Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 246 | Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023

Panabo City court orders Writ of Possession for SIDC landing site

A man repairs a boat near the chosen landing site of the Samal Island-Davao City Connector (SIDC) Project in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) side. Lean Daval Jr

all government projects that would be implemented in Mindanao and in other parts of the country and warned anyone and everyone who wants to put his office in a bad light and use the same for their own self-vested interests. Lean Daval Jr.

COURT ORDER

Panabo City court orders Writ of Possession for SIDC landing site

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch

4 Presiding Judge Gemma Betonio signed on January 20, 2023 the Writ of Possession, which allows the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to take possession of a portion of the property where the landing site of the proposed Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project would be built.

The order, which was rendered on January 19, 2023 by the Panabo City RTC, is also printed on a large billboard and set up in a property in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS).

“DPWH is hereby allowed to take immediate possession, control, and disposition of the subject lot, a portion

NNC 11 recognizes outstanding nutrition awardees in RNAC

Despite the ongoing presence of COVID-19, Davao Region continued to pursue and soar in the Nutrition Program where the Local Government Units have exhibited exemplary performance in the management of their nutrition programs.

with the highest score among the Green Banner Awardees of the Region for three (3) consecutive years. Recipients of the Green Banner represent the best in the region for their performance in the year 2021 based on MELLPI-PRO mechanics.

of 5,700 square meters thereof, identified as lot No.280-C-3, Psd-11050688 situated in Brgy. Limao, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte under the name of Jesus R. Lucas Jr. covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. C-8109 and to start the implementation of the project accordingly,” FCOURT, P10

DavOcc town to soon benefit from Super Health Center

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has led over the weekend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Super Health Center project to be established in Don Marcelino town in Davao Occidental.

The project in Don

Marcelino is among the Super Health Centers in the country which were approved through Senate Bill No. 304 of the 19th Congress. The centers aimed at providing medical access to far-flung barangays and other municipalities and

cities, and at delivering services such as laboratory, birthing facility, pharmacy, outpatient department, dental services, comprehensive PhilHealth out-patient services, and among others.

In his message, Sen. Go emphasized on the impor-

tance of the Super Health Care Centers in extending services to the people, most especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).

“Maningkamot mi’g hatag og serbisyo sa inyo, kay kami nagatuo nga ang FDAVOCC, P10

Recognition is given to awardees on Regional Green Banner, Regional Nutrition Focal Points among Provincial and Municipal Nutrition Action Officers, District/City/Municipal Nutrition Program Coordinators, and Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar.

Local awards such as the Kaugmaon Awards and the Pag-Asa Award are given based on the 2022 Operation Timbang Plus Results Regional Nutritizens Award.

The awards to be given are based on the 2021 performance of the LGUs who participated in the annual Monitoring and Evaluation of Local Level Plan Implementation (MELLPI) PRO in the calendar year 2022 which was conducted by the interagency Regional Nutrition Evaluation Team (RNET) virtually.

The Certificate of Regional Green Banner is given to the province, city, and municipality that has reached the required score range for the Green Banner Category.

LGUs who have reached the Green Banner Level has the opportunity to move on to the crown-level as long as the LGU proclaims

The 2022 Regional Green Banner Seal of Compliance is proudly awarded to the LGU in recognition of the nutrition committee’s exemplary performance in managing the nutrition program of the municipality, thereby contributing to the improvement of the nutritional status of its constituents.

As of 2022, there are two (2) LGUs who are recipients of the Regional Green Banner Seal of Compliance, such as the Province of Davao del Norte who received an average score of 88.7 and Municipality of Maco in Davao de Oro with 93.9.

The Regional Nutrition Committee XI presents the Certificate of Participation to the Province of Davao de Oro, LGU of Island Garden City of Samal and Davao City for supporting and participating in the 2022 MELLPI PRO

The selection of the Regional Nutrition Focal Points are based on the evaluation of documents submitted to the regional level and interview.

Furthermore, the BNS evaluation includes an exam and interview following the prescribed

Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao, together with Tourism Secretary Cristina Frasco, listens to the speeches during the opening of Mindanao Tourism Expo 2023 at SMX Convention Center in Davao City last week. Magno on Wednesday issued a statement to clarify that his office is not

an approving authority in

Davao Or town VM surrenders driver over hit and run incident

Japanese government to fund WTE: EMB 11

An official of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau-Davao Region (EMB) clarified on Monday that the establishment of the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project in Davao City will be funded by the government of Japan and not the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“We would like to correct everyone kay abi man gud nila the WTE is supported by JICA. Ang first feasibility study was conducted by JICA but the funding assistance is from the government of Japan not the JICA,” said Jay Christoffer Bawi-in, chief of EMB 11 Ecological Solid Waste Management Section, during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.

Bawi-in, who is part of the technical group for the processing of the WTE project, said WTE is a P5 billion project wherein the government of the Philippines will provide P3.5 billion while the government of Japan will pro-

vide assistance amounting to P2.5 billion.

Bawi-in said the technical group is still working now as to the papers of the project, it is still pending for the approval at the National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC).

“For the information of everybody WTE is a P5 billion project ug kani gihati sa duha, the government of the Philippines that is P3.5 billion and P2.5 billion from the government of Japan. Once ma-approve na we will go with other permitting requirements and we will support the city government of Davao as to the conduct of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” he said.

JICA in the Philippines was reported issuing a statement that it is “neither funding nor implementing” the proposed WTE facility of the city government of Davao.

This after environmental groups asked JICA last month to divest from Davao City’s WTE project.

By Maya M. Padillo

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Police Regional Office (PRO 11) spokesperson Major Eudisan Gultiano confirmed on Wednesday that the suspect for the hit and run incident in Davao City that killed 21-year-old Ana Mae Talili has surrendered on Tuesday evening, five days after the incident.

Gultiano said Vice Mayor John Paul Lampig of Boston, Davao Oriental surrendered his driver, Jester Yucosing, 40.

Gultiano said the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) has already extracted Yucosing’s extra judicial affi-

davit Tuesday evening.

According to the investigation, Talili was riding a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend on the evening of January 26, 2023. They stopped at the traffic light along Mac Arthur Highway, Tulip Drive when they

were hit by a pick-up vehicle which was apparently beating the red light. Talili suffered serious injuries from the collision and died on the spot.

The vehicle, a Toyota Hi-Lux Conquest, is registered under the name of Vice Mayor Lampig.

“Hindi naman involved is vice mayor because validated naman natin na he was in Iloilo. Before that meron na tayong witness na nagbigay ng information kung sino yung driver and we are just happy at least sinurender ni vice may-

or,” Gultiano said during the AFP PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday.

It can be recalled that former president Rodrigo Duterte offered a P500,000 reward during his “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” television program for those who can give information on the incident.

Gultiano said no charges have been filed yet against Yucosing as they are still facilitating the affidavits of the driver and the

FDAVAO, P10

AllSUCs in Davao Region join the call to ban single-used plastic

All state colleges and universities in Davao Region are now addressing the single-used plastic in their respective campuses, before going out to propagate the practice to the communities.

Dr. Della Grace Bacaltos, professor of the Davao del Sur State Col-

lege said they are now focusing on the single-used plastic and the mangrove management as parts of the Regional Center for Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development’s initial plan for the year 2023.

She said as part of the RCE, they have agreed to conduct the initial plan-

ning in 2023 being one in establishing communities of practice towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

“We have plotted out our activities by having a conference in July where we will be inviting different stakeholders from the academe,

local government units, and people’s organizations where we will be presenting management of plastic wastes and a roadmap for plastic waste management in Davao Region,” Bacaltos said.

She bared that in Davao del Sur, they have

Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) spokesperson Major Eudisan Gultiano announces during this week’s AFP-PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel that the suspect in the hit and run incident in Davao City that killed 21-year-old Ana Mae Talili has surrendered. The suspect, Jester Yucosing, is a driver of Vice Mayor John Paul Lampig of Boston, Davao Oriental. Lean Daval Jr.

BIR studying VAT refund for tourists

Thetax refund for tourists approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is now being studied by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), as it prepares to implement the program, and offset possible lost revenues.

The Philippines collects a 12 percent value-added tax on goods, and the plan is to allow foreigners taking goods purchased in the Philippines home to get a VAT refund. This is similar to what other countries offer, such as Japan.

“Pinag-aaralan pa how we will really implement it. But we will do that, pinag-aaralan ngayon yan. Hopefully in the coming

days magawan natin ng detalyadong policies and regulations tungkol diyan,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said.

On how he plans to offset any possible lost revenues from this pro-tourism initiative, Lumagui said they have several initiatives ongoing.

“Marami tayong ginagawang actions no with respect to our enforcement and also to im-

prove our services to the taxpayers. We believe, or I believe na pag napagaan natin ang transaction diyan sa BIR, definitely people will comply. So the tax compliance of our taxpayers will increase and will also, the corresponding increase in our tax collections will be there.”

Aside from enforcement to close tax leaks and measures to increase the BIR’s efficiency, Lumagui said they will also follow the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028’s recommendation to utilize digital technology to improve processes.

“We are recalibrating our efforts into the digital

transformation program of the Bureau, kasi pinagaralan natin yan, pagkaupo natin nakita natin baka hindi masyadong efficient, That is why we are studying it again, refocusing and we will try to improve on all of our digital services so that because itong digital services na ito mapapagaan ang pag serbisyo namin sa tax payers. Malaking tulong ito sa mga mamamayan para mapadali ang pagbayad ng buwis,” he said.

Lumagui said they will disclose the plans for the tax refund as well as further efforts to digitize processes and improve enforcement soon.

DICT, LGUs partner to boost SIM card registration drive

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has ramped up its subscriber identity module (SIM) registration campaign at the grassroots level by partnering with local government units (LGUs).

Undersecretary Anna

Mae Yu Lamentillo, DICT spokesperson, said several mayors have committed to support the SIM registration by encouraging their constituents and cascading information to communities.

“Just yesterday (Monday), I met with the Association of Chief Executives

of Negros Occidental in the City of Victorias,” Lamentillo said in a statement on Tuesday. With the program now on its second month, she said a lull in SIM registrations is expected, with another surge to come once the April 26 deadline nears.

“That is why our information campaign has been non-stop to encourage people to register now,” she said.

To help address the expected downturn, she said assisted SIM registrations in remote areas have started but not all 169 million

Aranking official of the Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI) is hoping to increase by 8 million its new account holders and clients following its tie-up with international electronic commerce (e-commerce) platform Lazada.

In an interview at the sidelines of the partnership launch on Tuesday, BPI Senior Vice President for Retail Banking Jose Raul Jereza said they do not have specific target on how many clients the bank can have by the end of this year through the partnership.

“Actually, to be honest, I’m happy if I get 10 percent of the 80 (million customers that Lazada currently have),” he said, adding that as Lazada is a digital app, the “potential is limitless.”

Jereza said the tie-up will definitely increase the banks’ capacity to reach out to more people.

“It’s like a (BPI) branch in a city with 80 million people. So, if I get 10 percent of that in one year, that’s huge,” he said, noting the projected increase in transaction will cover all products, such as credit cards and loans.

He said more tie-ups with non-bank entities will be announced within the quarter as BPI hopes to further increase the number of its account holders.

This is aimed at “making banking convenient and not a chore”, he added.

During the event, BPI chief executive officer (CEO) and president Jose Teodoro Limcauco said

they aim to increase the number of their account holders by teaming up with existing business clients that will serve as agent between BPI and potential clients.

He said the partnership with Lazada serves as a big springboard for this goal since although shipping fee is an issue among Lazada customers, especially those in far-flung areas, this is not true for BPI transactions through the app since “ours has no shipping so the penetration is there.”

“I think the success of our products is that it’s so much easier for us to go to Lazada than to go to a branch… where you need to use some transport. Even if you pay PHP1 for a transaction, it’s still cheaper than a pamasahe (transport fare),” he added.

Lazada customers can avail of the bank’s products and services at a fee of PHP1.

Any approved applications, such as for loans, will be coursed through short messaging system (SMS) or e-mail, the bank said.

Limcauco said tapping other business entities is “part and parcel of our strategy to grow our business across.”

He said: “I think when we report our numbers next Monday, people will be very surprised, will be happy with our numbers.”

“This year, 2023, we should improve on this numbers. And our growth will come from new customers, better products, (and) better customer service,” he added. (PNA)

BPI eyes to capture at least 10% of Lazada customers via tie-up

Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI) hopes to increase its new account holders and clients by 8 million following its tie-up with international electronic commerce (e-commerce) platform Lazada. Lean Daval Jr.

DA 13 to develop over 2.1K hectares of durian farm

Consumer spending seen to grow to 5.5% in 2023

Household spending in the Philippines is projected to expand by 5.5 percent this year, slower than the 8.2 percent growth forecast in 2022, the research arm of Fitch Ratings said.

In its report released Tuesday, Fitch Solutions said household income growth will support consumer expenditure in 2023, allowing Filipino households to spend despite the elevated inflation numbers.

“We expect household income growths to outpace consumer price inflation in 2023. This will ensure real income growth and greater potential for consumer spending,” Fitch Solutions said.

The report said its consumer spending forecast is in line with the Philippine economic growth, which is expected to ease from 7.4 percent in 2022 to 5.9 percent this year.

“The slowdown in

TheDepartment of Agriculture in Caraga Region (DA-13) is set to develop 2,154 hectares of durian farms in the region.

sion of the land area for durian production, the DA-13, through the HVCDP is also preparing the durian growers in the region

growth was in line with expectations, but the pace of deceleration was more modest than predicted. Elevated energy prices and tightening monetary policy will result in further deceleration during the forecast period,” it added.

For the medium term, Fitch Solutions forecasted consumer spending to average 5.1 percent annually from 2024 to 2027.

It added consumer confidence, though it remained negative since 2020 amid the pandemic, has shown signs of improvement.

Consumer confidence index stood at -14.6 in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a peak of -54.5 in the third quarter of 2020.

“Consumer confidence has improved in line with the economic recovery from the effects of the pandemic,” Fitch Solutions added.

Employment, household income

In a statement Tuesday, the High-Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) of DA-13 said the move aims to meet and sustain the high demands for fresh durian in the international market, particularly in China.

“Currently, the Caraga region has an existing area of 1,315 hectares devoted to durian production,” the HVCDP said, adding that identified expansion areas

have already been analyzed and found to be suited for the growing of durian fruits.

“The expansion is also in line with the DA’s move to boost the production of durian in the country following the recent state visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to China wherein he was able to secure a USD2 billion fruit export deal,” the HVCDP said.

Aside from the expan-

Emmylou Presilda, DA13 information officer, said some 50 durian growers in the region are now undergoing a three-day training on durian production and marketing opportunities.

The training, which started on Monday, is being facilitated by the Agricultural Training Institute in the Caraga Region with the support of the Bureau of Plant Industry.

“The training aims to capacitate our durian growers, including the agriculture technicians on durian production techniques as well as in the nursery management,” Presilda said.

Local durian growers will also learn good agricultural practices and the protocols for the exportation of durian fruits, she said.

In the same statement on Tuesday, Emmanuel Belviz, president of the Durian Industry Association of Davao City, who also provided support to the training

Solon bats for fuel tax suspension amid fluctuating pump prices

Alawmaker said the temporary provision regarding the automatic fuel tax cut under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law should be made permanent to bring down the cost of fuel and provide instant relief to the Filipino people.

In a statement, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the

TRAIN law’s provisional authority to suspend the fuel excise tax whenever the USD80-price cap is breached ended in 2020.

Villafuerte said the proposed tax suspension aims to shield ordinary Filipinos from “further adversities that may be caused by unforeseen economic downturns.”

“Geopolitical conflicts and other developments in

world markets have been driving up the cost of petroleum products, which, in turn, have jacked up transportation expenses and food prices responsible for the seemingly unending elevated inflation that now threatens to slow the global economy and possibly even lead to recession in most parts of the world,” Villafuerte said.

He cited the Philippine

Statistics Authority (PSA) report that inflation soared to a 14-year record of 8.1 percent last December, the highest since the 9.1 percent clip in 2008 and the ninth consecutive month in 2022 that the pace of commodity price hikes breached the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent set by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

On the Basic Education Report 2023 which contains the state of education in the Philippines and the programs that the Department of Education to improve the quality of education, meet challenges, and solve problems faced by Filipino students:

BILLACURA Sports Editor

“We know that the road will be bumpy, but our direction is clear. We know that the challenges are vast but we, Filipinos, are resilient. We will overcome. We will be STRONG. Towards a Young Country and Young Country.”

Vice President SARA DUTERTE

Whales are associated with compassion and solitude, and knowledge of both life and death.

Whales play special roles in the history and culture of Cadiz City in Negros, Occidental as it is called the City of Whales.

Various murals of whales are scattered on walls of schools along with the centerpiece of the fountain at the city plaza.

Its annual festival “Dinagsa” every last weekend of January was coined after an event that occurred on May 7, 1967 when several whales were stranded along the city’s shores each measuring at least 40 feet long and eight feet tall.

Dinagsa came from a Hiligaynon word “dagsa” meaning to gather together, driftage or to come in groups.

A year later, notorious pirates surprisingly attacked Cadiz on the December 31, 1968.

The city’s version of Ati-Atihan festival begun in 1972 in honor of the patron saint Sto. Nino de Cadiz whom the locals believed to have created miracles protecting the city from the invading pirates. It was only in 2002 that the festival was called “Dinagsa”.

ATTY. DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG PEYUPS

WHALES AS SYMBOLS OF LIFE, DEATH AND HOPE.

The Ati-Atihan street dancing competition basically had the common elements of whales, pirates and Sto.Nino. Ati-atihan means ‘making like Atis,’ that is, pretending to be like the aboriginal natives that once inhabited Negros.

The “Lamhitanay sa Dalan” is one of the unique features of Dinagsa wherein everyone in the street merrymaking smother latex paint on each other’s faces.

With the kaleidoscope of colors, one will be a human canvass of the other festival revelers.

An old painting of Moby-Dick still hangs in our house which I consider as my first encounter with whales.

It was in my literature class at the University of the Philippines (UP) that I made a review of the book “Moby Dick or The Whale” which is an 1851 allegorical classic novel by American writer Herman Melville.

It narrates the quest of Captain Ahab of the whaling ship Pequod for vengeance against Moby Dick, the giant white sperm whale that crippled him on the ship’s previous voyage.

There have been a number

of adaptations of Moby-Dick in various media including the first production in 1926 as a silent film called “The Sea Breast.”

A two-act play by Orson Welles was staged from June 16 to July 9, 1955 in London that starred Christopher Lee.

Some interpret the whale as the powerful force of nature, which humans have long battled and tried to conquer. For Captain Ahab, the white whale symbolizes all that is evil in the world, and therefore, it must be destroyed.

The international coffee chain Starbucks got its name from a character in Moby Dickthe first mate who was the only man aboard the who resists Ahab’s plan to devote the ship’s mission to hunting and killing the White Whale. To Starbuck, the whale would provide oil like any other whale as his line of thinking is that nature is there to be exploited for profit.

In the Extraordinary Attorney Woo Korean drama, the main actress loves whales.

It follows the story of Woo Young Woo, a lawyer with autism spectrum disorder, working at a large famous law firm. The drama depicts her growth

as she solves cases using her remarkable memory and outsideof-the-box thinking.

Rather than a lightbulb, whales occasionally appear via her imagination to bring her comfort or when she has a “Eureka” enlightenment moment.

Her autism characteristic has brought her to a certain fixation with whales as they are able to freely swim in the ocean without any limitations.

Whales also became entangled in the landmark case oddly labeled “Resident Marine Mammals of the Protected Seascape Tañon Strait et. al. V. Secretary Angelo Reyes et al.”(G.R. No. 180771 April 21, 2015).

Collectively referred to as the “Resident Marine Mammals”, the petitioners are the toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other cetacean species, which inhabit the waters in and around the Tañon Strait, a body separating Negros and Cebu.

They are joined by environmental lawyers of Oceana Philippines as their legal guardians and as friends (“the Stewards”) who empathize with, and seek the protection of, the marine species.

Environmental lawyers in-

sisted that the oil exploration harmed the animals and most of them had moved to another location.

The Supreme Court ruled that oil exploration, development and exploitation of resources by Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) in Tañon Strait was unconstitutional by violating laws like the National Integrated Protected Areas System act of 1992.

The Court also ruled that the whales and other sea mammals had no legal personality to sue— however, citizens can sue in their behalf.

The lawyers said that the ruling should serve as a reminder to national agencies to perform their mandates of environment protection, and also protect the rights of the people. This should also deter them from ecologically destructive acts, especially in protected areas like Tañon Strait.

(Peyups is the monicker of Philippine Collegian. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

REEXAMINING DAVAO’S CONQUEST

1848 is a watershed date in local history, and many see this event as more than just the conquest of Davao but also the start of an irrevocable colonial influence in the region.

But the larger aspect of Davao’s subjugation by Spain is another proud moment in Da-vao’s storied past. It is an indirect admission on the part of the Spaniards that it took them 293 years after Manila’s founding before they managed to remove Davao from the grasp of a Maguindanao-inspired polity represented by Datu Bago.

What makes the conquest of Davao exceptional, though achieved with Spanish support, is the fact that it was not an initiative of the colonial administration. Don Jose Oyanguren, who led the expedition, was not a government functionary even if in later accounts he was

given the sobriquet of ‘last Spanish conquistador.’ He was removed as Tondo judge in 1845.

In recent times, judicious historians have dug deep into the ethnologic origin of the Moro people and have stumbled on a yet to be substantiated oral tradition that this group of peo-ple, even before Islam was introduced in Mindanao, was known by other names.

Two theories have slowly gained interest in recent decades, namely: (i) they are Sangils who originated from northern Indonesia, and (ii) they are chiefly Manobos from the Agusan area who resettled via riverine migration to the western side of southern Philippines.

Linguistically, the Manobo languages are extensively dispersed outside the Caraga regions where they are accepted

to have originated. A comparative study of dialects shows a kind of Manobo diaspora in northern and central Mindanao, the littorals of Sultan Kudarat, and the remote areas of Cagayan and Palawan where Manobo dialect is still spoken. Both the Magu-indanao and Manobo tongues, interestingly, are subgroups of the Austronesian languages.

Sangil migration to Sarangani, which can still be reached from the Celebes region by boat using only wind power, has long been documented in many accounts. That answers why there exists in Davao and Gen. Santos a sizeable but dispersed population of Indonesian-blooded settlers. With their Malay features, they can pass up without effort as Filipinos.

On the other hand, the Manobo theory is anchored on the assumption that long

before the Maguindanao identity was even recognized, the Manobo, arguably the second people to populate Besar Maluku (Mindanao’s old moniker) after the Mamanua of Surigao, was al-ready exploring the network of waterways that define the entire island of southern Philip-pines.

In the process of this exploration, the hypothesis goes, the Manobos set up hamlets in are-as where there was an abundance of food. Though most of the small settlements can be de-scribed as stopovers, demographics, intermarriage, and the rise of smaller shelters finally re-sulted in the formation of enduring settlements. Inter-tribal trade and exchange also helped define the growth of the communities which became tribes, and later formed into a polity known as the sultanate.

Theories, however, remain

until contrary evidence is shown to buttress another hypothe-sis. As it is now, the Sangil migration and the Manobo relocation models are conceptually sound and can be adopted as interesting fields for historical research.

If, indeed, the Manobo model is recognized, the identity of Datu Bago as part-Maguindanaoan takes an even more weighty meaning because this would confirm the tradi-tion that the precolonial Manobo was an itinerant people who extensively explored the inner regions using the convenience of a riverine highway that continues to link most of Mindanao to this day.

Beyond theories, the Spanish conquest of Davao reinforces the long-held belief that Min-danao, even until the early American rule, was never occupied under a pure State initiative.

THAT GOOD OLD VINTA BAR REEMERGES

ations for two years due to Covid-19, Vinta Bar is finally back.

Known as one of Davao City’s top-rated places to chill and be entertained, Vinta Bar’s reopening promises a more relax moment after a hard day’s work via its simplified food selection and sumptuous cocktails and drinks.

After more than a year of closures, attempted reopenings, and officially returned operations, Davao City’s popular watering holes are starting to find their footing again including Vinta Bar of the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao (WIHD).

After suspending oper-

Waterfront Insular Davao’s new general manager Ali Banting personally welcomed Davao media, influencers, and bloggers on its reopening and made us taste the new dishes and drinks that they will serve to their customers.

Shed off the day’s stress by keeping calm and sip Vinta Bar’s cocktail specials like the Muscat Grape

Basil Balmy, a concoction of lemon, vodka, martini dry, grape syrup, and mint; Mint Watermelon Zingy, a combination of lemon, white rhum, Campari, and watermelon; and Kiwi Rosemary Brisk of lemon, vodka, tequila, Kiwi syrup,

and Rosemary. For the beer and wine drinkers, you won’t go wrong with the Apo craft beer and the Bulletin (Moscato and Cabernet Sauvignon).

Add joy to your life with the bar’s week promotion: Monday - Mojito Monday (buy one take one on all Mojitos); Tuesday - Two’s (buy one take one on all glasses of wine); Wednesday - Whisky

Wednesday (buy two take one on all whisky shots); Thursday - Thirst days (two plus one on all local beers); and Friday - Long Friday (buy two take one on all long cocktails).

Yes, nights with friends are now about to get more exciting with the reopening of Vinta Bar.

It’s refreshing to see businesses reopening after a long time of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Learn Salesforce to land a rewarding info tech job

Here’s something you don’t hear often. A Salesforce (SF) bootcamp was held over the weekend for those who want to learn and launch a career in SF, whether they’re fresh graduates or professionals already familiar with the software. And, the bootcamp is for free.

The SF Seminar & Bootcamp was conducted by property technology company Poplar Homes last January 28 to 29, 2023, at its offices in RGBirrey Architectural Building, San Rafael, Davao City. Intended to

find talents that can pursue an SF career in Poplar, the bootcamp gathered about 30 professionals and fresh graduates from local universities in the city.

“Learning Salesforce is a challenge because it’s not offered in Davao universities, and SF professionals are not common compared to other tech stacks like web development. So it’s difficult to find talents with the background or experience,’’ said Emman Flores, Salesforce Lead of Poplar Homes.

Flores said that they

have been searching for SF talents locally but barely met their recruitment needs. So they pivoted their approach in hiring and conducted the Salesforce Seminar & Bootcamp, a 2-day training activity for IT professionals who want to transition to Salesforce and for fresh graduates exploring career tracks in IT.

‘’Our goal is to find potential talents and train them on Salesforce. From this homegrown pool of trainees, those that will excel and pass the technical test will be offered a job as

SF developer in our company,’ added Flores. This is the 2nd bootcamp conducted by Poplar Homes after the first one last year, and it is not the last. They intend to hold it every quarter as their need for SF professionals grows as their company scales with more acquisitions and expansion across the United States.

So what happens after the training? Those who finish the course and ace the coding challenge will proceed to a one-week Intensive Salesforce Bootcamp. As before, this is free training but this time the participants will be paid a training allowance. Those who successfully finish this bootcamp will be offered a Salesforce Developer position in Poplar Homes.

What’s more interesting is that as long as one is interested to learn SF, anyone can participate even if they are not a student or graduate of Computer Science or any other course. Flores

confirmed that one does not have to have an IT background to join their training.

‘’Of course, you’ll have an edge if you have a tech background because you’d know how to code and program and are familiar with the technology and terminology. But even if you don’t, you can still join as long as you’re willing to learn and you can showcase your potential,’ said Flores.

Poplar Homes is hoping to hire five to 10 qualified participants in this batch alone. There are plans to conduct more bootcamps this year as their Engineering team is continually hiring, not only for Salesforce but also for full-stack engineers, data engineering, User Experience (UX), and other IT positions.

The Salesforce software is used by around 150,000 companies from various industries across the globe, including many of the biggest companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Toyota. Its CRM

software keeps track of customer interactions and sales data, making it transparent and shared, knocking down data silos between teams. This makes the company more efficient and effective in creating better customer experiences which in turn helps scale their business.

‘’Salesforce is not that common but it’s very in demand here and abroad. There are a lot of career paths in Salesforce, from being a developer, to an administrator, or an SF architect. It is truly a rewarding career choice.

‘’If you’re interested to learn Salesforce and want to have a rewarding career in tech, I urge you to join one of our next Salesforce Bootcamp & Seminar. Secure your spot now by signing up for the waitlist for the next training at https: //bit.ly/ SFBootcampWaitlist. We’ll also announce it on our social media channels and in job fairs, so watch out for it,’ concluded Flores.

UnionBank techs up Tagbilaran Bohol MSMEs with PalengQRPH

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) recently expressed its continued support for the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by joining the launch of PalengQRPH at the Tagbilaran Market in Tagbilaran City, Bohol last January 10.

The move is part of UnionBank’s efforts to help Filipino entrepreneurs digitize their business and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the digital economy. This is also part of the Bank’s commitment to helping the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) promote digital payments in the country.

A joint program of the BSP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, inspired by a project developed by a group of students from

the University of the Philippines - Los Baños in 2021, PalengQRPH “aims to build the digital payments ecosystem in the country by promoting cashless payments in public markets and local transportation,” according to the BSP.

The launch of PalengQRPH Plus at the Tagbilaran Market will facilitate the wider adoption of digital payments there, allowing vendors to transact with customers without wor-

rying about always having loose change ready. At the same time, shoppers will enjoy convenient transactions without the need to bring cash with them.

Taking its cue from the BSP’s directive for QRPH to enhance digital transactions between customers and businesses, UnionBank’s MSME Business Banking app is one of the first to activate the person to merchant transaction (P2M) feature. Aside from

the person-to-person (P2P) transactional features that are common with other digital banking apps, this feature is meant to enhance and elevate the digital transaction experience of small businesses and micro entrepreneurs

like the Tagbilaran market vendors.

“No matter how big or small their business is, every entrepreneur plays a vital role in fueling our country’s economic growth. This is why we continue to support them

through programs like this,” said Jaypee Soliman, UnionBank’s SME and Micropreneurs Segment Head. “At UnionBank, we believe that inclusive prosperity can be achieved if we all work together, just like with PalengQRPH.”

ALL... FROM 3

already talked with Digos City Mayor Josef Fortich-Cagas about the possible banning of single-used plastic in the community through the formulation of local legislation and lobbying of an ordinance to stop the single-used plastic in local trades.

Bacaltos said all state colleges and universities in Davao Region are expected to come up with their study about single-used plastic

DICT... FROM 4

active mobile subscribers

are expected to register.

“We expect that those SIM cards which were used in scams, cybercrimes and the like would not be registered and there are subscribers who would opt not to register for personal rea-

DA... FROM 5

of the local durian growers, confirmed the growing demand for durian in the world market.

“The growing demand

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it said.

The property of the Lucas family is being chosen for the alignment of the SIDC project.

It can be recalled that the Lucas-Rodriguez fami-

DAVOCC... FROM 2

serbisyo sa katawhan, serbisyo kana sa Ginoo (We are doing our best to provide you services, because we believe that serving the people is also serving the Almighty),” stated the Senator who was with Vice-Governor Lorna Bautista Bandigan and oth-

protocols as stipulated in the guidelines provided by NNC Central Office.

The regional winners have received a Certificate/ Trophy as Regional Nutrition Focal Point and cash award as follow: Regional Outstanding PNAO of 2022 will receive P35,000.00, Regional Outstanding MNAO of 2022 will receive P30,000.00, Regional Outstanding Provincial Nutrition Program Coordinator of 2022 will receive P25,000.00, Regional Outstanding City Nutrition Pro-

DAVAO... FROM 3

witness. “We will be filing reckless imprudence, may kasama pa si Talili, yung boyfriend niya and damage to

ly, owner of Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort and Costa Marina Beach Resort in Samal, stressed that they supported the SIDC project but is appealing to the DPWH to for the realign-

er local chief executives during the groundbreaking rites.

Meanwhile, Sen. Go also distributed relief goods, food packs, face masks, vitamins and clothes to 500 beneficiaries in Don Marcelino.

Some of the residents

gram Coordinator of 2022 will receive P25,000.00, and the Regional Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) will receive P20,000.00

The Island Garden City of Samal of Davao del Norte has been conferred as the 2022 Kaugmaon Awardee, where Mayor Al David Uy received the award.

The Pag-Asa Award is given to an LGU in recognition of its notable achievement with regard to achieving the highest average reduction in

property kasi may motorcycle na nasira. And we will be trying also kung may makuha tayong elements of obstruction of justice sa

ment of the bridge as not to destroy the Paradise Reef.

As of this writing, Edge Davao is still awaiting comment from lawyer Julito Sarmiento, who represents the Rodriguez family.

also received bicycles, watch, mobile phones and caps from the Senator.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development in the region also distributed financial assistance to the beneficiaries. (PIA-XI/Franchette Delfin)

malnutrition among preschool children based on Operation Timbang Plus Results.

NNC-XI has repackaged this local award to recognize the lowest prevalence rates of stunting, wasting, underweight, and overweight/obese based on OPT Plus Results on an annual basis to recognize good performance in terms of having the lowest prevalence rates at the provincial, city and municipal levels. (PIA-XI/Edith Isidro/ Franchette Delfin)

to include information dissemination and behavioral change.

“We need to change the mindset of the people, to be able to be mindful of the plastic waste management, as part of their lifestyle the reducing or recycling of plastic wastes,” she said.

Bacaltos stressed the single-used plastic is a plenty in the environment which causes

sons,” she said.

As of Monday, data showed 27,349,056 SIM cards have already been registered or 16.19 percent of the 168,977,773 million active subscribers.

Smart Communications reported a total of 14,014,800 registered SIM

for durian is expected to drive global trade growth for the durian industry, with the demand expected to reach USD28 billion by

CONSUMER... FROM 5

The research group said the country’s strong labor market has been a major driver of consumer spending expansion last year, which is expected to continue this year.

“Many markets have boasted significantly strong labor markets post-Covid (coronavirus disease 2019), driven by rapid economic recoveries, both locally and globally. Additionally, gov-

SOLON... FROM 5

He stressed the need to find a “surefire way” to cushion the economic impact on ordinary Filipino consumers of the fluctuating fuel prices, noting that the most feasible means to do this is through the permanent suspension of the excise tax imposed on petroleum products whenever the global rate hits the TRAIN-set threshold of USD 80 per barrel over a three-month period.

“This is the best way for Malacañan Palace and the 19th Congress to take the edge off the economic shock inflicted on our consumers by the nev-

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cure victory for the Lakers after draining a 25-foot three-pointer with 1min 41sec remaining in the fourth to put Los Angeles ahead by 114-108.

But Knicks ace Jalen Brunson, who finished with 37 points, led a late rally to force overtime at 114-114.

- Bucks, Nuggets win -

The experience of James, Davis and Westbrook proved too much for New York in overtime however.

flooding from time to time whenever they clog the egresses of water and they are also abundant in the coastal environment. She said people now have to consider the ridge to reef approach because whatever plastic waste thrown from the ridge area, would find themselves leading towards the coastal areas. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

cards or 20.61 percent of its 67,995,734 subscribers; Globe Telecom 11,160,915 registered or 12.7 percent of its 87,873,936 subscribers; and DITO Telecommunity 2,173,341 registered or 16.58 percent of its 13,108,103 subscribers. (PNA)

2025,” Belviz said. The HVCDP said the agency will start its expansion program in the Caraga Region early this year. (PNA)

ernments have been very supportive of local labor markets, resulting in significantly tight markets that have pushed up nominal wages,” Fitch Solutions said.

For the full year of 2023, Fitch Solutions projected the unemployment rate to settle at 5.4 percent.

“Remittances are an important source of income for many households

er-ending rise in the cost of living, especially now when Filipinos are barely recovering from the almost three-year global economic and health crises caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

The excise tax is currently pegged at PHP10 per liter of regular and unleaded premium gasoline and PHP6 per liter of diesel, he noted.

“Add to this the VAT (value added tax) of 12 percent, and anyone could see how taxes have resulted to the hefty increase not only in the price of fuel itself but also in the cost of other

set up Davis for a dunk to make it 123-118.

Hachimura then came up with a huge defensive block to deny Brunson before a Westbrook layup put the Lakers seven points clear at 125-118 with just over a minute remaining, a lead which proved too much for the Knicks to overhaul.

ibang angle. Hopefully, ito ay makapagbigay ng hustisya sa pamilya ng biktima,” she said.

A three-pointer from Dennis Schroder put Los Angeles up 121-118 with 3:14 remaining, and then a superb assist by Westbrook

In other games on Tuesday, Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 34 points and 18 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks overpowered the Charlotte Hornets 125-115.

Khris Middleton added 18 off the bench while

in the Philippines, and the demand for overseas Filipino workers continues to increase globally. In particular, there is a demand for Filipino workers skilled in jobs related to medical and health services, construction and housekeeping,” the report read.

However, it cited several risks to this income over the year that are mostly related to rising inflation across the world. (PNA)

goods that rely on fuel for their production and/or transportation,” he said.

He said the retail cost of gasoline and diesel went up by PHP1.30 and PHP1 per liter, respectively, on Tuesday, the third successive upward adjustment in pump prices this January.

Prior to this week’s round of adjustment, a monitoring report of the Department of Energy (DOE) showed that prices since the start of January already logged per liter net increases of PHP5.90 for gasoline and PHP2.05 for diesel. (PNA)

Jrue Holiday finished with 15 points as five Bucks players finished in double-digits.

Milwaukee improved to 34-17 with the win to remain in second place in the Eastern Conference. LaMelo Ball led the Charlotte scoring with 27 points.

In Cleveland, Jimmy Butler’s 23 points helped the Miami Heat score a hard-fought 100-97 win over the Cavaliers.

A game that saw the lead change hands 11 times also ended with three Miami players –- Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro -– on 18 points each.

James triple-double sparks Lakers victory over Knicks

NEW YORK -- LeBron James scored a 28-point triple-double as the Los Angeles Lakers dug deep to score a 129123 overtime win against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

James is now just 89 points away from surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer after another superb performance

in his 20th season. The 38-year-old passed two more milestones on Tuesday as he secured the third triple double of his career at Madison Square

Garden.

James finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, moving him ahead of both Mark Jackson and Steve Nash into fourth on the all-time rankings for assists.

James’ first triple double of the 2022-2023 campaign also makes him the only player in history to

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

News is swirling around the sports community that Tokyo Olympics gold medal winner Hidilyn Diaz and world gymnastics champion Carlos Yulo, the country’s best bets to secure golds in their respective events, may not be seeing action in Cambodia this May.

This is because Olympic qualifying tournaments for weightlifting and gymnastics are going to be held at the same period

Gymnastics association president Cynthia Carrion however clarified that Yulo will take part in the world championships in

score a triple-double in their 20th season.

The Lakers star was backed by Anthony Davis with 27 points and new signing Rui Hachimura, who finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Russell Westbrook added 17 points off the bench.

“We played good ball throughout 48 minutes

tonight,” James said afterwards.

“We were in tune with the game plan throughout 48 minutes and we did a good job of executing offensively and defensively.”

James meanwhile insisted he was not burdened by chasing down Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record -- stating bluntly that it

DIAZ, YULO MAY MISS CAMBODIA SEAG

Antwerp, Belgium instead of the Hangzhou Asian Games which will be held in overlapping dates in September.

The Belgium event is the qualifying tournament for next year’s Summer Olympics in Paris where Yulo can vindicate his name after failing to snatch a gold in Tokyo..

Quite naturally, Yulo, assured Carrion, will take part in the Cambodia SEAG but will not be around in the Asian Games because the world championships are more important contests.

Diaz, a four-time Olympian, is already peaking up in her prepa-

rations for the qualifiers where she will move up to the 55 kg event. Pinoys are expecting the Zambo native to qualify for the Paris Olympics and repeat her Tokyo feat. The Cambodia SEAG is in conflict with the Olympic qualifier Diaz will take part in..

PSC chairman Richard Bachmann rues these developments because Diaz not only is a sure gold medal winner in Cambodia. Her physical presence also inspires and greatly motivates her fellow Pinoy athletes to give their best despite the odds.

The Philippines placed fourth

in the 2022 Vietnam joust with just 52 golds, so that the absence of Diaz will lessen the country’s gold medal production.

In Cambodia, Yulo and company are not expected to bring home the bacon. Strong opposition will come from reigning SEAG champion Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and even the tiny citystate of Singapore, not necessarily in this order.

The SEAG serves only as a basic training ground and competition standard for potential Asian Gamers and Olympic hopefuls.

Yulo is the defending SEAG

was only a “matter of time” before he passed the mark of 38,387 points.

“No, it’s not getting heavier because I’m going to do it,” James said.

“I mean, it’s just a matter of time when I’m going to do it.”

James had looked to have done enough to se-

FJAMES, P10

champion in the men’s all around artistic, vault, artistic rings, artistic horizontal bars and artistic floor exercise.

The positive note is that there are several others waiting in the wings who may prove their capability as replacement for Diaz. They will be the new discoveries who are certainly motivated to follow her Olympic journey.

The turnover of Pinoy talents should be a regular development if Philippine sports is to move up a notch higher. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

Lakers stars Lebron James, Russell Westbrook and head coach Darvin Ham (R) look on during the first half against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 28 January 2023. CJ Gunther, EPA-EFE.

SMASHING START

Pinoy para chessers topple Czechs in round 2 to go 2-0

After beating powerhouse Uzbekistan in the opening round, the Philippines’ para woodpushers made it two wins in a row by beating yet another chess giant in Czech Republic, 2.5-1.5 in Round 2 on Wednesday in the first FIDE Chess Olympiad for People with Disabilities in Belgrade, Serbia.

Top board player and Asean Para Games gold medalist FIDE Master Sander Severino downed Milan Orsag while Dabawenyo Arena Grandmaster NM Henry Lopez, NM Darry Bernardo and Asean Para Games gold medalist Cheyzer Crystal Mendoza all settled a draw.

Lopez tied with Milan Babula while Bernardo and Mendoza had a draw with Vit Vaclav and Anna Ryvova, respectively.

The Filipinos will next be gping up against host country Serbia.

Earlier in the first round, the Philippines opened their campaign with a shocking win over Uzbekistan, 3.5-0.5.

Severino beat Sirojiddin Zaynidinov in Board 1 while Lopez crushed Sandorbek Mamarajabov in Board 2. Bernardo shaded Marsel Shayusupov in Board 3 while Mendoza settled a draw with Axadxon Kimsanboyev in Board

4.

Uzbekistan is the reigning World Chess Olympiad champion just last year in Chennai, India.

“Beating their PWD National Team gave us huge confidence going to our 2nd round against powerhouse Czech Republic’s all Masters line-up,” said Dabawenyo head coach NM James Infiesto.

Host country Serbia downed Croatia, 2.5-1.5 while top-favorites Poland and Israel defeated Germany and Venezuela respectively in similar, 3-1 victories.

Infiesto thanked the support from Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachmann and Commissioner Walter Torres, Philippine Paralympic Committees president Michael Barredo, Executive Director Tricia Biglete Rana and National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Prospero Pichay, Jr.

The Philippines’ Chess Paralympiad team led by head coach James Infiesto (left, standing).