Edge Davao Vol. 16 Issue 30 | Saturday, May 20, 2023

ENDING THE CHASE

LEAVING LAKAS

VP Sara resigns from Lakas-CMD Party

LEAVING LAKAS

VP Sara resigns from Lakas-CMD Party

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte has resigned as a member of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) effective on Friday, May 19, 2023.

Vice President Duterte’s resignation came two days after former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was replaced as Senior Deputy House Speaker.

“This is to announce my irrevocable resignation as a Lakas-CMD member effective today. I am grateful to all the party members for the support that also

once demonstrated that unity is possible to advance our shared dreams for our fellow Filipinos and our beloved country,” the vice president said in a statement.

Duterte, who served as chairperson of Lakas-CMD, did not give details about her leaving the political party that was associated with the former President.

The move to replace former president and now Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Macapagal-Arroyo as a senior deputy speaker was reported to be “a prerogative of the House of Representatives.”

On Wednesday, the House approved a move to replace Arroyo as senior deputy speaker, switching roles with former deputy speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr.

This means Arroyo will still be a deputy speaker, but Gonzales

Army, DavNor gov’t extend financial aid to IP farmers

Davao del Norte’s provincial government and the Army’s 60th Infantry Battalion (60IB) have turned over more than PHP100,000 in financial assistance to an Indigenous People’s (IP) farmer’s association in San Isidro town, a military official said Thursday.

Lt. Col. Merrill Sumalinog, the 60IB commanding officer, said the Nagkahiusang Mag-uumang Lumad of Sitio Binuhi, a people’s

organization (PO) in Barangay

Datu Balong of the municipality, received the assistance Wednesday from the provincial government and the 1001st Infantry Brigade.

“We, as a unit, are continuously working with the local government units with the different line government agencies to ensure that the issues in the community are promptly addressed to protect the IPs from exploitation and

deception of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and its allies,” Sumalinog said in a statement.

The project aims to provide a sustainable livelihood to the IP farmers of Sitio Binuhi to alleviate their living conditions.

Sumalinog assured that the 60IB focuses on the preservation of the insurgency-free status of the communities within its area of operations.

Arroyo denies ‘coup’ plot vs Romualdez after demotion

Former President and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday denied she was planning to oust House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Arroyo made the statement after the House of Representatives demoted her from Senior Deputy Speaker to Deputy Speaker.

In her statement, she admitted that she wanted to be House Speaker after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won the presidential elections last year.

“But it soon became apparent that he was most comfortable with then Congress Martin Romaldez as Speaker. I quickly realized the wisdom embedded in that sentiment,” Arroyo said.

But she rejected allegations that she wanted to replace Romualdez as House Speaker.

“When I learned that there were reports that I was suspected of plotting a ‘coup’ against Speaker Romualdez, I decided I must speak out to clarify my political position. Indeed, some of my actions may have been misconstrued, such as my recent trip with a delegation of Congressmen to Korea for some official meetings,” she said.

“To be clear, my political objectives are three: First, to represent the 2nd district of Pampanga. Second, to support the legislative agenda of Speaker Romualdez and President Marcos. Third, to use whatever experience I have as a former President to help out when I am called upon to do so.

“Outside of my role as Congresswoman, my public interest going forward is to help reduce

tensions between the United States and China, given that I was strongly allied to both countries when I was President,” Arroyo said.

She claimed that she no longer seeks to be the House Speaker again. Arroyo was Speaker of the House in the 17th Congress from 2018-2019 after congressmen voted her to replace then Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“This has been my position ever since Speaker Romaldez was elected in the 19th Congress, and I continue to urge my Lakas-SMD. partymates to support our party President in that role,” she said.

“This time, I am a mere Congresswoman, so issues of national importance no longer depend on my role in Congress. Thus, I have no compelling reasons to change my mind about foregoing my ambitions for the Speakership,” she added.

Arroyo said she hopes that her statement will “preempt any needless politicking.”

Various political blocks in the House renewed their support for Marcos Jr. and Romualdez after the demotion of Arroyo.

Among them was former President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP Laban party-list whose national treasurer, Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Aurelio Dong Gonzales Jr., replaced Arroyo.

Arroyo is on her 4th non-consecutive term as district representative after serving as the country’s chief executive from 2001-2010.

She is one of the 71 lawmakers in the House belonging to Lakas CMD, which has Romualdez as its party President.

Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Undersecretary Valery Joy Brion bares in a press briefing in Davao City on Friday (May 19, 2023) that they are intensifying their digitalization efforts to further serve Mindanawons. Brion was in Davao City to inaugurate the CFO satellite office in the city, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday. (PNA photo by Robinson Niñal Jr.)

FLEAVING, P8

FARMY, P8

Establishment of UNESCO Base Camp in Mt. Apo eyed

Festival showcases richness of Davao Sur town’s caves

To showcase this town’s natural resources, the local government opened the Cave Festival 2023 here Thursday.

In an interview, Mayor Vincent Fernandez said the three-day festival, which runs until May 20, includes such activities as cave and photo exhibits, mural painting, tree planting, and cave exploration.

“We want the public to know that we have these beautiful caves. We have around 60 to 70 caves that are still unexplored,” he said.

Currently, two caves, the Su’bon and Asbang Fak Sol, both located in Barangay Asbang, are open to the public.

Fernandez expressed optimism that more jobs in the locality would be generated if the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would approve the opening of more caves to the public.

“More jobs will be made

available since we will be opening inns, boutiques, restaurants, shops, and others,” he said.

Meanwhile, the mayor also urged the residents of the mountainous areas to stop cutting trees to prevent erosion.

“We will assess and provide them their livelihood,” he said.

Cave country

Clover Jane Sabornido, Matanao tourism office head, said they are poised to become the “cave country” in the province, based on the DENR assessment.

She said they are relying on the DENR approval since the agency is the only authorized body to assess and provide the cave management plan.

“If the DENR approves, that’s the time the Department of Tourism would come in. Every cave has three years of preparation before it will be open to the public,” she said. (PNA)

By MAYA M. PADILLO

AUNESCO

base camp in Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP) is targeted to be launched on July 25 this year.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources 11 (DENR 11) along with the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Kidapawan, Region 12 recently met with the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) to discuss the proposed establishment of UNESCO Base Camp in MANP particularly in Barangay Ilomavis,

Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.

Jayvee Jude Agas, chief of the regional strategic communication and initiative group of DENR 11, said the site is very accessible and is the shortest way to the peak of Mt. Apo.

He added that since Mt. Apo is one protected area, both DENR Regions 11 and 12 will have a shared responsibility over it.

“As of now, it is still in the preparation stage in order to push through with the establishment of the said base camp. Should matters go as planned, the target date for its inauguration will be on July 25 this year,” Agas told Edge Davao.

Currently, the MANP – Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) together with the EDC is already working on the requirements for the iconic mountain to be declared as a UNESCO Global

Consumer group supports state of calamity in IGaCoS

The Davao Consumer Movement (DCM) expressed support to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Island Garden City of Samal - 9th City Council’s declaration of a state of calamity in response to the ongoing power crisis in the city.

“We commend the City Council for their swift and proactive measures to address the adverse impacts of this crisis and ensure the welfare of the residents. At the same time, we are saddened that

the local government had to step in and help the residents when this falls squarely on the shoulders of Northern Davao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Nordeco),” the group said in a statement.

The group cited Resolution No. 734 s. 2023, which states that it is a necessary step to enable the government and relevant agencies to employ immediate measures to mitigate the power crisis as the basis of such a declaration.

On Thursday, Davao del Norte

Governor Edwin Jubahib has issued statement concerning to IGaCoS’ declaration of a state of calamity.

“There is an ongoing power crisis in IGaCoS. This crisis has escalated to such a dire extent that it has necessitated the local government unit (LGU) of IGaCoS to declare the city under a state of calamity due to a power crisis. Who’s to blame? Of course, Nordeco — a public service utility

People are seen boarding a roll on/roll off (Roro) vessel plying the Sasa-Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) route at Sasa Ferry Wharf in Davao City on Friday. The local government unit of IGaCoS has declared a state of calamity on Thursday due to the ongoing power crisis in the city. Lean Daval Jr.

BIR: Proposed 1% withholding tax on online sellers ‘not a new tax’

Amidcalls to reconsider its plan to impose a creditable withholding tax of 1% on the partner-merchants of online platforms, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said the proposal is not a new tax as it is within existing tax laws.

“The proposal is a creditable withholding tax. So it’s not really a new tax. It’s just a mode of collecting,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. told reporters at the sidelines of The Economist Impact’s Global Anti-Illicit Trade Summit in Taguig City on Thursday.

The United Filipino Consumers and Commuters (UFCC) is urging the BIR to reconsider its plan, describing it as a “heavy blow” to “ordinary Filipino peo-

ple who will suffer the effects of the new tax.”

In its proposal, the BIR is eyeing to impose a creditable withholding tax of 1% on one-half of the gross remittances of online platform providers to their partner sellers or merchants.

The taxman argued that with the proliferation of online sales transactions through the facilities of online platform providers, there is a need to take advantage of the opportunity to identify sell-

ers of goods and services who are therefore obliged to declare their income resulting from these transactions for tax purposes.

The withholding tax is the amount withheld by a business in payments of goods or services which is directly remitted to the government on behalf of suppliers or employees.

“This is not a new tax. Just like the creditable withholding tax of employees, it’s not a new tax —the tax of employees is being withheld by employers,” Lumagui said.

Amid concerns on the proposal, the BIR chief said the taxman is open to comments and sugges-

SRA urges farmers to join block farming, assures aid, training

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Thursday urged farmers to form cooperatives to pursue block farming for the sugar industry.

In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas, SRA Acting Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said this strategy would help local producers increase their yield by 5 tons to 10 tons per hectare, referring to 30 hectares to 50 hectares of block farming.

“To make it more efficient, we need to group the beneficiaries

into farms, a minimum of 30 hectares… The efficiency of a tractor is about 90-95 horsepower. That’s why if their group is that big, we can give them a tractor. We can also help them with technology because they will be able to plan the planting and harvesting into one farm,” Azcona said in mixed English and Filipino.

“We also encourage the creation of new cooperatives, to make it faster and to widen our coverage… We can upsize the equipment. Because in sugarcane

farming, the bigger the equipment, the more efficient and faster.”

He noted that of the 390,000 hectares of sugar plantations in the country, 90 percent belongs to farmers owning at least one hectare to two hectares of land.

“There’s no tractor small enough for one to two hectares, so pagbigay mo ng traktora at hindi sila organized, pag-aagawan nila ‘yun. Kailan ‘yung schedule ng pag-araro? ‘Pag malaki

BSP pauses on rate hiking cycle, cites inflation rate deceleration

After hiking key rates for nine consecutive rate setting meetings since May 2022, Philippine monetary authorities on Thursday maintained the Bangko Sentral ng Pilpinas’ (BSP) policy rates due mainly to deceleration of inflation rate.

Thus, the overnight reverse repurchase (RRP) rate is still at 6.25 percent, the overnight repurchase (RP) rate is at 6.75 percent and the overnight deposit rate is at 5.75 percent.

“Based on the sum of new information and its assessment of the impact of previous monetary policy actions, the Monetary Board decided that a pause in monetary policy tightening was appropriate,” BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said in a briefing on Thursday, Thursday’s pause in the policy-making MB’s rate tightening moves is a change after the hikes in the key rates from its record-low 2 percent, with the upward adjustment aimed at helping address the jumps in inflation rate.

Relatively, the MB slashed the central bank’s average inflation forecast for this year from 6 percent to 5.5 percent and the 2024 projection from 3.1 percent to 2.8 percent.

Medalla said these chang-

es “continue to reflect a gradual return of inflation to the target band of 2-4 percent over the policy horizon.”

He said inflation expectations for 2024 to 2025 “are steady and within the target range.”

He, on the other hand, noted that while domestic expansion remains robust in the first three months of this year “demand indicators have also pointed to a potential moderation in the recent months, suggesting that previous policy rate increases by the BSP continue to work their way through the economy.”

He said the Board is also “encouraged by the recent mounting of whole-of-government actions to ease constraints on food supply.”

He, however, pointed out that “even as headline inflation has continued to decelerate with slower increases in the prices of food and energy-related items, core inflation has only eased marginally.”

Domestic inflation rate hit its 14-year high if 8.7 percent last January but has slowed since then, with the April figure already at 6.6 percent, from month-ago’s 7.6 percent.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile oil and food items, is al-

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expresses support for the proposed establishment of the Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corp. (PSJSC) to address problems on jobs and skills mismatch. PNA-Malacañang

City Economic Enterprises income up by 27.23% in Q1

SRA urges farmers to join block farming, assures aid, training

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Thursday urged farmers to form cooperatives to pursue block farming for the sugar industry.

In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas, SRA Acting Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said this strategy would help local producers increase their yield by 5 tons to 10 tons per hectare, referring to 30 hectares to 50 hectares of block farming.

“To make it more efficient, we need to group the beneficiaries into farms, a minimum of 30 hectares… The efficiency of a tractor is about 90-95 horsepower. That’s why if their group is that big, we can give them a tractor. We can also help them with technology because they will be able to plan the planting and harvesting into one farm,” Azcona said in mixed English and Filipino.

“We also encourage the creation of new cooperatives, to make it faster and to widen our coverage… We can upsize the equipment. Because in sugarcane farming, the bigger the equipment, the more efficient and faster.”

He noted that of the 390,000 hectares of sugar plantations in the country, 90 percent belongs to

farmers owning at least one hectare to two hectares of land.

“There’s no tractor small enough for one to two hectares, so pagbigay mo ng traktora at hindi sila organized, pag-aagawan nila ‘yun. Kailan ‘yung schedule ng pag-araro? ‘Pag malaki silang block farm, sila mismo as a group, sila na magpa-plan… then ma-o-organize na ‘yung production cycle (so when you give a tractor and farmers are not organized, they will seize possession. When will be the schedule of plowing? But if their block farm is huge, they, as a group, will plan. Then the production cycle will be organized),” he said.

Sugar importation

Azcona, meanwhile, said the SRA would finalize the actual production data by the end of the month.

“Itong month of May na lang na actual production na lang ‘yung hinihintay natin para po ma-present natin sa pangulo ‘yung actual volume na kailangan i-import (We are just waiting for the actual production this May to present to the President the actual volume to be imported),” he said.

“It’s about almost 150,000 (metric tons) naman po talaga

TheDavao City Economic Enterprises reported that its collection for the first quarter of the year increased by 27.23 percent compared to the same period last year.

CEE Head Maximo Macalipes Jr., in an interview during the Madayaw Dabaw morning show on Wednesday said that the collection for the first quarter totaled Php67,267,079.75, higher than the Php52,867,793. 22 recorded in the same period of 2022.

“Mao ni siya ang pinakadako nga nareceive nato this quarter as compared to last year (This is the biggest we have received so far this quarter as compared to last year’s,),” Macalipes said.

He added that market operations contributed the biggest

share with 64.39 percent of the total collection or a total of Php 43,309,561.67.

“Naa ta’y walo ka palengke ang Bankerohan ang nag-una ani (We have eight markets, and Bankerohan has taken the lead),” he said.

Based on CEE data, Bankerohan Public Market’s income for the first quarter of 2023 totaled Php 19,520, 223.17 or equivalent to 45.07 percent of the cluster’s total.

Macalipes said that the CEE continues to find opportunities

to generate more revenues to support the projects of Davao City.

“Kani atong income mudiretso gyud ni siya sa city government of Davao para ma allocate na nato pangtabang sa programa ug serbisyo nga gina-align pod sa atong government karon (Our income will directly go to the City Government of Davao and allocate it to help the programs and services aligned by our local government),” he added.

He said that the slaughterhouse in Malagos, the Almendras Gym, Night Markets, the Sta. Ana Port and Magsaysay Park, which are all under CEE continue to operate for the city’s revenue generation. CIO

BIR steps up efforts to combat illicit trade of tobacco products

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it will ramp up measures to crack down on illicit tobacco trade in the country.

“The revenue loss for tobacco is huge. And also that’s one of the main reasons why we’re not getting our collection target for excise taxes,” Lumagui said.

Lumagui said that for the first four months of the year, BIR recorded a 20-percent shortfall in the collection of excise tax.

While Lumagui did not provide the exact figure, data from the BIR showed that the excise tax collection goal for the first four months of the year was PHP112.37 billion.

Lumagui, however, was optimistic that they will be able recover the shortfall.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. on the sidelines of the Global Anti-Illicit Trade Summit on Thursday said that tobacco products are considered a major category of smuggled goods.

“A large part of that shortfall is attributable to tobacco,” he said.

“We’re doing our best and I’m FSRA, P8

Julius Paner, Tourism and Information officer of Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, says setting up a UNESCO base camp in Mt. Apo Natural Park (MANP) is a welcome development as it will have a huge impact in terms of tourism, which will result to more economic opportunities. Lean Daval Jr.

On her resignation from Lakas-CMD Party:

“This is to announce my irrevocable resignation as a Lakas-CMD member effective today. I am grateful to all the party members for the support that also once demonstrated that unity is possible to advance our shared dreams for our fellow Filipinos and our beloved country... Nothing is more important to me than being able to meaningfully serve our fellow Filipinos and the Philippines — with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr leading the way. Trust that my word, my commitment will be immutable.

Vice President SARA DUTERTE

GARAY DELIGERO Editorial Consultant

BILLACURA Sports Editor

Manager

M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

D. MARATAS Finance

JASPER V. BACSAL General

/ VP Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

GREGORIO

MOSES

I am here today because of the trust of the Filipino people in me to lead and serve them and the country, and this cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political powerplay.”

“Not caring about many things does not mean being indifferent; it means being comfortable with being different” Mark Manson

During a recent hearing on the implementation of the Mental Health Act of 2017 conducted by the Senate Committee on Health, several figures from the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) painted a disturbing picture on the state of mental health of Filipinos especially among the younger generation. According to the said data in 2019, NCMH receive 2,413 mental health related calls and 712 suicide related calls. In 2020, there was a surge of 2,841 suicide related and 8,176 mental health related calls. In 2021, the suicide related calls doubled to 5,167 while the mental health related calls rose to 9,730. During the school year 2021 to 2022, there was a shocking 2,147 attempted suicides and 404 actual death by suicide.

In connection with these findings, the Senate has called for more health care providers and

ATTY. GILBERTO LAUENGCO, J.D. OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, PANDEMIC AND MORE PARTICIPATIVE SOLUTIONS

more facilities to be established. One senator, in particular, focused on increasing proper and efficient budget utilization in government agencies tasked to implement mental health programs.

The Covid-19 pandemic was cited as the principal cause in the decline of mental health of Filipinos especially the millennials and Gen Z. Although recent easing of restrictions and the resumption of face to face classes and activities have helped decrease this number, many health professionals still say that the lingering effects on mental health are still a cause of worry. Many studies still point to the fact that “today’s youth have poorer mental well-being than in the last few decades.”

These numbers are based on reports of people seeking help. A recent study by the Harvard Humanitarian Initiatives, in cooperation the Philippine Psychiatric Association, revealed that many Filipinos do not report mental health problems or even seek help because of the perceived

cost of treatment and the stigma attached to mental health. Thirty-one (31) percent of those surveyed in this study stated that they are afraid of being seen as “crazy” or weak (30 percent) if they seek help or even report their mental health problems.

With a 97.2 percent increase in reports of extreme depression among the youth, these barriers show that increasing health care providers and facilities for mental health problems alone may not be sufficient to stem the tide of this rise of mental health problems. There is a call for more creative, innovative and participative solutions to the problem.

Family and friends are important in this fight against the pandemic. People should be more aware of the mental health situation of those around them. There are many doctors in social media who have sounded the alarm on mental health and have provided hours of authentic content on how to spot mental health problems. Doc Willie Ong alone, the famous doctor

BRIAN JAMES LU

VIEWPOINTS: A NEW PERSPECTIVE

vlogger, has provided dozens of hours of short videos on spotting signs of mental health. These short health videos are the best template for a social media campaign on mental health that targets a populace with short attention spans. More people should be encouraged to watch these videos and to learn more about this growing threat afflicting our youth.

Teachers, also, should have the basic tools and opportunity to be force multipliers in the war against depression among the youth. Teachers should be encouraged and enabled to spot the warning signs of depression and other mental health problems of their students. They should be cognizant of the tools and resources available to help these students and refer them accordingly. As frontliners against this new epidemic, teachers must take time to study the tools available to them and participate in the numerous enabling programs.

It is these new “social media

influencers,” however, who have the greatest capacity and opportunity to help greatly in this fight against the mental health pandemic. With their millions of followers and ability to influence the youth, they are in the best position to help their listeners who are suffering from depression and similar maladies.

There is a book by Mark Manson entitled “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**ck.” Its basic premise is that people care about too many things and end up stressing themselves needlessly. The youth clearly care about so many things like how they are perceived and accepted and this adds to their stress. Perhaps, a movement to promote this attitude of not caring about measuring up all the time and other counter intuitive thoughts, can be led by the influencers in an effort to change prevailing harmful thought patterns of the youth and start a massive social engineering effort.

This is just my oblique observation.

SENATE’S PUSH FOR AN ANTI-SMUGGLING COURT

Due to the failure of courts, our senators are now pushing for the creation of special courts to exclusively try smuggling cases that are worth billions of pesos. For business owners whose operations have consistently suffered from goods smuggling, this is a welcome development.

For so long, smugglers have wreaked havoc on our economy. Aside from the loss of revenue for the government due to uncollected tariffs and duties, smuggling also destroys the livelihood of farmers since smuggled agricultural products are much cheaper than those locally produced. Import liberalization has already caused the near collapse of several Philippine industries, and smuggling may be the death knell of those that still exist.

The proposal to create special courts stems from the fact that while authorities were able to apprehend smuggled goods worth hundreds of millions of pesos over the years, not one was convicted of the crime. In March this year, authorities were able to seize PHP120 million worth of smuggled goods in several warehouses and cold storage facilities in Navotas. The operatives discovered poultry products such as chicken drumsticks and chicken

feet.

It is lamentable, however, that while the Senate has conducted various investigations into the rampant smuggling in the country, smuggling continues unabated. Former Senate President Tito Sotto was also able to come out with a list of suspected smugglers, but it did not make a dent in smuggling activities.

A Senate bill filed by former Senator Sergio Osmeña in 2004 defined two acts of smuggling: direct or outright smuggling and technical smuggling. Direct or outright smuggling refers to the act of bringing into the Philippines goods or products without the corresponding documents, permits, and licenses required by laws, rules, and regulations. On the other hand, technical smuggling refers to the act of importing or bringing into the Philippines goods or products through fraudulent, falsified, or erroneous declarations to evade payment of applicable duties and taxes.

In his Inquirer column on September 2017, former Secretary of Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects Ernesto Ordoñez stated that it is technical smuggling that harms agriculture, and not outright smuggling. Technical smuggling is committed when

goods and articles are classified incorrectly, often undervalued, as to their nature, quality, or value.

In her article Smuggling 101, published on Business Mirror, Atty. Filamer Miguel said that technical smuggling is done through the connivance of importers, brokers and even officials and personnel of the Bureau of Customs.

The enactment of Republic Act 10845, or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016, did not deter smuggling. Smugglers, ironically, have become more daring in their activities, which is why smuggling continues to proliferate nationwide.

Aside from the anti-smuggling courts, the Senate is pushing for the inclusion of hoarding, price manipulation, and cartels as economic sabotage that is non-bailable. This is a welcome development since the recent onion crisis is a result of hoarding, price manipulation, and cartels. It is unconscionable to think that the production cost of onion is PHP25 per kilogram, yet it is sold at PHP600–P700 per kilogram. A special court to prosecute smuggling and hoarding, price manipulation, and cartels may hopefully put an end to, if not dampen, such activities.

Smuggling imperils the coun-

try’s food security. When all countries in the world are addressing food security as a principal concern due to climate change, the Philippines is contending against import liberalization and rampant smuggling of agricultural products. The Philippines is currently an exporter of almost all agricultural products, such as rice, coffee, and almost all kinds of vegetables. Since their governments subsidize agricultural production, imported agricultural products are in direct competition with locally produced goods and are much cheaper.

Many rice farmers have converted to planting onions and other alternative vegetables since the price of palay dropped to its lowest level when the Rice Tariffication Law was enacted. Last year, the Philippines imported 3.7 million metric tons (MMT) of rice, making our country the world’s second largest rice importer. This is unbelievable since the Philippines is an agricultural country and rice is the main staple for Filipinos.

The best that the government can do is develop the country’s rice production. Since the Arroyo administration, efforts have been made to arrest the decline in rice production by launching the rice self-sufficiency program. The pro-

gram may have hit a snag since the country continues to import rice at a staggering rate. We should rise from our dependency on imported agricultural products and ensure our food security by developing the capacity of farmers to produce food for the population.

It is also alarming that the average age of Filipino farmers is 55 to 59 years old. This shows that the farmers no longer want their children to till their farms since it is not profitable. Many farmers engage in odd jobs to earn an income. They send their children to the cities or abroad to earn more money. Farmers are generally poor. The Philippine Statistics Authority places the poverty incidence of farmers at 31.6 percent. Fisherfolk, who are considered part of the agriculture sector, make up 26.2 percent of the poor.

A sound agricultural program that alleviates the plight of the farmers would drastically reduce the poverty being felt in rural areas. This will also have a good impact on food security if farmers are assisted in production and marketing. We do not want to repeatedly see tons of tomatoes and other food crops being thrown away just because they are not being bought while they are much needed in other provinces.

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would take on the senior deputy speaker role.

Duterte’s camp did not issue a statement when asked if the move was related to Rep. Macapagal-Arroyo’s demotion in the House.

The vice president also serves as co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Nothing is more important to me than being able to meaningfully serve our fellow Filipinos and the Philippines — with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr leading the way. Trust that my word, my commitment will be immutable. I am here today because of the trust of the Filipino people in me to lead and serve them and the country, and this cannot be poisoned by political toxicity or undermined by execrable political powerplay,” she said.

She called on all leaders to focus on the work that must be done and urged them to leave a legacy of a strong and stable homeland.

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He urged the PO beneficiary to manage their funds accordingly to achieve their collective goals to sustain the association members and their community.

“The successful turnover of the cash assistance through the intensified partnership among stakeholders is proof that the government promotes responsive governance in delivering the needs of the grassroots, especially to our established PO,” Sumalinog said.

Jemuel Melmida, the executive assistant of provincial Governor Edwin Jubahib, assured the locals that the government would continue delivering its socio-economic development programs, especially in former conflict-affected communities.

In response, Melesio Magalasin, the PO’s chairperson, lauded the government for the assistance they received.

“The assistance is a great help for us, especially for our livelihood. Thank you so as this will surely uplift the lives of our fellow IPs,” he said in the vernacular.

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tions from stakeholders.

As to when the plan will be imposed, Lumagui said, “We still don’t have a timeline because there are still a lot of issues that need to be addressed.”

“Online sellers should know that they are engaged in business. They should not oppose registration because what we are merely asking is registration. If their revenues are not sufficient or minimal, they don’t need to pay taxes,” he said.

Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, an individual earning less than P250,000 in a year is exempted from withholding tax.

Meanwhile, the UFCC called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to be “on the side of the ordinary Filipinos in our crusade against new anti-poor tax measures.”

silang block farm, sila mismo as a group, sila na magpa-plan… then ma-o-organize na ‘yung production cycle (so when you give a tractor and farmers are not organized, they will seize possession. When will be the schedule of plowing? But if their block farm is huge, they, as a group, will plan. Then the production cycle will be organized),” he said.

Sugar importation

Azcona, meanwhile, said the SRA would finalize the actual production data by the end of the month.

“Itong month of May na lang na actual production na lang ‘yung hinihintay natin para po ma-present natin sa pangulo ‘yung actual volume na kailangan i-import (We are just waiting for the actual production this May to present to the President the actual volume to be imported),” he said.

ESTABLISHMENT

... FROM 2

Geological Park (UGGP).

The establishment of UNESCO base camp in MANP will serve as a hub for visitors and researchers who want to explore the natural beauty and biodiversity of Mt. Apo, one of the geological wonders of the Philippines.

It is also expected that the base camp will propel the improvement of its facilities and supplement the promotion of sustainable tourism and conservation efforts in the area.

Julius Paner, Tourism and Information officer of Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur said setting up a UNESCO base camp has a huge impact in terms of tourism.

“Sa tourism dako ang impact kay UNESCO is an international organization, and once ma inscribe ang usa ka lugar mas daghan ang international tourists nga gustong mobisita, and daghan pud ang economic opportunities nga mahatag sa locals and other industry players,” he said.

CONSUMER...

FROM 3

trusted with the responsibility of providing reliable power — has grossly neglected its mandate. Nordeco’s incompetence and negligence have brought our people and economy to their knees,” Jubahib said.

Jubahib added that with the lack of consistent electricity, Samaleños “have been forced to survive in intolerable conditions with households, business establishments, schools, and government offices unable to function normally.”

“This is a clear dereliction of duty on the part of Nordeco, as the company has failed to deliver the fundamental service it pledged to provide. It is truly embarrassing that while the rest of the world is advancing toward new technologies, we are grappling with a power crisis. The current situation in IGaCoS suggests a remarkable level of unpreparedness, lack of foresight, and complacency within Nordeco,” Jubahib said.

Jubahib ended his statement by demanding immediate and drastic actions from Nordeco to address this crisis.

NUGGETS...

FROM 9

Murray’s 3 made it 84-83. His step-back 3 at the 7-minute mark made it 87-83. Another 3 made it 99-87, and he sank seven of eight free throws in the final minute.

Lakers: Los Angeles made 23 of 26 free throws. ... Davis and James were a combined 13 of 36 from the floor.

Nuggets: The Nuggets were miffed when ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters said after Game 1 that she’d never seen Jokic play before. ... Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored 21 in Game 1, picked up his second foul 1:39 into the game and sat the rest of the first quarter. ... The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 18 points from the arc.

BSP... FROM 4

most flat at 7.9 percent last April from month-ago’s 8 percent.

Inflation rate is expected to slow to within-target levels as early as in September this year.

“It’s about almost 150,000 (metric tons) naman po talaga ‘yung kailangan natin. Mayroon tayong mga kakulangan na 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT po will serve as a one-month na buffer po natin, lagpas kaunti sa one month (We need almost 150,000 MT. We have a shortfall of 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT will serve as a buffer stock for a month or a little over a month),” he added.

Azcona said importers, public consumers, and institutional buyers would all have access to this stock.

The DA on Wednesday noted that the 150,000 MT of importation would help reduce the prices of sugar.

“The prices will be ranging from PHP80 to PHP90 per kilo,” Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said in an interview.

“If they are incapable of resolving the issues, they must step aside and allow an entity capable of providing reliable service to take their place. We need solutions, not excuses. The people of IGaCoS, and the entire province of Davao del Norte deserve better,” he said.

Edge Davao tried to get Nordeco’s reaction or reply regarding this matter but as of this writing, the electric cooperative hasn’t able to come up with any statement or comment. By Maya

M. Padillo

BIR STEPS...

FROM 5 optimistic in the coming months we will get that. We’re doing everything we can. We will continue doing raids and filing of cases involving illicit trade,” he said.

As one of its efforts to combat illicit tobacco trade, BIR is currently in talks with online selling platforms to discontinue the sale of these illicit products.

“We’re coordinating with them, hopefully we come up with an agreement soon as to how to address it, the proliferation of illicit products in their platforms. They should remove the products being sold there. They should police their own platform,” he said.

Lumagui said there is also a need to improve border controls, enhance inter-agency coordination between the country’s law enforcement agencies, develop a comprehensive legal framework on the sale and trade of products on both brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, and strictly enforce the applicable laws and regulations against illicit trade. (PNA)

SRA... FROM 5

‘yung kailangan natin. Mayroon tayong mga kakulangan na 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT po will serve as a one-month na buffer po natin, lagpas kaunti sa one month (We need almost 150,000 MT. We have a shortfall of 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT will serve as a buffer stock for a month or a little over a month),” he added.

Azcona said importers, public consumers, and institutional buyers would all have access to this stock.

The DA on Wednesday noted

Medalla said balance of risks to inflation outlook “remains largely tilted towards the upside owing to persistent constraints in the supply of key food items, the potential impact of El Niño on food prices and utility rates, as well as the effects of possible additional adjustments in transportation fares and wages.”

These are, however, countered by the lower-than-expected global economic recovery, he said.

“The Monetary Board also deems it necessary to keep the policy interest rate at its current level over the near term, as ongoing price pressures continue to warrant close monitoring. A prudent pause also allows monetary authorities to further assess how macroeconomic and financial conditions will evolve in view of tighter global financial conditions,” he said.

Medalla said any changes in the BSP’s key rates will partly be affected by the developments on inflation, their inflation forecasts, and adjustments in the Federal Reserve’s key rates.

“So, in short, the more likely scenario is neither a cut nor an increase in the next two or three policy meetings,” he said.

Asked for any changes in bank’s reserve requirement ratio (RRR) as early as June this year, Medalla said this is always on the table because the country’s RRR remains high and because the regulatory relief extended to loans for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will expire in end-June this year.

“Right now, loans to medium and small scale industries qualify as requires until they mature. So if we decide not to extend that policy then we must offset it by cutting reserve requirements,” he said.

RRR have been reduced by a total of 200 basis points in 2020 to 12 percent for universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) as part of the central bank’s move to encourage lending during the pandemic to shore up economic activities.

that the 150,000 MT of importation would help reduce the prices of sugar.

“The prices will be ranging from PHP80 to PHP90 per kilo,” Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said in an interview.

To date, the price per kg. of refined sugar in Metro Manila ranges from PHP86 to PHP110. (PNA)

Nuggets frustrate Lakers for 2-0 lead

DENVER

— Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, propelling the Denver Nuggets to a 108-103 come-from-behind win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night (Friday, Manila time) for a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Nikola Jokic had his 13th playoff triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds and a dozen assists for the Nuggets, who have never been this close to reaching the NBA Finals in their history.

Game 3 is Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, where LeBron James and the Lakers are

8-0 in the playoffs.

Murray missed 12 of his 17 shots through three quarters but found his touch in the fourth, going 6 for 7, including four 3-pointers and fueling a 15-1 run that gave Denver a 9684 lead.

Bruce Brown and Michael Porter Jr. contributed to the

Nuggets’ hot shooting.

Just like in Game 1, the Lakers didn’t go down easily. They pulled to three points on Austin Reaves’ jumper before Murray sank two free throws with 12 seconds left and Bruce Brown stole the ball from James, then dribbled out the final 8 seconds.

The Nuggets improved to 41-8 at home, best in the NBA, including 8-0 in the playoffs.

James and Reaves both scored 22 for Los Angeles. Anthony Davis scored 18 after pouring in 40 in the opener and Rui Hachimra scored 21 points off the bench.

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS

Lebron James and his gang were leading all the way but subsequent lapses in defense allowed the Nuggets to snatch Game 2 and put the Lakers in deep trouble.

As I started scoring the game midway in the first quarter, Riu Hachimura was Lebron’s best performing teammate even as he had to cover the two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic who bumped him every now and then.

The Japanese-born NBAer remarkably poured in 17 pts in the first half to help propel the Lakers to a 53-49 halftime lead.

But it was the small but shifty

For much of the night, it appeared as though the Lakers would wrest home-court advantage from the Nuggets, who are the top seed for the first time in their history. The Lakers won the series openers at Memphis and Golden State to reach the conference championship.

The outstanding defense Hachimura played on Jokic in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 led many to believe coach Darvin Ham would start Hachimura to try to stymie the Nuggets’ star center from the start. But instead he came off the bench again.

And what a spark he provided, sinking all seven of his firsthalf shots for a game-high 17 points at the half. His 3-pointer and pull-up jumper sparked a 9-0 run to open the second quarter and put the Lakers in charge despite slow starts from James and Davis, each of whom were held to two points in the first quarter.

James’ breakaway dunk made it 68-57 midway through the third quarter, but the Nuggets got back into it with a 10-0 run and took their first lead since the first quarter when FNUGGETS, P8

OMINOUS 0-2 LAKERS TALLY IN DENVER

Denver pointguard Jamal Murray who took charge in the fourth, tossing in two triples to create space for the Nuggets, 101-94, 2:55 remaining.

LA responded with a couple of threes from Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves to close the gap somewhat, 99-101, 1:02 left.

Murray sank two charities for 103-99 and then Davis missed a three from the flank. The Nuggets turned the ball over but James missed a lay-up and Murray was fouled anew, 24 ticks to go.

Murray was sent to the 15foot line four times on successive

Laker fouls to add 8 more points and get the win for Denver at the end of the buzzer, 108-103.

LA led 68-59 on baskets by James D’Angelo Russel, Dennis Schroder and Davis but the pesky Murray kept hitting his strides, igniting a 18-point blast from the arc - four by himself and one each from Porter and Brown for a 9984 bubble, 5:30 in the game.

Then Reaves broke LA’s silence with a three, and a lay-up and jumper from Lebron for a 9199 score.

My personal analysis is that Lebron has been playing a low key

role, issuing assists to Davis inside the paint and acting as a decoy.

Unfortunately, he should be producing the points to attract Denver’s defense so that Davis can do his stuff inside without getting double teamed.

LA also should send in Tristan Thompson to provide help inside the paint and give Jokic the body bang he used to do during his stint at Cleveland with James himself.

In the first two matches, the seven foot Denver slotman has not been intimidated by the shallow LA defense.

But credit the Game 2 win to Murray who simply was outstanding orchestrating the offense as well as producing the points when necessary.

Ideally, James and company will go for broke in Games 3 and 4 at home to level up matters so that there will not be much pressure when the Lakers go back to Mile High City in Game 5. As it was, LA failed to grab the homecourt advantage and that means more hard work for James and AD. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

Jamal Murray scored 23 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter

ENDING THE CHASE

Lim happy to be home with the elusive gold

Davao City’s Marc Alexander Lim has a gold medal at last in his recent homecoming.

Falling short several times in competitions, Lim did not give up on his hope for the holy grail that was the Southeast Asian Games gold medal.

The 26-year old Dabawenyo jujitsu star captured the elusive gold at last by beating Dinh Tung Dang of Vietnam in the men’s Newa-za no-gi -69kg. finals of the 32nd SEA Games at the Chroy Changvyar Convention Center.

He was welcomed home to a celebratory mood by his family and friends. He also met the local media for some interviews.

Looking back, Lim was bronze medalist in the same event in 2021. This time with his gold medal win, he finally put an end to a long

run of near misses.

“I can’t believe it,” said Lim. “Third SEA Games, sixth year in the national team. Every year, I come so close to the gold but I fall short. Finally, persistence, may gold na.”

The turning point for Lim was his victory in the semifinals against Noah Tian Run Lim of Singapore.

“My semifinals, he beat me before. He is one of the best in Asia. I’m so happy to have beaten him,” said Lim.

“I think over the years, I’m a lot smarter now. I learn from my mistakes. I forget the losses but I keep the lessons. I think I’ve really mature,” said Lim, who started with the national team when he was 18.

Davao City’s jujitsu star Marc Alexander Lim.