By MAYA M. PADILLO
The regional office of the Land Trans portation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB 11) announced that the fare increase for the Traditional Public Util ity Jeepneys (TPUJs), Modern Public Utility Jeepneys (MPUJs), taxis, and Public Utility Buses (PUBs) in Davao Region will take ef fect starting, Monday, October 3, 2022.
LTFRB 11 legal officer lawyer Ernest Benz Davila announced that for the TPU Js, the new adjusted fare is now at P12 for the base fare (for the first four-kilometer)
from the previous P11. The succeeding kilometer is now at P1.80.
For MPUJs the new ad justed fare is at now P14 for the first four kilometers and the succeeding kilometer is now at P2.20.
MPUJs are those compli ant with national standards and international vehicle safety. These have CCTV, global navigation satellite system, GPS, low emission combustion engines, aircon
ditioned, more comfortable seats.
Engr. Marie Jean Jaralba, admin officer IV and Techni cal Division head of LTFRB 11, shared the schedule of payments and release of fare matrices: September 29, 2022, for the Public Utility Buses PUBs; September 30, 2022, for taxi units; October 3, 2022, for the PUJ routes with route names start with letter A to C; October
The proposed 2023 national budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) can now be presented in the ple nary after being approved on Thursday by the Sen ate Committee on Finance chaired by Senator Sonny Angara.
Vice President Sara Duterte, who was present
during the budget deliber ation, told the committee that her office is proposing to spend PHP2.3 billion next year under the 2023 National Expenditure Pro gram (NEP).
Included in the OVP’s proposed budget are the implementation of its Med ical and Burial Assistance, Libreng Sakay, Disaster
Operations Center, Pag baBAGo Campaign, Relief for Individuals in Crisis and Emergencies, Kalusugan Food Trucks, Peace 911, and Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day Program.
Duterte also reiterated to senators her plan of es tablishing seven OVP Sat ellite Offices in Dagupan, Tacloban, Cebu, Bacolod,
Tandag, Zamboanga, and Davao which will replicate the OVP services and com plement its disaster risk reduction efforts.
She reported as well on the preparations of the OVP in establishing its per manent office being eyed to have its own ceremo nial area, museum of vice
Peace education is not only about learning the culture of peace but also about having the right mindset and skills to defuse potentially violent conflict situations, an offi cial said Thursday.
In a statement, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Sec retary Carlito Galvez Jr. said peace education must be geared toward build ing competencies among stakeholders.
“Peace education ap proaches should aim to go beyond curriculum de velopment and must be geared towards building particular competencies, values, and practices that can be effectively applied outside the classroom,” said Galvez, who graced the 1st National Peace Ed ucation Summit here from Sept. 26-27.
At least 100 peace ed ucation champions across the country converged during the two-day sum mit, which would provide recommendations on how to promote peace and un derstanding in the basic and higher education sec tors.
Galvez said the summit seeks to facilitate more robust peace constituen cy-building interventions through partnerships and network-building of peace education in the country.
He also underscored the role that the academe plays in promoting the cul ture of peace, as they can help in weeding out vio lence, hazing, and bullying, especially in the formative
years of young learners.
“Peace education is vital in providing spac es to generate important lessons on negotiations, mediation, conflict reso lution, fraternity, common good, justice, and unity,” he said.
Issued in 2006, Exec utive Order (EO) No. 570, entitled “Institutionalizing Peace Education in Basic Education and Teacher Education,” paved the way for the implementation of peace education activities in academic institutions throughout the country.
Since the issuance of EO 570, the OPAPRU be gan efforts to mainstream peace education in the country’s education cur riculum.
However, these were not sustained, as the agen cy’s initiatives were fo cused on the implementa tion of peace agreements.
Last year, the sign ing of EO 158 entitled “Strengthening the Poli cy Framework on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity and Reorganizing the Gov ernment’s Administrative Structure for the Purpose,” put peace education at the core of OPAPRU’s peace building strategies.
Meanwhile, Vice Pres ident and Department of Education (DepEd) Sec retary Sara Duterte high lighted the need to revital ize the mainstreaming of peace education efforts.
“I look forward to col laborating with the com munity of peace education practitioners who have developed peace educa
Vice President Sara Duterte answers the queries from senators during the budget deliberation of the Senate Committee on Finance concerning the 2023 proposed budget of the Office of the Vice President. Official FB page of Inday Sara Duterte FFARE, P10
said.
City is building up as tourism hub in the Davao Region by pushing for the develop ment of its airport as tour ism driver.
In an interview, May or Michelle Nakpil Rabat said the National Econom ic Development Authority (NEDA) assured during a meeting that the agency will help the city in pushing for the airport.
“That was included in our discussion with NEDA. They will help us push for this. The airport has been there since 1981. Mati is a tourism hub at the same time agro-industrial. That is the way forward and most sustainable. And Mati being part of the Metro Davao Development Au thority (MDDA) we just recently concluded with the consultation with the NEDA and we agreed that Mati is a tourism hub,” she said.
She is not certain of the timeline but she knows it’s the airport will be devel oped soon.
“I’m pretty sure soon. I can speak for most Matin ians that we want the air port to be operational and to bring in tourists,” Rabat
Recently, Mati City host ed the first Bay Deep Mati Freediving Festival which gathered local and foreign divers.
Freediving is a relative ly new watersport activity in Davao Region and like scuba diving, it entails thor ough training and certifica tion for one to safely do this sport underwater.
Rabat said she is keen on exploring events and ac tivities like freediving apart from scuba diving.
“I do expect more ac tivities like this. You have to put it in a tourism cal endar we intend to put this as a yearly thing or for the enthusiasts out there who want to come to Mati. And we want to put Mati City on the map, I think this (freed iving) is one way of putting Mati on the map, to foreign ers. Let’s admit it madami rin gusto nato na scuba div ing but freediving, madami dami din yan and I’d like to explore,” she said.
Rabat also said that the city is also preparing for the upcoming developments.
“I don’t want to be like Boracay, so before that hap pens we want everything to
ASU head Paul Berme jo told media during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday that the unit is increasing manpower in their clean-up operations by deploying two teams to clean every day and night in flood-prone areas in the Poblacion District and oth er areas.
The clean-up includes
clearing any obstructions in the storm drains of the city. Drainage clean-ups are also regularly conducted in flood-prone areas that include Jade Valley and La Verna in Buhangin, where severe flooding is always expected.
The flooding had caused heavy traffic in the city’s main streets and
roads including J.P. Laurel Avenue near Davao Light and Power Co., F. Torres corner Jacinto extension, and on the Buhangin fly over.
“Ang priority nato, be fore pa ang ato na ulan, kay kadtong previous na mga frequently flooded areas, such as kining naa diri sa GSIS. So, gitirahan nato ang San Antonio Village kay dili ma-drain ang tubig diha gikan sa GSIS so mubaha diha sa McArthur Highway,” Bermejo said.
ASU is also conducting road clearing operations
with teams operating 24/7 to remove any obstructions in city roads to prevent flooding and traffic conges tion.
ASU is currently formu lating ways to maximize the efficiency of the city’s road clearing schematics by establishing a “Barangay Ancillary Services Team” in the densely populated ar eas in the city to make com munities in the barangays have the means to main tain the cleanliness of their roads and waterways.
The ASU is a division
Improving drainage and constructing pumping stations may not be enough to address the worsening problem of flooding in the city, an environmental planner said on Thursday after a torrential rain inundated several parts of down town Davao on Wednes day evening.
Lemuel Lloyd Manalo, program coordinator for Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustain
ability (IDIS) Inc., told MindaNews that more needs to be done to solve this problem since the ar eas in downtown Davao that are frequently flood ed used to be wetlands, tidal marshes to be exact.
He added the city must improve on “adapt ability and resiliency,” designing infrastructure and drainage improve ment projects based on the “hydrologic charac teristics of nature.”
“Considering the alarming studies on sea level rise, it is no won der that our flooding sit uation is worsening,” he said.
He added the areas that were flooded last Wednesday were tidal marshes.
The entire areas in Bucana, Matina, Boule vard, Roxas Avenue, Uy anguren to Agdao are tid al marshes, he said.
“These areas are in
truded by seawater when the tide is high and blocks the drain and sewerage resulting in overflowing of built canals,” he ex plained.
Manalo said improv ing drainage and building pumping stations are not “direct solutions due to the mass volume of hightide water blocking the drain flow.”
VOL.15 ISSUE 146 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022 The most appropri ate action, he suggested,
Rodrigo S. Duterte II graces the Project Happy Smile Dental Mission of Ma-a Police Station at The View in Magtuod, Ma-a on Friday. The young Duterte represents his father, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte, in most of the latter’s engagements in Davao City.
The city’s Ancillary Services Unit (ASU) is stepping up its clean-up operations of the drainage system in Davao City after heavy flooding hit the city on Wednes day night.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Mar cos Jr. on Thursday met with the Pri vate Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) to discuss ways to boost Philippine tour ism.
The tourism sector work plan was the agenda of Mar cos’ meeting with PSAC, based on a short video clip uploaded on the official Facebook page of state-run Radio Television Mala
cañang (RTVM).
“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convenes the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) Tourism Sector Group in a meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining
Room in Malacañan Palace on September 29, 2022,” RTVM said in a Facebook post.
Malacañang, however, has yet to provide specifics about the plans to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s tourism industry.
The meeting was attend ed by PSAC Tourism Sector Group, including Frederick Go (Robinsons Land Cor poration), Roberto Claudio
Sr. (Philippine Retailers As sociation), Rene Limcaoco (Hertz Philippines), Mary Geraldine Polanco-Onga non (Aboitiz Equity Ven tures, Inc.), Ginggay Hon tiveros-Malvar (Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc.), and Leslie Vanessa Lim (Rob insons Land Corporation), RTVM said.
RTVM added that PSAC lead convenor Sabin Aboitiz
The Philippines’ big gest telecommuni cations companies on Thursday all said they support the mandatory registration of SIMs being pushed by lawmakers.
Globe Telecom, PLDTSmart and DITO Telecom munity said they were ready to cooperate with authorities as the Senate and the House of Repre
sentatives both passed their versions of the SIM registration bill.
“SIM Registration will serve as a major deterrent against spam and scam SMS, as it will finally lift the veil of anonymity that comes with using prepaid SIM cards,” Globe said.
The Ayala-led telco added that the status quo had allowed the preva
lence of SMS-aided fraud, with perpetrators largely untraceable.
“We shall await then for the implementing rules of the law,” said Froilan Castelo, Globe Group gen eral counsel.
PLDT said it is ready to work with the govern ment “in protecting Filipi no consumers.”
“We also welcome any
opportunity to support the legislative process and contribute to the crafting of the bill’s implementing rules and regulations,” said PLDT-Smart presi dent and CEOh Alfredo Panlilio.
DITO Chief Technolo gy Officer, Retired Major General Rodolfo Santiago said the company is also
The Philippine Eco nomic Zone Author ity (PEZA) has part nered with the Upgrade Energy Philippines, Inc. (UGEP) to develop solar energy projects within economic zones.
In a statement Thurs day, the investment pro motion agency said PEZA officer-in-charge Tereso Panga and UGEP presi dent and chief executive officer Ruth Yu-Owen signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last Sept. 22 to put up so lar energy projects inside PEZA zones.
“PEZA welcomes part nerships like this which promote the goal of envi ronment-friendly indus trialization,” Panga said.
The first phase of the partnership involves the conduct of feasibility studies in Cavite Econom ic Zone (CEZ) and Bagu io City Economic Zones
(BCEZ) to determine the viability of putting up so lar projects in these eco zones.
This, as UGEP aims to build a 10-megawatt solar project for CEZ and BCEZ to generate and sell solar power to the end consumers through the distribution utilities in side the ecozones.
“Promoting the use of renewable energy is ex tremely paramount in our country so we can save billions of pesos in energy and electricity consump tion, generate more jobs and at the same time, re duce our country’s share of carbon emissions, therefore, fighting the ad verse effects of the global climate change,” Panga added.
VOL.15 ISSUE 146 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2022 On the other hand, PEZA will be providing necessary assistance to UGEP for the conduct of
Filbert Bryan Sollesta, division chief of PhilHealth Field Operations, talks about the updates on PhilHealth Konsulta program and its benefits during this week’s Kapihan sa PIA at NCCC VP mall in Davao City. Edge DavaoRegistered foreign in vestments with the Bangko Sentral ng Pil ipinas (BSP) posted net out flows for the fourth straight month in August, although lower than in July.
Data released by the central bank showed that transactions on foreign in vestments through autho rized agent banks (AABs) posted $86.29 million in net outflows last month.
This is lower than the $103.14-million net out flows in July but a reversal of the $11.51-million net in flows in August 2021.
The registration of in ward foreign investments delegated to all authorized agent banks (AABs) by the BSP is optional and required only if it involves foreign ex change purchases for repa triation of capital and remit tances of earnings.
Gross outflows for the month grew by 12% or $94 million to $878 million from $784 million in the previ ous month, with the United States receiving 72.5% of
the outward remittances.
Gross inflows stood at $792 million, reflecting a 16.3% or $111 million in crease from $681 million in July.
The BSP said 76% of the inflows for the month were channeled into securities on the Philippine Stock Ex change, mainly in banks; holding firms; property; food, beverage, and tobacco; and electricity, energy, pow er, and water.
Some 24% went to in vestments in peso govern ment securities, while less than 1% was put into other instruments.
Investments for the month came mostly from the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Luxembourg, which cumulatively ac counted for 82.6%.
The latest figures brought the year-to-date gross inflows to $8.878 billion and gross outflows to $8.134 billion, reflecting net inflows of $743.86 mil lion.
The City of Davao’s tourism sector is currently preparing for tourists arriv ing during the remaining major holi days of the year.
City Tourism Office (CT0) officer-in-charge Ju lieta Catacutan, during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday, said their office is laying the groundwork to ensure the safe and conve nient stay of visitors in the city.
“Ang amoang main goal karon is kining atoang tour ist arrivals considering na
hapit na atoang Kalag-kalag and All Saints’ Day ug atoang Christmas season (Our main goal right now is our tour ist arrivals, considering All Souls’ Day, All Saints’ Day and our Christmas season is almost here),” Catacutan said.
With this, Catacutan urged all businesses under the city’s tourism industry
to secure all necessary legal requirements for their oper ations.
“We are closely coordi nating with different tour ist-related establishments to get their business permit and make sure they are tru ly accredited by the city para pag-abot sa panahon, dili na magkaproblema ang turista diri sa city, ug makahatag pud ta og safe na pagser bisyo sa ilaha (so that when the time comes, tourists will no longer have problems in the city, and we can provide
them with safe services),” she said.
Catacutan said the city’s tourism industry is now re covering after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as proven by the successful execution of the Kadayawan Festival in Au gust.
From January to August of this year, Davao City wel comed 529,551 tourists. Of these, 502,650 are Filipinos and 23,400 are foreigners.
The city was visited by
Major cigarette man ufacturer Philip Morris Interna tional (PMI) is looking to spend some P8.8 billion to boost the manufactur ing of smoke-free prod ucts in the Philippines.
PMI said the invest ment — equivalent to $150 million — will cov er an expansion wing of
its Philippine unit Philip Morris Fortune Tobac co Corp. Inc. ‘s (PMFTC) factory in Tanauan City, Batangas.
The expansion will produce specially de signed heated tobacco sticks for smoke-free products and create 220 jobs for locals, with com mercial production ex
pected to start in the last quarter of 2023.
“We are proud to in vest in the country’s jour ney to finally rid society of cigarettes, by providing those who would other wise continue to smoke with better alternatives, while helping generate revenues for the govern ment and livelihood op
portunities to the people,” PMFTC President Denis Gorkun said in an emailed statement.
PMFTC rolled out the IQOS tobacco heating system in 2020, using its patented HeatControl Technology which heats tobacco-filled sticks to re lease a water-based aero
Stalls selling ready-to-wear clothes and beauty items like this one inside a Davao City mall are experiencing slow business due to the effect to sector of the weakening value of peso against the US dollar. Edge Davao
That was included in our discussion with NEDA. They will help us push for this. The airport has been there since 1981. Mati is a tourism hub at the same time agro-industrial. That is the way forward and most sustainable. And Mati being part of the Metro Davao Development Authority (MDDA) we just recently concluded with the consultation with the NEDA and we agreed that Mati is a tourism hub.
Davao City, the country’s largest city in terms of land area, is currently experiencing a water crisis.
While the city government and water authorities are try ing to address the issue, the fact remains that the city re mains an area of concern when it comes to water supply.
A study done by Japan In ternational Cooperation Agen cy more than two decades ago listed Davao City as one of the nine “critical water ar eas,” along with Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Baguio, Angeles, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
With the ever-increasing population and more infra structures, malls, and residen tial areas being built, expect the water crisis to be a way of life. More problems are coming: en ergy crisis and traffic woes.
Last September 28, Davao City was awash with water due to heavy rain. Again, people
complained. Some parts of the city were inundated. One neti zen, who waited since 4:30 in the afternoon for a jeep, was stranded. She was hungry and tired. “The vehicles are always full and the water is from the knees already,” she cried.
It wasn’t the first time that the city was under water. Floods seem to be a way of life now. “The downpour of rain is unprecedented,” said one flood victim some years ago. “The rain came without warning. When we woke up in the morn ing, there was intermittent heavy rain and I thought that it was seasonal – indeed the rain fall throughout this year has been quite heavy, unlike during the last three years. The rain water reached two feet on the main streets. I couldn’t drive, there was water everywhere.”
A friend from Manila, who wants to settle in the city, sent me a video where some vehi cles passing the highway lo
cated at La Verna Hills in Bu hangin were stranded; some were even submerged due to the ongoing flood.
“Doesn’t the local govern ment unit dredge creeks and rivers over there?” my friend inquired.
Dredging, if you care to know, is “the removal of sed iments and debris from the bottom of rivers, harbors and other water bodies.” It is a te dious requirement in water ways because sedimentation – the natural process of sand and silt washing downstream – progressively plugs channels and harbors.
Since I am not from Davao City myself, I wasn’t able to an swer him immediately. I tried to do a thorough research on the subject.
“The flooding problem of Davao City has been preva lent as early as the late 1970s,” wrote Vic N. Sumalinog, a col umnist of Mindanao Times.
“But over the last fifteen years, floods have exacted heavy grave damage to the popula tion and even on government infrastructures.”
Those routine floods some times take place in the three major river basins of the city: Davao River, Matina River and Talomo River.
“Perhaps the local leaders may already have realized that it has become doubly expen sive to undertake stop-gap measures in addressing the flooding problem, and getting more expensive in rehabilitat ing the same both for the city and the people…” Sumalinog wrote.
In 2012, the city govern ment reportedly planned to purchase a dredging machine “to address the possible flood ing in areas near the river banks.” Once it has acquired the machine, it would “start clean ing up waterways and rivers in the city to prevent flash floods
in disaster-prone areas.”
In 2018, in a report released by Philippine News Agency quoted the Interface Develop ment Interventions for Sustain ability (IDIS) thanking then city mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for planning to desilt and dredge Davao City’s waterways.
Duterte signed Executive Order No. 09 “to desilt within the watershed areas to address the heavy siltation problem in rivers and streams.”
Early this year, the De partment Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Davao dredged the following rivers: Davao River, Mandug River, Matina Pangi River and Lanang River.
Dredging is also done reg ularly in the residential areas in La Verna. The said activity is conducted in tandem with the local government unit.
But the question remains: Will Davao City be inundated forever?
Pikit is one of 17 towns and one city that comprise the province of North Cotabato.
To some, Pikit is equated to a troubled town which may be attributed to the fact that “rido” (clan dispute that usual ly results in armed confronta tion) has been happening here since time immemorial. When there is no shooting encounter, some members of the conflict ing clans or families hunt each other and kill any member of the adverse family whenever chanced upon.
But “rido” or vendetta kill ing is not a monopoly of this town. “Rido” happens occa sionally in some places in the Lanao areas, Maguindanao and Sulu. The streets of Manhattan and Chicago in the U.S. are even more dangerous than Pikit.
MindaNews has already conducted a fact-check in the past to verify a post in the so cial media claiming that the town of Pikit is so troubled that it has already become a ghost
town. MindaNews found out that this was absolutely false.
It is true that whenever armed encounters happen be tween the feuding families, peo ple move to safer areas to avoid the stray bullets. This vacated area is referred to by some irre sponsible people as ghost area which becomes “ghost town” when picked up by some neti zens who do not bother to go to the area to verify the true situ ation. Commuters who pass by the town everyday could easily negate this.
And what would negate clear and bare all these false claims and fake news than the local beauty pageant dubbed “Muntya na Pikit” which was held at the Araneta Colise um-style Pikit Municipal Gym nasium on the evening of Sep tember 27, 2022! “Muntya” is a Maguindanaon term which literally means “precious gem.” This is an annual activity which was set aside in the past two years (2020-2021) due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
MindaNews photo by MAU GAN P. MOSAID
The 5,000-capacity gym nasium was jampacked by the crowd who cheered and shout ed at the top of their voices as beauty queens and celebrities from Manila made dramat ic entrances one by one. The seven-member Board of Judg es was chaired by Miss Gazini Ganados, Miss Universe Philip pines 2019, with some celebri ties and models as members.
As the curtain unfolds for the opening number the “Ex treme Dancers,” a finalist in Pinoy Got Talent, showcased their amazing moves and ac robatic executions of sports dances to the great delight of the audience.
No less than the beauty queens and celebrities went to Pikit, unperturbed by the neg ative news about the town, to grace the event which was one of the highlights of the 73rd founding anniversary celebra
tions of this municipality.
The town was created by virtue of Executive Order No. 270 signed by President Elpi dio Quirino on September 29, 1949. At the helm of the mu nicipal government are the in cumbent elected officials, May or Sumulong K. Sultan and Vice Mayor Muhyryn D. Sultan-Casi.
The next episodes cen tered on the 12 candidates for the “Muntya na Pikit” who competed with each other in their “Muslim Princess Attire,” “Evening Gowns,” “Grace on the Ramp” and answering the judges’ questions. Candidate number 6, Miss Janice Jickain, outshone her fellow candi dates during the question and answer portion. Eventually, she was also declared “Muntya na Pikit 2022” by the Board of Judges. The other winners were: 1st Runner-up Sittie Lai la Alang, 2nd Runner-up Angel Kate Singco, 3rd Runner-up Joy Mae Calotes, and 4th Run ner-up Anjelica Edzel.
After the event, all visitors and guests were one in saying that Pikit is peaceful and beauti ful. They were so grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded by the Pikitenos led by the incumbent municipal of ficials. What added glamour to the event was the hi-tech light ing and rotating background visuals which, I must admit, could equal the national beauty pageants’ glitters and fame.
Indeed, one rido-relat ed killing does not define the peace and order in this town for there are more killings in Chicago and New York. And one small no man’s place, which is not even two percent of the total land area of Pikit (605 sq. kms.), does not define the town.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Maugan P. Mosaid holds a doctorate de gree in Rural Development. He is a planning consultant and teaches Statistics and Methods of Research in the graduate school.)
Following the launch of Samsung’s new foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4, Samsung Philippines has unveiled the #ClackFlex Dance Challenge in partnership with TikTok.
The #ClackFlex Dance Challenge focuses on the iconic and sassy clack sound of flip phones, while also highlighting the flexibility and form fac tor of the Galaxy Z Flip4, which enables users to shoot self-portraits from unique new angles made possible by the phone’s hands-free capabilities.
Five lucky winners will receive a brand-new Galaxy Z Flip4 and have their videos featured in digital billboards all
across Metro Manila . Entries will be judged by their creativity, originality, and brand integration.
To join the challenge, creators must upload their best rendition of the official clack flex chal lenge dance with the offi cial hashtags #ClackFlex #GalaxyZFlip4 and tag @ samsungph. To officially qualify for the challenge, entries must then be reg istered on samsung.com from September 17 to Oc tober 9, 2022.
Participants can get more chances of winning if their #ClackFlex chal lenge is filmed at one of the Samsung Clack Flex TikTok Stages across these various locations nationwide:
• Ayala Center Cebu
• Abreeza Mall Davao
• SM Aura
• SM Mall of Asia
• Trinoma
The Galaxy Z Flip4 is now available on sam sung.com, Samsung Ex perience Stores and Au thorized Stores, Lazada, Shopee, Abenson.com, MemoXpress Online, and operator partners, Globe and Smart.
Order the Galaxy Z
Flip4 until September 30, 2022 and enjoy discounts and freebies worth up to PHP 25,700. Enjoy a FREE Clear Slim Cover worth PHP 1,199 50% off on 2 Years Samsung Care+ worth PHP 19,999, 50% off on the new Galaxy Buds2 Pro and 30% off on the new Galaxy Watch5 Series.
Get up to 40% off when you trade in your old smartphone for the new Galaxy Z Flip4 and enjoy up to PHP 18,050 in savings, plus a top-up token worth up to PHP 8,000.
Customers can also avail of flexible payment terms in select Samsung Experience Stores and Authorized Stores for as low as PHP 2,457.92/ mo for the Galaxy Z Flip4 at 0% interest for up to 24 months with partici pating credit cards. Citi bank cardholders, on the other hand, can enjoy 0% interest for up to 36 months.
Experience a greater galaxy with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. To learn more about these brandnew devices, visit www. samsung.com/ph/.
It’s one thing to know what to do in times of crisis. It’s another thing to discover how to do it.
When the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit the country in the early of 2020, Filipinos were caught by surprise. No one expected it would be a global disaster. Peo ple were afraid to go out; the economy was greatly affected.
One of those who suf fered from the beatings of the pandemic was Geoffrey C. Igagamao. As his garment manufacturing business was considered non-essential, his source of income dipped. He had to find some cash to aug ment whatever savings he had. And it was at this moment that the “plantito” and “plantita” hype commenced.
He started vegetable gar dening in his backyard as go ing to the public market was a hassle. He sold some of his products to people who were interested. As people were locked down in their homes, they turned into planting. Or namental plants, grown pri marily for their beauty and aesthetic quality, received the spotlight as people became devoted to gardening for stress relief.
Igagamao was selling ver micast or worm castings as an organic soil conditioner and a 100% natural fertilizer. He got his supply from a friend in Bansalan, Davao del Sur, who visited Davao City every now and then.
But the income was not enough to support the needs of the couple and their five kids: Mico, Miggy, Janna and twins (Ayah and Aycah). It was at this time that he remembered the
two-hectare farm given by his parents to him. So, he decided to visit the farm located in Bal nate, a barangay in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur.
So, one day, he found him self visiting the farm, which was planted with mangoes. But the abandoned trees were not giving the profitable har vests. He thought of planting another crop which would be a big hit in the market, those that will be preferred by con sumers.
After talking with some friends and people who were into farming and conducting his own research, he decided to plant dragon fruits. With this in mind, he watches all the vid eos pertaining to dragon fruits on YouTube. He read whatever articles and features written on it. He even visited dragon fruit farms and had the oppor tunity of talking with the late Mrs. Editha Dacuycuy of Ilocos, touted to be the queen of drag on fruits in the Philippines.
With all the knowledge he had, Igagamao started with 134 posts in April, 2021. Six months later, he built 760 posts. Before the year was over, in December, he had an other 600 posts. In every post, he planted four seedlings per post, with a distance of 3 me ters by 3 meters.
Although his parents were farmers, he never had tried farming at all. So, it was total ly a new job for him. But he learned farming – thanks to social media and from consult ing farmers who plant dragon fruits.
“I can’t say it’s hard or easy to grow and manage the dragon fruits,” he admitted. “But I can say I was doing well because the original 134 posts I had, the seedlings were growing great. I applied all the knowledge I knew.”
Igagamao got his planting materials from reliable sources in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur and Kidapawan, North Cotabato. When those sources couldn’t supply his needs, he went to Ozamis City in Misamis Occi dental.
Like most neophyte farmers, he had to rely on the knowledge he got from his reading and consultations. Among those he did were the following: planting the right cuttings, applying the recom mended fertilizers, and do ing weekly side pruning and monthly weeding removal. He also conducted personal dis ease management.
The roots, stems, foliar and flower buds, flowers, and fruits are attacked by a range of pests and diseases. Pests in clude mites, thrips, ants, scale insects, mealy bugs, beetles, slugs, borers, nematodes, fruit flies and rodents such as mice, birds or bats.
“Every other day, I had to make rounds to check every post if there are plants which
are attacked by pests or have diseases,” he said. “When I found a disease, I cut the dis eased branch and burned it.”
Irrigation is critical during fertilizer applications and fruiting. He applies mostly organic fertilizers in the form of vermicast, carbonized rice hulls, and goat manure. Com mercial fertilizers are also placed only as add-ons.
Igagamao has no problem as to the source of water. There is a creek nearby his farm. He also gets water from the spring not far from his farm. “Dragon fruits may belong to the cactus family but they need water, es pecially at the time when they are fruiting,” he said.
Pruning, whether major or minor ones, is a regular op eration, regardless of the age of the dragon fruits. “I have to prune them in order to have an open, manageable and produc tive umbrella-shaped canopy,” he said.
Igagamao is not alone in doing all these management practices, however. He has a companion who helps him in his farm. “I have instructed him what to do when I am not around,” he said.
In the past, he was on the farm only three days a week. After a day’s work, he went home to his parents’ house
in Bansalan, which is about a 30-minute ride. (His fami ly lives in Davao City, which is about 90 kilometers away from the farm.)
As the dragon fruits start ed bearing fruits, he wanted to care for them personally. So, he decided to build a small hut in the middle of the farm. Now, he stays for five days and goes home to Davao City on week ends.
The first batch of dragon fruits started bearing fruits the following year. He was able to harvest 100 kilograms from the 134 posts in April 2022. The other batches of dragon fruits followed thereafter. His most recent harvest totalled 2,075 kilograms. He harvests every other week.
He sells his dragon fruits at P150 per kilogram. “Filipinos are not familiar with dragon fruits, unlike mangoes,” he said.
“In fact, when I planted dragon fruits people were wondering what plant I was planting.”
He doesn’t have any prob lem selling his fruits, however. He does it through what he calls social media marketing. He posts his produced fruits in his Facebook account and the buyers just respond by telling him how many kilograms they want.
He also has an online store where people can order the volume of dragon fruits they want. He doesn’t deliver them but asks someone to bring the fruits to people who order them. Most of his customers are Chinese.
In addition, he delivers dragon fruits to several super markets and malls in Davao City.
Igagamao may soon dis tribute his fruits to various hotels, too, once his crops are producing optimum fruits. Right now, he gets only seven kilograms of fruits per post. After three years, he could get about 20 kilograms per post.
The optimum 50 kilograms per post may be attained when the plants are already 10 years old.
From the initial two hect ares, the dragon fruit farm is now 3 hectares. He borrowed the other hectare from his sib ling who is working right now
as a nurse in the United States. All in all, there are 1,500 posts with four dragon fruit plants grown in each post.
There are a few mangoes still standing in the farm. Aside from dragon fruits, he also started planting grapes. He also is also raising some chick ens.
Since a lot of people are now requesting to visit his farm, he is thinking of making it as one of the farm tourism destinations in the province.
“But that’s in the future yet,” he said.
Aside from selling fresh dragon fruits, he has also ven tured into wine making, which he “discovered” by accident. When he went to Ozamis City to buy planting materials, he also bought 150 kilograms of fruits.
When they arrived home, about 80 kilograms were de stroyed during the trip. Instead of throwing them away, his wife Joan thought of turning them into wine. She consult ed some friends and learned more from the YouTube posts. They also consulted the De partment of Science and Tech nology.
After six months, they tast ed the wine and it was alright. People who have bought them wanted to get more bottles of the Balnate Reserve, the name of the wine.
Right now, they are mak ing wine only at home in Davao City. The production, which takes six months to transform the fruits into wine, is only 40 to 50 bottles per month. But once the dragon fruit planta tion is fruiting profusely, they may be able to produce 800 to 1,000 bottles per month.
“That’s our target next year,” he said.
Igagamao, now 49, has gone a long, long way. The city man is now loving every bit of farming. Had it not been for the pandemic, he would never find his place under the sun.
“If you go into farming, you should love doing it in order for it to prosper,” he said. “In dustriousness, perseverance and determination may be all but you can do it if you love doing and like what you are doing.”
Geoffrey C. Igagamao in specting the fruit if it is ready for harvesting.FROM 2
4, 2022, for PUJ routes with route names start with letter D to M; October 5, 2022, for PUJs with route names start with letter P to W; October 6, 2022, for all routes/denom inations and Davao del Sur PUJs; October 7, 2022, for all routes and Davao del Norte PUJs.
For the taxis, Jaralba said they will not be calibrated as it is only the flag-down that has been increased in the amount of P5, which in creases the rate from P40 to P45.
FROM 2 presidents, administrative office, residential area, and headquarters for the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
“Right now, we are talking to GSIS about prop erties under them that can be donated or sold to the Office of the Vice President as a permanent property,” Duterte said mentioning that the OVP has initially allotted PHP10 million for the land acquisition.
“Right now, we are looking at one property and that is the Coconut Pal ace. But there is no amount yet identified or given by the GSIS but we are still looking at other properties as well of the government,” she added.
Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Christopher Law rence Go expressed their support for the OVP’s pro posed budget saying its ef forts to bring service closer to the people is a great in novation.
“I understand that the OVP, under VP Inday Sara’s leadership, has begun es tablishing satellite offices
LTFRB 11 reminded all PUV operators and drivers to display an updated fare matrix or fare guide inside their units.
All Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) drivers and operators will be held liable if found to be charging the passengers without the fare matrix or fare guide before the Octo ber 3, 2022, fare hike imple mentation.
Last September 16, 2022. the LTFRB Central Of fice has announced the fare hike.
FROM 2
tion teaching exemplars and are implementing peace education pro grams,” Duterte said in her message which was read by DepEd Assistant Secre tary Dexter Galba.
Duterte urged the
under City Mayor’s Office (CMO), which is responsi ble in addressing the prob lems and concerns arising from the illegal occupants, structures and vendors
peace builders to help the children and the youth heal from the trauma brought by armed conflict and to protect them from being recruited into join ing violent groups like the New People’s Army. (PNA)
from sidewalks in order to ensure its use for the pe destrian as well as in main taining the cleanliness of the drainage networks of the city.
At least 8,000 visitors are expected to visit the two-day Davao Agri Trade Expo at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, which will run from Sept. 29-30, 2022, an official said.
future investors in Davao City.
all over the Philippines. I am confident that with these reforms, the OVP will not only bring service clos er to the people but more importantly, bring service closer to more people,” Re villa said in his manifesta tion.
“Knowing the vice pres ident since she started her public service, alam kong magagamit po ang pon do ng kanyang opisina sa (I know that the fund will be used in her office in) DepEd (Department of Ed ucation), sa (in) Office of the Vice President sa tama at wala pong masasayang (properly and will not go to waste),” Go said.
Senator Go, the former Special Assistant to the President under former President Rodrigo Duterte, attested that the Vice Pres ident is stricter than his father regarding budgeting government funds.
The OVP’s budget de liberation, which only last ed around 45 minutes, was immediately followed by the DepEd’s budget hear ing. (PNA)
FROM 3
is to construct a series of man-built wetlands, de tention ponds, and man grove marshes next to the Davao City Coastal Road Project, a concept similar to efforts undertaken by Singapore and Sanya City in China dubbed “Sponge City.”
“If we have sufficient spaces designed to catch and allow high tide sea water to penetrate, it will disperse the huge volume of both tidal and flood water instead of clogging in just a conveying canal,” he added.
The coastal road is a 17.352-kilometer road project, stretching from Jct. Bago (south), Jct. Talomo, Matina Aplaya, Roxas Avenue to Sta. Ana Wharf toward R. Castillo Avenue (north) and is di vided into four segments:
Segment A – Bago Aplaya Times Beach, 7.620 km; Segment B – Times Beach – Roxas Avenue, 4.557 km; Segment C- Roxas Avenue-Sta. Ana Wharf Road, 2.026 km; and Seg ment D – Sta. Ana Wharf Road – Alcantara, R. Cas tillo, 3.149 km.
Dr. Jean Lindo, envi ronmental activist who co-chairs Panalipdan! Mindanao, said what she saw in the flooding inci dent was a “paradox of development.”
The flooding incident left vehicles and com muters at a standstill for hours on Wednesday eve ning.
“We make decisions in the name of develop ment but we are not con scious that the decisions are compatible with sus tainable and inclusive development. We cut trees for the subdivisions, choose coal-fired power plant when a sustainable energy solution is avail able. We allow extractive industries to dominate in our daily lives, includ ing local governance,” she said.
She said it is easy to blame deforestation as the immediate cause, but “turn a blind eye to the decision-makers in the business and government sectors who have the power and resources to prevent flooding.”
ready to implement the law once it is passed.
“DITO Telecommu nity, from the time of its inception has included in its system the structure for registration as part of its subscriber onboard ing via the multi-purpose DITO app with subscriber data protected by strict privacy guidelines,” Santi ago said.
The DITO official how ever said telcos also face a major challenge in vali dating the identity of sub scribers who will register their SIMs.
“We have mentioned in previous statements that it will greatly help if both the national ID system and the passport system will be used as the validation of the identity
the studies, identification of land for the solar proj ects, and the registration of its projects under PEZA pursuant to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incen tives for Enterprises (CRE ATE) Law and the Renew able Energy Act of 2008.
“These efforts will also contribute to the country’s overall efforts to attaining our pledge to
of the subscriber. Doing so will unburden the telcos of the need to establish another database to store biometrics data, which would be time consuming and resource heavy,” San tiago said.
ICT rights and civil so ciety organization democ racy.net.ph, meanwhile warned that SIM regis tration may undermine online freedoms being enjoyed by Filipinos.
The group maintained that existing voluntary SIM registration for var ious services is enough, and the government should focus instead on improving cybersecurity around key databases.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is expected to sign the measure soon.
Jakarta, the Indone sian capital, still suffers from severe tidal flooding despite efforts to build tidal concrete dikes along coastlines, Manalo said.
Michael Cainglet, ra dio operator of the City Traffic and Traffic Man agement Office, told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that several streets were left impass able by vehicles from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
He said the road near La Verna Hills Subdivision in Buhangin was impass able even by big trucks.
He added its person nel towed five vehicles in La Verna that were caught in the flood.
sol.
move ahead with urgency and cut greenhouse gas emissions through local ized climate change inter ventions and transition from coal to clean energy. Let us also do our part in implementing a collective approach to both revive the economy and at the same time protect our en vironment,” Panga said. (PNA)
PMI earlier in the year announced the expansion of its Philippine footprint through a new global business service hub — PMI Business Solutions (Philippines) Inc. or PBS — in Manila, its second in the world after the one in Krakow, Poland.
“The Philippines was chosen as a strategic lo cation because of the diverse talent pool and availability in the country
“Before I became aware about the ramifi cations of the so-called development, I almost believed that the kain geros were responsible, when in fact their farming technology was sustain able and scientific. I was almost brainwashed by the corporate reduction ism,” she added.
She said there is a need “for politicians to realize that their group think is dangerous.”
“The flooding that we experience is an exam ple of the serious conse quence of groupthink… as far as development deci sions are concerned,” she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
Davao City Investment and Promotion Center (DCIPC) Head April Marie Dayap, in a message to the City Information Office on Wednesday said that the expo is expected to bring at least 7,000-8,000 visi tors in its two-day run.
She also said that the expo will feature at least 75 booths of local exhib itors, and from Israel and India.
DCIPC is among the participants in the “big gest and longest-running agri-business expo in the Southern Philippines”, or ganized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI). The office is present in the area to support and assist
be in place that is why the consultation with NEDA, and whatever else we need and the package that we presented to those who are willing to help fund what ever projects we need,” she said.
She cited the wastewa ter treatment facility as the biggest undertaking that the city wants to take.
“Because our asset is the bay which is Mayo Bay with the Dahican beach that surf ers love to go. We also have the Pujada Bay so we need to have mitigating measures
During the event, the newest innovations and solutions from trade ex hibitors in Agribusiness are featured. Free sem inars to expand knowl edge in Agri-Technology, Coffee Cupping, Import, and Export processes, and many more are of fered during the event.
Dayap, said that the DATE is an effective venue for the promotion of the agricultural industry of Davao and Mindanao. It will be helpful in forging relationships in the do mestic and international market for Agriculture as it introduces agriculture to the international com munity, she said.
“Successful partner ships will mean increased production and even in creased capacity for im portation, which greatly benefit the economy,” Dayap said.
and that is one thing I want to take,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rabat said at the onset of the pandem ic more visitors came to Mati City.
“Surprisingly we had more visitors than pre-pan demic. Everybody seem to be wanting to come to Mati so we had more visi tors during the pandemic. Maybe there is the vibe, ang feeling ng lahat when you come to Mati you are healthy. Cleaner air, blue waters, the vibe,” she said.
By Maya M. Padillo(Aboitiz Group) and mem ber Joji Gotianum Yap (Filin vest Development Corpora tion) also joined the meeting through virtual participa tion.
Presidential Manage ment Staff Secretary Ma. Zenaida Angping and sever al officials from the Depart ment of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Foreign Af fairs (DFA) also participated in the meeting.
In his first State of the Nation Address delivered on July 25, Marcos said his administration will push for the construction of more international airports and road improvements to at tract more visitors and fast-track tourism’s recov ery amid the prevailing
coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Marcos made the vow, as he acknowledged the im portance of tourism sector as an economic develop ment tool and a job-gener ating industry that benefits the grassroots level.
The tourism industry employed at least 4.9 million individuals in 2021, higher than the 4.7 million regis tered in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority data released on June 28.
With borders virtually closed for the entire 2021, the country in 2021 only recorded a total of 163,879 foreign visitors. This is 89 percent down from the 2020 arrivals of 1,482,535. (PNA)
that would enable us to launch new capabilities to fuel transformation across PMI,” PBS Presi dent Sharmini Krishnan said then.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last month said it was preparing the implement ing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Vape Bill, which essentially regu lates the manufacture and sale of vape and tobacco products.
317,804 tourists in 2021 while 618,034 visited in 2020.
Although the tourist ar rivals for this year is signifi cantly higher than the past two years and is expected to rise even more as the holiday season approaches, these numbers are still a far cry from the city’s record high of 2,573,990 tourists logged in 2019.
The implementation of Davao City’s Tourism Master Plan under the Tourism De velopment Services of Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s “12 Point Priority Agenda,” which is currently awaiting the en dorsement of the city council, will help in identifying and cementing the city’s tourist destinations to invigorate the tourism industry post-pan demic, Catacutan said. CIO
all of the eight coaches pres ent during the league’s preseason press conference at the said ven ue agreed that the Fighting Maroons and the Blue Eagles, the two finalists of the bubble tournament last summer, are still the favorites to win it all.
UP head coach Gold win Monteverde and Ate neo tactician Tab Bald win began answering the team-to-beat question with playful banter choos ing each other’s teams.
Although losing high-flying Ricci Rivero and lockdown defend er Noah Webb due to graduation, the Fighting Maroons remain a for midable squad capable of defending their UAAP championship with Carl Tamayo, Zav Lucero, and JD Cagulangan leading the way.
On the other hand, Ange Kouame continues to be the beanpole that will lead the Blue Eagles in their quest to reclaim the title, although on which Kouame will show up following a knee injury remains to be seen.
Far Eastern Universi ty mentor Olsen Racela and National University (NU) gaffer Jeff Napa then answered both Season 84 finalists to still be the teams they need to upset if they want a shot at the Season 85 title.
Adamson coach Nash Racela added that La Salle and NU, which won major preseason tournaments over the midyear, should
be considered as well as teams to beat.
The Green Archers ruled the PBA D-League Aspirants Cup title and even held a training camp in Japan, while the Bull dogs won the FilOil EcoOil Preseason Cup champion ship, even stunning the Fighting Maroons in one elimination round game.
La Salle coach Derrick Pumaren and University of the East assistant coach Don Allado somehow played it safe and said ev eryone is a team to beat.
Allado represent ed Jack Santiago, who is making a return as head coach after missing much of Season 84 due to sus pension.
Meanwhile, Universi ty of Santo Tomas (UST) assistant coach Rodney Santos made a bold claim saying the Growling Ti gers are the team to beat.
Santos pinched in for new head coach Bal Da vid, who is tasked to take charge of a rebuilding UST squad that lost Season 84 leaders Joshua Fontanilla and Sherwin Concepcion.
The Tigers open the tournament against Sea son 85 hosts Soaring Fal cons at 2 p.m. Saturday at the MOA Arena, while the
Maroons open their title defense against the Ar chers in an early rematch of their instant classic Fi nal 4 series at 4 p.m.
The following day, the Red Warriors and the Bulldogs clash in the first game at 2 p.m., while the Eagles battle the Tamaraws at 4 p.m.
Rising as one Adamson has chosen “Rise as One” as the theme for UAAP Season 85.
League president Al drin Suan said the theme is fitting as the league is bringing a full calendar for the first time amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“Now, we are back and full of life,” said Suan, CM of Adamson University. “For the past two years, it’s not just the UAAP that was affected. The entire world was affected.”
“Emotionally, eco nomically, socially, in one way or another, we were down. We are hoping to use the UAAP as one of the platforms in helping bring the new normal to the Filipino people. As we rise as one, we are back to being full of life,” he add ed.
Among the tourna ments making a return this season is the women’s basketball event, in which the weekend matches will be held in the morning before the men’s basket ball doubleheader.
The Wednesday qua druple-headers for wom en’s basketball will be held at the UST Quadripa villion in Manila. (PNA)
I don’t know about you but at the rate basketball fanatics are expressing their negative ap preciation of issues affecting the pro league, a scary implosion could result.
Implosion means a sudden collapse or failure of an organi zation or system that is violently occuring inward or within.
Some columns back, this scribbler mentioned “team balancing” as a major concern decades back when Asia’s first professional league was just in its infancy.
As you will recall, only two teams then - Crispa and Toyota
- were hogging the limelight and took turns in capturing one con ference title after another.
Modesty aside, when I was actively physically covering the PBA in its struggling years, I got news straight from the horse’s mouth - as in scoop - before the same was published the next day.
Several coaches and team managers confide to me what is going on within and even the Commissioner’s office trusted the undersigned with sensitive information.
Without grabbing credit, I had been able to establish my
credibility as someone very much interested in promoting and propagating the PBA and (would like to believe) that my small efforts contributed to what the pro league has achieved to day.
So much that the recent statements of returning Rain Or Shine mentor Yeng Guiao (whose rise to coaching promi nence the undersigned person ally witnessed in the 90s) calling the PBA moguls to implement and obey the rules fairly as far as trade and player swaps are con cerned, evoke a fearful, slow yet sure descent into implosion - or
disintegration if you will.
What if the independent ball clubs move out and stop partic ipating?
(What if these independent teams break away and form their own league? I pray they don’t.)
That would leave only six teams that belong to just two blocs - the RSA (San Miguel Corp) and the MVP groups.
Well, assuming they decide to continue with just six mem bers, they still can but only for a time.
Why? Because eventually fans’
support - the most important ingredient that helped the PBA survive all these years - will wander away and wane.
It appears that sentiments of netizens are being taken for granted by the PBA board be cause trades and player swaps that are going on only benefit - as Guiao declared - only sister teams.
This is bad - as bad as can be.
Guiao’s message speaks vol umes.
Fair and just trades. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIP PINES!
Former Ateneo de Davao University high school standout Francis Escandor is suiting up for De La Salle University in Season 85.
The
Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) has donated to the Philippine Olym pic Committee (POC) the PHP3.3 million unspent during the country’s hosting in 2019.
The funds, which were raised from private spon sors during the tournament held November 30 to De cember 10, are now in the POC trust fund for athletes.
“We’re very thankful to the PHISGOC for donating the saved money that we can use for our athletes in the future,” Abraham Tolen tino, POC president, said in a statement on Friday.
Ramon Suzara, PHISGOC chief operating officer and head of the Philippine Na tional Volleyball Federation, has confirmed the turnover of the funds to the POC.
He said the Philippine Sports Commission was in formed of the transfer.
The PHISGOC operated with a PHP6-billion fund for the hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, where the country emerged
overall champion.
The funds came from the government and private sector.
Based on the PHISGOC fi nancial report, the unspent funds were supposed to be payments for suppliers of various national sports as sociations.
“But for one reason or another, these suppliers could no longer be found, nor did they send a rep resentative to collect pay ments,” said Tolentino. “But in case someone surfaces to collect, they can do so with the PSC.”
Tolentino, also the Inte grated Cycling Federation of the Philippines president and mayor of Tagaytay City in Cavite, said cash incen tives and bonuses for ath letes are sourced from the trust fund. (PNA)
VOL.15 ISSUE 146 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 202212 SPORTS Fitness enthusiasts work out inside the Arcadia Fitness Gym in Escandor Street, Quimpo Boulevard.