Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 299 | Wednesday, April 5, 2023

INDIGENT FUND

Rep. Pulong eyes creation of P10-B fund for indigent cancer patients

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and two other legislators have proposed for the creation of a P10 billion fund for indigent cancer patients.

In a press statement, Duterte, along with Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Edvic Yap, said their proposal outlined in the House Bill (HB) 7687 aims to strengthen the existing cancer assistance fund mandated under the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (Republic Act 11215).

The proponents pointed out that despite the enactment of RA 11215 and the creation of this assistance fund, cancer patients from low-income households continue to bear the financial burden of their medical care and treatment.

According to the bill, the Phil-

PRO 11 deploys 7K security personnel for Holy Week

At least 7,000 security forces will be deployed around the Davao Region to ensure the safety of the public during the observance of the Holy Week, an official said Monday.

ippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) will administer the proposed P10 billion Cancer Medicine and Treatment Fund through its accredited government hospitals.

“The program shall be limited to indigent and underprivileged cancer patient beneficiaries to be identified by PhilHealth in close coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department

FINDIGENT, P10

DLPC assures no power shortage during summer A

n official of the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) assured on Monday that Davao City will not be experiencing power shortage in the coming months specially during summer.

“Davao City will not experience any shortages in the coming months specially summer

months. We are safe. Varying any of course mga incidences that may cause our supply to be disrupted but other than that we won’t be experiencing any shortages,” said Rodger Velasco, president and chief operating officer of DLPC during the Kapihan sa PIA at DLPC.

Velasco explained that there

may be emergency interruptions that may cause power interruptions.

“Those are emergency interruptions that are beyond our control. May nabaling poste, foreign objects perching our lines,” he said.

Velasco cited DLPC’s partic-

Major Eudisan Gultiano, Police Regional Office-Davao (PRODavao) spokesperson, said the number of security personnel consists of 3,700 police officers, 330 augmented personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and 3,000 force multipliers, including village watchmen.

Their main task is to keep the public safe, particularly the commuters, churchgoers and tourists visiting the region this week, she said.

Gultiano noted the security personnel would be deployed to 304 places of worship, 140 thoroughfares, 70 transportation hubs, 165 commercial areas and 292 places of convergence across the region.

Brigadier General Alden Delvo, PRO-Davao director, said the security personnel would do their best “to ensure a peaceful and orderly observance of Holy Week.”

He reminded passengers commuting at public and private terminals to come early and to avoid wearing expensive jewelries.

In Davao City, Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of

FPRO 11, P10

Davao IPs get P2.9M worth of agri projects

An Indigenous People’s (IP) group in Paquibato District here received PHP2.9 million worth of agriculture support from the Department of Agriculture in Davao Region (DA-11) over the weekend.

In a statement Monday, DA-11 Director Abel James Monteagudo said the Lolopongan To Mog Igbuyag To Pog-uyan To Ingod Inc. (LIPI) received the financial support through the agency’s Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4K) program.

goat shed, and PHP459,000 farmhouse.

Monteagudo underscored the importance of the tribe’s “consistent and strong support” to the programs and projects of the agency for the development of the agri sector, especially in the hinterlands.

“We at DA commit to inclusivity in all our initiatives in the department. We believe that with the strengthened partnership between the government and the IP communities, we can have an empowered and productive farming communities especially here in FDLPC, P10 FDAVAO, P10

The aid consisted of a PHP1.33-million agricultural water system, PHP1.15-million

Personnel of the Search and Rescue Unit of the Philippine Air Force prepare their rubber boat along the shores of Barangay Kaputian in Samal Island, Davao del Norte on Monday, 03 April 2023. The unit will be deployed in the neighboring Talikud Island for the Holy Week. MindaNews Photo

Guv calls for immediate cessation of Nordeco’s operation, favors DLPC

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib called on Tuesday for the immediate termination of the operation of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) and implored that Davao

Jubahib delivered the statement in an indignation rally against Nordeco on April 4, 2023 at DavNor Sports and Tourism Complex, Tagum City, which was attended by a coalition of concerned citizens, community organizations, and local leaders from District 1 of Davao del Norte.

“Today, I am issuing a powerful, unequivocal statement demanding the immediate cessation of Nordeco’s operations, which have been marred by incompetence, negligence, and a blatant disregard for the well-being of the people of Davao del Norte. I implore Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC) to step in, take over, and provide the quality service our province so desperately needs,” Jubahib said.

This was the third protest rally conducted against Nordeco. Last month, consumers and the business sector in parts of Davao

del Norte and Davao de Oro provinces held a motorcade to push for the passage of a law that will transfer their areas’ electricity distribution to private firm DLPC citing the continued inefficient service and high rates of Nordeco.

The local government of the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) also staged a rally against the said electric cooperative.

“Nordeco has failed us time and time again, consistently demonstrating an inability to reduce system loss, increase collection efficiency, and improve service for our suffering member-consumer-owners. Despite repeated appeals from local government units, concerned citizens, and business groups, Nordeco has made little progress in addressing the issues that have plagued our communities for far too long. Their sham of a coop-

Light and Power Company (DLPC) to step in.

Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) spokesperson Major Eudisan Gultiano says at least 7,000 security forces will be deployed around the Davao Region to ensure the safety of the public during the observance of the Holy Week. Lean Daval Jr.

FGUV, P10

Moody’s Analytics sees March inflation at 8.4%

Moody’s Analytics expects domestic inflation rate to have slowed to 8.4 percent last March from 8.6 percent in February partly on the decline of global oil prices and recovery of crop harvests.

Moody’s Analytics economist Sarah Tan told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that while the drop in oil prices and improvement in supply of some agricultural products have improved relative to the situation last year, “prices of key food items and utility bills are keeping inflation hot.”

“The almost twofold year-on-

year increase in prices of red onions, a staple in Filipino cuisine, are getting households tearyeyed. Further, households are starting to bear the brunt of higher electricity rates with the one of the country’s main utilities, Meralco (Manila Electric Company), hiking their tariffs in March,” she said.

The deceleration of infla-

tion rate is expected to boost the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) policy rate setting.

Tan said “should the inflation readings reflect a consistent downward path, and one that is sizeable, that could give the BSP confidence to pause their rate hike rally.”

“Otherwise, we should expect the BSP to pull harder on the brakes until the inflation train is unambiguously slowing,” she added.

Last March, BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) hiked the central bank’s key rates by 25

Ensure InstaPay, PESONet services during Holy Week: BSP tells banks

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said on Tuesday its supervised financial institutions or banks must provide continued PESONet and InstaPay services to consumers even during the Holy Week holidays.

InstaPay is a realtime online fund transfer for transactions below P50,000 while PESONet, an alternative to checks, is for funds above P50,000 which usu-

ally takes 1 banking day to be processed.

“In a memorandum dated 30 March 2023, the BSP said BSFIs must ensure the uninterrupted availability of their contact channels—including hotlines, emails, and chatbots—to receive consumer concerns,” the central bank said.

“The BSP issued the reminder in anticipation of the public’s continued use of digi-

Airbnb sees 400% growth in searches for Philippine stays during summer

Online rental platform Airbnb reported an almost 400% growth in searches for stays in the Philippines during the summer season, with the country fully easing restrictions for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Airbnb, searches in the past year for check-ins between March 1, 2023 to April 30, 2023 surged from the same period last year amid the rebound in travel across the country especially during the peak season.

ence the richness of Philippine culture, and enjoy world-renowned Filipino hospitality, is extremely amazing,” Airbnb General Manager for Southeast Asia Amanpreet Bajaj said in an emailed statement.

“It means more tourism dollars flowing into more communities, which in turn supports more local businesses and jobs. We are committed to working closely with the government and industry stakeholders to support and further drive travel as it returns,” he added.

tal payments over the holidays and long weekends. This is in line with the central bank’s broader efforts to promote financial consumer welfare,” it added.

Banks were also instructed to ensure concerns regarding online transactions would be immediately addressed.

Both InstaPay and PESONet are part of the BSP’s National Retail Payment System (NRPS).

Santa Maria in Bulacan was the most searched city among Filipino travelers for the summer. It was followed by Malay in Aklan, Baguio City, Cebu City, and Pasay City.

Manila was the most searched for international travelers, followed by Cebu City, Malay, and El Nido in Palawan.

“The enthusiasm among Filipinos and international travelers alike to visit the country’s amazing beaches, experi-

In terms of bookings by Filipino users, Airbnb said the United States was the most booked overseas destination in 2022, followed by Canada, Japan, Korea, and Thailand.

The most booked cities overseas were Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Toronto.

Airbnb said most Filipinos traveled mostly in pairs, while group travel bookings jumped by nearly 180% year-on-year.

A Philippine Airlines aircraft flies over Buhangin area in Davao City. The airline said it was hitting about 95-percent pre-pandemic capacity during the Holy Week break as Filipinos traveled to local and international destinations. Lean Daval Jr.

FMOODY’S, P10

PH economy seen to grow 6% in ‘23 despite elevated inflation, says ADB

PH manufacturing score in March 3rd highest in ASEAN

The S&P Global Philippines Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reported that the country’s manufacturing sector continued to post improvement in March with a score of 52.5, the third highest in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

In its report released Monday, the country’s manufacturing PMI last month was slightly lower than the 52.7 index in February this year.

S&P Global said despite the slowdown in manufacturing score, the domestic sector still indicated a historically strong improvement in operating conditions.

“The first quarter of 2023 concluded on a solid note, with a further expansion reported across the Filipino manufacturing sector, according to the latest PMI data. Both output and new orders rose at historically strong rates,” S&P Global Market Intelligence economist Maryam Baluch said. Baluch said firms raised their purchasing activity to keep up with the increasing sales.

“However, operating conditions improved at the slowest pace in seven months partly due to the softer rise in production and stocks of purchases, and with

The Philippine economy is expected to grow moderately at 6 percent in 2023 despite elevated inflation, which is slower than the above-target outturn in 2022, the Asian Development Bank said on Tuesday.

a second month of job shedding weighing on the headline index,” she added.

The PMI report also noted that inflationary pressure among factories softened in March but shortages in raw materials, higher energy prices and delays in delivery have kept operating costs elevated.

“Despite a slight slowdown, March data revealed pressures on inflation and supply chains easing. Operating expenses rose at the slowest pace in 27 months, while the incidence of delays was among the weakest since the current sequence of deterioration in vendor performance began in August 2019,” Baluch said.

Meanwhile, the report said Philippine-based manufacturing companies were optimistic in their output growth for the next 12 months.

“Business confidence across the sector remained upbeat, as strong demand conditions buoyed optimism in the outlook for future output,” Baluch added. The manufacturing PMI measures the health of the sector by giving a score of above 50 to improving manufacturing conditions, while scores below 50 reflect deterioration of the sector.

(PNA)

Recovery in retail trade, expansion in the manufacturing sector and public infrastructure spending are likely to support the growth, according to the Asian Development Outlook report released by ADB.

However, the looming slowdown in major economies, heightened political tensions and sticky inflation remain as risks to the gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the report said.

The country’s GDP is seen to

grow further to 6.2 percent in 2024, the Manila-based multilateral lender said.

“The Philippines will grow at its potential this year and next and is on track toward its goal to become an upper middle-income country,” said ADB Philippines Country Director Kelly Bird.

Economic managers have said the Philippines could become an upper-middle-income country by 2024. The feat could have been achieved earlier if

there was no disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had said.

Inflation, meanwhile, is expected to remain high at 6.2 percent in 2023 before easing to 4 percent average by 2024, the ADB said. This is in line with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ estimate of 6 percent average this year and below the 2 to 4 percent target in 2024.

Both the ADB and the BSP expect inflation to start easing in the second half of 2022 as monetary policy tightening takes effect and as global commodity prices ease.

The BSP earlier raised the benchmark interest rate to 6.25 percent as inflation remain above

FECONOMY, P10

PH broadband speed accelerates; mobile speed dips in Feb.: Ookla

The country’s internet speed saw mixed movements in February as fixed broadband speed saw further improvement while mobile speed declined slightly during the period, according to the latest figures released by global speed monitoring firm Speedtest by Ookla.

The latest Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed the country’s fixed broadband download median speed rose

to 90.03 megabits per second (Mbps) from the 88.13 Mbps registered in the previous month.

The February fixed broadband download also represents an improvement of 18.95% since the Marcos administration began in July 2022.

Meanwhile, mobile median download speed slightly dipped as the country yielded a download speed of 24.58 Mbps from 24.59 Mbps in January.

In a statement, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) said that ensuring the improvement of internet speed remains a priority as the country fast-tracks its digitization.

“We are also happy that Elon Musk’s Starlink is also now available in the country to give Filipinos in underserved and unserved areas fast and reliable internet,” said NTC Commission-

Commerce and Industry, Inc. (DCCCII) president Carlo John Tria shares during this week’s Kapihan sa PIA at the Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) corporate along C. Bangoy Street in Davao City the investment outlook of Davao City anchored on the booming sector of the micro small medium enterprises (MSMEs). Lean Daval Jr.

In assuring that Davao City will not be experiencing power shortage in the coming months:

“Davao City will not experience any shortages in the coming months specially summer months. We are safe. Varying any of course mga incidences that may cause our supply to be disrupted but other than that we won’t be experiencing any shortages.”

RODGER VELASCO

Davao Light and Power Corporation, President and Chief Operating Officer

The recent public transport strike in Metro Manila has evoked fears the iconic jeep popu-larly associated with names like Sarao and Francisco, may be heading to the museum display shelves. Simply said, the public transport that has become a part of being a Filipino and the face of Philippine tourism is on the way out.

Be that as it may, the jeep also reminds us of its predecessor, the AC jeep (a play on ‘gen-eral purpose’), so named after the post-liberation, 10-seater auto calesa that was the king of Davao City roads, chiefly serving major roads and population centers. Some of the owners formed themselves into a group known as Davao Auto Calesa Operators Association (DA-COA), and listed one of its directors Gaudencio Antonino, who later became a senator.

(The Spanish-era Miguel

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA

THE GLORY THAT WAS AC

de Legazpi Street in Davao City, now Pantaleon Pelayo Sr., was renamed Gaudencio Antonino in 1968 under Davao City Council Resolution No. 542. Three years later, it changed to its present named in 1971 under Davao City Council Resolution No. 503.)

The auto calesa dates its provenance to the Spanish period when the horsedrawn kalesa (from the Spanish ‘calesa’) was introduced in the islands in the 1700s as a form of public and private conveyance system, especially in the transport of goods.

When the Americans arrived and brought along cheap automobiles, the name ‘auto cale-sa,’ in reference to the mechanized vehicles imported to the country as taxis, began to be used in the 1910s. At the time, riding the taxicab for an hour cost a commuter two pesos or half a US dol-

lar.

In the 1930s, American jeepneys were converted to modified cars with attached carriages that were initially introduced as cheap passenger utility transport in Manila and outside. Lat-er, successful Filipino entrepreneurs and expatriates joined the new industry. Most of these vehicles, however, were destroyed as a result of the war.

After the conflict, jeepneys, chiefly modified from thousands of unusable jeeps left by the American soldiers, started plying the Manila streets. It was only in 1953 when a former kutsero (from Spanish ‘cochero,’ or calesa driver) Leonardo Sarao, of Cavite, finding business opportunity in abandoned jeepneys for use in mass transport, formed Sarao Motors. This la-bel that has since been associated with what is now the world-renowned Filipino

jeepneys.

The first post-war jeeps, unknown to many, already had colorful decorations, primarily party flags hanging from the antenna of the modified vehicles. Perched on its hood is a horse, a reminder of the American automobile and Spanish-era calesa, and to project a charger on the run. Such decoration, appreciatively, continues to this day.

Initially, the first AC jeeps introduced in Davao City streets, were eight-seaters, including the driver. As the population grew and the demand for public transport rose, the next-generation AC jeeps expanded to 10-seater units and later to 12-seaters. Given that the transport vehicles were smaller compared to present-day fleets, driving through the two-lane thoroughfares was a breeze.

Due to their heavy-duty shock absorbers and

military-grade chassis, the jeeps could nego-tiate rugged secondary roads, especially in delivering market products to suburban settle-ments.

With the introduction of public transports with extended chassis and more colorful body markings, the AC jeeps started to phase out due to competition, the economy of cost, and better revenues. The new generation jeepneys, given the new improvements in car manufactur-ing, can now ply longer routes, have lesser maintenance cost, and can play multitasks rang-ing from improved commuter capacity to larger rooftop carriage for farm produce.

That the jeepney is on a sunset journey amid the coming of electric cars is without basis. The horizon still bodes well for the nation’s iconic symbol, and the tourism industry is its de-fender.

BASILAN’S READINESS NOTED IN THE MARY JOY 3 TRAGEDY

Just within hours after the Jolo-bound M/V Mary Joy 3 caught fire near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, social media was abuzz with entities who are at the scene to help, who were ready to help and who have extended provision to the distressed individuals from the ill-fated sea vessel.

The speed and efficiency exhibited by those from Basilan’s provincial and local governments is remarkable given that this tragedy occurred at night, in the fasting month of Ramadhan and the affected vessel just happened to catch fire in transit within Basilan’s territorial jurisdiction.

Hadji Muhtamad’s lady mayor, Arsina Kahing, was among those present at the scene, leading her local

DRRM team, and mobilizing volunteers and local boats for rescue efforts. Although the sight of the ship ablaze was distressing, it was heartening to see locals hurrying to the scene just after completing their iftar and tarawih night prayers. As we observed Women’s Month in March, this lady mayor’s leadership during the disaster should serve as a reminder to anyone who doubts women’s capacity to lead in times of crisis!

As the hours passed, the number of rescued victims and distressed individuals continued to increase. It became clear that some had failed to jump to safety, while others had jumped too late. Those rescued victims were housed in a safe area while those in need

of medical attention were transported to the local health facilities by the composite provincial DRRM team and that from Isabela City arrived to reinforce. The provincial and city officials led by Governor Jim Hataman and Mayor Sitti Djalia Hataman were at the pier to supervise the rescue relief efforts.

Engulfed by the spirit of generosity in the month of Ramadhan, these leaders led their team efficiently to rescue victims and distressed individuals, oblivious to the fact that they were not from their own constituency. The Basilan provincial and Isabela city governments took turn to provide meals and provided financial assistance as well, until those from the regional and national agencies

arrived and ready to take charge.

Thereafter, it is also important to note that a critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) was immediately undertaken by a team led by Nagdilaab Foundation executive director Deddette Suacito for the city responders. I met Mam Deddette at the Provincial Capitol Monday morning and I learned this is still going on because they are conducting debrief at group and individual levels. While the provincial DRRMO continues to assist regional and national agencies to complete their retrieval operations.

These factors demonstrate Basilan’s preparedness to respond to disasters at sea. The situation could have been much worse, but the speed and efficiency of

the local teams during the nighttime search and rescue efforts were truly heartening. The care and generosity shown by these teams help to restore trust in government.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Noor Saada is a Tausug of mixed ancestry—born in Jolo, Sulu, grew up in Tawi-Tawi, studied in Zamboanga and worked in Davao, Makati and Cotabato. He is a development worker and peace advocate, former Assistant Regional Secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, currently working as an independent consultant and is a member of an insider-mediation group that aims to promote intra-Moro dialogue.)p

Passionate and experienced foodies knew this. If you want to taste a certain place’s best food, do not expect to find them at fanciest places. Instead, go to its street food destinations.

It’s affordable, convenient, and very tasty.

And when you talk about Asian street food, first on the list are the Pinoys. Who won’t love the barbecue, isaw (intestines from chicken), adidas (grilled chicken feet), kwek kwek (hard-boiled quail eggs), tokneneng (chicken or duck eggs), fish and squid balls.

That is why the students of the

FOOD

Institute of International Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship’s (ICHEF) came up with the idea of bringing in all the street food of some of the Asian countries in one roof via the food festival dubbed “Cuisine de Marche.”

Cuisine de Marche is one of ICHEF’s most prestigious events and it’s certainly came a long way, evolv ing over the past years including the dishes introduced by its culinary students, from the traditional to the familiar dishes with a twist.

Cuisine de Marche 2023, which was held on March 17 to 18, 2023, attracted those who have a passion for eating and drinking at the parking area of Sans Hotel at Luxebridge in Maa, Davao City.

The festival, not only united foodies, but also offered dishes that were light and airy to their wallets.

Carrying the theme “Asian Street Food Festival,” food lovers were welcomed to the realm of Asian food that has the combination of salty, sweet, and spicy flavors of Indonesia, Malaysia, China, etc.

Apart from the Asian chow, the festival was also a destination for unlimited booze and entertainment.

If you want to know a country’s gastronomic culture, roam along its streets or visit its food markets and you’ll definitely find what you are looking for.

RiteMED finds the ‘Rite One’ in Coco Martin for its #HanapinAngCheck campaign

RiteMED and Coco encourage everyone na #HanapinAngCheck

As part of its campaign to encourage Filipinos to buy the right medicines, RiteMED officially launches Primetime King Coco Martin as its newest brand ambassador.

It was a quick search for “The Rite One” where RiteMED did not have to look far as the country’s leading unibranded medicine company went with the “apo” of previous brand ambassador, Susan Roces. Building on the reminder of her “Lola Kap,” “Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong,” Coco now carries on the mission to lead every Filipino to affordable and high quality medicine by reminding them na #HanapinAngCheck.

“Sobrang nakakataba ng puso na makasali sa proyektong ito dahil katulad ng RiteMED, nais ko rin magkaroon ng access lahat ng kababayan natin sa de-kalidad at murang gamot. Ipinagmamalaki ko na bahagi ako ng RiteMED team na hindi lang isang brand na naaasahan, pero may kahanga-hangang adbokasiya para sa kapwa,” notes Coco. “Isa po ito sa pinakamagandang pamana sa akin ng aking lola na si Susan Roces. Napakasentimental itong parternship, at nais kong maibahagi ang kahalagahan ng tamang gamot sa tamang presyo.”

The message calls Filipinos to always search and choose the RiteMED checkmark when buying medicine—true to its mission of making high-quality medicine accessible for

all. RiteMED believes that Coco will effectively relay the message, as their young partnership has yielded nothing but great success thus far. Since the superstar joined the RiteMED family earlier this year, the company has recorded a significant increase in sales and has gathered more than 12M digital views for the Hanapin ang Check material.

“RiteMED is a brand that has always been committed to providing the right medicine at the right price for every Filipino and our mission is to further strengthen this commitment and bring it closer to our kababayans in Visayas and Mindanao,” shares RiteMED General Manager Vincent Guerrero. “This remains as the driving force behind our Hanapin Ang Check campaign with Coco Martin, who also embodies the same values we stand for. With Coco as our new brand ambassador, we encourage many more Filipinos to look for the Rite One with RiteMED!”

To know more about RiteMED’s new campaign with Coco Martin, check out the new “Hanapin Ang Check ng RiteMED” TVC on Youtube. Follow RiteMED’s Youtube channel at youtube.com/@RiteMedPhilippinesOfficial, as well as the company’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ RiteMedOfficialPage and Instagram account at instagram.com/ritemedicine.

GCash FutureCast introduces 10 new innovations that bringyhe future of Fintech to all Filipinos

GCash is the Philippines’ #1 Finance Super App with over 79 million users who enjoy fast, safe, and convenient transactions online. Based on Data.ai, a reputable 3rd party platform, GCash is the #1 Finance Super App in the country with the most downloads, the highest Monthly Active Users, and even the highest Daily Active Users, as GCash is now part of their daily routines.

First launched as an SMS platform in 2005 and later as a super app in 2012, GCash was the first to introduce the QR payment system in the country. It supported the digital migration of Filipinos during the pandemic, and now that the world has reopened, it expands its services to suit the changing needs of Filipinos in a global digital financial landscape.

At this year’s #GCashFutureCast event, GCash ushered in the future of Fintech through 10 ground-breaking innovations for every Filipino.

Tools for financial freedom

GCash has made wealth management products like savings, insurance, and investments easy and accessible. Now it introduces products to help people grow their wealth and to help them protect it.

GStocks PH is AB Capital Securities, Inc.’s (ABCSI) online retail securities trading services made accessible through the GCash app. Its user-friendly and simplified trading interface was designed through a collaboration with the Philippine Stock Exchange. Through GStocks PH, users can now trade stocks of over 280 local companies. GStocks PH will be available to more users soon.

GCrypto allows users to discover and explore the world of Crypto and NFTs. Users get access to curated NFT collections, like The House of OhLala by Filipino contemporary artist, Reen Barrera, on the GCrypto

NFT Hub. Buying and selling Crypto is also made easier with an exchange powered by PDAX, the Philippines’ leading homegrown cryptocurrency exchange.

GInsure Online Shopping Protect insurance offers users 60 days of coverage up to P20,000 for all their online purchases for just P34. The insurance covers scenarios when orders are not delivered, are accidentally damaged, are not as described, or are stolen. The insurance product, powered by Chubb, is embedded in the user’s online GCash payment journey across 1,500 online shops and platforms.

GCash goes global Traveling Filipinos can now go cashless globally using GCash’s newest services. For overseas Filipinos, they can now use GCash to send money and support to their family back home.

GCash Global Pay allows Filipino travelers to do cross-border QR pay-

ments at Alipay+ merchants in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom. This eliminates the hassle of paying with cash, or withdrawing money at ATMs where you can incur high service fees. It offers real-time Forex charging, with no service fees.

GCash Card gives travelers the advantage of real time Forex charging at low exchange rates and no service fees. With this, users can access their funds in a single tap at over 100 million shops across 200 countries and territories around the world through VISA’s expansive network.. This enables travelers to enjoy hassle-free shopping and dining experiences wherever they may be. The new GCash card will be available later this year.

GCash Overseas allows overseas Filipinos in Japan, Australia, Italy and the USA to download GCash using

international SIM cards. Now they can send money, buy load, and pay bills for their loved ones back home. They can enjoy the convenience of sending money for free with GCash to GCash transactions, saving them the cost of remittance fees. GCash also announced that it is now available in the UK and Canada. GCash Overseas is currently on Beta and is limited to a number of users, but will expand to more users soon.

Borrowing made easier

GGives supports Filipinos with the ability to buy now, pay later with zero credit cards, zero additional documents, zero down payment, and now with zero interest at select merchants. GCash users are now free from the barriers normally associated with installment plans, for both in-store or online purchases.

Borrow Load will allow eligible users to borrow their favorite load promos today at zero cash out, giving them access to their preferred entertainment – even if they’re short on budget. They can now afford to access data-heavy apps with load promos valid for up to 7 days. Borrow Load will be rolling out to more users soon.

Improved security and user experience

GCash has taken steps to make transactions safer and more seamless through two new features:

GChat is a new, user-friendly messenger feature that makes it easier to chat and transact with contacts, share receipts instantly, and trace transaction histories. The feature makes it easier to search for conversations with friends, merchants or customers, while the Gigi and Advisories features allow users to get help anytime in real-time. GChat will be rolling out to users in the next few months.

INDIGENT...

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The bill also directed that following the creation of the Fund and the initial appropriation of P10 billion, the national government shall subsequently include the necessary amount necessary to continue and carry out the Fund’s objectives in the annual budget of the Department of Health (DOH).

The proponents also cited a study done by the University of the Philippines Manila’s Institute of Human Genetics found that 189 of every 100,000 Filipinos have cancer. In comparison, four Filipinos die of cancer every hour, or 96 cancer patients every day. Based on the study, cancer, which affects all age groups, is now the second leading cause of mortality in the country after diseases of the heart and the vascular system.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also recorded that in 2020, over 150,000 new cases and 90,000 deaths were recorded while during the first half of 2021, over 27,000 deaths from cancer were recorded.

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Paquibato,” he said.

Tumanuron Boyson Anib Sr., LIPI chairperson, hopes the project “is not the last but a doorway for more livelihood programs for a productive and sustainable Paquibato.”

He vowed the tribe will utilize the facilities granted to them to grow their existing livelihood projects. (PNA)

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erative is driven by self-interest and profit, leaving our people to suffer the consequences,” Jubahib said.

The governor added that power outages are a “direct result of Nordeco’s mismanagement, disrupt daily activities, inconvenience our citizens, and hinder economic growth. The cooperative’s unresponsiveness to complaints and negligence in addressing other factors affecting their service only fuel the growing frustration and discontent among the people of Davao del Norte.”

“Enough is enough. We must no longer tolerate Nordeco’s abysmal performance, which not only results in financial losses but also contributes to an unstable power supply for consumers. Their failure to increase collection efficiency prevents crucial investments in infrastructure upgrades and service expansion to meet our province’s growing needs,” he also said.

He also urged the public to support the bills filed in Congress that would expand the franchise of DLPC in areas currently served by Nordeco.

Jubahib is referring to House Bill (HB) 5077, which was filed by Davao del Norte 1st District 1 Representative Pantaleon D. Alvarez, the HB 6740 by Rep. Margarita Ignacia B. Nograles of PBA Partylist, and the HB 7047 by Rep. Sandro L. Gonzales of MARINO Partylist that were filed in Congress to expand the franchise of the Aboitiz-owned DLPC.

“It is time for us to come together and demand better for our communities. By supporting these bills, we take a stand against the rampant mismanagement and self-serving motives

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ipation in the Mindanao-based Philippine Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) that assured ample supply of power in the coming months.

The WESM is a centralized venue for buyers and sellers to trade electricity as a commodity where prices are determined based on actual use (demand) and availability (supply).

DLPC started buying from WESM in January this year and Velasco said DLPC buys 30 percent of their power from WESM.

“We have WESM in Mindanao where we can source coming from our bilaterals. WESM is an opportunity for us to purchase power outside of our bilaterals. Current situation in WESM is much cheaper versus fossil-based fuel plants so we are buying more from WESM,” he said.

Velasco also attributed this sufficient power supply to the thousand power excess in Mindanao. Currently, Mindanao has a supply situation of 3,000 megawatts wherein the consumption of the whole of Mindanao is 2,000 MW, thus giving the thousand MW of excess capacity.

Arturo Milan, adviser for Mindanao of the Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), explained that despite a power surplus of 1,000 MW some areas will still be experiencing rotating brownouts due to the contracting of power supply.

“As mentioned there is an oversupply of power in Mindanao right now. Ang nahitabo gud karon na amidst the excess supply adunay areas nga naay rotating brownouts specially among the electric cooperatives. Contracting naman gud ni. This is a problem of contracting. Also a problem on reliability sa ilahang serbisyo. So, amidst the surplus Mindanao is experiencing, aduna gihapon rotating brownouts in some areas,” he said. By Maya

M. Padillo

that have defined NORDECO’s operations. We pave the way for a brighter, more reliable, and more efficient future under the stewardship of Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC),” he said.

“Nordeco’s continued existence as the primary electric cooperative in our province is a disservice to the people of Davao del Norte. By replacing them with the more capable and proven DLPC, we are not only investing in a better power infrastructure but also sending a resounding message that mediocrity and self-interest will not be tolerated,” Jubahib added.

Meanwhile, the coalition that organized the indignation rally sought to raise awareness of the issues and to push for tangible improvements to the quality of service provided by Nordeco.

As of this writing, Edge Davao has yet to receive a reaction or comment from Nordeco.

Nordeco is the primary electric cooperative serving some areas of Davao del Norte. However, it has been the subject of numerous complaints from consumers who have faced issues such as inconsistent service, exorbitant power rates, and unresolved billing disputes.

Last month, Nordeco officials assured in a press conference that issues raised by consumers are being addressed.

Elvera S. Alngog, Nordeco acting general manager, said the submarine cable to Samal is expected to be operational by April this year.

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the Davao City Police Office, said that police personnel started securing the churches as early as Palm Sunday, as they anticipated droves of devotees to attend the Holy Eucharistic masses for the day.

She said people should expect stricter enforcement of security measures during Holy Week processions and other activities that would draw in huge crowds in churches in the city.

“The churches are coordinating with their respective police stations to prepare the deployment of security personnel,” she said.

Aside from churches, she said the police are also implementing strict security measures in terminals, tourist spots and even malls in the city. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

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target in February at 8.6 percent.

The multilateral lender also noted the country’s gains in poverty reduction, employment and other fiscal improvements such as the expected narrowing of its current account deficit due to strong exports, business process outsourcing receipts as well as OFW remittances, among others. However, the ADB pointed out that the country must address climate change challenges as well as risks to food security.

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er Ella Blanca Lopez.

The agency attributed the improvement on internet speeds to telcos being able to fast-track building infrastructure - cellular towers and fiber optic networknecessary for boosting services and connectivity, resulting from the streamlining and speeding up the issuance of LGU permits in July 2020 which generated a significant increase in permits granted to telcos from July 2020 to January 2023.

what happens.”

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Davis scored 27 in the first half en route to his first 40-point performance since scoring 55 against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 4 and his third of the season.

“We always say we want to get stronger as the season gets longer and be playing our best basketball at the right time,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Well, the time is definitely right and everybody’s in a good rhythm starting with (Davis) first and foremost. He understands wholeheartedly what we need him to do and he’s coming out and trying to do that.”

Davis has scored 38 points or more in three straight games and at least 37 in four of the last five.

“I’m in a great rhythm, feeling good,” Davis said. “Feel like I’m back to myself before the injury. We are all playing well. The guys are making it easy for me.”

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basis points, a widely expected given the still elevated inflation rate in the second month of this year.

BSP eyes inflation to remain above the government’s 2 to 4 percent target band until the third quarter of this year.

Tan said that despite the elevated inflation, domestic demand has remained rather resilient.

“With the cumulative hikes totalling a whopping 425 basis points by the central bank thus far, the higher borrowing costs will soon bite into household consumption,” she said.

“Together with a slowing global economy hurting the demand for what Philippines sells to the world, that’s going to put a lid on the country’s growth this year,” she added.

Moody’s Analytics sees the Philippine economy growing by 5.7 percent this year. (PNA)

Lakers starter D’Angelo Russell, who has started every game since being acquired in a threeteam trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 9, did not return to play in the second half due to left foot soreness. Russell had six points, four assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes.

“It was definitely precautionary,” Ham said of sitting Russell for the second half. “He could have continued the game if we needed him to. The bodies we have available to us now, we just didn’t want to risk it.”

Ham said Russell will be reevaluated and see how he feels on Monday.

Alperen Sengun notched his third straight double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, Jalen Green scored 24 points and Kevin Porter Jr. chipped in 20 points. Prior to this stretch, Sengun had one double-double over the previous nine games played.

“That’s an experienced group over there that really needed the win,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “And then a bunch of young guys who are trying to figure it out, who fought and tried. Hopefully learned something tonight.”

The Lakers owned a 70-60 halftime lead, which the Rockets cut to six with 9:38 to go in the third quarter on a reverse layup by Green.

With 30.3 seconds left in the third quarter, James got a roar from the Lakers fans with an emphatic one-handed tomahawk dunk to bring the Lakers’ lead back to 16. That was a part of a 20-7 run by Los Angeles to extend the lead to 117-90 with 7:56 to go.

“You know a guy his size, his ability to get downhill and also make those quick reads, I mean you see it on TV and people can tell you about it, but being actually in the game setting and that’s your matchup,” Kenyon Martin Jr., who scored 11 points, said. “It’s something you got to experience, so that’s the tough thing about guarding (James).”

The guys are making it easy for me: AD

HOUSTON — Anthony Davis scored 40 points, LeBron James had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to tie Jason Kidd for fourth place with his 107th triple-double and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Houston Rockets, 134-109, on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time).

The Lakers (40-38) moved two games over .500 and into a tie for seventh with the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference with four games to go. Los Angeles has won six of its last seven games and owns the tiebreaker over the Pelicans.

CHITO MALABANAN JABONG!

The Azaleas are exploding into colors and blooming, the water at the creeks are flowing, the crowds are flocking. This is mid-April, this is the start of spring. This is the Masters golf tournament.

Augusta Masters is the first among the four majors played annually. The only major that is played on the same course every year. The most beautiful and colorful home course among the golf majors.

The Masters is not only about the four day battle of skills, nerves and wits on the fairways. It is also about the excitement, the fun among golfers and their families while playing in the Par 3 tournament . It is also about the honor bestowed on the previous year’s champion to select the dinner

menu during the traditional dinner to be attended exclusively by previous champions.

But traditionally, year in and year out, the Masters is always hounded by intriguing questions by the golfing fanatics.

Will Tiger light up the leaderboard again? Will he make the cut and finish the tournament not limping or un-injured? Will Rory and Patrick Reed exchange hand shake if they will be paired against each other?

But in spite of all this drama and controversy, this year’s edition of The Masters will surely be more colorful than the previous ones. After all, much has been said about the rift among the pro golfers since the establishment of the

“We just want to put ourselves in the position to compete for a championship,” James said. “It’s a journey and obviously we don’t have as much chemistry as a lot of other teams that have aspirations to win a championship, but we’ve been building over the last

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demarcation line between them. The PGA and the LIV. The die has been cast.

Augusta Masters 2023 will be the battle field of Greg Norman and Jay Monahan in terms of pride and propaganda. Tension will surely reach fever pitch as the PGA and the LIV golfers slug it out during the four-day tournament. The battle will not be only in the fairways, bunkers and greens of Augusta but might escalate in parallel as well in other platforms like the social media. It’ll be a surely be a very colorful and exciting match.

I would love to see the flight where Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed paired against each other or Fred Couples hitting shots side by side with Lefty (Phil Mickelson) .

Am surely will be glued to the tube watching the match blow by blow.

On the possibility that an LIV guy will win the Green Jacket, Greg Norman have this to say. “..there are 18 of us LIV guys at Augusta, and if one of the guys, no matter who it is, they are all going to be there on the 18th green, they are all going to be there, and that just gives me goosebumps to think about.

Indeed, a festive atmosphere will surely ensue comparable only to the level of Ryder Cup celebration if that thing happens. The winner will not only be hugging his wife, his baby or his caddy in celebratory manner but the whole contingent of LIV golfers complete with champagne bottles popping up after holing out on the 72nd

month or so.

“These last four games are very important for our team, not only wins and losses but also the chemistry side as well. We need to continue to build what we’ve been building over the last month or so. We’ll see

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hole.

It’s hard to imagine though that same thing happening if the other camp wins the green jacket.

“But if I‘m the Masters right now, I would want, on Sunday, DJ or Brooks or Cam, any of the guys against Rory (McIlroy) and Jon Rahm. Can you imagine what the TV ratings would be like?” … they have got the best field and they are actually now the true Super Bowl,” Norman added.

But regardless of the brouhaha clouding this year’s Masters, there’s one thing certain about this year’s winner. He would be wearing a long pants. Yes, am sure.

C’mon fellas, think about it if he’s wearing the Green Jacket with matching shorts?

Anthony Davis scored 27 in the first half en route to his first 40-point performance since scoring 55 against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 4 and his third of the season.

Make the Alveo Ironman, a sporting tradition in Davao Region

The late 1990’s saw the surge of the Adidas Streetball and Nike 3-on-3 events.

Gaisano Mall Bajada was a regular venue for Adidas and Victoria Plaza was for Nike.

At that time, manong Vic Sai was organizer for the Adidas Streetball and coach Butch Ramirez was Nike’s Davao league coordinator.

As young sportswriters then, we loved the coverages because it was a battle between two very popular shoe brands. You would ask yourself too, “Unsay mas sikat kaha noh? Adidas or Nike?”.

That marketing battle was very good for the basketball community.

Adidas and Nike top honchos would come to Davao during those years to check on the progress of the tournaments and I can say that they were very impressed on how our local organizers run the tournaments.

I can still remember Adidas Philippines marketing director Sonny Nebres saying that he thought that Davao was “magulo”, and he was wrong about it. The peace and order situation, thanks to the program of Mayor Digong, has paved the way for the hosting of big sporting events.

We are blessed that the City of Davao has enjoyed relative peace and no wonder, a big event like the Alveo Ironman was organized in the city and participated in by foreign athletes, who dominated the races. Wa may lokal oi nga ni domi-

nate, naunsa naman ni?

Anyways, the point of hosting the Alveo Ironman in Davao should be sustained, and if possible, make it a tradition to host it every year because it would greatly help in the vibrancy of the city as a sporting and tourism destination.

With foreign athletes coming in, it is a testament that they would come to our beautiful city of Davao without any hesitation because they can be safe.

So, it would be incumbent upon our leaders to decide now to forge an agreement with Alveo Ironman organizers to make Davao City as a venue on a long term basis. Let us locked in that agreement now.

Davao City is a wonderful venue for the Alveo Ironman as this would also help in the development of the sport not only in the main city but in the neighboring cities and towns.

The local sports councils and sports development divisions in the Davao Region, hopefully, maybe inspired to strongly support local athletes because the Alveo Ironman (and woman) are regularly organized in Davao.

The Alveo Ironman is good for tourism and for sports development.

And for sure, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and other LGU leaders in Southern Mindanao would agree to that.

* * * For comments, email mpb_ sports@yahoo.com.