Marcos sworn in as 17th president MANILA - Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., who was sworn in as the country’s 17th president thanked the Filipino people and called his victory the “biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.” Below is the full text of Marcos’ inaugural speech: “This is a historic mo-
ment for us all. I feel it deep within me. You, the people
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have spoken and it is resounding. When my call for unity started to resonate with you, it did so because it echoed your yearning, mirrored your sentiments, and expressed your hopes for family, for country and for a better future. That is why it reverberated and amplified as it did, to deliver the biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine
democracy. By your vote, you rejected the politics of division. I offended none of my rivals in this campaign. I listened instead to what they were saying and I saw little incompatibility with my own ideas about jobs, fair wages, personal safety and national strength and ending want in a land of plenty. I believe that if we focus
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on the work at hand, and the work that will come to hand, we will go very far under my watch. You believe that too. And I listened to your voices who are calling for unity, unity and unity. We will go further together than against each other, pushing forward not pulling each other back out of fear, out of
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ICC to reopen Duterte ‘drug war’ investigation
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AVAO CITY – The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced it is set to reopen an investigation into killings and other suspected human rights abuses during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called “war on drugs,” according to Al Jazeera reports. It said ICC Prosecu- ing to reopen the probe international court Continue on page 2 tor Karim Khan is seek- seven months after the
News Site Rappler Ordered To Shut Down
Nobel laureate Maria Ressa
MANILA - Nobel laureate Maria Ressa confirmed the government is pressing forward with an order to shut down Rappler, the news website she co-founded in 2012. The site, which gained notoriety for reporting on President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody crackdown on illegal drugs, was ordered to shut a day before Duterte leaves office. Despite the order, Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, vowed to keep the site running despite the Continue on page 4
Banned facial creams sold in Cagayan stores CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - The EcoWaste Coalition has urged Mayor Rolando Uy to take a tough stance against the sale of mercury-laced cosmetics here. The group’s call for
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tough action against dangerous skin whitening cosmetics laden with mercury came on the heels of its test buy operations recently which netted nine forbidden products. “We’ve been conduct-
ing test buy operations since 2011 to check on the availability of prohibited mercury-containing cosmetics in the market and to educate consumers about the risks posed by Continue on page 4
Eastern Mindanao
Former President Rodrigo Duterte
Monkeypox evolves at accelerated rate THE MONKEYPOX virus has mutated at a far faster rate than would normally be expected and likely underwent a period of "accelerated evolution," a new study suggests. The virus, which has infected more than 3,500 people in 48 countries since its detection outside Africa in May, may be Continue on page 2
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ICC to reopen Duterte ‘drug war’ investigation
Continued from page 1 suspended its investigation into Duterte’s drugs war in November at the Philippines’ request. Khan said the Philippines had filed a deferral request through its ambassador in the Netherlands, Eduardo Malaya. “The prosecution has temporarily suspended its investigative activities while it assesses the scope and effect of the deferral request,” he said. “The prosecution will, in the coming days, request additional information from the Philippines under rule 53 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. Such additional information is necessary for the prosecution to assess the scope and effect of the deferral request.” In the letter, Malaya had requested the ICC for a deferral, saying his country was “keen on ensuring the successful prosecution of cases that have been filed, or may be filed in court, against erring Philippine National Police members and others within its jurisdiction”. Malaya cited an ongoing domestic review of 52 drug raids carried out between 2016 and 2021, which signalled “the start of the (DOJ’s) review of the over 6,000 administrative cases” pending internal police investigation. “After a careful and thorough review of all the information provided by the Philippines, as well as
other information available publicly…I have concluded that the deferral requested by the Philippines is not warranted, and that the investigation should resume as quickly as possible,” Khan said in a statement released June 24. “I have informed the Philippine authorities of my intention to file today’s application,” Khan said. “In my letter, I made clear – and I repeat here now – that I remain ready and willing to continue the productive dialogue we have had since November 2021, and to explore ways in which, moving forward, we can effectively cooperate to deliver justice to victims in the Philippines.” Duterte ran for president in 2016 on a single issue of fighting crime in the Philippines. After taking office on June 30, 2016, Duterte immediately launched his deadly campaign against drugs, which was described by the country’s Catholic leaders as a “reign of terror”. During his campaign and later on as president, he repeatedly urged police to “kill” drug suspects. A report from the United Nations last year found thousands of people had been killed in anti-drug operations. According to Philippine government data released in June 2021, at least 6,117 suspected drug
dealers had been killed in police encounters as of April 2021. Human rights groups and activists said the number could be as high as 30,000. Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2018 and has repeatedly said his government will not cooperate with any investigation. The ICC has jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed while the country was a member and up until 2019. Senator Leila de Lima has welcomed Khan’s decision to reopen the investigation and said: “I welcome with great relief and optimism the decision of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the ICC to request the latter to lift the suspension on the preliminary investigation of the Philippine situation.” “The OTP has seen through the ruse that the so-called DOJ (Department of Justice) investigation is, calling it a mere desk investigation that has not amounted to anything substantial to unearth the principals behind the Duterte government’s EJK (extrajudicial killings) policy and such a tack is not at all mirrored in the DOJ’s investigation as it has clearly spared the top perpetrators.” The international group Human Rights Watch branded the ICC investigation as a “booster shot” for accountability. “The ICC prosecutor’s
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request to resume the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in the Philippine government’s drug war is a booster shot for accountabil-
ity. The government has not been serious about justice for these crimes while the victims’ families grieve without redress and those responsible face no
consequences,” said Maria Elena Vignoli, Senior Counsel, International Justice Program, Human Rights Watch. (Al Jazeera, Mindanao Examiner)
Monkeypox evolves at accelerated rate Continued from page 1 more infectious due to dozens of new mutations. In all, the virus carries 50 new mutations not seen in previous strains detected from 2018 to 2019, according to a new study published June 24 in the journal Nature Medicine. Scientists usually don't expect viruses like monkeypox to gain more than one or two mutations each year, the study authors noted. Monkeypox is a rare disease that virologists think may naturally circulate in monkeys and rodents. An orthopoxvirus, it comes from the same family and genus as the variola virus, which causes smallpox, and doesn't usually spread far beyond West and Central Africa, where it is endemic. Out of Africa This year, however, the first widespread outbreak of the disease spread beyond Africa, surprising scientists and leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to begin considering whether to classify the outbreak as a global health emergency. Monkeypox virus strains can be sorted into two clades, or lineages, known as the West African and Congo Basin clades, according to STAT. The viruses in each clade carry different fatality rates; the West African clade has a roughly 1 percent fatality rate, while the Congo Basin clade kills an estimated 10 percent of those it infects. The ongoing outbreak appears to be driven by the West African clade, STAT reported. As a large double-stranded DNA virus, monkeypox is much more able to correct replication errors than an RNA virus such as HIV, meaning that the current monkeypox strain should have really only accumulated a handful of mutations since it first started circulating in 2018. But, after collecting
DNA from 15 monkeypox viral samples and reconstructing their genetic information, the researchers found that the real mutation rate was six to 12 times higher than they expected. The massive jump in the monkey virus's rate of mutation "is far more than one would expect considering previous estimates of the substitution rate for Orthopoxviruses," the researchers wrote in the paper. "Our data reveals [sic] additional clues of ongoing viral evolution and potential human adaptation." Worrying Historically, monkeypox is transmitted from person to person by close skin contact with open skin lesions, bodily fluids, contaminated material or respiratory droplets coughed into the air. But the unprecedented speed of new infections could suggest that something may have changed about how the virus infects its hosts – and the new mutations could be a possible cause. Many of the mutations identified by the researchers also carry telltale clues that they may have emerged due to the virus's contact with the human immune system, specifically a family of the virus-fighting enzymes called APOBEC3. These enzymes attack viruses by forcing them to make mistakes when they copy their genetic code, an act which usually causes the virus to break apart. However, sometimes, the virus survives the encounter and simply picks up a few mutations in its genetic code, according to STAT. It may be that these sorts of battles happened repeatedly and caused the virus to pick up many mutations in a short span of time, the researchers theorized. The virus's mutation rate ramped up in 2018, and there's a few explanations as to why it did so.
It's possible that the virus has been circulating in humans, at low levels, since then, picking up a slew of new mutations through its battles with enzymes. Alternatively, the virus may have been spreading among animals in non-endemic countries without us noticing for quite some time, and then this year, it suddenly leapt back over to humans. Or it's possible that, after a monkeypox outbreak hit Nigeria in 2017, the virus mostly spread in African countries – rapidly evolving as it moved between smaller communities before mounting a resurgence in non-endemic countries this year. Despite its name, monkeypox is most commonly transmitted to humans from rodents, of which African rope squirrels, striped mice, giant-pouched rats, and brush-tailed porcupines are the species believed to be the main reservoirs of the disease, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention. The last time monkeypox was this widespread in the United States was in 2003, when 71 people became infected with the West African clade after a shipment of infected Gambian pouched rats, imported to Texas from Ghana, passed on the disease to local prairie dogs. A direct treatment for monkeypox has yet to be tested, but doctors are administering antiviral drugs and antibodies taken from people immunized with the smallpox vaccine to patients. Transmission is also reduced if people have the monkeypox or smallpox vaccine, enabling scientists to prevent onward infections by inoculating the close contacts of an initial case – a strategy known as "ring vaccination" that led to the eradication of smallpox in 1980. (Ben Turner, Live Science)
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IT-BPM sector pushes demand for office spaces THE INFORMATION technology-business process management (ITBPM) sector drove office demand in the real estate sector in the second quarter of 2022, according to realtors. Mikko Barranda, Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) director for commercial leasing, said demand for office spaces jumped by 106% to 255,000 square meters (sqm) from April to June this year from the previous quarter’s 124,000 sqm, and around 107,000 sqm of the demand came from the IT-BPM sector. Barranda said the Philippine offshore gaming operators accounted for 21,000 sqm of the demand during the quarter.
“All the leasing activity in the past three months – from many new captives and companies doing business here for the first time– tells us outsourcing to the Philippines continues to be a reliable solution for companies in the West fighting impending global recession,” he said. Barranda said demand for spaces in the countryside mostly came from workers from the BPO sector, noting that the sector hired around 120,000 even during the pandemic. He said around 30% of the BPO workers hired during the pandemic were based in the provinces. He added the digital cities initiative allowed local governments
to improve the situation in their areas and make it conducive for foreign investments in terms of talents, infrastructure, real estate, and business environment. “The BPO industry has changed dramatically the countryside development not only in mature provinces like Cebu, (and) Davao but also nearby islands in the Visayas and Mindanao,” Barranda said. He said the changes were “transformational due to the employment opportunities given by the BPO work itself directly and indirect employees that have been created due to the BPO sectors that have set up in these places.” (Joann Villanueva)
News Site Rappler Ordered To Shut Down Continued from page 1 order. “We continue to work, it is business as usual,” she said. Rappler has been at the forefront of the campaign against fake news and disinformation in the country, pooling together resources among a variety of actors — including reporters, lawyers, and activists — to fact-check and expose disinformation. “Part of the reason I didn’t have much sleep last night is because we essentially got a shutdown order,” Ressa told the audience during a speech in Hawaii. As vocal critics of Duterte, Ressa and Rappler have faced a series of criminal charges, probes, and online attacks. However, the latest blow came as the Securities and Exchange Commission confirmed the “revocation of the certificates of incorporation” of Rappler for
violating “constitutional and statutory restrictions on foreign ownership in mass media” on June 29. The news site said the latest decision confirmed the shutdown but vowed to appeal. “We have discussed all possible scenarios with Rapplers (staff ) since SEC issued its first order in 2018,” said Glenda Gloria, executive editor and co-founder of the site. “Nothing ever sufficiently prepares an organization for a ‘kill’ order,” she said. The government has taken several steps to shut down Rappler by charging Ressa and the publication with multiple counts of tax evasion as well as cybercrimes. She was convicted of online libel in 2020 under the anti-cybercrime law, which critics say is used as a means to quash dissent. In response, Ressa has accused the government of weaponizing
“not only social media but also the country’s laws and is using it against media organizations.” Speaking at Deutsche Welle’s Global Media Forum in Bonn last month, Ressa noted that lies, laced with anger and hate, spread faster than facts. “Rebuilding trust with truth is vital to combat the rise of fascism,” she said. Ressa’s comments came at a time when journalists and human rights activists in the are increasingly concerned about the ascent to power of Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the former dictator. Marcos Jr.’s running mate — Sara Duterte, the daughter of the former president — was sworn in as vice president. Both of them have so far failed to acknowledge the human rights atrocities that took place under their fathers. (AP, AFP)
Muslim man beheaded ZAMBOANGA CITY – Police were investigating the grisly murder of a 37-year old Muslim man whose headless body was found on an island off the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga. Police said villagers reported the discovery on June 28 due to the foul stench from the decomposing body in the village of Landang Gua on Sacol Island, just several minutes by boat from Zamboanga. The head was also recovered near the cadaver, according to Maj. Shella-
mie Chang, a regional police spokeswoman, who identified the victim as Ibnohasim Turabi Hamid, who was a native of the island. Chang said Hamid’s family reported him missing last week. “Investigation revealed that the beheaded body was found in the grassy area and was later identified as Ibnohasim Turabi Hamid,” she said. “The victim also sustained several hack wounds in different parts of his body and was already in the state of decomposition. He was believed to have died
four days ago.” She said Hamid’s family retrieved the corpse and was immediately buried in accordance to Muslim custom. “The personnel of Zamboanga City Police Station 4 is conducting a follow-up investigation to identify the suspects and determine the motive of the killing,” Chang said. No individual or group claimed responsibility for the murder and Hamid’s family did not give any statement into the killing or its motive. (Mindanao Examiner)
Banned facial creams sold in Cagayan stores Continued from page 1 mercury in cosmetics, which is a threat to human health and the environment, too. Our latest investigation shows that facial creams with outrageous levels of mercury are openly sold in Cagayan de Oro City. This is a clear violation of global and regional policies banning such health-damaging cosmetics,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition Both the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive prohibit cosmetics such as skin lightening products with mercury content above one part per million (ppm). “To safeguard the health of Cagayanons and other visitors from Northern Mindanao who come to the city to shop, we appeal to Mayor-elect Klarex Uy to get tough on vendors of banned cosmetics with mercury,” Lucero said. Among the items bought by the group and screened for mercury were Jiaoli (3 variants), Goree (2 variants), S’Zitang (2 variants), Collagen Plus Vit E and Temulawak facial creams, which are supposed to lighten skin complexion and cure skin disorders like blotches and freckles. The levels of mercury detected in these products using an X-Ray Fluorescence analyser range from 532 to over 25,000 ppm, with Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene top-
ping the list with 28,200 ppm. “These dangerous cosmetics are sold for P85 to P250 each at beauty product stores located inside the Cogon Public Market, Angel Chavez Complex, 258 Lucky Shopping Plaza and possibly other business hubs. It would not be difficult for law enforcers to spot them on store shelves,” Lucero said. She said the City Health Office should team up with the field office of the Food and Drug Administration in Region 10 and confiscate the products for environmentally sound storage and disposal, and to duly charge the culprits. To put an end to the unlawful trade of mercury-laden skin whitening cosmetics, the group further urged the local government to pass an ordinance prohibiting and penal-
izing the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of such products in line with the Minamata Convention and other existing laws and regulations. Mercury in skin lightening cosmetics can result in negative health reactions, including skin discoloration, rashes and scarring and skin's diminished resistance to bacterial and mycotic skin disorders. Exposure to mercury in such cosmetics can also damage the kidneys, the brain and the central nervous system. “The safest way for Cagayanons and all Filipinos to avoid mercury exposure in cosmetics is to accept our natural skin color and avoid the use of chemical skin whiteners,” Lucero said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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Marcos sworn in as 17th president Continued from page 1
a misplaced sense of weakness. But we are the furthest from weak. The Filipino diaspora flourishes even in the most inhospitable climes, where they are valued for their quality. The changes we shape will benefit all and will shortchange no one. I was not the instrument of change, you were that. You made it happen. I am now. You picked me to be your servant to enable changes to benefit all. I fully understand the gravity of the responsibility that you’ve put on my shoulders. I do not take it lightly but I’m ready for the task. I will need your help. I want to rely on it but rest assured I do not predicate success on the wide cooperation that’s needed. I will get it done. I once knew a man who saw what little had been achieved since independence in a land filled with people with the greatest potential for achievement, and yet they were poor. But he got it done. Sometimes, with the needed support. Sometimes, without. So, will it be with his son. You will get no excuses from me. I am here not to talk about the past. I am here to tell you about our future. A future of sufficiency, even plenty of readily available ways and means to get done what needs doing - by you, by me. We do not look back, but ahead. Up the road that we must take to a place better than the one we lost in the pandemic. Gains made and lost. Opportunities missed. Well-laid plans superseded by the pandemic. Indeed, ours was the fastest growing economy in the ASEAN byways now outdated. We shall be again, by radical change in the way the world must now work to recover what we lost in that fire, and move on from there. We face prospects of the war abroad of which we are totally blameless. We seek friendship with all. But countries like ours will bear the brunt of it. And if the great powers draw the wrong lessons from the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, the same dark prospect of conflict will spread to our part of the world. Yet there is more out there. Like going forward by new ways of doing, that the pandemic forces to adopt, a stronger resilience, quicker adaptability. They are our best prevention, they are our best protection. Quiet reflection in a rough and tumbled campaign of a breadth and intensity never experienced reveal some of them. Such as the willingness to listen
despite the noise, the hesitation to quarrel over differences and to never ever give up hope of reconciliation. These gave me the piece to ponder deeper. There are hints of a road not taken that could get us out of here quicker, to something better, something less fragile. There is also what you the people did to cope but this time empowered by new techniques and more resources. You got by, getting some of what you needed with a massive government help. And for this I thank my predecessor for the courage of his hard decisions. But there is a way to put more means and choices in your hands. I trust the Filipino. Imagine how much more you’d achieve, if the government backstops instead of dictating your decisions. Always there to pick you up when you fall. Giving what you need to get past a problem. Imagine if it invested in your self empowerment to bring it closer to taking on whatever challenges come. Imagine, a country that in almost every sense is you. Now imagine what you and the government can achieve together. We did it in the pandemic and we will do it again. But again, I will not predicate my promise to you on your cooperation. You have your own lives to live. Your work to do and there too I will help. Government will get as much done alone without requiring more from you. That is what government and public officials are for. No excuses. Just deliver. It was like that, once upon a time. I did not talk much in this campaign. I did not bother to think of rebutting my rivals. Instead, I searched for promising approaches better than the usual solutions. I listened to you. I did not lecture you who has the biggest stake in our success and the forthcoming State of the Nation will tell you exactly how we shall get this done. In this fresh chapter of our history, I extend my hand to all Filipinos. Come, let us put our shoulders to the wheel and give that wheel a faster turn to repair and to rebuild and to address challenges in new ways to provide what all Filipinos need to be all that we can. We are here to repair a house divided, to make it whole and to stand strong again in the bayanihan way, expressive of our nature as Filipinos. We shall seek, not scorn dialogue, listen respectfully to contrary views, be open to suggestions coming from hard thinking and unsparing judgment but always
from us, Filipinos. We can trust no one else when it comes to what is best for us. Past history has often proven that. Solutions from outside divided us, none deepened our understanding. They were always at our expense. Never forget, we are Filipinos, one nation, one republic indivisible. We resisted and never failed to defeat foreign attempts to break our country in my father’s watch. His strongest critics have conceded that. So let us all be part of the solution that we choose. In that lies the power to get it done, always be open to differing views but ever united in our chosen goal. Never hesitating to change it should it prove one thing. That is how agile and resilient republics are made. Our future we decide today, yesterday cannot make that decision anymore, nor can tomorrow delay it. The sooner we start, the surer and quicker the prospect of achieving our future. These are troubling times, what’s happening to others can happen to us but it will not. We see what is happening. We are witness to how it is being stopped and we have seen the glory that crowns struggle against all odds. Giving up is not an option. We’ve been through times of bitter division but united. We came through to this when it shall begin again but better. The campaigns have run, and have taken me here where I stand today. I listened to you and this is what I have heard. We all want peace in our land. You and your children want a good chance of a better life, in a safer, more prosperous country. All that is within reach of a hard working, warm and giving race. Your dreams are mine. Your hopes are my hopes. How can we make them come true? How can we do it together? But I will take it as far as anyone with the same faith and commitment can as if it depended entirely on himself. In our hope to make our country peaceful, your hope is my hope. In your hope of making our country successful, your hope is my hope. And in our hope for our brighter future and the futures of our children, your hope is my hope. We are presently drawing up a comprehensive all-inclusive plan for economic transformation. We will build back better by doing things in the light of the experiences that we have had. Both good and bad. It doesn’t matter. No looking back in anger or nostalgia. In the road ahead, the immedi-
ate months will be rough but I will walk that road with you. The pandemic ravaged bigger economies than ours. The virus is not the only thing to blame. What had been well-built was torn down. We will build it back better. The role of agriculture cries for urgent attention that its neglect and misdirection now demands. Food self-sufficiency is the key promise of every administration. None but one delivered. There were inherent defects in the old ways and in recent ways too. The trade policy of competitive advantage made the case that when it comes to food sufficiency a country should not produce, but import what other countries make more of and sell cheapest. Then came Ukraine, the most vulnerable when it comes to food are the countries farthest away from the conflict. Those bearing no blame for provoking. Yet they face the biggest risk of starvation. If financial aid is poured into them, though it never is, there is nothing to buy. Food is not just a trade commodity. Without it, people weaken and die, societies come apart. It is more than a livelihood, it is an existential imperative, and a moral one. An agriculture damage diminished by unfair competition will have a harder time or will have no prospects at all of recovering. Food sufficiency must get the preferential treatment. The richest free trade countries always gave their agricultural sectors. Their policy boils down to don’t do as we do. Do what we tell you to. I am giving that policy the most serious thought if that doesn’t change or make more allowances for emergencies with long-term effects. There is a parallel problem in our energy supply. Sufficient fossil fuel-free technology for whole economies has yet to be invented and it is not seriously tried by rich countries. Again, consider the response of the richest countries to the war in Ukraine. But surely, a free world awashed with oil can assure supplies or we will find a way. We are not far from oil and gas reserves that have already been developed. What we teach in our schools, the materials used, must be retaught. I am not talking about history, I am talking about the basics, the sciences, sharpening theoretical aptitude and imparting vocational skills such as in the German example. Alongside, the national language, with equal emphasis and facility
in a global language, which we had and lost. Let us give OFWs all the advantages we can to survive and to thrive. Our teachers, from elementary, are heroes fighting ignorance with poor paper weapons. We are condemning the future of our race to menial occupations abroad. Then, they are exploited by traffickers. Once, we had an education system that prepared coming generations for more and better jobs. There is hope for a comeback. Vice President and soon Secretary of Education Sara Duterte-Carpio will fit that mission to a tee. We won’t be caught unprepared, underequipped, and understaffed to fight the next pandemic. To start with, we never got over the pandemic of poor, if any, free public health. The last major upgrade of a public health system exemplified by the resources poured into the Philippine General Hospital predates the current shambles by three generations. Our nurses are the best in the world. They acquitted themselves with the highest distinction abroad, having suffered even the highest casualties. With the same exemplary dedication at home, they just got by. They are out there because we cannot pay them for the same risk and workload that we have back here. There will be changes starting tomorrow. I am confident because I have an Ople in my cabinet. There were shortcomings in the Covid response. We will fix them. Out in the open, no more secrets in public health. Remember, I speak from experience. I was among the first to get COVID. It was not a walk in the park. My father built more and better roads. Produced more rice than all administrations before his. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte built more and better than all the succeeding administrations succeeding my father’s. Much has been built and so well that the economic dogma of dispersing industry to develop the least likely places has been upturned. Development was brought to them. Investors are now setting up industries along the promising routes built. And yet, the potential of this country is not exhausted. Following these giants’ steps, we will continue to build, I will complete on schedule the projects that have been started. I am not interested in taking credit. I want to build on the success that’s already happening. We will be presenting the public with a
comprehensive infrastructure plan, six years could be just about enough time. No part of our country will be neglected. Progress will be made wherever there are Filipinos so, no investment is wasted. The recovery of Philippine tourism with its emphasis on accessing nature’s beauty, I am sure it will exceed expectations. And bigger is not always better but there’s something to be said for economies of scale. And yet the country invites investments in fast rising industries with quick returns and inflicts irreparable damage for future generations. We have yet to see large scale practical solutions to pollution. Though some are beginning to emerge, there are tried and proven new ways of mitigation. Blades have been turning over the sand dunes of Ilocos Norte. Harnessing a power all around but unseen long before this day. I built them. The rich world talks a great deal but does a lot less about it than those with much less but who suffer more death and destruction from climate change and lack of adaptation. We will look to our partners and friends to help the Philippines who despite having a very small carbon footprint is at the highest risk. First spare victims and help them recover, and move on to lessen the harmful impact of climate change. We too have our part to play. We are the third biggest plastics polluter in the world, but we won’t shirk from that responsibility. We will clean up. You will not be disappointed. So do not be afraid. With every difficult decision that I must make, I will keep foremost in my heart and in my mind the debt of gratitude I owe you for the honor and responsibility that you have conferred on me. Whatever is in a person to make changes for the better of others, I lay before you now in my commitment, I will try to spare you. You have other responsibilities to carry but I will not spare myself from shedding the last bead of sweat or giving the last ounce of courage and sacrifice. And if you ask me why I am so confident of the future, I will answer you simply that I have 110 million reasons to start with. Such is my faith in the Filipino. Believe, have hope. The sun also rises like it did today and as it will tomorrow. And as surely as that, we will achieve the country, all Filipinos deserve.” (Mindanao Examiner)
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Fujifilm strengthens healthcare services in the Philippines
NCIP mipasiugda sa healing, reconciliation forum sa Bukidnon
FUJIFILM, one of the most trusted companies in the world, strengthens its healthcare services in the Philippines as it ushers in a new decade amid challenges in the continuing global pandemic. The Japanese brand continues to make significant contributions to society by offering products and services in a wide range of businesses utilizing unique technologies that have cultivated and evolved in the photographic business. The company offers a variety of products and services in to four segments of: Healthcare (products and services like medical equipment and producing pharmaceuticals); Materials (provides industry efficiency like graphic systems, inkjets, semiconductor materials and recording media); Business Innovation (digital color multifunction devices and printers for office use and services for business solutions); and Imaging (photo and electronic imaging such as mirrorless cameras and photo printing services). While Fujifilm has long been synonymous with superior-quality photographic films, Fujifilm Philippines as a company has evolved into so much more. Fujifilm leveraged on its expertise in pushing healthcare, and business innovation growth. Throughout the years, Fujifilm Philippines has created businesses providing total solution in multiple high-tech fields and has come to be known as a technology-oriented company. Fujifilm Philippines steadily penetrated and made significant contributions in enhancing the local healthcare industry. As a global pioneer in diagnostic imaging and information systems for healthcare facilities, Fujifilm’s Healthcare segment has helped address the country’s most pressing challenges. Its Healthcare technology and Medical Business Systems has contributed in the pursuit of operational efficiency of the local healthcare system. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Fujifilm Philippines continued its support
towards the local hospitals. The company installed FDR Go PLUS at various hospitals in the country. The FDR Go PLUS is a digital mobile x-ray that gives significant contribution to the Radiology Team frontliners in doing the chest x-ray needed for patients having signs and symptoms of Covid-19. “The year 2020 is a challenging year for us, and also for others, but we were able to overcome these challenges with our team. During the pandemic we immediately shifted and adapted online marketing scheme and offer healthcare and product solutions for Covid19 patients,” said Ryo Nagaoka, president of Fujifilm Philippines. FUJIFILM Corporation expanded the product lineup through the acquisition of Diagnostic Imaging-related Business of Hitachi, Ltd in 2020, covering CT, MRI in addition to X-ray, ultrasound systems, endoscopy, in-vitro diagnostic systems and Picture Archiving and Communications System. Fujifilm Philippines has also started offering these products in the local market, giving the much-needed service and medical equipment to the country. Moreover, Fujifilm Philippines recently secured Food and Drug Administration approvals for two of its key products that have aided healthcare workers in responding to Covid-19 cases. The FDR nano, a mobile digital X-ray system that allows medical professionals to diagnose Covid-19 signs and at the same time aid in reducing infection risks; and the Fujifilm Covid-19 Ag Test Kit, a testing kit that provides quick screening for the coronavirus, got FDA’s nod. Both products are expected to help in the government’s heightened efforts to put an end to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fujifilm will continue to supply various products and services that meet the needs of the medical frontline to contribute to the advancement of medical care around the world, and the maintenance and promotion of hu-
man health. In line with its Global Branding Campaign “NEVER STOP”, Fujifilm aims to realize a sustainable society and contribute to social issues by creating new value in a wide range of business domains through innovation in products, services, and technological development. The campaign also seeks to promote a better understanding of Fujifilm’s broad range of businesses and its entry to new fields. Fujifilm will continue to proactively engage in researching and developing new technologies. As a technology-oriented company, Fujifilm will never stop taking on the challenge of leveraging on its core technologies to create outstanding new products, build new businesses, and grow the company as a whole. Fujifilm Philippines was established in 2012 as a sales subsidiary of Fujifilm regional headquarters in the Asia Pacific. The company caters to quality products and services for the Philippine market in electronic, photo imaging, industrial products, graphic and medical systems. Solidifying its position as a global leader in photographic imaging, Fujifilm Philippines has introduced and popularized a diverse range of game-changing products such as the X-series mirrorless digital cameras and instax or instant cameras. The company opened its first branch in Cebu in 2019 to respond to the growing demands and monitor the quality and consistency of its products and services in the Visayas and nearby Mindanao provinces. In its 10th year in the Philippines, Fujifilm has continuously served people’s needs through a diverse range of innovative consumer and business products, including solutions and services. Fujifilm Philippines not only wants to keep up with the times but continues to reinvent itself to offer better products and services and contribute to the quality of life in Philippine society. (Richard Ebona)
BUKIDNON - Usa ka dakong hagit sa tribo ang walay panaghi-usa, busa ang National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)-Northern Mindanao nagpahigayon sa duha ka adlaw nga "Healing and Reconciliation" forum nga gipahigayon sa Barangay Songco sa Lantapan. Tumong sa panagtigum nga mabalik ang maayong relasyon sa matag Tribo diin dunay mga panagsumpaki ug walay pagsinabtanay tungod sa mga "ancestral domain" ug mga relasyon nga nabungkag tungod sa presensya sa teroristang grupo. “Gihisgutan namo ang kahimtang sa mga IPs/ICCs [Indigenous Peo-
ples/Indigenous Cultural Communities] sukad nga naka-infiltrate ang mga teroristang grupo. Ang community nabahin-bahin busa gikinahanglan ang Healing ug Reconciliation sa komunidad aron ma-uli ang mga relasyon sa tribo nga nabahin-bahin tungod sa mga propaganda ug mga pagpanlingla sa mga communist group,” matud ni Datu Bawan Jake Llanes, Executive Director sa Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Council of Elders kon MIPCEL. Sa susamang adlaw, gipahigayon usab ang peace covenant signing kauban ang nagkalain-laing partner agencies sa gobyerno sama sa Armed Forces of the
Philippines, Philippine National Police, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Information Agency, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, ug uban pang ahensya sa kagamhanan. Pinangulohan sa NCIP, nagpahigayon pud og peace covenant signing ang mga government agencies ug IP/ICC leaders kauban ang kapulisan, kasundalohan, mga former rebels, mga tribal youth leaders, ug uban pang grupo aron tabangan nga pakusgan ang IP community leaders nga maoy gadumala diha sa mga ‘concerns’ sa ancestral domain. (BGE)
Lugait town inaugurates memorial museum
The local government of Lugait in Misamis Oriental inaugurates the Uy Piangco-Ursula Diabo Memorial Municipal Museum. The Uy Piangco ancestral house caught fire in May 2020, almost razing the structure to the ground. This prompted the local government to quickly repair the ancestral house. MISAMIS ORIENTAL - The local government of Lugait and representatives of the heirs of Uy Piangco and Ursula Diabo clans have recently inaugurated the Uy Piangco-Ursula Diabo Memorial Municipal Museum which is a cornerstone in the town’s history and formation of the province’s modern geopolitical identity. “Karon ang lungsod sa Lugait duna nasad lugar nga atong masuroyan nga makahatag og hulagway sa nilabay nga mga pana-
haon ug sa moderno nga lungsod sa Lugait,” said Rued Sacabin, chairman of the Lugait Education Committee. The new cultural heritage site is recognized as the residence of former Manticao Mayor Alejandro Diabo Uy, the founder of the municipality of Lugait's political autonomy through Executive Order No. 425 dated March 16, 1961. The provincial government has allocated P2.5 million for the res-
toration of the ancestral house with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts serving as an advisor to the local government. Cedric Dayta, Lugait Secretary to the Sanggunian Bayan, underscored the importance of preserving historical areas in the municipality as a waypoint toward the cultural development and conservation of Lugait, and thanked the heirs for their generous contribution. (VPSB)
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The Mindanao Examiner OPINION
July 4-10, 2022
Overcoming Our Limiting Beliefs
Paano Palabasin ang Plema
by Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo (Cebu) A limiting belief is a personal belief that hinders us from our growth in the area of faith, family, marriage, finances and health. It is akin to a superstitious belief. By the way, for us Catholics superstitions are against the first commandment. All power belongs to God and superstition is giving power to some event or things that don’t have it. Some of these beliefs are Friday the 13th, horoscopes, palm reading, etc. In the Philippines common superstitions are those related to funerals. If we want more details on this teaching, we can refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church point number 2110. Some examples of limiting beliefs that we might have could be in the area of faith. You might personally know of a parish priest who you’ve looked up to because of his inspiring homilies and seem to be living an exemplary life but later on you’ve found out is having a love affair with one of the parishioners. You’ve stopped going to church because you think all priests are like this hypocrite. You forget that Christ never said the Church members are sinless. It is the Church as a whole, its teachings and sacraments that is sinless and holy. The members are sinners trying to be good and holy including the priests. Besides, it’s absurd to say the entire organization is corrupt just because one officer of the organization is corrupt. In fact, the right thing to do is report that priest to higher Church authorities so that he can be corrected, and arrest the public scandal. Or it could be in marriage. You don’t believe in marriage because your parents got separated and you grew up witnessing how they fought often bitterly until they parted ways. It was a traumatic experience for you and you don’t
want that to happen to yourself so you’ve decided not to get married in the Church as well. You concluded that cohabitation (or live-in) is better because no formal ties would be broken in case you break up with your partner. Or it could be with money. You don’t want to get rich because having lots of money would be a messy thing to manage or more of a moral problem than a luxury. As a consequence, you won’t strive to get promoted in the workplace although you have the capability. There is nothing immoral in being rich as long as we don’t get attached to riches and would try to share it to others especially to the least fortunate ones. It could also be in the area of health. Your father died at the age of 52 due to hypertension, and your mother at the age of 53 because of diabetes, so you along with your siblings, who don’t have the lucky genes expect yourself to die at around that age too. Perhaps you can extend your age a bit with some form of diet but there’s not much hope if that is your destiny. The truth is we can beat any so-called not so lucky genes by discipline and due diligence with our health. Limiting beliefs is lack of knowledge. It’s like condemning a person without a trial or hearing his side of the story. We ought to do some research first so as not to fall for an isolated event in our life and make it our personal truth. There is a real or objective truth. We ought to find it out through books and research. Otherwise, we are stifled, stunted and enslaved. Thus, we could not move forward in life because of these unverified beliefs. We should know the truth because the “truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
The Spirit More Than The Body by Fr. Roy Cimagala (Cebu) WE are composed of body and soul. But of the two, let’s see to it that we give utmost attention to the soul which is spiritual. It is what gives life, the real life to us. As Christ said, “The Spirit gives life. The flesh counts for nothing.” (Jn 6,63) But we also have to realize that our spiritual soul ought to be animated by the Spirit of God who gives it its real life, and thus, the life proper to us. Otherwise, we would just have some kind of animal soul, or at best, an intellectual soul that can do a lot of things, but without the Spirit of God, it can only lead us to our perdition sooner or later. That’s why Christ said, “The words I have spoken to you, they are full of the Spirit and life.” (Jn 6,63) From these words, we can understand that to have the Spirit of God, we need to take seriously the teachings and the very example of Christ. In fact, we should try our best to be so identified with Christ that we can become “another Christ,” “alter Christus.” We have to understand that that is the ultimate goal of our life. This truth of our faith is somehow highlighted in all the miracles Christ performed. In that episode of the miraculous cure of the paralytic (cfr. Mt 9,1-8), Christ first forgave the paralytic’s sins before he made him stand up and walk. He was showing which one was more important among our needs. It is our spiritual health more than our bodily health. We need to understand then that for us to have the real life meant for us, we first of all should ask forgiveness and reconciliation with God, which is no problem
at all, since God is all merciful. He is all too eager to forgive us. And then, we should always ask for his grace, which is actually freely and abundantly given, so that all we think, say and do would be in sync with God’s will and ways. its requirements. We have to act on this fundamental truth about ourselves if only to conform ourselves to God’s will for us. But given the way the mainstream world culture is, and even just our very own national culture that can already be considered as Christian, this effort to conform to this truth is going to be gargantuan, since we are still wide off the mark. We have to acquire the skills to feed our spirit by learning how to pray, how to exercise the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, appreciate the need for sacrifice, have recourse to the sacraments, continually cultivate the virtues, and wage constant ascetical struggle, etc. We have to learn to view things and to react to them mainly in terms of our faith, rather than just assessing them mainly from the point of view of our human sciences, laws, arts and technologies. No matter how legitimate and necessary the latter viewpoints are, they can never be enough. They don’t have the last word. They cannot bring us to our ultimate end. And they often cause division among ourselves. We have to understand that faith, hope and charity are always necessary for us. They are not optional, to be used and applied only to certain things. They have to be applied all the time, in things both sacred and mundane.
Ni Dr. Willie Ong (Manila)
A
ng plema (mucus) ay may mahalagang ginagampanan sa pagtanggal ng mga hindi kanais-nais na bagay sa ating baga. Para sa mga malusog na tao, ang lining sa daanan ng hangin sa baga ay may manipis na layer ng mucus na tinatawag na mucus blanket. Ito ang pumipigil sa alikabok, bacteria, at iba pang particles na makasira sa baga. Ang mucus ng isang malusog na tao ay dahan-dahan umaakyat para mailabas ang plema. Ngunit para sa mga taong malakas manigarilyo, at may sakit sa baga, ang ganitong paglilinis ng baga ay humihina. Dahil dito, ang mucus ay naiipon sa baga at nagiging madikit at madilaw. Ito ang nagiging dahilan para mahirapan huminga. Heto ang mga tips para maalis ang plema: 1. Uminom ng 8-10 baso ng tubig kada araw para mabawasang ang madikit na plema at ma-
dali itong mailabas. Uminom ng mucolytic, gaya ng carbocisteine o ambroxol capsules. Ang mga gamot na ito ay maaaring makapagpabago sa plema. 2. Ang tamang pagubo ay nakaupo ng deretso at bahagyang pasulong. Habang umuubo, suportahan ito sa paglagay ng kamay sa tuhod o paglagay ng siko sa armrest. Sa kabilang banda, mahirap umobo kapag nakahiga. 3. Subukan ang pag-langhap ng steam. Mag-pakulo ng dalawang tasa ng malinis na tubig at ilagay sa malaking bowl. Italukbong sa ulo ang tuwalya at saka langhapin ang usok. Ang isa pang pwedeng gawin ay buksan ang hot shower ng banyo at langhapin ang usok. 4. Subukan ang pagtapik sa likod o chest clapping. Gamit ang mga kamay, iporma ito ng patatsulok. Pagtapos ay marahang tapikin ang likod para maglikha ng marahang tunog. Tapikin
ang itaas at gitnang bahagi ng likod para matulungan na lumuwag ang madikit na plema. Ang ganitong paraan ay mainam sa mga bata na mayroong pulmonya. 5. Isang paalala: Para maprotektahan ang inyong likod sa pagka-pwersa, subukan ang marahang pag-ubo sa halip na isahang malakas na pagubo. Kung nakaramdam na ikaw ay babahing, subukan na kumapit sa upuan, mesa o dingding para masuportahan ang likod sa biglaang pagubo o pag-bahing. 6. Matulog na gamit ang 2 unan para hindi mag-ipon ng plema sa lalamunan at baga. 7. Sa huli, mag-patingin sa doktor para malaman ang pinagmulan ng ulo. Kung kayo ay naninigarilyo, ito na ang oras para kayo ay huminto sa paninigarilyo. Tandaan na panatilihin ang inyong baga na malinis at malusog, para kayo ay makahinga ng maayos.
Police continue probe on radio man’s murder
Police photo shows the body of the slain radio man Federico Gempesaw. CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police said it is investigating the killing of a local radio man who was shot outside his home last week. Police said two masked motorcycle gunmen fatally shot the 62year old Federico Gempesaw in the head on June 29 in the village of Carmen. Gempesaw just stepped out of a taxi when he was attacked. It said the assailants, who waited for Gempesaw, escaped after the murder. Gempesaw had a news program on Radyo Natin and previously
worked with the local government. Col. Aaron Mandia, the city police chief, said Gempesaw fell into a canal after being shot and that the victim’s son rushed to aid his father. “Investigation revealed by the witness in the area said he heard two gunshots and upon verification he saw the victim already lying lifeless at the canal area and then later on, the victim’s son dragged his father out of the canal,” he said. Mandia said the radio man was shot in the face and at the back of his
head. “Recovered during the crime scene processing by the SOCO (scene of crime officers) team were the two pieces of fired cartridges of .45-caliber,” he said. “I encourage the responsive public to coordinate with the concerned police authorities for any valuable information you may know, particularly the identities of the suspects which is helpful to the on-going investigation and for possible arrest of suspects,” he said. No group claimed responsibility for the murder. (Mindanao Examiner)
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The Mindanao Examiner Gallery / Lifestyle
Section
July 4-10, 2022
Photos from the Office of the Sulu Provincial Governor, Jaques Tutong, Maimbung Municipal Government, Rep. Shernee Tambut, Radyo Pilipinas Jolo, Noenyrie Asiri, and Aziz Salapuddin
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The Mindanao Examiner
July 4-10, 2022 Across : 1. Spring bloom 5. Conducted 8. Domesticated 12. Naught 13. George Gershwin’s brother 14. Milky gem 15. ZIP ___ 16. Medieval singer 18. In the middle of 19. Freedom from war 20. Business VIP 22. Nebraska city 26. Knife user’s tool 31. Male descendant 32. Batch 33. Call forth 34. Our star 35. Orangutan, e.g. 36. At no time hereafter 38. Pie slice 40. Pouch 41. Baseball blunder 45. Phonograph record 48. Needing company 51. Guitarist’s aid 52. Wallet fillers 53. Baby’s meal garb 54. Upon 55. Salary 56. RR depot 57. Tennis’s ___ Sampras
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. Ancient Peruvian 2. Chamber 3. Pointed out 4. Sower 5. Not stiff 6. Toledo’s lake 7. Comic ___ Carvey 8. ___ pole 9. Fourth mo. 10. ___ West of Hollywood 11. Building extension 17. Point winners 21. Can ___ (kitchen devices) 23. Colleague 24. 60 minutes
25. Prince Charles’s sister 26. Cabbage dish 27. Expectation 28. Adam’s companion 29. Election mo. 30. Get by 37. Zany 39. Web-footed birds 42. Steals from 43. Pass over 44. ___ McEntire of country music 46. Speck 47. Deal (with) 48. High’s opposite 49. “___ Clear Day...” (2 wds.) 50. Not pos.
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July 4-10, 2022
July 4-10, 2022
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July 4-10, 2022
Face masks row settled
C
EBU – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that Gov. Gwen Garcia has agreed to a compromise regarding a provincial ordinance that allows optional us of face masks in open spaces.
Año said he spoke with Garcia and they have agreed to end the face-off on the enforcement of the mask mandate. “They are currently crafting an IRR (implementing rules and regulations) there to rationalize the wearing of a face mask and we will wait for the result of the IRR before we give further guidance. They will also craft how to enforce the ordinance rationalizing the wearing of face masks. So they will wait for that,” he said. The Provincial Board, presided by Vice Governor Hilario Davide III, has passed and approved a law that rationalizes the wearing of face masks within Cebu. The ordinance, authored by Board member John Ismael Borgonia, is has been certified by Garcia as urgent and shall be applicable to all individuals, residents and non-residents within the province. The ordinance makes it optional for people to wear masks in well-ventilated and open spaces and it is no longer an offense not to wear face masks outdoor. “People would
go out sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka balay, dili na sila mahadlok nga posible nga dakpon sila sa law enforcers kay naa na man ni nga ordinance nga atong gipalabang,” Borgonia said. Cebuanos also hailed the law and Garcia and are strongly supporting them. The ordinance ratifies Garcia’s Executive Order No. 16 issued on June 8 which makes the wearing of face masks no longer made mandatory, but only optional in well-ventilated and open spaces. Año previously said the ordinance passed by the Cebu provincial board cannot supersede (former President Rodrigo Duterte’s) Executive Order 151 which mandates the use of face masks all over the country except in allowable circumstances. He emphasized that the country is still under a state of public health emergency and a state of calamity until September 12, 2022. Año said the Philippine National Police will strictly enforce the mandatory face mask rule imposed by the President in Cebu and that all police officers who refuse to follow orders from higher authorities
will be relieved of duty. Garcia argued earlier that the resolutions of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases are merely recommendatory in nature. She said authorities cannot simply arrest any violator on the street and send him to a jail that is already crammed, potentially increasing Covid-19 infections. Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing previously said that they are looking at issuing a show-cause order against Garcia for insisting on her executive order. But Garcia said: “I would rather answer to the 1.4 million Cebuanos that have given me a resounding vote of trust and confidence. If in the end, as what media would wish to project, I hope that is not what Usec Densing wants to say, they would issue a show-cause order, that’s a small price to pay for living up and owning up to my responsibility in taking care of 1.4 million Cebuanos.” Garcia also released Memorandum Number 13 reminding local mayors and those in au-
Organic Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee isn’t really pricey COFFEE LOVERS in the Philippines may now enjoy the best and the most expensive coffee in the world - Kopi Luwak - but not as pricey as every connoisseurs think. Kopi Luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet’s intestines, and after being defecated with other fecal matter, they are collected. In Manila, a kilogram of Civet coffee sells for as high as P15,000 and over $500 dollars abroad. But Kopi Luwak can now be enjoyed by every coffee lovers for as low as P150 for a 16 oz. cup that comes with a drip bag, ground organic Civet coffee beans, two packets of brown sugar and a stirrer in a beautiful Kraft paper bag – thanks to the Mindanao Civet Coffee seller in Zamboanga City. The new market player in the coffee business, although small, is now offering affordable organic Kopi Luwak – sourced and picked by farmers from the highlands of Mindanao, cleaned and dried and roasted to perfection to give coffee lovers that distinct aroma of Civet coffee berries – chocolaty and nutty and smooth bodied brewed drink. Mindanao Civet Coffee, which started as a home reseller of coffee beans, now offers organic Kopi Luwak in 250 grams ground Civet coffee and 250 grams Civet coffee beans – all medium roast-
ARMM
ed to perfection. Kopi Luwak is also available now in 3rd Cup Café at LM Metro Hotel in Zamboanga City, and resellers in Luzon, Cebu and other parts of Mindanao. The Mindanao Civet Coffee is a favorite among travellers and tourists and coffee connoisseurs. And for those who wanted the perfect gift for all occasions, Kopi Luwak is the best choice. And those who are interested to resell or perhaps enjoy a daily hot cup or cold brew of Kopi Luwak may call the Mindanao Civet Coffee at this mobile number 0915-3976197. (AJC)
Eastern Mindanao
DILG Sec. Eduardo Año and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia thority to never impose policies that are discriminatory against those who choose not to receive anti-Covid 19 jabs. She said the memorandum protects the rights of unvaccinated individuals whose vaccination status could jeopardize their employment security, or school and other government transactions. It, moreover, specifically forbids officials of the Department of Education from discriminating against unvaccinated teachers,
parents, and students. Ordinance Under Section 3 of the ordinance, the following guidelines have to be properly observed: a. Wearing of face masks in air-conditioned/closed spaces. The wearing of face masks shall be required in closed and/or air-conditioned spaces. b. Wearing of face masks in well-ventilated/open spaces. The use of face masks shall be optional in well-ventilated
and open spaces. However, persons are still highly encouraged to continue to wear their masks especially in crowded outdoor areas. c. Wearing of face masks for persons with Covid-19 symptoms. Persons who are unwell with symptoms of the Covid-19 such as fever, cough, runny nose, are required to wear a mask at all times if they need to leave their homes. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)
Labajo is new archbishop NEWLY-APPOINTED Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Ruben Labajo asked the faithful for prayers as he assumed his new position and described his mission as a gift that is meant to be shared. “Please pray for me. Include me in your daily prayers. It is only in Him that I can survive. Give me all your support and prayers,” he said, adding he is overwhelmed and humbled to be appointed to the episcopate by Pope Francis. Labajo said it is challenging to be a bishop, but on the other hand, Archbishop Jose Palma described Labajo's appointment as a “moment of grace.” The Cebu archbishop will now have two auxiliary bishops - Labajo and Bishop Midyphil Billones -who will help him in the episcopal shepherding of the archdiocese. Pope Francis named the 55-year old Labajo - who has been serving as Vicar General of the archdiocese since 2020 - as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cebu recently.
Western Mindanao
Labojo, a native of Cebu, was born on September 24, 1966 in Talisay City and completed his Philosophy and Theology studies at the San Carlos Seminary College in Cebu City. On June 10, 1994, he was ordained priest for the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu. Among the positions he held were: Parish vicar in Mandaue City (1995-1997); Pastor of Santa Fe Parish, Bantayan, Cebu; Moderator of Tabunok Parish, Talisay City (2007-2014); Moderator
Cebu
of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cebu, Member of the Staff Council of the Archdiocese; Vicar Foraneo of the Vicariate of the Most Holy Rosary (2014-2019). Labajo also became a member of the Council of Consultors, Episcopal Vicar of the 1st District and member of the Presbyteral Council in 2017. In 2020, he was appointed vicar general and moderator of the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Balamban. (Ferdinand Patinio)
Manila