Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 163 | Friday, Oct. 21, 2022

Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II, representing his father, Davao City First

District Representative Paolo Duterte, and Barangay Captain Gary Barriga lead the cutting of the ribbon and blessing of Barangay 39-D Poblacion multipurpose building of Barangay 39-D in Davao City. The project was initiated by Rep. Duterte. Edge Davao

GRATEFUL

Brgy. 39-D thanks Cong. Pulong for new multipurpose building

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Barangay 39-D Poblacion in Davao City expressed thanks after the of ficial turnover of the new multipur pose building from the office of Congress man Paolo “Pulong” Duterte.

Rodrigo “Rigo” Duter te II, who came on behalf of his father, led the turn over.

Residents warmly re ceived Rigo who said he is glad to be part of the turn over of the multipurpose building.

“Gikalipay nako na nakig duyog ako kaninyo para sa opisyal nga pag turn over aning mga ma puslanun kaau nga multi purpose building pinaagi sa pagpaningkamut sa opisina ni Congressman Pulong Duterte,” Rigo said

in his message during the turnover ceremony.

The grandson and namesake of former Pres ident Rodrigo Duterte, is hoping that the barangay officials and residents will take care of the said building and that it will give them a place to help them amid the crisis that they are currently dealing with.

“Dili pud unta kamu mag sawa sa pag imbitar kanako sa inyung mga

pasundayag ug unta dili kamu maulaw muduol sa opisina ni congress man pulong ug kay Mayor Baste Duterte kung adu na kamo’y buot iduol kay mao lang kini ang paagi para kami maka balos man lang sa inyung wa lay pu-as nga supporta sa amung pamilya,” he said.

Earlier this month, Rigo also led the turnover of a gymnasium and a fu neral home (Lamayan ng

Military vows to pursue the whole-of-nationapproach to sustain insurgency free status

Amilitary officer re vealed that with the declaration of Davao Region as insurgency free, the 10th Infantry Division is all the more involved in sustaining activities to maintain the gains of rid ding the activities of the communist terrorist group in all six cities and five provinces.

Captain Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the

10th Infantry Division said the official declaration of Davao Region as insurgen cy-free is a victory for all local government units, police, military, all govern ment agencies an which the people through good governance.

He attributed this suc cess to all Dabawenyos who supported this objec tive to end the insurgency.

“Through the resolu

tion of the Regional Peace and Order Council No. 7 Se ries of 2022, Davao Region has been declared as in surgency-free, the third in the country, following the Ilocos Region, and Region 9,” Tito said.

He said that the decla ration of Davao Region as insurgency-free was pre ceded by the declaration of the five provinces and six cities in Davao Region

as free from the claws of the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew People’s Army.

Tito revealed that the 10th ID is currently on its sustainment phase.

“Dili buot ipasabot nga nadeklara ta as insurgency free, we become compla cent. It means mas daghan ang atong trabahoon sa sustainment phase, kay

VP Duterte wants more job opportunities for G12 grads

Vice President Sara Duterte expressed hopes on Wednesday that the business sector would provide more job opportunities for Grade 12 graduates, during the cele bration of the 48th Philip pine Business Conference and Expo Philippine Cham ber of Commerce and In dustries.

In a speech, Duterte said this is crucial not only for the lives of the young graduates but also for na tion-building as a whole.

“We have also just signed the First Time Job seekers Assistance Act – Joint Operational Guide lines with the Department of Labor and Employment. The operational guide lines are a crucial step in the implementation of RA 11261, or the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act. We expect more first-time jobseekers, especially our K-12 graduates, to be given the opportunity to process their pre-employment re quirements immediately and cost-free,” she said.

The Vice President, who is also the concurrent chief of the Department of Education (DepEd), said graduates, once ready for employment, may be con sidered valuable assets for the country’s workforce.

“We are a nation com prised of young, able, and ambitious human resourc es. Each year, thousands of graduates join our work force,” she added.

The education chief even urged the sector to sit with the Education de partment for cooperation, considering the challenges posed by job mismatch.

“I invite you to come

sit with us during our education stakeholders’ convergence next month to uncover opportunities for collaboration and pub lic-private partnerships. We need transformational leadership from the busi ness sector,” Duterte said.

The DepEd earlier said it will start its curriculum review for the Senior High School program, particu larly for Grades 11 and 12 in November to improve strategies and ensure em ployability for graduates.

In a separate ambush interview, Duterte said the DepEd is now considering the suggestions from the Commission on Higher Education and the Depart ment of Labor and Employ ment.

“We are still continu ing our meetings and dis cussions on how to make Grade 12 graduates ready for employment. Mayroon pa kaming mga ginagawa na kailangan natin ayusin sa K-12 program. But nag pauna na po ako sa ating mga business sector na kapag ready na po sila, sana ay mabigyan sila ng first priority sa hiring ng ating businesses (We are now doing some necessary adjustments on the K-12 program. But I have initial ly told our business sector that whenever they are ready, they should be grant ed priority in business hir ing),” she said.

Moreover, the Vice Pres ident insisted the DepEd is “aware of the schools’ poor performance” in the international assessments, hence, the need for review and intensified multi-sec toral collaboration.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte graces the 48th Philippine Business Conference organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry held at Manila Hotel on Wednesday. FB page of Inday Sara Duterte

City nears 100% vaccination of 12 to 17 year old children

Davao City ready for Undas 2022

Davao City is ready for the first face-to-face Undas under eased restrictions after two years of restricted observance during the pandemic.

After a series of meet ings, the 16 guidelines for Undas 2022 were released on Monday night. The guidelines were formulated by the City Economic Enter prise (CEE), security, safety, and health clusters.

The meeting, which gathered the CEE, Public Safety and Security Com mand Center (PSSCC), City Health Office (CHO), Davao City Police Office (DCPO), City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTT MO), Barangay Cultural Affairs Division, and Task Force Davao (TF Davao), happened for the establish ment of the guidelines that will be observed in the 10 public cemeteries in Davao City in celebration of Undas 2022.

“Para ma plastar ang face-to-face celebration sa Undas after two years of the

pandemic,” said Mackie Ma calipes, head of CEE, during the I-Speak media forum on Thursday.

There are 10 public cemeteries in Davao City under the supervision of the CEE namely Wireless Cemetery, Panacan Public Cemetery, Bunawan Public Cemetery, Lubogan Public Cemetery, Calinan Public Cemetery, Tugbok Pub lic Cemetery, Muslim and Christian Cemetery-Maa, Mintal Public Cemetery, Ti bungco Public Cemetery, and Muslim and Christian Cemetery –Tagakpan.

Apart from the prohi bition of staying overnight and mandatory wearing of face masks in the cem eteries, other provisions in the Undas 2022 guide lines include: Davao City Ordinances and Minimum Public Health Standards on COVID-19 must be ob served at all times. The management of private cemeteries is encouraged to implement their own health

By MAYA M. PADILLO

An official of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force reported that the city is closing in on 100 percent vaccina tion for 12 to 17-year-old but at the sane time admitted vaccination among 5 to 11

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said that as of October 30, 2022, around 95.11 percent of the 12 to 17-year-old have been vaccinated with the

second dose, which is now almost at the target popu lation of 149,332 of the age group.

Schlosser also reported that the booster dose among the said group is also signifi

cantly low at only 5.54 per cent as of Oct. 13.

Schlosser disclosed that there is a slight increase in the vaccination among the 5 to 11-year-old as of Oct. 13, but the number of vaccinat ed with the second dose still very low at 14.66 percent.

The city is targeting to vaccinate 188,385 from the 5 to 11 years old population.

Schlosser admitted that the Department of Educa

tion 11 (DepEd 11) and the Commission on Higher Ed ucation 11 (CHED 11) have difficulty convincing parents and guardians to vaccinate their children.

It can be recalled that DepEd 11 and CHED 11 committed to intensifying school-based vaccination for the start of the students’ 100 attendance for the faceto-face classes on November

13 ‘tired’ extremists yield in NorCot, Maguindanao

Saying they are tired of running away from government forces, 13 members of the Bangsam oro Islamic Freedom Fight ers (BIFF) surrendered Wednesday with their fire arms to military authorities in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces.

Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Balintong, the Army’s 92nd Infantry Battalion com

mander, presented the 13 BIFF members to Maj. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, during surrender rites at the 1st Brigade Combat Team headquarters in Barangay Pigcalagan in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao.

“These surrenderers be longed to the BIFF Bongos faction operating in North Cotabato and Maguindan

ao,” Balintong said.

Seven of the surrender ers were from Midsayap, North Cotabato, while the six others came from Sultan Kudarat.

“We decided to yield be cause of continuous military operations against us; be sides, we want to live peace fully with our families,” one of the surrenderers said in the vernacular.

Galido appealed to oth er BIFF members still in the marshlands of Maguindanao and North Cotabato to follow suit and live normal lives.

After their surrender, the BIFF batch received food aid and financial assistance from the local governments of Midsayap and Sultan Kudarat as well as from the Maguindanao provincial government. (PNA)

City Economic Enterprise (CEE) head Mackie Macalipes says during this week’s I-Speak media forum that Davao City is now ready for the face-to-face celebration of Undas 2022. Edge Davao

On the turnover of the Barangay 39-D multipurpose building project:

RICHARD

MARATAS

NEILWIN

BRAVO

Chief

GREGORIO

MAYA

PADILLO

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” - MARK TWAIN

If you are familiar with the comedy hit movie “Pink Panther” starring Peter Sell ers, you can relate to this col umn’s title.

Closeau is a French police lieutenant who is able to solve murder mysteries even if he laughably stumbles here and there before finally resolving the case.

Looks like his services might be needed to solve the murder of broadcaster Percival Mabasa aka “Percy Lapid” which has taken on a surprising twist.

The assassin, Joel Estorial, who shot him at close range, voluntarily surrendered, bringing along the gun he used. He confessed during a presscon with DILG Sec. Ben hur Abalos, that he feared for

his life.

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

KUWENTONG PEYUPS

INSPECTOR CLOSEAU TO THE RESCUE

A huge P6.5M reward money has been offered for his capture and information leading to his arrest.

Estorial casally disclosed that he and five others were contracted and received in structions from someone in side Bilibid to do the assign ment.

Bilibid is the old acronym for the National Penitentiary located in the city of Muntin lupa.

Interestingly, police in vestigators say they saw no other criminal record of Es torial who admitted to get ting P140,000 share of the P550,000 money given to his group.

Meaning, the assasination of Lapid was Estorial’s first contract. He has not shot and murdered anyone else for a price.

PBBM has tasked police authorities on the case to leave no stone unturned in bringing the killers to justice

ASAP.

There’s a naughty hint that irks and irritates probing minds.

How could a neophyte like Estorial muster the naked courage and trepidation to do the kill in public and then vol untarily give himself up when he felt the heat?

I mean, isn’t he a fall guy or something so that the master mind in Lapid’s killing would not be revealed?

Estorial said he did the job because of poverty.

If this is so, would Estorial readily admit to the crime if an interested party (the mas termind) urged and paid him a million and much more for his family’s long term provi sion even if he had to endure a life term imprisonment in the process?

News reports and inter views of police authorities as signed to the case are keeping their cards close to their chest to avoid any mistake and pre vent miscalculations on their

part.

To a degree, Estorial’s vol untary surrender and confes sion subtly indicate that he had made it easier for the po lice to solve the Percy Lapid murder in an intentional ef fort to shield the mastermind.

But netizens and con cerned citizens seem exasper ated to bite the bait.

As many know it, a profes sional killer and assassin ac complishes a “contract” with finesse and precision. Often times, he does it alone for a BIG price depending on the “market value” of the subject.

Why did they (Estorial and co.) do it in public when the hit job could have been ac complished in a quiet and less scandalous fashion?

This discombobulates the intelligent mind, don’t you think so?.

But Estorial’s walk-in surrender cum confession seemed to have - on the sur face - closed the lid. Nothing more has been revealed that

would lay bare the other de tails of the assassination job.

As one who believes that justice will ultimately find and take its own course, in due time, the police will be able to nail down the master mind’s identity.

It might take some prob ing time but Estorial cannot keep his mouth shut forever.

He said his conscience bothered him.

Lapid’s brother Roy, also a journalist, initially believed Estorial’s confession although the family’s forgiveness may not be granted yet, Somehow, Estorial’s sheep-like attitude - his im mediate and quick 180-de gree turn - did not help his credibility any.

May God bless him for his “truthfulness.”

Would it be an insult if we call Inspector Clouseau to the rescue? (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ya hoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

V. FIGUEROA

BACKWARD

PROTECTING THE ‘ANCESTRAL DOMAIN’

Though ‘ancestral domain’ was not yet coined in the pre war period, the Bagobos were already insisting on owner ship of lands belonging to their tribe which the government declared as ‘public lands’ but were let to Japanese firms and subleased by the companies to Japanese farmers.

By tradition, Bagobos had always planted wherever they want, and every piece of land their forebears had cultivated, often with seasonal crops, or tilled as swidden farms, was part of the tribal territory. Sup porting this belief system is the fact that before the rise of hemp plantations, there nev er was any evidence someone had preceded the Bagobos in these areas.

The Bagobos did not agree with the ruling that tribal lands, under a law, would be passed on to outsiders, no

tably the Japanese, for this would deprive them of the right to develop the farms that traditionally belonged to them. Often the discord results in violent reactions.

The Bridgeport Times (US), in its August 9, 1922, issue, re ported: ‘Out of these quarrels have come the Bagobo killings of Japanese—sometimes over as trivial a thing as single ba nana stalk.’

Curiously, amid the brew ing disagreement, the govern ment allowed the natives to own guns to hunt wild games as a way to appease them. But arming the docile tribesmen at times resulted in abuse when the agrarian conflict went out of bounds. The report added:

‘Having so much trouble over the Bagobos’ claims, the State induced many of them to select lands and register them several years ago. This

make them, in the eyes of the law, good property-owning citizens; they were allowed to put up the necessary bond, 100 pesos per gun, and to pur chase shotguns, which they could use for killing wild boar and deer. But some of the guns were used on the Japanese set tlers.’

Apprised of the Japanese slays that resulted from the ownership of guns, the Philip pine Constabulary had to con fiscate the firearms, including bows and arrows, spears and bolos. The provincial gover nor, consequently, issued a rul ing that for the shotguns to be returned to the Bagobos, the tribesmen had to cease their outrages.

But the natives did not budge and were not content with superficial pledges. They would only agree to a truce if a settlement was

made. As a compromise, the government proposed that despite the flimsiness of their claim, it was willing ‘to pay them nominally for the land and set them back far ther into the hills, where the march of civilization is re morselessly crowding them.’

To say the agrarian claim of the Bagobos was insubstan tial was based on the absence of records that would attest ownership of the domains the tribesmen were claiming.

The land conflict between the tribesmen and the foreign lessees actually resulted in the killing of a few Japanese, not hundreds as declared. Not all those who were slain died from government-licensed guns or had anything to do with the land row but due to misunderstanding arising from language difficulty when confrontations happened even

if an interpreter was present.

Fast forward, as of 2017, a total of 131,003 hectares were issued certificates of ancestral domain titles (CADT) by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in Davao City alone, divided as follows: 29,930 hectares, awarded to 3,208 Obu-Manuvu tribe; 26,633 hectares to 2,918 Matigsalug-Manobo; 65,819 hectares to 3,423 Ata; 6,378 hectares to 4,125 Bago bo-Klata; and 2,244 hectares to 4,112 Bagobo-Tagabawa.

The SunStar report dated November 16, 2017, said: ‘Of the 244,361 hectares ancestral domains in the city,’ 131,003 have been issued with CADT. The NCIP shall issue CADT and certificates of ancestral lands title before the Registry of Deeds in the place where the property is situated.’

Foreign tourist arrivals exceed target for 2022

Foreign tourist arrivals have reached 1.77 million as of Oct. 19, exceeding the target of 1.7 million for the year, the Department of Tourism said.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco said this shows that the in dustry is on the road to re covery.

The government’s goal however is not just recov ery, but to exceed pre-pan demic levels, Frasco said during the 2022 Philippine Travel Exchange opening at the Marriot Grand Ball room in Pasay City.

Frasco said the govern ment’s optimism is boosted further by the approaching holidays, which is a peak season for travel.

She also ensured that the country intends to sus tain the momentum by making it easier for tourists to visit.

“I understand there are still concerns regarding stringent protocols coming into the Philippines and therefore I’m pleased to in form you that the direction of the Marcos administra tion is to lift these stringent protocols by the end of the year to ensure that we fully convey that the Philippines is open and ready to receive tourists,” she said.

The two-day 2022 Phil

ippine Travel Exchange, now in its 21st year and on its third year as a hybrid event, aims to generate up to P60 million in revenue.

The top countries of ori gin are as follows:

Meanwhile, newly appointed Tourism Pro motions Board Chief Op eration Officer Marga Nograles said officials are reviewing the country’s popular tag line “It’s more fun in the Philippines” due to changes in people’s rea son for travel.

“Studies show that peo ple, travelers are looking now to reconnect with fam ilies, to find search of self, wellness. So we are looking into all of that,” she said.

In 2019, the Philippines welcomed 8.26 million for eign tourists, breaching its 8.2 million target.

Marcos’ econ managers eyeing extension of reduced tariffs

The economic man agers of the Marcos administration are working for an extension of the reduced tariff rates on imported pork, rice, corn, and coal to help slow down inflation, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

Then President Rodrigo Duterte in May issued Exec utive Order No. 171 which extended until the end of 2022 the reduced rates of import duties on pork, rice, corn, and coal as the Rus sia-Ukraine war pushed global prices.

“This inflation continues to be a problem so we have to make sure that we don’t go to a higher tariff regime as prices are going up,” Bal isacan told reporters at the sidelines of the 48th Philip pine Business Conference and Expo in Manila.

Under EO 171, the tariff rate for both in-quota and out-quota pork shipments were kept at reduced rates of 15% (from 30%) and 25% (from 40%, respectively.

The EO also kept the lower tariff rates for rice at 35% for both in-quota and out-quota imports as well as the reduced duty for corn shipments at 5% (from 35%) for in-quota and 15%

(from 50%) for out-quota.

The order, likewise, tem porarily removed the 7% tariff on coal imports.

Balisacan said the valid ity period of the EO 171 will be possibly extended.

“It’s possible. That’s the easiest way. But that still has to go through the process,” Balisacan said.

He said the length of the extension was still being studied.

Baliscan said the Cab inet-level Committee on Tariff and Related Matters (CTRM) would start work ing on the consultation pro cess concerning the planned extension of the EO 171.

“They have to complete it before the end of Decem ber. Otherwise, we’ll move to a higher tariff regime,” Bali sacan said.

The CTRM is chaired by the secretary of Trade and Industry and co-chaired by the chief of the National Economic and Development Authority. Its members include the Executive Sec retary as well as the secre taries of Finance, Budget, Labor, Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Foreign Affairs, En vironment, the government of the Bangko Sentral ng Pil ipinas, and the chairman of the Tariff Commission.

GCash now accepted in select shops in several Asian nations

GCash is now accept ed in select estab lishments in several Asian countries, the com pany said.

Users of the popular e-wallet can now pay for their purchases using the app in South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia, thanks to a collaboration with Alipay+ the company said.

“For those flying to

South Korea, you can use GCash in Alipay+ partner establishments located at Myeong-Dong, Dong Dae Moon, Hong Dae, Itaewon, and at Seoul Namsan Tow er. These include Hyundai DFS, Lotte, Line Friends, Shilla DFS, Haidilao, Star bucks, and Paris Baguette,” GCash said.

Those who are trav eling to Malaysia, can use GCash in convenience

stores like KK Mart and Happy Mart, food options such as Tealive, Mydin and Dunkin Donut, and at Bake with Yen, the company added.

GCash can also be used at Lotte and Shilla Duty Free shops at Changi Airport, Bengawan Solo, Swensens, Fragrance and when taking a Comfort Delgro Taxi, the Ayala-led fintech said.

“In Japan, you can find several retail and food merchants in select cit ies like Shibuya, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Odaiba where you can shop at places like Takashimaya, Isetan Shin juku, Odakyu, and 24hr department store Don Quixote, Rayard Miyashita Park and Tokyo Solamachi Mall, or eat at favorites like Ichiran Ramen, Kani-Dora ku, and Kura Sushi.”

Popular e-wallet GCash is now accepted in select establishments in several Asian countries. Users can pay for their purchases using the app in South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. Edge Davao

1st Mati City investment gab expected to corner P500-M

The Philippine economy can benefit from the weakening of the peso if production and supply con straints are addressed, Socio economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

In a chance interview with reporters at the side lines of the Philippine Busi ness Conference and Expo (PBC&E) in Manila, Balisacan said that the Marcos adminis tration’s economic managers are closely monitoring the situation, especially how the continued aggressive mone tary policy tightening in the US can affect the peso.

The local currency had been depreciating to record lows in the past few weeks and weakened to P59:$1 last week—the 13th time it hit an all-time so far this year— amid continued hawkish signals from the US Federal Reserve.

At a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Balisacan said that the administration is looking at the economic develop ments “so that we can deploy our monetary tools such like interest rate for example and how we can intervene in the financial market to tame, in cluding the depreciation of the peso.”

However, the country’s

chief economist said that the economy can benefit from a weak peso as it can make ex ports competitive.

“You can benefit even more if we can quickly fix our supply bottlenecks, the con straints to production—poor infrastructure, logistics, high cost of power, high cost of wa ter,” Balisacan told reporters at the sidelines of the PBC&E.

“If we can fix these ones then we’d be able to develop more products for exports. That way you can benefit from the weakening of the peso. At the same time, even your local production that can substitute for imports will benefit,” he said.

However, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief said losers are industries that heavily rely on imports.

Nonetheless, Balisacan said that the government is monitoring if there are sud den fluctuations in the peso exchange rate against the dollar.

“We don’t want swings… because investors need pre dictability eh. It will be diffi cult for an investor to plan if the exchange rate is unpre dictable. That’s why it is im portant if there is stability and predictability,” he said.

The first-ever Mati City Investment Conference (iCon) is seen to generate at least P500 million worth of new investments while gathering at least 150 potential investors, industry leaders, gov ernment officials, and other stakeholders.

Tagged as “Make It Mati iCon”, the upcoming event, which is set on Oc tober 26 at Honey’s Hotel here, is a much-awaited move to entice more in vestors, especially with the vast opportunities that the city offers.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Davao Oriental provincial office, in collaboration with the local govern ment unit (LGU) of Mati

City, is spearheading the one-day conference as the one of highlights of the Sambuokan Festival, an annual celebration of the business capital of the province.

The theme, “Invest ment Opportunities in a Changing Business Land scape”, it is aimed at in creasing investments in the tourism, agri-based (coconut, cacao, coffee), poultry, and fishing indus

tries, as well as, in bamboo production and manufac turing.

DTI-Davao Oriental officer-in-charge and act ing provincial director Art A. Hermoso shared her appreciation to the Mati City LGU for extending its utmost support to the event.

“We are grateful that the LGU, especially Mayor Michelle N. Rabat, is giv ing full support to this en deavor. We are also happy that we have sustained this partnership through the years,” the local trade official said.

Hermoso revealed that the Make It Mati iCon will be packed with various

highlights and side events, including a plenary hall for investments-related pre sentations, an exhibit, an activity area showcasing locally produced products and industries. Likewise, breakout sessions for fi nancing, credit brokering, and separate business meetings will be made. Coffee will take the spot light, too, as the launching of the DTI-Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rural Development Pro gram partnership will be done on the said day. This initiative will be on the coffee advancement for productivity and indus try development in Davao Oriental.

PH woos SoKor investors

The Philippines is woo ing more South Kore an investors to come to the Philippines.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) Of ficer-in-Charge – Deputy Director General for Fi nance and Administration Aleem Guiapal told a public briefing that they are meet ing Korean businessmen at the Philippine-Korea In

vestment Forum in Seoul.

“We actually hosted more or less close to hun dred companies here,” he said.

Aboitiz Infracapital Head of Economic Estates Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, who is joining government officials in Korea, said they hope to make more inves tors aware of the economic opportunities the Philip

pines has to offer.

“What we’re expecting here is to generate more awareness. We don’t nec essarily expect the invest ments to come tomorrow, but by presenting, you know the incentives that the gov ernment is offering, the high quality of developments that we have, we hope to generate interest and to at tract new investors.”

“Those who already have investments in the Philippines, it would be easier to them to make de cisions on expanding since they’re already there, but here our target is those who are not in the Philippines yet, and who are thinking about places where to open new factories or relocate from other countries,” he added.

Department of Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Secretary Arsenio Balisacan says the Philippine economy can benefit from the weakening of the peso if production and supply constraints are addressed. Edge Davao

Economy can benefit from weak peso if production constraints fixed: Balisacan

The Covid-19 pandemic was a source of unexpected stress for most of us. It has also built up and strengthened our resilience.

And as the Holiday season is coming, it is important for us to pro mote positivity, hope, and resilience for a safer and stronger year.

That’s exactly what Ayala Malls Abreeza is into in the lead up to Christmas.

Spreading love, hope, peace, and joy as its mind set for the holidays, Ayala Malls Abreeza lit up its towering Christmas Tree.

What’s unique about the tree the fact that it is

EVENT

ABREEZA MALL’S

LIGHTS UP

made of bamboo.

The lighting ceremony aims to convey a positive message to bring hope to the Dabawenyos and make everyone look for ward to better days ahead.

For this year’s holi day season, Abreeza Mall highlights the bamboo as the main structure of its Christmas Tree to show case the strength, flexibili ty, optimism, and resilien cy of Dabawenyos.

In Japan, bamboo sym bolizes luck and resilience

of the Japanese people who are no strangers to catastrophic events as well.

According to a Japa nese proverb: “In time, even the strongest wind tires itself out, but the bamboo remains standing tall and still.”

This is what Abree za Mall wants to express with its 24-foot bamboo Christmas Tree situated at the ground floor.

Dubbed as “Tree of Hope,” it envisions to in spire Dabawenyos not to lose hope but instead to rise from adversity.

The tree hopes to in spire every Dabawenyo to be resilient and rise from the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

Abreeza Mall not only wants to inspire this Christmas but as its way of spreading love, it has also tapped the basket-weav

ers of the Matigsalug community of the Mari log District to provide the specially-woven bamboo baskets which are used as the central ornaments of the Christmas Tree and mall decors.

This is in collabora tion with the Department of Trade and Industry 11 (DTI 11), Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation, Inc, and T’nalak Home, which con ceptualized the artsy de sign this year.

The Matigsalug weav ers, led by master weav er Bae Antonina, were involved in all phases of basket-making from har vesting of a type of bam boo called “bagtok” to the actual weaving and up to the turnover of these handcrafts to Mindanao Trade Expo Foundation.

It took 20 Matigsalugs to complete the 1,500 bas kets.

On top of this collab oration, Abreeza will also do a fundraising Christ mas promo starting No vember 5, 2022, encour aging shoppers to donate. For a minimum amount of P250, one is entitled to a Matigsalug basket accent ed bag— a multi-func tional bread basket/shop ping bag in one.

All proceeds will go to the Matigsalug commu nity for the renovation of their IP Women Building and the purchase of fur niture.

The University of Min danao (UM) chorale liv ened up the holiday spirit by performing Christmas carols during the lighting ceremony.

EDGE

COMPETITIVE EDGE

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Republic of the Philippines City of Davao CITY GENERAL SERVICES OFFICE Per BAC Resolution NO. 10-021 dated October 18, 2022

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SALE OF UNSERVICEABLE LIGHT VEHICLES, MO TORCYCLES, AIRCONDITIONERS, COMPUTER EQUIPMENTS, and OTHER OFFICE EQUIPMENTS

Date of the Opening of Bids: November 3, 2022 at 1:00 P.M. at BAC Conference Room, City Hall Drive, Davao City

The City Government of Davao will conduct Public Bidding for the sale:

GRATEFUL...

Bayan) at the Talomo’s Barangay Hall Satellite Office at Royal Valley in Bangkal.

The “Lamayan ng Bayan” is considered the

CITY... FROM 3 2, 2022.

“Although, naa man ta’y nakita nga gamay na pag-uswag sa number of vaccinees sa atoang 5 to 11 years old pero it is not a sig nificant number we hoped it should be. Daghan pa pud sa atoang 12 to 17 years old ang wala pa naka receive ug first booster dose but for tunately sa atoang 12 to 17 years old almost 100 per

DAVAO... FROM 3

protocols in coordination with the CHO.

All bids must be accompanied by a bidder’s bond in cash or cashier’s check in amount equivalent to Ten Percent (10%) of their bid price. Bids without accompanying bidders’ bond shall be automatically rejected or disqualified.

1. The City Government of Davao reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any formality or technically thereof and to accept only such bids that are advanta geous to the Government.

2. Interested Parties who wish to participate in the public auction may secure the bid forms from Louela G. Cerna, Bids and Awards Committee Office, City Hall Drive, Davao City or call telephone no. 241-1000 local 275. Issuance of the Bid Form is from October 21-31, 2022. (working days only).

3. All bidders who have been issued the Bid Form have deemed accepted the terms and conditions established by the Bids and Awards Committee and assumes all risk attendant thereto.

CARMELITA S. BANGAYAN OIC – City General Services Office

VP DUTERTE...

For now, Duterte empahsized the impor tance of pushing for in-per son classes to address learning gaps among learn ers.

She added that public schools are prepared for its full implementation come Nov. 2.

“Meron tayong mga (We have) public schools,

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[that] were just waiting because they were allowed the options from August to November 2, lahat sila, yung ready na, na nag-aan tay lang ng mandatory face-to-face ay mag-shift na sila to Mandatory five days in-person classes (all of them, those which are ready, are just waiting for the mandatory face-to-face

for them to shift to five days in-person classes),” she said.

Under DepEd Order 44, all public schools shall implement full five-day in-person classes starting Nov. 2, except for those granted exemptions by the regional directors, or disaster-affected areas. (PNA)

Medical tents will be set up at the entrances of all cemeteries with medi cal teams on standby con ducting body temperature checks and responding to any medical emergencies.

Gates will be opened at 6:00 in the morning and will be closed at 8:00 in the evening, from October 30 until November 3, 2022. The management of private cemeteries may implement different operating hours.

Visitors shall observe the “One Entrance Policy”, but vehicles shall follow the “One Entrance One Exit Pol icy.

Only ambulant vendors with special permits from the City Mayor shall be al lowed to sell goods from October 30 to November 3, 2022, at the designated ambulant vending areas outside the cemeteries set by the city government of Davao.

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first funeral home to of fer an accessible venue to Davao City residents who could not afford decent funeral service for their departed loved ones.

cent na sa ilaha sa atoang target population nila ang atoang nabakunahan,” Schlosser said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday.

Schlosser appealed to the parents and guardians to vaccinate their children so they have an extra layer of protection when the fullblast face-to-face classes start next month

The newly-built gym nasium will be utilized for crowd gatherings, assem blies, and activities of the barangay and other local government agencies.

“Gahangyo mi sa mga parents, now that we can not stop the face to face classes from happening, I hope this will be the reason for guardians and parents to decide na mabakunahan ang inyong kabatan-onan specially five to 11 years old because dakog risko kung dili ninyo pabakuna han ang inyong mga anak,” Schlosser said.

ances; and vagrants, loiter ers, and scavengers are de nied entry in all cemeteries.

Macalipes said opera tors of the private cemeter ies agreed on the guidelines to be implemented.

“Ingon sa mga oper aotrs sa private cemeteries makig-alayon sila kung unsa ang atong guidelines nga tong ipatuman. Pero naka specify didto sa guidelines na ang mga pribadong sem enteryo magpatuman sa ila hang kaugaliong health pro tocols na nakalayon sa CHO ug sa existing ordinances sa Davao City,” Macalipes said.

Medical teams

social distancing. Although, already lifted but it still helps them,” she said.

342 DCPO personnel to be deployed

Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of DCPO, said at least 342 personnel, which will be composed of DCPO personnel and auxil iaries, will be deployed for Undas 2022.

“Deployment natin de pende sa laki ng sement eryo ang minimum is dala wang PNP with auxiliaries. Maliban sa PNP we are also expecting volunteers from other stakeholders. We hope that the community will follow the guidelines by not bringing backpacks, jackets, pointed objects, gambling paraphernalia, loud music or videoke, and liquor,” she said.

WORLD-CLASS... FROM 8 ported by their National Sports Association, the PSC, and the POC.

But after that report came out, it looks like she has been begging for sup port for quite some time.

Now, back to Professor Daut’s question if Hidilyn even requested her regu lar backers to support her training and take care of her “requirements”. Did she? Or did she not?

Looks like she first told the media and not her regu lar supporting sports agen cies.

Please don’t get me wrong Hidilyn but what you did was totally wrong.

You should have let Comm Monics, Congress man Tolentino and Chair man Eala fix your “require ments” and if you are being abandoned, you can always go to the media for help. Tell the media that after requesting for assistance from the three gentlemen, they either said “Yes” or

“No”.

Even if they say “No” (which is impossible), you can always reach out to a big ally in the coun try’s sports development work, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Senator Christo pher “Bong” Go.

However, you are giv ing the sports community members a bad impression on you, that you have for gotten who you are in the first place, that you are an athlete, and you should be a role model to all national athletes and would be na tional athletes.

We all cannot deny that Philippine sports de velopment has been prob lematic but we cannot also deny that it has made big improvements because the NSA, POC and PSC are closely working together for the benefit of the ath letes.

Please don’t put those sports patrons of yours in a

bad light.

You are the country’s Olympic gold medalist and every Filipino adores you.

However, with that kind of rant, you may lose the support of the sports com munity and you may find yourself eventually aban doned.

And someday, you’ll just be simply remembered for being an Olympic medalist and never as a model ath lete.

Don’t get me wrong Hi dilyn, I have always been for the welfare of the athletes even if I face the harass ment and threats of libel cases but this thing you are doing now is not what we expected of you as a world weightlifting champion.

You are a world-class athlete and you need to show some class.

* * *

Comments are wel come by sending an email to mpb_sports@yahoo. com.

The CTTMO shall iden tify the parking areas for four-wheeled vehicles and motorcycles outside the cemeteries while the Davao City Security Cluster shall deploy its personnel from October 30 to November 3, 2022, to supplement the se curity profile of all cemeter ies, and assist in crowd con trol and law enforcement.

DCPO will also set up Police Assistance Desks at all cemeteries.

Tricycles are not al lowed to enter the cemetery premises; wearing jackets, bringing backpacks, play ing loud music or karaoke, gambling, bringing alcohol ic drinks and pointed ob jects, are strictly prohibited; drones and firearms are strictly prohibited, except those with security clear

MILITARY...

Dr. Michelle Schloss er, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said the CHO will be putting up medical teams in the cemeteries namely Buhangin Memorial Park, Mandug Public Cemetery, Forest lake -Maa, Panacan Public Cemetery, Forest Lake Panacan, Bunawan Public Cemetery, Tibungco Public Cemetery, Paquibato Public Cemetery, and Mal abog Public Cemetery.

“For private cemeteries naa pud na sila’y medical teams and we will be coor dinating with them. We will be asking health declaration such as getting body tem perature, ask symptoms related to Covid-19 upon their entry sa tagsa tagsa ka sementeryo. Wala nata’y limitation sa pagdala sa mga bata. Dili nata mag istrikto ug cemetery visitors wheth er young or old they are al lowed to visit the cemetery pero we strongly recom mend nga magbalantayon sila sa ilahang environment and wear face mask, hand hygiene ug kung mahimo lang pud kay naay social gathering ani ug dinagko na gahtering they will maintain

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naa pa guihapon ang mga issues, being exploited by the communist terrorist group, which the govern ment needs to address,” he said.

Tito said the threat of the communist terrorist group from other regions remains, which all the more prods the Armed Forces of the Philip pines to prevent their mo bilization and recruitment especially in geographically isolated and depressed ar

eas.

He encouraged the peo ple to continue to support the government and main tain the attainment of Davao Region as insurgency-free.

As part of the sustain ment activities, Tito said the whole-of-nation-approach and good governance as espoused by the Executive Order No. 70, which created the National Task Force to end the Communist Armed Conflict, continue to be im

Meanwhile, Angel Sum agaysay, head of the Public Security and Safety Com mand Center (PSSCC) re minded Dabawenyos that wearing of face masks in side the cemeteries is man datory.

Sumagaysay announced that a total of 13, 870 secu rity forces will be deployed starting October 30, 2022, to November 3, 2022, wherein a total of 1,692 will be deployed on October 30; 3, 422 will be deployed on October 31; 3,602 will be deployed on November 1; 3,602 will be deployed on November 2; and, 1,552 will be deployed on November 3.

He also said that the 27th Infantry Batallion, 89th IB, 56th IB, and 73rd IB are also the identified support units, concentrat ing mainly in District 2, Paquibato District, Marilog District, and some parts of Toril. By Maya M. Padillo

plemented. He said they also contin ue to monitor the progress of the Barangay Develop ment Programs.

“We believe that these programs are for the wel fare of the people in the countryside that need to be implemented. We are aware that the CTGs exploit the absence of these proj ects in the barangays,” Tito said. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

Filbasket to stage pocket tournament in Malaysia

Emerging Filipino hoops league Filbasket is all set to go interna tional.

The competition spear headed by former pro Jai Reyes is holding the Filbas ket International Cham pionship - Malaysia 2022 presented by Sportsclick from October 23 to October 30.

In the last Filbasket tournament, the 2022 Summer Championship, Malaysian club KL Aseel impressed with a quar terfinals appearance against an array of Filipi no teams. This time they

will play at home in the Stadium Bola Keranjang, also known as the MABA stadium, in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. Also enjoying hometown support will be Harimau Malaysia and MBC Bas ketball Club.

Filipino teams BGC Builders, Pilipinas Aguilas and Makabayan Warriors will also make the trip.

In making this a truly Southeast Asian compe tition, squads from three

other ASEAN nations round out the ten-team field. Singaporean team Adroit Sports Association are joining the fray as are Indonesian outfits Bumi Borneo and Elang Pacif ic Caesar. Brunei will be represented by Pegasus Brunei.

The format will start with a group stage where teams will play round-rob in in two randomly-as signed groups of five. There will be four games a day from October 23 to 27 to produce two semifinalists from each group. One-game semifinals will take place on October 29 followed

by a third place game and championship game on Oc tober 30. Teams who miss out on the semis will also play friendlies from Octo ber 28 to 30.

The league will per mit each team to field one naturalized ASEAN player, as many ASEAN imports as they like, and one im port from anywhere in the world on their 15-man ros ters. The non-Filipino clubs are expected to rope in top Filipino talent for their campaigns.

“We want Filbasket to have a truly international flavor. Over the summer we saw how KL Aseel really

made a great impact on our league. Now with the addi tion of the other countries we expect a really fun and competitive week for bas ketball fans from all over Southeast Asia,” says Fil basket founder and CEO Jai Reyes, who himself played professionally in Thailand and Vietnam.

This is Filbasket’s third competition. In 2021 they debuted with a bubble tournament in Subic won by AICC Manila. Over the summer they organized the Summer Champion ship which saw the Nueva Ecija Capitals lift the cham pionship trophy.

The games will all be streamed live on Filbas ket’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Game Tickets are avail able online on TNTCO’s website (Filbasket Spon sor): https://tntco.co/ products/filbasket | Tick ets can also be purchased at the MABA Stadium during Game Days.

Malaysian sports gear retailer Sportsclick is the title sponsor of the pocket tournament, while other sponsors are Li-Ning, La vana Hotel, TNTCO, Hoops tervibe, SaltCola by KroBe, COOLY, Happilee, and Yes, Coffee.

Ochoa to lead PH ju-jitsu squad inAbu Dhabi World Championships

Six athletes, led by Southeast Asian Games back-to-back gold medalist Margarita Ochoa, will represent the Philippines in th e forth coming Ju-jitsu World Championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emir ates.

Ochoa won the wom en’s minus 48-kg catego ry in the 2019 (Manila) and 2022 (Vietnam) SEA

Games. She was a threetime world champion and two-time Asian Champi onships winner.

Also joining the trip are Jenna Kaila Napo lis and Ashley Villaret (women’s minus 52-kg), Kimberly Custodio (wom en’s minus 45-kg), Myron Mangubat and Jan Cor tez (men’s minus 62-kg), Brendo Pudan (men’s minus 69-kg) and Philip

Alegre (men’s minus 85kg).

The World Champion ships is the team’s second international tournament this year after the SEA Games last May.

Coach Allan Co said the athletes are training hard this week before they fly out to Abu Dhabi on Oct. 31. The matches are scheduled on Nov. 2 and 3 at the Ju-Jitsu Arena

in Zayed Sports City.

“We had a bronze medal finish before from Kaila. Aside from the na tional team trials, the team has competed in the Thailand Grand Prix,” Co said in an interview on Thursday.

“We have a good chance of winning med als,” he added.

Ochoa bagged the bronze medal at the 2018

Asian Games (Indonesia). She won the gold medal at the 2016 Asian Beach Games in Vietnam.

Napolis was a silver medalist at the 2019 and 2022 SEA Games, 2018 Abu Dhabi World Tour Grand Slam (Unit ed Kingdom) and 2017 Asian Indoor and Mar tial Arts Games (Turk menistan), and a bronze medal winner at the

2016 Asian Beach Games (Vietnam).

Custodio clinched the bronze medal at the 2019 Asian Champion ships (Mongolia) while Cortez pocketed the gold medal at the 2019 Thai land Grand Prix and 2018 South East Asian Cham pionships (Thailand), and the silver at the 2018 Asian Championships (Kazakhstan). (PNA)

Nueva Ecija captured the 2022

Filbasket Summer Championship crown over San Juan.

World-class athletes should be role models

One afternoon in Room 10, that’s the Sports Development Office at City Hall, I was in the of fice doing some paperwork.

This was during the stint of William “Butch” Ramirez, then officer-in-charge, who took over operations after Mayor Digong removed all staff because of the controversy that rocked the office at that time. I was there because we were helping coach Butch run things.

Coach Butch was out of the office that time and a good-look ing fellow came looking for him. I stood up, introduced myself and offered an apology to him for the absence of Mr. Ramirez. So I started inquiring why he wants to talk to the city’s sports coordinator and what we can do for him.

So, he started telling his story and offered to represent Davao City as an athlete in fu ture competitions. And he came up with a list of “requirements” in order for him to represent the City. All I did was just ask the questions and listen. At the end of the meeting, I told him that I will report our meeting to Mr. Ramirez.

Some items on that list of

“requirements” were not feasi ble at that time because govern ment regulations simply won’t allow it.

In short, he never got the chance to represent the city. Surprisingly, he did not make any appeals of his proposals.

What is the point of this sto ry?

I would like to connect this story to the news reports that came out about our first Olym pic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz trumpeting her difficulty of getting support on her prepara tions for the Olympic weightlift ing qualifiers.

The news reports also raised questions from retired Profes sor Henry C. Daut, formerly with the Philippine Sports Institute and the Mindanao State Univer sity, as to whether Hidilyn even wrote a letter the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and to the Philippine Sports Com mission (PSC) to support her be fore talking to the media.

I don’t blame the media for playing up the story because that is what the media do, just report.

However, that report has placed the national weightlift

ing association headed by for mer PSC commissioner Monico “Comm Monics” Puentevella, the POC led by Rep. Bambol Tolenti no and the PSC now under a new chairman, Noli Eala in a very bad light.

Hidilyn, (dear readers, if you happen to read the published re

port), blah-blah-blah with some “requirements”.

For being the country’s Olympic gold medalist doing this, it made me think at first instance that she is somewhat being abandoned. After all the glorious efforts she has done for our beloved country, I have

the impression that she was left alone after that.

Yes, she was showered with a lot of rewards but it looks like she was left to be on her own these days.

We all know that all national athletes are automatically sup FWORLD-CLASS, P6

Hidilyn Diaz in a dialogue recently with officials of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).