On the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of the Philippine Independence celebration on Monday, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte underscored the importance of the education sector in rearing the future generation of this country.
“Let us rally behind our education sector to enable our children, youth to break free from the dangers of armed struggle so that they can realize their full poten-
tial and serve as agents of positive change in society,” Duterte said in her message.
the Filipinos with a strong legacy of patriotism and love of country in leading the way towards the triumph of the Filipino amidst the challenges of nation-building.
“This is our inspiration for continuing our present quests for inclusive development that will carry our people out of the chains of poverty, insurgency, drug addiction, and other threats to our
Five of six governors of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Saturday reiterated their call for the postponement of the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the Bangsamoro region until after the decommissioning of combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) shall have been completed.
Marcos in February. (The sixth BARMM Governor, Abdulraof Macacua of Maguindanao del Norte, was appointed to the post on April 5, 2023).
Vice President and Education
Secretary Sara Duterte has arrived in Brunei Darussalam for a three-day visit as part of her mandate as the president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
On Monday morning, Duterte paid a courtesy call to Brunei Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee
Billah before visiting public and private schools in Bandar Seri Begawan.
Duterte then proceeded to a public school where many children of Filipinos are studying. She observed the classes and activities of the students in the institution.
She is also expected to go to a private school, as well as to
Duterte said that the painstaking years of martyrdom left F
the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Vocational and Technical Education and Training (SEAMEO VOCTECH) on Monday afternoon. There will also be a gathering of the Filipino community in Brunei as part of the commemoration of the Philippines’ 125th Independence Day.
Philippine Ambassador to
The call, reiterating their February 20, 2023 “urgent appeal” to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., was made during the Regional Peace and Order (RPOC) meeting held in Maimbung, Sulu on Saturday.
In a press statement, Basilan Governor Jim Hataman Salliman said he filed a motion during the meeting seeking the creation of a Technical Working Group that will study the position papers of the five BARMM governors who want a postponement: Hataman Salliman, Sulu Governor Sakur Tan, Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong, Jr., and Maguindanao del Sur Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu.
The five governors submitted their “urgent appeal” to President
The February 20, 2023 “urgent appeal” called for a swift investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators who ambushed Governor Adiong “and of other violent incidents in the BARMM,” immediate decommissioning of MILF forces, camps and base commands, and postponement of the barangay elections in the BARMM “until after the full decommissioning of the MILF.” Congress decides on the postponement of elections, not the President.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has set August 28 to September 2 as the period for the filing of Certificates of Candidacy.
In their February appeal, the governors said they are “seriously concerned that law enforcement in the BARMM will continue to be handicapped leading to the barangay elections of October 30, 2023 unless effective decommissioning of MILF combatants and firearms is completed.
The Normalization process as
The City Health Office (CHO) is gearing up for the third Covid-19 booster dose in Davao City.
Dr. Tomas Miguel Ababon, officer-in-charge of CHO, said on Monday that this is based on the guidelines released by the Department of Health (DOH).
The DOH announced it has allowed the use of Pfizer bivalent jabs as a third booster dose.
“Karon nagpagawas na pud ug guidelines ang Department of Health (DOH) nga naa na tay ikatulo nga booster, after aning measles, rubella, polio vaccination, mao na pud na among ka-busyhan ang third booster dose,” Ababon said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday.
Based on a memorandum signed by DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire on March 31, 2023, a “phased approach” shall be followed wherein adults belonging to A1 (healthcare workers) and A2 (senior citizens) categories will be the first ones to be given the
Pfizer bivalent vaccine as a third booster dose. She emphasized that they need to wait at least four months after receiving their second booster shot before they take the next one.
Other rounds of immunization for other demographic groups will begin, depending on vaccine availability.
Meanwhile, Ababon reported that Davao City has been able to surpass the targeted 80 percent of the total population to be inoculated. He said the city has accomplished more than 85 percent.
He also said that the vaccination campaign is effective because the cases of Covid-19 in the city are low.
He reported that last month, from almost 200 admitted, 74 tested positive. These numbers were recorded after the celebration of Araw ng Davao. Currently, there were only five to seven who tested positive out of more than 200 individuals that underwent reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test.
By Maya M. PadilloThe regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE 11) held the 2023 Kalayaan Job Fair in Davao City with over 5,000 local and overseas job opportunities at SM City Davao’s Annex event center in celebration of the 125th Independence Day on Monday.
DOLE 11 director lawyer Randolf C. Pensoy announced that the Davao City activity was participated by 38 local employers offering 2,865 job vacancies, and nine overseas employers offering 2,707 job vacancies.
“I am so happy to inform you of these numbers. I challenged,
the job fair is for our applicants and also would like to work in any establishments in the private and the government sector, but most particularly, private. I encouraged all, particularly our applicants to continuously strive yourself for the best because sama sa giingon, kung dili ka mutrabaho, di ka su-
welduhan, di ka ka kuwarta, ug dili ka kakaon,” Pensoy said in his message.
He also challenged employers to hire applicants on the spot.
“Because this is our mandate, employers give employment not DOLE gives employment but it is DOLE that facilitated employment,” he said.
This year’s celebration carries the theme: “Kalayaan, Kinabukasan, at Kasaysayan.”
“We are given the freedom to choose our job and it becomes our future when we have a job and
Former senator Manny Pacquiao topped the April 2023 voter preferences for senators survey done by the Social Weather Stations.
The national survey results showed Pacquiao ranking first on the list, followed by Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Vicente Sotto III, Christopher “Bong” Go and
Manny Villar.
Completing the 12 spots are Lito Lapid, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Imee Marcos, Erwin Tulfo, Rodrigo Duterte, Panfilo Lacson and Pia Cayetano.
Among those in the 13th to 31st spots are former vice presidents Leni Robredo and Jejomar Binay, former Manila mayor Isko
Moreno Domagoso, Atty. Chel Diokno, former senators Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Mar Roxas and Richard Gordon, among others.
The survey, commissioned by Arnel Ty, was done face-toface last April 15 to 18, 2023, with 1,200 respondents.
Theaverage farmgate price of palay at the national level went up to PHP18.57 per kilogram in March this year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
PSA data released over the weekend showed that the average farmgate price of palay during the month was higher by 6.5 percent than the PHP17.43 per kilogram in the same month last year.
“Month-on-month, it increased by 2.1 percent compared with the PHP18.19 average farmgate price per kilogram in February 2023,” it said.
Among the regions, the highest farmgate price of palay during the month was seen in Ilocos at PHP20.83 per kilogram.
The lowest, meanwhile, was recorded in Eastern Visayas at PHP16.49 per kilogram.
The PSA said all regions recorded positive year-on-year growth rates in March 2023.
Ilocos Region posted the highest annual increase of 11.6
percent, while Northern Mindanao registered the lowest year-on-year increment of 0.5 percent.
“Month-on-month, 12 regions recorded increases in the average farmgate prices, while four regions posted decreases for this month,” the PSA said.
The highest increase was noted in Cordillera Administrative Region at 10.5 percent, while the fastest decline of -13.3 percent was observed in Eastern Visayas.
For the first quarter of the
Philippine Airlines (PAL) international flights will begin to operate at Manila Airport’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 by June 16, 2023, while domestic flights will remain in Terminal 2.
The transfer is part of the Manila International Airport Au-
thority (MIAA) terminal reassignment initiative to ease passenger congestion at all terminals.
PAL’s International flights that will depart from and arrive at Terminal 1 are Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Busan, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Tokyo (Haneda), Hong Kong, Jakarta, Jinjiang, Osaka (Kansai), Kua-
Motorists will have to pay more for petroleum products this week, as oil firms are set to hike pump prices by more than P1 per liter following the rollback implemented last Tuesday.
In separate advisories, Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Seaoil Philippines Corp. said they will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P1.20, diesel by P1.40, and kerosene.
Cleanfuel and Petro Gazz will implement the same adjustments, excluding kerosene which they do not carry.
back of the announced reduction in the output target of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+).
In a separate interview on Monday, Romero said that while Saudi Arabia’s announcement of the output target reduction drove prices higher, this was slightly offset by the weak economic data particularly in China, which could impact demand.
la Lumpur, Macau, Melbourne, Nagoya, Tokyo (Narita), Perth, Port Moresby, Seoul (Incheon), Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei and Xiamen.
PAL, meanwhile, encouraged passengers to arrive at least four hours before their international flight and three hours for their domestic flights.
The changes will take effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 except for Caltex which will adjust prices at 12:01 a.m., and Cleanfuel at 4:01 p.m. the same day.
Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week.
Department of Energy - Oil Industry Management Bureau assistant director Rodela Romero last week said prices are expected to increase on the
“Kumbaga na-neutralize ‘yung balitang ‘yun na hopefully, magsusunod-sunod para hindi naman magpatuloy ang pagtaas,” she said during the public briefing.
(So to speak that was neutralized and hopefully, this will be one after the other so the hikes will not be continuous.)
Firms last week lowered prices per liter of gasoline by P0.60, diesel by P0.30, and kerosene by P0.60.
Latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE) indicate a net increase of
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and New Perspective Media (NPM)
Group CEO and founder Karen Franco have agreed to help each other find ways to drive tourists from the Middle East to the Philippines by promoting medical tourism, halal travel, diving, arts, and culture, among others.
In a meeting at the Department of Tourism (DOT) headquarters in Makati on June 5, the two engaged in discussions on the diverse range of tourism opportunities that the Philippines could promote in the Middle East, it was reported in the Filipino Times.
Frasco thanked Remo for the invaluable insights she shared during the meeting, acknowledging their potential to aid the department in positioning the Philippines as a global travel destination and capturing the lucrative Middle East outbound travel and tourism market.
She said the Philippines has been hailed as the top diving destination in the world by many organizations.
The country, home to the
Halfof adult Filipinos think the local economy will post an improvement in the next six months, while some 40% believe there will be no changes from the present, results of the Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey conducted by OCTA Research released on Sunday showed.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, won the “Best Dive Destination” during the Diving, Resort and Travel Show in Malaysia on Feb. 24-26, the “World’s Leading Dive Destination” during last year’s World Travel Awards, and “Asia’s Leading Dive Destination” from the same group from 2019 to 2022.
Meanwhile, Remo congratulated the DOT for the well-deserved recognition of the Philippines as the Emerging Muslim-Friendly Destination of the Year at the esteemed Halal in Travel Global Summit 2023, held in Singapore on June 1.
She also updated the tourism secretary on NPM’s forthcoming initiatives in the UAE, including the 10th annual Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition, as well as the upcoming 2nd Philippine Economic and Investment Summit, both slated to take place in Dubai on May 11 to 12, 2024.
The twin events will feature the Philippine International Travel Fair to promote localities
FDOT, P8
The survey, conducted March 24 to 28, 2023, found that 50% of respondents across the country think the economy will be better than the present, higher than the 46% recorded in October 2022.
The highest optimism was recorded in the Visayas with 69%, followed by balance Luzon with 47%, the National Capital Region (NCR) with 46%, and Mindanao with 43%.
In terms of socioeconomic classes, the highest optimism was
seen in Class D with 51%, followed by Class E with 50%, and Class ABC with 44%.
Broken down geographically, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) posted the highest percentage with 79%, while the lowest was recorded in Soccsksargen with 12%.
Some 6% of respondents said they think the economy will be worse than the present in the next six months, down from the 10% percentage of pessimists in the
previous survey conducted in October 2022.
The biggest percentage of pessimists was seen in Mindanao with 11%, followed by NCR with 7%, balance Luzon with 5%, and the Visayas with 3%.
Socioeconomically, the highest percentage of pessimists was in Class ABC with 11%, backed by Class E with 8%, and Class D with 5%.
The Davao Region had the highest percentage of pessimists with 19%, while the lowest was seen in CAR and Region II or the Cagayan Valley, with 0%.
Results also showed that 40% of respondents thought that there would be no changes in the next six months, while 4% were neither F50%, P8
Budget carrier Cebu Pacific on Monday announced P1 one-way promotional base fares for select domestic and international destinations, in line with the country’s celebration of the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence.
In an advisory, Cebu Pacific said
the promotional fares — exclusive of fees and surcharges — will be available from June 12 to 15, 2023, covering flights from November 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024.
“The Super Seat Fest is CEB’s special way of celebrating Independence Day to bring people to their dream getaways
through affordable and convenient flights,” the advisory read.
Malacañang earlier declared June 12 as a regular holiday. Cebu Pacific bounced back to profitability in the first quarter of 2023, with 11 additional aircraft set to be added to its fleet this year.
“Let
cherished freedoms and liberties lead us to a more just society upholding the greater good of our kababayan. Above all, may we continue to find the indelible mark of heroism not just in the unfurled and hoisted colors of our Philippine flag but also in our shared resolve to build a better way of life, defend our people’s liberties, and protect our Republic.”
VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE
“The soil is the great connector of life, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.”
That statement came from Wendell Berry, author of The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture.
In Biblical times, farmers used the land they had for six years. Every seventh year, however, the land was left untouched. It’s called sabbatical year, which is mandated by the Torah in the Land of Israel. It’s a great rest for the fields, so that the land could regenerate.
When farmers plant crops, the nutrients present in the soil are taken by the crops. If this goes on for several years, the land is soon devoid of nutrients. The nutrient requirements of the crops are not met from soil reserves until these reserves are replenished.
This is where fertilizers come into the picture. Without fertilizers, Mother Nature cannot immediately replenish the nutrients taken by crops in the soil. But these days, most farmers complain because of the high
cost of this farm input.
Fertilizers are composed of main nutrients, macroelements, and microelements. When farmers are talking of complete fertilizer (14-14-14, for instance), they are talking of the main nutrients: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K).
Macroelements, the secondary nutrients, include calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and magnesium (Mg). The microelements, thus completing the formulation, are zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), boron (B), manganese (Mn), and iron (Fe).
Topsoil – the link between the rock core of the earth and the living things on its surface – is the single most important resource on farmland, which is built up over time. Experts claim it takes 200 to 1,000 years to form 2.5 centimeters of rich topsoil.
On the average, farmlands are losing 2.5 centimeters of topsoil every 16 years, or 17 times faster than it can be replaced.
That’s the reason why Filipino farmers need to conserve and protect topsoil as it is the primary resource in crop production. “We need to get to know our soils: Healthy soils produce healthy food and healthy people, and also support a healthy environment,” says Dr. Johnvie B.
Goloran, an agricultural and environmental scientist. “Knowing the health of your soil is worth investing in.”
He knows what he is saying. After all, he has a PhD in soil science and postdoctoral training in soil health and plant nutrition from Australia’s Griffith University and the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute, respectively.
Perhaps, one of the reasons why farmers don’t harvest the optimum yield from their farms is because they just fertilize their crops without really knowing if they need them in the first place.
“Most farmers really don’t know their soils,” Dr. Goloran deplores. “Because of this, they lose the opportunity to design or develop a strategic program/ practice suitable for their farm lands.”
If only farmers get to know the basic knowledge of their farms, particularly the soil where they are planting their crops, they can definitely lessen the farm inputs, thereby increasing their farm income.
To know what’s in the soil, all they have to do is to test it. The goal of soil testing is to provide farmers an accurate assessment of the soil’s fertility to make proper fertilizer recommen-
Next to the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), established on August 1, 1851, as El Ban-co Español Filipino de Isabel II and the country’s oldest, Monte de Piedad y Caja de Ahorros, a Catholic outfit, is the second oldest, organized in 1882 and is the first savings bank in the archipelago. Seven years earlier, Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), a foreign lending institution, started operating in Binondo in November 1875.
In Davao City, the Monte de Piedad branch used to occupy the space beside the lot of the now defunct Mila’s Tailoring, which is now leased to Medisense Laboratory Clinic, Inc., right next to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ compound along Claveria (C.M. Recto) Street.
The idea of having a charitable banking institution was
dations. With the increasing awareness of fertilizer effects on environment quality, soil tests also can be used to determine where fertilizers or manure should not be applied.
“Soil testing gives you the critical information on the nutritional status of your farm,” Dr. Goloran says. “This means that farmers would be able to select what type and rate of fertilizers are suitable to maintain a good nutritional status of the soils and at the same time address the nutritional requirements of the crops.”
Farmers can have their soil tested through the Regional Soils Laboratories (RSLs) under the Department of Agriculture. “It would be great if they can do or analyze at least 8 to 12 available forms of soil nutrients,” he says.
Soil testing can really help farmers in optimizing their crop production. “The standard practice should be that farmers would get not just the soil test results but also a set of recommendations for the crop that they prefer to plant on their farms,” Dr. Goloran says.
The website of James Lind Institute (JLI) says fertilizers help plants become resilient against harmful plant pathogens, pests, and weeds. Elimination of dis-
eases in plants increases the value in the harvest.
The use of animal manures as compost is as old as agriculture itself.
Farmers can use both organic and inorganic fertilizers to restore the fertility of their farmers. “We have to understand that organic and inorganic fertilizers are both food to crops,” he points out. “The former takes time as it needs to be mineralized before it will be taken up by the plants. The latter is already available for crop uptake.”
Farmers are also urged to understand the time element on the effects of both organic and inorganic fertilizers. “If their crops need urgent attention, farmers have an option which one to choose,” Dr. Goloran says. “One thing that I would like to emphasize, regardless of fertilizer sources, be it organic or inorganic, both require soil testing as a prerequisite, so that farmers would know the rate and type of fertilizer to be applied to their crops.”
Farmers should not devoid the fields of nutrients. They must be reminded of the popular saying which goes something like this: They don’t inherit the land from their parents; they just borrow it from their children’s children
proposed in March 1880 by Span-ish governor-general Domingo Moriones Murillo to help the needy through a model that ex-tends a modest interest and gives out loans using the loanee’s tangible properties as collateral. As a result, he issued a decree creating the Monte de Piedad with P33,959, Mexican currency, from the Obras Pias of the Casa de Misericordia as an initial deposit of the new institution.
On July 20, 1882, the bank was opened in Intramuros, Manila, based on the Monte de Piedad de Madrid rules, and started operations on August 2, 1882.
When the Americans came, the charitable institution had outstanding loans of about P900,000 that were extended to the poor at 6% a year, “secured by the pledge of jewelry,
household articles and apparel delivered into the possession of the institution, or, to a small extent, by real estate mortgages.” It operated like today’s pawnshops and was at the time managed by the Catholic church or whoever was the head of the Manila See.
A man named Manuel Luis M. Quezon, who later became the Commonwealth president, had worked in the bank in 1900 with a monthly take-home pay of P25.
Against the odds, the bank, with the archbishop of Manila as its president, survived the global war and later financial crises; it even expanded its portfolio by counting loans to the poorest of the poor, including tricycle drivers and teachers. But the program was eventually abused, which affected the liquidity of the lending bank.
In October 1994, the program was stopped, and the bank temporarily ceased operations in April 1997. Through the brokering of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, it was sold to Keppel Group of Singapore. At the time, it only had assets of US$90 million and 30 branches. The new owner invested US$40 million to cover unfunded manager’s cheques issued before the bank closed.
On October 5, 2005, General Electric Co. of Connecticut, USA, acquired Monte de Piedad, renamed as Keppel Bank, for $25.8 million. In March 2007, GE Money Bank, the reincarna-tion of Monte de Piedad, reported asset growth of over 10% with assets reaching P8.9 billion.
Two years later, BDO Unibank took over the erstwhile Catholic banking outfit and
agreed to a share-whap deal with GE to acquire a minority stake in BDO Unibank, the equal of 1.5% stake, with an option to increase its holdings to up to 10%. The takeover involved the inclu-sion of GE Money Bank’s 31 branches, 30,000 customers, and 38 ATMs nationwide.
Following the completion of the deal, BDO Unibank refurbished the Davao branch of the defunct charitable institution and gave it a new name. But as soon as the new owner had opened a more spacious building on a prime lot situated just over 100 meters away, the old, one-story Monte de Piedad was relinquished and leased to a high-end housing company.
A reminder that the lending institution has contributed to the city’s progress is the Monte de Piedad Housing at Maa.
HOPE...
She also thanked modern-day heroes who continue to fight for freedom from terrorism, criminality, corruption, and local communism, and who, to this day, remained unwavering in securing the gains of development across public health, economy, peace and order, and governance.
“Let our cherished freedoms and liberties lead us to a more just society upholding the greater good of our kababayan. Above all, may we continue to find the indelible mark of heroism not just in the unfurled and hoisted colors of our Philippine flag but also in our shared resolve to build a better way of life, defend our people’s liberties, and protect our Republic,” Duterte said.
Meanwhile, Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte also gave his message read by acting Mayor J. Melchor Quitain Jr. during the city government of Davao’s celebration of the 125th Independence Day at Rizal Park.
The mayor commended the Dabawenyos, workers in the city government of Davao, military and police personnel, religious groups, and the private and different non-government organizations for their unwavering commitment to fulfilling their civic duties and mandates, which contributes to the stability of the
FROM 11 national security,” she said.
Brunei Marian Jocelyn Tirol-Ignacio led the flag raising ceremony in the Philippine Embassy in Brunei on Monday morning.
The Embassy also launched the book “The Legend of Malakas and Maganda,” along with the Reading and Literacy Association of Brunei.
After Brunei, Duterte is set to go straight to Singapore for a two-day visit also as SEAMEO president.
city’s peace and order situation.
“The declaration of our independence in 1898 highlights both the heroism and nationalism of our countrymen. With this legacy, it is our responsibility to make the most of our liberty and build more sustainable avenues providing betterment and assurance for the next generation. We have come a long way and it is the lasting support of everyone that incline us to further strive for progress that shall take our nation to greater heights,” he said.
The celebration of the city government was attended by deputy mayor Sheirelle Uy-Anino of the Bagobo-Tagabawa tribe, Alwyn Buissan of the Iranun tribe, Davao City Police Officer director Alberto Lupaz and Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) director Alden Delvo.
optimistic nor pessimistic.
The survey focused on the views of adult Filipinos regarding their quality of life and the economy, as commissioned by Go Negosyo. It has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level.
Just last week the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) maintained its economic growth projection at 6.0% to 7.0% for 2022, and from 6.5% to 8.0% from 2024 to 2028.
The economy expanded by 6.4% in the first quarter of the year, slower than the 8.0% growth in the first quarter of 2022, and the downward revised 7.1% in the fourth quarter of the previous year.
and destinations primed for tourism and investment, and realize the travel aspirations of the 192 nationalities in the UAE.
Remo – who is also the publisher of The Filipino Times, the largest news media for overseas Filipinos globally – emphasized that overseas Filipinos serve as the most effective ambassadors of the Philippines to the rest of the world, as their highly regarded professionalism and friendliness create a
year, the average farmgate price of palay at the national level was at PHP18.17 per kilogram, up by 3.9 percent from the previous quarter’s average farmgate price of PHP17.49 per kilogram.
It was also higher by 4.2 percent compared to last year.
The highest average farmgate price for the first quarter was recorded in Ilocos Region at PHP19.81 per kilogram, while the lowest was recorded in Caraga at PHP16.91 per kilogram. (PNA)
FROM 4 SARA... FROM 2 OVER... FROM 3
P5.50 per liter for gasoline, and net decreases for P5.35 per liter for diesel, and P7.35 per liter for kerosene as of June 6, 2023.
profound impact on fostering positive perception about the country.
Since Dec. 2023, the DOT has been incentivizing overseas Filipinos to invite tourists to explore the Philippines through the “Bisita Be My Guest” (BBMG) program.
These incentives include travel discounts and a chance to win a condominium and complimentary vacation trips.
The meeting was also attended by DOT Undersecretary Shereen Gail Yu-Pamintuan, DOT Undersecretary Ferdinand “Cocoy” Jumapao, and NPM Group Editorial Director Mark Nituma. (PNA)
part of that becomes a history,” he said.
The Kalayaan Job Fair has been conducted in four venues in Davao Region: SM City Annex in Davao City on June 12, 2023; Carmen Municipal Gymnasium in Carmen, Davao del Norte on June 13; the University of Mindanao, Panabo City on June 14; and the University of Southeastern Philippines in Tagum City on June 15.
According to DOLE 11, there are 50 companies, 40 local and 10 international, that are participating in Davao Region’s Kalayaan Job Fair.
agreed upon in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF in March 2014, involves not only decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons but also the disbandment of private armed groups (PAGS) or what is referred to as private armies of politicians, redeployment of military and police, and transformation of MILF camps into productive communities.
The Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Region reported it still has 23 potential PAGs from 37 on their list, according to Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) had earlier reported that 15,300 MILF combatants out of 40,000 have yet to be decommissioned and only 4,625 firearms have been decommissioned.
defiance from time-to-time.”
For tenacity, the Heat don’t need to look any farther than their mascot, Burnie, who took two punches from former UFC champion Conor McGregor in a skit that led to the person in the costume seeking medical attention. Burnie could be back on the court, though, should the Heat force a Game Six in Miami on Thursday.
“That’s the Miami Heat toughness that we’re talking about,” Spoesltra said of the mascot’s return. “He should have been allowed to take the first swing. We won’t reveal who that is, but yeah, he can take a punch and get back up.”
The Nuggets have the Heat down on the canvas, with no desire to let them back up. Still, they realize it won’t be easy.
Closeout games rarely are.
“Obviously, they’ve been doubted the whole year and they made it this far for a reason,” said Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown, whose team is 9-1 at home, with the lone blemish in Game 2 against Miami. “It’s going to be crazy. It’s going to be loud. The fans are going to be here probably early. But I can’t wait. I feed off their energy, so hopefully it’s going to be a big night.”
The Nuggets have history on their side. Of the 36 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals, the lone one to come back to win the title was the 2016 Cleveland team led by LeBron James against Golden State.
On that Cavaliers squad was Kevin Love, the 34-year-old Heat forward who’s been preaching that anything can happen.
“You really just have to take it one possession at a time,” Love said. “It’s just one possession, one quarter, half-to-half. Just get it done by any means necessary and figure the rest out.”
Butler couldn’t agree more. Just don’t mention moral victories and how much they’ve accomplished.
It’s ring or bust.
“All the odds, 8-seed — nah, none of that matters,” Butler said. “It’s just two really good basketball teams. One has to get one win, and one has to get three. Let’s just hope that the other that has to get three, gets three.”
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Murad” Ebrahim, concurrent chair of the MILF, presided the RPOC meeting. Local Governments Minister Naguib Sinarimbo told MIndaNews a Technical Working Group will be created to study the proposal of the governors “as the postponement is a matter that needs congressional enactment.”
The RPOC was attended by Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, BARMM police chief Nobleza, Defense Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez, Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Arthur M. Cordura and OPAPRU Undersecretary David Diciano and Assistant Secretary Jordan Bayam.
Governors Sali, Salliman and Macacua attended the RPOC hosted by Sulu Governor Tan. Mangudadatu and Adiong were absent. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)
— The Miami Heat are searching for inspiration anywhere they can find it, including a tennis great’s record-setting win at the French Open and even their mascot’s quick rebound from a few punches to the face.
Jimmy Butler and the Heat might be down 3-1 in the NBA Finals against the Nuggets heading into Game Five on Monday night in Denver (Tuesday, Manila time), but they hardly consider themselves out.
“Our belief is at an all-time
high,” said Butler, whose team is hoping to avoid watching the Nuggets celebrate their first NBA title. “It always has been all year. It always will be.”
From Day One, the Heat have demonstrated their scrappiness. At first, it was in scrimmages
against each other in training camp and later in earning the No. 8 seed into the postseason through a second chance in the play-in tournament. They knocked out Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee in the first round, then the New York Knicks, and rebounded in Game Seven in Boston after squandering 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Bottom line: They’re used to doing things the hard way.
“They love the ultimate challenges and the ultimate compe-
SPOELSTRA:
Coaches, regardless of the sports discipline they are into, always cling to the principle that they should take one game at a time in a serial championship of this magnitude.
Focus on the game at hand, instead of looking into the entirety of the series, is major reason why this is so.
At a precarious 1-3 tally and on the verge of losing the NBA Finals crown to Denver, the two-time NBA champion coach is telling his boys to concentrate on Game 5 which will be played on the Nuggets’ homecourt. Ouch!
Coach Mike Malone and his Mile High City squad thrashed
Spoelstra and his South Florida platoon in Game 4, 108-95.
The Heat will attempt to duplicate what only one team of 36 NBA ballclubs situated at 1-3 deficit to have made a successful comeback.
The Cleveland Cavaliersstarring Lebron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompsonachieved the feat in 2016.
Love, who celebrated the arrival of his first baby Saturday, was signed up in February by Miami.
Spoelstra has sternly told his boys not to give up without a fight.
NBA stats showed that Miami has made seven successful comeback wins after trailing by 10 or more
points in the postseason.
tition,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The narratives are not going to decide it. Whatever the analytics are about 3-1, that ain’t going to decide it. It’s going to be decided between those four lines, whose game can get to whose game and ultimately win at the end. That’s what our guys love.”
A little motivation goes a long way, too. They drew encouragement from Serbian great Novak Djokovic earning his men’s-record 23rd Grand Slam singles championship Sunday with a victory over
This tied the 2021-22 record which the Golden State Warriors set.
On this reasoning, Spoelstra believes the series is far far from over.
As unlikely as the task appears to be, Miami can still launch a comeback (even if it seems like climbing Mt. Everest) because the Nuggets don’t have four NBA finals victories yet.
As the cliche goes, “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.”
Spoeltra told the sports media in after Game 4: “We have an incredibly competitive group. We’ve done everything the hard way, and that’s the hard way it’s
going to to have to be done right now, again. All we are going to focus on is getting this thing back to Miami.”
Jimmy Butler, for his part being the heart and soul of Miami, knows exactly what is required of him to keep the Heat alive (and kicking still) but it won’t be easy.
He must take the lead and create open situations for 3-point snipers Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Max Strus, Kyle Lowry and Gabe Vincent.
Actually, if you closely observe the Nuggets, they are executing the same strategy except that they have a far better big man in Nikola Jokic than Bam
Casper Ruud.
The Heat are trying to channel the inner belief Djokovic displayed as they face another Serbian standout in Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic.
“(Djokovic) has talked about that mental side of the game,” said Spoelstra, who had no update on the availability of Tyler Herro, the sharpshooting guard sidelined by a hand injury. “We have a very stubborn and defiant group, and I think it’s good to have a little bit of
FBUTLER,Adebayo in terms of scoring, rebounding and passing.
Which is why Denver’s right foot is already inside the championship door. Jokic is the main reason Murray and company are playing exceptionally better.
It might be unkind for Miami fans to say that the Nuggets will not allow the duo of Butler and Adebayo to spoil what Denver has prepared for a championship party.
Jolic, Murray, Porter, KCP, Brown and company will fight to the finish to win Game 5 and their first NBA crown in 47 years. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
BY CHITO MALABANAN
With less than a week to go for the FORE EVER Golf 2.0 golf tournament, the organizing Fore Fathers Group tapped another major sponsor for the biggest summer golf tournament in Davao City to be held this coming June 17 and 18,2023 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club.
After the committee meeting held Friday night, the organizers were happy to announce that they have tapped BMW to become one of their partners for this tournament. The BMW will sponsor one brand new R1250 GS Adventure Bike Triple Black edition as an added Hole in One prize.
“Aside from the initial prizes which consist of Kia Sportage SUV, Ogawa Chair by OGAWA, Gun and Bag by PB Dionisio, Window Type Aircon, Launch Monitor and Titleist Golf set with Bag and Cash prizes amounting to 200,000 pesos, the BMW motorbike is a very good welcome development,” said Paul Garcia, tournament director.
“As of now, the slot for the afternoon session on Saturday and Sunday is already full and as the tournament day approaches, we are anticipating late registrants which we will accommodate mostly on the morning flights,” Garcia added.
A total of P600,000 worth of raffle prizes and giveaways will be at stake for the 18 Hole Team and Individual competition.
This tournament is both a team and individual competition where trophies and merchandise
await the champions and runners up. Teams are composed of 4 players each team with all scores to count.
Handicaps will be based on latest WHS Index on May 1,2023 wherein for the Individual category, golfers will be classified into five groups. Class A (Handicap 0 to 9), Class B (Handicap 10-19), Class C (Handicap 20-27), Ladies Division and Seniors Division.
Teams will be classified into two divisions namely, Division 1 (Team average handicap 14 and below) and Division 2 (Team average handicap 15 and above).
A pair of shirt with utility bag will given as giveaways to all participants upon payment of registration fee which is pegged at P 5,000 per individual or P 20,000 per team. This covers the green fee, mulligan, practice round, raffle entry and dinner at the awarding ceremonies.
Proceeds of this tournament will go to the House of foundation with major beneficiaries are kids who are cancer patients.
For further inquiries regarding tournament, contact Paul Garcia 09209702528 and Edwin Cayamanda 09178770711.
