Mall goers buy “pastil,” a dish made of boiled rice and in the middle topped with sautéed shredded meat of chicken, beef, or fish wrapped with a wilted banana leaf, and other delicacies being served at the Davao de Oro booth during the first day of the threeday of “Buwan ng Kalutong Pinoy” at Abreeza Mall in Davao City on Friday. Lean Daval Jr.
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Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte is pushing for a measure that would create a Davao City-based Mindanao division of the Court of Appeals (CA).
The proposed House Bill (HB) 7895 aims to increase access to CA services while aiming for a swift resolution of cases, including clearing the court dockets of the CA divisions.
If passed into law, matters coming from the 11th and 12th Judicial Regions would fall within
the purview of the Court of Appeals in Davao City.
The proposed Court of Appeals in Davao City shall be composed of three members, who shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council.
CA’s court dockets remained neglected in three existing divisions in the cities of Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro despite government initiatives for a prompt resolution of cases.
“The country is relatively behind in terms of its justice system despite its constitutional mandate to guarantee its citizens speedy disposition of cases before any judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative bodies,” Duterte said in a press statement.
Rep. Pulong added that the FDECLOGGING, P10
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the City Government of Davao, through the DOTr Centralized Bids and Awards Committee, are set to open bids for the supply of diesel and procurement of electric buses for the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP).
The Opening of Bids for Contract Packages 05 and 06 will take place at 10:00 AM on 28 April 2023 (Friday) in the Conference Room, Unit 61, 6th Floor, The Columbia Tower, Ortigas Avenue, Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City.
The project, also known as the Davao High Priority Bus (HPBS)
Project, is a foreign-assisted project funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Invitation for Bids for the said contract was posted last March 30, 2022, on the DOTr’s website, and the Pre-Bid Conference was conducted last April 8,
The number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in Davao City is still increasing with a daily positivity rate ranging from 6 to 11 percent, a City Health Official (CHO) said on Thursday.
Dr. Marjorie Culas, CHO officer-in-charge, said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) that the positivity rate remains above the acceptable 5-percent threshold of the World Health Organization.
Despite the increasing number of confirmed cases, she said that the city’s alert level 1 status has not changed as the hospitals are not yet overburdened owing to the sufficient number of COVID-19 beds to accommodate patients.
The Inter-Agency Task Force placed Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, and Davao Occidental— along with 22 other provinces in the country—under Alert Level 2 from April 15 to 30.
“If we are below 5%, there is no need to worry about. But lately our cases are increasing while the positivity rate is more than the 5% threshold by WHO already,” Culas said.
She added that the vaccination drive against the virus continues at the People’s Park from Mondays to Fridays and at the health districts on Fridays.
According to the DOH, there are a total of 7,643,522 individuals in the region vaccinated against the infection, of whom 3,474,230 are fully vaccinated.
Culas said the situation in the city remains controllable and has not yet reached an “alarming status,” noting that 70% of the positive cases are asymptomatic and the rest are “mild” cases.
She told the public to follow the guidelines on the wearing of face masks in the city.
Although it is now optional or voluntary in most “indoor and outdoor settings,” Culas added that Executive Order 71 issued on December 1, 2022 by Mayor Sebastian Duterte provides it is mandatory in healthcare facilities, including but not limited to, clinics, hospitals, laboratories, nursing homes, and dialyFDOTr,
Based on the COVID-19 tracker of the Department of Health, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Davao City as of April 26 was at 269, comprising 61.7 % of the total 436 cases in the region.
Heirloom dishes will take centerstage in the threeday “Buwan ng Kalutong Pinoy” culminating activities at Abreeza Mall in Davao City, which runs through the weekend.
These heirloom dishes will be presented through cooking demonstrations by various local government units and organizations in Davao Region. On the opening day, the highlight was the B’laan dish presented by the local government unit (LGU) of Saranggani Balot Island for Davao Occidental and Piaparan A Manok, a Maranao dish, presented by the Institute of International Culinary and Hospitality Entrepreneurship (ICHEF).
On the second day, heirloom dishes to be featured are Kagan cuisine and paykot dish, which is unique in the municipality of Cateel, will be presented by the LGU Davao Oriental and the Mansaka tribe of Davao de Oro respectively; and a Kalagan dish to be presented by the Hagonoy Tourism Office of Davao del Sur.
On the third day, Chef Ed Tuazon will present dishes in an activity titled “Davao Cuisine Beyond Borders.”
“Heirloom dishes often tell us a lot about a place’s history, resources, and identity. The
By MAYA M. PADILLObeauty of drawing tourists to our destinations with food is that we can empower our communities in becoming guardians of our cultural heritage. It also affords us to engage our agricultural communities - from farmers to fisher folksin creating opportunities and livelihood, specially in our rural destinations,” said Tanya Rabat-Tan, regional director of the Department of Tourism 11 (DOT 11), in her opening message.
Tan said in the celebration of the “Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino,” it is the goal of DOT to pursue its duty in ensuring the transmission of the knowledge of the unique cuisines for generations to come, and to continue to support industries, food tourism stakeholders, and most especially the agri-communities, who all play vital roles in the culinary tourism ecosystem.
DOT has partnered with the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) in celebrating local gastronomy with the “Buwan ng Kalutong Pilipino,” where it promotes and endeavors to preserve heirloom and homegrown dishes that the people have learned to love and appreciate through generations.
Congressional District Representative Paolo Z. Duterte provided solar-powered street lamps over the weekend to light up the dark alley of Barangay
The City Health Office (CHO) advised the health workers on Friday to declare their health status before participating in the supplemental vaccinations in Davao City slated on May 2 to 31, 2023.
This after Department of Health Undersecretary Abdullah B. Dumama, Jr. disclosed in a presser last week that some of the parents are hesitant to get their children vaccinated due to the
fear that they might get Covid-19.
“We ensure the safety of our children, our health workers should wear proper personal protective gear like masks, gloves, alcohol na gagamitin to wash their hands and observe minimum public health standards. Although, pag magbakuna ka naa man gyud nay proximity, we encourage our health workers to declare their status during the conduct of vaccinations. Kasabot
mi ani kung ikaw naa kay symtoms, giubo, sip-on, kalintura, or naay influenza-like illness (ILI) puwede na sila mag-absent or they will not participate in the vaccination and self-isolate kung gikinahanglan,” said Dr. Marjorie Culas, acting city health officer during the Kapihan sa PIA at NCCC-Victoria Plaza on Friday.
Culas added that CHO will ensure that the conduct of the supplemental immunization is safe for both health workers and children.
“I-ensure gyud nato na ang atong mga health workers are
Davao Oriental 2nd District Representative Cheeno Almario supports the statement of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to rid local government officials of the power to appoint their respective local police chiefs.
“It is best for the Philippine National Police (PNP) to install their choices for provincial directors and chiefs of police based on qualifications and merits to ensure utmost professionalism in their respective
performance,” Almario said in a statement.
Almario said he believes that this is attainable given the measures instituted within the PNP to further professionalize their ranks in the past years.
“(These Include) the series of courses and certification programs they must take to qualify for higher-ranking positions, the lawmaker (Bato) is convinced that this method of career promotion inspires confidence in all
levels of the police organization,” he said.
Also, Almario cited that promotions based on merit and exemplary records will address the common perception that the appointments to top positions in the PNP are politicized.
Section 51 of Republic Act 6975 states that governors and mayors can choose their provincial directors and chiefs of police, respectively, from a PNP list of nominees. (PNA)
The Philippines booked $70 million in net outflows of foreign portfolio investments in March, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
The BSP said transactions on foreign investments registered with the central bank, through authorized agent banks in March showed gross outflows of $1.33 billion and gross inflows of $1.26 billion.
“This is smaller compared to the net outflows recorded in
February 2023 ($531 million) and in March 2022 ($305 million),” the BSP said.
Foreign portfolio investments are sometimes referred to as hot money due to the ease that they can enter and exit an economy.
The BSP said majority of
investments (or 64.6 percent) registered were in PSE-listed securities, while the remaining went to investments in Peso government securities (35.4 percent) and in other instruments (less than 1.0 percent).
The top five sources of these investments last March were the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Luxembourg and Norway with combined share to total at 86.4 percent.
The Philippines has kept its clean record for 10 years in the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 Report, which listed countries where the US has intellectual property protection and enforcement concerns.
In the 2023 Special 301 Report released on Thursday (Manila time), the USTR listed seven countries under priority watch list and 22 nations under watch list.
The Philippines has remained out of the piracy watch list since 2014 after 20 years of being in
the list of nations with intellectual property concerns.
“The country’s continued exclusion from the USTR’s list of countries with major intellectual property concerns reflects wins from the awareness and regulatory efforts of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL),” IPOPHL Director General Rowell Barba said in a statement.
Barba said the report has even cited some of IPOPHL’s work as models of best practices in intellectual property protection and enforcement, particularly the agency’s Intellectual Property
Internet connections in the Philippines in March were faster compared to the previous month, according to global internet speed tracker Ookla.
In terms of mobile data connection, the Philippines recorded a median download speed of 25.63 Mbps and 6.39 Mbps for upload.
This placed the country at
number 79 out of 140 countries monitored by Ookla, which was also one notch above its rank in February.
On fixed broadband, the country’s median download speed was 90.57 Mbps and 89.46 Mbps for upload, both of which were higher than the previous month, Ookla’s data showed.
Colloquium for Judiciary.
The 2023 Special 301 Report also highlighted the Raise the Economy by Acquiring Protection of Your IP of Your Community (REAP IP) program that engaged over 160 local government units on intellectual property awareness.
“It also shows our close coordination with members of the National Committee on Intellectual Property Rights (NCIPR) and other stakeholders and partners as we work to become a greater example to the global communi-
FPH KEEPS, P10
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) said is set to transform all its branches into “phygital” banks which operate as both physical and digital branches.
At a media briefing following the company’s Annual Stockholders’ Meeting, BPI President & CEO Jose Teodoro Limcaoco said it will refurbish 25 branches into phygital banks this year with the first one opening in May in Agoo, La Union.
“We hope to renovate and reposition all of our branches as phygital branches,” Limcaoco said.
This move is seen as a step further into the digital space as more consumers prefer to transact online. The number of BPI branches may also drop as the bank consolidates its branches and may combine branches that are located near each other.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday said it has entered into an agreement with South Korea to fortify agricultural collaboration through the exchange of resources.
In a statement, the DA said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Kyungpook National University (KNU) of South Korea last Monday.
“The MOU, signed by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, DA-Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) director Joell Lales, and KNU Daegu Gyeongbuk International Development Cooperation Center director Hwa Seok Hwang, aims to promote the exchange of scientific and technical resources related to agriculture and rural development,” it said.
The MOU, which was signed in the presence of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who is concurrent Agriculture Secretary, covers the agriculture and fishery development cooperation.
Under the agreement, “principles of clustering, consolidation, and professional-
TheBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is projecting that inflation will continue its downtrend this month on the back of easing food, fuel, and utility prices.
expected to emanate from higher domestic petroleum prices, increased rice and meat prices, and peso depreciation.
ization of human resources” shall be highlighted through various activities.
“The activities will include organization of professional education and staff development programs, through training courses, symposia and conferences training on digital or smart agriculture, data science for agriculture, and advanced agricultural technology, among others,” the DA said.
Besides these, programs to provide growth for staff shall be also given, as well as continuous support to Master’s degree scholars.
Following the MOU signing, the Chief Executive also visited the exhibition of collaborative projects of the DA-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) and the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO).
Among the projects shown were a “corn mill project, lifter machine, onion mechanization system, truck-mounted and wall sprayer for African swine fever (ASF) and avian
In its month-ahead forecast, the BSP said it expects inflation— the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services—to settle within the range of 6.3% to 7.1% in April.
The central bank’s forecast range is lower than the 7.6% inflation print recorded in March.
“Lower electricity rates, the decline in prices of fish and vegetables, and rollback in LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) prices contributed to easing price pressures during the month,” the BSP said.
The central bank, however, said upward price pressures are
“Going forward, the BSP remains prepared to respond appropriately to continuing inflation risks in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,” it said.
The Philippine Statistics Authority is set to release official inflation rate figures for April on May 5, 2023.
State-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank) surpassed by PHP2 billion its first quarter 2023 net income target after it hit PHP10.8 billion.
In a statement on Thursday, the bank said that while the net income in the first three months this year is 18 percent lower than the unprecedented PHP13.2 billion during the same period last year, this already accounts for 30.8 percent of the bank’s PHP35 billion full year target.
come jumped by 54 percent year-on-year to PHP20.9 billion amidst the rising cost of funds and interest rates.
Assets expanded by 11.7 percent to PHP3.1 billion due to increase in deposits to PHP2.8 trillion, bulk of which at 71 percent is accounted for by the government sector.
Capital rose by 3.2 percent to PHP225.3 billion.
uity is at 12.46 percent and net interest margin at 3 percent, both at healthy levels.
Landbank president and chief executive officer (CEO) Cecilia Borromeo said the bank’s “robust financial position allows us to advance the national government’s development agenda.”
This, as the financial institution maximizes yields from earning assets while being prudent with its expenses, she said.
It attributed the net income in January to March period to higher interest income and lower operating costs.
“This expansion was driven by the bank’s net income, notwithstanding the dividend remittance to the national government in June 2022 worth PHP8.45 billion and the decline in other comprehensive income,” it said.
“We are fully capable to continue extending intensified support to the agriculture sector and other key economic industries, while driving sustainable growth in local communities,” Borromeo added. (PNA) FDA, P10
The bank said interest in-
Landbank said return on eq-
Consultant
GARAY
On featuring heirloom dishes in the “Buwan ng Kalutong Pinoy”:
“Heirloom dishes often tell us a lot about a place’s history, resources, and identity. The beauty of drawing tourists to our destinations with food is that we can empower our communities in becoming guardians of our cultural heritage. It also affords us to engage our agricultural communities - from farmers to fisher folks - in creating opportunities and livelihood, specially in our rural destinations.”
TANYA RABAT-TAN Regional Director, Department
As a teenager, Jonathan was one of the most active members of his family. But at age 34, he observed there was something with him as he always got easily tired and sleepy. From time to time, his blood pressure went up.
At one time, Jonathan visited his physician brother in a hospital. He told him about his problem, so the younger brother checked him. After some thorough check-up, the doctor came up with a diagnosis: his brother had a kidney problem.
“I did not know how I got this problem,” Jonathan admits. The doctor tried to trace up what may be the reason why his brother would have such a disease. He surmised that it may be due to an infection that resulted from a wound he got when he was a kid.
For three years, Jonathan was under dialysis. But his family knew that he had to undergo a kidney transplant. Fortunately, family members and some relatives were willing to donate his or her kidney to him. They were all tested but only his sister, Marianne, was considered a match. “I loved my younger brother and wanted to save his life,” she reasoned out.
When Jonathan knew about
it, he was hesitant. “I told him that if the time comes that he wanted it already, I might be too old and unhealthy to undergo an operation,” recalled Marianne, who was then 38-years-old.
So that week, the siblings were operated on. The operation took six hours and was successful. Today, Jonathan said he felt the same before he had his kidney transplantation. “This is my second life,” he says. “The experience I had to go through has deepened my thoughts about life and to accept things given to us by God.”
Marianne’s generosity saved the life of her brother. It is inspiring but, sadly, not typical. Records from the Department of Health show at least one Filipino dies each hour from kidney failure, which is considered the ninth leading cause of death in the country. Some 10,000 Filipinos need kidney transplants from donors every year.
And the situation is likely to get worse. As people live longer, organ diseases and health problems like diabetes – one of the main causes of kidney failure – are expected to rise, creating even greater demand for organ donations.
This must be the reason why Dr. Ma. Theresa Bad-ang is pushing for public awareness on organ donation to help patients that need those organs to have a second chance at life. People who need to know this are the health professionals themselves.
“Organ donation should be known first thoroughly by doctors and nurses in the hospital before the public so that it will succeed,” Dr. Bad-ang, nephrologist and head of the Southern Philippines Medical Center-Human Advocate and Retrieval Effort, was quoted as saying by Philippine News Agency (PNA).
She said organ donation will only happen if a family member of a “brain-dead” patient will give consent. Otherwise, no such donation will take place.
“We cannot do organ donation if the patient is not dead,” Dr. Bad-ang pointed out. “The public should know that when you are brain-dead, you are legally dead, and you can donate your organs as long as your family will agree to it.”
The passage of Republic Act No. 7170, otherwise known as the Organ Donation Act of 1991, as amended by Republic Act No. 7885, organ and tissue from do-
Aside from the military hospital across the Philippine Constabulary barracks (now Camp Domingo Leonor), Davao did not have its own sickbay until 1908 when Davao Mission Hos-pital (now Brokenshire) was opened under the directorship of Dr. Charles T. Sibley.
The hospital, managed by a Protestant sect, was “a small, private, twenty-bed, bungalow hospital in Davao, maintained by the contributions of a group of philanthropic gentlemen of New York, which has been of signal benefit to the people of that district.”
It was not until December 20, 1917 that the Davao Public Hospital, a state sanatorium, was put on track, initially addressing minor ailments. The next year, due to the influx of mi-grants, it further raised its medical services while the concrete 50-bed hospi-
tal was still under construction.
Utilized as a temporary public hospital was the Bureau of Public Works laborers’ sick ward whose operation was already turned over to the Philippine Health Services (PHS). To comply with its obligation, it was given the needed equipment and facilities, and a laborato-ry.
The public hospital was initially led by Dr. Simeon B. Macasaet, as a resident physician; Juan L. Factora, as superintendent, property clerk and cashier; Andrea Vicente, as a chief nurse; Remedios Ferrer and Ignacio Diego, as nurses; and ward attendants, helpers, and cooks. (Dr. Macasaet was officially appointed resident physician on August 22, 1920.)
Except for the completion of the permanent building, the hospital, by 1919, was operating at near capacity. The PHS summary report for that year indicated that
nors who have been declared brain-dead has been allowed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says “the procurement of organs for transplantation involves the removal of organs from the bodies of deceased persons.” Among the human transplantable organs are kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, intestines, and pancreas. This is in addition to human tissues such as eye tissues, bones, skin, and blood vessels.
Unfortunately, organ donation from brain-dead patients remains dismally low in the country, according to the Department of Health (DOH).
Confusion about brain-dead patients among the families of potential donors, doctors and hospital administrators is one hindrance of donation of organs. To grieving loved ones, the person looks alive. “People think there might be a miracle, so they hold on,” one doctor contends.
Be a hero even after your death by donating your organs, advocates urge. “Organ donation saves lives and it is very important that every person has the power to save a life by becoming an organ, tissue or eye donor,” says Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, former
undersecretary of health. “It is a noble gift because you can give someone a second chance at life.”
Age doesn’t matter when it comes to organ donation. “Anyone can donate, living or deceased,” pointed out Dr. Romina Danguilan, deputy director for Medical Education and Research of NKTI. “All religions allow it.”
Even if you are still alive, you can still be an organ donor – by giving one of your kidneys to save another life. Just like what happened to Jonathan. “Kidney transplantation is by far the most frequently carried out transplantation globally,” the United Nations health agency says.
“Patients who receive a kidney transplant become fully rehabilitated and have optimal quality of life and the highest survival rate,” says Dr. Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete, NKTI Executive Director.
“Every day, people die waiting for a suitable organ donor,” deplores Dr. Enrique Ona, former health secretary and the president of Transplantation Society of the Philippines. “The selfless act of organ donation can save lives. Let us all work together to raise awareness and encourage more Filipinos to give of themselves by
486 patients were admitted and 2,977 outpatients were served, or an average of 8.1 patients daily. It also per-formed several clinics, namely: medical, 144; surgical, 25; eye, ear, nose, and throat, 2; and obstetrical, 15.
Topping the 486 admittance were patients sick of malaria (241), followed by Asiatic cholera (62), influenza (35), dysentery (25), beri-beri (20), gonococcus infection and diseases of the stomach (14 each), traumatism by cutting or piercing and tuberculosis of the lungs (9 each), unspecified causes of death (5), other diseases of the liver (4), leprosy, anemia, acute nephri-tis, and diseases of the skin (3 each), typhoid, smallpox, purulent infection and blood poison-ing, chronic bronchitis, asthma, and hookworm infection (2 each), and the remainder were one each.
In terms of nationalities taken
care of, the report showed that 459 Filipinos (Christians and non-Christians) were treated; American, 1; Japanese, 24; European, 1; and others, 1. Americans usually sought the services of the military hospital. By European, it likely referred to a Spanish.
Among the patients ministered to, 376 were male and 111 females. As to classes of ser-vice, these were categorized into charity (213), government free (199), and private pay (74). Similarly, operations were also classified the same way. Of the prescriptions issued, 996 were deemed charity; 759 were government free; and 312 were for outside calls made by the hospi-tal staff.
In the last quarter of 1919, the hospital’s formal opening, the ledger of expenses shows the following: P2,385.22, the subsistence of patients; P805.00, the subsistence of personnel; P1,905.69,
expenditures for the subsistence of patients and personnel; and P1,806.16, collec-tions.
Instead of 1920 as the projected date of completion of the Davao Public Hospital building, it was not until 1921 that the transfer of the operation was moved to the new structure. But this did not solve the growing number of patients seeking cures, which amounted to the shortage of space. The 1922 report of the Bureau of Health provides the explanation:
“In the Davao Public Hospital, the administrative office and hospital dispensary were temporarily quartered in the nurses’ dormitory due to lack of space. It is indeed amazing that despite the limitation of patients undertaken by most of the hospitals of the Division, the number of admissions during 1922 far exceeded that of the previous years.”
Editor’s Note: This featured study is prepared by Green Juris Organization of the Ateneo de Davao College of Law. We are publishing the entire study in a series showing this independent study on the Davao City Waste-To-Energy incineration project.
The Green Juris Organization
The Green Juris is an Environmental Conservation Organization established in 2021 to inform, educate, and advocate for a cleaner and healthier environment, composed of Environmental Law Students enrolled in Ateneo de Davao University - College of Law.
The members of Green Juris come from all walks of life, who are united in the goal of striving for a sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach to community development that we believe is both possible and attainable.
In accordance with its vision, mission, and values, Green Juris aims to promote awareness of environmental concerns within the legal community regarding the protection and upholding of a balanced and healthy ecology.
In line with this, we hereby submit our position in relation to the Waste-to-Energy Incineration project in Davao City.
OUR POSITION
The Green Juris urges the Local Government Unit of Davao City to halt the efforts in the creation of a Waste-To-Energy (WTE) Incineration project and to remove WTE incineration from the 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan by reason of it being violative to Republic Act No. 8749 or The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999” and the Solid Waste Management Act. WTE and the Current Situation in Davao City
Davao City is known as one of the Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) in the Philippines. In the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Davao City is home to at least 1,776,969 people, comprising of 1,770,988 households. In an article published in the Philippine News Agency (2022), from the said number of households, the City of Envi-
FIRST OF 2 PARTS
ronment and Natural Resources Office-Environmental Waste Management Division estimated that there are around 700 to 750 tons of garbage that are dumped in the city landfill each day. If such a number is converted to kilograms, the entire city is producing at least 700,000 kilos to 750 kilos of unrecycled garbage per day on ordinary days, while on holidays such as Christmas, the wastage exceeds the normal count. It was further noted by the Philippine News Agency that as of November 2022, around 20,235 tons of garbage had already been dumped in the landfill. Since its operation in 2010, it was estimated that the span of the utilization of such landfill shall be up to 8 to 10 years depending on the density of waste disposal.
In 2016, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in cooperation with Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineering Co. Ltd. made a report addressed to the Davao City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) entitled “Collaboration Program with the Private Sector for Disseminating Japanese Technology for Waste-to-Energy system in Davao City where it cited that “with the recent increase in waste generation boosted by expansion of urban socio-economic activities, it is one of the most urgent issues in Davao City to address the limited capacity of existing waste disposal landfill by reducing the volume of solid waste through further advanced technologies.”
The waste crisis is primarily anchored on the inefficient waste management and dispos-
al which starts from the households to the collection points up until it reaches the landfill. This caused the city’s sanitary landfill in Brgy. New Carmen to exceed its capacity and has estimated to have accumulated more than 1 million tons of both biodegradable and nonbiodegradable garbage.
In an article in Davao Today (2023), “in response to this problem, the Davao City Government plans to build a P 2.5 billion waste-to-energy (WTE) facility in a 10-hectare agricultural land in Biao Escuela in Tugbok District. The local government sees this as a ‘long-term’ solution’ by burning non-biodegradable wastes and converting them to energy. The plan was proposed in 2018 but has yet to seek approval from the national government. Recently, the Davao City Councilor through Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo filed a resolution seeking a counterpart funding worth P3.486 billion for the construction of the incinerator plant”.
The said WTE facility to be built in the agricultural land in Biao Escuela will have potentially adverse effects to at least 20 barangays in the City which includes the following: (1) Mintal; (2) Sto. Nino; (3) Catalunan Grande; (4) Langub; (5) Waan; (6) Callawa; (7) Riverside; (8) Balengaeng; (9) Tacunan; (10) Biao Guianga; (11) Angalan; (12) Los Amigos; (13) Talandang; (14) New Valencia; (15) New Carmen; (16) Matina Biao; (17) Tagakpan; (18) Ula; (19) Tugbok; and (20) Biao Escuela.
The Davao City zonal map pro-
MANILA, Philippinesrealme Philippines, the twoyear consecutive champion according to Canalys and IDC sell-in reports published 2021 & 2022, unveils the realme C55 in Rainforest exclusively on TikTok with exciting first selling offers.
The realme C55 was launched last April 18 in just two colors: Sunshower and Rainy Night; and fans were quick to cop their very own Stylish Champion. This led to a sold-out achievement during the first-selling on Tiktok.
“The realme fans have been nothing short of amazing with their all-out support when we originally launched the realme C55. We are excited to announce that we are bringing Filipinos the Rainforest color variant,” says Jane Yan, realme Philip-
pines Vice President for Marketing.
What’s more, an additional P500 worth in vouchers will be up for grabs to mark the Tiktok launch of the realme C55 in Rainforest.
The realme C55 is the first entry-level Android smartphone in the country to utilize the Mini Capsule feature. As the Stylish Champion in realme’s celebrated C-Series line, it is also the first model to support a massive 8GB+256GB storage option, alongside a 6.72-inch 90Hz FHD+ screen and 33W SUPERVOOC Charging.
For more information and all the latest updates, follow realme Philippines’ Official Facebook page at http://facebook.com/ realmePhilippines or visit the official realme website at https:// www.realme.com/ph/.
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Who wouldn’t be starstruck by one of today’s brightest stars, Belle Mariano?
From gracing the screen with her acting chops to setting trends in beauty and fashion, Belle Mariano proves why she’s the latest “It Girl” with every new Instagram post. This time, she has done it again with her double tap-worthy natural glow that’s got everyone saying, “Oh May Glow!”.
‘Oh May Glow!’ Skin
Taking to Instagram, Belle shared a special kilig-filled moment where she looked adorably giddy while holding a bouquet of blue and yellow blooms accompanied by a note, ‘”You’re glowing, gorgeous”.
Safeguard Ambassador, Belle, swears by this beauty regimen.
Bid Bye to Germs and Hello to ‘Oh May Glow’ Skin!
When you look at the science behind it, adding skin germ protection to your beauty regimen makes perfect sense.
As our skin is constantly exposed to harsh environmental elements such as such as dirt, germs, and oil, our skin barrier is weakened, making it lose its natural glow.
Manila, Philippines — In today’s age of remote and hybrid work, organizations want teams to collaborate, share ideas, and scale their creative process better. According to Canva’s Visual Economy Report that surveyed 1,600 global business leaders, communicating visually is fast becoming the most impactful way to communicate in the workplace. Eighty-nine percent of them believe that it enhances collaboration and agree that visual communication methods have helped team members connect with each other.
“Businesses now must learn how to communicate visually and leave lasting impact to their stakeholders and customers. It’s made possible when your teams have the tool to create and collaborate together, without having to learn complex processes that take time to learn,” said Maisie Littaua, head of growth of Canva Philippines.
Canva’s Visual Suite revolutionizes the way teams work by providing a comprehensive platform that addresses all their visual communication needs, empowering them to streamline their workflow and boost creativity. It is designed for the modern workplace–whether it be a multinational with teams scattered across the world or a start-up seeking a cost-effective, all-in-one tool for their communication and creative requirements.
The report also highlights that 89% of the respondents believe that communicating visually helps them articulate ideas better. With Canva’s intuitive tools and features, teams can easily create visually compelling content that enhances communication and drives better results. Its powerful collaboration features also make it easier for teams to brainstorm and convert ideas into ready-to-share de-
signs. Get better at brainstorming sessions with Canva Whiteboards
Canva Whiteboards help solve many problems that teams might encounter during meetings, brainstorming and planning sessions, and team buildings.
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Turn documents into multimedia masterpieces with Canva Docs In the visual age, it’s important to add images, infographics and other interactive elements into any kind of work. With Canva Docs, anyone can create stunning multimedia reports even without a design background.
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Make pro-quality videos with Canva Video Video editing used to require a lot of skill and equipment. But with Canva’s drag-and-drop editor, anyone can make videos for any platform or need whether it’s a reel, an advertisement, or even a tutorial.
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Kaya sa Canva!
Littaua believes that the best creative process should feel like play, “We want to show everyone how easy and fun it can be to use these tools to make everyday work look and feel amazing. Visual Suite can be used throughout the creative process to stimulate ideas and increase collaboration and productivity.”
The IG reel was instantly flooded with “Ang gandaaa!” and “Glowing as always!” comments from netizens who couldn’t stop gushing about Belle’s healthy glowing skin.
Beauty Secret’s Out (You’ll Never Guess What it is)
So what’s the beauty secret she’s been keeping under wraps? Drumroll, please – it’s none other than the NEW Safeguard Lemon Fresh with Vitamin C!
Who would have thought that including skin germ protection in your skincare routine would lead to healthy, glowing skin? But the newest
NEW Safeguard Lemon Fresh is infused with Vitamin C, a skincare ingredient known for its antioxidant properties, delivering a refreshing cleanse and an invigorating boost to your skin.
This powerful combination of Vitamin C and Safeguard’s trusted antibacterial formula is what spells the healthy glow difference. Safeguard’s unbeatable skin germ protection removes 99.9% of germs and reduces the re-growth of common disease-causing bacteria for up to 24 hours. Belle Mariano’s skin is not just clean and healthy – it’s naturally glowing.
It’s also a glow you can smell as Safeguard Lemon Fresh leaves you smelling oh-so-good with its refreshing and long-lasting lemon scent.
‘That happy, giddy glow’, Belle Mariano FINALLY shares her secret to healthy, glowing skin!
According to him, several initiatives have been taken to end support for court documents, the latest of which is Republic Act 11576 or the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 2021, which expanded the jurisdiction of first-level courts, hoping to eventually declog second-level courts, particularly the Regional Trial Courts.
PH
ty,” Barba added.
The USTR listed Argentina, Chile, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, and Venezuela in the priority watch list in this year’s Special 301 Report.
Those under the watch list are Algeria, Barbados, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
“Our chances in battling with counterfeiting, piracy and all IP rights violations is only as strong as the IP awareness of the nation. This is why we have the utmost gratitude towards our domestic and international cooperation partners for sharing with us their know-how in developing an IP-conscious community,” Barba said. (PNA)
Maria Cristina Go, BPI’s Head for Consumer Banking, explained that phygital banks would still be manned by employees, but there will be bigger spaces for self-assisted areas with machines and computers. There will also be meeting pods if one prefers to talk to a bank employee and meeting rooms if one needs to talk virtually to other bank representatives in other units.
The Ayala-led lender said it remains confident with the economy this year despite high inflation and interest rates.
“We think the consumer has
2022. Interested parties are advised to access the advisories posted on the said website for details regarding the upcoming event, which will also be live-streamed on DOTr’s official Facebook Page.
sis centers; medical transport vehicles such as ambulance, and paramedic rescue vehicles; and public transportation by land, air, or sea.
Wearing of face masks are highly encouraged for elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals, and symptomatic individuals.
Section 3 states that the minimum public health standards “intended to effectively prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the city shall continue to be implemented consistent with the principles of shared accountability, evidence-based decision-making, socioeconomic equity, and rights-based approach.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
influenza (AI) biosecurity, a cultivator with various implements, and drone sprayer with a seed spreader.”
fully vaccinated. Aron dili ka makatakod. The proper wearing of facemask is mandatory sa mga health workers aron dili ta makahatag ug Covid and other transmissible organisms,” she said.
Under the national campaign of the DOH dubbed ‘Measles-Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity’ (MR-OPV SIA) 2023, the CHO is targeting the inoculation of 189,995 children (0-59 months) against Polio and 161,799 children (9 months to 59 months) against measles and Rubella.
To achieve these numbers, the CHO has coordinated with barangay functionaries in the city. It recently concluded its three-day orientation for all barangay officials on the ongoing national vaccination campaign against measles, Rubella and polio.
Meanwhile, Dr. Julinda Acosta, chief technical services division of CHO, assured that the city has sufficient supply of measles and Rubella vaccines. However, she said CHO is still waiting for the supply of the bivalent oral polio vaccine.
“Sa oral polio vacicne wala pa nag abot ang supply so we will still be using katong supply na available karon na ginagamit nato sa routine vaccination and that is why we prioritize katong mga kabataan nga due na sa ilahang polio vaccination and katong na default sa polio vaccination. Sila ang target tungod sa kakulangan sa atong bivalent oral polio vaccine,” she said.
vides that the areas which are most probable to be affected by the said project are comprised mainly of prime agricultural properties, environmental conservation areas, water resource areas, low density to medium density residential areas and flood ways.
WASTE INCINERATION
When it comes to disposing of the masses of wastes generated locally, that of which are generally comprised of non-recyclable and non-decomposable materials, particularly in over a million households in Davao City, it is understandable that the policymakers be presented to at least two common options: to open a new landfill or incineration.
Unlike the use of landfills which only deposits the garbage into a dump, incineration uses combustion technology which burns the solid waste materials converting it into ashes, heat or gas emissions. The basic idea is reducing landfill waste by burning or incinerating, the heat produced powers an electric generator turbine thereby producing energy. Currently the WTE technologies to be introduced in Davao City, as proposed by Nippon Steel & Sumikin Engineering Co., Ltd. Are “incineration by grate stoker furnace” and gasification”. In light of such proposal, Davao City has positioned the implementation of WTE projects in its “10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan”.
the dissemination of Japanese Technology for the WTE System in Davao City provides for the following expected contributions to the National Development priorities: (1) volume reduction of municipal waste and extension of the life of the existing landfill; (2) improvement of environmental hygiene and pollution prevention/mitigation in the neighboring area of the existing landfill; (3) reduction of GHGs (reduction of methane emission form the landfill and Carbon Dioxide reduction through the conversion of power generation source from fossil fuels to municipal waste; and (4) energy resource diversification by introducing WTE technologies. Though the introduction of the WTE alternative, it is projected that there would be a significant reduction of the wastes diverted to the landfills which would promote efficient use of the horizontal space it occupies and that it would reduce toxic materials that would contaminate the groundwater in the water reserve areas near its vicinity. For a growing and continuously improving city like Davao in terms of infrastructure, saving space on government real property assets would be preferable than vast land acquisitions for the purpose of dump sites.
Through such collaboration, the DA pressed to achieve modernization in the country’s agricultural mechanization and technology. (PNA) all-expense paid sports seminar.
adjusted to it, we think the BSP is on top of it, therefore inflation target of 5-7 percent is very manageable,” said Limcaoco.
BPI said its loan business remains high, growing over 13 percent in the first quarter of the year. Credit card loans also grew 38 percent, while housing and auto loans jumped 40 and 30 percent respectively.
“This is a perfect opportunity for the PSC under the Women in Sports program to be part of honing the talent and skills of many young aspiring sports journalists. We are excited to see them in the field of sports media, doing interviews with our national athletes,” said Coo.
The sports media seminar will conclude on Saturday, April 29 with a workshop on writing and critique.
This paper seeks to create a better understanding of the proposed WTE project in Davao City and on its possible impact on the environment and the people. This aims to weigh the benefits and/or afflictions that we may experience or suffer regarding its implementation as well as what aspects we should be looking out for, taking into consideration its short-term benefits but also its long-term effects and consequences. In sum, our position is anchored on the opposition of the pending implementation of the WTE Incineration projects in Davao City, primarily contending that there is still a need to further study the project and integrate the stakeholders of the City, primarily those in the grassroots level, to conduct further social and scientific consultations to forestall future health and environmental hazards.
ARGUMENTS ADVANTAGES OF WTE FACILITIES
PROJECTED CONTRIBUTION TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (2016), in its proposal for the collaboration for
This put the country at number 41 in a list of 180 countries. But as internet speeds in other countries also accelerated during the period, the Philippines slipped one notch compared to the previous month.
Luke Deryckx, Chief Technology Officer of Ookla, hailed the improvements in internet speed saying this was good especially for the Philippines which is an archipelago, making it a challenge to reach far-flung islands “We’ve seen tremendous investments and they ranked in the top 5 in Southeast Asia,” said Deryckx.
Singapore ranked first world-
According to US Energy Information Administration (2022), WTE plants burn municipal solid waste (MSW), often called garbage or trash, to produce steam in a boiler, and the steam is used to power an electric generator turbine. This means to say that the combustion or burning of solid waste materials or MSWs would result in the generation of electricity which could be an alternative for wind, solar or geothermal power. According to Hockenos (2021), in 2018 in the EU, overall energy production from all waste (industrial waste, renewable and non-renewable municipal solid waste (MSW), non-renewable waste) amounted to about 2.4% of the total energy supply.
The construction of WTE facilities will bring about employment opportunities in the locality, especially for skilled workers in the construction industry. It is estimated that the construction of one WTE facility will open to at least 800 jobs and at least 60 positions when fully operational.
To be continued.
wide in terms of fixed broadband, and 22nd on mobile. Thailand meanwhile was 6th in fixed broadband and 53rd in mobile. Malaysia was 37th in fixed broadband and 45th in mobile, while Vietnam was 40th in fixed and 51st in mobile.
PLDT meanwhile was recently awarded as having the fastest internet speed in the country.
“Despite the traffic increasing quite a lot because everyone was stuck at home, we have actually not only maintained the service, but we’ve actually increased the speed for all our customers, “ said PLDT SVP Jeremiah Dela Cruz.
Philippine sports Hall of Famer and long jump queen Elma Muros-Posadas, Thea Ceñarosa of netball and Noelle Zoleta-Mañalac from the national soft tennis team expressed their support Fri-
“Masaya ako kasi natututo lahat at nagkakaroon ng confidence. Noong panahon ko bilang atleta, takot akong magpa-interview. Malaking bagay at impact na naging part ako ngayon ng seminar na ito,” shared
Muros-Posadas who reminisced the times when she was still wary of granting interviews to the media. Muros-Posadas, along with Ceñarosa and Zoleta-Mañalac, is set to lead mock
sports media participants.
The PSC, through the office of Commissioner Olivia “Bong” Coo, invited veteran sportscaster Patricia Bermudez-Hizon and sportswriter Lito Cinco as key speakers to share insights for conducting interviews and writing news for television, radio and print media — valuable tips which worked for them in their field.
our Media Training and Seminar. This time, we give the spotlight to the many young and aspiring sportswriters and journalists to combat the stereotypical presentation of women in sports media,” said Coo, the PSC Women in Sports Commissioner-in-Charge.
Ateneo, De La Salle, University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, College of Saint Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College, and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta participated in the two-day forum.
Pardon the negative term but it cannot be helped.
As of yesterday, the ideal complement of twelve to compose the Gilas squad to the Cambodia SEAG men’s basketball event has not been finalized.
The biennial competition starts May 5 and the Ph basketball line up needs to be submitted as Chot, his coaching staff and the “Dirty Dozen” fly to the Cambodian capital tomorrow (?).
Scottie Thompson has begged off due to an urgent personal reason (his wife is due to give birth) while scoring marvels Jamie Malonzo and Mikey Williams also said “sorry, I can’t make it” due to
“This is the second phase of
prior committments.
The prioritized goal of Chot including the SBP and their “apostles’ is to wrest back the SEAG cage diadem they unexpectedly lost a year ago to Indonesia.
Not only was the defeat a BIG slap on the face of Reyes and the SBP. The setback was a national shame heard internationally but Chot shrugged it nonchalantly like a pesky fly buzzing his nose until the collective booing of Pinoy sports fans died down.
Today, fears are being entertained that Gilas could suffer a double whammy. Established basketball pillars like JunMar Fajardo and Japhet Aguilar are doubful inclu-
Fifty aspiring female sportswriters and journalists from different universities and schools in Metro Manila like
Other local governments like the City of Makati, Muntinlupa City and Quezon City also sent their public information officers to be part of the PSC
Q & A’s to be conducted by F
sions since they have not been regularly attending practice sessions.
Actually, coach Chot is such a seasoned bench strategist that he has mastered navigating the SEAG waters and he does not look a bit worried except to expressin a disdainful way - “here we go again!”
As FIBA rules have changed and expanded, even the mighty so-called US “Dream Team” has had its ups and downs in the Olympics and World Championships. The truth is that Gilas has plenty of talents waiting by the wings. If these chaps remain na-
tionalistic and continue to enjoy wearing the Ph uniform, Gilas can form a competitive roster.
The Ravena brothers - Kiefer and Thirdy - are two reliable players Chot can lean on. They are well known - and feared - in the SEAG circles.
There’s Mason Amos, Calvin Oftana, Aaron Black, Chris Newsome, Robert Bolick, Poy Erram, Ray Ray Parks, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao and naturalized Ange Kuoame (in case Justin Brownlee becomes indisposed) to choose from.
Christian Standhardinger and Arvin Tolentino are eager beavers who will ably carry the torch up to
the podium.
Yes, Chot needs just 12 patriotic guys who will take care of the “redemption business.”
The SEAG, being a third class type of regional competition compared to other sports festivals, does not give the Gilas coaching staff headaches that will give them sleepless nights.
All they need to scout and know ASAP is the name of the American or foreign import that Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore has enlisted.
Disgrasya lang talaga ang talo ng Gilas. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
In what was to be the clash of likely finalists, Liceo de Cagayan upended Davao City champion Jose Maria College 68-65 on Friday in the 2023 PCCL (Philippine Collegiate Champions League) -Escandor Cup Mindanao Finals at the Davao City Recreational Center (Almendras Gym).
The Titans and the Kings fought tooth and nail but it was the Titans who proved to be steadier in the clutches to nail its third straight win. The Kings dropped to 2-1 after winning their first two outings over Holy Trinity College of Gen. Santos City 84-58 and city rival Holy Cross of Davao College Crusaders 82-59.
Rizal Memorial Colleges continue to spring surprises after it notched its second win in three starts. The Bulldogs mauled Southern City Colleges of Zamboanga City 90-77 after it earlier turned back HCDC 8679.
The Bulldogs dropped to the Titans in their first outing 7159. The Crusaders remain winless at 0-3.
SBP 11 Director Glen Escandor on Wednesday formally
opened the hostilities of the sixteam tournament sponsored by The Royal Mandaya Hotel and Genesis 88 Construction. SBP 11 regional operations head Ronel Leuterio welcomed the participating teams in the opening program.
TEAM STANDINGS
