Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 300 | April, 6, 7 & 8, 2023

IMPENDING EL NIÑO

Davao farmers advised to avail of farm insurance

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Farmers in Davao City are advised to enrol their crops with the Philippine Crops Insurance Corporation (PCIC) for free insurance coverage amid El Niño threat.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)- El Niño Southern Oscillation

(ENSO) projected that neutral conditions are expected to continue until June-July-August (JJA) 2023 season; however, an in-

DavNor guv warns employees on personal use of gov’t vehicles

creased likelihood of a transition to El Niño in July-August-September (JAS) 2023 season and may persist until 2024.

The PCIC provides insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases and pest infestations of palay and corn

Be cautious during Holy Week gatherings, Dabawenyos told

Noting that the coronavirus disease-19 (Covid-19) still exists, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reminded Dabawenyos Tuesday to be cautious during the Holy Week gatherings.

Maj. Catherine Dela Rey,

DCPO spokesperson, emphasized the importance of taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus in the absence of official restrictions on public gatherings.

The Department of Health has yet to declare that Covid-19 is no longer a major public health

threat, thus the need for vigilance and precautions, she said.

“It’s up to the people’s discretion, but we should not forget that Covid-19 is still around. As much as possible, wear a mask if you don’t want to be exposed to

FBE, P8

Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib has advised provincial officials and employees to refrain from using government vehicles for personal purposes, especially outside working hours.

In a statement on Tuesday, Jubahib reminded the provincial personnel against the use of government service vehicles for purposes other than official business and to limit their utilization to essential activities.

This came after the government vehicle provided to Board Member Emerson Dave Silutan crashed into the fence of the Suaybaguio-Riña Elementary School in late March.

Silutan said he was among the passengers during the accident but closed-circuit television footage showed three minors who scampered out of the wrecked car.

Jubahib also noted that an incident report from the school security guard on duty at the time also bared the three mi-

nors were under the influence of alcohol.

“Government vehicles issued to provincial officials are intended for public service are not for recreational activities. If you party, do not use a government vehicle,” he added.

Under the law, the use of government vehicles is only allowed for official business and should be authorized by a “trip ticket,” which contains the destination, purpose, and duration of travel.

“We are very strict on our policy that only authorized drivers are allowed to drive a government vehicle. If it is not related to your official function, just leave the service vehicle to the designated parking area or (in) your home,” Jubahib said.

The governor said Silutan, who is the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president, must face the consequence of his actions, while paying for the damages to the vehicle and the school. (PNA)

Visitors from Davao City and nearby provinces that will spend their Holy Week in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) start to pile up at Sasa Ferry Wharf in Km. 11 Barangay Sasa, Davao City on Wednesday. Thousands of local tourists are expected to arrive in Samal Island to take advantage of the long weekend. Lean Daval Jr.

PRO 11 eyes zero-casualty on Holy Week, summer vacation

By MAYA M. PADILLO

DavSur is peaceful despite recent incidents: PRO 11

The Police Regional Office (PRO 11) assured on Wednesday that the province of Davao del Sur remains peaceful and assured that the peace and order situation in the province is still under control despite the latest crime incidents.

Major Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson of PRO 11, told media that there were only three incidents of robbery wherein one incident was associated with rape were recorded in Davao del Sur on March 24, 30, and 31, 2023.

On March 24, 2023, a 25-year-old rice trader in Magsaysay town, Davao del Sur was robbed and raped. Based on the reports, the victim was walking along a riverbank at around 11 a.m. after a collection round when she was attacked by assailants.

Police identified and arrested the perpetrators. They are Rosemarie Himpayan, 42, her live-in partner Barie Lonzaga, 24, and her son Rodolfo Dabon Jr., who is in his early 20s. A

fourth suspect, Joel Dabon, who was also a son of Rosemarie, was killed after allegedly fighting off with the police.

The three arrested suspects underwent inquest proceedings before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office in Digos City last March 27, for alleged robbery with rape, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Gultiano said what causes fear among the residents is a social media post branding these incidents as a “series of crimes.”

“Hindi pa ma-confirm na it’s a series of crimes kasi sa ngayon mino-monitor ang social media na posting kung validated ba yung series of crimes na posted. I think na hype ang Davao del Sur because of social media postings that is why it is being mandated that the regional affairs development unit to check posts in social media kung totoo ba yung nangyari.

Kasi talagang

ma-alarma ka

The Police Regional Office (PRO 11) is aiming for a zero-casualty during Holy Week and summer vacation, according to an official.

Major Eudisan Gultiano, spokesperson of PRO 11, announced on Wednesday that it is the directive of PRO regional director Brigadier General Alden Delvo to ensure zero casualty over the whole weekend.

Gultiano said PRO 11 will be deploying 3,000 personnel in the entire Davao Region to ensure public safety throughout the Holy Week and summer

vacation. She said in addition to the 3,000 personnel is the more than 3,000 force multipliers to strengthen security.

Gultiano said this personnel will be deployed in churches, terminals, main thoroughfares, beaches, and other places visited during summer vacation in Davao Region.

“All set na ang PRO 11 para maging memorable, safe at

peaceful ang observance ng Holy Week. Sa PRO 11 we will be deploying more than 3,000 personnel in the entire Davao Region. In addition to that may mga force multipliers tayo na more than 3,000. Iba din yung tao sa mga stations and we have also the tourist police na magbabantay sa mga bakasyunista,” Gultiano said during the AFP PNP Press Corps media forum on Wednesday at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

She added that PRO 11 will FPRO 11, P8

23 passengers still missing due to ferry fire incident in Basilan

Search operations continue off an island in Basilan and nearby areas as 23 passengers of the ill-fated M/V Mary Joy 3 remain missing, officials said Tuesday.

Nixon Alonzo, Basilan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, said they managed to determine that there are still missing pas-

sengers in coordination with the PDRRMO-Sulu and families of the victims.

Alonzo said the youngest among the missing passengers is a 4-year-old girl and the oldest is a 76-year-old woman.

Two of the missing passengers are soldiers: Staff Sgt. Andrew Cerbatos and Pfc. Marion Malda of the Sulu-based 11th In-

fantry Division of the Philippine Army.

Ensign Tenessey Charl Rojas, Zamboanga Coast Guard Station deputy commander, said search is ongoing around Baluk-Baluk Island and nearby areas of Hadji Muhtamad town in Basilan province.

M/V Lady Mary Joy 3 caught

Davao City Police Office (DCPO) spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey reminds Dabawenyos to be cautious during the Holy Week gatherings Covid-19 still exists. Dela Rey has emphasized the importance of taking precautions to prevent the spread of the virus in the absence of official restrictions on public gatherings. Lean Daval Jr.

Inflation decelerates to 7.6% in March ‘23

ThePhilippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday reported that the inflation rate in March this year slowed down to 7.6 percent from 8.6 percent the previous month.

In a press conference, PSA Undersecretary and National Statistician Dennis Mapa said last month’s figure brought the inflation rate for the first quarter of the year to 8.3 percent.

Mapa attributed the downtrend in inflation to the slower increase in prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages at 9.3 percent in March from 10.8 per-

cent in the previous survey. He said the lower food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation was mainly due to the slowdown in the inflation of vegetables, including onions.

The rate of price increase of vegetables, tubers and others was at 20 percent in March from 33.1 percent in February.

Mapa said the food bas-

ket contributed 3.3 percentage points to the overall 7.6 percent inflation last month.

However, Mapa said the PSA has observed a slow upward trend in the prices of rice since the start of the year.

Inflation of meat products also decelerated to 4.6 percent in March from 6.5 percent in February, while sugar, confectionery and desserts declined to 35.2 percent inflation from 37 percent in the same period.

Contributing to the downward trend of inflation last month

Record P5.95B in pension loans released in ‘22: SSS

The Social Security System (SSS) on Tuesday said it released P5.95 billion in pension loans in 2022, the highest annual disbursement for the Pension Loan Program (PLP) since it started in 2018.

In a statement, SSS president and CEO Rolando Macasaet said that pension loans released last year nearly doubled the P3.08 billion released in 2021.

“From January to December 2022, the SSS has disbursed a monthly average of P495.77 million pension loans benefiting 10,660 retiree-pensioners, which is 93% higher than its corresponding monthly average in 2021 of P257.01 million to 5,753 retiree-pensioners,” Macasaet said.

“We are delighted that we have assisted many of our retir-

Diokno eyes satellite tech to fight inflation

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Tuesday is eyeing satellite mapping to help the Philippines fight inflation.

“We want to introduce science into decision making and that’s what we’re going to do,” Diokno said in a Department of Finance statement.

created to fight inflation, intends to give President Ferdinand Marcos Jr regular reports on info gathered by the satellite.

ee-pensioners for their shortterm and immediate financial needs. We also prevent them from becoming victims of private lending institutions that charge high interest rates and require them to surrender their ATM cards as collateral,” he said.

“Our records show that a total of 127,920 retiree-pensioners availed from the PLP in

Diokno said part of the government’s plan is to improve the monitoring of agricultural production using Earth Observation Technologies, to supplement data collected by the Department of Agriculture and Philippine Statistics Authority on prices.

“That is the same technology we will tap to monitor for example, from planting. In fact from preparation. Because before you can plant, you have to prepare the field. So from preparation of the field, planting, maturity, to harvest,” Diokno said.

He said the Inter-agency Committee on Inflation and Market Outlook, the ad hoc body

“You can really plot every two weeks. In fact we intend to give the President periodic information about this. Nakita namin ang frequency, two weeks. Dadaan ang satellite every two weeks. It is possible to give the President a monthly report, even more often, as needed.”

The project dubbed as the Philippine Rice Information System (PRiSM) will use satellite data, crop growth simulation models, and information technology to provide timely information on rice area. It will also give start of season maps or planting dates, yield estimates, mid-season forecast, and end of season yields, and extent of area affected by flood or drought, the DOF said.

Another project dubbed as Smarter Approaches to Reinvig-

Consumers buy vegetables at a supermarket in Mintal, Davao City on Wednesday. The inflation rate in March 2023 slowed down to 7.6 percent from 8.6 percent the previous month, according to a report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Lean Daval Jr.

FINFLATION, P8

NTC-11 rolls out remote SIM registration in DavOcc towns

Registration of intellectual property up by 3.7% in ‘22

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) reported that the registration of intellectual property (IP) in 2022 increased by 3.7 percent to 48,259 filings from 46,558 applications in 2021.

In a statement, IPOPHL said the IP filings last year is a record high for the agency, considering the economy is still recovering from the pandemic.

IP registration in 2022 is also higher by 2 percent during pre-pandemic, with 47,328 filings in 2019.

Patents, trademarks, utility models, and industrial designs can be registered for IP protection.

“The strong uptake in 2022 IP filings shows how aggressive businesses are in seizing opportunities in the more upbeat economy and the digitalization of business interactions as intensified by the pandemic,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said.

In 2022, the majority of filings were for trademark applications accounting for 41,235 of the total filings, up by 4 percent from the previous year. Trademark filings reflect an increase in the launch of new brands.

Of the total trademark appli-

TheNational Telecommunications Commission in Davao Region (NTC-11) conducted a simultaneous SIM (subscriber identity module) card registration in two Davao Occidental towns Tuesday.

cations, 61 percent of the filings were from residents and 39 percent were from non-residents.

The majority of trademark filings, comprising 18.4 percent of the total, were related to pharmaceuticals, health and cosmetic products.

This was followed by agricultural products and services, which made up 16.6 percent of the filings, and scientific research, information and communication technology, which made up 14.9 percent of the filings.

On the other hand, patent applications increased by 9.3 percent to 4,403. Out of these applications, 89 percent, or 3,918 were filed by non-residents while 11 percent, or 485 were filed by residents.

Bulk of the patent applications were pharmaceuticals, comprising 28.9 percent of the total. Organic fine chemistry accounted for 12.1 percent of the applications, followed by digital communications at 8.3 percent.

Meanwhile, utility model (UM) and industrial design (ID) fillings both slightly declined year on year. UM filings went down to 1,386 from 1,615 while ID registration slipped to 1,235 from

NTC-11 Director Nelson Cañete, who personally went to this town and in Malita to monitor the remote registration activity, urged the residents to register before the deadline on April 26.

“There are a lot of people in the municipalities who do not know how to register their SIM online. Apart from that, they have no access to the internet,” he said in an interview.

He said they already coordinated with the telecommunication companies to join in their activities to ensure that the public can surely connect to the internet and register.

“We brought them to the area where they can access the internet for them to receive the one-time-pin (OTP) which is very important during the registration process,” Cañete added.

Despite the NTC’s efforts in bringing the registration services closer to the people, Cañete said residents face several challenges such as distance to the registration area and lack of access to transportation.

Cañete emphasized the hassles faced by those who fail to register their SIM cards, one of which is the loss of phonebook contents and applications dependent on a user’s unique number.

All over the country, he said only 55 million out of the 170 million SIM cards are already registered to date. (PNA)

DOE urges firms to participate in green energy auction in June

The Department of Energy (DOE) has urged potential suppliers to participate in the next round of the Green Energy Auction (GEA-2) this June.

“The issuance of the NOA (notice of auction) triggers the series of activities toward the target GEA-2 in June 2023,” the DOE said in a statement Tuesday. The NOA was published on March 27.

Under the GEA-2, DOE offers a total renewable energy (RE) capacity of 11,600 megawatts (MW) from 2024 to 2026.

For the period, RE sources will be 6,715 MW from ground-mounted solar, 605 MW from roof-mounted solar, 300 MW from floating solar, 3,720 MW from onshore wind, 230 MW from biomass and 30 MW from waste-to-energy.

Of the total RE capacity under the GEA-2, some 7,715 MW are for Luzon, 2,695 MW for Visayas and 1,190 MW for Mindanao.

The proposed installation targets include 3,590 MW this year, 3,630 MW in 2025 and

4,390 MW in 2026.

“While the GEA-2 is expected to encourage more investments in power generation, it further pursues to promote the growth of RE as one of the country’s primary sources of energy by facilitating transparent and competitive selection of RE facilities to support the major goal of the government of attaining energy security through the entry of new capacities in the grid,” the DOE added.

Twenty days after the issu-

A supermarket worker pushes several grocery carts brought by customers to the parking area of the establishment along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City on Wednesday. Lean Daval Jr.

BILLACURA Sports Editor

Senior Reporter

President SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

JASPER V. BACSAL General Manager / VP Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

GREGORIO GARAY DELIGERO Editorial Consultant

In reminding Filipinos to observe solemnity of Holy Week, to use time for prayer and introspection:

“I hope we can also rekindle our sense of compassion and bayanihan to make a positive change in the lives of our fellow Filipinos, especially the needy, the hopeless and the helpless... Despite our differences in religion or what we believe in, we should not let the chance to help other people pass us by. I believe that service to people is service to God. In the same way that we should hold nothing back in giving back to God, we should also not waste any effort in helping our fellow Filipinos.”

Senator CHRISTOPHER “BONG” GO

Biggest hour for Earth: SM Supermalls saves 4825.61 kwH of energy

SM Supermalls and SM Cares participated in the Global Lights Switch Off for Earth Hour 2023 last March 25 in support of the annual campaign by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with 82 malls and various properties nationwide joining millions in more than 190 countries all over the world to raise awareness about the climate crisis.

This year marks the company’s 15th year of continued support for Earth Hour, where mall signages and lighting in key areas were turned off or reduced to 50 percent working capacity. Tenants were enjoined to participate by dimming or turning off signages and select lights within their stores. Meanwhile, SM mall-goers were encouraged to come up with creative yet meaningful ways to par-

ticipate, like dining in the dark, shopping for sustainable goods, or going on an evening walk or bike ride by the malls.

By the end of the event, all participating SM malls were able to collectively conserve 4826 kwH of energy, which is equivalent to 3,436 kg of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to: greenhouse gas emissions from 13,725 km driven by an average gasoline-powered passenger vehicle; CO2 emissions from 417,940 individual smartphones charged; greenhouse gas emissions avoided by 1,088,622 grams of waste recycled instead of landfilled; or carbon sequestered by 57 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.

Aside from the hour-long switch off event, SM Supermalls and SM Cares continued support for the

WWF’s Virtual Earth Hour Run, a self-paced online running event where each participant can target a cumulative distance for their run. All proceeds from the event will directly support WWF-Philippines’ conservation efforts.

Meanwhile, SM Supermalls and SM Cares urges the public to go beyond and make Earth Hour “any hour” by following practical tips for resource conservation and taking notes from SM’s various initiatives aimed toward sustainability.

”Protecting the environment should not be limited to just one hour a year, but should be practiced every day,” said Engr. Liza Silerio, Vice President for Corporate Compliance and SM Cares Program Director for the Environment. “Beyond Earth Hour

as an annual celebration, SM remains committed to supporting the United Nations and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in protecting the environment, as proven by the way the company builds and operates on a daily basis.”

SM Supermalls operates with sustainability at its core, and proof of this are the various waste management programs and water conservation facilities in its developments. In addition, 50 percent of the energy consumed by SM malls all over the country now come from renewable sources. This aligns with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Roadmap 2017-2040 of the Department of Energy which “provides a framework for building an energy-efficient nation and in making energy efficiency

and conservation a way of life for all Filipinos.” Aside from lightening the load of conventional power plants, this clean energy is enough to power 260,000 homes in a single day (based on the average daily electrical consumption of a Filipino household).

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, responsible for initiatives that promote sustainability and the development of the community, including programs on Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, and Children and Youth, as well as the Bike-Friendly SM initiative, in addition to its Programs on Environment.

To learn more about these programs, visit www.smsupermalls. com/smcares.

UnionBank techs up Mompreneurs by Digitizing transactions

Think Pink Events, the company behind the long-running Momzilla Fair, has partnered with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) to help the fair’s participating micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) digitize their transactions. The partnership was made official through a signing ceremony at the UnionBank Plaza in Pasig City last March 14.

The Momzilla Fair is an exhibit designed specifically for mothers with the goal of providing them an avenue for discovering businesses and brands that cater to parents. Every year, the exhibit attracts hundreds of MSMEs that offer baby care products, most of which are mompreneurs. Thousands of shoppers also gather because of numerous exclusive deals and promos.

Through the partnership, UnionBank will enable Momzilla’s MSMEs to digitize transactions by onboarding them into the MSME Business Banking app and generating a QR Ph code used for collecting payments. Retail shoppers, on the other hand, are introduced to the UnionBank Online app that allows them to open a bank account digitally and pay merchants directly by scanning any QR Ph code onsite. The introduction of widely embraced and convenient digital wallets and online banking apps like UnionBank’s UB Online and MSME Business Banking are

meant to enhance the banking and shopping experience of both consumers and merchants.

“This is another opportunity for us to support not just MSMEs, but specifically, the mompreneurs, who have always been supportive of our campaigns,” said UnionBank SME and Micropreneurs Segment Head Jaypee Soliman. “We have partnered with mompreneur organizations in the past, but this is the first time that we are going to

actualize a real campaign for the women entrepreneurs.”

“With UnionBank and QRPH, it’s going to be much easier for all [of the mompreneurs] to grow their business to their maximum potential,” said Momzilla Fair co-founder Audrey Pastelero.

“The value-adding digital payment service and exclusive deals that we bring into this partnership are a testament to our commitment to ever satisfying our

customers with relevant solutions and supporting the goals of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in digitizing the country’s payments, in the case of Momzilla, one mom at a time,” said UnionBank Consumer and Retail Channels Head Kent Mariano.

The partnership is just one of the many ways UnionBank is contributing to nation-building by helping Filipino entrepreneurs digitize their business in line with its

Tech-Up Pilipinas advocacy, while promoting the use of digital payments in the country.

Catch Momzilla on the following dates: May 20-21 at SMX Aura BGC, July 1-2 at The Fifth at Rockwell Makati, September 2-3 at The Fifth at Rockwell Makati and November 18-19 at SMX Aura BGC. UnionBank will be giving away lots of exciting prizes and UnionBank credit card holders can enjoy 0% installment!

IMPENDING...

FROM 2

BE...

FROM 2 crops as well as other crops.

Pablita Almador, focal for rice of the City Agriculturist Office (CAO), said on Wednesday that farmers must be enrolled at the Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) first to be qualified for PCIC.

RSBSA is a registry of farmers, fisherfolk, and farm laborers that serves as a targeting mechanism for the identification of beneficiaries for different agriculture-related programs and services of the government.

Almador said this is among the programs recommended by CAO in preparation for the looming El Niño phenomenon projected by PAGASA.

“Ang atoang close coordination sa Philippine Crops Insurance Corporation for free insurance sa atoang mga tanum. Atong ginaawhag ang mga mag-uuma nga magpa enrol sa PCIC labi na tung mga farmers nga enrolled pud sa registration system sa agricutlure sector kay ang mga mag-uuma na dili enrolled sa RSBSA maglisod ta ug pa enrol sa ilaha sa PCIC. Not necesarily organized, individual man ni ang pag rehistro sa RSBSA,” Almador said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Wednesday.

She said personnel of CAO’s district offices will go to the barangays to cater to the farmers and enrol their existing plants to be insured.

Almador called on those farmers not enrolled yet to enroll at PCIC. Enrolment is also free of charge.

“Enrolment is free of charge from the government so ang mga farmers mag gahin lang sila ug time para makighinabi sa mga agricutlural technologists nga assigned didto sa ilahang barangay aron mapa enrol sila sa PCIC for a free crop insurance. Pero dapat ma- enrol usa ang farmer sa registry system meaning i-enrol sa siya as farmer sa listahan sa mag-uuma,” she said.

The CAO is also intensifying its information dissemination education communication campaign concerning to the effects of El Niño.

According to Almador, CAO is also closely coordinating with the barangays and non-government agencies on actions to be taken to alleviate the effects of the

drought season. “Prior sa occurrence sa El Niño nag-conduct mi ug intensive information dissemination education communication campaign kung unsa ang mahimong epekto niini ug unsa ang mga lakang na atoang buhaton. Naa tay close coordination sa atoang barangays kay sila ang direkta nga naa sa area ug sila ang nakahibalo kung unsa ka vulnerable ang agricultural areas sa Davao, non-government agencies kay kailangan nato ni sila para magpagaan ang epekto niini. Ang atoang mga barangay LGUs makatabang sila sa atoa sa pagsuporta saa atoang campaign sa community kung unsa ang atoang mga measures labi na sa mga cash crops like vegetables and corn,” she said.

Almador added that since PAGASA has already projected the drought season, CAO advised the farmers to change their cropping calendar.

“Kung sa karon na panahon naa pa ta sa neutral conditions of El Niño kung tan-aw nato puwede pa ta magtanum ug pila lang ka adlaw ma-harvest na, puwede,” she said.

Almador said that El Niño will have a significant effect in the city’s agriculture sector such as planting will be delayed, production may run out, lack of water supply which is important for production, it is possible that there will be an occurrence of pest diseases.

“Even sa atoang livestock and fishery maskin sa mga tao naa na siya effect ang init sa panahon kay daghan sakit na muabot,” she said.

Almador also emphasized the importance of water in case of dry season the reason why CAO asked the barangays to assist in identifying possible sources of water to irrigate plants.

“During sa monitoring mu-assist pud ang city on the extent sa damage sa El Niño sa crops even fishpond, assist in the rehabilitation sa irrigation facilities sa atoang area. Kailangan nato ang pagtambayayong sa barangay, other agencies, even private organizations,” she said.

CAO is closely coordinating with the seed companies for seeds and planting materials that can be use by the farmers for the rehabilitation phase after the El Niño.

DAVSUR...

the virus,” the police official said.

Aside from wearing face masks, she urged the public to still practice social distancing, especially inside churches.

She noted that the recent changes in weather have resulted in many people suffering from coughs and colds.

Meanwhile, Dela Rey said DCPO has deployed 800 personnel to ensure public safety during the Holy Week.

Dela Rey said all 46 Catholic churches in the city have been provided with their own security detail. (PNA)

PRO 11... FROM 3

be deploying personnel also in the malls and will conduct constant patrolling as well as set up help desks in churches.

Meanwhile, Major Catherine Dela Rey, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office, said DCPO has deployed 800 personnel to ensure public safety during the Holy Week. She said there are 46 Catholic churches in the city and are being provided with security forces.

RECORD... FROM 4

2022, which is 85% higher than the 69,036 retiree-pensioners who availed of the program in 2021,” Macasaet said.

The SSS chief said the pension fund launched PLP to assist retiree-pensioners in their immediate financial needs by offering a loan program with a low-interest rate of 10% per annum.

Macasaet said PLP also offers its borrowers flexible installment payment terms ranging from six to 24 months.

“We also ensure that the pensioners will still have a net take-home pension of at least 47.25% of their monthly pensions,” he said.

Qualified retiree-pensioners can avail themselves of a loan equivalent to three, six, nine, or 12 times their basic monthly pension plus the P1,000 additional benefit granted in 2017, but not exceeding P200,000.

FROM 3

base on social media posting when in fact based sa aming record there were only three robbery incidents for the month of March,” she said during the AFP PNP Press Corps media forum on Wednesday at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.

Gultiano called on the public to ensure that the information is verified, specially on crimes that will be posted online. She also said that it is better to report them to the police first to avoid causing fear and alarm among the public.

INFLATION... FROM 4

were transport, with inflation decelerating to 5.3 percent from 9 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, with inflation slowing down to 7.6 percent from 8.6 percent.

Moreover, the inflation rate in the National Capital Region (NCR) also decelerated to 7.8 percent in March 2023 from 8.7 percent in February this year.

Inflation in areas outside NCR (AONCR) was also at a slower pace at 7.5 percent in March from 8.5 percent in its previous month.

All regions, except for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), posted lower inflation rates in March this year, the PSA said.

Meanwhile, Mapa reported that the inflation rate for the country’s bottom 30 percent income households was at 8.8 percent in March 2023.

Although this declined from the 9.7 percent inflation in the previous month, he said the impacts of the increase in prices of goods were heavier for the bottom 30 percent income households.

“The direction is going down, but of course, we want to bring down the inflation of the bottom 30 percent to a lower level because the effect is greater for the bottom 30 percent income households compared to the, let’s say, higher income household… The idea here is you look at where the weights are really heavy, and this is really food,” he added. (PNA)

DOE... FROM 5

ance of NOA, the DOE will soon release the terms of reference and the auction round procedures.

The Energy Regulatory Commission is also expected to issue GEA Reserve (GEAR) prices and its methodology.

“The GEAP (green energy auction program) was designed to continuously trigger the increase of RE capacity in the country, which will help realize the government’s target of 35 percent RE in the energy mix by 2035 and 50 percent by 2040,” the DOE reiterated.

Meanwhile, the energy department will also revisit the data and status of ongoing runon-river (ROR) hydro projects to determine the auction capacities for the succeeding GEA rounds. The earliest can be expected in the last quarter of the year.

“While the GEA program was introduced as another market option for RE developers, the DOE finds it more efficient to facilitate the completion of ROR hydro projects under the FIT (feed-in-tariff) program,” it added.

The DOE said the installation target of 350 MW under the FIT

PASSENGERS... FROM 3

fire around 11:30 p.m. on March 29 near Baluk-Baluk Island, Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan while sailing to Sulu.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Philippine Coast Guard concluded the search and retrieval operation aboard the vessel on April 1 since they have not found any more cadavers.

Based on the list, Alonzo said there are 28 fatalities not 29 as earlier reported. Twelve are already identified while the remaining 16 are still unidentified.

Senior Superintendent Kadil Acalul, chief of BFP-Basilan, said initial findings of BFP Manila Arson Team pointed to “electrical in nature” or short circuit in the ferry’s electrical wiring that triggered the fire. (PNA)

DIOKNO... FROM 4

orate Agriculture as an Industry (SARAI) in the Philippines will give site-specific advisories to mitigate climate risks.

“Project SARAI provides in-season crop forecasts and yield estimates; assessment of droughts and availability of rainfall; and crop advisories on how to maximize crop growth while addressing potential pest or disease problems,” the DOF said.

“Finally, the Data Analytics Technologies and Operation Services for Space Data (DATOS) project developed by the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) uses remote sensing, space technology, and data science applications to support critical activities on disaster mitigation, analysis, and advice.”

Two years ago, the Department of Science and Technology said it aimed to have a new Earth Observation satellite in space by 2023.

In 2018, when Diokno was head of the Department of Budget and Management as secretary, he launched a project that would use drones, LIDAR and satellites to monitor the completion of government projects.

REGISTRATION

... FROM 5

1,265.

IPOPHL also reported copyright registrations, which grew by 73 percent to 3,706 in 2022 from 2,141 in 2021.

Top copyright registrations were from books, pamphlets, articles, e-books, audio books, comics, novels, and other writings (36 percent); followed by literary, scholarly, scientific, and artistic works (19.7 percent); and drawings, paintings, architectural works, sculpture, engraving, prints, lithography or other works of art, models or designs for works of art (8.6 percent).

“More Filipinos are beginning to see the competitive value of having a degree of control over their most prized assets: the products of their minds, their IPs. More businesses and entrepreneurs are integrating IP into their strategies for success not despite the pandemic and other economic and environmental challenges in our midst but because of them,” Barba said. (PNA)

for ROR hydro projects still has an available capacity of 177.217 MW for subscription as of February 2023.

LeBron nails game-winner as Lakers overcome Jazz in OT

SALT LAKE CITY — LeBron James scored 37 points – including the game-winning basket – to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 135-133 overtime victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time).

Anthony Davis tallied 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers. Austin Reaves added 28 points. Five players scored in double figures to help Los Angeles win for the seventh time in eight games.

Kelly Olynyk finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead Utah. Talen Horton-Tucker added 23 points and seven assists for the Jazz.

Horton-Tucker has scored 123 points over his last four games.

Ochai Agbaji chipped in 22. The Jazz lost for the seventh time in eight games.

James drove for a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds left to help the Lakers escape with a win. Los Angeles held Utah without a basket over the final 1:38 after Olynyk gave the Jazz a 132-129 lead on a three.

Utah rallied from a double-digit deficit after shooting 71% from the field in the third quarter. The Jazz finally took their first second-half lead on back-to-

back baskets from Collin Sexton and Luka Samanic, going up 9997 early in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles retook the lead on back-to-back baskets from Dennis Schroder and James and went up 124-114 with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter on eight straight points from Reaves.

Utah countered with an 10-0 run to force overtime. Olynyk scored a basket and assisted two others and Jones knotted the score on a pair of free throws with 11.4 seconds remaining in

regulation.

TIP-INS

Lakers: Reaves is averaging 20.5 points over his last eight games. Los Angeles has lost once in that stretch. … James, Davis, and Reaves combined for 18 assists, dishing out six apiece.

Jazz: Samanic made his first start of the season, finishing with 12 points. … Sexton returned to action after missing 18 games with a hamstring strain. He scored 15 points and had three assists in 16 minutes.

Filipinas get early date with Vietnam after SEAG draw

The Philippine women’s football team finds itself in an early showdown against Vietnam in the Southeast Asian Games following the group draw on Wednesday in Phnom Penh.

Both the Filipinas and the Vietnamese booters, who are both heading to the FIFA Women’s World Cup this July, will headline Group A along with Myanmar, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Both Vietnam and the Phil-

ippines figured out in two semifinal showdowns last year, each resulting in setups for their championship glories.

First, Vietnam eliminated the Filipinas in the SEA Games tournament in Hanoi en route to eventually winning it all.

The Filipinas, however, got back at Vietnam after ousting them in the AFF Women’s Championship semis at the Rizal Memorial Stadium here, and the former also walked away with the gold eventually.

Meanwhile, Thailand was grouped with host country Cambodia, Singapore and Laos in Group B, which could arguably be the “group of hope.”

Aside from Thailand, which is expected to top Group B, only Laos has made it to the semis among the group, making two straight Final 4 appearances in 2007 and 2009 only to miss out on a medal.

Singapore and Cambodia, however, get an outright shot at making their first-ever semi-

final appearance.

Meanwhile, the Under-22 Azkals end up in a relatively lighter group stage schedule after they join Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Timor Leste in Group A of the men’s football event.

The core of the Azkals Development Team is expected to be called up for national team duties in the SEA Games even as the team gets to recruit two members of the Azkals’ first team as well.

Group B consists of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the crossover semifinals with the winners heading to the final-plus an assured silver--and the losing sides battling for the bronze.

The SEA Games football events will kick off on April 29, a full week before the formal opening ceremonies on May 5. (PNA)

LeBron James drove for a go-ahead layup with 27 seconds left to help the Lakers escape with a win.

PROUD OF ROOTS

Clarkson dons

PH flag in SLAM magazine cover

Filipino-American NBA star Jordan

Clarkson proudly posed with the Philippine flag on the cover of basketball magazine SLAM.

Posing with him together on the cover is Utah Jazz teammate Lauri Markkanen who had, for his part, the Finnish flag.

Clarkson has vocally been proud of his Filipino roots, even playing for the Philippine national basketball team in the 2018 Asian Games and the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

He has become part of the Jazz lineup after being traded by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019.

There, he immediately became Utah’s top scorer off the bench, being awarded the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2021.

This year, Clarkson has significantly improved as a playmaker and is putting up a career-high 20.8 points and 4.4 assists per contest.

The Slam magazine feature mentioned Clarkson as a player “ready to take over.”

Some excerpts:

As someone who prefers to

live in the present, Clarkson has been able to dial in and prove the narrative wrong that his game is one-dimensional and he’s limited to just scoring wrong. He’s emerged as a playmaker who can dish no-look passes to Markkanen and orchestrate an offense. “The biggest thing is calm down. Not try to do too much and let plays happen,” he explains. “A lot of times, aggressiveness turns into bad things, so just being able to find yourself in those moments and being able to reel yourself in with a snowball effect…Knowing that I am an older guy now, I’ve been in the League for a while, [so], just trying to knock those moments down and just help the team.

Is that what he’d tell his younger self?

“Oh yeah, for sure. I’m probably talking to myself right now,” Clarkson says.

Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson has vocally been proud of his Filipino roots, even playing for the Philippine national basketball team in the 2018 Asian Games and the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. (SLAM photo)