The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (December 26, 2022-January 1, 2023)

Strive hard for the people, DILG tells local governments

COTABATO CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government has urged local governments to strive hard and prioritize the welfare of their constituents as it awarded 16 local governments from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region

in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) the “Gawad Kalasag” award for their disaster risk reduction and management initiatives.

The awards were given during the 22nd National Gawad KALASAG Seal and Special Awards for Excellence in DRRM

and Humanitarian Assistance held recently here.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. flew to Cotabato City to award the local governments.

“Congratulations to the 16 BARMM LGUs for winning the Gawad Continue on page 6 Continue on page 6

Philippines protests Chinese aggression off Palawan

THE PHILIPPINES has filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing after a Chinese Coast Guard vessel intruded in Filipino waters and forcefully grabbed a Chinese rocket debris retrieved by the Philippine navy in the West Philippine Sea.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Continue on page 5 Continue on page 5

all government employees for this year all government for this year. The President’s order authorizes the grant of a one-time service recognition incentive at a uniform rate not exceeding

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

the Municipality of Kalayaan on Pag-asa Island on 11 June 1978, by virtue of Presidential Decree 1596 series of 1978. Pag-asa Island is low-lying, with trees, shrubs and sand bars. It is surrounded by coral reefs, populated with rusting wrecks visible above water. The island has a 1,300 meters (1,400 yd) airstrip called Rancudo Airfield, which serves both military and civilian air transportation needs. PAF regularly sends aircraft to Palawan for reconnaissance and reprovisioning missions in the Philippine-controlled regions in the Spratly chain. The airstrip on the island makes such important missions easier. The island serves as a town proper to the municipality of Kalayaan. The civilian population which in 2018, numbered about 184, was introduced in 2001. They live in a few dozen houses, scattered throughout the island.

Chief Carlito Galvez Jr. and OIC Maria Rosario Vergeire

IOM, South Korea to the rescue

MARAWI CITY - When the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KoICA) came knocking on their door, the fifteen members of the Banga Community Working Group (CWG) knew that this wasn't just a business opportunity but a chance to give back.

After months worth of training seminars and workshops about entrepreneurship and how to run a successful business, the members settled on rice trading as their livelihood not only for their sake but the community.

Before they had set up shop, the residents of the village had to commute down to Mindanao State University to buy their daily necessities. That meant taking extra time out of their day commuting and doubling their traveling expenses. Soon enough, however, even after they started their rice trading business, it was clear that rice wasn't the only thing their community needed.

Seeing that their efforts in providing their needs while cutting down on their expenses would be in vain unless they diversify their products, they did exactly that and expanded to include basic groceries.

Prior to the 2017 Marawi siege, most of the residents in their village were either farmers or pedicab drivers. The siege had destroyed both livelihoods and made it near impossible for the former to continue, and the members of the CWG were more than sympathetic to their situation, having gone through the

same experience.

Life was already hard –aside from dealing with the loss of family and property, they had to deal with losing their source of income. That's why whenever someone came knocking on their doors asking if they could just add a few things to their tab, the cooperative was more than lenient about it. After all, this grocery store was made with the people in mind, not just the money. The effects of their business decision weren’t just felt within the community but neighboring ones as well.

Their mission of community service doesn’t end with their business though, because once, during Ramadhan season, they went around and gave each family in their community 5 kilos of rice for free saying that when you are in a position that enables you to give it, it becomes a social obligation to do so. So now not only do they have a stable and successful business going for them, but they also managed to foster a healthy and united community relationship with their neighbors.

When IOM-KoICA chose this community as one of their beneficiaries, they did not expect this level of altruism and community spirit to come forward. The Banga CWG saw the opportunity to help themselves all while keeping others in mind - perhaps that is why their business continues to bloom and achieve the success it has. Where there is life, there is hope, and where there is hope, there is progress. (Pamela

Joyce Fumero)

Govt. employees to get incentive, rice allowance

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P20,000 for Executive Department personnel.

Those who are entitled to receive the incentive include civilian personnel in national government agencies (NGAs), covering those in state universities and colleges (SUCs), government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs), regular, contractual or casual employees, members of the military and the police, as well as fire and jail personnel under the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Personnel from the Bureau of Corrections, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Mapping and Resource Information Authority are also entitled to get the service recognition incentive.

Based on Marcos’ order, employees of both houses

of Congress, the Judiciary, Office of the Ombudsman and Constitutional offices may likewise be granted a one-time SRI by their respective heads of offices at a uniform rate not exceeding P20,000.

Employees in local governments, including those in the barangays, may also receive the incentive depending on the local government’s financial capability and subject to limitation in the budget under the Local Government Code of 1991.

The incentive for NGAs, SUCs, and military and uniformed personnel will be funded by the available released Personnel Services (PS) allotment under Republic Act No. 11639 or the 2022 national budget.

Separately, Marcos also issued an order authorizing the grant of a one-time rice

assistance for government personnel.

Those who are entitled to receive the rice subsidy include civilian personnel in NGAs, including those in SUCs, GOCCs, government financial institutions, government instrumentalities with corporate powers, and government corporate entities occupying regular, contractual or casual positions.

Military, police, fire and jail personnel are also entitled to receive the rice assistance. BuCor, PCG, and NAMRIA employees will also receive the support.

The order also authorizes the release of the assistance to individuals and groups of people whose services are engaged through job orders, contracts of service or other similarly situated working arrangement defined under a Commission on Audit’s circular or-

der.

The rice assistance for NGAs, military and uniformed personnel will be funded by the Contingent

Fund under R.A. No. 11639. For GOCCs, funding will come from their respective approved operating budgets for fiscal year 2022.

But it was unknown when all these incentives and rice allocation would be released. (Mindanao Examiner)

Gunmen kill 3 village officials, injure 2 others

PAGADIAN CITY – Two unidentified gunmen barged into a karaoke house and shot dead three village officials and wounded two other civilians in a daring broad daylight attack in Dumalinao town in the southern Filipino province of Zamboanga del Sur, police said.

Police said the victims - Richard Evidientes, 38; Arnold Evidientes Duhaylungsod, 44; and Joel Mendez Spadilla, 48; died on the spot from the assault while Eugene Borja and Cerillo

Saranillo were wounded in the shooting. The attack occurred on Friday, December 16, but it was only announced recently.

“Investigation disclosed that prior to the incident the victims were having a drinking spree at the videoke house owned by certain Romeo Evedientes when suddenly two unidentified male suspects without any apparent reason shot the victims several times using caliber .45 pistol and caliber 9mm,” said Maj.

Shellamie Chang, a regional

police spokeswoman.

Chang said the attackers escaped on a motorcycle after the shooting. “Personnel of Dumalinao municipal police are now conducting a pursuit operation for the possible arrest of the suspects,” she said, adding, they are now investigating the motive of the attack.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the shooting. The families of the victims have not issued any statement. (Mindanao Examiner)

Mandatory toy labeling still wanting, says group

MANILA - Nine years after it was approved and three years following the stalled issuance of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), the enforcement of Republic Act 10620, or the Toy and Game Safety Labeling Act, is still wanting.

“Industry compliance to the mandatory toy labeling information as specified under RA 10620 and its IRR has not significantly progressed,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “As a result, consumers are not given the necessary facts that can help them in making an informed choice on which toys to purchase or avoid.”

Lucero said the EcoWaste Coalition, a long-time advocate for children’s right to safe and non-toxic toys, made this critical observation after examining the labels of assorted toys, which it procured in November-December 2022 from various retail stores located in Makati, Manila, Pasay, and Quezon Cities.

She said of the 67 mixed toys purchased, only one product contained the mandatory labeling requirements as reiterated in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Advisory No. 2020-2022, including the FDA-issued license to operate (LTO) number; age grading; cautionary statements or warnings; instructional literature; manufacturer’s markings with complete name and address of the local company; and item model or Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) number, which must be indicated on the package, container, wrapper or protective covering of toys.

Of these 67 toys, 47 had no LTO number; 19 did not specify any age recommendation; 19 provided no cautionary statements or warnings; 57 gave no usage instructions; 54 lacked manufacturer’s and local distributor’s markings; and 35 had no item model or SKU number, she added.

“Toys that do not con-

form with the labeling and packaging requirements, as well as the safety labeling statements, are considered ‘misbranded’ or ‘hazardous banned substance’ as per RA 10620 that must be withdrawn from the market,” Lucero pointed out.

Under the said law, toy manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers found in violation of RA 10620 and its IRR will be fined not less than P10,000 but not more than P50,000, or imprisoned for not less than three months but not more than two years, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Aside from the inadequate labeling information, the EcoWaste Coalition drew consumer attention to potential chemical hazards in certain toys such as 1) the presence of antimony and bromine in some toy guns and Rubik’s cube-like toys, which may indicate the use of recycled plastic from e-waste, 2) the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic material used in soft plastic toys, which may be laden with toxic plasticizers, and 3) the unsecured button cell batteries in some toys, which could be easily removed and get ingested by a curious child.

Lucero also expressed concern about the environmental impact of the mostly plastic toys being sold in the market, noting that 62 of the 67 toys purchased by the group are made of plastic materials.

“What are the environmental effects of producing these plastic toys, which are petrochemical products, and what happens to them at the end of their useful life? How much of these toys get recycled, landfilled or incinerated? With the avalanche of plastic toys in the market, there is a pressing need to understand the impact of plastic toys and their chemical components on human health and the environment,” Lucero said.

(Mindanao Examiner)

Marcos signs P5.2 trillion 2023 national budget

PRESIDENT FERDINAND Marcos Jr. has finally signed the P5.2 trillion 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), which will fund the administration’s recovery plan next year as the country emerges from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Among the priority sectors under the administration’s first national budget are education, public works, health, social welfare, agriculture as well as transportation.

In his speech during the ceremonial signing of the GAA in Malacanang, Marcos said its passage is essential because it will serve as a roadmap of what the government intends to do next year.

“And to see the rapidity of the passage is significant because it means that this budget, the roadmap that we have proposed from the Executive, is fully supported by our legislature. And

that is very, very important indeed,” Marcos said.

“Because it is what is essentially or sometimes regarded as a long, difficult, long-drawn-out process… shown to still be able to express that kind of support, that kind of solidarity with the Executive,” he added.

The government, Marcos said, has listed its plans for next year and it is now slowly moving toward realizing its goals such as

carrying out all the needed structural changes.The signing into law of the General Appropriations Act is important because it will provide the government with a tool to transform the economy, the chief executive noted.

“It is always very important that the GAA has been put together in consonance with all of the plans of the Executive. And that kind of

tion and that kind of synergy that we will gain from that is going to be an essential part of the way that we move forward,” Marcos said.

He also expressed his gratitude to the members of the legislature and all those who worked hard for the passage of the 2023 national budget. According to Marcos, the legislature has been very cooperative in making amendments that were necessary in terms of investment as well as financial policy.

“All of these elements that are important for us to position ourselves in the new — I nearly said new society — in the new economy after the pandemic,” Marcos said.

He thanked the Department of Budget and Management for its efforts in passing the government spending program for next year.

(Mindanao Examiner)

coordina-

President Ferdinand Marcos signs the P5.2 trillion 2023 General Appropriations Act.

Senior citizens can count on PhilHealth

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when availing of inpatient care andprimary care benefits in accredited facilities nationwide.

Theassurance was made after the signing of a partnership agreement with theNational Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) on the sharing of information andstatistical data on membership and health status of senior citizens. Theaccord aims to help the two agencies maintain an accurate database system in aidof expanding benefit packages and improving services for senior citizens, andin minimizing if not totally eradicating fraud brought about by inaccuratemember records.Asof last year, PhilHealth has registered nearly or over 15 million elderlymembers and their dependents under its “Lifetime Program and Senior CitizensProgram.”

Lifetime members include retirees and pensioners who have reached theage of retirement and have paid at least 120 months

of contributions to theprogram. Meanwhile,Senior Citizen members are those who do not belong to any of the membershipcategories and whose contributions are paid for by the National Governmentpursuant to Republic Act 10645. Elderly members can immediately avail of benefitsfor inpatient care and select outpatient procedures, Z Benefit Packages, andother benefit packages being developed by PhilHealth. Billionsof pesos have already been paid by PhilHealth for benefit claims of elderlypatients under the Lifetime and Senior Citizens Program. Senior members arealso a priority to the PhilHealth’s expanded primary care benefit package dubbedas “Konsulta” or “Konsultasyong Sulit at Tama Package” which can be availed offrom accredited Konsulta providers of their choice.TheKonsulta Package aims to help members prevent or detect diseases early on. Theaccredited

Konsulta providers shall act as the initial and continuing contact for thepatients in the healthcare delivery system. The package includes targetedhealth risk screening and assessment; initial and follow up consultations; andlaboratory tests and medicines, the availment of which will be subject to therecommendation of their primary care provider.Laboratoryand diagnostic tests include complete blood count with platelet count, urinalysis,fecalysis, sputum microscopy, fecal occult blood, Pap smear, lipid profile,fasting blood sugar, oral glucose tolerance test, electrocardiogram, creatinineand HbA1c. The medicines that will be made available include anti-microbial, anti-asthma,antipyretics, anti-dyslipidemia, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive medicines,including fluids and electrolytes, anti-thrombotic, and anti-histamines.(Mindanao Examiner)

Was it Triad? Cocaine bricks recovered in Tawi-Tawi

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collecting scraps along the beach line found the brick on Friday, December 16, and it was tightly wrapped in plastic and has markings “cocaine” and “D&B” written on it.

The cocaine was surrendered to village officials who handed it to the members of the 21st Marine Company in the village of Bubuan.

This was also confirmed by Brig. Gen. Romeo Racadio, commander of the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi. He said the cocaine brick was turned over to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

“The substance, believed to be cocaine, weighs one kilogram and with a value amounting to P5.3 million pesos. The recovered item was immediately turned over to the PDEA Tawi-Tawi for further laboratory examination and proper disposition,” he said.

It was unknown whether the cocaine came from Sabah or not, but this was the second cocaine brick found in the town in four days after two fishermen – brothers Alih and Sabri Iskan – retrieved a tightly sealed brick of cocaine at sea.

Authorities were investigating the source of the

cocaine and who was behind it.

In 2019, fishermen also recovered at least 46 bricks of cocaine washing up in Quezon and Sorsogon provinces. And more cocaine bricks found along the shores of the provinc-

es of Camarines Norte and Quezon in Luzon; and Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte in Mindanao in southern Philippines. The cocaine bricks were believed to be owned by a Chinese drug syndicate. (Mindanao Examiner)

SUPPORT PEACE IN MINDANAO

U.S., Philippine stakeholders call for alternatives to incarceration for drug users

Continued from page 1 Continued from page 1 recently adopted the Manila Declaration on Creating Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) Systems in the Philippines that calls for expanding access to evidence-based health treatment for drug users and implementing reforms towards a more efficient criminal justice system.

The Manila Declaration was announced during the recent 2nd National Conference of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) Philippines National Chapter on the theme “Build, Better, Best: Building unified and synergized communities for the management of substance use,” organized by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the Colombo Plan, and the Quezon City government.

During the conference, law enforcement personnel, drugs and substance use professionals, civil society groups, and other stakeholders discussed emerging issues on addiction management, including the accreditation of treatment professionals, training service providers and community workers, and ATI systems—innovative

treatment models that address drug use by reducing the risk of relapsing into criminal behavior, providing evidence-based treatment, and ensuring adequate social integration.

“Our efforts align closely with the theme of this year’s conference because INL efforts include programs designed to build the capacity of drug prevention stakeholders; strengthen clinical skills and raise the standards of treatment and care; and train local community members to address drug-related matters,” INL Director Kelia Cummins said.

“By spending our time to learn and share, we are making a sound investment and bridging pathways to ensure that friends, families, community members, and society as a whole have what they need to not only survive, but to thrive,” Cummins added.

The Philippine Addiction Specialists Society (PASS) was also introduced as the new representative body of the ISSUP in the Philippines. As a new partner of INL and ISSUP Global, PASS seeks to expand its membership to support a whole-of-nation approach to addressing drug challenges.

“We look forward to

future partnerships in providing a safe and drug-free place for all,” Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Secretary Catalino Cuy said as he welcomed the launch of PASS as the Philippine national chapter of ISSUP Global. “This is a welcome development as we assist the government address the gap in service providers, particularly physicians and rehabilitation workers.”

With the support of the Quezon City government and ISSUP Global, more than 170 participants also benefited from a series of specialized courses conducted by local and foreign experts on themes such as counseling and case management, environment-based drug prevention intervention, and substance abuse treatment for women.

The 2nd ISSUP Philippines National Conference is part of a broader INL-sponsored, multi-year program with the Colombo Plan entitled “Enhancing of Treatment and Prevention Programs for the Philippines,” which aims to strengthen prevention and treatment services in the Philippines by enhancing human resource capacity and strengthening multidisciplinary approaches to addressing substance use.

Philippines protests Chinese aggression off Palawan

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incident occurred only last month off Pag-asa Island in Palawan, an archipelagic province located in the Mimaropa. Palawan is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of 14,649.73 km².

Beijing strongly denied

there was force involved, claiming it was a friendly consultation between the parties. The Chinese Embassy in Manila said it has no information yet on Beijing's response to the latest diplomatic protest.

The DFA initially issued a note verbale seeking clar-

ification from China, upon instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Philippine Senate also passed a resolution condemning what it described as China's continued bullying in the West Philippine Sea. (Mindanao Examiner, CNN Philippines)

(Mindanao Examiner)

ISSUP Global Representative Joana Travis Roberts (rightmost) leads the oathtaking ceremony of PASS officers as the new representatives of the ISSUP national chapter in the Philippines.

Photos released by the Western Mindanao Command show the recovered brick of cocaine weighing 2.2 pounds in Tawi-Tawi's South Ubian town.

Strive hard for the people, DILG tells local governments

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KALASAG Award. Ito po ay isang patunay sa husay sa paglilingkod-bayan at DRRM initiatives ng mga pamahalaang lokal. Ipagpatuloy po ninyo ito at pagsumikapang itaas ang antas ng serbisyo publiko dito sa BARMM,” he said.

“There’s a spirit of Bayanihan that is important in all of us and that is what you’ve done. You’ve acted far beyond the call of duty, even risking your own lives. Your sense of responsibility and vigilance before and during the crisis will always be known, will always be reported, and inscribed in our history,” he added.

Gawad Kalasag is the country’s recognition and award scheme for various stakeholders who promote and implement DRRM-Climate Change Adaptation and humanitarian assistance programs that protect and shield high-risk communities against extreme hazards and render them more capable of addressing their vulnerabilities spearheaded by the National Disaster DRRM Council through the Office of Civil Defense.

The awards were given to Upi, Maguindanao Del Norte under the Beyond Compliant category and 15 other local government under the Fully Compliant category which included the Maguindanao; Basilan; Ampatuan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Guindulungan, Paglat, South Upi, and Sultan Sa Barongis, all from Maguindanao Del Sur; Bubong, Piagapo, and Wao all from Lanao Del Sur; Lamitan City and Tuburan both from Basilan; Talipao, Sulu; and Parang, Maguindanao Del Norte.

On the other hand, the Jolo Emergency Rescue Network Inc. was the recipient of the Regional Award for Best Government Emergency Management and Response Teams while plaques of appreciation were also given to the Bangsamoro DRRM Council member agencies as well as DRRM Partners from both the public and the private sectors.

Bangsamoro Government representative and Ministry of the Interior and Local Government Director General Khalid Dumagay said: “By working together, headed by our common objectives of making lives easier for our people, our awardees despite the complex transition we currently are undergoing, coupled with natural and man-made calamities, you have proven that we in BARMM can cope with the best LGUs in the country.”

Sulu Task Force Abalos earlier lauded Sulu Governor Sakur Tan for his active role in maintaining peace and order in the southern Philippine province where he recently helped organize “Task Force Bantay Dagat.”

The task force has nearly 400 Special CAFGU Active Auxiliary members under the supervision of the Philippine Army. They are also set to undergo military training and will help protect marine environments and enforce coastal laws.

“Bilib ako sa mga aksyon na ginagawa ni Gov. Sakur Tan upang mas mapatatag pa ang peace and order sa Sulu, dahilan ng patuloy na paglago ng kanilang ekonomiya,” Abalos said in a public statement, adding “katuwang ang Bantay Dagat at mga kasamahan nating government officials, patuloy tayong magkakaisa sa pagbibigay kapayapaan at kaayusan sa ating mga karagatan. Sa kabila ng ating pagkakaiba sa relihiyon at lingwahe, iisa ang ating mithiin; ang kasaganahan ng ating inang bayan!”

Abalos’ statement was also shared on social media by the Philippine National Police.

The 11th Infantry Division will facilitate the training of the Task Force Bantay Dagat which is composed of some 380 members. They will conduct maritime patrol utilizing 95 motorboats, according to Army Lt. Col. Abdurasad Sirajan, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.

Tan said the task force

was jointly launched by the provincial government and the 11th Infantry Division.

“The task force will work with the security forces to protect the integrity of the territorial waters and marine environment, monitor illegal fishing, provide assistance in rescue operations, and enforce coastal laws,” he said.

Marine Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, the acting chief of the Western Mindanao, also lauded the creation of the task force. “The Western Mindanao Command witnessed the unity and cooperation shown by the local government officials and the citizens of Sulu to address the peace and development issues and concerns in the province.”

“Good governance greatly contributed to the gradual change of the province’s image from terrorism to tourism. The establishment of the Task Force Bantay Dagat is a very good initiative to sustain peace in Sulu. Together let us eliminate the lawless activities in Sulu waters,” he said.

The formal launching of the task force last month was attended by senior defense and security officials led by Defense Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino, Jr.; Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr.; National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos; PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr.; Philippine Coast Guard Chief Admiral Artemio Abu; Joint Task Force Sulu and 11th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio; Bangsamoro regional police chief, Brig. Gen. John Guyguyon; and local government officials.

Faustino said the Department of Defense will integrate the operations of the task force in its internal defense system to bring about a holistic approach in protecting Sulu. Tan also held a meeting with Faustino’s group and briefed them on the improved peace and order situation in the province. (Mindanao Examiner)

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee questions Galvez, Vergeire on COVID vaccines purchases

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Senator Jinggoy Estrada during a recent Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry on the non-disclosure or refusal of the Department of Health (DOH) to release the details of the vaccine procurement contracts on the pretext of a supposedly existing Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Estrada asked Galvez to relate the difficulties his team encountered in procuring the vaccines at the height of the pandemic during the previous Duterte administration. According to Galvez, the NTF had difficulty negotiating with all of the manufacturers because of their requirements. He said the government did not sign contracts with three manufacturers because the country’s national interest and Constitutional rights might be violated. “What are the terms they demanded that you didn’t want and who are these manufacturers?” Estrada asked. Galvez said the terms were on liability, indemnity and disclosure. He named the manufacturers AstraZeneca

Pharmaceuticals, Jansen (Johnson and Johnson) and Novavax Manufacturing.

Senator Francis Tolentino also asked the DOH to utilize the remaining government-procured COVID-19 vaccines for the second booster shot of the general population.

Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, made the remarks during the inquiry.

“Bakit po hindi tayo mag pa-second booster para yung nasasayang e hindi talaga masayang-kasi yung nagpabakuna na nagpa first booster, palagay ko yung iba doon gusto magka-second booster. Iyon yung hinihingi ng private sector noon, payagan na sila mag pa second booster para hindi na mag expire yung iba, magamit, "Tolentino told DOH officer-in-charge Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire. “Bakit po yung ibang bansa nag se-second booster na? Tayo ay hindi nag se-second booster... naniniwala po ako, mababawasan yung masasayang kasi yung nag pa-first booster

ay willing po mag pa second booster lalong lalo na yung lumalabas ngayong Simbang Gabi, lalabas ang mag festivals,” he added. Tolentino cited a recent rationale for a second booster from the World Health Organization (WHO), in which its systematic review and meta-regression "would make the second booster dose increase the VE against all outcomes."

“The rationale for a second booster is to restore impossibly enhanced protection... I have here the WHO statement na pwede mag second booster para mabawasan po yung wastage natin Dr. Vergeire?” Tolentino stressed.

Vergeire inresponse to Tolentino's query said that the DOH is still maintaining its recent stand that more evidence is needed before finally recommending the implementation of the second booster to the rest of the population. She vowed to submit the requested documents to the Commission on Audit (COA). (Voltaire Domingo, Mindanao Examiner)

A tricycle is over loaded with bicycles in this photo taken in the village of Tetuan in Zamboanga City. Small businesses are booming in Zamboanga as Covid-19 cases remain low, although the local government relaxes the use of facemasks in public places. (Photo by Al Jacinto)

Turning our weakness into strength

by Fr. Roy Cimagala (Cebu)

THE secret is to assume the identity of Christ and his attitude toward all forms of human weakness and limitations. He himself assumed our human weaknesses even to the extent of making himself like sin without committing sin, if only to save us from our fatal predicament. (cfr. 2 Cor 5,21)

If we would just open ourselves to the possibility of taking that leap of faith to become like Christ who gives us all the means to be so, what may appear to us as an impossibility due to our weakness and limitations can become possible.

We are reminded of this wonderful truth of our faith in that gospel episode where the Archangel Gabriel visits Zechariah to tell him that his aging and barren wife, Elizabeth, was going to have a baby that would turn out to be Christ’s precursor, John the Baptist. (Lk 1,5-25) Zechariah was doubtful at first that what the angel said could happen, but in the end he acceded.

We should make St. Paul’s words, “For when I am weak, then I am strong,” (2 Cor 12,10) also as our own, and feel reassured and consoled every time we are hounded and burdened by all sorts of difficulties and troubles, including when we are tempted and fall into sin.

We have to know what exactly St. Paul meant by those words. What we can readily see is that he made all these predicaments a reason for him to go to Christ, to identify himself more closely with Christ who went all the way to making himself like sin without committing sin just to save us. (cfr. 2 Cor 5,21)

We have to learn how to react to all these negative and evil elements in our life from the point of view of our Christian faith, and never just from our own estimation of things that

would often lead us to be scandalized, to feel bad and discouraged, and to run away from the one who can resolve everything for us, including those problems we cannot anymore resolve.

Our faith in God can still work and function even if we are down spiritually and morally, because it is, first of all, a gift from God who will always give it to us irrespective of how we have been behaving. We should just try our best to receive it and to correspond to it as best that we can.

We will always have difficulties in life. They are unavoidable. They come with the limitations of our human nature and aggravated by its condition of woundedness. Usually they come as small disappointments and frustrations, little failures and setbacks we meet everyday. All of them, more or less, manageable.

But they can also be big ones that can plunge us into deep, long-running crises of fear, anger, anxiety, hatred and despair. Cases of unsolvable predicaments, at least, humanly speaking.

We have to be ready for them and know not only how to deal with them but also how to derive something good from them. In these instances of the hard predicaments, for example, when we seem to be at a loss as to what to do, we should just see what God does, after we have done all things possible to solve our problems.

We need to trust in God’s providence and mercy. We have to learn to live a spirit of abandonment in the hands of God. Yes, if we have faith in God, in his wisdom and mercy, in his unfailing love for us, we know that everything will always work out for the good. (cfr. Rom 8,28)

OPINION

What is Truth?

by Engr. Carlos Cornejo (Cebu)

“WHAT IS the truth?” Pilate asked Jesus. (John 18:38) Truth is telling things as they are. Truth is when your words and thoughts correspond to reality. Two plus two is four, the sky is blue and the earth is round.

To say otherwise is false. Everything in the world is true and there is no such thing as error. Only our opinion can make errors. We men are not creators of reality but instead its disciple. George Braque said, “Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented.” That’s the basic tenet in journalism; to report an event as they happen and where they happen. If a journalist or a reporter inserts personal opinion on the news event he covers, he ceases being a reporter and becomes an opinion maker. Worse if he falsely reports the event and inserts his own version of it (usually to promote an agenda) that would be fake news. Facts are events that happen in reality and truth means our mind is conforming to that fact.

There is no such thing as personal truth with regard to reality. There is only objective truth. In the same way as there’s no personal morality. Morality is likewise objective. To have your own standards of what is right and wrong is called moral subjectivism, one of the prevalent erroneous philosophies nowadays. Rape will always be wrong as well as torture.

Moral subjectivism (a personal standard of morality) is a philosophy adapted by non-believers in God who would often tell Christians, “Don’t impose your morals on me” as if morality can only be applied to Christians. Whether you are a Muslim, a Hindu or a non-believer in a God morality applies to all. Otherwise, it will be a chaotic world and no one would be left alive because killing would just be a matter of “personal option” to settle a grudge, much like in the movie “The Purge.”

Another common belief nowadays is skepticism. Skepticism says we are not capable of attaining the truth. That truth is too complex for us to grasp. This is an absurd philosophy because if truth can’t be attained then we would

not be able to express it as well. You can always make a skeptic see the absurdity of his belief by telling him, “If we can’t acquire truth then how will I know if what you are telling me is true?” And that closes the argument. Many would adapt this philosophy along with other modern philosophies often to rationalize and justify immoral behaviors especially in the area of sex.

Contrary to political correctness we have to be judgmental and discriminatory for we need to judge whether an action is right or wrong and to discriminate not race or gender but morals. I would often hear this common phrase “we should not be judgmental”. Well, that depends. If the action is out in the open and is clearly wrong, of course we have to be judgmental. In cases such as cheating or lying for example, parents and teachers need to be judgmental to correct the young people under them. On the other hand, if you don’t have the full details of a certain situation on why a student for example is not expelled from school for a serious offense. Then you should hold your judgment until you have the complete information on the case. That’s the time we should not be judgmental, not to judge when we don’t have the full knowledge.

We both have a hunger for food and truth. Food is for the stomach and truth is food for the mind. Food that is in our stomach becomes part of us. The pig that we eat becomes human cells later after digestion. But truth doesn’t become part of us, it doesn’t enter into us. We on the other hand enter into it and become one with the truth if we accept it. Truth is bigger than us because truth is God Himself.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) It’s as if Christ is saying, “I am reality, conform yourself to reality.” Conforming ourselves to the truth is conforming ourselves to Christ. That’s why prayer doesn’t transform God but transforms us. God commanded us to pray not because God needs our prayers but we do. “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (from the slavery of sin)”. (John 8:32)

Pictures in the News

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

Eastern Visayas to replicate Cebu’s tourism program

She said there will be an immersion for tourism officers and tour operators in Cebu to familiarize what exactly is being done and offered during the tour. “We are rich in history and culture and arts, but not highlighted. When we say heritage, it is manifested in structures, our traditions, our culture, our food, performances, arts, and in so many various ways,” Tiopes said.

“Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo” is a flagship tourism program of the Cebu provincial government wherein guests travel to certain areas for several days to visit cultural and heritage sites and taste the local cuisine. Suroy is a local term for going around places while Sugbo is the ancient name of Cebu City.

Tiopes said after the immersion program, the DOT will meet with local tourism officers to discuss how this will

be implemented. It will be piloted in at least two towns or cities.

The program will highlight the historical events that happened in the region including the landing of Ferdinand Magellan on Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar province; the first Easter Mass in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte in 1521; the return of Gen. Douglas McArthur with Allied Forces commemorated every Oct. 20 in Palo town, Leyte; the Balangiga Encounter in Balangiga town, Eastern Samar; the arrival of a White Russian refugee in Guiuan town, Eastern Samar in 1949, and World War 2 engagement in Leyte province.

Local cuisine will be featured as well in the tourism program. Popular local foods in Leyte include the Moron and binagol.

Moron is a mix of sticky rice and cocoa wrapped in banana leaves and Binagol is de-

rived from the term bagol or coconut shell. Inside the bagol is a molded sweet root crop native to the province.

In Samar, the province has a program called Secret Kitchen featuring heirloom dishes and local delicacies in selected towns and cities.

“It is just a matter of identifying what one municipality has and complimenting it with others. We do not want to offer something that local government unit (LGU) A will be offering the same tourist experience with LGU B. When we do the cluster, we will make sure that there will be no duplication,” Tiopes said.

Once implemented, Tiopes said that instead of Suroy Suroy, the program in the region will be called “Sudoy Sudoy” (the local term for going around), to consider the bilingual nature of Eastern Visayas residents. (Roel Amazona)

Balikbayans return to Cebu

holiday period, are Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and Seattle.

Cebuanos share how 4Ps helped uplift their lives

CEBU CITY – Beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) swore how they overcame hardships through the national government aid program that has helped them send their children to college and uplift their standard of living.

Annabelle Vildosola, a 4Ps partner-beneficiary from Malabuyoc town here, took pride in her five children who are all now college graduates through their perseverance and with the help of the program.

CEBU CITY – More "balikbayans" or vacationing Filipinos are coming home to Cebu from the United States this holiday season, with passenger traffic almost nearing the pre-pandemic level, a US-based travel consolidator said.

Peter Vazan, chief executive officer of Trevolution Group, said research on winter holiday season booking trends indicated that the number of travel reservations made between the United States and Cebu in December 2022 and January 2023 has so far reached 70% of the reservations made during the same period in 2019-2020.

“Each year, winter holi-

day season is the busiest time for visiting friends and relatives,” Vazan said, adding, the changing booking patterns may mean more passengers will book their flights only weeks away from the holidays, but still won't reach the 2019 traffic levels.

“The first quarter of the year is traditionally the peak time for the Philippines tourism season, and the current outlook for the upcoming months is strong. Every third ticket from the United States to the Philippines is booked during the first three months of the year,” he said.

Top US airports, from which passengers have booked flights to Cebu for the winter

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager and CEO Julius Neri Jr. said they are expecting the number of flights to grow by 40% of the pre-pandemic level by the end of 2022 from 28% in the previous months. The country’s second busiest air hub is gearing up for a busy holiday as new flights have been launched from Cebu.

"We are expecting more arrivals. All these will help increase the number of arrivals to Cebu,” Neri said.

Official data from MCIAA showed that passenger traffic in the first three quarters of 2022 jumped by 386 percent to 3.68 million from 758,238 in the same period last year. International passenger traffic rose 290 percent to 397,716 from 97,424, while domestic traffic also skyrocketed 400 percent to 3.30 million from 660,814 in the comparable period last year.

(Carlo Lorenciana)

“Nabag-o ang among kinabuhi sa dihang naapil na kami sa 4Ps kay aduna na kami kaabag sa among pagpaeskwela sa among mga bata. Kining edukasyon lamang among mahatag,” Vildosola said as she expressed her gratitude as she and her husband felt the success in rearing their children and helping them get a college diploma.

“Imposible na kaayo nga miingun kami nga dili pa gihapon kami makabarog, kay sa tanang tabang nga nahatag sa programa sa among pamilya. Sakto na nga kami makabarong ug pinaagi pod sa among pagtinabangay og paningkamot sa pamilya,” she added.

Lorna Cordova, a 4Ps partner-beneficiary from Bantayan Island, said the national aid program gave her family hope, as their children were able to go to school. Cordova recalled that the first time she received her cash grant from the Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Visayas (DSWD7), she could not help but utter to herself “goodbye kahirapan” as she considered it the start of their family's road to progress.

She said her family is now in a much better situation than before, adding that she is proud of her children who have become engineers, a teacher and a finance graduate. There is still a remaining child in college. “Makabarog na kami. Kining grasya sa 4Ps ipasa napod kini sa lain nga labing nanginahanglan,” she said.

From living in a small house which she described as like a chicken coop, the Cordova family is now building their own home.

Vildosola and Cordova are among the 336 partner-beneficiaries of 4Ps in Cebu who took part in a ceremonial graduation and partnership summit or-

ganized by the DSWD-7 in Mandaue City recently.

Leah Quintana, DSWD-7 information officer, told the Philippine News Agency that unlike any other graduation ceremonies, the rites attended by the 4Ps partner-beneficiaries manifest their families’ improved standard of living after years of getting support from the government through the program.

She said some of the families expressed their gratitude and acceptance as they gladly graduated from the program to pave the way for new families who, like them before, have been struggling to put food on the table and send their children to school.

Some of the 4Ps graduates now have their own vehicles, stores, businesses, as well as house and lot.

Quintana said some of them have gone into public service such as by becoming barangay officials, barangay health workers, local government unit employees, and community volunteers in the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Service.

The batch of 4Ps graduate-families produced 242 college graduates. They were able to produce teachers, engineers, seafarers, hospital workers, medical technologists, overseas Filipino workers, Certified Public Accountants and other professionals.

(John Rey Saavedra)

Eduardo Vildosola is seen in this photo driving his tricycle with his wife, Annabelle, after attending to their fish trading business in Malabuyoc, Cebu. The Vildosola family is among the 336 beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who shared how the national government aid program helps their children finish college. (DSWD photo)

TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas will replicate Cebu’s “Suroy Suroy sa Sug-

ACLOBAN CITY – Eastern will Cebu’s sa bo” next year for guests to visit the region’s cultural and heritage sites and bo” next year for guests to visit the cultural and sites and taste local cuisines, said Department of Tourism (DOT ) Regional Director taste local cuisines, said of Tourism (DOT) Director Karina Rosa Tiopes Karina Rosa Tiopes.

(Photo by Tacloban City Tourism Operations Office)