, a group of birding enthusiasts with in the Davao region that advocates said.presencemorepassionwatchingconservationenvironmentalthroughbirdactivities.“Myforbirdsisevenenhancedwiththeofthisgroup,”he The group’s intention is to radiate its advocacy by partnering with national and local government agen cies and private sectors.
digent senior citizens. The DSWD-11 said the program aims to improve the living condition of eligi ble indigent senior citizens in the region. (PNA)
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said this developed following her meeting with Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. Ople also said that the goodwill arising from the President’s state visit and the lifting of the 27-year-old guarantee bond would lead to more and better job pros pects for Filipinos who wish to work in Singapore. “Even prior to the Pres ident’s visit, our Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Singapore had already ap proved close to 10,000 job orders with 5,000 jobs awaiting aircraft technicians in the aviation industry,” Ople was quoted saying. Approved job orders re fer to immediate manpower requirements given by Sin gaporean employers to the POLO that are expected to be filled up in the next few months.The breakdown of ap proved job orders submit ted by Singaporean employ ers are as follows: Aviation industry -- 5,000 aircraft technicians; Medical indus try - 3,000 healthcare work ers; Engineering industry
PHILCONSTRUCT...
DOH... FROM 3 member-states of the Asso ciation of Southeast Asian Nations that continue to im plement mandatory mask rules in outdoor areas. The DILG data also showed that tourist arrivals have increased in countries with relaxed mask man dates while fresh corona virus infections have de creased. But Vergeire stressed that IATF’s recommenda tion would only be imple mented in low-risk settings and low-risk individuals. “So, meaning this will only be done outdoors, in settings where it is not crowded, in settings where there is good ventilation,” she “Thissaid. will be done among low-risk individu als, meaning not the senior citizens, not those with comorbidities, not the chil dren, and definitely not those having symptoms of COVID-19,” she added. The health official not ed the country’s COVID-19 cases were “manageable”. Severe and critical cases are on a plateau while hospital admissions are less than 30 percent, she added.
FROM 5 the Philippines to China. “It is expected that fresh durian from Davao will be permitted for import into China as soon as this year,” HuangAccordingadded. to Huang, China imports most of its durian. China imported 822,000 tons of durian in 2021, worth $4.21 bil lion. Durian imports also increased by 60 percent during the first half of 2022.
E-TRIKES...
CHINESE... FROM 2 & Beach Resort in Barangay Caliclic, Babak District of Sa malInIsland.the Davao City side, the landing point is situat ed at R. Castillo-Daang Ma harlikaThejunction.DPWHsaid that the project has a total length of 3.98 kilometers, including Davao ramps and a grade road and roundabout in Samal, with a width of 24 meters and a vertical navi gational clearance up to 47 meters. Sadain said the project will increase economic ac tivities in the region upon its completion. “The project, once com pleted, can boost economic progress in Davao region and its adjacent areas,” he said. He added that the proj ect will be completed in 60 months or five years. (An tonio L. Colina IV / MindaN ews)to be completed,” Almorato said of Kitig,Kitig.who was assigned to the CMO Battalion just over a month from his pre vious assignment in Magu indanao, is facing adminis trativeAlmoratocharges.was unable to disclose those charges. Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, the 6ID commander, imme diately ordered a deeper probe, even as he assured the public that he is not tol erating illegal activities by any of the 6th ID trooper. Maj. Carol Jabagat, Toril police station commander, said Kitig could not present documents that he is legal ly allowed to possess and transport of high-powered guns, which is a violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Illegal Possession of Fire arms and Explosives. Kitig has not issued any statement to the press as of posting. (PNA)
PH KEEN... FROM 4 as more investments trans late to higher economic ac tivity, more jobs, and a bet ter life for all Filipinos. Marcos said his ad ministration’s 8-point socio-economic agenda underscores commitment through broad-based job creation, expansion of dig ital infrastructure, and promotion of research and development across the country.“This strategy will en able us to reduce poverty sharply and upgrade the country to upper-middle income status. We will ex ercise fiscal prudence in the fulfillment of that agenda,” he added.
6ID BACKS... FROM 2
FROM 5 which is expected to em ploy Filipinos, especially in the Information Technology (IT) and creative industry. Singaporean business men also expressed interest in the so-called “Blue Econo my” where they are expect ed to invest from USD10 million to USD100 million in areas such as marine renew able energy, water produc tion, desalination, electric boats as well as aquaculture. There were also invest ments pledged in “Innova tion Platform for Start-ups” (USD20 million) and “Wom en in Technology” (USD20 million). Hiring of workers The Singapore govern ment also approved the hir ing of around 10,000 Filipi no workers in the city-state, which is home to around 200,000 Filipino migrant workers.
Regarding the timing of the new products’ launch, Faulhaber said what is im portant is “to just take the first“Takestep.”that first step and respond to customers and get some of the products on the shelf. And over the next couple of years, we’ll continue to add more prod ucts to the shelf in line with what customers are asking for as well as what’s going on in the world,” he added. (PNA)
“Durian from Davao re gion is high in quality and good in taste. It is expected to win the hearts of Chi nese durian lovers. As one of the most lucrative agri cultural products, the entry of high-quality fresh durian from the Philippines into China with a population of 1.4 billion will benefit hun dreds of thousands of Phil ippine fruit farmers and greatly increase the income of local growers in the Min danao area,” he added.
Philippine peso breached its all-time low for 4 straight trading days, closing at P57.135 to $1 on Sept. 7. Medalla and several econ omists have agreed that the weakening was mainly driven by the US dollar rally.
We’ve seen sports clubs orga nized here and there and simply went pufft! And yet these two chess clubs have continued despite the ups and downs.
I remembered was when Mr.Day rit talked about athletes, being or ganized as a group to form sports clubs, and that sports clubs or as sociations play a crucial role in ath lete development. And because of its noble and sustained programs, they get recognized by the national sportsMyassociation.pointhere is that the exis tence of sports clubs is vital to the successful development of athletes. Without club leaders, athletes are left alone to train on their own. Sure they can find their own coach es and trainers but the club system will greatly improve them because of a specific sports program that is in place.
Atty.Guevarra said it is his pas sion for the support that sustained it. And when I asked him about Davao’s first International Master (IM) Marlo Micayabas, he said they were neighbours and played to gether. That’s one explanation too for his continued passion for the sport. Don’t you know that Marlo emerged champion in the Toril Dis trict Elementary Chess Champion ship in 1976 and Jong placed third? That’s one Davao chess trivia you would like to remember.
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11EDGEDAVAO SPORTS
When Jong suited for the Uni versity of Mindanao, they captured twoThetitles.Toril-based lawyer is proud to have produced Fide Master AJ Literatus and JR Batucan, both ASE AN Age Group champions and that also inspired him to keep the pro gram going. On the other hand, Tabudlong’s chess club has improved these days because he not only organized local tournaments but has made it open to foreign players via online. Ronnie, who coaches the Uni versity of Mindanao and Davao Christian High School varsity teams, said they found a way to do things online because of the Covid-19 pan demic and through the online plat form, Davao players also have the opportunity to forge friendships with foreign players. Lovely, right? These two awesome sports clubs, however, needed a boost. Sure, they can go on on their own but hey, there’s an opportunity here. You see, there used to be two Davao City councillors who have passionately supported chess de velopment in the city, Councilors Leo “Happy L.A.” Avila and Peter T. Lavina, incidentally, both Davao me diamen. If our good friend, former GMA TV newsman and newly-elected Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo happens to read this, probably, he may think of giving fresh energy to the efforts of Atty. Guevarra and Engr.Tabudlong, who for many, many years have used personal funds to keep their programs going. It won’t cost you much, Honor able Councilor Ocampo. I know this is unsolicited but believe me Tek, they need some support these days and I could not think of someone else right now but you because you love sports too. They’ll be glad to have a City Councilor backing their programs and continue the legacy of City Coun cil members serving as godfathers to sports development in the city. That would be one beautiful sight to see in the Davao sports community.***Wewelcome sports news, tips, comments, reactions for our Edge Davao sports section and we’ll gladly receive them via email, for convenience sake. Please email, mpb_sports@yahoo.com and I’ll say in advance, Daghang Salamat! TORIL AND METRO DAVAO CHESS CLUBS
I got a message from Atty. Bibs Bustamante a while ago about the ongoing chess development pro gram managed by a fellow lawyer, Atty. Jong Guevarra in Toril. That reminded me too of the ongoing chess development pro gram by another chess club estab lished by Engr. Ronnie Tabudlong. They are actually two well-or ganized chess clubs in Davao. Love ly, isn’tYearsit? ago, I believe it was around 1996, Neil Bravo and I along with some Davao sports leaders at tended the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Move ment Course handled by Cito Day rit, who was the only accredited Fil ipino International Course Director of the Olympic Solidarity Itinerant Administration for Sports Leaders at that time. Being a young sportswriter then, I was fortunate to attend (thanks to manong Vic Sai), that led me to understanding better about the Olympic Movement. And one particular discussion
Atty.Guevarra, in our chat, said that their Metro Toril Chess Asso ciation is already recognized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines. This kind of recogni tion was also accorded to Tabud long’s Metro Davao Youth Chess Club Inc. The question is, how did these chess clubs survive and thrive all these long years?
MOSESCLEANBILLACURASLATE
Gilas women’s U-18 drubs
The Gilas Pilipinas Women Under-18 team. FIBA.basketball
STRENGTHENING THE
Maldives, gains semis berth
he Gilas Pilipinas Women’s Un der-18 team will advance to the 2022 FIBA U-18 Asian Champi onship semifinals following a 110-28 beating of Maldives on Wednesday. It was the Pinays’ third straight win since beating Thailand, 65-50, and Samoa, 66-59. Louna Ozar paced Gi las with 22 points on 11of-15 field goal shooting, while Ryhanna Calvert and Kate Bobadilla scored 17 points each. Calvert completed the tally with 11 boards and 7 steals.The Pinays held the Maldivians to just 10-out-of-40 field goal shooting, even as they forced the opposing team to commit 64 turn overs.Ana Aminath Simad led Maldives with 15 points.The win earned the Pinays an outright semis berth. The semifinals will begin this Saturday.
T
A basketball lover himself, Eala shared the same passion of the hoop-crazy nation to stand behind our Gilas Pilipinas in next year’s World Cup.
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As basketball is treated as a religion in the Philippines, Eala and the PSC are all out in sup porting the World Cup that is ex pected not just to showcase our world-class hosting capabilities but will also provide an economic boost to the country that is still trying to get its feet up on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday, officials from the SBP paid a courtesy call to the new Chairman of the govern ment’s sports agency. Joining Eala in welcoming the delegates from the SBP is PSC Commissioner and Philippine Sports Hall of Famer Bong Coo. Leading the courtesy visit of the SBP team were executive director Sonny Barrios, who also serves as event director for the FIBA World Cup 2023, Erika Dy, deputy event direc tor, Dickie Bachmann, division chief for operations, local orga nizing committee, Jude Turcu ato, representing Smart Com munications, which serves as the event’s global partner, Atty. Aga Francisco, SBP legal con sultant and chairman of FIBA legal commission and John Lu cas, head of operations, joint management committee, Phil ippines, FBWC 2023
ALL OUT
EDGEDAVAO
PSC chief Filipinos’basketball-crazyasksfullsupport for World Cup hosting, Gilas PSSC chair Noli Eala with the SBP team composed of executive director Sonny Barrios, who also serves as event director for the FIBA World Cup 2023, Erika Dy, deputy event director, Dickie Bachmann, division chief for operations, local organizing committee, Jude Turcuato, representing Smart Communications, which serves as the event’s global partner, Atty. Aga Francisco, SBP legal consultant and chairman of FIBA legal commission and John Lucas, head of operations, joint management committee, Philippines, FBWC 2023.
Newly-appointed Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Noli Eala is fully supportive of the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup next year and also asked the basketball-crazy nation to rally behind our Gilas Pilipinas team competing in the big gest basketball event.
“I encourage everyone, not just the basketball-loving Fili pinos, to support the country’s hosting of the World Cup, which gives so much pride for the Phil ippines being one of the hosts, and stay behind our very own Gilas Pilipinas team,” said Eala, who now leads the government’s sports agency, succeeding Butch Ramirez.Aformer PBA Commissioner, who also served as Executive Di rector of the Samahang Basket bol ng Pilipinas a few years ago, Eala was the project director of the original Smart Gilas Pilipinas in 2008. That Smart Gilas team was the precursor of the Gilas program now being handled by Chot Reyes.
