Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 180 | Saturday, November 12, 2022

REMEDY

Sara: Antidote to war is good governance

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Vice President Sara Duterte disclosed that in her experience in politics the key to resolve conflicts is good gover nance.

“I have realized that the antidote to war is good governance. And good

governance breeds public trust,” she said in her mes sage during the Annual Ku

sog Mindanaw Conference held at the Waterfront In sular Hotel Davao (WIHD) on Friday.

She also recognized the efforts on 1996 peace agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front and the government

under the late President Fi del V. Ramos, and the Com prehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government under the leadership of

CSWDO prepares for the yearly Pahalipay sa Lumad

The CSWDO has pre pared food packs and grocery packs for members of Indige nous People Communi ties in Marilog, Paquibato, and Baguio District, Julie

P. Dayaday- Supervising Administrative Officer IV of CSWDO said in an in terview over the Davao City Disaster Radio on Thursday.

She said that they al

ready considered weath er disturbances that may affect the transportation of the food packs.

“Kini sya mag-com mence sa first week of December but among

na-agreehan during the meeting with security kadtong mga lugar nga medyo lisud adtuan tun god kay gina-take advan tage nato ang panahon

Gov’t, MILF forge Basilan truce

The Philippine govern ment (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liber ation Front (MILF) forged a ceasefire Thursday af ternoon in a bid to end the hostilities that flared up in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan on Tuesday that reportedly killed three soldiers and four MILF members.

The ceasefire agree ment contains four consen sus points:

To immediately imple ment a ceasefire between the engaged parties. This will be done by sending the representatives of the MILF CCCH, MILF AHJAG, and Non-violent Peace force to relay the agreement regard ing the immediate imple mentation of the ceasefire to the 114 Base Command, BIAF-MILF while the Com mander, Joint Task Force Basilan/101st Infantry Brigade, Philippine Army will direct the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines] troops on the ground to do the same;

To immediately imple ment the pull-out of the reinforcements of the BI AF-MILF who are not resi dents of the said barangay;

To allow the return of the group of Commander Huram Malangka of [the] 114BC, BIAF-MILF who are residents of Brgy. Ulitan and their firearms should be kept within their respec tive houses as they wait for their decommissioning. BI AF-MILF residents of Brgy. Ulitan should be properly

identified and registered;

To establish a compos ite detachment which shall be composed of AFP, PNP and BIAF-MILF who will jointly cooperate to address the lawless elements and help in the maintenance of peace and order in the said barangay; and, Issues and concerns pertaining to the BI AF-MILF in the municipali ty of Ungkaya Pukan should be immediately reported to the GPH-MILF CCCH and AHJAG for immediate res olution.

The ceasefire, which came two days after the fighting erupted in Ung kaya Pukan, was signed at 4 p.m. Thursday, but the de tails were released at 6 a.m. Friday.

The GPH and MILF’s Co ordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG), and the Non-Violent Peace Force (NVFP) facilitated the forging of the ceasefire.

“We are happy to an nounce that a ceasefire agreement has been signed by the GPH and MILF, which brings to an end the armed encounter between government troops and MILF forces,” David Dicia no, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process’ (OPAP RU) Bangsamoro Transfor mation Program, said in a statement.

“We would like to

Vice President Sara Duterte says in her message during the Annual Kusog Mindanaw Conference held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao (WIHD) on Friday that the antidote to war is good governance and good governance breeds public trust. FB page of Inday Sara Duterte

Negative RT-PCR test result still required upon admission in Davao City hospitals

Davao City eyes green zone status from ASF

Davao City is now eyeing a green zone status from African Swine Fever (ASF) virus.

Dr. Gay Pallar, focal per son on ASF of the City Vet erinary Office (CVO), said the Department of Agricul ture (DA) is now process ing their request to change the zoning color of Davao City from a red zone to a yellow zone and eventually a green zone.

Two years ago, cases of ASF were detected in the five barangays in the city’s

three districts namely In ayangan, Lamanan, Dom inga of Calinan District; Barangay Magsaysay of Marilog District; and Ba rangay Colosas of Paquiba to District.

The DA has categorized the containment zone into four zones depending on the area’s ASF status: red (infected zone), yellow (surveillance zone), pink (buffer zone), and light green (protected zone).

“Karon sa syudad sa

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, reminded that the presentation of the negative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result before admission to the public and private hospi tals in Davao City is still required amid the relaxation of health restrictions in the city.

“We are still implement ing that. Yes, there is a pa gluag sa atoang mga health protocols but this is still strictly implemented and the reason behind this, it is already been discussed by the Covid-19 Task Force as well as mga hospital own ers and directors,” Schloss

er said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Friday.

It can be recalled that former Mayor Sara Duterte issued Executive Order No. 53 Series of 2020 or an or der requiring mandatory Covid-19 RT-PCR testing for patients referred to hos

pitals in Davao City and for other purposes.

Section 1 states the testing requirements that include a negative RT-PCR are mandatory for admis sion and surgery in Davao City hospitals to protect the healthcare workers of nonCovid-19 hospitals from unnecessary exposure to Covid-19 positive patients.

“The reason behind we are still requiring negative RT-PCR tests upon admis sion kay kinahanglan nato ma ensure that who we are admitting is Covid-free. Imagine that they will be mixed up with sick people dali ra matakdan kay they

are sick and mas mubo ang ilahang immune system and they can still easily get the infection. Imagine if you will mix the Covid patients sa mga masakiton nga dili Covid patients the infection will be a lot faster. Dili nato gusto na dili ma test ang ad mission na tao or patients because we will be putting the lives of other patients at risk. This is also for the safe ty of the patients and other patients. For the safety of the kauban niya na pasy ente sa hospital,” Schlosser said.

Schlosser clarified that only the patients to be ad FNEGATIVE, P10

Go calls for strengthened vaccination efforts to further open up PH economy

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go urged the government to fur ther strengthen its vacci nation efforts to further open up the economy as the Philippine Statistics Authority reported, on November 10, an impres sive 7.6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the third quarter of this year, beating estimates.

In a statement, Go is

hopeful that the country’s economy will continue to expand at its current rate, which places the Philip pines in the position of having the second fast est growing economy in Southeast Asia.

“We hope that we will sustain this remarkably fast acceleration of our economy, now the second fastest in Southeast Asia, especially as we recover

from the pandemic,” said Go.

He, however, noted that the country’s eco nomic performance is not “an overnight miracle” and is hoping that the cur rent administration will sustain it.

“I hope that we will continue to sustain the many gains achieved by the previous Duterte ad ministration and the cur

rent Marcos administra tion as we march towards full and inclusive recov ery soon,” said Go.

The rate is significant ly higher than the median estimate of 6.1% that was derived from a poll con ducted by BusinessWorld and Bloomberg with economists.

It is also faster than the 7.5% growth record

Except for the rattan ball, this was how the game invented by Canadian James Naismith was played during its infancy, although the Lumads in this photo may not know it. That’s why it’s called basketball. Taken in Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon during the Aldaw ta Kitanglad celebration on Nov. 9, 2022. MindaNews photo by H. MARCOS C. MORDENO

Gov’t vows policies to ensure food security, stable prices

Socioeconomic

Planning Secretary Ar senio Balisacan has reiterated that the government’s top priority is food secu rity while guarding Filipinos from faster in creases in prices of goods and services due to external risks and impacts of the recent calamities.

Filipinos still face the challenges of faster in flation rate despite the 7.6-percent gross domestic product growth in July to September this year.

For Redge Nicolas, 38, an information technolo gy consultant, economic growth can be felt if Filipi nos’ earnings can still keep up with the recent inflation.

“As a middle-class citi zen, sadly, I cannot say that I am experiencing the in crease in economic growth due to subsequent price increases in key commod ities like meat, vegetables, electricity and gas,” Nicolas told the Philippine News Agency.

The Philippine Statis tics Authority reported

earlier that inflation in Oc tober was the highest since December 2008 at 7.7 per cent.

“My earnings are not proportionate with the price increases during the past months,” Nicolas add ed.

Gov’t policies Balisacan, who is also the National Economic and Development Authority chief, said the Marcos ad ministration’s top priority is to ensure that there is an adequate food supply in the domestic market.

When supplies are enough in the domestic market, these shield con sumers from volatile price

movements.

“I want to underscore that our nation still faces a considerable burden in the form of high inflation due to heightened external risks and the brunt of re cent typhoons,” Balisacan said in a press conference Thursday.

He said the government is eyeing to extend Execu tive Order (EO) 171, signed by former President Rodri go Duterte, which tempo rarily modify import duties of pork meat, rice, corn, and coal.

The EO, signed on May 21, 2022, is effective only until Dec. 31 this year.

Converge posts P6.11 billion net income in first 9 months

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc said on Thursday its net income grew 17.5 percent to P6.11 billion in the first 9 months of 2022.

Consolidated revenues grew 30 percent to P24.5 billion compared to the same period last year, the

company owned by Pam panga-based businessman Dennis Anthony Uy told the stock exchange.

Converge said the ex panded profitability in the first 9 months of the year was driven by increased scale and prudent cost management.

In the third quarter,

Converge said it deployed 411,320 new fiber-to-thehome (FTTH) ports which brought its nationwide net work to over 14.3 million homes as of the end of Sep tember.

So far, it has achieved 53 percent nationwide house hold coverage, on track to meet its goal of covering 55

percent of households by 2023, it said.

Meanwhile, residen tial subscribers reached 1,845,162, up by 16 per cent as of the end of Sep tember, it said.

FREE SUPERSIZE PLAN UPGRADE

Converge also an

Economist eyes GDP breaching gov’t target

The higher-than-ex pected expansion of the domestic econo my in the third quarter of 2022, at 7.6 percent yearon-year, provides a boost for a possible breach of the government’s gross do mestic product (GDP) as sumption for the year.

In a report on Thursday, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Rica fort said the growth print in the July to September period surpassed expecta tions given the continued reopening of the economy and the base effects.

He also cited the solid growth materialized amid the elevated inflation and interest rates environment due in part to the impact of the ongoing conflict be tween Russia and Ukraine, which has affected prices of commodities in the in ternational market.

“Going forward, Phil ippine GDP growth for 4Q (fourth quarter) 2022 could still be at least +7 percent due to the contin

ued narrative on economic reopening and quantita tively lower base/denomi nator effects, thereby lead ing to average GDP growth of at least 7.6 percent for 2022,” he added.

The government’s growth assumption for this year ranges between 6.5 to 7.5 percent while it is be tween 6.5 to 8 percent for 2023-2028.

The third quarter growth print this year is higher than the previous quarter’s upwardly revised 7.5 percent growth and the 7 percent expansion in the third quarter of 2021.

GDP as of end-Septem ber this year stood at 7.7 percent.

Ricafort said the third-quarter economic growth this year benefited from increased economic activities as more people go to the malls and restau rants because of continued opening of the tourism industry and the resump tion of face-to-face classes, among others.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan is joined by Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) Mayor Al David Uy during his visit in Samal Island to talk to the barangay captains and the stakeholders regarding the Samal Island - Davao City Connector Project. Balisacan has reiterated that the government’s top priority is food security for the Filipinos. Edge Davao

Business owners worried over high inflation rate in Davao

NGCP to appeal

P5M fine

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will be con testing the Energy Regula tory Commission’s (ERC) order for the company to pay a P5.1-million fine for violating the Department of Energy’s (DOE) rules on procuring power reserves.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday, Synergy Grid & Development Phils. Inc.—the listed holding firm of NGCP—said the grid operator “intends to file a Motion for Reconsid eration within the period allowed by the rules and regulations.”

The ERC slapped NGCP with a fine as the latter al legedly violated the DOE’s Department Circular No. DC2021-10-0031, entitled “Prescribing the Policy for the Transparent and Effi cient Procurement of Ancil lary Services by the System Operator” or AS-CSP Policy.

Under Section 7.4 of the policy, the NGCP, as System Operator (SO), is required to submit for the DOE’s ap proval the Terms of Refer ence (TOR) prior to its pub lication of the Invitation to Bid (ITB).

The ERC said it consid ered NGCP’s failure to sub mit to the DOE its TOR and ITB as one violation and its failure to publish and main tain on its website the ITB without the prior DOE ap proval of the TOR and ITB as another violation.

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza con firmed that the fine im posed by the ERC against the company was due to its failure to submit TOR and ITB.

Alabanza said that “noong lumabas ang cause order ng ERC ay nakapag sumite na kami ng doku mentong iyon day before lumabas siya kaya kami ay

The high inflation rate in Davao City must be managed to hasten the re covery of the local economy that has been severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, a business leader said.

John Tria, vice president of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., said during “Wednes days Habi at Kape” that the growing inflation rate con cerns the business owners as the increase in the prices of basic commodities would have a snowball effect on demand and ultimately on the growth of local estab lishments.

He said the inflation beginning early this year was seen as “transitional”

as consumers were in a “revenge spending” follow ing the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which drove the demand and prices of goods up.

“How to lower inflation is going to be the biggest challenge because again when prices go up, the challenge is how to keep your customers buying at the same volume to ensure your own growth,” he said.

Tria said that it seems the current inflation is not

anymore “transitional” at the rate the consumer price index is growing.

He said it remains un clear when it would go down.

“I think inflation is a big concern because when costs are high, they (busi nesses) are forced to raise prices. When they raise prices, less people can af ford. That’s why it’s im portant to manage inflation because its domino effect needs to be managed,” he said.

The Davao Region posted an inflation rate of 9.8% in October, the high est among 17 regions in the country, according to a report released by the Phil ippines Statistics Authority

(PSA) last November 4. Based on the Summary Inflation Report Consumer Price Index (CPI), the agen cy said the inflation rate further accelerated from 9.6% reported in Septem ber in the region composed of the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occi dental, Davao Oriental, and Davao City.

The PSA said the in crease in inflation rate in the region was largely con tributed by the movement in the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 12.2% from 10.3% in September, and food and non-alcoholic beverages at 11.7% from 10.5% in Sep

CebPac launches seat sale for 11.11

Cebu Pacific has launched a seat sale in time for 11.11, of fering one-way base fares for as low as P1 exclusive of fees and surcharges.

The airline’s five-day #CEBSuperSeatFest start ed 12 a.m. of November 11 and will run until Novem

ber 15, 2022.

Travel period is from February 1 to October 31, 2023.

“This Christmas will be the first time many families will be celebrating togeth er in two years, so we un derstand how special this season will be. We are also

encouraged to see people traveling again,” said Can dice Iyog, CEB Vice Pres ident for Marketing and Customer Experience.

“To kick-off the festiv ities and bring more peo ple together, we are offer ing our trademark PISO fare,” she added.

Cebu Pacific flies to a total of 34 domestic and 19 international destina tions.

The airline continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety and op erates with a 100% fully vaccinated crew, 95% of whom have been boosted.

Cebu Pacific launches a five-day seat sale in time for 11.11, offering one-way base fares for as low as P1 exclusive of fees and surcharges.

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

IN DEFENSE OF MANDUG

The duty of protecting the southern and eastern flanks of Mindanao during the war in 1945 fell under Imperial Japa nese Army Lt. Gen. Jiro Harada, leader of the 100th Divi-sion commander with control over the 75th Brigade, 76th Brigade, and the 32nd Special Base Force of Rear Adm. Naoji Doi. Its pri mary mission was to block the Allied Forces from enter-ing Davao City.

Rear Adm. Doi (1894–1963) was a member of the 43rd Class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy. As an officer, he held three key military post in Min danao. He was com-mander of the Rashin Area Special Base Force (June–September 1944), commander of the 32nd Special Base Force (October 1944–Au gust 1945), and promoted to rear admiral on May 1, 1944. On the day Emperor Hirohito

announced Japan’s surrender, his troops were hiding in the hills of Mandug. Lt. Gen. Harada’s division was to defend Catigan, and the hills north of the city. The Right Sector Unit, composed of five infantry battalions, secured the west side of Da-vao River, while the Left Sector Unit, a party of two regular infantry battalions, two provi-sional battalions, and the poorly armed Air Force’s Hosono Unit, took the east side. Another battalion aided as a re serve.

Robert Ross Smith, in Tri umph in the Philippines, wrote:

’The Left District Unit dug in along rising ground overlook ing Davao Gulf between Da-vao and Bunawan, twelve miles to the north, and held a series of outposts along Route 1 north of Davao. Admiral Doi’s strongest-and last-stand--defenses were

near Mandog, a hill barrio on the east bank of the Davao Riv er seven miles north of the city. Doi’s Hosono Unit took little part in subsequent operations, but hid out in hilly country ten miles northwest of Bunawan.’ Gen. Harada’s eastern posi tion was initially tested on May 29 when the U.S. 19th Infantry hit west toward Rear Adm. Doi’s defenses at Mandug where the battlements were under threat.

On June 9, Mandug was cap tured; days later, the last orga nized resistance in the area was reported.

To the general’s surprise, the 24th Division, which Lt. Gen. Harada expected to lead a frontal assault at the center, made no effort in mounting at tacks against his flanks. Given this assessment, he moved two battalions from his flanks and transferred them to the highway

sector where he focused most of his defenses. Still dissatisfied with his strong reserves, he took an extensive shakeup of his units by transferring the major ity of the Army ground com-bat forces from the east of Davao River to the west sector.

The U.S. 19th Infantry’s mis sion, meanwhile, was focused on overrunning the Japanese defenses east of the river, in cluding the destruction of Rear Adm. Doi’s concentration in Mandug. The remnants of the Left District Unit, on the other hand, were forced to retreat to the north where it took shelter.

In pursuit, the U.S. 34th Infan try punched toward the Davao River, marking the collapse of the 100th Division’s second line east at Ula.

On June 10, the 24th Divi sion took over the 100th Divi sion’s second line from Wangan

to Mandug. Already disheveled, the division hastily made a re treat to the mountains.

The job of annihilating Lt. Gen. Harada’s organized de fenses cost the 24th Division about 350 men killed and 1,615 wounded while the 100th Divi sion and its attached units lost roughly 4,500 men killed and 30 captured from April to June.

The Mandug conflict also delivered a hero in the last days of the mopping-up operations.

On June 10, 1945, U.S. Staff Sgt. Elmer W. Alt, a member of the U.S. 19th Infantry, was felled by a bullet while hunting Japanese remnants west of the city. His unit had just taken a hill over looking the village, fighting all day to drive them until the at tempt to retake the area was re pulsed. Overall, the quest to lib erate Davao City also produced two Medal of Honor awardees.

There is a bright prospect that after 18 years, an econom ic-boosting program launched through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) by the admin istration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001-2010) to provide much-needed stim ulus to the economic growth of towns, cities, provinces and re gions of the country is on the way to being institutionalized by the present 19th Congress.

This can be gleaned from re cent developments in both the Senate and the House of Rep resentatives with regard to the “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) Philippines strategy which was conceived to be a vital cog in the promotion of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MS MEs) nationwide.

Mrs. Arroyo, an economist who has been vice president, senator, Department of Social Welfare and Development secre tary, and DTI undersecretary be fore succeeding President Joseph Estrada in Malacañang, imple mented the program in 2004 to improve the country’s economy after the 1997-1998 Asian finan cial crisis.

I happened to be the executive editor of the Presidential News Desk (PND) in Malacañang when the OTOP program was begun by the PGMA administration in 2004. It came on the heels of an other program designed to boost domestic tourism in the different regions of the country. We were instructed by then Press Secre

tary Ignacio R. Bunye to give the implementation of the program maximum coverage.

Earlier, PGMA put in place through an executive order an other flagship strategy called “Holiday Economics” under which the observance of certain holidays in the country’s calendar were moved to other dates, ei ther in the same or the following week, to provide Filipino workers with extended rest days to spend with their families.

For instance, in the event that a holiday falls on a Wednesday, its observance is moved to Mon day of that week to give workers three straight holidays from Sat urday, Sunday and Monday. An other way is to move the holiday to Friday, thus giving the people the opportunity to enjoy three days off from Friday until Sunday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday.

In any case, the Office of the President has to issue an official proclamation on the resetting of such holidays.

The primary reason for the holiday economics is that the ex tra holidays would be spent by well-off families in other plac es away from home, giving the residents of the places they visit an opportunity to have a bigger share of the amount the visitors spend.

The strategy was hailed by lo cal government officials for spot lighting the tourist attractions of their localities, prompting

the 13th Congress under Senate President Manuel B. Villar Jr. and House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia Jr. to institutionalize it on July 24, 2007 as Republic Act 9492.

However, after PGMA left Malacañang on June 30, 2010, President Benigno S. Aquino III modified the law, saying, “There are important holidays whose cel ebration should not be moved to other dates so the people would not forget their significance.”

Meanwhile, the DTI has con tinued implementing the OTOP strategy even after PGMA’s term on June 30, 2010 and she has since been replaced by Presi dents Aquino (2010-2016), Ro drigo R., Duterte (2016-2022) and now Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (2022-2028).

There have been significant developments in the present 19th Congress and the previous one with regard to the institutional ization of the OTOP program.

In the Senate, Senator Chris topher Lawrence Go recently filed a bill seeking to make the DTI’s “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) program an official part of the country’s economic sys tem, saying that it will help boost recovery and promote innovation among micro, small and medium enterprises.

The senator stressed that it is the duty of the government to “provide protection and recog nize the profound and undeniable contributions of MSMEs in nation building, continuing national eco nomic growth, and the realization

of our economic objectives.”

Go’s measure also seeks to assist and capacitate MSMEs in developing new, innovative and more complex products and services through significant im provement in the areas of quali ty, product development, design, packaging, standards compli ance, marketability, production capability, brand development, sustainability, and securing li censes, product registration and other market authorization, among others.

The report of the Senate Com mittee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship of the 18th Congress was adopted in the bill, he said.

While the DTI will serve as the lead agency of the program, an OTOP Management Committee will be created to be designated by the DTI secretary which shall have the main responsibility of directing the implementation of the proposed law.

The Department of Tourism, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Philippine Ports Au thority, Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board, and other similar agencies are also tasked to support the con struction and allocation of spaces for the establishment of OTOP Philippines hubs.

In the House of Representa tives, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) has reported that House Bill 9350 seeking to institutional ize the “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) Philippines program to

promote inclusive and sustain able economic development has hurdled final reading approval.

“It mandates the DTI to pro vide a package of assistance for MSMEs to help them develop innovative and more complex products with significant im provement in the areas of quali ty, product development, design, packaging, compliance with standards, marketability, pro duction capability, and brand development,” PNA reporter Filane Cervantes wrote, quoting Magsasaka Party-list Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat, the author of the bill.

Cabatbat noted that since its implementation in 2004, the OTOP program has proven its ability to aid and develop the MSMEs capability to generate jobs, increase domestic sales and exports, and equip the business skills of entrepreneurs while showcasing Filipino culture, tra dition and creativity.

The institutionalization of the program is expected to be easier and faster in the present Con gress as House Speaker Martin Romualdez has said that under the revised House rules and pol icies, bills passed on third and final reading by the chamber no longer need to be refiled.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Office of the Press Secretary.

A HAUNTING SQUID BALL GAME AT SM LANANG PREMIER

SM Lanang Premier for this year’s Scarevengers activity with the theme Squid Ball Gamers from the popular Korean drama series.

As expected, some of them came mimicking Younghee, the murderous Squid Game doll, some in their Squid Game jacket while some as Sadako, and others came as zombies.

Participants were grouped into teams of five and competed in bowling, billiards, table tennis, bas ketball, archery, and vid eoke.

ticipants took an enjoyable break from their coverages but through the activity they developed the bond and ca maraderie with their fellow media practitioners.

Special thanks to Rhealyn Pojas, PR Officer of SM Lanang Premier; and Kristianne Marie Fusilero, PR officer of SM City Ecoland for organizing Scarevengers 2022.

Scarevengers is a hal loween event for Davao City media dress up in their scariest or in their favorite characters then try to outwit and outsmart each other by completing in various tasks.

On Friday, media from the different medium - print, television, radio, and online - took a break from their respective assignments and came to the bowling area of

Team Naruto emerged as this year’s grand champi on after piling up the highest score followed by Team Un das Spot and Team M.

Special awards were also given to participants.

Jinggoy Salvador took home the Best in Costume award and Team Nokus grabbed the gold for the best group photo.

All the winners and con solation prizes received gift certificates and gift packs.

Not only that the par

Halloween will never be complete for media practitioners in Davao City without the muchanticipated Scarevengers.

Some of the photos courtesy of Big Jay Lagang and Rose Bernales

Nickel Asia group expends some P8.5M worth of seedlings for greening programs in 2022

For 2022 alone, Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) records 234,823 trees planted within its mining camps and has donated 185,466 seedlings to the Depart ment of Natural Resources (DENR) in support of the government’s National Greening Program (NGP).

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., recently issued a challenge to plant more trees as one way of coun tering the threats of climate change. NAC proves to have been in on this year after year.

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995 obliges mining companies to plant 100 trees to replace every tree they cut due to their oper ations. This is part of the mining industry’s rehabili tation programs embedded in the Mining Act and the mining companies’ com mitment to the greening of communities where they operate.

Above and beyond

what the law requires, NAC and its subsidiaries take serious participation in the NGP programs by gen erating seedlings, with the help of the communities, and donating thousands of them to DENR.

The past year has seen an increase of requests for seedlings for fruit-bearing trees which is much more expensive to generate as compared to seedlings for forest trees.

“The people in the com munities are more interest ed in fruit bearing trees to plant in NGP-identified ar eas,” says Jomer Tiamson, a forester and Envi Manager for Hinatuan Mining Corp., a subsidiary of NAC based in Tagana-an Surigao del Norte.

Tiamson explains that it further proves NAC’s com mitment to the greening programs because the cost of generating a seedling for a forest tree is P10 pesos each, while a seedling for a

fruit tree costs P30 pesos.

According to Engr. Re medios Collado-Camo, NAC AVP for Industrial Safety/ OIC, Environment Sector, seedlings production is an important part of the operations of the mining companies under the NAC group.

“Propagation of seed lings is a complex respon sibility of the Environ ment Group of the NAC organization because we have a goal to produce enough seedlings to cover the hectares upon hect ares of mined-out areas ready for rehabilitation plus there is our commit ment to DENR’s NGP,” says Collado-Camo.

She adds, “for 2022 alone, we estimate some P8.5M worth of seedlings we disbursed to various greening programs and that is the definition of our commitment to the green ing of the communities and the nation”.

BackJoy celebrates 10 years in PH

short walk, filling up your water bottle, or playing with your pets— there are so many small and easy yet impactful ways to improve your posture.

A decade of improved posture

Since it arrived in the Philippines last 2012, BackJoy has also steadily equipped countless Fili pinos with solutions that help them get better pos ture.

“We strive to integrate better posture in the ev eryday life of Filipinos so that we can help them en joy life fully,” Bonoan said.

Are you someone who spends much of the day hunched over a laptop for work and then proceeds to plop down the couch or bed only now bent over a phone browsing through memes and posts? Sud denly, you complain about bursts of pain from your aching back. A familiar scene, right?

You are not alone. One of our modern-day woes is our sad state of posture which results in pain. It is estimated that around 80% of Filipino adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.

Correcting posture and providing people the chance to get back the joy of living life to the fullest is the mission of BackJoy, the leading global pro vider of products that improve posture.

“We tend to sit for long hours, and sometimes, we don’t even notice it. This is the root of the problem,” said Antonio Lorenzo Bonoan, brand executive of BackJoy Philippines.

The pandemic has only worsened our bad habits. Especially with the shift in lifestyle, more people are becoming slaves to their devices and poor posture has become somewhat of an epidemic.

Humans are simply not meant to sit still for long hours. To keep up, other parts of the body compromise resulting in less balance that ultimate ly leads to pain. This then causes a number of other problems that affect your quality of life.

According to Dr. Barry Kluner, BackJoy’s posture consultant, taking regular posture breaks are need ed now more than ever.

Kluner, who is also a certified chiropractor and postural neurologist, recommends that people should follow the 30:30 rule.

“For every 30 minutes of sitting, simply make a postural change for just 30 seconds by moving about,” he said.

Standing up, taking a

Between work and play, Backjoy wants Filipi nos to feel the comfort that proper posture brings.

Across the years, they supported fitness and yoga enthusiasts to attain more harmony by regularly hav ing sessions that combine the practice with their products.

Bonoan said these groups are well aware of the importance of a good core that’s why it’s a natu ral fit for us to connect with them.

From fitness buffs, the brand is setting its sights on another group of people breaking their backs everyday. Targeting perennially seated office workers, Backjoy will let them borrow products for a time to let them experi ence the change firsthand.

“Everyone has a spine and back. And properly ac tivating the core muscles is essential to attaining a good and stable posture,” Bonoan said.

With BackJoy, he add

ed, it is easy to activate it and maintain better move ment overall.

For its initial run, the program will be imple mented in chosen offices of Concentrix, a BPO com pany, across Metro Ma nila, Cebu and Davao. The workers can then purchase their own products after the trial period at a dis counted rate.

Through this initiative, Bonoan said that the aim is for more people to feel the “freeing power of a healthy back.”

“Whether we are work ing from home or back to the office now, we can still carry our habits of bad posture. It’s a reminder that they can work better without breaking their back,” Bonoan added.

Another exciting thing to look forward to is that BackJoy Philippines will be releasing new products in the coming days.

Their ultra-plush and super premium SitSmart Core LUX Collection will soon be available in the so phisticated Mocha color.

“It’s made from more premium materials yet still champions the ergonomic design of BackJoy. It is our brand of comfort that’s elevated further,” Bonoan added.

Backed by love and care

It all started from a place of genuine love. BackJoy was created be cause a son wanted to ease the back pain of his father in 1984. From its hum ble beginnings, the brand grew to changing lives in more than 20 countries.

“From then to the fu ture, we are dedicated to helping the world sit, stand, sleep and move better,” said Doreen Lee, BackJoy’s regional direc tor for sales and market ing in Asia.

Lee added that for over 30 years now, the brand has designed ergonomic and functional solutions so everyone can enjoy the ultimate comfort through improved body posture.

“Across the globe, we have helped more than five million people live better

lives by improving their posture,” she said.

For Lee, people are now realizing the need for more balance in their life. Backjoy effectively supports them by letting everyone experience “impactful change that comes from the inside out.”

Better posture for a better future

Backjoy is fully com mitted to helping every one ease their discomfort and empower them to develop better posture habits.

Bad posture isn’t al ways our fault but not doing something to solve it is. Knowing that you can get wrapped up in work while glued to your screen should be a cause for concern.

“We need an overall lifestyle improvement. Sometimes, it can start with proper posture,” Kluner said.

Backjoy, he added, is here to support every one’s back through effec tive and comfy posture correction products..

“We have products for sitting, walking, and sleeping. These are all aimed to help you attain a better quality of life,” Kluner said.

To know more about Backjoy, go to their web site backjoy.com.ph or follow them on their so cials at @backjoyphilip pines for both Facebook and Instagram. BackJoy is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by the Primer Group of Compa nies.

The people in the mining communities participate in generating the seedlings

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the late President Benigno Aquino in 2014.

She said that peace is a delicate, fragile beauty that needs constant attention.

“In the case of Mindan ao, it does not only need our continuous attention. It needs our constant, collective attention,” she added.

Duterte also met with leaders of various Mindan ao-based non-government organizations, agencies, civic society groups, and development stakeholders during the event.

She also called on ev ery Mindanaoan to always acknowledge the sacrifices of fellow Mindanaoans who fought against rebel groups to secure Mindanao and provide safety to the peo ple.

Kusog Mindanaw is a Mindanao-wide organiza tion established as plat form for discussion and development partnerships. In its 28 years of existence, Duterte was the highest Philippine official to attend Kusog Mindanaw’s annual conference.

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masayo-sayo ang pagh atod pero ang paghatag distribution sa December pa gyud ang ilang sched ule (The activity will commence in the first week of December but we have agreed during the meeting with the secu rity cluster that for hard to reach areas, consider ing the weather, may be delivered earlier but the distribution will be in De cember yet according to the schedule),” she said.

She added that even before the pandemic, it is already the policy of the Davao City government to distribute goods to areas where IPs live.

“Wala na gyud sila nanaog kay kita na gyud sa siyudad sa Davao ang nagsaka pagpanghatod sa ilahang food packs (They did not come [to the city] anymore because we in the City of Davao are the ones bringing the food packs to them),” Dayaday said.

Dayaday said that as some of the IP visitors in the city’s downtown area have arrived, the CSWDO will have a coordination meeting with the Depart ment of Social Welfare and Development and representatives of vari

CONVERGE...

nounced Thursday that it would permanently in crease the speeds for its fiber residential plans for free.

The FiberXPlan 1500 will now have a speed of up to 200 Mbps, double the current capacity, the inter net provider said. Mean while, a new FiberX Plan 2000 will offer 400 Mbps, FiberX Plan 2500 will dou ble to 600 Mbps from 300 Mbps, Fiber X Plan 3500 will keep its 800 Mbps speed while the 1 Gbps plan will become FiberX Plan 7499.

“The company remains

ous municipalities with IP communities such as Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur and Agusan. The Davao del Norte Governor and his Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (PSWDO) will also join the coordination meeting.

“Kay naa sila diri sa Davao, nakita nato nga naay mga bata, ang atong concern kay basin man galigsan, walay proper ang ilang pagtulog and hygiene so mao nang pa gahisgutan sa amoang coordination meeting (Because they are here in the city and they are bringing with them their children, our concern is that they will be run over by vehicles, they also have no proper sleeping area and they have concerns on hygiene, so those are the things that will be dis cussed in our coordina tion meeting),” she said.

She also said that or ganized sectoral groups will receive their pahali pay.

“Para sa sectoral ang amoang guidelines ana kay didto gyud ta sa or ganized (For the sectoral groups, our guidelines is we will only distribute to those groups that are or ganized),” she said. CIO

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steadfast in its commit ment to ensuring that sub scribers are provided with the best service with or without a calamity,” Con verge said.

“New products and promotions can be easi ly created with reduced back-end manual interven tion. This would allow the Company to be constantly flexible amid the evolving needs of the customers. Also, the customer’s full journey from application, to installation, billing, and after-sales can be better managed digitally,” it add ed.

thank the MILF CCCH and AHJAG for meeting with us and helping find ways on how we could imme diately de-escalate the sit uation, and finally put an end to the armed conflict,” he added.

Presidential Peace Ad viser Sec. Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. said that “this ceasefire demonstrates the desire of both parties to put an end to the armed conflict.”

“The ceasefire is a tes tament that the GPH and MILF’s peace mechanisms, the Coordinating Commit tee on the Cessation of Hos tilities and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, are effective in de-escalating situations of conflict and are work ing,” Galvez said.

The peace adviser said he is confident that the ceasefire agreement will hold, saying, “We are also hopeful that armed clash es such as these will not happen again so as not to undermine the major gains we have achieved under the Bangsamoro peace pro cess.”

Galvez thanked the AFP for “doing its best to con tain the conflict” and “pre venting the loss of lives,” as he also commended Basilan’s local government officials headed by Gover nor Jim Hataman Salliman and Ungkaya Pusan Mayor Jomar Maturan for leading the call for an immediate ceasefire between the par ties.”

“We are also thankful to the MILF Peace Imple menting Panel headed by

GO...

Chairman Mohagher Iqbal for calling on both sides to de-escalate the situation, and most importantly, en sure the well-being of resi dents,” he added.

“The signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) ended decades of armed hostilities between the GPH and MILF, and created an environment where just a long-lasting peace can take root and flourish,” Gal vez said.

“Under the Marcos Administration’s banner of unity, let us all work to gether to make this vision a reality. Let us heed the lessons of the past and ap ply them, as we continue to move forward and sustain the dividends of the Bang samoro peace process,” he stressed.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mohagher Iqbal, MILF peace imple menting peace chair, said the Basilan clash “was an unfortunate incident that no one desired to happen, especially during the imple mentation of the 2014 Com prehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and while the peace process’ dividends (have been) started to be felt by the people.

“I assure our partners and the peacebuilding community that the MILF is firmly committed to im plementing the CAB and realizing long-term peace, justice and prosperity in the Bangsamoro,” he said. (Bong S. Sarmiento / Min daNews)

mitted are required to pres ent a negative RT-PCR test result and watchers are no longer included in the re quirement.

She also clarified that the RT-PCR test is free of

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Davao no reported cases of swine mortality na and proud to say na ang atoang syudad on process na ang atoang change of zoning color from red to yellow. Gi process na sa DA ang atoang request for change of zoning color. From red color puhon kung muabot na ang approval from the national office mahimo ng yellow zone ang Davao City,” Pallar said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Friday.

Pallar said the city is aiming for green zone sta tus to declare Davao City as ASF-free and she is optimis tic that a green zone will be implemented in Davao City as they are now intensifying their surveillance and mon itoring of the swine popula tion in Davao City.

She said they already submitted more than 1,000 pages of the document to the DA and according to

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3

charge for patients to be admitted at the Southern Philippines Medical Cen ter (SPMC) but for private hospitals, it will be from the pockets of the pa tients.

her, the DA national office has promised to assign Davao City as a yellow zone.

“Yellow zone duol nata sa green zone para ASF-free na. Duol nata sa tinuod kay red man ta sa uban nato na barangays, supposedly pink unta to pero i-derecho ta ug yellow. After makuha na nato ang yellow color zoning after a month mag pasa na pud ta ug atong surveillance weekly report sa swine population sa Davao City and mag re quest na pud ta ug green zone, which is ASF-free,” she said.

She added that they are also intensifying their sur veillance at the city’s entry points and disease moni toring.

It can be recalled that during the ASF outbreak in Davao City, a budget of P27 million for local farmers’ assistance was approved.

By Maya M. Padillo

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ed in the second quarter of this year. The econo my grew 8.2% in the first quarter.

The 7.6% growth was primarily attributable to the services sector. Oth er contributors include wholesale and retail trade, financial and insur ance activities, and con struction. All major sec tors of the economy, such as agriculture, forestry and fishing, and industry posted positive growth as well.

Citing National Eco nomic and Development Authority chief Arsenio Balisacan who said that the high GDP growth rate is brought about largely by increased mobility of people, owing to relaxed travel protocols, Go, as chair of the Senate Com mittee on Health, reiterat ed the need to further im prove vaccination efforts against COVID-19 in or

der to fully open up more sectors of the economy.

“Dapat bakunado para mas protektado! Kung mas maraming bakunado, mas ligtas ang mga tao at mas maraming hanapbu hay para sa mga Pilipino,” said Go.

On top of that, he urged that the govern ment make it a priority to ensure that the country’s economic growth would be to the benefit of ordi nary Filipinos and that no one would go hungry or be left behind on the road to the country’s full recovery.

“At sa patuloy na paglago ng ating ekonomi ya, kailangan naman nating masigurong ang pinakaordinaryong mam amayan ay makakabene pisyo. Siguraduhin nating walang magugutom at walang maiiwan sa ating muling pagbangon,” con cluded Go.

ECONOMIST...

For the last quarter of the year, he said the season al increase in demand due to the Christmas season is expected to further solidify economic activities and the growth of the economy.

However, Ricafort said risks remain because of several factors that in clude the elevated infla

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tion rate and the contin ued increase in interest rates given the tighten ing moves by the Federal Reserve and the Bang ko Sentral ng Pilipinas, among others.

He forecasts the coun try’s inflation rate to have topped out in the last quar ter of this year.

BUSINESS...

tember.

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Tria said restaurants, for example, would be forced to raise prices as a result of the high input costs, and this would be passed on to consumers.

According to the PSA, clothing and footwear re ported a slight increase in October at 4.7% as against 4.4% in September; fur

nishings, household equip ment, and routine house hold maintenance at 6.5% from 5.9%; and health at 5.3% from 5% in the region.

However, the cost of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels de creased from 9.3% to 8.4% last month in the region. (Antonio L. Colina IV/Min daNews)

“We are also consider ing the extension of Exec utive Order No. 171, which significantly reduces tariffs on rice, pork, and corn, thereby enhancing food security while food prices remain elevated,” Balisacan said.

But the country’s chief economist said the more robust solution to food se curity challenges is boost ing domestic agricultural production.

“We will do this through more investments in the food value chain and re search and development to enhance farm productivity and improve the efficiency of postharvest process es. Getting (the) govern ment to facilitate private investments in marketing infrastructure, including storage, transport, and lo gistics, is crucial to achiev ing durable food security,” he added.

Balisacan said the gov ernment also vowed to im plement climate-adaptive

NGCP...

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nagulat na noong lumabas ‘yung desisyon...”

(We already submitted those documents a day before the show cause or der from the ERC was is sued, that’s why we were shocked that the decision came out.)

In its order, however, the ERC directed NGCP to submit the TOR and ITB to the DOE in compliance with the Sections 7.4 and 7.5 of the AS-CSP policy within the 30 days from re ceipt of the decision.

Alabanza said the company felt disappoint ed with the fine imposed against the company as

technologies to sustain ag ricultural productivity and resilience.

Providing cash trans fers, fuel discounts, and other targeted assistance should also be continued, he said.

“We want to reinvig orate job creation and reduce poverty by guid ing the economy toward a high-growth path and developing a resilient, inclusive, and prosper ous society,” Balisacan said.

He added legal poli cies are in place, such as the revised implementing rules and regulations of the Build-Operate-Trans fer Law, amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investments Act, Retail Trade Liberalization Act, and the Corporate Re covery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Law, that will boost the confidence of both foreign and local enterprises to invest here. (PNA)

the NGCP has been consis tently investing to expand and improve the transmis sion system with almost P300 billion worth of funds poured in to operate and maintain the grid.

Apart from the fine, the ERC also warned the NGCP that its “non-com pliance with laws, rules, orders, and regulations issued by authorities may result to the cancellation of its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and the endorse ment by the ERC to the Philippine Congress of the revocation of its legislative franchise.”

Save for some listless mo ments which were too far in between, nothing bothered the visiting Pinoy basketeers as Gi las stamped its superiority over their Jordan counterparts, 7466 in the FIBA Asian qualifiers yesterday.

The intimidating presence of big men Kai Sotto, Japeth Agui lar and naturalized player Ange Kouame prevented Jordan’s bigs from scoring points inside the painted area.

Sotto top scored with 16 pts but it was the pair of PBA MVP Scottie Thompson and CJ Perez who ignited Gilas point produc tion that dazzled Jordan’s de

fense.

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN GILAS TAMES JORDAN

Gilas led by as many as 13 points and maintained a safe distance from many aborted attempts by the Falcons to trim the deficit.

Dwight Ramos had the heaviest chore as he took on the prolific American import Dar Tucker who put in 23 markers for Jordan’s losing cause.

The Philippines took the first quarter, 21-20 but lost the half, 37-41 as both teams com mitted one turnover after the other.

Gilas’ tentative offense was evident in the first half but made

up for it after the half-time lec ture by the coaching staff.

Ray Parks, Perez, Thompson, RR Pogoy, Ramos and Poy Er ram tried to maintain a narrow lead in the third as Gilas threw in 21 points while limiting their opponents to just 10 at the end of the third, 58-51.

The Falcons could not pene trate Gilas’ tight interior defense as coach Chot Reyes wisely al ternated in pairing his centers - Sotto, Aguilar, Kouame and Erram - against Jordan’s hulking tall men.

But Al Dwairi managed to sneak in 18 although more of them were in that part of the

game where his efforts became futile.

Pinoy fans in Jordan com plained about the limited tickets being sold to OFWs in the area such that the usual ear-splitting cheers and chants from the Pi noy fanatics were not as loud as before.

However, Gilas’ win does not exactly reflect the true strength of the nationals because for the nth time, they did not have the luxury of time to practice and gel smoothly.

I was expecting Sotto to score with impunity under the basket on alley oops and tip ins. Sorry but Kai just had one slam

dunk.

Still, a win is a win and any basketball coach will take it as they come.

The scores: Gilas - Sotto, 16, Parks 13, Perez, 11, Thompson 8, Pogoy 7, Ramos 5, Aguilar 5, Erram 4,Malonzo 3, Kouame 2, Oftana 0.

Jordan - Tucker 23, Al Dwairi 18, Bzai 9, H. Abbas 7, Ibrahim6, Alhendi 3, Z. Abbas 0, Hussein 0, Al Najdawi 0.

Quarter scores: 21-20, 3741, 58-51, 74-66.

Mabuhay Pilipinas! Congrats Gilas! (Email feedback to fred lumba@yahoo.com. GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

PSC orders probe on NCAA’s ‘basketbrawl’

The Philippine Sports Com mission (PSC) has decided to step into the recent con troversy that hit the NCAA, ordering an investigation on the incident involving Jose Rizal Univer sity’s John Amores who turned violent against the players of College of St. Benilde.

Citing its authority as the sole govern ment body on ama teur sports per provi sions of Republic Act 6847, PSC issued a resolution Friday as sembling a fact-find ing committee to kickstart the probe.

PSC Chairman Noli Eala aired his view on the incident, say ing that violence has

no place in sport. However, fair play is likewise one of the pillars of the sport ing community, so the sports chief gave instructions to con vene a committee to investigate “all facts and circumstances surrounding the inci dent.”

The resolution also stated that the

investigation will de termine the “appro priate actions to be taken by the Com mission on all those who may have been involved in the inci dent.”

Representatives from NCAA, JRU, Col lege of St. Benilde, Filoil EcoOil Centre, and other parties involved in the said

scuffle will be invited to the inquiry to be led by Eala, assisted by PSC executive di rector Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., deputy exec utive directors Mere ly Ibay and Christine Abellana, and legal af fairs and accounting chiefs, Atty. Michelle Labajanan and Erik Mayores, respectively.

In the game be

tween JRU and Benil de Blazers last Tues day, Amores went on a violent rage and as saulted several mem bers of the St. Benilde team.

As a result, he was handed an indefinite suspension by the NCAA. He also re ceived heavy sanction from his own team, JRU.

RayRay Parks had a great offensive night for the Gilas

Kai Sotto topscored for the Gilas.

The need to sustain sports for peace movement in Mindanao

The recent post of Father Romy Saniel, OMI, about the deaths of two CAFGU mem bers Roey Mancera and Noel Chavez in Pikit, North Cotaba to reminds us of the need to continue the Sports for Peace Movement in Mindanao.

Years ago, the project was launched by then Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez with the huge help of Fr.Saniel, who was then presi dent of the Notre Dame of Mid sayap College campus.

It was purposely organized in the Cotabato area because the sole purpose was to use sports as a tool to heal the wounds of conflict between Muslims, Lumads and Chris tians in the area.

Every Mindanaoan has known how it has been bloody all these long, long years in con flict areas because of the pres ence of the rebel movement.

It pains us to learn about the recent deaths of those two CAFGU members, who ac cording to Fr.Saniel, were am bushed.

I remember Fr.Saniel huge ly supported the Sports for Peace Movement because he knows that this will help in healing the wounds of mis trust.

You see fellow Mind anaoans, the continued con duct of sports for peace events in conflict areas can prevent unfortunate incidents.

“Imposible na Mo, mag barilanay gyud gihapon na”, you can say that to me.

But have you ever thought that if the sports for peace ac tivities are ongoing in the con flict areas, won’t you agree that those rebels and their families would continue to think and do what is best for peace?

“Dili lang sa ta mag patrol karon, kay dunay sports for peace activities sa mga bata,” they may say that.

So, gunfights can be pre vented.

That is why it is so disheart ening to learn that there are no more sports for peace activi ties that are supported by the Philippine Sports Commission despite the presence of sports for peace volunteers and work ers in Mindanao.

I would like to call on PSC chairman Noli Eala to find a commissioner who will be as signed in Mindanao to keep the sports for peace activities going because the seeds have been planted by former PSC chairman Ramirez, supported by Fr.Saniel and the volunteers, it has sprouted but there is a need to support it every year.

Sports for peace chairman Noli, sports for peace support, we need that.

You have to do something about it. Please.

* * * Comments are welcome. Kindly email mpb_sports@ya hoo.com.

The Mindanao Sports For Peace program has reached many parts of Mindanao promoting sports to kids.