Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 154 | Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022

100

SARA’S FIRST 100

VP Sara accomplishes historic ‘firsts’ in her first 100 days

By MAYA M. PADILLO

“H

istoric firsts.”

This is how Vice President Sara Duterte described her first 100 days after she assumed office.

She said these “firsts” would not only significant ly change the way Filipinos look at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) but will also strengthen its man date and enable the office to serve more and more Fil ipinos across the country.

In a 14-minute video report released in time for her first 100 days in office on October 7, 2022, Dute rte said that for the first time in the history of the OVP, satellite offices were established in key areas across the country as well

as the establishment of the Disaster Operations Center and the planned perma nent residence for future Vice Presidents of the Phil ippines.

“The watershed deci sions that we have initi ated, the reforms on the pipeline, the expansion of the existing social services programs, the implemen tation of programs aimed at addressing lack of liveli hood and recovery from di

sasters and armed conflicts — these all bring us to an Office of the Vice President that will never leave any sector behind,” she said.

Duterte welcomed her 100th day in office by post ing on Instagram along with a selfie and a caption “It feels like 100 years, not 100 days.”

Duterte, who is also the concurrent Education Secretary, considered the

FSARA’S, P10

Village chairman slain in Maguindanao gun attack

Avillage chair was shot dead by a gunman in Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao, police said Monday.

Town police chief Maj. Michael Ameril identified the victim as Norson Utto, village chairperson of Ba rangay Panadtaban in ad

jacent Rajah Buayan town.

Investigation showed that the victim was wash ing his motorbike at a road side in Barangay Barurao of Sultan sa Barongis town at past 3 p.m. when two men arrived on a motorbike.

“One of them shot Utto without provocation,”

Ameril said in a radio in terview, adding that the village official died on the spot.

Ameril said he spoke with the victim’s wife, who said Utto was involved in a feud with another family in his village.

Police found empty

shells for a .45-caliber pis tol at the crime scene.

Photo: Google map of Rajah Buayan, Maguindan ao

Also on Sunday, motor cycle-riding gunmen shot dead a motorcycle driver along the national highway

Non-Moro IP women assert agenda for BARMM IP Code

“We have been waiting for three years for the passage of the Indige nous Peoples’ (IP) Code of the Bangsamoro Autono mous Region in Muslim Min danao (BARMM). Perhaps, it is the women they are wait ing for, for the code to finally be passed,” Fintailan (wom en religious leader) Rebec ca Mokudef of the Teduray community said.

Twenty-five non-Moro IP women in the BARMM gathered here on Octo ber 4 to 6 to reflect on the problems they face and draw their agenda. The women leaders came from the Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, Higa onon, and Arumanen eth nolinguistic groups in the BARMM’s Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and the Spe cial Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato province.

Land-based violent con flicts, presence of armed groups, recruitment of chil dren and youth by non-state armed groups, absence of social services, displace ments, killing of IP leaders, culture of fear and silence, and lack of freedom of ex pression were main issues that came out from the dis cussions.

Major policy recom mendations include rep resentation of women in decision-making and con flict-resolution mechanisms, and their participation in the issuance of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for development projects inside ancestral domains.

Before providing policy recommendations to the IP Code of BARMM, the wom en reflected on the provi sions of Republic Act 9710 (Magna Carta of Women), the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Securi ty (UNSCR 1325) and the Bangsamoro Regional Ac tion Plan on Women, Peace and Security (RAP-WPS). They also analyzed the In digenous People’s Rights Act (IPRA) and Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM. The activity concluded with the identi fication of the Non-Moro IP women’s policy directions and agenda for integration in the draft Bangsamoro IP Code.

“Through the IP Code, land ownership within an cestral domains can become gender-responsive by en suring that IP women can own land also so that even when an IP woman sepa rates from her husband es pecially because of domes tic violence, she is not left landless,” Froilyn Mendoza, IP woman leader and now a Member of the Parliament in the Bangsamoro, suggest ed.

“We applaud the Bang samoro government for the commitment to pursue the rights of all IPs. We also want to ensure that the concerns of the Non-Moro IPs can re ally be addressed through the IP Code, and Non-Moro IP women will be ensured representation in all im portant government bodies,

A geotechnical investigation team conducts a soil testing for the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Lanang, Davao City. China Road and Bridge Corporation, the design and build contractor of SIDC Connector Project, will have a total of 97 boreholes- 63 for Davao City onshore, 18 offshore, and 16 for Samal onshore. Edge Davao

97 boreholes identified for SIDC Connector Project

City gov’t of Davao now

The city government of Davao was awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Sys tem (QMS) accreditation by the inspection and cer tification services group SOCOTEC on Friday.

ISO 9001:2015 is a global standard set by the International Organization for Standardization that specifies the requirements for a strong QMS; outlining the processes, procedures, and programs that orga nizations must develop, implement, maintain, and improve in order to suc cessfully manage produc tion or service delivery. It is effective for three years and applies to all city gov ernment departments and satellite offices.

Since adapting the stan dard last year, the local gov ernment successfully met the specifications required by the ISO 9001:2015, in cluding the streamlining of operations through digita lization and organization reengineering, simplifi cation of service delivery, human resource trainings,

practice of public health standards, among others.

The awarding ceremo ny held at City Hall was attended by Mayor Sebas tian Duterte, Vice Presi dent Sara Duterte’s Chief of Staff and former Davao City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez, Vice Mayor J. Melchor Quitain Jr., QMS Committee Leader Atty. Sarah Phoebe Paclibar, SOCOTEC Operations Di rector Gilmore Rivera, City Department Heads, Chiefs of Offices, and other public officials.

In his speech, Mayor Duterte assured Dabawen yos that the pursuit of ex cellence will not stop and that the city government “will continue to press forward in its vision to be come a center of excellence in governance driven by an empowered citizenry.”

Lopez read the Vice President’s message con gratulating all public of ficials involved in the im plementation of the ISO QMS standard, calling the awarding of the standard

By MAYA M. PADILLO

TheDepartment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through the Unified Project Management Of fice-Bridge Management Cluster inspected two ongoing drilling of boreholes for the geotechnical investigation in Davao City onshore for the civil works construction of long-awaited Samal Island–Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project.

The drilling activities were under the supervision of Project Manager Jowe to V. Tulaylay and Project Engineer John Christian T. Gaden.

The geotechnical inves tigation plan prepared by design and build contrac tor China Road and Bridge Corporation will have a total of 97 boreholes- 63 for Davao City onshore, 18 offshore, and 16 for Samal onshore.

According to the state ment, the DPWH is under taking the conduct of land survey and geotechnical investigation using boring machine with the govern ment finally proceeding

with the detailed engineer ing design activities.

“Ang concern nato is sa Samal. So far diri sa Davao very minimal lang man ang problems sa Right of Way ang dako na challenge is the Samal side. In fact, makita man sa area sa La nang nagsugod na ang soil exploration or kaning gi natawag na geotechnical investigation. Ang results ato will be the basis for the design of the structure.

Tourism chief leads IGaCos

Tourist facility groundbreaking

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Fra sco led the ground breaking ceremony and signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the construction of the Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in the Is land Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), Davao del Norte on October 7, 2022.

The Tourist Rest Area is one of the flagship pro

grams of Secretary Frasco and is grounded on the Department’s vision to pro vide convenience and com fort to tourists. The TRA will highlight the provision of clean restrooms for tour ists in transit to different tourist destinations.

It will house a coffee shop, a pasalubong center, a souvenir store, a tourist Information area, and a

charging station.

“In our listening tours, Samal was identified as one of the emerging desti nations and by putting up this TRA there will be con fidence in the area, more tourists as well,” Frasco said in an interview.

Frasco said the estab lishment of TRA in Samal aims to provide visitors with a relaxing and com

fortable travel as they visit the island.

“We believe in the po tential of Samal to become a key tourist destination in the country,” she said.

She also said the TRA will be built in a very stra tegic location - adjacent to the City Hall, police station, and future sites of the inte grated bus terminal, public

A parish priest of St. Joseph the Worker Parish along Doña Pilar Road in Sasa, Davao City officiates the blessing of pets and plants of the residents after the morning mass on Sunday. Edge Davao

TUCP tells Marcos to address ‘perfect storm’ of economy

PH eyes retail dollar bond for

Finance

Secretary Ben jamin Diokno said the Philippines is looking to borrow more in US dollars, with a planned retail bond offering catering to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) before the year-end.

In a chance interview with reporters, Diokno said the total amount has yet to be determined, but the of fering will cater mainly to OFWs who can purchase us ing e-wallets.

“We’re planning to issue retail dollar naman, siguro [maybe] before the end of the year. This is for the OFWs. They can maybe buy $100 using the e-wallet,” he said.

Just last week the gov ernment raised $2 billion or around P117 billion from the issuance of tri ple-tranche dollar-denomi nated bonds including fiveyear and 10.5-year global bonds, and a 25-year ESG or environmental, social, and governance bond.

The government’s run ning debt hit a fresh record high of P13.021 trillion as of end-August, up by 1% from P12.98 trillion as of end-July.

The planned issuance comes amid the strength of the US dollar against most regional currencies, with the Philippine peso sinking to fresh all-time lows.

The peso last Monday closed at P59:$1, marking the 12th all-time low so far this year, with further policy tightening expected in the United States.

“It will not hit P65 [to a dollar], that’s my prediction. May mga nagsasabi P68 [to a dollar] eh, wala ‘yun. Don’t believe them otherwise you’ll get burned,” Diokno said.

(It will not hit P65 [to a dollar], that’s my prediction.

There are some saying P68 [to a dollar] but that’s noth ing. Don’t believe them oth erwise you’ll get burned.)

Diokno added, howev

President

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should directly address food and energy in flation as he marks his first 100 days in office, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Sunday.

TUCP Vice President Luis Corral said that a “per fect storm” was brewing in the country’s economy, es pecially as it faces soaring food and power prices, as well as rising unemploy ment and underemploy ment rates.

“Hindi po nakakabayad ang mga tao natin ng rent, sa utilities nila, at sa pag kain, at sa ordinary health

care needs... Kaya sa amin po sa TUCP, parang may perfect storm that’s brew ing,” Corral said.

For Corral, the Marcos Jr. administration should not be treating the coun try’s situation as “business as usual,” but rather ad dressing it with immediate solutions.

“Hindi dapat na busi ness as usual ang attitude

ng administrasyong Mar cos at... iyong palakad ng economic management team. Doble-kayod dapat sila, triple-kayod, mada liang mga solutions, at consultations have to be undertaken. Kailangan po na i-address agad iyan,” he also said.

“These are urgent times and you need out-of-thebox solutions and it cannot be business as usual kung ano iyong nakasanayan na mga programa.”

Asked for suggestions, Corral urged the Depart ment of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic

Development Authority (NEDA), and Department of Finance (DOF) to pro vide financial and technical assistance to medium and small-scale enterprises, as 63 percent of the country’s workforce belong to this sector.

He also called on Mar cos and his assistant sec retaries to take pay cuts to help working Filipinos face the economic situation, “if they are willing to sacri fice.”

“He can have a full-time secretary of agriculture, but it is his political lead

DA: PH should address agri production, food sufficiency to become agri hub

The Philippines will first have to address pro duction and food suf ficiency issues before it can reach the goal of becoming a leading agricultural resource hub, a top official of the De partment of Agriculture (DA) said over the weekend.

According to Agriculture Undersecretary Kristine

Evangelista, the country will have to boost production to be able to cater to demand inside and outside the coun try.

“Of course, first is ‘yung food security sa loob po ng bansa na maging self-suffi cient po tayo, and second is also to be able to cater to the needs of our neighbors sa

mga ibang bansa na malapit po sa atin because we have a lot to offer,” she said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(Of course, first is food security inside the country, to become self-sufficient, and second is also to be able to cater to the needs of our neighbors, other countries

nearby, because we have a lot to offer.)

Evangelista cited de mand for local agricultural goods such as bananas which are sought after in Japan, and durian which is exported to several countries.

Her remarks come after President Ferdinand “Bong

DA,

A vendor fixes his display of pomelo at a roadside stall along Tionko Avenue in Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao

City gov’t of Davao reconstitutes

MICECON ‘23 organizing comm.

Forum to tackle Marcos admin’s infra, transpo, energy plans

Three Cabinet secre taries will discuss the infrastructure plans of President Ferdinand Mar cos Jr.’s administration in a forum organized by the Economic Journalists As sociation of the Philippines (EJAP) and the MVP Group of Companies.

“The Road Ahead: Prior ities for the Next 6 Years” fo rum will be held Monday at

PH’s

the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Information and Com munications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, and Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla will grace the event that will discuss the government’s plans in the digital infra

net inflows dip

Net inflows from for eign direct invest ments declined to $460 million in July, which brought the total for the year to $1.5 billion, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas released Monday showed.

The July and yearto-date levels were low

er compared to the $1.3 billion and $5.8 billion, respectively, in the same comparable period, the BSP said.

“All major FDI compo nents yielded lower net inflows in January-July 2022 as foreign investors remained cautious

The

city government of Davao has re constituted the membership of the organizing committee of the Meet ings, Incentives Travel, Conventions, and Exhibition (MICE) Convention 2023 to en sure the success of the city’s hosting.

Executive Order (EO)

No. 51, Series of 2022, signed by Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on October 3, 2022, also aims to provide for the smooth coordination between the host city and the Department of Tour ism - Central Office, which explains the need to consti tute, organize, and create the Organizing Committee to spearhead the planning,

implementation, and mon itoring of the MICECON 2023.

EO 51 states that the Tourism Promotions Board and the Department of Tourism awarded Davao City the hosting of the 2020 MICE Convention but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled to March 1-3, 2023.

The Davao City Task

Force COVID-19 Recovery Cluster earlier identified the MICE Convention as one of the programs, which will re vive tourism and other val ue chain economic activities in the city.

“The city’s hosting of the MICECON 2023 will serve as a big boost towards the city’s bid to be one of the preferred MICE destina tions of the country, thereby contributing to its objective of further increasing the tourist arrivals in the city,” the new EO also states.

Forming an organizing committee was one of the requirements stipulated by the Department of Tourism

in its MICECON BID Specifi cation Document as it shall oversee the MICECON 2023 planning and implementa tion.

EO 51 further states, “It is in the best interest of the City of Davao to enlist the support and participation of the private sector in the planning and execution of the conference activities in order to fully maximize the benefits that the city an ticipates to enjoy from the hosting opportunity.”

However, the EO re iterates the strict obser vance and compliance with COVID-19 Protocols and

CebPac brings back CEB Super Pass on Oct. 10-13

Cebu Pacific gives everyJuan an early PASSko as it offers its one-of-a-kind travel voucher, the CEB Super Pass, from 10AM on Oc tober 10 until October 13, 2022.

For only PHP 99, oneway base fare, customers can purchase an open-dat ed pass that allows one to travel across the airline’s

widest domestic network, whether via Cebu Pacific or Cebgo. Each passenger can also buy all they can and fly only when they can, from October 17, 2022, until No vember 30, 2023.

“We are very happy to relaunch this well-loved product right in time for the holiday season. Now it’s even easier to give your loved ones the gift of flexi

ble travel, which they can use up until next year,” said Carmina Romero, Cebu Pa cific Director for Corporate Communications.

The CEB Super Pass is made available for Juans who place a high value on flexibility, convenience, and affordability for their travels, whether for lei sure or business. This was initially launched in 2021

as part of its 25th anniver sary celebration, in line with the airline’s promise to keep making travel ac cessible for everyJuan.

Passengers who have existing Travel Funds may also make use of their vir tual wallets to stock up on these vouchers. Get your CEB Super Pass for your self and for your loved ones.

More foreign tourists are flocking to Siargao in Surigao del Norte in October 2022 as the island recovers from the devastation wrought by super typhoon Odette in December 2021. The country’s surfing capital is back to hosting surfing competitions. MindaNews photos by FERDINANDH B. CABRERA

MAYA

A seafarer who was no lon ger deployed back to work may be entitled to total and perma nent disability benefits due to an illness he suffered while on board the vessel.

This was the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of CF Sharp Crew Mgt. vs Daganato (G.R. No. 243399, July 6, 2022) involving an injured seafarer who was hired as Chief Cook.

While carrying a heavy provi sion of food, the seafarer sudden ly slipped and fell causing mild to moderate pain on his lower back area. The pain persisted and his condition worsened until he was medically repatriated.

After surgery and therapy, he was assessed by the compa ny-designated physician with partial disability of Grade 11 (slight rigidity or 1/3 loss of lift ing power of the trunk).

He then consulted a person al doctor who issued a medical certificate stating that he is per manently unfit in any capacity to resume his sea duties as a seafar er. He claimed disability benefits

NON-DEPLOYMENT AS BASIS FOR TOTAL AND PERMANENT DISABILITY BENEFITS

under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Under Supreme Court rul ings, the company-designated physician is required to issue a final and definitive disability as sessment within 120 or 240 days from the date of the seafarer’s re patriation.

The extended period of 240 days must be justified, and it is the employer’s burden to prove the need for such extension.

Failure to issue such assess ment within 120 or 240 days, as the case may be, will render the disability of the seafarer as per manent and total.

The 120 or 240-day periods shall be reckoned from the date of the seafarer’s repatriation for medical treatment, even in cases where the date of repatriation does not coincide with the date of his first consultation with the company-designated physician.

The company-designated physician in the instant case was able to issue a Certification only after 157 days reckoned from the time the seafarer was med

ically repatriated, without any assessment or indication as to his capacity to resume to work, or any justification to extend the 120-day period.

The Court ruled that the sea farer’s disability has become to tal and permanent upon failure by the company-designated phy sician to issue a final and deter minative assessment within the 120-day period required under the rules.

On the other hand, the sea farer’s medical report certifies that he is permanently disabled to resume his work as a seafarer.

Prior to his deployment, the seafarer was declared fit to work and was not suffering from any physical anomalies that would render him unfit for seafaring activities.

The Court said that it is safe to assume that the seafarer would not have been allowed to com mence his work, specifically for the Chief Cook position, which is a physically demanding job, if he was unfit for employment.

Jurisprudence dictates

that permanent total disability means “disablement of an em ployee to earn wages in the same kind of work or work of a similar nature that he was trained for or accustomed to perform, or any kind of work which a person of his mentality and attainment can do.”

Due to his injuries, the Su preme Court ruled that the sea farer can no longer resume his seafaring activities or work as a chief cook as it requires him to be in excellent physical condi tion.

The Court stressed that the seafarer’s total and permanent disability is bolstered by the fact that he was no longer deployed back to work and can no longer earn based on the job for which he was customarily trained to do.

The Supreme Court further ruled that the seafarer is entitled to higher amount under the CBA as he has suffered from an acci dent.

The Court stressed that that it was incumbent upon the em ployer to prove that there was no

accident given they are in pos session of accident reports. They, however, failed to do so.

In Crystal Shipping, Inc. v. Natividad ( G.R. No. 154798, Oc tober 20, 2005), the Supreme Court granted disability benefits based on the information that as a result of his illness, the seafar er was unable to work as a chief mate for almost three years.

The company physician is mandated to justify the assess ment using the medical findings he had gathered during his treat ment of the seafarer.

The company physician’s as sessment must be complete and definite for the purpose of ascer taining the degree of the seafar er’s disability benefits.

The assessment must truly reflect the extent of the sickness or injuries of the seafarer and his capacity to resume work as such.

(Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offic es. For comments, e-mail info@ sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 0908-8665786)

Patrick Henry (P.H.) Frank (1862 - 1950) arrived in the Phil ippines on board the vessel Colon in July 1898 as a member of the U.S. 23rd Infantry. A New Orleans Army private, he was assigned in Cavite, then moved to Manila. On May 17, 1899, aboard S.S. Leon, a former Spanish ship, he was sent to Jolo. He also fought the Mus lims in Cotabato and Zamboanga. He was first listed in the Span ish-American War in Cuba but was instead sent to the islands; he arrived in 1898. His missions gave him the chance to appre ciate the potential of the coun tryside. On July 6, 1902, he was discharged from service with an ‘excellent’ record.

As a businessman, P.H. was insightful. In Cotabato, he set up his first venture, the ‘Pool, Bil liard and Restaurant.’ He later ventured into cattle business, but failed. After his first mar riage, he moved to Zamboanga and opened ‘The First and Last Chance,’ a saloon named after the same enterprise in his hometown of Groveton, Texas; he renamed it Old Kentucky Bar, or OK Bar. He then engaged in the import from the U.S. of Moerlin Beer, advertis ing it as the ‘best in the Orient.’ In

partnership with James H. Ank rom, also an American, he found ed ‘Ankrom & Frank, Wholesale Liquors Dealers and General Im porters and Exporters.’

In June 1906, P.H. opened a 2,530-acre tract of jungle fronting Davao Gulf, which he turned into a hemp plantation; the project, though, was short-lived. In Jan uary 1907, he returned to Zam boanga to buy the famous Red House building and took over the Elite Café, using its ground floor as the new home of ‘The First and Last Chance.’ The structure was owned by an American who was living in the U.S. because of a sick wife. To understand better the ins and outs of the business, he en rolled at the International Corre spondence School.

Frank later expanded to power, hotel, and transport. Upon return to Zamboanga following a U.S. vis it, he introduced the radio lamp, a lighting device using pressurized gasoline as fuel, and got a contract from the government to furnish the town’s street lamps. Later, he closed his saloon and focused on Mindan ao Hotel, formerly Red Hotel. He founded the Zamboanga Trans portation Co. and Mindanao Hotel Garage, later bought by Zamboanga

Autobus Co., another Frank outfit formed in November 1917. The autobus firm was sold three years later to a Spanish trader.

Years later, Frank sold his interests in the Jolo Garage and Sulu Commercial Co. as a political statement. Along with some U.S. businessmen in Zamboanga, he backed gradual Filipinization and pressed for the separation of Min danao and Sulu as a distinct ter ritory under the U.S. control so as to induce development and draw investors to its shores.

With all his assets being sold, he moved to Manila where he opened in 1923 the Pagsanjan Manufacturing Co., which pro cessed desiccated coconut, and manufactured efficient hemp stripping machine through his Universal Hemp Machine Co. To distribute the patented invention in Davao, he partnered with hemp planter William Gohn and opened Mindanao Sales and Services in 1929. That same year, he founded Patrick Henry Frank, Relatives & Associates (later Davao Light and Power Co.), which was registered on Oct. 1, 1929, chiefly to serve the business district of Davao. The enterprise was managed by his son, Sam Boone.

In 1932, Frank was given an other chance to return to Min danao. Count Shizmarov, a Rus sian navy officer who fled to the country after the Russian Rev olution had contacts in Krupp, the German industrial giant. He convinced Frank to change his old generators in Jolo with new Krupp engines. With the Rus sian’s help, he purchased the equipment. Later, with the assis tance of Harry Leo Reich, an En glishman from Hong Kong who was teaching at the University of the Philippines, he also bought U.S. Westinghouse generators.

He also owned the first pri vate automobile in Mindanao, a two-seat Brush Roadster from London, and founded the largest transport firm in the South after he acquire the transport busi ness of P.J. Moore, owner of Plaza Hotel. He was also a member of Bolton Post Veteran Defenders of the Flag, later renamed to Bolton Camp No. 10, Veteran Army and Defenders of the Flag.

In private life, Frank married Eugenia Garcia, a Spanish-Fil ipino with Muslim blood, with whom he had three kids: Samuel Boone, Laura (died of appendici tis in 1916), and Patrick James.

The couple wedded on April 22, 1903 in Catholic rites at Polloc, Cotabato. He was 27 years old, and she, 18. On April 23, 1909, in Zamboanga, Eugenia died from insect-bite infection.

Years later, he took in Okio Ya magouchi (Yukio Yamaguchi), the amah (nanny) of his kids and the widow of American George Case, a Zamboanga logger, as live-in partner. Their romance lasted only until the time the boys were still enrolled at the Diocesan School & Orphanage in Hong Kong (HK). She eventually returned to Nagasa ki, Japan, her hometown.

Frank remarried while the children were boarded in HK. He tied the knot with Annie Pauline Simoes (born Oct. 22, 1896), a daughter of a Portuguese and a Filipina from Zamboanga. He was 42 while she was half his age.

The marriage, which took place on Feb 3, 1917, was officiated by Rev. Fr. Mario Suarez, the same priest who married him and Eu genia and later led the necrology service when he died on Dec. 25, 1950. Though married twice in Catholic rites, he remained a Prot estant and a Mason. He is buried at the Golden Gate National Cem etery in California. USA.

DISCOVERING THE RIVETING LAKE LEONARD

Text and Photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

Lakes always attract attention especially if it sits on an active volcano.

That’s exactly what Mount Leonard is.

Mount Leonard, lo cated in Davao de Oro, may not be as popular as Mayon Volcano but it is one of the 22 active volcanoes identified by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seis mology (PhiVolcs). It stands at 1,190 meters above sea level.

On top of this volcano is Lake Leonard. On how it was formed, Wikipe

dia chronicled: “Volcanic activity began 1.1 million years ago in the area and a series of lava domes in the region surround ing the lake were creat ed about 290,000 years ago. One of the biggest of these domes collapsed leaving a caldera that in time filled with water and transformed into a freshwater lake capable of sustaining life.”

Lake Leonard is one of the tourist attractions of Davao de Oro, as it is wedged between the mining town of Maco and the agricultural mu nicipality of Mabini. It is located 60 kilometers northeast of Davao City.

Lake Leonard used to be called Crocodile

Lake. According to histo ry, the lake was teemed with the dreaded reptil ian species in the past. Habana, a famous Man sakan crocodile hunter, could attest to the exis tence of crocodiles on the banks of caldera lake.

The name was changed later when Leonard Kniazeff, a min ing prospector of Samico who later became the first general superintendent of the company, discov ered the lake. It was never mentioned in the Census Atlas of the Philippines as late as the 1940s.

“Kniazeff stumbled on the lake while he was prospecting for miner als in the 1930’s within a 15-kilometer radius

of his base in pre-war Davao Gold Mines based in Hijo,” wrote Fe Fuent es Maestre, the provin cial information officer of Davao de Oro.

What used to be a haven for crocodiles, the 200-hectare caldera lake is now teeming with tila pia.

As a tourist destina tion, the Lake Leonard Ecotourism Park is man aged by the local govern ment unit of Maco. Vis itors to the area can do several activities aside from experiencing the

serenity of the lake.

If you love nature, you better do camping in the area. There are no sleeping quarters but you can set a tent along the lake banks or hang a hammock on the tree trunks or branches.

In the early morning, the whole area is envel oped by somewhat mys terious fogs. “When the sun appears, it explodes into thousands of tiny lights undulating and sparkling among the al most unseen ripples of the lake’s water,” wrote

Maestre.

When the sun has completely covered the lake, you can do bamboo rafting. Encircle the lake to see the lake’s rich bio diversity as its water is crystal clear. Some peo ple prefer kayaking to do this.

If camping is not your thing, you can always picnic in the area. Find a spot and set your table and foods. Enjoy eating with your family mem bers or friends while basking under the shade of the trees.

DHSUD bares P216B in interest subsidies for ordinary families

Department of Hu man Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Acuzar announced that the government would provide P216 billion worth of interest subsi dies for Filipinos who will be settlers of its six mil

lion housing project in the next six years during the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association’s (SHDA) 30th National Developers Convention on October 5, 2022, at the Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig City.

In his keynote speech

and presentation, Hous ing Secretary Acuzar in troduced the ‘Pamban sang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program,’ a direc tive from President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr. that aims to construct 1 million housing units per year in select areas in the country

to address the 6.5 million housing backlog and the two major bottlenecks of affordability and access to funds for housing.

Secretary Acuzar em phasized that in order to fulfill the project, the gov ernment needs the help of key players in the pri

vate and public sectors.

“To build 1 million houses, we need P1 tril lion because we need P1 million per housing unit. But the government can not afford that P1 trillion. To finance this, we need private money from banks as they are the ones who have that kind of money,” Acuzar said.

Secretary Acuzar stressed that, in order for the government to plan its budget, the department asked for an interest sub sidy of P36 billion a year instead of P1 trillion for the construction of one million houses.

Through the housing program, banks and Gov ernment Financial Insti tutions (GFIs) such as the Home Development Mu tual Fund (PagIbig Fund) are mandated to provide flexible financing options to low-income beneficia ries, informal settler fam ilies, and minimum wage earners alongside a pref erential interest rate of only one percent on their housing loans.

The open housing program also aims to in centivize banks to lend to

the marginalized sector and stakeholders partici pating in the mass hous ing program.

The two-day conven tion, organized annually by the Subdivision and Housing Developers As sociation (SHDA) in part nership with the DHSUD, gathered more than 300 housing sector stake holders who will be key players in the new admin istration’s ambitious, af fordable and inclusive na tional housing program.

“This will mean huge things for housing devel opers, and this will create areas of synergy between the private sector, the na tional government, local government units, and communities,” said SHDA President May Rodriguez, expressing full support for the program.

As an advocate for affordable housing, SHDA delivered various afford able housing offerings, construction supplies, and financial services to aspiring homeowners during its seventh Hous ing Expo at the SM Me gamall in Mandaluyong City last October 7 to 9.

Clark eyed as site for heart, kidney regional centers

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – The Clark Development Corpora tion (CDC) is looking into the possibility of making this Freeport the future site of the Philippine Heart Center and the Na tional Kidney Center re gional hospitals.

In a memorandum issued on Monday, CDC

president and chief ex ecutive officer Agnes VST Devanadera, said the CDC Board, headed by its chairman Edgardo Pamintuan, approved the plan of making this Free port a site for the two specialty hospitals.

The state-owned firm identified the extent of lower Pulang Lupa with

18.68 hectares of land and the former Savencia area with 5.72 hectares as the locations for the two health facilities.

Devanadera said CDC had its initial talks with the Philippine Amuse ment and Gaming Corpo ration (PAGCOR) for the possible funding of the project.

“CDC has initially co ordinated the possible funding of the project with PAGCOR, through its chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco and its president and COO (chief operating officer) Atty. Juanito L. Sañosa, Jr. We are likewise looking into having the original de sign of the two specialty

hospitals implemented in Clark, coordinating with the architect and planner of the said buildings,” she said in a statement.

The CDC said the project is in support of the national government and the Department of Health’s Philippine Health Facility Develop ment Plan.

This program is also consistent with the pro nouncement of the cur rent administration’s goal of establishing more specialty hospitals in the country.

Under the PHFDP, specialty medical centers on neonatal, heart, lung, kidney, and cancer will be prioritized. (PNA)

SARA’S...

FROM 2 BOREHOLES ... FROM 3 RAMOS... FROM 11

resumption of face-toface classes as her biggest achievement in her 100 days in office.

She cited studies that say students benefit more if they have in-person classes.

In-person classes have resumed during the opening of School Year 2022-2023 on August 22, 2022. The pilot testing of the full-blast face-to-face classes in the country will start in November 2022 for both public and pri vate schools.

She said her first 100 days as Vice President had been marked by many challenges that she had prepared for herself for, given her long experience in government service and politics.

She also acknowledged that challenges are part of the job such as testing one’s resolve, determination, and

VILLAGE...

dedication to public ser vice.

“They test your anchor and may even push you off track. You may sometimes lose sight of everything you intend to do because of these challenges. As a public servant, I am no longer surprised by these challenges. Instead, I look at them as opportunities as they open windows for us to — with a great sense of urgency — study, assess, and address conditions that we need to overcome to move along,” she added.

Duterte vowed that in the coming days, the nation can expect more from the OVP.

“And in the coming days, there will be more challenges ahead — chal lenges that we hope to turn into opportunities to be able to serve you and the country better. We are just starting,” she added.

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in Barangay Margues, Datu Odin Sinsuat town of the province.

Lt. Col. Nelson Madiwo, town police chief, said the victim, Pilot Panambulan, 29, was driving a motor cycle with his father, Kilos Panambulan, 65, when the

gunmen onboard a sepa rate motorbike shot them.

“Miraculously, the fa ther was unharmed,” Mad iwo said.

Motive of the attack, po lice said, could be personal grudge or “rido” (clan war). (PNA)

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in all levels of governance,” Mendoza emphasized.

Nery Nuyda Ronatay, UN Women Programme Specialist, said IP women “should not be left behind in the drafting of the IP Code of BARMM. IP women look at the IP Code as a fulfillment of the promise of an inclu sive peace process. We can not fail them.”

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ership that is critical; 61 percent of the people chose him. He has 31 million vot ers... Use that political cap ital in a way that urgently moves the agenda forward, of bringing down food and energy prices,” Corral added.

In his weekly vlog, Mar cos cited health, livelihood, and peace as some of his

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bong” Marcos Jr. last week expressed confidence that the Philippines would be come a leading agricultural resource hub.

“Kakayanin po ‘yan dahil napakaganda ng ating loca tion. We are very strategic,” Evangelista said.

“At the same time, I think kailangan lang po natin pal akasin ang ating production and include innovation para po ‘yung ating mga mag sasaka gumanda ang yield, gumanda ang quality,” she added.

(That is achievable be cause we have a good loca tion. We are very strategic. At the same time, I think we just need to strengthen our production and include inno vation to improve the yield and quality.)

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Au thority (PSA), however,

The three-day activi ty was organized by UN Women and TLWOI with support from the United Nations STEP Peacebuild ing Fund Phase 3 and Government of Canada. (Carol Bello is Communi cation for Development Consultant of the UN Women-Women, Peace and Security Programme)

Sa karon pipila pa lang ka bore holes ang atoang nab uhat. We have identified sites kung asa ta magkuha ug samples sa yuta,” said Dean Ortiz, spokesperson of DPWH 11.

Last month, a geotech nical team from China started conducting a geo technical investigation (soil sampling) for the project

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a “proof of the constant efforts to ensure that the programs and services are at par with the global man agement standards”.

Paclibar said that with the adaptation of the ISO QMS standard, the func tions and operations of the City Government of Davao will institutionalize the Ease of Doing Business mandate and ensure “better delivery of services and products to the Dabawenyos.”

“We will continue the conduct of capacity-build ing of the representatives

TOURISM...

along Daang Maharlika Highway (Lanang), Davao City.

This is in preparation for the actual construction of the bridge project.

A notice to proceed was also issued last month to China Road and Bridge Corp. (CRBC), which was selected as the contractor for the project.

field. This is the way to build future champions.

To face even the best se niors in Asia,” said Sa mahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) President Monico Puentevella, who awarded the bronze med al to Ramos.

Meanwhile, Fernando Agad Jr. failed to make the podium in the men’s 55kg category on Sunday night.

The IWF World Cham pionships to be hosted by Colombia’s capital city of Bogota is the first qualifi cation event for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

administration’s successes in his first 100 days in of fice.

“Wala pa naman talaga tayo sa kalingkingan ng ka buuang planong gusto nat ing ipatupad, nakapaglatag naman tayo… ng matibay na pundasyon bilang simu la ng pinangako nating pag babago,” he said.

showed that the country’s agricultural output contin ued to contract in the sec ond quarter, down by 0.6% following the -0.3% in the first quarter of the year.

The sector has since seen a beating from Typhoon Karding, which left over P3 billion worth of damage and losses to the sector.

“‘Yung production natin, quality of production, the yield of production, ‘yan po ang tinututukan natin ngay on,” Evangelista said.

(Our production — qual ity of production, yield of production, that is what we are focusing on.)

The latest data from the PSA also indicate that there were 6.55 million Filipi nos whose income was not enough to meet even just the basic food needs in 2021, indicating a subsistence inci dence of 5.9%.

of the Quality Manage ment System of the City Government of Davao, and, with the assistance of our technical advisors, we will be able to improve those aspects wherein we are weak,” she added.

Quitain said the accred itation is “evidence that we are effectively, and with utmost dedication, able to fulfill the mandate of our respective offices.”

Quitain said that ISO certification will “raise the bar” of public service in the city even higher. CIO

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market, and convention center.

According to DOT 11 Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan the project is currently at the procure ment stage.

“As a city that heavily relies in the tourism indus try, Samal and its people will greatly benefit from this project because this will provide convenience to our tourists. When we can guarantee satisfaction to our visitors, we can be assured that they will come back in our place to try out more of our activities, or to simply relax some more,” Tan said.

Samal is one of the top tourist destinations in the Davao Region and in Mind anao because of the variety of the sun and beach offer ings.

Tan said there are about 90 resorts in the island ranging from budget to lux ury resorts.

“And since Samal Island is only about 10 minutes away from Davao City by boat or ferry, it is easily a favorite tropical getaway among Davao City resi dents and tourists. There fore, primarily, tourists visit Samal because of our

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resorts, and island and water experiences (includ ing island hopping, diving, freediving, etc),” she said

Apart from the ground breaking, Frasco also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the local government (LGU) of IGaCoS.

The MOA pertinent to the TRA involves the tri partite arrangement in the establishment and mainte nance of the place. Stipulat ed in the agreement is the joint undertaking between the DOT, the Tourism Infra structure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the LGU where the es tablishment is located.

As the tourism in frastructure arm of the government, TIEZA is in charge of the funding and construction of the TRAs. While the DOT serves as the overall monitoring agency and evaluator of the project as its primary con cept originator, while the LGUs are tasked with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the area. Upon turnover, the LGUs are permitted to lease part of the facilities to the pri vate sector to recover the cost of its upkeep.

Gia Thanh Lai of Viet nam won the gold medal in snatch (120kg) and to tal (262kg) and the silver medal in clean and jerk (142kg). Chontey Arli of Kazakhstan topped the clean and jerk (144kg) and finished third in snatch (116kg) and second in total (260kg). Al Saleem Mansour of Saudi Ara bia won the silver medal in snatch (119kg) and grabbed the bronze medal in clean and jerk (140kg) and totaled (259kg).

The SWP decided to enter only Ramos in the women’s division of the Asian Championships because the other lifters are going to compete in the upcoming IWF World Championships.

“This (Asian Champi onships) is not a qualify ing event for Paris Olym pics so we did not send our other best nine lifters who will participate in the World Championships in Colombia this coming De cember. We preserve them for the qualifying,” said Puentevella, who was in ducted into the IWF Hall of Fame on June 27 this year.

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Minimum Public Health Standards such as the prop er wearing of facemasks.

The MICECON Organiz ing Committee consists of Mayor Duterte as chairper son, Davao Tourism Associ ation (DATA) executive vice president Kennedy V. Kapu long as co-chairperson; and acting city administrator Atty. Francis Mark H. Layog as vice-chair for the local government.

The Secretariat is com posed of Anna Victoria Q. Magnaye, a partner of Zegen Management Group Co., a professional convention

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structure, transportation sector, and energy sectors.

Ramos had an impres sive performance early this year, winning four gold, one silver and one bronze in the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship at the Uz bekistan Sports Complex in Tashkent City in July,

The Grade 10 student from Mampang Nation al High School ruled the Youth division title with a lift of 70kg in snatch, 83kg in clean and jerk for a total of 153kg. In the Ju nior division, she got the gold medal in the snatch (70kg), took the bronze medal in the clean and jerk (83kg), and secured the silver medal with a to tal lift of 153kg.

Ramos joined the na tional training pool in 2018. She has been train ing under Allen Jayfrus Diaz, a former national athlete and current mem ber of the SWP coaching staff, for the past six years.

During the World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Mexi co, she clinched the silver medal in snatch (70kg) for a total of 155kg. In the same tournament held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last year, she won the gold medal in snatch (67kg), the silver medal in clean and jerk (80kg), and the gold medal in total (147kg). (PNA)

organizer, and Davao City Tourism Operations Office (DCTOO) officer-in-charge Julieta L. Catacutan.

Members of different committees (attendance promotions, Customer Advi sory Council Arrangements/ Speakers and Speakers’ Ar rangement; delegates’ tour, airport reception and trans portation, pre-conference activities, accommodations, MICE marketplace, socials/ food and beverages, public relations and publicity, ways and means, safety and secu rity, and finance) were also identified.

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er, that “if you don’t need to borrow in dollars, don’t bor row in dollars.”

The foreign exchange fluctuations could also im pact inflation, with the coun try being a net importer of petroleum products which are purchased in dollars.

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Coun tries and its allies (OPEC+) just recently said they would cut down oil production by 2 million barrels a day, put ting pressure on the global supply.

“I think they are pan icking kasi gusto nilang ma-maintain ang $100 a barrel kasi pababa na, so let’s see whether they can sustain it,” Diokno said.

“Admittedly, may im pact talaga sa atin dahil ang basis kasi namin ng projection is $90 per bar rel so anything higher than $90, may impact to sa inflation,” he added.

(I think they are pan icking because they want to maintain $100 a barrel because it’s going down, so let’s see whether they can sustain it. Admittedly, this will impact us because our basis for our projections is $90 per barrel so anything higher than that will impact inflation.)

Inflation accelerated to 6.9% in September, faster than the 6.3% print in Au gust and the central bank’s 2% to 4% target range.

Ma. Cynthia Hernandez, Public-Private Partnership Center executive director, will also give her insights on the high impact and sustain able infrastructure projects where the government and the private sector can part ner in the future.

“The lack of quality in frastructure has been one of

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continued adverse global conditions,” the BSP said.

“In July 2022, FDI net inflows decreased due largely to the lower non-residents’ net invest ments in debt instruments of their local affiliates. This decrease more than offset the growth in their net in

the country’s development constraints. This is the rea son we are looking forward to the infrastructure proj ects and plans of the current administration,” EJAP pres ident Cai Ordinario of Busi ness Mirror said.

Executives from the business sector will likewise give their reactions on the administration’s infrastruc ture plans.

vestments in equity capital (Figure 2).

The BSP said capital infusions for the month were mainly from Singa pore, Japan and the Unit ed States, invested largely in construction, manufac turing and real estate in dustries.

Ramos takes home bronze at Asian tilt

Filipino weightlifter Rose Jean Ramos bagged the bronze medal in the clean and jerk of the women’s 45-kg cate gory on Saturday night in the 2022 Asian Championships at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Manama, Bahrain.

The 17-year-old pride of Zamboanga City lifted 85kg to finish third be

hind Siti Nafisatul Hariroh of Indonesia (91kg) and Khong My Phuong of Viet

nam (88kg).

Ramos also lifted 85kg in the clean and jerk when she retained the title at the World Youth Weightlifting Championships in Leon City, Guanajuato, Mexico last June.

In snatch, Phuong won the gold medal with 78kg. Nafisatul, a bronze med

alist in the 2022 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, took the silver with her second lift of 71kg while Harshada Sharad Garud of India got the bronze with 68kg. Ramos was fourth with 67kg.

Phuong, the 2019 In ternational Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Junior

World champion, tallied 166kg to collect her sec ond gold medal. Nafisatul secured the silver medal with 162kg and Garud claimed the bronze medal with 152kg.

Garud is the first Indi an woman to win a gold medal at the IWF Junior World Championships

in Heraklion, Greece last May.

“She’s the world cham pion for youth and juniors. But in spite of being six years younger than the gold medalist, she still won a bronze in the Asian Seniors Championships. She’s the youngest in the

FRAMOS, P10

DLSU OUTLASTS ATENEO, WINSTON SHINES

Patience is a virtue that al ways produces good results.

(May I sneak in this good news. There was great rejoicing among the ranks of Ginebra fans and supporters after the Kings - starring naturalization candi date Justine Brwonlee - dealt the Bay Area Dragonsits first loss in 5 games, 111-93 Sunday.)

Exactly what the Green Ar chers displayed last Sunday in their intense duel against their archrival Blue Eagles whom they had not beaten since five years ago when the latter were the rul ing elite in the UAAP wars.

Singularly, I could say it was Schonny Winston who took

matters in his own hands as his teammates played catch up all throughout.

Winston, in his senior year, displayed the maturity that coach Derek Pumaren expect ed of him, pouring in the pair of consecutive baskets that La Salle needed to cushion its 83-78 vic tory over arch rival ADMU last Sunday.

Calm, cool and collected, Win ston punctured the tough defense of Ateneo to register a game high 25 points that towed De La Salle to a 2-1 win loss mark.

With that sorry upset, Ate neo’s “invincible” armor has been pierced, despite the yeo

man’s performance of seven footer center Ange Koame (22 pts) who provided the leader ship after key Ateneans have graduated to the pro ranks.

My initial bold prediction that DLSU and UP could figure out in the championship may al ready be shaping up.

Only UP remains unbeaten in three starts.

But the Fighting Maroons have been struggling.

They still lack cohesiveness. Their point guards are rattled when a pressure trapping de fense is employed by their rivals like what La Salle and FEU pre viously did. They discovered La

Salle was a tough nut to crack in the opening games of the 85th UAAP season.

FEU almost - but not quiteupended UP but the breaks did not go the Tamaraws’ way.

Gilas member Carl Tamayo ably proved his reliability even as his teammates were getting rattled.

Of course, UP and Ateneo still have to confront each other in this first round schedule while DLSU will be watching from the sidelines.

Without disparaging the credibility of the other collegiate bench strategists including the much heralded Tab Baldwin,

Pumaren’s long and checkered coaching experience in the pros and collegiate levels are defi nitely a big plus for the Taf-ave nue-based squad.

A three-cornered scramble for the UAAP trophy has now emerged unlike much earlier sea sons when the rivalry was just be tween Ateneo and La Salle.

But make no mistake about it.

Lest it be ignored, UP is today the standard by which DLSU and Ateno must measure their respective on-court per formances. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.)

BRONZE WINNER. Rose Jean Ramos won the bronze medal in the clean and jerk of the women’s 45kg category. (Photo courtesy of Asian Weightlifting Federation)

WIN NO. 3

PAF hails Eumir Marcial for 3rd professional boxing win

The

Philippine Air Force (PAF) hailed To kyo Summer Olympics bronze medalist Sgt. Eumir Marcial for winning his third professional boxing match in California.

“On Oct. 8, 2022, Sgt. Eumir Marcial of the PAF won in a pro fessional boxing match against Steven Pichardo from Garde na, California at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Califor nia (Oct. 9, in Manila),” Air Force spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a statement Sun day night.

Marcial defeated Pichardo in a dominant middleweight six-round decision despite suffering an unin tentional headbutt cut above his right eye in the second round.

“He did this by showcasing his superior boxing stance, footwork, and punching strength. With his third straight victory, Sgt. Marcial went to a 3-0 standing with one

knockout in professional boxing,” Castillo said.

The fight took place as a non-televised undercard of the Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Oc ampo match.

Marcial is a silver medalist at the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships and a bronze medalist at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, both in the middleweight division.

“Congratulations, Sgt. Mar cial! The PAF is proud of you!” Castillo said.

The boxer who hails from Zamboanga entered the PAF in 2013 and is an organic person nel of its Civil Military Operations Group. (PNA)

Eumir Marcial defeated Steven Pichardo in a dominant middleweight six-round decision despite suffering an unintentional headbutt cut above his right eye in the second round.