Edge Davao Vol. 15 Issue 296 | Saturday, April 1, 2023

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

Davao City, Mati City sisterhood impacts local tourism

By MAYA M. PADILLO

The recent signing of the Sister City Agreement between Davao City and Mati City proves one thing: despite differences in economic standing, these cities can benefit both in terms of local tourism.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat signed the Sister City Agreement on March 29, 2023, at La-Nes Hotel, Mati City. Both leaders are optimistic on the partnership and coopera-

tion in the areas of environmental protection and conservation, heritage preservation, and culture, agriculture, and eco-tourism.

FPRRD says he’s willing to face consequences of ‘war on drugs’

egates during the signing representing the tourism sector, told Edge Davao that both cities can take advantage in terms of tourism.

“In terms of tourism, it is very advantage kay if they have some visitors going to Mati, maka -benefit ang City of Davao when they go back to their places, muagi man sila ug Davao as gateway. For so long, naa naman gyud partnership na na-form with Mati and

Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, committee chair on tourism and beautification and one of the del- FFRIENDS, P10

Davao del Norte vows to eliminate child labor

Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib on Thursday vowed to increase its efforts in protecting child rights and eliminating all forms of child labor.

Governor Edwin Jubahib made the assurance after the

visit of ChildFund International Country Director Anand Vishwakarma to his office on Wednesday.

“We will continue to bolster our campaign in protecting the rights of our children and to prevent, reduce, and stop any

form of child labor in Davao del Norte,” he said in a statement.

Reacting to the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) junking the Philippine government’s appeal to suspend its investigation of killings linked to his administration’s “war on drugs,” former President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to “face the music.”

Speaking during the 32nd National Convention of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines at the SMX Convention Center Davao, Duterte maintained he only did what he ought to do as the chief executive to address the problem of illegal drugs in the country.

He said he does not care about the ICC probe which would look into the possible human rights violations committed during the bloody war on drugs enforced during his administration.

“Wala akong pakialam basta ginagawa ko ang dapat kung gawin (I don’t care. I only did what I had to do). If it turns out to be awful later, wala tayong magawa (there is nothing we can do). I will face the music, I will rot in prison, and I will die in prison,” he said.

bency that he would “stake my name, my honor and the presidency itself” to rid the country of criminality, particularly the problem of illegal drugs, as he claimed to have done in Davao City where he served as mayor for over two decades.

“It is a matter of principle for me. And I will die for it. If I am to rot in prison, so be it,” he said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, lawyer Kristina Conti, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-National Capital Region said it is all systems go for the ICC prosecutor’s investigation after the Appeals Chamber of the ICC dismissed the government’s request for suspension of its probe into Duterte’s war on drugs.

“So far, the ICC proceedings is on track and aligned with our search for genuine justice for the victims of grave rights violations,” Conti said.

She said the “Philippines’ Request for Suspensive Effect would have delayed the ICC investigation, which has already been approved by the Pre-trial Chamber first, in September 2021, and again, in January

ChildFund is an international non-government organization (NGO) working with local partner organizations, governments, corporations, and individuals to FDAVAO, P10 FFPRRD, P10

He said he already made it clear early on in his incum-

An establishment engaged in selling bottled beverages occupies the entire sidewalk and a large portion of a road along Tionko Avenue in Davao City endangering the lives of the pedestrians who pass by the area as they now need to walk where vehicles traverse. Lean Daval Jr.

OPAMINE underlines value of ethical mining in Mindanao

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao (OPAMINE) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno underlined on Friday the value of ethical mining by upholding good safety and lowering environmental impact.

“It is mining our minerals to what benefit it can give to our society and not to abuse our environment,” he said in his message during the culmination of the two-day 29th Annual Mining Symposium of the Mindanao Association of Mining Engineers on Friday at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao.

The annual symposium aims

to reflect the vision of reinvigorating the minerals development industry of the country.

Magno also vowed to listen to the concerns besetting the mining industry and to extend assistance in whatever way that he can.

Magno said that he is working hand in hand with the Office of the Special Assistant to the Pres-

FOPAMINE, P10

Insurgency-free celeb resolution lauded by military, security forces

The 10th Infantry (AGILA) Division and the Philippine Army lauded the Davao City Council for the approval of the resolution celebrating the first anniversary of the city as “insurgency-free” since its declaration on March 24, 2022.

The resolution entitled “A Resolution Celebrating The First Anniversary Of Davao City As Insurgency-Free” was proposed by Councilor Luna Acosta, chair of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, and was passed before the council during the regular session on March 28, 2023.

In a statement, the 10ID stated that the resolution also honors the peace-keeping forces from the Agila Division and other units of the security sector for their efforts that resulted in the declaration and the sustained insurgency-free status of the city.

The declaration of Davao City as insurgency-free was backed by the City Peace and Order Council resolution on June 28, 2022, and City Council Resolution No. 011522 on July 19, 2022.

“It is appropriate to celebrate this event to remember the ef-

INSURGENCY, P10

Presidential Assistant for Eastern Mindanao (OPAMINE) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno highlights the value of ethical mining by upholding good safety and lowering environmental impact in his message 29th Annual Mining Symposium of the Mindanao Association of Mining Engineers held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on Friday. OPAMINE

F

UK offers £8-billion BIP funding for PH

The United Kingdom (UK) is looking at viable green energy and infrastructure projects in the Philippines where its £8 billion fund from the British Investment Partnerships (BIP) can be invested.

UK Minister for Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Travelyan launched the BIP in the Philippines Thursday at The Peninsula Manila in Makati City.

The BIP mobilizes funding from the British private sector and also provides technical expertise to support the Philippines’ sustainable infrastructure development and the transition to clean energy.

“Through British Investment Partnerships, we will support the

development of high-quality, sustainable infrastructure to accelerate the transition to clean energy and secure a prosperous and resilient future for the Philippines,” Travelyan said.

British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils said the £8 billion fund from the BIP was launched by the UK last year and was only launched in the Philippines this day.

Although it was just launched in the country this year, the BIP

has funded a USD25-million solar project in Negros Island.

Beaufils said the share of the Philippines in the £8 billion BIP fund will depend on the projects that the UK companies will be interested in investing into.

“This is not (the) British government that will be choosing, and we have development finance institutes that will be identifying, and then they will do their due diligence… So we’re really keen to encourage people to put projects and ideas to us because the more there is a robust pipeline, the more money will be invested in the Philippines,” the British envoy told reporters on the sidelines of the event. (PNA)

GCash expands services for OFWs, Pinoy tourists abroad

Leading finance app GCash targets overseas Filipinos as it expands its presence in the international market.

At its Futurecast 2023 event in Makati, GCash said it has expanded its services to Filipinos abroad, including overseas Filipino workers.

Chief Marketing Officer Neil Trinidad, said Filipinos working or residing in more countries can now register and use the app even with an international SIM. The newest addition is Canada and the UK, on top of Japan, Australia, Italy and USA.

OFWs with GCash can send

GCG to evaluate planned Landbank-DBP merger

The Governance Commission for GOCCs said on Thursday it would evaluate the proposed merger of the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines and come up with a recommendation to be submitted to the Office of the President.

In a statement, the GCG said legal concerns were raised by the DBP about the proposed merger with Landbank, with the latter as the surviving entity poised to become the largest bank in the country, during a sectoral meeting attended by the stakeholders.

merger is seamless and will not disrupt or cause issues or concerns in their respective operations and processes… It is within the jurisdiction of GCG to ensure that the merger of Landbank and DBP is beneficial to the state,” Quiroz said.

The GCG said the evaluation would cover all areas and be “considered of utmost importance as Landbank and DBP have been named as sources of the start-up funds for the government’s proposed sovereign wealth fund, or the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).”

money back to the Philippines for free via the app. That will save them the cost of remittance fees.

“GCash being available to our 10 million Filipinos overseas,” said Trinidad. He added, “Filipinos can now travel cashless all

FGCASH, P10

The DBP has earlier said that the plan to merge it with Landbank would require legislation as both banks were created by different enabling laws or charters.

GCG Chairperson Alex Quiroz said the commission “will have to look into the specifics of the merger as it involves two major banks that are state-owned.”

“We want to ensure that the

“We are grateful that in this process of merger, the President recognizes the oversight function of the Governance Commission,” GCG Commissioner Gideon Mortel said.

On Tuesday, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno announced that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had given the thumbs up for the merger of the two state-owned banks, which he said would result in P5.2 bil-

Dozens of mall goers check the participating companies during the ongoing Philippine Franchise Association’s Franchise Negosyo para sa Davao at the atrium of SM Lanang Premier in Davao City on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.

BSP expects slower inflation in March within 7.4% to 8.2%

Danish firm investing $5-B for offshore wind projects in PH

Danish firm Copenhagen

Infrastructure Partners

(CIP) is investing USD5 billion to develop three offshore wind energy projects in the Philippines with a potential capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW).

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla and CIP associate partner Przemek Lupa signed three offshore wind energy service contracts at the DOE Office in Taguig City on Thursday.

The signing was witnessed by Danish Ambassador to the Philippines Franz-Michael Mellbin.

Lupa said about 1,000 MW of the offshore wind project will be located in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, 650 MW in Northern Samar and 350 MW in Pangasinan and La Union.

He said the company targets to deliver these offshore wind projects within the tenure of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The three offshore wind projects of CIP are expected to create 4,500 jobs.

“Our ambition for the Philippines goes well beyond these three service contracts. We have

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expecting inflation to continue a downward trajectory this month on the back of lower fuel and food prices.

(an) appetite to grow onshore renewable energy projects as well as offshore, and to contribute to the clean and sustainable growth of the country,” Lupa added.

Lotilla has welcomed the investment of the Danish firm, being the first foreign company to develop a renewable energy (RE) project in full ownership.

In 2022, the Philippine government allows 100 percent foreign ownership for RE projects.

On the sidelines of the event, the DOE chief said more foreign energy firms have expressed their interest to undertake projects here under the full ownership business model, as the Philippines liberalizes investments in the RE sector.

Lupa said this signals the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s energy, employment and climate change challenges.

“As a foreign company, we welcome the lifting of the famous 60-40 foreign ownership restrictions in renewables, which is a very positive sign that this administration is tru-

DANISH, P10

In its month-ahead forecast, the BSP said it projected inflation—the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services—to settle within the range of 7.4% to 8.2%.

The central bank’s projection is lower than the 8.6% inflation print recorded in February.

“The recent rollback in domestic petroleum prices, lower prices of fruits and vegetables

as well as the decline in chicken and sugar prices, are expected to contribute to easing price pressures during the month,” the BSP said.

However, the central bank said that upward price pressures may emanate from higher electricity rates in Meralco-serviced areas as well as increased prices of other key food items such as pork, fish, eggs, and rice.

This month, the Manila Electric Company’s overall household rate was increased by P0.5453 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) to P11.4348 per kWh from February’s P10.8895 per kWh.

The upward adjustment translates to an increment of P109 in the total bill of a typical household consuming 200 kWh.

“Going forward, the BSP remains prepared to respond appropriately to continuing inflation risks in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” the central bank said.

Businesses upbeat as economy fully reopens

The full reopening of the Philippine economy has lifted investors’ confidence, results of the first quarter 2023 Business Expectations Survey (BES) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) indicate.

In a briefing on Thursday, BSP Monetary Policy Sub-Sector officer-in-charge Redentor Paolo Alegre Jr. said the confi-

dence index (CI) for this quarter, the second quarter and the next 12 months significantly improved.

Aside from the full reopening of the economy and lifting of all movement restrictions, Alegre also attributed the improvement of business firms’ CI to higher consumer demand for products and services, increased business activities and

sustained economic recovery, and expansion and new business opportunities in healthcare, manufacturing and construction sub-sectors.

For the current quarter, the CI rose to 34 from 23.9 in the previous quarter.

CI for the next quarter inched up to 49 from quarter-ago’s 31.3 and the index for

Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, committee chair on tourism and beautification of the City Council, the signing of the Sister City Agreement between Davao City and Mati City will have advantages for both cities in terms of tourism. Lean Daval Jr.

EDITORIAL Moral responsibility over public works

A food delivery rider died on the spot on Thursday night after riding into a deep road digging of a drainage repair project in Maa, Davao City.

The road digging was left without any safety barriers and early warning devices.

This is not the first time we hear of lives lost due to government projects left without safety devices like lighting, signages, barriers or in the case of a road digging, a metal plate enclosure. The history of these accidents are long and repeated.

Still, there appears to be no learnings from the responsible agency or private contractors and sub-contractors.

If we look into a contract of government projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways, there is an item for occupational safety devices. This is the budget allocated for the safety not only of the public but also of the construction workers.

Department Order no 13 s 2018 for one states the “Guidelines for the Preparation of Cost Estimates for Traffic Management and Safety & Health Requirements for the Construction and Maintenance of Roads, Bridges and Safety & Health Requirements for School Buildings.”

The budget under this item is sufficient to carry out a safe environment for the workers and the public. That is, if this budget is used extensively for the sole purpose thereof.

Now, if there is a budget allocation for safety, why do we still see open diggings? Why don’t we have proper barriers and early warning devices according to standards? Instead, we do make shift barriers made of light materials like bamboo poles. wooden barriers (which are not even safe)? Why are road projects unlit at night without any warming lights for motorists and pedestrians?

In short, where is the money for occupational safety?

Did it convert to the SOP money and passed on to the hands of influential people involved in the grant of government contracts?

We cannot afford to lose more lives due to the callous irresponsibility of people involved in public works. The DPWH, if the project falls under their jurisdiction, should not blink on this latest tragedy.

We need not motherhood statements like “we are looking into this.” These statements just get buried under open diggings.

We need reforms and results, please.

MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE”

BORBON • MARY ANN “ADI” C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO B. DAVAL SR., • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN • NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN •

Kay ganahan

ang katawhan.”

City Mayor

A migrant from Manila, Renato Dychangco Sr. was initially engaged in the lumber busi-ness when he observed a strong demand for coffins when wakes were mostly held in resi-dences. This inspired him to enter the business when interest among Chinese families was on the rise.

The family’s funerary business started with his mother, Julita, who operated Punerarya Popular in Laguna Province. For some reason, interest in what is a ‘macabre’ business, did not click with her 10 children, except Renato Sr. who restarted it in another region.

In 1948, he traveled to Cebu to get a feel of the place. Two years later, he opened the country’s first-ever funeral home enterprise, the Cosmopolitan Memorial Parlor (now Cos-mopolitan

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

COSMOPOLITAN, THE FUNERAL PARLOR

Funeral Homes, CFH), at Junquera Street, Cebu City, then that city’s red-light dis-trict.

The use of ‘cosmopolitan’ is not a chance but an anticipation given the term fits the differ-ent people the funeral home services. With foresight, he opened branches in Mindanao and, decades later, in Metro Manila under the handle of his son and namesake, and the third-generation descendants of the Dychangco family.

The first memorial chapel outside Cebu was opened in 1960 in a two-story building at corner Leon Ma. Guerrero and Francisco Villa-Abrille Streets, Davao City, inside the 44-hectare Chinatown. This is the enterprise’s first branch outside Cebu and the first in Minda-nao.

Just a stone’s throw from the city’s main bus terminal, a few hundred meters away

from the defunct International Harvardian University, and a walking distance to Ateneo de Da-vao, Davao Chong Hua High School (the city’s first Chinese institute), San Pedro Hospital, Holy Cross of Davao, Santa Ana Church, and the now deserted Taiwanese consulate, the funeral parlor’s chapel and morgue were situated on the ground floor. In the 1990s, it was torched to the ground.

Historically, CFH is the country’s first memorial chapel to enter franchising and possibly the world. In 2007, the franchise cost for a CFH branch ranged from P10 million to P30 mil-lion and required a space of no less than 1,500 square meters. If operated in a leased proper-ty, it should be under contract for a minimum of eight to 10 years.

CFH is also the first Filipi-

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

“Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may overlook it.” - CONFUCIUS.

*******

We should be wary about the persistence of the ICC to continue looking into the human rights violations in the Philippines viz a vis the illegal drugs campaign during the previous administration.

At the same time, the quiet and creeping Chinese build up in the contested islands in the West Philippine Sea indicate in no uncertain terms another serious threat to our national security even when Xi Jin Ping and his minions profess to high heavens that there is no such thing.

Are some people born congenital liars?

The first is a direct interference in our exclusive national affairs and thus an assault on our integrity as a sovereign and independent nation.

It is well and good that PBBM has put his foot down

on the matter thus ending speculations that the insistent ICC probe will make a progressive march into our judicial syatem that it deems to be mal-functioning..

However, the political opposition, especially those responsible for elevating the EJK complaint against ex-PRRD to the International Criminal Court, is stubbornly hoping to score a double whammy by unceasingly agitating the UN agency to compel the Marcos II administration to address and take up the matter.

The enemies of the State and the incumbent leadership would not necessarily mind if the issue drags on and on.

To make itself relevant, the opposition can unite to use the developments in this front as its ammo against the establishment in future electoral exercises.

After several electoral setbacks,the opposition and anti-government forces have been reduced to isolated ragtag groups that will find it difficult to raise vital issues

no funeral home accepted by the National Funeral Directors As-sociation (NFDA) and the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), and is allied with Batesville Casket Company, Inc., an American firm known for making caskets, urns, and keepsakes, and Dodge Chemicals, an industrial chemical company based in Maryland, USA.

In November 2002, another Cosmopolitan chapel was opened--the most ambitious Min-danao project—at the junction of J. Camus and Jose Abad Santos Streets, Davao City. Known as the Camus branch, the parlor offers amenities and facilities that upend in terms of luxury many of Manila’s popular and upstate funeral homes.

Calling itself “the specialists in family care and service,” CHF introduces itself as tender-ing “world-class

comfort and care,” adhering to “a philosophy of respect and kindness,” and bringing “leading edge care with kindness, courtesy, and compassion.”

Years later, the funeral chain expanded by opening two more branches in Davao region. It acquired the old Patalinghug Funeral Homes at Cabaguio Street, in Davao City, and an-other branch at No. 54 National Highway, Visayan Village, Tagum City.

Competing with Cosmopolitan in the 1990s was the Toril-based Villa Funeral Homes, through a branch found along Santa Ana Avenue, beside the defunct Mason Bowling Lanes. Later, Angel Funeral Homes, owned by the Brillantes family, opened along Florentino Torres Street, Davao City, and has since opened branches as far as Santa Barbara, Iloilo City.

THREATS TO NATIONAL STABILITY

against the incumbent.

This and the inability of the present government to stop Chinese encroachment in the country’s EEZ could help revive hopes for the political opposition to return to power.

That is why the Marcos government is tactfully careful in making pronouncements on the ICC status unless it was staunchly certain of the position it was taking.

But the incumbent regime may be unwittingly dragged into the US-China power rivalry by allowing the EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) to make a parallel use of the country’s territory as the Americans did when they were actively ensconced at the Subic Naval and the Clark Airbase.

China does not like this set up because the US is extending “military” protection to Taiwan in an EDCA-kind of way.

Whether we like it or not, we are like pawns in a world championship chess match between the US and China.

And i have not yet mentioned the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty where one (or the other) will come to the aid and defense of the country that is being attacked by a foreign aggressor.

As you have probably noticed, the local insurgency no longer pose a threat to our national security. But our political stability is being shaken because some power-hungry blocs are soliciting external help - by hook or by crook - to see that this government fails to deliver its promises to the people.

Let’s face it. The tenant in Malacanang is the namesake and son of the dictator the Filipinos kicked out in the 1986 EDSA uprising.

This situation is a hard pill to swallow for all those who fought against the Marcos dictatorship.

Did anyone of us (100 million Pinoys) ever imagined that a direct descendant of the late Ferdfinand Marcos would one day rise to be legitimately elected president of this coun-

try?

As the late feisty senator Miriam Defensior Santiago eloquently exclaimed: “The sins of the father are not the sins of the son.”

Would you see it germane that the ICC probe of EJKs should become part of a sinister plot to organize ouster moves against the present duly constituted authority?

The China row on the WPS is a pestering issue and the expanded EDCA are certainly contributing to fears the Philippines could suffer huge collateral damage if an idiot in Beijing or in Washington presses the wrong button.

Yes, believe it or not there are idiots and morons occupying sensitive positions and authority in high echelons.pf government.

We don’t have to search far actually.

Just look around you. Scan the government horizon and you’ll find them one too many. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.). GOD BLESS

BAHAY BULILIT McDonald’s gift to kids

This is why when he established the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philippines, Inc. (RMHC) in 1995, he made education as one of his main advocacies. Since then, RMHC has been improving the lives of Filipino children through its mandate of supporting their need for education, shelter, and happiness, helping more than 13.8 million children nationwide.

“Education is essential in nation-building. To provide young children with the means to learn is to open up new opportunities. Education willenable them to be productive citizens and help more people in the future. We are thankful to the local government and the people of Davao City for being a committed partner in advocating education,” said Yang, who also serves as the chairman of RMHC.

RHMC, in partnership with the local city government, opened the fourth Ronald McDonald Bahay Bulilit Learning Center in Brgy. Tibungco lastMarch 30, 2023. There are three other Bahay Bulilit Learning Centers in the city located in Brgy. Buhangin, Brgy. Mintal, and Brgy. Dumoy.

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte recognized RMHC’s commitment to driving social impact, sharing that “Over the years, RMHC has been an instrument of change in our communities, implementing significant programs that help in addressing the needs for shelter and education.”

Every Bahay Bulilit Learning Center provides childhood education in preparation for formal schooling. Child development workers and community volunteers assigned by the local government are trained to teach these children.

“Government support is important in our goal of uplifting the lives of children through education. Not only do they help us identify the communities that need learning centers, but they also generously donate the land on which RMHC will build the learning center,” Yang said.

RMHC has built 37 Bahay Bulilit Learning Centers in various areas all over the country. Aside from Bahay Bulilit, RMHC’s flagship programs also include Ronald McDonald Read to Learn and Kindness Kitchen.

Read to Learn, a literacy program in partnership with the Department of Education and Adarna House, teaches beginning readers in public elementary schools and has close to 11,000 partner schools.

RMHC also set up the Kindness Kitchen, a program that began during the pandemic in which McDonald’s stores were opened to prepare and serve meals to those in need. Kindness Kitchen has since served over800,000 meals and counting to marginalized communities across the Philippines.

In bringing McDonald’s to the Philippines in 1981, Yang simultaneouslybegan the practice of giving back to the community – from providing regular employment to its crew members, coming up with menu items that Filipinos will love and afford and, through RMHC,

giving Filipino children more access to education. Beyond the food and service it provides to its customers, McDonald’s Philippines embraces the role it has in driving positive impact and is committed to always be a step better for its people, community, and the planet.

As of this writing, McDonald’s has more than 700 stores in key cities across the country.

“The true success of McDonald’s in the Philippines is found not just in the hundreds of stores we have all over the country. It is also found in making a difference in the lives of our crew, managers, and the communities we serve,” Yang said.

To learn more about McDonald’s Philippines, visitwww. mcdonalds.com.ph, McDo.ph on Facebook, @mcdo_ph on Instagram, @McDo_PH on Twitter.

George T. Yang, the founder and owner of McDonald’s in the country, has always valued education. He believes that it is something that not only benefits the learner, but their family, community, and the country as well.

PAL marks net profits for 2022

Philippine Airlines (PAL) ended 2022 on a high note, reporting an operating income of USD 297.2 million and a total comprehensive income of USD 196.9 million for the year ending December 31, 2022.

This was the first positive fullyear operating income logged by the Philippine flag carrier since 2019, as consolidated revenues soared by 112% to USD 2.57 billion in 2022 from the previous year’s USD 1.21 billion in revenues.

PAL’s positive performance was consistent for all four quarters of 2022 and was largely a result of rising demand in air travel that followed the easing of travel restrictions and the reopening of borders in most countries.

“We are very grateful for the

support of our customers that has enabled us to achieve this positive result amidst a challenging year.

Philippine Airlines continues to be on a journey of recovery and renewal, and we will make good use of our resources to improve our services for the benefit of our valued customers. We are even more determined to upgrade our fleet, build more connections to key markets and offer improved products and services,” said PAL President & COO Captain Stanley K. Ng.

“We also thank our shareholders, our service partners, and our dedicated employee work force whose tireless efforts have led to continuing progress in our recovery journey. We embrace our mission of service and remain committed to work with govern-

ment and industry partners to help boost the Philippines’ economic and tourism development goals,” added Captain Ng.

PAL flights achieved an average passenger load factor of 72% for 2022, nearly thirty percentage points higher than the previous year’s 42.6% load factor.

The flag carrier flew a total of 9.3 million passengers in 2022, comprising the operations of both the PAL mainline network as well as PAL Express. This represents an increase of 214% from the 2021 carriage level.

Total operating expenses for 2022 amounted to USD 2.27 billion, an increase of USD 960.3 million over 2021’s USD 1.31 billion total, due to the increase in the number of flights operated, coupled with the impact of rising

fuel prices in the world market.

Jet fuel costs represent the highest expense item for the airline.

PAL’s total comprehensive income of USD 196.9 million for 2022 marks another milestone for its recovery. The airline also registered a positive financial performance in 2021 after yearon-year losses since 2016. It recorded a total comprehensive income of USD 1.21 billion in 2021, which included a USD 1.44 billion net gain from debt restructuring. However, the airline registered an operating loss of USD 98.1 million in 2021, which reflected the severe pandemic-era travel restrictions and operating conditions prevailing that year.

The Philippine flag carrier continued to expand its route network in 2022, adding flights

to most of its overseas destinations in North America, Asia, Australia and the Middle East, while pioneering economy-boosting and tourism-generating domestic routes such as Cebu- Baguio, Cebu- Borongan and CotabatoTawi-Tawi.

For 2023 so far, PAL has inaugurated a historic Manila-Perth nonstop link while reopening multiple routes between the Philippines and points in mainland China. In addition to an extensive domestic network anchored on its gateway hubs in Manila, Cebu and Davao, PAL is the only airline operating nonstop flights linking the Philippines to the U.S. and Canada, along with the largest network of flights from Manila to multiple cities in the Middle East, Japan and Australia.

Boost your kids’ digital and creative skills with Basecamp’s Design Trail and Vision Hub courses

Kids today are considered as digital natives, making them more perceptive to developments in technology. But as it becomes even more advanced and fast-paced, it must be a challenge to catch up, especially if you are a busy parent. This is where Basecamp, Power Mac Center’s official training provider, can step in.

Armed with a mission to equip kids, teens, and young adults with the digital skills critical in today’s modern world, Basecamp’s “Design Trail” and “Vision Hub” workshop series offer fun and age-appropriate digital courses on animation, game design, web design, video editing, and app development. Design Trail for Kids also has non-digital courses on drawing, painting, and science experiments. Enrollees in the Visayas and Mindanao region will also be provided with modules written in Cebuano. Courses will start on April 11, 2023 and will be ongoing all year long.

“Parents always want the best for their kids, and Basecamp is here to help them provide the best digital learning experience. Just like a real base camp, we serve as a storehouse of food for the imagination and equipment needed by kids to survive the digital wilderness and, figuratively speaking, to scale the mountains ahead. Our courses are conducted by expert mentors who can readily address kids’ natural inquisitiveness and ensure their holistic develop-

ment,” said Maleng Raysag, Basecamp Head.

Basecamp prepares youngsters to be the Philippines’ future animation artists, programmers, and filmmakers. It harnesses the power of Apple technology and equips workshop participants with the knowledge, skills, and aptitude to succeed in their chosen path or simply enjoy exploring their talents and interests. In particular, they can improve the following skills:

Storytelling with iPad

Kids who love telling tales will learn to express their ideas through comics brought to life by technology after completing the Design Trail courses “The Art of Comics” and “2D Animation using iPad.” Designed for those aged 7-10 years old, these courses will strengthen their visual communication skills through creating new characters from basic lines, shapes, and colors.

Older teens and young adults aged 16-21 years old, meanwhile, can enroll in Vision Hub’s “3D Creation and Animation for Beginners,” which takes it to the next level through animation techniques and software tools actually used in the industry.

Programming and STEM skills

Today, everything is run by technology, which means that we will need more programmers in the foreseeable future. If your child is constantly immersed in game platforms

such as Roblox and Minecraft, might as well get them a more structured training course that can teach them how to build their own Roblox game and publish it on Roblox Studio. They can also familiarize themselves with Minecraft for Education, which is a great tool for learning that builds science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, unleashes creativity, and engages students in collaboration and problem-solving. Kids can learn the discipline in-

volved in creating their own games through various software and programming languages, while teens and young adults can hone their skills in web design, video editing, and app development. These digital courses are conducted either online or face- to-face and available yearround so your kids can fit them in their free time.

Non-digital skills Design Trail for Kids also offers courses designed to develop ana-

log skills such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and manga-creation. In addition, young scientists are invited to discover scientific concepts through hands-on activities and inquiry-based learning. These non-digital courses are conducted exclusively in person, in order to increase children’s appreciation for the value of hands-on work and imagination. The Basecamp training center is located at 3/L Glorietta 5, Ayala Center, Makati City.

PAL President & COO Captain Stanley K. Ng answers questions from media during the inaugural flight of the PAL Manila-Perth on Monday. Neil Bravo

FRIENDS... FROM 2 DAVAO... FROM 2 OPAMINE... FROM 3 INSURGENCY... FROM 3

Davao. We’ve work together with them. As mentioned by Mayor Michelle Rabat, long-long time na gyud ang Davao City nagatabang sa Mati City. So ang ilahang ma-offer is their beautiful natural resources ang ilahang ma contribute sa atoa ug kung naa pud ta’y guests from Davao City we could also promote Mati City as one of the destinations,” Alejandre said.

During the signing of the agreement, Mayor Duterte said that Mati City is close to his heart because he also lived in this city for a while.

“Duol sa akoa ang Mati Kay ganahan ko sa lugar, buotan ug maayo ang katawhan,” Duterte said. Travelers go to Mati City for its mixture of natural wonders, featuring several well-preserved white sand beaches and a premier location for a lot of water sports activities such as skimboarding, surfing, diving, and snorkeling.

Mati City is popular for Sleeping Dinosaur, Pujada Bay, Dahican Beach, Subangan Museum, and many more.

With the inclusion of Mati City, Davao City has already established sister city agreements with 16 cities all over the country.

For Asian countries, Davao City has a sisterhood agreement with Nanning City, Jinjiang City, and the municipality of Chongqing in China; Kitakyushu City in Japan and Bitung City and Manado City of North Sulawesi in Indonesia while in the United States, the city’s twin sisters are Tacoma in Washington and County of Kaua’i in Hawaii.

FPRRD... FROM 2

2023.”

“With its arguments exposed to be farcical and repetitive, the Philippines has lost its bid to yet again delay and ultimately, rebuff an investigation into crimes against humanity committed from 2011-2019, in the context of Duterte’s ‘war on drugs.’ It also lost the argument that victims should not be allowed to comment on the matter, after it opposed the request of victims and the Office of the Public Counsel for Victims to participate,” she said.

She said the Appeals Chamber “has emphasized that the Philippines may continue its domestic investigations.”

She, however, said that the “domestic investigations are not transparent, comprehensive, and conducive enough to earn the victims trust.” (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

GCASH... FROM 4 around the world.”

Filipino tourists can also pay using the app in many countries with Alipay+. It offers real-time Forex with no service charge. The feature is initially available in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

Officials revealed a physical card with Visa will be available in a few months. The card can be used in 220 countries and territories.

Other features announced

help create safe environments for children to thrive.

About 1,037 kids in the province have benefitted from the projects of the NGO, which aims to reduce the number of children forced to work by improving their access to education.

On Wednesday, Jubahib discussed with Vishwakarma the policy reforms and programs of his administration in fulfilling the basic rights of children, particularly for protection, survival, development, and participation.

Vishwakarma, meanwhile, hailed the provincial government for its commitment to expand its partnership in implementing more projects to cover more areas in the province.

Jubahib cited various interventions for the children in the province that includes the Bahay Panaghiusa, which is meant for children in armed conflict situations.

Together with the province, the Department of Labor and Employment, Kaanib Foundation, and ChildFund Philippines have also implemented livelihood projects in four barangays of the province as a means of preventing child labor and trafficking. (PNA)

are the rollout of its cryptocurrency and stocks service, where a user can now buy or sell shares of 280 local companies. GCash currently has 79 million registered users. Many of its features are initially available to some users, but will be in full service in the coming months.

ident (OSAP) Secretary Anton Lagdameo to evaluate the concerns of the mining industry.

He said that as a Dabawenyo and a Mindanaon, he is also concerned about the mining situation in Mindanao.

“We at the national government are here ready at all times to become your partners in fully realizing the mining potential of our country. He continues to make people understand that such mineral resources are the main commodities needed in the production of materials and equipment,” he said in his message.

Magno also recognized the miners for their contribution to the growth of the economy of the country.

“I appeal to all of you to be ready to make the change we want to see in our country. Help us shine enlightenment to many that mining is a partner and not an enemy. Help us develop mining in the country and improve the lives of the people,” he added.

DANISH... FROM 5

ly is heading for progress as it opens a lot of opportunities to create large number of jobs, to address the energy crisis, and to help meet the environmental commitment of the Philippines,” he said.

He added that aside from the investments in putting up offshore wind energy facilities, CIP’s projects here will also develop the local supply chain. (PNA)

forts of our peace-keeping and security forces in the city of Davao and allow honoring their actions that shaped a better future for our city,” said Acosta.

She mentioned in the resolution that peace and order are considered vital factors in sustaining a harmonious and well-developed locality.

Meanwhile, 10th Infantry (AGILA) Division Commander Major General Jose Eriel Niembra vowed to continue the gains of peace and development not only in Davao City but in the entire area of responsibility of Agila Division.

“Since the declaration of Davao City and the whole of Region 11 as insurgency-free, we have seen and experienced a boom in tourism, socio-economic activities, infrastructure, and many more. We will keep it that way as we stand to safeguard the welfare of all Davaoeños to ensure peace and order,” Niembra said.

GCG... FROM 4

lion per year worth of savings for the government.

Landbank is the Philippines’ second-largest universal bank with P2.76 trillion in assets, next to BDO Unibank with P3.73 trillion in assets.

The DBP ranked eighth with P1.035 trillion worth of assets.

The GCG said that the merger, should it proceed, must not result in the abandonment of any of the mandates of the two banks.

Landbank serves the agriculture sector, while the DBP takes care of the needs of industrial enterprises.

The planned merger of Landbank and DBP was first pushed by then-President Benigno Aquino III in 2016 but was abandoned by the Duterte administration due to concerns that this would not serve the public interest because the banks were created for different purposes.

BUSINESSES... FROM 5

the next 12 months increased to 61.9 from 46.2 during the survey in the last quarter of 2022.

The survey was conducted from Jan. 13 to March 6, 2023 and was participated in by around 1,554 firms around the country.

Results of the latest BES also showed that average capacity utilization in the industry and construction sectors inched up to 74.8 percent from quarter-ago’s 72.1 percent.

Access to financing is also expected to be less tight during the quarter although Alegre said the index for this remains on the negative.

In terms of several economic indicators, survey results also indicate that business firms expect the peso to strengthen against the US dollar, and for the peso borrowing and inflation rates to go up.

He said that while the respondents expect inflation to remain above the government’s 2 to 4 percent target band until 2024, “inflation expectations among businesses may ease in the near term as the number of respondents who expected higher inflation declined compared with the Q4 2022 survey results.” (PNA)

LeBron downplays Reeves’ revenge ‘too small’ gesture on Pat Beverley

Austin Reaves had a little fun with former Los Angeles teammate Patrick Beverley in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ win over the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time).

After driving into the lane and making a floater over Beverley with 2:50 remaining, Reaves lowered his right

hand to make the dismissive “too small” gesture sometimes used by NBA players to taunt their opponents.

Beverley did the same thing against James on Sunday.

“It wasn’t something

I thought about doing all game,” Reaves said. “But I felt like right time, right situation. Me and Pat (have) a good relationship. I respect him. It’s just me competing.”

LeBron said he appreciat-

ed the gesture.

“AR’s always got my back. Always,” he said, adding with a smile, “even though he loved Kobe more than me back in the day.”

“I forgive him,” LBJ added laughing.

Alonso eyes first F1 win in a decade

MELBOURNE, Australia —

After claiming his 100th podium in Saudi Arabia in confusing and controversial circumstances, Fernando Alonso is looking for a better result at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix than his two third-place finishes so far this Formula One season.

Maybe even his 33rd Formula One win, and first in 10 years.

Fernando Alonso eyes first F1 win in decade

The Aston Martin driver was behind the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in what has been a one-sided championship so far.

Alonso believes the champi-

onship will become more competitive as the season progresses but is pleased with how his Aston Martin is performing leading into the Melbourne race. Practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix begin on Friday, with another session on Saturday prior to qualifying.

“At the moment we are extremely happy with the performance of the car, obviously. It was better than expected, especially in Jeddah,” Alonso said. “We arrived here with a good level of confidence. But, as I said, after a few events from now on, I think the cars will change a lot in a few areas through development.”

The 41-year-old Alonso be-

came the sixth driver in Formula One to reach the 100-podium milestone when he finished third in Saudi Arabia two weeks ago in a race with a contentious postscript.

The Aston Martin driver was hit with a 10-second penalty for being slightly out of position at the start, which dropped him to fourth behind Mercedes’ George Russell.

Alonso was later reinstated to third after a successful appeal to FIA, arguing stewards had not informed Aston Martin of the penalty within the regulated timing.

Russell said on Thursday it was a strange situation but be-

lieves the correct call was made.

“Obviously it was the right decision. It was just a bit of a shame what a mess it was for everybody else,” Russell said. “I think from my side and our side, we didn’t feel like we deserved to finish in third position, but obviously it is quite a nice feeling when it is handed to you. But then when it is taken away, it was just all a bit silly.”

Alonso said although “the situation in Jeddah was not ideal,” he still enjoyed the experience of celebrating the achievement on the podium prior to the stewards’ deliberations.

As a result of the Jeddah situation, the grid box for the Aus-

tralian Grand Prix and remaining races has been extended, with a center line added to help drivers start in the correct position.

Alonso last won an F1 race in Spain in 2013, but his pair of podium finishes in 2023 have excited fans in his homeland, including No. 1- ranked tennis player and compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz dedicated a victory over Tommy Paul in the Miami Masters this week to the twotime world champion. After his triumph, Alcaraz wrote the words “33 soon” when signing off on the result on the broadcast camera lens. It prompted a friendly interaction between the pair on social media.

Lakers guard Austin Reeves sneaks past Bulls guard Pat Beverley.

3X3 LOSS

Gilas squanders lead, bows to Iran

In the fast-paced 3x3 play, a four point lead late in the game is never safe.

The Philippine men’s team learned that bitter lesson for yet another time.

The Gilas 3x3 squad squandered a four-point lead and went down against Iran, 14-11, in its opening game in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore on Friday.

The Filipinos saw their 11-7 advantage with 1:29 seconds to play wiped out by the Iranians behind seven straight unanswered points to take the win in Pool D.

Almond Vosotros had a chance to tie the game after a technical foul was called on Iran for delaying the game in the final 15 seconds and Gilas trailing, 11-12.

But the veteran guard missed the technical free throw, paving the way for Iran’s Peter Girgoorian to finish the game by sinking two free throws as the Filipinos

gave up a duty foul to try and stop the clock.

The Filipinos will meet Qatar later tonight in a must-win situation to stay in the race for a berth in the knockout stage.

Iran has been undefeated so far in four games in the tournament after topping the Qualifying Draw D with a three-game sweep of its schedule.

The Iranians routed Brunei, 21-7, edged Malaysia 21-19, and whipped Hong Kong, 21-5

The scores:

Iran (14) – Girgoorian 7, Vahedi 5. Arabzadeh 1, Yousof Vand 1.

Philippines (11) – Bates 5, Vosotros 4, Napoles 2.

Almond Vosotros had a chance to tie the game after a technical foul was called on Iran for delaying the game in the final 15 seconds and Gilas trailing, 11-12.