Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 190 | Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022

Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte scans a fruit stall’s QR code as he pays

of

tart using Gcash during the Davao City launching of Paleng-QR Ph at Bankerohan Public Market on Wednesday. Witnessing the event are Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor and Monetary Board chair Dr. Felipe Medalla and BSP deputy governor for Re gional Operations and aadvocacy Sector Bernadette Romulo-Puy at. Edge Davao

GOING CASH-LESS

Baste urges Dabawenyos to try Paleng-QR Ph

By MAYA M. PADILLO

launching of the Paleng-QR Ph at Bankerohan Public Market on Wednesday.

The launch was at tended by officials and representatives of the city government of Davao, BSPDavao, vendors, various Fi nancial Services Providers (FSPs) that include Gcash, Maya, StarPay, Diskartech; and banks that include Asia

United Bank, Landbank of the Philippines, and Rizal Commercial Banking Cor porations (RCBC).

Davao City is the first lo cal government unit (LGU) in Mindanao that adopted the “digi-palengke” system.

In his message, Mayor Baste urged the Dabawen yos to try using Paleng-QR FGOING, P10

Google Developer Group opens DevFest in Davao

Google Developer Group Davao is set to launch DevFest, a lo cal tech conference of pas sionate developers, IT pro fessionals, academics, and enthusiasts interested in collaborating and learning more about Google tech nologies.

Happening this Satur day, November 26, 2022,

at Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao, DevFest is craft ed to fit the learning needs and interests of the local de veloper community, with a strong focus on knowledge exchange, networking, and learning about Google de veloper technologies.

“This is something that we have been wanting to do, knowing that the in

terest over Google tech nologies has never waned but has continued to grow through the years. We are excited to strengthen the group of passionate lead ers committed to helping their local communities learn, grow, and connect.” said Liezlle Wong, co-Com munity Lead of GDG Davao.

Liezlle bared that GDG

Davao aims to grow the network of volunteers, re source persons as well as organizations that can sup port its thrust to empower its members and those in the industry with events and workshops where they can hone their skills and network.

“In the long run, we

10 cacao farmers from Davao cited for ‘best quality cocoa’

Ten cacao farmers in Davao Region will vie for the national lev el of the 2022 Philippine Cocoa Quality Awards (PCQA) after being recog nized as among those hav ing the best quality cocoa yield, the regional agricul ture office said Wednes day.

In a statement, the De partment of Agriculture in Davao (DA-11) said the PCQA awarding ceremo ny for the winners will be held during the Nov. 24-25 National Cacao Congress at the SMX Convention Center in this city.

On Tuesday, the DA11 identified the regional level winners as David Delaserna, Evelyn Vicen tino, Judith Gabasa, Joel Lorenzana, Policarpo En ricoso Jr., Joebert Celis and Melinda Villaflor, all from this city; Sergio Dandasan and Paz Sumaylo from Davao del Norte; and Ru ben Idea of Davao Oriental.

“We must stay on top. Being on top means quality and quantity in production which gives bigger sales and profit, and staying on top is a gateway for better business opportunities,”

Abel Monteagudo, DA-11 regional director, said in a statement Wednesday.

The national winners, he said, will be allowed to represent the country at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, the biggest interna tional annual trade fair for the cocoa and chocolate industry.

Monteagudo also ac knowledged the contri bution of the local cacao farmers in the recent dec laration of Davao City as the “Chocolate and Cacao Capital of the Philippines.”

Meanwhile, Mon teagudo underscored the importance of PCQA in increasing awareness and promoting education on the cocoa value chain, say ing this enhances oppor tunities for local farmers to produce high-quality cacao beans at par with other countries.

“It also promotes market opportunities to improve farmers’ liveli hoods,” he added. Mean while, Fe Oguio, the Davao City Agriculturist Office (CAGRO) cacao focal per son, said qualifiers were selected through the

Secretary Maria Belen Acosta, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chair, signs the commitment of support for the establishment of Mount Apo Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center held at Ritz Hotel in Davao City on Wednesday. Also in the photo is Galen Ray Alova, Headcor assistant vice president for Operations and Maintenance-Mindanao. Edge Davao

The launch of the Paleng-QR Ph in Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City indicates the city’s preparation to launch cashless shopping at public mar kets.

Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor and Monetary Board chair Dr. Felipe

Medalla, and BSP depu ty governor for Regional Operations and Advocacy Sector Bernadette Romu lo-Puyat led the Davao City

MinDA, stakeholders commit to protect, preserve Mt.Apo

Librarians will always have Lzz sa a friend in the OVP: Sara

Librarians have found a friend and ally in the person of Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.

“Our librarians in the Philippines will always have a friend in the Of fice of the Vice President because I believe in your contribution to our educa tion, not just to our learn ers but even to our adults.

Lahat ng residents at lahat ng ating mga kababayan, they deserve libraries ev erywhere they go and ev ery place they visit,” Dute rte said during the Annual National Congress 2022 Philippine Librarians As sociation, Inc. (PLAI) at the Iloilo Convention Cen ter in Iloilo City.

In a statement, Duterte lauded Filipino librarians for their hard work.

She also acknowl edged the role of librari ans in shaping the mind of learners and allowing them to make informed choices and right deci sions.

She added that many people learned to love reading because there are librarians who under stood specific informa tion needed and enabling

the students to be well informed, and in the end, allowing them to make in formed choices and right decisions.

“We do not want our society’s enemies to win over decent, honest, hard-working citizens — our learners, our children. We cannot let them take away our country’s hope and bright future,” it said.

She also did not miss to mention the Davao City Library and Information Center (DCLIC), which was established when she was still mayor of Davao City.

The DCLIC bagged three national and one international Best Library awards.

“We hope that one day, kapag napadaan po kayo sa Davao City o sa mga kapitbahay na mga lugar namin sa Mindanao, ay bumisita po kayo sa Davao City Library para po kapag manalo tayo in interna tional awards ay magiging proud po tayo as Filipinos that this library in Mind anao, in Davao City, won an international award because it deserves the award,” it said.

By Maya M. Padillo

By MAYA M. PADILLO

The Mindanao Development Author ity (MinDA), local government units (LGUs), and stakeholders signified collaborative partnerships in conserving and protecting Mt. Apo and its wildlife by signing a commitment of support for the establishment of Mt. Apo Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center on Wednesday at the Garden Oasis Convention Center.

This developed after the Department of Environ ment and Natural Resources (DENR) Davao bared images of the Philippine warty pig (Sus philippensis), which

was seen wandering on Mt. Apo as they were conduct ing monitoring activities during the Holy Week.

The Philippine warty pig is one of four endemic “baboy ramo” species found in the Philippines.

The center will serve as an animal rescue, conser vation and breeding, edu cation and research, and ecotourism. It will be gov ernment-owned or private ly managed, which is sim

ilar to the Philippine Eagle Foundation or could be an LGU and private institution alliance (shared responsi bility).

In terms of funding, di rector Joey Recimilla of Min Da said they will be work ing on proposed funding through congressional leg islation, DENR regular fund ing, private sponsorship or through LGU support.

He said a technical

Increase of ‘employable’ Filipinos should be maximized: POPCOM

The national govern ment needs to pro vide steady streams of quality jobs to fully tap the significant rise in the number of employable Fil ipinos, the Commission on Population and Develop ment (POPCOM) said on Wednesday.

According to Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) 2020 Census of Population and Housing, out of the to tal number of 109,035,343 individuals, more than half

-- or 69.40 million are with in the 15 to 64 years old working-age bracket which provides an opportunity to elevate the country’s so cio-economic conditions for POPCOM.

POPCOM Officer in Charge-Executive Director Lolito Tacardon said this milestone should be priori tized for a chance to further improve the quality of life of every Filipino.

Tacardon said the rise in the number of produc

tive Filipinos is a result of collective efforts in de creasing the levels of fer tility and mortality nation wide.

“Since couples and in dividuals have effectively limited and spaced the number of their children in previous decades, the young base of the popu lation has declined, and those in the working-age gradually increased. This reflects the effective im plementation of POPDEV

programs, such as family planning,” he noted, adding the Philippines is fortunate to have an almost 70-mil lion strong work-ready cit izenry.

Aside from women and young people, the disabled, immigrants, and the elder ly should also be tapped, POPCOM’s interim chief said echoing the UN’s posi tion on inclusivity .

Tacardon also urged the private sector, as well

A huge umbrella protects a farmer in Barangay Sibsib, M’lang in North Cotabato from the sun or rain as he plows the field. Photo taken on Sunday, 20 November 2022. . MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO

2.9K DavOr rice farmers get P5K cash aid from DA

Some 2,951 qualified rice farmers in Cateel, Davao Oriental, received cash assistance from the Rice Competitive ness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Fi nancial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA3) program of the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11), an official said Tuesday.

In a press briefing, Ev elyn Basa, DA-11 regional rice program coordina tor, said they are targeting some 29,281 rice farmers in Davao Region for the pro gram.

On its third phase, Basa said aid program has ben efited some 81 percent of the targeted recipients who received PHP5,000 each

in unconditional cash as sistance, or about PHP120 million total disbursement from the agency.

“We hope to finish the distribution in December this year,“ Basa said.

The RFFA aims to sus tain its support to rice farm ers tilling two hectares or fewer, and are affected by the episodes of a significant

drop in palay farm gate pric es in time with the imple mentation of the Rice Tarri fication Law (RTL).

Under the RFFA, she said rice farmers who are duly registered with the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSB SA) will receive the inter vention.

“They are those who were affected by the low buying of rice production during the pandemic,” Basa said.

Apart from the cash as sistance, she said regular programs of the agency will continue such as the dis tribution of hybrid seeds, certified inbred seeds, farm

inputs and technical assis tance.

“As part of the regular programs of DA, we are now preparing a special fund for fertilizer vouchers which the rice farmers can avail of,” Basa said.

She assured the PHP87 million budget will be made available as soon as they have complied with all the needed requirements.

“Farmers eligible for this are those who are planting for November to December regardless of the area, but a maximum of two hectares per farmer. The DA will give a fertilizer voucher worth PHP6,600 per hectare,” she explained. (PNA)

Alternergy, Shell partner for offshore wind projects in PH

Renewable energy firm Alternergy Hold ings Corp. and Shell announced Tuesday their partnership to develop off shore wind projects in the country.

The partnership with Shell will be through Al

ternergy’s unit Pililla AVPC Corp.

In a press conference in Makati City, Alternergy chairperson Vince Perez said the partnership is ini tially looking into develop ing an offshore wind project in Calavite Passage, which

has a potential capacity of 5 gigawatts.

The firm eyes to de velop 1 GW offshore wind power from the site, which is in the northwest corner of Mindoro.

“Shell, as our strategic partner with 50 years of

deep water offshore and over 20 years of offshore wind development ex perience, will bring in its global track record, supply chain access, and techni cal expertise in developing large-scale bottom-fixed

PCUP, Grab to renew deal to aid urban poor

ThePresidential Com mission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) and Grab Philippines are set to renew their partnership to provide livelihood opportunities to the country’s marginalized and underprivileged sec tors.

In a news release on Tuesday, PCUP chairperson and CEO Undersecretary Eplidio Jordan Jr. said the signing of the memoran dum of agreement (MOA) between PCUP and Grab is expected to coincide with the celebration of Urban Poor Solidarity Week next month.

“Ang renewal ng mem orandum of agreement sa pagitan ng PCUP at Grab Philippines ay kasalukuy an ng inaayos at inaasahan na mapipirmahan kasabay ng selebrasyon ng Urban Poor Solidarity Week 2022 sa susunod na buwan (The renewal of the memoran dum of agreement between PCUP and Grab Philippines is currently being finalized and you can expect it to be signed in conjunction with the celebration of Urban

Poor Solidarity Week 2022 next month),” Jordan said.

Jordan said the continu ation of its partnership with the ride-hailing company is aligned with the Marcos administration’s poverty al leviation programs.

He likewise expressed hope that the renewal of the PCUP-Grab deal would pave the way for more part nerships with other private groups and non-govern ment organizations (NGOs) in the future.

“Inaasahan namin na mas lalakas pa ang pakiki pag-ugnayan ng PCUP sa iba’t ibang mga indibidwal at grupo o organisasyon para maitaguyod ang adhikain ng ating Pangu long Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marco Jr. na malutas ang problema ng kahirapan sa ating bansa (We hope that PCUP will have a stronger partnerships with various individuals and groups or organizations to promote the cause of our President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Mar cos, Jr. to solve the problem of poverty in our country),” he added.

Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11) regional rice program coordinator Evelyn Basa says 29,281 rice farmers in Davao Region are being targeted by the agency to receive cash assistance from the Rice Competi tiveness Enhancement Fund-Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RCEF-RFFA3) program. Edge Davao

Davao Region to host ‘Kaon Ta, Kain Pa!’ food and travel fest

PEZA seals 2 accords with Japanese firms

The Philippine Eco nomic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Tuesday said it signed two agree ments with Japanese firms with the aim to attract more investments in the country’s renewable energy and man ufacturing sectors.

In a statement, PEZA said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Junca Global Partner, Inc. and a Registration Agree ment with Kurabe Industrial Philippines, Inc. during the investment mission in Japan last Nov. 14 to 18.

The MOU with Junca aims to promote the Phil ippines as an investment destination for startup com panies engaged in the fourth industrial revolution.

The MOU also targets to strengthen collaboration and partnership between Filipino and Japanese start ups to bolster the country’s innovation-driven indus tries, particularly innovation in renewable energy.

“With the signed MOU, PEZA and Junca will collab orate in bringing renewable energy technologies to eco

zones and thereby enable lo cator companies to remain globally competitive while at the same time contribut ing to mitigating the effects of climate change pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement,” PEZA officer-in-charge Tereso Panga said.

Junca Chair and Chief Ex ecutive Officer Dr. Hiyasuki Nagatome also committed to invest in the Philippines, not only in the renewable energy sector but also in dustries where Junca’s inno vation and technology can be applied.

“I guarantee you that Junca Holdings will invest and bring in the latest tech nology in the Philippines through PEZA, especially in the field of artificial intelli gence (AI), blockchain sys tem, biotech and stem cell, and wellness products,” he said.

Moreover, PEZA sealed a Registration Agreement with Kurabe to put up its manufacturing facility for car seat heater, steering wheel heater, and heating wires in Batangas.

TheDepartment of Tourism Davao Region will play host to the 21st edi tion of the Kaon Ta, Kain Pa! Food and Travel Festival on December 2 to 4 at Ayala Abreeza Mall in Davao City.

The three-day event, in partnership with Ayala Malls, is a gastronomic cel ebration that endeavors to position the Philippines as a premiere culinary desti nation in Asia and globally. It will incorporate food, travel and Christmas.

With the theme “Food

Tripping Christmas”, it will feature a flavorful spread of local and modern holiday cuisines and local beverag es.

Kaon Ta, Kain Pa! will also showcase the culinary affluence of Regions 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11,12, 13 as well as from the Cordillera Admin

istrative Region and the National Capital Region.

“With Kaon Ta, Kain Pa!, the DOT aims to provide a platform for the develop ment and promotion of regional cuisine as well as supporting farm tours and our tourism circuits that DOT Secretary Christina Frasco advocate to boost the recovery of intra and inter regional travel,” said DOT Xl Regional Director Tanya Rabat Tan.

With the upcoming Christmas holidays, when

Filipino families normally splurge on food to cele brate oneness and aspire for abundance in the new year, the culinary event will also highlight cele bration dishes that are sure hit in the noche bue na tables.

“It is also an event that aims to provide a myriad of opportunities to our tour ism stakeholders, partners and enterprises - from food to farm tours to our local farmers and producers,” added Director Tan.

IaaS firm eyes PH expansion as use of cloud technology rises

The wide-scale adop tion of cloud technol ogy in the Philippines made an infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) firm optimis tic of a strong expansion in its domestic operations.

In a briefing on Tuesday, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, said the digitaliza tion bid of the government is a major boost to cloudbased technology.

“In order to support the Philippines’ cloud adop tion, Alibaba plans to con tinue investments here,” said Alibaba-Philippines country manager Allen Guo.

IaaS is a form of cloud computing that provides virtualized computing re sources over the internet.

Guo explained that as more companies look for options to cut computing cost without sacrificing quality, Alibaba will intro

duce more innovations.

He said their self-de veloped infrastructure up grades has resulted in an 8 percent year-on-year sav ings in computing cost per resource unit from April 1 to Nov. 11.

He said this year’s 11.11 global shopping festival “pushed the new bound aries for Allibaba Cloud, from innovations in green technology to continuing to trailblaze in cloud com puting.”

“We know how signif icant 11.11 is in e-com merce and one of our year ly benchmarks is to make the festival as efficient and as green as imaginable,” he said.

The company has a data center in Manila, one of its 76 worldwide.

Guo said they are uti lizing clean energy in their data centers to reduce en ergy consumption.

In a statement, the

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor and Monetary Board chair Dr. Felipe Medalla highlights the importance and the evolution of technology in his speech during the Davao City launching of Paleng-QR Ph at Bankerohan Public Market on Wednesday. Edge Davao

HENRYLITO

D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE POWER OF READING

“Do not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live.” – Gustave Flaubert ***

These days, most young people are into mobile phones, video games, and TikTok vid eos. Those days of reading books, periodicals, and other materials are long gone.

Hence, the need to bring back that habit of reading. In fact, Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II – the grandson of the former president – is calling the atten tion of today’s young genera tion to engage themselves in reading books.

“Reading is necessary for learning as it unlocks the door to lifelong learning,” EDGE Davao quoted the son of Davao City First District Representa tive Paolo Duterte as saying.

If I may recall, there was this global survey about two years ago where our coun try ranked lowest out of 79 countries in reading compre hension. “This is the first time that DepEd (Department of Education) participated in a global ranking testing system, with boldness and recognition that we have to see how we

rank, how we fare compared to other countries,” lamented then DepEd Secretary Leonor M. Briones.

In a reading literacy as sessment conducted by the inter-government group Orga nization for Economic Co-op eration and Development (OECD), 15-year-old Filipino students scored a mean of 340 points, which was below the OECD average of 487 points.

The OECD used the twohour Programme for Inter national Student Assessment (PISA). It defines reading liter acy as “understanding, using, evaluating, reflecting on and engaging with texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to de velop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society.”

The OECD added, “Read ing proficiency is essential for a wide variety of human activities – from following in structions in a manual; to find ing out the who, what, when, where, and why of an event; to communicating with others for a specific purpose or trans action.”

But reading is more than just that. “Reading is like think ing, like praying, like talking to a friend, like expressing your ideas, like listening to other

people’s ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, and like taking a walk on the beach,” wrote Roberto Bolaño in 2666.

“Reading was a joy, a des perately needed escape,” said Christian Bauman. “I didn’t read to learn; I was reading to read.”

In Books and You, W. Som erset Maughan shared this sentiment: “To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from al most all the miseries of life.”

Dr. Seuss, author of I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!, gives an idea on why reading is fun. “The more that you read, the more things you will know,” he wrote. “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

But I like what George R.R. Martin thinks of reading. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies,” he pointed out in A Dance with Dragons. “The man who never reads lives only one.”

So, you want to become a writer? One big help is read ing. Creative writing and reading go hand in hand. “You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page,” An

H. MARCOS C. MORDENO SOMEONE ELSE’S WINDOWS

nie Proulx contends. “Writing comes from reading, and read ing is the best teacher of how to write.”

William Faulkner has the same contention. “Read, read, read,” he suggested. “Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the win dow.”

Yes, reading is just as important as writing itself. “Reading is arguably a far more creative and imaginative process than writing; when the reader creates emotion in their head, or the colors of the sky during the setting sun, or the smell of a warm summer’s breeze on their face, they should reserve as much praise for themselves as they do for the writer – perhaps more,” wrote Jasper Fforde, author of The Well of Lost Plots.

Reading is almost always equated with books. “I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound or stab us,” Franz Kafka suggested. “If the book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up with a blow to the head, what are we reading for?

“We need books that affect us like a disaster, that grieve us deeply, like the death of someone we loved more than ourselves, like being banished into forests far from everyone, like a suicide,” Kafka went on. “A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within us. That is my belief.”

Anne Lamott has another belief when it comes to books.

“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth,” she wrote in Bird by Bird: Some Instruc tions on Writing and Life.

“What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.”

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers,” Charles W. Eliot said.

But Stephen King consid ers books as “uniquely porta ble magic.” That was what he said in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

In a press release Monday (Nov. 21), Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, said he has sponsored a resolution creating a “select oversight committee on confidential and intelligence funds.” Too late the hero. It’s like car rying a bucket of water to a house that has already burned down.

“These are not subject to the usual or regular audit ing rules and procedures of the Commission on Audit, as compared to other expense items in the budget. So it falls on us, on this proudly

WHO IS SENATOR MIGZ ZUBIRI FOOLING?

democratic and independent Senate, to reactivate the Se lect Oversight Committee, where we can subject these confidential and intelligence funds to checks and balanc es,” Zubiri said.

Checks and balances?

The Senate failed to exer cise that function when it approved the 9.28 billion in confidential and intelligence funds without question like the House did. It didn’t even care to examine why the De partment of Education, for instance, asked for such allo cation. Or maybe I just didn’t

know that school personnel have been trained in intelli gence work.

And, even while mumbling about ensuring “that the funds are judiciously and rightly used,” thus the oversight com mittee which he chairs, Zubiri contradicted himself when he said “we need to be more trusting of our government agencies. We have to have faith that they would use every inch of diligence and discretion in undertaking surveillance and intelligence gathering in the discharge of their man dates.”

So, what’s the oversight committee for if you’re tell ing the public to trust the agencies that are recipients of these confidential and in telligence funds?

In Tagalog, what Zubiri is doing is “namamangka sa dalawang ilog” (paddling his banca on two rivers). With mainstream and social me dia awash with criticisms against the huge confiden tial and intelligence funds for the offices of the Presi dent and Vice President, he wishes to appease the peo ple with the creation of the

oversight committee. At the same time, he is sending a message to the two highest officials of the land that he remains their man.

A “proudly democratic and independent Senate”? Zubiri can’t be more hilari ous. The Senate has long lost its luster as a counterweigh to Malacanang. For now, Sen ator Risa Hontiveros is the only real voice of dissent and reason in that chamber. The rest are content with won dering why Filipinos prefer K-dramas instead of local TV soap.

LIFESTYLE

Meet me at the top

BY NEIL BRAVO

Meetings provide a valuable forum for a range of different functions, helping people to share ideas, make decisions, build team relationships, and even feel less lonely at work.

As more and more businesses transition online, holding meetings in a conducive space will make your meetings feel more natural than ever.

The iconic Aeon Tow ers boasts of that envi able cozy meeting spaces at its exclusive Club Aeon.

At Club Aeon, Aeon Towers residents and their associates get to en joy the privacy of meet ing rooms while enjoy ing the amenities of the prime 33-level skyscrap er.

There are two ways to avail of this exclusive

space by the skyline of Davao City.

First is to own a unit which makes you avail of the meeting rooms as part of your ownership. Whether you acquire it straightaway or via the special promo rent-toown which Aeon Luxe Properties is offering.

Second is to go on staycation and enjoy the amenities during your stay.

Rates starts at P2999 for Studio, P3499 for 1-BR, P6999 for 2-BR and P7999 for a 2-BR corner room that offers

a scintillating view of the city and environs. These packages come with free breakfast and access to club aeon amenities (pool at 6F, co working spaces, gym).

Aeon Towers is an iconic landmark tower ing in the heart of Metro Davao’s business district along J.P. Laurel Avenue.

It is a mixed-use devel opment with residential, commercial and soon a hotel component to be operated by a 5-star international hotelier making Aeon Towers the next big destination in the city.

Several condo units of Aeon Towers are now turned over to home owners who are enjoying a luxurious and smart lifestyle experience they invested in. That includes these meeting rooms at Club Aeon.

EDGEDAVAO GAME CHANGER

THIS LAWYERBUSINESSMAN IS DAVAO’S DURIAN KING

Text by HENRYLITO D. TACIO Photos courtesy of Atty. Antonio B. Partoza, Jr.

“Durian has an excel lent taste that its flavor sur passes all the other fruits in the world,” old traveler Linchott, writing in 1599, commented. Dr. Paladanus, a world-renowned histo rian added: “This fruit is of a hot and humid nature. It smells like rotten onion, but once tasted, everybody will like it.”

Now, if there’s a man from Davao associated with durian, it’s none oth er than Antonio B. Partoza, Jr., a veteran lawyer and businessman. In fact, he appeared in the cover of the prestigious Agriculture Magazine, which was ed ited at that time by no less than Zac Sarian, a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award (touted to be the Nobel Prize of Asia).

Partoza never thought the fruit that smells like hell but tastes like heaven will bring him some clout and prestige when he ven tured into durian farming in 1987. Being the fruit basket of the Philippines, he thought of durian – par ticularly the “arancillo” va riety – as a way of promot ing Davao into the world.

“His perseverance to showcase Davao’s pride through the continued production of homegrown Durian has gained the rec ognition of the agricultural

industry,” a dossier said.

Aside from Agriculture magazine, he was also fea tured in various local and national papers and even the in-flight magazine of Singapore’s SilkAir.

As the Partoza Durian Farm became a byword among durian connois seurs of Davao City, he also became the toast of televi sion. He was featured in TV programs such as Living Asia and Balitang Europe.

What makes his durian fruits unique is that they are taken from trees that are grown organically. As one of the pioneering advo cates of natural farming, he uses indigenous materials from the farm as fertilizer instead of relying on ex pensive commercial chemi cal fertilizer. The success of his venture made him earn the sobriquet, Durian King of Davao.

Being a farmer and en trepreneur, Partoza gets involved in some organi zations. He was elected as president of Mindanao Fruit Industry Develop ment Council, which he served for 12 years. During his leadership, several con ferences on transferring technologies to farmers and market-matching ac tivities for farmers in differ ent provinces in Mindanao were conducted.

As the durian farm be came more popular, he and his equally hardworking wife Nelia established An nipie Bakery Café at the en trance of Nova Tierra Sub division in Lanang. (Later on, they established anoth er branch in Tagum City.)

Today, Annipie – with the “Cinnamon Destina tion Tagline” – has become one of the more frequent ed coffee shops in Davao City with several branches located in Quimpo Boule vard, Malvar Extension and some selected malls.

Actually, Partoza is not a Dabawenyo by birth; he is originally from Pagadi an City. He came to Davao in 1973 as a young bache lor and neophyte licensed attorney-at-law. It wasn’t until he met and tied the nuptial knot with the for mer Nelia Domingo that he decided to settle in Davao City. (The union is blessed with four children, who are all based in Davao and cur rently handling their own businesses.)

Partoza started his law career as assistant city legal officer in 1976. After 4 years of service, he decided to ven ture into newspaper distri bution in 1983. Later on, he expanded its network that stretched through 8 prov inces in Mindanao, amidst the uncertainties caused by Martial Law.

Partoza was 37 years old when he started farm ing. This was in 1984 when he bought 9-hectare land in barangay Biao Escuela in Tugbok District. Later

on, he secured another 15 hectares in Panabo City. These farms are now planted to coconut, duri an, jackfruits, banana and agarwood.

Instead of planting the export-oriented banana, he planted the cardava va riety. This triploid hybrid

banana cultivar originated from the Philippines and is primarily used for cooking although it can also be eat en raw.

Agarwood is the most recent addition to his farm. Contrary to common no tion, agarwood growing is allowed but “highly regu lated,” according to the De partment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). What is prohib ited is collecting its seeds directly in the wild.

“Before engaging in this highly regulated lucrative endeavor, interested indi viduals and private firms are advised to secure all the necessary permits from DENR,” explained then en vironment secretary Roy A. Cimatu. “We must ensure that the source of planting materials is legal and that the propagation of this spe cies is in accordance with the existing rules and reg ulations.”

When Partoza started farming, one of the biggest problems he had was se curing good planting mate rials. Another dilemma he had was visiting his farm to know if the crops he plant ed were faring well. “It used to be very dangerous going there because of the New People’s Army,” he

admitted.

In 1987, after the EDSA People Power Revolution, he planted the controver sial fruit, durian. “I love du rian and wanted something innovative,” he replied when asked why he grew durian in his farm.

He got his durian plant ing materials from a friend who’s a propagator, the Al con Farms in barangay Los Amigos. He planted 100 durians per hectare at a distance of 10 meters. Like most farmers, he encoun tered several diseases like phytophthora which can be remedied through good agricultural practices.

Because the durians he planted were grafted, they bore fruits five years after planting. In the first year, there were few fruits. But in later years, the fruits he harvested became plentiful but the profuse production “depends on the weather.”

Aside from arancillo, he also plants other varieties like Puyat, Musang king, Black thorn, and Puang Manee. In raising his crops, he gets information from reading magazines and books, watching YouTube clips and attending semi nars.

Partoza never has a

Make way for the most exotic – if not controversial! – fruit found in this part of the country: duri an (known in the science world as Durio zibethinus).

Atty. Antonio B. Partoza, Jr. at his farm.

Making it in the cover of Agriculture magazine.

In 2019, Atty. Partoza was recognized as one of Davao’s Datu Bago awardees.

GOING...

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Ph whenever they go to the market or ride the tricycles.

“Sa tinuod lang kung mugawas ta sa Pilipinas particularly sa Singapore ug China kasagaran mga develop countries paper less na sila ug wala na sila gadala ug sinsilyo ug papel na kuwarta. Hangyo nako sa inyuha basin puwede ninyo suwayan kay ngano wala man pud ni pugsan ay. Kung wala mo kahibalo ang inyong buhaton tawga lang ang inyong anak unya patudlo mo unsaon ning QR kay ang mga batan-on karon kabalo gyud na sila unsaon paggamit aning mga QR,” Mayor Baste said.

He said these innova tions using technology are the things that will make the lives of Dabawenyos easier.

“Unsa ni makatabang sa atoa? Tan-awa ning Davao City labi natong dugay na kaayo diri, luag pata sa una, daghan nagasulod ug naay oportunidad makanegosyo ug makatrabaho ka pero nagkaguot ug nagkaguot na karon unya ang problema nato ang mga transactions nato within Davao City are very centralized na,” he said.

Modernizing the city through technology is one of the things he mentioned in his inaugural speech.

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.

Medalla is hoping that Davao City will be the launching pad for the series of launchings of the PalengQR program in Mindanao.

“I would like to com mend Davao City for set ting a standard for good governance in innovation,” he said.

INCREASE...

Medalla is optimistic that this program will be a success in Davao City fol lowing the approval of the City Council of the ordi nance “Enjoining All Busi ness Establishments within Davao City to adopt QR PH (Quick Response Philip pines) Digital Payments” in line with the Paleng-QR. ph Program sponsored by Councilor Bernard Al-ag on Tuesday.

“When this project was introduced ang tanong ko, will this be beneficial to the vendors and consumers?

Ang sagot nila is yes and that is why I did not hesi tate to craft a policy to in stitute and implement this project in Davao City. This will surely help the MSMEs. The national government and the city government must do more projects to support the maliliit na mga negosyante,” Al-ag said.

Al-ag said this in con junction with the 12 key priority areas of the Dute rte Program, the Ease of Doing Business and Effi cient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (RA 11032), and the Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (RA 8792).

In his speech, Vice May or Melchor Quitain Jr. said the program fits the bill in line with digitalization.

“Innovation has changed our banking sys tem forever. At first, peo ple are skeptical. Suddenly people are tech-savvy. All of these technical innovations are accepted by the people. Now we have the QR code system. If not for the BSP I don’t think anybody can come up with a full system like Paleng-QR,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bankero han fruit vendor Grace Wenceslao has started ac cepting Gcash payments from her customers.

“Mas dali na sa akoa ug dili na nako kinahanglan mangambyu ug mangita ug pangkambyu ug sinsilyo,” she said.

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national and local leaders, to set policies and provide programs that can capture the benefit of having a larg er work force.

“That said, we call on the present administration to exert supplementary efforts in investing in the nation’s human and physical capi tal by channeling resources on health, education, infra structure and technology, which can help our country further boost productivity,” Tacardon said.

“Now is the best time to fully utilize our human re sources. We need to ensure that there are available jobs out there. We also need to

ALTERNERGY...

and floating wind projects,” Perez said.

The former energy chief added that Alternergy is “eagerly waiting” for Pres ident Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.s’ executive order (EO) on offshore wind develop ment.

Last week, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rapahel Lotilla said the agency is crafting the EO

capacitate our workers, so that they can be more productive members of society,” he said. “This de mographic opportunity can be a key factor to achieve the country’s higher so cio-economic objectives. It is rare, and we cannot afford to miss it,” he added as the agency marks Pop ulation and Development (POPDEV) Week from Nov. 23 to 29.

By virtue of Proclama tion No. 76, the annual cel ebration of POPDEV Week establishes the significant relationship between pop ulation dynamics and over all development.

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to be signed and issued by Marcos that aims to stimu late investments in offshore wind projects.

This is part of the Mar cos administration’s goal of harnessing indigenous energy resources for ener gy security, accessible and affordable power for Fili pinos, and increasing the share of clean energy in the country’s energy mix.

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problem selling his fruits because his customers come to his farm to buy them. “Kulang pa nga ang supply,” he said.

In cases there are left overs, he freezes the fruits or processes them into can dy tart or durian pie.

High price of inputs like fertilizers and pesticides are the current problems durian growers are facing

GOOGLE...

right now, he said.

Hearing the news that the country is about to ex port durian to other coun tries, he said, “(It’s a) good idea but we have to pro duce volume, quality and standard varieties.”

Farming, he believed, is no bed of roses. “Farming is a thankless task,” Partoza pointed out, “and you have to love farming.”

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wanted to create a link be tween GDG chapters, ac ademe, the industry and government sector in or der for the community to thrive,” added Kyle Naran jo, co-Community Lead of GDG Davao.

With the theme “Em powering the Filipino Youth through Technology and Leadership,” DevFest is seen to gather senior high and college students, pro

10 CACAO...

fessionals, industry experts, and partner organizations and companies in the tech industry. Google Developer Experts from Indonesia and Singapore will fly in to join some local resource persons who will share topics rele vant to the industry.

Co-presented by Mapua MCM and Ingenuity Soft ware, the event will also be live streamed through the GDG Davao Facebook page.

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blindfold method by the judges on Oct. 12-13 at the University of the Philip pines Mindanao.

She said many farm ers were able to join the contest because of the efforts of the DA-11 and the Department of Trade and Industry–11 in con vincing local government units in the region to join and showcase their cacao produce.

MinDA...

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working group will still de termine the budget needed for the establishment of the said rescue center.

The Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP), with a total land area of about 64,000 hect ares, is located in south-cen tral Mindanao spanning the provinces of North Cotabato in Region 12, and Davao Sur and Davao City in Region 11 and is within two regions, three cities, and four LGUs namely Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, Kidapawan City, and Magpet City.

With an altitude of 2,954 meters above sea level, it is the highest mountain and one of the most popular na ture-based tourism sites in the country. MANP was de clared a Protected Area and a component of the National Protected Areas System un der Republic Act No. 9237 in 2003.

DENR’s partner agen cies in Mt. Apo such as the Energy Development Cor poration (EDC) and Aboitiz–led Hedcor also signified their support for the estab lishment of the said rescue center.

This is a result of a multi-sectoral coordination meeting and orientation at the proposed Mt. Apo Wild life Rescue and Conserva tion Center.

“Here at the foot of Mt. Apo, all the municipalities

IaaS...

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company said over 32 million kilowatt hours of electricity used by Al ibaba Cloud during this year’s 11.11 shopping

Enricoso, who is among the awardees, said that he is happy that the cacao sample from his farm was chosen to be among the entries submit ted.

“The uniqueness of my beans comes from the fact that these are of the Trini tario variety, which makes them different from other new varieties,” he said.

(PNA)

were united to preserve the wildlife. This is also part of our community and these are animals that we need to preserve to multiply in the next generation and for the future of Mt. Apo.,” said May or Jay Laurence Gonzaga of Magpet, Cotabato Province.

Michelle Louise Gutier rez, OIC-Mayor of Sta. Cruz, said the municipality has continued to persistently manage environmental pro tection measures through partnerships with the pri vate sector and government agencies as well.

“The eco-cultural is one of the best assets of our mu nicipality. From highlands to islands ika nga. While we thrive in these pursuits, Sta. Cruz has continued to man age environmental protec tion measures through the partnership with the private sector. Mt. Apo in fact has been a haven of the econo my for our residents and the municipality of Sta. Cruz but more than anything else, Mt. Apo is a haven of wildlife, a haven of flora and fauna which has been in existnece long before us. Existence why I believe what better way to preserve this is to enjoin the LGUs, private sec tor, as well as the national agencies in the exertion of collaborative efforts for the sustenance of the Mt. Apo Wildlife,” she said.

GIROUD...

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an AC Milan striker Giroud, who has 115 caps, is the oldest player to score for France at a World Cup.

Yet he almost certainly would not have been play ing here had Karim Benze ma been fit.

Instead, the withdrawal of the Ballon d’Or winner with a thigh injury on the eve of the tournament has played into the hands of Gi roud, who was a key player for Deschamps in France’s triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign but didn’t score in Russia.

“He deserves respect for performing at the very highest level for so many years and delivering even when nobody seemed to believe in him,” said team mate Benjamin Pavard.

“I am so pleased for him because he is a great guy. I hope he keeps going and beats more records.”

It is not just Benzema who is missing for Les Ble us, with Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante –- their start ing midfield duo four years ago –- out of the tourna ment.

Centre-back Raphael Varane was not risked hav ing not played since suf fering a leg injury playing for Manchester United a month ago.

That meant Dayot Up amecano and Ibrahima Konate –- with nine caps between them –- played together in central defence while Rabiot joined Aure lien Tchouameni in mid field.

- Hernandez injury blowAustralia stunned the world champions by scor ing an early opener.

Mathew Leckie con trolled the ball on the right and escaped Lucas Hernan dez before delivering a low ball across the face of goal

OF SECOND...

also hit their own “cor rection” shots to level the playing field. Ultimate ly, every time somebody hits a second chance shot, they’ll just recite “I am hitting a Mulligan” and that’s how it all started.

My regular flight mates Rev Pastor Don don Caminade and child hood friend Raul Cabrera always love to hit those second chance shots; sort of practice shots after hit ting bad ones. Most often, those “correction shots” are perfect, straight and pure that’s why I told them, you just gave me an idea. I will sponsor a tour nament with a unique format, the second shot tournament . The rule is, only the second shots will count but here’s the catch. Even though your first shot is good it will not be counted ; you need to hit a second chance shot to continue, irregardless if it is good or bad shot.. ha haha..What dya think?

for Goodwin to finish into the roof of the net.

Hernandez hurt his right knee trying to stop Leckie, and the Bayern Mu nich defender was helped off to be taken for tests, with his brother Theo com ing on.

The younger Hernan dez did not have the best introduction, giving the ball away and allowing Mitch Duke to hit a shot from range that flew just wide.

Yet he played a part in the 27th-minute equalis er –- Antoine Griezmann’s right-wing corner was cleared but the ball came to Hernandez on the left and his cross was headed in by Rabiot.

Five minutes later Rabiot was involved again as France went ahead, hounding Nathaniel Atkin son out of possession on the French left and playing a one-two with Mbappe be fore teeing up Giroud.

A Jackson Irvine header that hit the post in first-half stoppage time was a re minder that Australia could still threaten, but France ran away with the game af ter the break.

Griezmann had a shot cleared off the line just be fore Mbappe made it 3-1 midway through the sec ond half, as he headed in off a post from Ousmane Dem bele’s cross.

Mbappe then turned provider as France got their fourth in the 71st minute, crossing for Giroud to head in a historic goal.

After all the injuries, and after seeing what hap pened to Argentina earlier, this was a good evening for France but a sobering one for the Socceroos.

“Overall the boys did all they could and that’s all I can ask,” said their coach Graham Arnold.

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they return to the PGA or DP world Series ( Europe an PGA ) ? These journey men does not have a re spectable ranking in the OWGR when they choose to play at the LIV Golf with the hope of earning some living but because of poor showing, they are now in the danger of los ing their chance of play ing golf professionally . Do they deserve a second chance?

The debate will con tinue to go on until the present war on turf will be resolved. Golf stars and upcoming pros in between are enjoying the Prize wars but for the rest belonging to the lower echelon of the field, it will be a battle for survival for their career.

event came from renew able energy, higher by 30 percent on a daily basis average compared to last year.

Now in the profession al golf, a number of golfers who opted to play in the LIV Golf is now in danger of being cut and can’t play anymore in next year’s se ries. The question is, can

How about the young collegiate basketball play er named Amores , is he deserving to be given a second chance to play again ? Came the stone cold question from my golf partner Mikey Princi pe. Well partner, I blurted back. That’s a three punch combination question in which the answer is be yond my pay grade, he hehe.

Giroud equals Henry record as France sink Australia 4-1

Australia took a shock lead at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar with the game just nine minutes old when Craig Goodwin scored.

France, whose buildup to the tournament was marred by injuries, saw left-back Lucas Hernandez

come off hurt in the move that led to the goal.

However, they recov ered to equalise through Adrien Rabiot before Gir oud put them ahead with an easy finish in the 32nd minute for his 50th inter national goal.

Kylian Mbappe got his name on the scoresheet in the second half and Gir oud sealed the win to equal Henry’s record tally of 51 goals for France.

The win leaves them top of Group D after Den mark and Tunisia drew

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN JB - A RARE GEM

0-0.

“It is nice to score four goals, even if we could have had more, and it’s a real ly good start for us,” said France coach Didier Des champs.

At the age of 36, veter

Non pareil.

This is how I personally ac knowledge the attributes of Justin Brownlee as his naturalization as a Filipino is just days away from being enacted in Congress.

Non pareil is a French word meaning “ having no equal” or “in comparable” as a synonym.

Back in the 70s, I saw the first American NBAers (and nonNBAers) who wowed Pinoy bas ketball fans when the PBA intro duced the Reinforced Conference as a “foreign spiced” tournament separate and distinct from the All-Filipino.

I don’t remember all their names now but there were stand outs and lemons among them.

Of course, Billy Ray Bates, Cyrus Mann, Andy Fields, Glen McDonald, Norman Black were outstanding.

Something within told me that JB is a different breed. His court demeanor is genuinely profes sional inside out.

Not because he wears the Ginebra jersey that millions of fans adore him. He is lionized because he dribbles, shoots, re bounds and defends exceedingly well against any opponent.

In short, his coach relies on him to win everytime he is on the court.

JB fully understands his role.

I don’t want to bad mouth nor to put in a bad light the previous

naturalized foreign players who wore the national uniform.

Judging from their perfor mance in the FIBA organized tournaments, I can say that they were found wanting in some re spects.

JB is almost like a natu ral-born Pinoy. The guy is hum ble in his speech and displays no braggadocio in his character.

He simply does what he has to do.

Exactly what we need in Gilas as the country prepares as one of three hosts to stage the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Reports say JB has passed the naturalization process, impress ing Congress legislators of his

genuine desire to become a Fili pino citizen and excellently pre pared - mentally and physically - to don the national colors.

What about Jordan Clarkson, a Utah guard standout onced ad judged as “Sixth Man of the Year?”

Well, it is for Gilas executives and coaches to judge.

What I heard is that JB will be tested come February in the sixth window against Lebanon and Jor dan.

Should he sparkle and lead Gilas to victory would mean that JB could give Gilas management a difficult time to choose between him and JC.

JB is already at home with local PBA stars he plays with

and against. He does not need anymore “lectures” that oth erwise JC needs to familiarize himself with.

This was evident when Gilas fought Jordan the first time and they lost. Gilas’ plays were tenta tive for lack of adequate practice time.

Ginebra mentor Tim Cone, a Gilas deputy, welcomes JB’s entry and is confident his import will deliver come crunch time.

I recall that I have included JB as one of my twelve choices for Gi las in my previous columns.

Hope springs eternal. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIP PINES!

DOHA, Qatar -- Olivier Giroud joined Thierry Henry as France’s all-time leading goalscorer with a brace as the holders roared back to beat Austra lia 4-1 and get their defence of the World Cup off to a flying start Tuesday.

Olivier Giroud of France reacts after the FIFA World Cup 2022 group D soccer match between France and Australia at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, Qatar, 22 November 2022. Friedemann Vogel, EPA-EFE

Of second chance and Mulligans

As the temperature in the ongoing World Cup were raised to fever pitch, the rest of the sporting world came to a halt and stood still. They watched as the greatest show on earth unfolded. “Expect the amazing “ is the slogan for this year’s spectacle in Doha, Qatar and indeed barely two days after it’s opening, amazing things have happened.

gentina suffered a humiliating defeat from the hands,,err..foot of the Saudis literally (ranked 51st,second to last among the qualifiers). As the Saudis and the rest of the Arab world erupted in wild celebration, a deafening silence of disbelief ensued in the world of the Lati nos.

Don’t cry for me Argentina. The weight of the world now is on the shoulders of Lion King Messi . Do they deserved a sec ond chance for redemption? You bet.

Assuming they won’t lose again and at least win or draw the remaining games in their bracket, they might have a chance for second place . But the Poles and the Mexicans are not push over either and the hardest part of them all if ever they’ll make it to the quarters, mighty France is waiting for them. But let’s not get ahead of the story. The important thing is they still have a second chance.

In golf , there is a term they call Mulligan. It’s a second chance shot which is common

FOF SECOND, P10

ly used by amateur golfers. It is not allowed among the pros. Legend have it that back in 1920s, a Canadian hotelier and amateur golfer named David Mulligan started it all. As the story goes, after hitting his ball from the box, the drive went crazy and he didn’t like the result, that’s why he teed up again. ”What are you doing?” says his flight mates. “I am hit ting a correction shot”, he curtly replied. As they progressed, his partners followed his lead, and Saudi Arabia amazed the football world with the un thinkable. Third ranked Ar