The city government of Davao and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas-Davao (BSP-Davao) are strengthening dig ital payments in Davao City by launching the Paleng-QR Ph program in Bankerohan Public Market on Wednesday.
The Paleng-QR Ph pro gram, jointly developed by the BSP and the Depart ment of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in
the country by promot ing cashless payments in public markets and local transportation, particularly tricycles.
The program highlights the significance of market
purchases and local trans portation fares as basic components of an average Filipino’s typical payment pattern. Until a market ven dor and tricycle driver can accept digital payments, transitioning to cashless transactions would be diffi cult for an average Filipino consumer.
Zarinah Aligsao, Bank Officer V and Regional Economic Affairs staff of BSP-Mindanao Regional
Office, said the program enjoins all establishments and transport to use a QR code as a means of pay ment.
“Dili ni siya murag muilis derecho na dili na mudawat ug the usual coins but naa siya options “scan to pay”. Kung ma-re member ninyo katong nag start ang pandemic me dyo nag take up ang use of digital payments so for
FDIGITALIZATION, P10
Vice President Sara Duterte welcomed United States Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday with a warm
before
of her priority plans in the education sector follow ing the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Duterte told Harris that she was looking forward to institutionalizing the
blended learning modality in the Philippines, the Of fice of the Vice President (OVP) said in a post-meet ing statement.
Duterte said even the
The City Government of Davao, through Ex ecutive Order (EO) No. 62, Series of 2022, reconstituted the inves tigating committee and its secretariat, identifying the special administrative prosecutors, and defining their powers, functions, and duties.
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte signed EO 62 on November 15, 2022.
It can be recalled that the City Government of Davao, through the mayor, created an investigating committee through EO 37, series of 2013, EO 6, series of 2019, and EO 68, series of 2020 “in its desire to put into place an effective and impartial system to con duct proper administra tive proceedings, to ensure proper observance of due process, and to avoid delay in the disposition or resolu tion of complaints against City Government of Davao employees.”
EO 62 cited Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC) particularly Section 83 to Section 88, which provides that the adminis trative discipline and inves tigation of city government employees rests upon the city mayor and shall be un der Civil Service law and rules and other pertinent laws.
The new EO also refers to Section 6, Article IX-A of the 1987 Philippine Consti tution in relation to EO 292 or the Administrative Code
of 1987 that empowers the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to prescribe, amend, and enforce rules and reg ulations to effectively carry into effect the provision of the Civil Service Law and other pertinent laws, which include the procedures in administrative cases in the Civil Service.
EO 62 mandates that the Investigating Commit tee shall be composed of Acting City Legal Officer Atty. Osmundo P. Villanue va, Jr. as chairperson and Human Resource Man agement Officer Melody C. Herrera and City Accoun tant Vingelin A. Bajan as members.
The committee is man dated to conduct a prelimi nary investigation, through the special administrative prosecutor, to determine the existence of a prima facie case to warrant the filing of a formal charge ac cording to Sections 15, 16, and 17 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (RRACCS); and conduct conferences to expound on clarificato ry and relevant questions, summon all parties con cerned and/or issue notic es, subpoena duces tecum, subpoena ad testificandum, show-case memoranda and other lawful processes to appropriate individuals relative to a complaint filed against an employee of the city government.
The probe body is also tasked to submit to the city
The November 2022 regionalized Bar examinations here concluded successfully on Sunday, with no untoward incidents reported in the duration of the test, a po lice official said.
Police Major Cather ine dela Rey, spokesper son for the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Monday that security personnel have been deployed at the venue of this year’s exam inations at the Ateneo de Davao-Senior High School (AdDU SHS) campus along MacArthur Highway to ensure the safety of Bar examinees.
There were a total of 780 bar examinees as compared with around 400 last February.
“The implementation of our security as well as our intelligence efforts were successful. It has been peaceful since Day 1. The exams were safe and successful in Davao City,” she said.
This was the second time that the university hosted the regionalized
Bar exams, which were compressed into four tests spread across two weeks on November 9, 13, 16 and 20 after the twoday Bar exams for 20202021 in February.
Dela Rey said the ex aminees were all safe since the opening day.
She said some mem bers of the Supreme Court were in the city to ensure the orderly conduct of the Bar examinations.
Dela Rey said the Bar examinees and the school strictly complied with the protocols laid down by the security cluster.
Aside from AdDU SHS, Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan and Ateneo de Zamboanga University were also selected as lo cal testing centers for the 2022 Bar exams with 464 and 267 examinees, re spectively.
According to the City Information Office, Angel Sumagaysay, Public Se curity and Safety Office head, said the city gov ernment deputized inte grated security and safety personnel for deployment to the Bar exams venue.
By MAYA M. PADILLOThe move is aimed to stop the selling or buying of organs from living persons as well as to honor the do nor as well for the legacy donation.
“Yung pinu-push natin kasi mga deceased organ donors kasi we are trying to stop yung mga buying of kidneys. During the pan demic, we are receiving
so many messages on our Facebook account that they want to sell their kidneys and we know it is illegal and we cannot sell our own kidneys or liver or even our eyes. So we had to strength en deceased organ donor because if we cannot get a living donor then we have to utilize those deceased donors because we know
that we can give a legacy af ter our death,” said Dr. Ma ria Theresa Bad-ang, chair of the Renal Transplant Section of Nephrology of SPMC, during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.
Bad-ang said in 2019 they recorded a total of 300 identified organ donors in SPMC with as high as 196 per month. But when the pandemic came and the ER was locked and they were not able to gather organ donors.
However, gathering do nors remain a challenge as some of the families of the deceased will not allow or gan donation.
“We identified more than 300 patients na pos sible donors in the hospital and these are braindead patients so the public has to know that braindead is dead so when you are braindead you are legally dead and you can donate your organs as long as your family will agree upon it.
FSPMC, P10Improvements in Davao International Airport’s facilities and services are expected to continue under international standards now that the Davao Inter national Airport Authority has been activated.
On October 27, 2022, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered mem bers of the Regional Devel opment Council 11 (RDC 11) to activate the DIAA so that various programs can
contribute to the contin uous development of the Davao Region.
Among those who gave full support to the forma tion of DIAA are board members from the Depart ment of Transportation (DoTr), Civil Aviation Au thority of the Philippines (CAAP), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Tourism (DOT), Depart ment of Health (DOH), De partment of Finance (DOF),
Department of Agriculture (DA), and the city govern ment of Davao.
The Civil Aviation Au thority of the Philippines (CAAP) reportedly said that the DIAA will lead the implementation of measures to permanently achieve and monitor the airport’s compliance with international standards.
It can be recalled that former President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a
measure creating the DIAA on August 2019 aiming to improve airport facili ties and increase the city’s overseas connectivity.
It is the bill that became Republic Act No. 11457 also known as “An act creat ing the Davao International Airport Authority, transfer ring existing assets of Fran cisco Bangoy International Airport to the Authority, vesting the Authority with
The Southern Philippines Medical Cen ter (SPMC) is strengthening its de ceased organ donation.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas may raise the benchmark interest rate to 5.50 percent after the 75-basis point hike last week due to persistent inflation, Fitch Solutions said on Monday.
The BSP on Nov. 17 raised the overnight bor rowing rate to 5 percent to match the US Federal Reserve’s 75-bps hike on Nov. 2. The recent hike is also meant to cool down inflation, which hit a nearly 14-year high of 7.7 percent in October.
“With inflation set to in duce further hikes over the coming months, we now
forecast interest rates to rise to 5.50 by end-2022,” Fitch Solutions said in a statement.
“We think that a stabi lization in global monetary conditions and headwinds to economic growth are likely to cause the pace of hikes to slow. As such, we expect the BSP will deliver a smaller 50 bps hike at its final meeting of the year in
December, before raising rates further to a peak of 5.75 percent in the first half of 2023,” Fitch Solutions said.
National Statistician Dennis Mapa earlier said the recent typhoons that affected crops could push supply-side inflation up wards in the coming months.
Inflation is seen to re main above the 2 to 4 per cent target range this year and the next at 5.8 and 4.3 percent, before easing back within target by 2024 at 3.1 percent, the BSP earlier said.
Fitch Solutions said it expects inflation to hit 5.8 percent in 2022, in line with the BSP’s forecast, but higher at 4.8 percent in 2023.
Higher interest rates, inflation and weaker exter nal demand could lead to a slower economic growth from 7.4 percent in 2022 to 5.9 percent in 2023, Fitch Solutions said.
The Philippine gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 7.6 percent in the third quarter and is on track to meet the gov ernment target of 6.5 to 7.5 percent for the year.
The head of the House of Representatives’ tax-writing body on Monday played down speculations he is being groomed to be the next Sec retary of the Department of Finance.
House Ways and Means Committee Chair and Al bay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda dismissed as mere speculation the rumors that he will soon be replac ing Finance Secretary Ben jamin Diokno.
This was after local business news website Bi lyonaryo.com on Monday ran an article saying Pres ident Ferdinand Marcos Jr was mulling a replacement for Diokno.
“Sec. Ben (Diokno) is a good friend and as long as he’s SOF, I will work close ly with him. The President ultimately makes the de cisions on appointments. The Cabinet, after all, is his official family,” Salceda said.
“He (President Ferdi nand Marcos Jr.) has an SOF already. Until he says otherwise, any talk of any appointment is pointless speculation,” he added.
Salceda also main tained he is not after the job.
“Do not covet thy neigh bor’s job. In past adminis trations, as in the present, I was able to move fiscal policy from my seat in Con gress,” Salceda said, citing his work in economic poli
cy as a congressman.
“From the fiscal re forms of 2003-2006, to the economic reforms during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, to the Duterte-era CTRP [Comprehensive Tax Reform Program], up to the present, I have worked with the Secretary of Fi nance, not as the Secretary of Finance,” he stressed.
Last week, Marcos ap pointed Romeo Lumagui Jr. as the new commissioner
The Bureau of Cus toms (BOC) said that they expect about a P100-billion surplus by December as it already surpassed its full-year collection target for 2022.
This came after the BOC announced Tues day it already collected P745.50 billion as of No vember 11, exceeding its collection target of P721.52 billion for the entire year by P23.98 bil lion or 3.27%.
“Ang kinokolekta na po natin ngayon simula noong nakaraang Lunes hanggang sa kasalukuyan ay surplus collection per formance na ng Bureau,” BOC spokesperson Arnal do dela Torre Jr. said.
(What we have been collecting since last Mon day until now is the Bu reau’s surplus collection performance.)
“Ito ay magandang mensahe na pinapadala natin sa ating mga kaba bayan na hindi ho kami titigil. Kahit nakuha na ang target para sa buwan ng Nobyembre at Disy embre ay kukunin pa rin natin ang assigned reve nue collection target,” he
added.
(This is a good mes sage for our countrymen that we will not stop. Even though the target for November and December has been reached, we will still aim to surpass the as signed revenue collection target.)
Dela Torre said the BOC expects to gather a total of P800 billion to P900 billion revenue by year end.
He attributed the Bu reau’s feat to the consis tent performance of their collection districts since January this year.
“Ang ibig nating sabi hin, ‘yung sigla ng ating mga emplyedo…at pa kikipag-participate ng mga stakeholders at mga importers na sumunod sa proseso at sistema na dapat makuha ng Bu reau of Customs sa reve nue collection target,” he said.
(This means that the employees have enthusi asm...and our stakehold ers and importers par ticipate in following the BOC’s processes and sys tem to obtain the revenue collection target.)
The United States will help the Philippines with regard to food security and achieving a digital economy, as US Vice President Kamala Harris launches initiatives to this end, the US Embassy said Monday.
Food security and sus tainable agriculture
According to the US Embassy, the US Depart ment of Agriculture, along with participation from USAID and the US De partment of State, will establish a food security dialogue with Philippine counterparts.
“This dialogue,” the em bassy said, will enable the two nations “to collabo rate to create resilient food systems and discuss best practices for agricultural innovation and sustain ability.”
Moreover, US Inter national Development Fi nance Corporation (DFC) will issue a $20 million loan to enable Agri Exim Global Philippines, Inc., a local processor of organic coco nuts into derivative prod ucts, to grow its facilities.
“[The initiative aims] to grow its processing fa cilities in the Philippines, helping thousands of local farmers get organic certifi cation and connect to glob al supply chains and cus tomers,” the embassy said.
The US will also intend to partner with Philippine telecom operator Now Telecom for the deploy ment of 5G technologies in the Philippines, the US Em
bassy said.
The partnership will provide “faster and more reliable digital services and increased broadband internet access” for Filipi nos countrywide, it added.
Meanwhile, USAID, in partnership with SpaceX Starlink in the country, will support the launch of the first Low Earth Orbit Sat ellite Broadband Service in Southeast Asia.
The satellite broad band service will provide reliable and affordable in ternet access to marginal ized populations through out the Philippines, thereby improving access to education, professional training, and opportunity, the embassy said.
Moreover, USAID will also launch a new five-year project dubbed “Strength ening Private Enterprises for the Digital Economy (SPEED) award.”
SPEED seeks to expand the participation of Philip pine small and medium en terprises in the country’s emerging e-commerce ecosystem.
The Philippine eCom merce Alliance will also be introduced as part of the SPEED launch, signaling an industry-wide commit ment to accelerating the rise of the Philippine digi tal economy.
“This program will promote the use of digital technologies to accelerate competitiveness, drive in novation, fuel job oppor tunities, and enhance the market reach of enterpris es,” the embassy said.
help bolster economic growth in their respective countries.
Kriengkrai Thiennukul, chair of the Federation of Thai Industries, made this commitment in a round table conference between Thai business leaders and Philippine econom ic managers and officials in Bangkok on Saturday, Malacañang said in a press release.
“We are ready to sup port… investing in food
security and infrastructure such as transportation and promoting tourism with the Philippines to enhance the business sector for mu tual expansion between the two countries in the future,” Thiennukul was quoted as saying.
He expressed confi dence that stronger part nerships between Thailand and the Philippines would
“We welcome to sup port trade, investment and other cooperation activ ities. I am confident that the cooperation and the close relationship between Thailand and the Philip pines will help us achieve our economies’ trade and investment objectives and create mutual benefit for the two countries in the fu ture,” he added.
Citing similar problems
faced by both Asian econ omies such as the impact of climate change on the supply chain, the pandem ic, and global political in stability, Thiennukul said it was necessary to revital ize the economic sectors, especially with a focus on sustainable development.
“We have the same goal to focus on the joint development of public health, especially in the ASEAN Framework. The development of the digital
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) an nounced Monday it will transfer some of its inter national flight operations from the Ninoy Aquino In ternational Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 to Terminal 1.
Its flights to and from the United States, Guam, and Doha will operate at Terminal 1 beginning Dec. 1 as the airline prepares for passenger influx this holi
day season.
PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna, however, clarified that the terminal transfer of the flights will continue be yond December.
“PAL and MIAA (Ma nila International Airport Authority) are working together to ensure the op erational preparedness of the terminals,” she told the Philippine News Agency.
A former MIAA execu
tive earlier said that NAIA Terminal 2 was originally designed as a domestic air port, and was not designed to accommodate a section for the Bureau of Immigra tion and a duty-free shop.
PAL is the sole carrier that has been using Termi nal 2.
Affected flight desti nations in the transfer are Dammam, Dubai, Doha, Ri yadh, Toronto, Vancouver,
Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York , Honolulu and Guam.
The rest of PAL’s inter national routes and all its domestic flights will contin ue operating at Terminal 2.
Cebu Pacific to add fre quencies
Meanwhile, due to the increasing travel demand, low-cost carrier Cebu Pa cific (CEB) has announced
Thai industries, particularly food and infrastructure, vowed to pour in more investments in the Philippines.Cebu Pacific announces the increase in the weekly frequencies of its domestic and international flights due to the increasing travel demand. Edge Davao
US to help PH in food security, 5G tech; Harris to
In asking United States Vice President Kamala Harris to try Filipino delicacies like kare-kare (Philippine stew in peanut sauce) and lumpia (spring rolls):
“That was what the second gentleman shared to us, that you really love cooking… that’s a perfect pair. I think you should try kare-kare, it’s pork knuckles with peanut sauce, and adobo, lechon. Have you tried lechon? That’s a roasted pig, that’s a Filipino symbol in all parties, birthdays, Christmas, every party.”
Can a seafarer be entitled to compensation for disability benefits if he finished his em ployment contract?
This is one of the questions included in the 2022 Bar Exam inations for Labor Law and So cial Legislations.
Marino, a seafarer, was engaged as an oiler on board Searena Corp.’s oil tanker ves sel. After ten consecutive con tracts, with each contract hav ing a duration of eight months and the last one ending in December 2021, Marino de cided it was time to enjoy his hard-earned money, and dis embarked from the vessel upon the expiration of his employ ment contract.
In April 2022, he felt ex cruciating pain in his groin. He went to a doctor and was diag nosed with acute hernia. The doctor also determined that the hernia was caused by repeat ed heavy lifting because of his work as an oiler.
Marino then filed a case against Searena Corp. before the Labor Arbiter, claiming total and permanent disability under the POEA contract.
Searena Corp. raised in its
position paper that Marino is barred from filing the case as he did not raise any complaints during the term of his employ ment, and within three days from his arrival in the country after his last employment.
Entitlement of seafarers to disability benefits is a matter governed, not only by medical findings but by law and by con tract.
The claim for disability ben efits are coterminous with the existence of the contract sea farers sign every time they are rehired and is terminated when the contract expires.
The contract commences from the time when the sea farer actually departs from the Philippines, either airport or seaport, for employment. It shall cease when he completes his period of contractual ser vice aboard the ship, signs-off from the ship and arrives at the point of hire.
As a general rule, the sea farer’s condition or symptoms must be documented while he is on board the vessel since one of the requirements for an illness to be compensable is that the seafarer suffered said
illness during the effectivity of the POEA contract.
Otherwise, his claim for benefits might be denied due to failure to prove that said illness occurred while his contract is still in force.
However, the Supreme Court ruled in Ventis Mari time Corp. v. Salenga (GR. No. 238578, June 8, 2020) that the seafarer may still claim disabil ity benefits even if his illnesses manifested or were discovered after the term of the contract.
The Court noted that In in stances where the illness man ifests itself or is discovered after the term of the seafarer’s contract, the illness may either be (I) an occupational illness listed under Section 32-A of the POEA contract, in which case, it is categorized as a work-related illness if it complies with the conditions stated in Section 32A, or (2) an illness not listed as an occupational illness under Section 32-A but is reasonably linked to the work of the sea farer.
A seafarer who was re patriated for end of contract and had no medical condition during his employment but lat
er suffers from an illness which manifested only after the end of his employment can still be entitled to disability benefits provided, he can prove that the illness suffered is reasonably linked to the work performed on board.
On the other hand, failure to comply with the mandatory three working-day reporting requirement will cause the de nial of claims with some excep tions i.e., when the seafarer is physically incapacitated from complying with the require ment (Wallem, Inc. vs Inducti vo, 376 Phil. 738) or due to in advertence / deliberate refusal of the employer to refer the sea farer to a company-designated physician (Interorient Maritime Enterprises, Inc. vs Leonora S. Remo, 622 SCRA 237).
This requirement, whether to undergo a post-employment medical examination or report the seafarer’s physical incapac ity, must be strictly observed so that the company-designated physician to identify whether the illness or injury was con tracted during the term of the seafarer’s employment or that his working conditions in
creased the risk of contracting the ailment. ( Dela Cruz vs PTC, 758 Phil. 382,394-395)
Just like the 2020-2021 Bar Exams which is not dependent on penmanship, this year’s ex ams were done digitally where 9,183 out of the 10,006 total ex aminees were able to complete the examinations held on two Wednesdays ( November 9 and 16) and two Sundays (Novem ber 13 and 20).
Headed by Associate Jus tice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the simultaneous digital and regionalized bar exams were administered at fourteen (14) local testing centers nationwide with 8 in Luzon , 3 in Visayas. 3 in Mindanao.
A total of 8,241 examinees out of the 11,402 takers passed the 2020/2021 bar exams with a passing rate of 72.28% with my UPLaw professor SC Asso ciate Justice Marvic Leonen as chairman.
(Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bu lilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0917-5025808 or 09088665786.)
Inside the New People’s Army (NPA), Punta Dumalag, known more for its turbulent business backstory than for its insurgent past, was a key rebel laboratory situated on the edge of the gulf. Only ten kilometers away from the city center, it was a ‘ramshackle fishing com-mu nity’ and ‘a model communist village.’ It was here that most of the rebel experiments were in troduced.
William Chapman, William, in ‘Inside the Philippine Revo lution’ (1987), described it as ‘a kind of Philippine commune where under the [communist] party’s protection and guidance the dispossessed had taken possession… [a] quiet self-con tained enclave of outwardly sa tis-fied converts… [that] fit as neatly the CPP’s definition of success.’
The choice of the area as an insurgent lab was expected;
it was a squatter colony that strongly echoed the social dis parity of the 1980s. Given the presence of discontent and apa thy towards the state, the com munists exploited the oppor tunity and made the headland a train-ing ground for guerrilla raids, barrio organizing, grass roots education, and arms gath ering.
By exploiting the social in equality, the armed unit of the rebels, the NPA, kindled the citizens to protest and taught local leaders to convey their entreat ies to the authorities. But what ignited a wave of already pentup anger was when the city government launched the first demolitions. Chapman wrote, ‘the citizens were aroused, po larized and ready for a long fight.’
To ensure the shanties were safe from pulling down, ‘bri gades of women formed lines
across the entry road, facing the demolition teams and a military squad. At their sides were buckets of sand, stones, bricks and human waste… to shower on the invaders should an at-tack begin. In the night, the village was patrolled by armed members of an NPA-or ganized militia. Their weapons consisted of six old rifles ob tained in a raid on the land owners’ sawmill.’
Using the tried and tested negotiations that would drag on for weeks, the colony was spared.
As a lab for experiments, Punta Dumalag was ‘a model of equity.’ So-called ‘revolution-ary taxes’ were pegged according to the capacity of every family, usually at P2 monthly. The col lection was evenly divided be tween the underground move ment and the legal fronts in the form of people’s organizations.
The largest source of extorted money was ‘a single com-pany, the landlord’s sawmill, [which] was required to pay annually an amount based on earnings.’
To expand the tax base of the rebels, they imposed lev ies on enterprises outside the com-munity, including fishing boat operators working near the village’s waters and the lumber firms that purchased logs and lumber from the sawmill. The victims of the extortions balked at the manipulations of rebels. There was no option but to keep the mills turning otherwise they would be subject to continuous harassment.
Before its conversion into a communist lab, Punta Dumalag was a strip of land jutting out to the sea with mangroves on the east and a cove on the west. The mangrove forest, then managed by the fishery bureau, was se cured from the turbulent waves
by a breakwater. With only a very few squatters in the late 1970s, the dense thickets pro vided a spawning spot for ocean denizens.
‘The land,’ Chapman wrote, ‘was legally claimed by a wealthy Davao entrepreneur whose use of it had been limit ed to a large sawmill located at one end of the beach. Having at first little need for the rest of the property, he had left the squat ters alone for several years, and the residents’ main concern was the large number of thieves and housebreakers, mostly outsid ers, who roamed without fear of arrest since the closest police station was far away.’
Over time, the once rus tic public land, partitioned by so-called ‘public servants,’ had turned into a private enclave of establishments and rest hous es owned by affluent social figures.
ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS
PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Some 20,000 on ion farmers enjoy bounti ful harvests and improved earnings through the cold storage facility financed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) in this onion-producing province.
The storage facility is owned and managed by the Argo Cold Storage, a subsid iary of Argo International Forwarders, Inc. (AIFI), and can accommodate up to
450,000 bags of onions.
Farmers from Nueva Ecija and neighboring prov inces benefit the most from Argo Cold Storage’s ser vices, which help prolong the shelf life of onion pro duce and reduces post-har vest losses due to insect in festation.
“When I went to Nue va Ecija way back in 2012, I noticed that many onion farmers there were forced to sell their produce to middlemen or traders at
a lower price, to avoid the crops from rotting. Now, farmers can increase their onion production and en sure that their produce are in safe custody through our cold storage services,” said Argo Cold Storage and AIFI Chairman Efren Patron Zo leta Jr.
LANDBANK has been supporting Argo Cold Stor age and AIFI expand its op erations since 2017, aimed at helping onion farmers from Nueva Ecija to sell
their produce at a competi tive market price and there by generate higher income. The Argo Cold Storage and AIFI also have an existing loan or credit line with the Bank to finance its addi tional working capital re quirements.
On top of helping onion farmers, Argo Cold Storage and AIFI contribute to local job generation by employ ing more than 120 regular workers, porters and sort ers, to facilitate the end-toend operations of the cold storage facility.
“LANDBANK is doing its share in boosting the local onion supply by pro viding accessible credit assistance to onion pro ducers in the country. We will continue to service the requirements of agri culture players towards a food-secure and resilient Philippines,” said LAND BANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.
Accessible and afford able financing As of 30 September 2022, LAND BANK has approved P1.1 billion in loans to support the production and trading of onion and acquisition of cold storage equipment, with additional loans worth P102.9 million in the pipe line.
Onion is a high-value crop that can be financed under the LANDBANK Sulong Saka Program, de signed to provide credit as sistance to various qualified stakeholders for agribusi ness projects that support high-value crops produc tion, processing and mar keting.
Under the Program, small farmers may borrow up to 90% of the total proj ect cost for a production loan, while a maximum of 80% may be borrowed by small and medium enter prises (SMEs), coopera tives, farmers’ associations and organizations, large agribusiness enterprises and corporations, non-gov ernment organizations (NGOs), and countryside financial institutions (CFIs).
Eligible borrowers may also avail of up to 80% of the project cost for the ac
State pension fund Government Service In surance System (GSIS) is set to release a total of P10 million to 25 public schools in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) under the AdoptA-School Program (ASP). The activity is part of GSIS’s corporate social re sponsibility.
“We share President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s be lief that education is the ‘bedrock of a prosperous society’. Our public schools need our support and as sistance especially after the reopening of face-to-face classes in November. In se lecting the schools that do not have enough funds and must therefore be priori tized, we closely coordinat
ed with DepEd,” GSIS pres ident and general manager Wick Veloso said.
GSIS has increased the assistance for each school to P400,000 this year from P200,000 in 2014.
Veloso said that the funds will be used to pro vide assistive devices to the selected school such as computers, internet con nectivity and educational tools.
In the National Cap ital Region, the adopted schools are Navotas Ele mentary School, Constan tino Elementary School in Valenzuela City, and Laiban Integrated School in Rizal.
In Luzon, the list in cludes Calawaan Elemen tary School in Ilocos Sur; Baccuit Elementary School
in Cagayan; San Miguel El ementary School in Isabe la; Pinayag National High School in Nueva Vizcaya; and Maguyepyep Integrat ed School in Abra.
Also included are Haligue Silangan National High School in Batangas City; Calpi Elementary School in Sorsogon; Aro roy East Central School in Masbate; Tagaytay Elemen tary School in Albay; and Bagumbayan Elementary School in Catanduanes.
GSIS’s adopted schools in Visayas are Celestino Diaz Integrated School in Capiz; Manjuyod Central El ementary School in Negros Oriental; Gaas Elementary School in Cebu; Nahawan Elementary School in Bo hol; Hinoloasco National
High School in Eastern Samar; and Catig Primary School in Southern Leyte and Hinoloasco National High School – Caglao-an Annex in Eastern Samar .
In Mindanao, the six adopted schools include Sinoropan National High School in Zamboanga; Tal isay National High School in Dapitan City; Magallanes Elementary School in Davao City; Don Ruben E. Ecleo Sr. Memorial National High School in Dinagat Is land; Surigao City National High School in Surigao City; and Camp Edward Elemen tary School in Surigao del Norte.
Since its implementa tion in 2014, a total of 85 schools have already bene fitted from the program.
quisition of fixed assets, and up to 85% of the mar ket price of the commodity for commodity loans.
Local government units (LGUs) may likewise avail of financial support under the Sulong Saka Program, provided that the loan amount will not exceed their net borrowing capac ity, as certified by the Bu reau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
Loans for working capi tal and permanent working capital are payable up to one (1) year and three (3) years, respectively, while loans for fixed assets and construction of facilities are payable based on project cash flow but not more than its economic useful life.
The interest is based on market rate, while loans for smallholder farmers shall bear a concessional fixed rate of 5% per annum.
Adlai, also spelled as adlay, is similar to rice, both in preparation and use. Al though the Philippines has an abun dant supply of adlai as it has been cultivat ed for generations, most Filipinos haven’t heard of it.
The indigenous grain is sourced from farmers in Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, and Zamboanga. “When you buy adlai grains, you are not only buying good quality and a healthier rice alternative but you are also supporting local farmers,” said an official of the De partment of Agriculture.
It was during the time of then Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala that adlai was given the recognition it deserved. He promoted it as one of the staple crops that could possibly bring Filipi nos to food sufficiency.
Adlai, a member of the grass family and known in the science world as Coix lacryma-jobi, is easy to grow. It can be planted anywhere and thrives well despite a harsh climate. It is also tolerant to pests and diseases.
Generally, adlai is prop agated by seeds; a hectare needs about 10 kilograms. It can be planted in highly elevated areas and can be grown as hedgerows and intercropped with fruit trees and plantation crops.
Early this month, the provincial government of
Davao del Sur collaborat ed with the research and development team of the research department (RD) of the regional office of the Department of Agriculture in providing skills on prod uct development of adlai.
“Adlay can be processed into different products which can add value to the crop,” RD said. “Adlay farm ers can start processing their adlay and start as an income generating product which they can sell to health and wellness advocates.”
Generally, farmers only produce and sell adlai grits but there are other prod ucts, where they can readily get income. For one, it can be made into kakanin just like the traditional rice, and cheese and caramelized pop adlai. For another, it can be processed into pol voron, cookies, noodles and siopao.
Adlai was one of the products being highlighted at the 3-day ASPIRE (Agri business Support to Pro motion and Investment in Regional Exposition) event held at Gaisano Mall Davao. The event was the agricul ture department’s way of
supporting farmers in the region and hoping they would become successful agripreneurs.
“The healthiest, most nutritious staple food on the planet” is how the Davao-based Kinabuhi Or ganic Farms and Agriven tures, Incorporated de scribes adlai.
Kinabuhi has three ad lai farms in Davao City. In Marilog District, it has two: one in sitio Upian, baran gay Marilog and another in Malapangi, Lumundao. The remaining one is in Purok 5 in Malagos, Baguio District.
In Davao Oriental, the adlai farms can be found in barangay Pintatagan in Banaybanay. There’s also one in Agusan del Sur (in barangay Aurora, Sta. Jo sefa) and North Cotabato (sitio San Miguel, barangay Ladayon in Arakan).
Aside from selling fresh ly-harvested adlai grains straight from the farms, Kinabuhi has produced several products, including the immunity-booster ad lai coffee and delicious and healthy adlai wine. All these products are certified by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
“(Adlai is) a good source of energy, complex carbo hydrates, protein, dietary fiber and minerals,” said Kinabuhi, adding that it is gluten-free and has low gly cemic index (GI).
The GI is a measure of how quickly and how much a food raises your blood sugar levels after eating. Rice, the staple food of Fil ipinos, is considered a high GI food although it varies depending on the type and amount of process ing. Reports show the GI of rice ranging from 48-93, according to the Harvard Medical School.
Adlai is good for those with diabetes, which is be coming a health problem in the country. By 2030, over 7 million Filipinos are expect ed to have diabetes. Most of those who have the disease don’t know they have it.
Generally, people with diabetes are advised by their doctors to pay atten tion to what they eat – aside from doing regular exercis es. So, instead of eating rice, why don’t they eat adlai?
Adlai has a GI at 35. “Carbohydrates with a low GI value (55 or less) are more slowly digested, ab sorbed and metabolized, thus causing a lower and slower rise in blood glu cose,” Kinabuhi explained. “Adlai is completely safe for those who are watching their blood sugar level.”
Like rice, adlai is the perfect energy booster. A 100-gram serving of cooked adlai provides 356 kilo calories (kcal) where as white rice only provides 110 kcal, according to some
studies. Adlai gives a person three times the energy food content and 4 times the protein than that of white rice.
As a versatile food, adlai can be paired with almost any meal. “From soups, salads and grain bowls –adlai’s neutral (sometimes nutty) taste makes it per fect to pair with any meal,” writes Cathy Dario for the website, thefatkidinside. com.
“It also has the consis tency of al dente pasta, so you can also top rich, de licious sauces over it. For those who love Filipino desserts, adlai can also be cooked into maja blanca, champorado, polvoron, and turones de adlai. Finally, you can enjoy homemade, guiltless, and absolutely healthy kananin!”
For those who want to lose weight, adlai may be
the answer. As it is rich in fiber that improves diges tion, it could potentially help with weight loss. “For weight loss, we need some thing which is high in vita mins and minerals, which is not available in commercial rice,” says clinical nutri tionist and book author Dr. Rupali Datta.
Adlai is the perfect sub stitute for rice. Although it contains a higher caloric content than rice, adlai is packed with minerals like calcium (25 milligrams), phosphorus (43.5 milli grams), iron (5 milligrams), niacin (4.3 milligrams), thiamine (0.28 milligram), and riboflavin (0.19 milli gram). It is also superior to its staple counterpart when it comes to carbohydrate content (73.9 grams) and protein (12.8 grams).
On average, adlay seeds
sustainability gi introduce through a partnership with the DILG in Mindanao and Davao would be the first na mag launch sa program, mu-adopt ug mu-imple ment,” Aligsao said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday.
Among the benefits that consumers will get from using Paleng-QR include: it will no longer be difficult to assess counterfeit mon ey and prevent the risk of transmission of Covid from passing cash to another.
“This is a way to rein force or augment the ex isting ways of payment. Another thing na benefit is for the merchants. Aside from mag expand ang ila hang potential consumers and also for health rea sons kay kabalo ta hangtod karon naa lang gihapon ang Covid,” she said.
Under the said program market vendors, tricycles, and other such merchants are mandated to use QR Ph digital payment. Merchants are also mandated to dis play the QR code.
It is also among the components of the pro gram to assist the LGU in the onboarding of mar
ket vendors and tricycle drivers to a QR Ph-ready transaction account, in co ordination with any or all financial service providers (FSPs) such as Gcash, Maya, and Starpay- that already have QR Ph capabilities.
Aligsao said the main activity on the 23rd will be account onboarding and booths will be set up for those who want to open ac counts on various FSPs.
“All six FSPs naa didto, puwede ka mag open ug account, na apud na silay’s pakulo, naa sila freebies ihatag, bibo gyud ang Ban kerohan karong 23. Dili lang ni siya para sa mga vendors, tanan is invited to go to Bankerohan Public Market,” she said.
Aligsao said that it is not just a one-time event because the city and BSP are planning to make it a continued activity and rep licate it in other public mar kets in Davao City.
“Perhaps the next one is in Toril Public Market or Agdao Public Market. Davao City has eight pub lic markets and there is a plan to do onboarding ac tivities in all those areas,” she said.
power to administer and operate the Francisco Ban goy International Airport and appropriating funds therefor.”
It was also expected that with DIAA residents can expect more rapid de velopment of the airport in terms of terminal upgrades and foreign direct flights as well as expansion of the terminal and cargo-han dling facility because the city is looking at supplying international markets with food and livestock.
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In 2019, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA0 issued a state ment stating that it is ex pecting the development and improvement of the airport facilities, and re sponsive airport manage ment, which is at par with the best airports.
MinDA also stated that such measures will help the city become an investment and tourism destination in the ASEAN and BIMP-EA GA sub-region. By Maya M. Padillo
mayor, through the special administrative prosecutor, upon the termination of the preliminary investigation, an investigation report with recommendation/s and the complete records of the case; conduct a for mal investigation accord ing to Section 39 of RRACCS and Section 86 of LGC and
pandemic setup has taken its toll on young learners, which caused “learning loss.”
She told Harris about the government’s plan to review the Kinder to Grade 12 (K-12) program to en sure that its goal of em ployment after graduation would be met.
Harris, according to the OVP, lauded Duterte for her plans and responsibilities while juggling her duties as both the vice president and the secretary of the Depart ment of Education.
“VPOTUS (Vice Presi dent of the United States) said she was impressed by VP Sara’s work and respon sibilities as VP and DepEd Secretary,” the OVP added.
Filipino delicacies
While sharing a light moment with the American official, Duterte urged the latter to try Filipino delica cies like kare-kare (Philip pine stew in peanut sauce) and lumpia (spring rolls).
“That was what the second gentleman shared to us, that you really love cooking… that’s a perfect pair. I think you should try kare-kare, it’s pork knuck
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and even volunteer in di saster response activities.
“What does it mean for you to become a true-blooded Filipino cit izen, and wearing this jersey representing the country in international games?” Senate Majority
Leader Joel Villanueva then asked.
“It means tremendously a lot. Coming here in 2016 and just received so much love and admiration from the fans… I can’t believe it. It was overwhelming. Just wearing a flag, it’s just, it seems they allowed me to
thereafter submit the find ings and recommendations to the city mayor upon the conclusion of the same, and perform other necessary functions that the city may or may assign from time to time relative to investiga tions or complaints made against employees of the City Government. CIO
les with peanut sauce, and adobo, lechon. Have you tried lechon? That’s a roast ed pig, that’s a Filipino sym bol in all parties, birthdays, Christmas, every party,” Duterte told Harris.
Harris then asked Dute rte to send her the cooking instructions for kare-kare.
The American second top official added that she loves Filipino spring rolls. “I love lumpia… I have it, all the time. Every time a Fili pino works in my office… they always give me a big tray of lumpia.”
Posturing on security Besides education, jobs, and Filipino food, the two leaders also discussed is sues concerning security.
Harris assured Duterte that America is committed to supporting the Philip pines when its security is being threatened.
Harris is the high est-ranking US government official to have visited the Philippines since Marcos assumed office last June. She will be in the country for three days. She will also visit Palawan to speak with officials of the Philippine Coast Guard. (PNA)
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of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, replacing Lilia Catris Guillermo, who held the post since June this
give back to the people, the fans,” Brownlee said.
Brownlee, 34, has won five championships with Ginebra in the PBA and is a two-time Best Import. In the on-going Commission er’s Cup, he is averaging 27.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and
year. Malacanang did not give a reason for Guiller mo’s replacement.
1.2 blocks per game.
The hearing for Brown lee’s citizenship was also attended by officials from the Departments of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Office of the Solicitor General, Bureau of Immigration, National Bu reau of Investigation and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
The officials vouched for Brownlee’s good record and future contributions to the nation.
Senate committee on sports chairman, Senator Christopher Go likewise endorsed Brownlee.
“He has proven himself not only through his out standing performance and decorated career, but also his love for Filipinos and our culture and traditions,” Go said.
“Si Brownlee may pu song Pinoy at ‘never say die’ attitude. Kaya napama hal na siya sa mga Pilipino at alam ko rin na napama hal na rin ang mga Pilipino sa kanya, vice versa… Higit sa talento nya sa basketball, ipinapakita nya ang puso nya na lumaban para sa Pilipino at ang pagmama hal nya po sa ating bayan. Napakaimportante po iyon, lalung-lalo na po sa ating FIBA World hosting next year po,” Go added.
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are sold at P35 to P50 per kilogram. Adlai grits, on the other hand, are sold at P100 to P150 per kilogram.
Due to the size of grains, it takes more time to cook adlai than rice. Just like you wash rice, adlai is washed in cool, running water. After
Even if you have an organ donor card and if your family will not agree then you cannot be a donor. We have so many patients that are possible donors but because the family did not agree then we don’t have any donors. It’s the family that would agree. Ang am ing promotions ngayon you have to tell your wishes to your family because we’ll never know when our life will stop and if ever it will and our family doesn’t know then they will not agree and the other people who might be benefiting our organs will not receive that. We have to open the minds of our countrymen,” she said.
Bad-ang explained that they are not remunerating the donors under the prin ciple of organ donation but if they donate they will not be charged.
“For example the mo ment that you consent to a donation you will not be charged with your hospi talization. As long as it’s done at SPMC your hospi talization can be taken care of,” she said.
For the donated kidney, Bad-ang said they can pre serve it for 48 hours from the moment that they re trieved it, the liver is only 12 hours, the heart is only four hours, and the lungs are for six hours.
economy, the use of the digitalization and imple mentation of BCG Model in revitalizing the economy,” he added.
BCG, which stands for Bio-Circular-Economy model, has been intro duced by the Thai gov ernment as a strategy for national development and post-pandemic recovery to expedite the country’s
doing so, set it aside and let it soak for 30 minutes. Then cook it (one part adlai and two parts water) in a con ventional rice cooker. Those who have eaten adlai said that cooked adlai is softer in texture and is more com pact than rice.
Meanwhile, former mayor Sara Duterte has signed last year Execu tive Order No. 65 Series of 2021 “an order creating the Davao City Organ Donation Council, defining its func tions and providing for oth er mechanisms for organ donation in Davao City.”
Section 2 states that functions of the council in clude ensuring the wide spread dissemination and campaign for organ donation; creating a task force to monitor and ex tend guidance to families of potential organ donors; making sure that all legal and medical procedures in organ donation are followed in coordination with the Department of Health-Davao Region; SPMC Human Advocates and Retrieval Efforts (SHARE), and the SPMC Organ Procurement Orga nization (OPO).
“In 2020 Davao City passed an ordinance on organ donation at the same time Mayor Sara had made an Executive Order in 2021 supporting this and creat ing the Davao City Organ Donation Council. The process that we are doing now for the city ordinance is that we want that these donors will be honored not by money but by honoring them their legacy,” Bad-ang said.
move closer to achieving most, if not all, the Sustain able Development Goals in the post-Covid era.
The meeting with Thai businesses is part of Pres ident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s bid to encourage invest ments and strengthen eco nomic cooperation between the Philippines and its As sociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) neighbors.
the increase in the weekly frequencies of its domestic and international flights.
Starting Dec. 1, an in crease in the weekly flights between Cebu and the fol lowing provinces will be implemented: Iloilo from 21 to 25; Dumaguete from 14 to 18; Legazpi and Su rigao from seven to 10; Ta cloban from 25 to 28; and Pagadian from 10 to 11.
Here are weekly fre quencies of flights and the
Saad Al Sheeb.
following international destinations: Brunei from twice to four times, start ing Nov. 27 until Jan. 15, 2023; Jakarta from three to five (from Dec. 1 to Dec. 13) and to seven weekly flights from Dec. 14 to Jan. 31; Seoul from seven to 14 times starting Dec. 1; Taipei from thrice to seven times beginning Dec. 10; and Hong Kong from 28 to 32 times starting Dec. 11 until Jan. 30.
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Ecuador were com pletely dominant in the early exchanges and were awarded a penalty after Valencia was tripped by Al Sheeb when through on
goal.
The former West Ham forward coolly sent Al Sheeb the wrong way from the spot, stroking the ball into the bottom corner.
AL KHOR - Qatar became the first home team to lose their open ing World Cup match as Ecuador cruised to a 2-0 victory over the hosts, with Enner Valencia scoring twice in the tournament curtain-raiser on Sunday.
Asian champions Qa tar enjoyed the backing of the 67,000-strong crowd Al Bayt Stadium, but could not follow a glitzy opening ceremony with a statement performance.
Ecuador thought they had made a dream start when Valencia headed in in the third minute, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for an offside in the build-up.
It was only a brief re prieve for Qatar, with Va lencia putting the South American side ahead from the penalty spot in the 16th minute before doubling his tally just after the half-hour mark.
Football: Messi, Argen tina land in Qatar after 5-0 World Cup warm-up win Qatar improved in the second period, but by the end of the 90 minutes the buzz of the opening cere mony was a distant mem
ory.
“Our nerves betrayed us, we started really badly,” said Qatar coach Felix San chez. “We were unable to string together four passes in a row.”
Qatar will likely need to avoid defeat in their sec ond Group A match against Senegal on Friday just to prevent the ignominy of becoming only the second hosts, after South Africa in 2010, to be dumped out in the first round.
Hopes were high among the crowd that Qa tar could make a winning start, but the deficiencies of the World Cup debutants were ruthlessly exposed by an impressive Ecuador.
“It was a day we all dreamed of,” said Ecuador left-back Pervis Estupinan. “We are all very proud. We all know what an incredible captain we have with En ner Valencia.”
Qatar failed even to muster a shot on target
in the game, with specta tors filing out of the stands long before the final whis tle.
The South Americans had the ball in the net in side three minutes when captain Valencia nodded home from Felix Torres’s miscued overhead kick.
VAR officials spotted an offside against Michael Es trada in the build-up after Torres challenged for the ball with Qatar goalkeeper
John Amores may have per haps created the earth-shaking sports headline that may be re membered forever in the annals of Philippine sports history.
A forward with the Jose Rizal U Heavy Bombers, the young man rampaged during a match against his CSB counterparts in the 95th NCAA season for no apparent provocation.
He was meted out penalties by the NCAA board, including be ing dropped from the JRU squad.
But we are not about to con demn Amores. He needs help actually in the psychological and emotional aspects of his young adult life.
Actually, he has personally apologized to those he hurt, in cluding physically coming over to the practice venue of St. Benilde cagers.
That, for me, is more than enough.
(Three referees were also meted suspension by the NCAA ManCom.)
Let us close the book.
Meanwhile DLSU rocked the UAAP boat with a vengeful con quest of league leading UP, 82-80 to shore up the Green Archers’ hopes of making it to the Final Four.
With a 5-6 card, they are in fourth spot in a tie with Adamson.
FEU is at 4-8 and can only hope for a playoff.
UP is at 10-2, NU (beat UST 67-57) for a 9-3 WL tally and Ate neo (won over FEU 71-65) at 8-3.
DLSU needs more than just motivation and pride to sneak into the last four. But the manner it beat UP, Derek Pumaren and his boys made a statement that the Green Archers cannot be ignored.
DLSU has brighter prospects than the Soaring Falcons because scorer and playmaker Jerome Lastimosa is nursing an ankle in jury.
Ginebra battled for its life with a swashbuckling hard-earned tri umph in the Commissioner’s Cup
Sunday over skidding TNT (8985) to secure a playoff slot while TNT is bringing in a new import to replace injured Cameron Oli ver.
Meanwhile, coach Aldin Ayo benched import Quincy Miller which caused Converge to lose its game against Northport 97-112.
“He was late for practice for one hour (due to a birthday cel ebration). But it’s not a punish ment. He will play in our next game fully rested,” explained Ayo.
In another development, FilAm GM Wesley So settled for run ner-up honors in the conclusion of the 2022 year-ending Meltwa ter Champions Chess (on-line)
Tour won by world champion Magnus Carlsen.
Losing his first two match es to the Norwegian and a sur prising upset to Vietnamese USbased Le Quang Liem, the super GM from Bacoor, Cavite recov ered with four consecutive victo ries to amass 13 points, four clear off Carlsen.
Next up for WS is the Speed Chess Championship which features the world’s best pawn pushers in December.
The three-time US titleholder had a peak rating of 2822 earned in 2017. (Email feedback to fred lumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
This after the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee on Monday approved the proposed measure that seeks to grant Fili pino citizenship to Barangay Gine bra import Justin Brownlee.
The panel, chaired by Senator Francis Tolentino, tackled Sen ate Bill Numbers 1336, 1516 and 2048 sponsored by Senators Ron ald “Bato” dela Rosa, Sonny Angara and Joel Villanueva, respectively.
“I am a Ginebra fan forever… I am very proud to say that I really volunteered to author this mea sure not only because I would like the Gilas to win in the internation al arena. Not only because Justin Brownlee comes from Ginebra. I know he is an athlete character ized by excellence and humility,” dela Rosa told the panel.
“Pag nasa lounge po kami, ang bukambibig po talaga nila eh paano matutulungan po ‘yung basketball program ng Pilipinas,” Angara said, as he also conveyed his support to Brownlee’s Filipino citizenship.
Prior to the bills’ approval, sen ators took turns in asking Brown lee about his motivation in seeking a Filipino citizenship.
Brownlee, who was born in Georgia, USA, said he loves the way Filipinos treat each other, and how they strive and remain happy amid difficult situations.
His favorite Filipino food is chicken adobo and frequents
“Really, it’s just how people get along, how everyone treats one another. Just being in the US, it’s a lot of hate. It’s a lot of diversity and stuff like that. I just love to see how people, less fortunate, and they’re just happy, and they just get along. Everybody knows how to treat each other” Brownlee told the committee.
“Everybody is not in a great sit uation. But you know, just making the best out of every situation. And I took note of that and take every thing to the heart,” he added.
“The Filipino culture, they defi nitely have the humility.. which I really like,” Brownlee said.
Panel chairman Tolentino then asked Brownlee if he is aware of the Article, Section 2 of the Philip pine Constitution that requires its citizens to serve the country.
“You now very well that we’re visited by 20 or more typhoons ev ery year… are you willing to defend the Philippines? Are you willing to participate in any disaster rescue operations?” Tolentino asked.
Brownlee immediately replied in the affirmative as he admitted that he has no military training re cord in the United States.
“Opo,” Browlee said.
But he will be most willing to take part in military training here,
Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brown lee is just a step away from donning the Philippine colors.