Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 125 | Friday, September 4, 2020

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A passenger bus commissioned by the city government of Davao traverses along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has bared that Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has fast-tracked the implementation of the high priority bus system (HPBS), a mass public transport modernization program that seeks to decongest traffic in Davao City. Edge Davao

LGU acceptance letter not a requirement for LSIs: DILG 11 STORY ON PAGE 2

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VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his remarks as he joins several world leaders, representatives from the United Nations (UN) and international organizations during the Aqaba Process Virtual Meeting on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Response hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan via video conference at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Wednesday. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTOS

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PRRD urges ‘deeper solidarity’ in fight vs. Covid-19, terrorism

LGU acceptance letter not a requirement for LSIs: DILG 11

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reiterated its advisory to local government units (LGUs) that the Certificate of Acceptance by the Receiving LGU is no loner a requirement on the management of Locally Stranded Individuals (LSIs).

Through an advisory released on May 22, 2020, only a Medical Clearance Certification issued by the city/municipal health officer and travel authority are required to be presented upon arrival to the concerned receiving LGU. The advisory was addressed to all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors, punong barangays, heads of local Sanggunian, DILG regional directors, BARMM regional governor, and all other concerned on the clarification of the use of Acceptance Letter as one of the requirements by the receiving LGU for the returning locally stranded individuals.

Through the National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 Order No. 202002, states that all receiving LGUs shall not deny the

entry of LSIs with complete requirements, provided that prior coordination was made through the NTF and or the Regional Task Forces (RTFs) and other concerned agencies as deemed necessary.

The order stated that the receiving LGUs, however, may subject the LSIs to its local health protocols and procedures, such as the 14-day quarantine and rapid anti-body testing for Covid-19 disease, that are consistent with the policies by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The advisory has been reposted by the city government of Davao after receiving query on the Certificate of Acceptance.

Meanwhile, the city government of Davao reminded air passengers bound for Davao City

things to follow when exiting or entering Davao International Airport (DIA) such as taking an RT-PCR test 24 hours to 72 hours before departure date at the airport or place of origin as well as present the negative test result at the arrival inspection area of the DIA. If the passenger fails to secure an RT-PCR negative test result before the scheduled departure, the person must prepare to take the free Covid-19 RTPCR test at the DIA and wait for the test results inside a government holding facility. The waiting time is between 24 hours and 48 hours, depending on the volume of passengers.

Arriving passengers who were tested 24 hours to 72 hours before departure at the airport or place of origin, but have not received their results, shall be made to wait in the holding facility until a negative result is received and duly inspected.

Likewise, children 12 years old and below will not be tested unless the accompanying adult/s are confirmed Covid-19 posi-

tive.

If you are an arriving international passenger, the RT-PCR result taken from a laboratory overseas will only be accepted provided it was taken 24 hours to 72 hours before the domestic departure date.

Passengers with positive RT-PCR results will automatically be brought to Covid-19 facilities and referred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC, a public hospital) for a complete medical check-up. Patients who opt to pay for their own medical bills have the option to coordinate with the Dumoy satellite facility of the Davao Doctor’s Hospital (DDH, a private hospital).

Passengers with negative test results shall be duly informed of the result, which they will be be able to access online.

They will be immediately released from the holding facility and advised to go on strict home quarantine.

They must arrange and shoulder the cost of their own transportation in Davao City or to their LGU of destination.

resident Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday called for “deeper solidarity” among nations to combat coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) as it continues to confront the threat of terrorism.

Duterte made this remark in a speech delivered during the 2020 Aqaba Process Virtual Meeting on Covid-19 Response hosted

by Jordanian King Abdullah II, according to a statement from the Office of the President.

During the two-hour virtual meeting, Duterte called on “more openness, deeper solidarity, and stronger cooperation among nations” to facilitate economic recovery and effectively combat terrorism and violent extremism.

He emphasized that all nations, including the Philippines, are fighting the exact same “invisible menace”.

“Our urgent common response was to close down borders and impose limits to mobility and trade.

The repercussions, as we are seeing now, are grim and far-reaching. We have economies in recession, institutions in crisis, and societies in state of uncertainty,” he said.

Duterte also pointed out that while the Philippines is navigating itself out of the pandemic, terrorists are taking advantage of the country’s increased vulnerability.

“Local terrorist groups, such as the Abu Sayyaf, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the

New People’s Army of the Communist Party of the Philippines, are exploiting the situation to serve their nefarious ends,” he said.

However, he said that the Philippines’ resolve to fight terrorism has gotten stronger.

“Now, more than ever, our resolve is stronger: We will not let up in our fight against terrorism. And we will not allow Covid-19 to bring our people to their knees," he said.

According to Duterte, leaders should not pass the chance to “build a new order” that “has no room for the barbarity of terrorists and extremist forces” and “where progress and prosperity are enjoyed by all”.

He urged counterparts to “honor those who have fallen to the invisible enemy that is the pandemic and the scourge of terrorism”.

Duterte said the key to shared prosperity is the free movement of goods, capital, and services, complemented with appropriate social safety nets.

“This is why we in (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) are drawing up a comprehensive recovery plan anchored on strengthening economic cooperation and supply chain connectivity,” he said.

He vowed to intensify cooperation with Asean, the United Nations, and other international partners, including Jordan.

Meanwhile, he thanked King Abdullah II for the timely convening of the

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EDGEDAVAO

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Livestock ship with 39 Pinoy crew missing off SW Japan

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livestock ship carrying 39 Filipino seamen has gone missing off Japan’s waters in the East China Sea, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo confirmed Thursday.

Rescue operations are already ongoing as of this moment, the embassy said.

“The Japan Coast Guard is conducting rescue operations involving a vessel with 39 Filipino seafarers, among other nationalities, onboard,” the text read.

“PH Embassy in Tokyo and PH Consulate General in Osaka are coordinating with the Japan Coast Guard on this,” it added.

A sister of one of the Filipino crew, who refused to be named, said that she was still speaking to her brother over the phone

at around 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday until they lost communication.

After losing contact, she said she could not reach the other Filipino seamen onboard, until the manning company which employed her brother confirmed the incident that occurred amid strong winds in the area due to Typhoon Maysak.

Some foreign news outfits reported that the 39 Filipinos including the captain in the Panamanian-registered freighter were onboard with four other foreign crew members. The vessel was reportedly en route to China from New Zealand.

CNN Philippines is trying to get more details from the Philippine government.

PNP creates task force to probe Aug. 29 Kabacan mass shooting

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he Philippine National Police (PNP) has organized a special team tasked to investigate the August 29 shooting of nine persons in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Major Peter Pinalgan, chief of the Kabacan Municipal Police Station, said the task force is headed by their superior, Col. Henry Villar, director of the Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO).

The group was organized after Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco gave the police a marching order to identify those behind the killings and place them behind bars.

Pinalgan said among the tasks given to the special investigation team was to link with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Anti-Cyber Crime Prevention Unit based in General Santos City to identify netizens or groups sowing hate messages in social media.

Pinalgan told media here that it was unfortunate that the shooting that killed nine Moro civilians was pictured in social media as the start of a “Muslim-Christian” war.

“That is not true. There

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is no such thing as Muslim-Christian war. This is just mere mass shooting with a motive that we have yet to fathom or dig deeper,” he stressed in an interview over RONDA FM TeleRadyo 106.1.

The task force is also bent to dispel as “fake news” the reports that circulated over social media that the PNP was behind the killings and that it was a retaliation to avenge the death on August 24 of former Carmen PNP chief, Major Joan Resurrecion.

But the regional director of the Commission on Human Rights in Region 12, lawyer Erlan Deluvio, said on Tuesday that the ninth victim, identified as Nasher Guiaman, told CHR-12 investigators before he died in the hospital that policemen stopped and shot them.

“This dying declaration of the victim who managed to speak to his relatives before he died alleging policemen were behind [the killings] will be very important to the case,” he pointed out.

Police Colonel Bernard Tayong, the task force spokesman, said their

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Enumerators check their lists before conducting census near a residential area in Davao City. Philippine Statistics Authority 11 (PSA 11) is asking the help of the barangays to assist and ensure the safety of the enumerators conducting the 2020 Census on Population and Housing. Edge Davao

Barangays told to ensure safety of census enumerators

By MAYA M. PADILLO he regional office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA 11) is asking the help of barangay officials to assist and ensure the safety of the enumerators conducting the 2020 census on population and housing in their respective barangays which commenced on Wednesday (September 2, 2020).

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“All enumerators are advised that on the first hour of the census-taking they should coordinate with the barangay officials and their purpose in the barangay. During the courtesy call they will ask if there are areas in the barangay na Covid-19 positive, determine the peace and order in the said barangay.

Naa ko’y enumerator sa miaging census-taking nga gikulata,” said Pepito Amoyen, officer-in-charge of PSA 11 in a virtual presser

on Wednesday.

Amoyen said enumerators are also advised to coordinate with the leaders in the Indigenous People (IP) communities.

“Kay naa pud ko’y enumerator nga gi-pana during the census.

Pag-pangutana ngano gi-pana nga naglakaw lang man tong enumerator, ang tubag kay gisulayan lang daw niya kung maigo. Mao na kinahanglan nato assistance coming from barangay officials much more to

IP leaders nga dapat makipag-tambayayong sila ug mutabang para successful ang conduct sa census,” Amoyen said.

For barangays under lockdowns due to Covid-19, Amoyen said enumerators are advised not to conduct the census-taking in these areas to ensure their safety.

“When the area under lockdown is already cleared that is the time we could let our enumerators push through the census taking,” he said.

Enumerators will observe distancing and wear face masks and face shields while conducting data collection.

Amoyen said there are about 5,792 enumerators hired in Davao Region and of these 942 were assigned in Davao de Oro, 977 in Davao del Norte; 3,104 in

Davao del Sur (including Davao City), 277 in Davao Occidental and 492 in Davao Oriental.

He said there are 185 census area supervisors (CAS) hired in Region 11 wherein 38 of these were hired for Davao de Oro, 39 for Davao del Norte, 79 for Davao del Sur, 11 for Davao Occidental, and 18 for Davao Oriental. There are 1,144 team supervisors, who will lead a team composed of four or five enumerators and of these 188 team supervisors were hired for Davao de Oro, 196 for Davao del Norte, 620 for Davao del Sur, 51 for Davao Occidental, and 89 for Davao Oriental.

PSA said all the enumerators underwent training on the proper way of collecting data and it aims to complete the census within this month.

– which is the real HPBS – has been moved by Secretary Tugade from February 2022 to November 2021.

But our interim HPBS, we are doing our best to start anytime. Our interim HPBS is coming soon,” she said.

The mayor said the local government has yet to distribute the social packages to the drivers who would be displaced, many of whom would be transferred, for the meantime, to a different route when the interim phase of the bus system gets started.

“We are not yet ready to move our jeepneys to other routes. Our plan right now with the interim, is to transfer them to a different route. Once they are transferred to a different route, they will be given cash assistance,” she added.

to enroll affected drivers in government programs, including a college scholarship for single drivers, Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa mga Displaced/ Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad), and training on bus driving and repair at the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

In hiring drivers and mechanics for HPBS, Duterte said that bus companies serving any of the routes would prioritize the displaced drivers.

Norman Baloro, commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, said the government has allocated at least P900 million for 19,249 jeepney operators and drivers to be affected

by HPBS.

gram will include, among others, scholarship for the children of affected drivers and operators, livelihood assistance, certificate course on bus driving for displaced operators and drivers who want to apply as HPBS drivers, and livelihood training for the family members with TESDA. The HPBS will need around 3,000 bus drivers, he said.

In a press release dated December 5, 2019, the DOTr announced that the bus system is scheduled for implementation from 2020 to 2023, and aims to “provide an efficient and affordable mode of transport for Dabawenyos through the delivery” of a modern HPBS. It added that the in-

PH launching COVID-19 contact- DOTr expedites implementation of bus system in Davao City ransportation Secre- anytime.

Duterte said that the According to him, the tracing app to rescue economy tary Arthur Tugade “The partial operation local government plans social development pro-

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he Philippines on Thursday is launching a coronavirus-contact tracing app that aims to lure back the public to business establishments and rescue the economy from recession, an official said.

The Stay Safe app is free for download and does not require mobile prepaid load to function, said COVID-19 testing czar Vince Dizon.

With the app, users can just take a photo of the QR codes in malls, banks, restaurants, trains and buses, instead of manually filling up contact-tracing sheets, he said.

The app will allow users to be easily notified by authorities if a person they had close contact with in these places tests positive for the novel coronavirus,

Dizon said.

StaySafe will “build public confidence to use these facilities and help rev up the economy,” he said.

Only the government will have access to user data from the app developed in partnership with the private sector, including the MVP Group of Companies, Dizon said.

The Philippines tumbled into recession after its biggest quarterly contraction on record, data showed in August, as the economy reeled from coronavirus lockdowns that have wrecked businesses and thrown millions out of work.

Gross domestic product shrank 16.5 percent onyear in the second quarter, the Philippine Statistics

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has fast-tracked the implementation of the highly anticipated high priority bus system (HPBS), a mass public transport modernization program that seeks to decongest traffic in Davao City, according to Mayor Sara Duterte.

During her live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), Duterte said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has moved the partial implementation of the P18.6-billion project to an earlier date, from the initial schedule of February 2022 to November 2021.

Even as the HPBS has yet to be implemented next year, Duterte said that the local government would pursue an interim HPBS, which is expected to start

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ARTA applies strategy on telco to speed up water projects

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he Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said it will apply a similar strategy on the telecommunications sector to fast-track the review and approval of key water-resource projects.

In a statement, ARTA Director General Jeremiah Belgica said the agency heed the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte through Administrative Order No. 32 on “Expediting the Review and Approval Process of Infrastructure Flagship Projects on Water Security” signed August 26.

“We heed the instruction of the President to strictly implement the provisions of RA (Republic Act) 11032 on these projects. The same strategy that ARTA has been employing with the common tower will also be applied to fast-track the processing of water infrastructure projects,” Belgica said.

RA 11032, also known as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, aims to streamline the current systems and procedures of government services.

For the telecommunications sector, ARTA issued a Joint Memorandum Circular to automatically approve all pending applications for common telecommunication towers with the local government units (LGUs) “We call on all agencies and LGUs involved, move faster as directed by the President. Giving procedural or logistical delay as reasons will no longer cut it; we have to find a way,” Belgica said.

He said ARTA will closely coordinate with acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua and Presidential Adviser for Flagship Programs Vivencio Dizon to identify the water-resource infrastructure projects with pending applications.

ARTA will also meet with water concessionaires and stakeholders.

“The movement and completion of infrastructure projects for water security projects is a high priority for the administration and is precisely the reason for this Administrative Order,” the ARTA chief said.

(PNA)

Diokno cites importance of FIST Bill on PH economy

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sset quality of Philippine banks remains strong but measures such as the proposed Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) bill will prevent it from deteriorating vis-à-vis the impact of the pandemic.

In his presentation during a Senate hearing Wednesday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said results of a survey conducted by the central bank among top domestic banks showed that the pandemic’s hit on the financial institutions’ operations is massive.

He said non-performing loan (NPL) ratio is projected to doble from 2.4 percent as of last March to 4.6 percent by end-December 2020.

He attributed this to borrowers’ reduced capacity to pay their loans because of the disruption in their cash flows.

The same survey showed that deterioration in asset quality may decline banks’ consolidated capital adequacy ratio (CAR) to 14.8 percent by the end of this year from 15.0 percent as of last March.

“The impact of the pandemic is significant,” he said.

Diokno said authorities should also learn from the lessons during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

He said the domestic banking industry entered the said crisis with strong fundamentals, with the industry’s CAR higher than the minimum international standard of eight percent and the NPL at below four percent.

He said that because the sector’s fundamentals

were strong there seemed to be no need for any intervention, which, later on proved to be wrong since NPL ratio crept and peaked at 18.6 percent in 2002.

“The NPL of Philippine banks also markedly deteriorated compared to that of other banks in jurisdictions which aggressively implemented government intervention programs to shore up confidence in the banking system,” he said.

He said NPL ratio and non-performing assets (NPAs) is a lagging indicator of the banking sector’s performance and a high ratio “points to severe weakness in the financial system and poor state of the country.”

High levels of these two indicators also impact on investors’ confidence and prevent the efficient conduct of financial intermediation, he said.

“Moreover, empirical studies show that an increase in NPLs leads to a reduction in credit supply, rise in unemployment and slowdown in overall economic activity in emerging economies,” he said.

Diokno said the proposed FIST Bill will address these concerns, noting that the measure is an improved version of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) Act of 2002 as it incorporates learnings and experiences from the said law.

He said the proposed measure is expected to “induce economic activity and improve the liquidity of the financial system, enabling FIs (financial institutions) to respond to the looming increase in NPAs, and therefore, propel economic growth.”

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Attendees of a gathering wear face masks and full-face face shields, a mandatory health policy of the government which is being stricly implemented.

According to the latest study, people wearing plastic face shields or masks

fitted with a valve can spray invisible droplets over a very wide area when they sneeze or cough, making the devices ineffective at preventing the spread of coronavirus when used on their own. Edge Davao

Agribusiness, processing seen to be PH’s sunrise agri subsector

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epartment of Agriculture Secretary William Dar has identified sunrise subsectors in agriculture amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

“Agribusiness will continue to be the emerging subsector in agriculture, much more processing industry,” Dar said during Wednesday’s Rebooting Philippine Agriculture webinar of the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC).

He added it is also important to increase the productivity of agricultural products for the Philippines to be more competitive in the global market.

Dar said the country should further develop cacao and coffee industries, while Philippine cardava banana or saba, mango, and pineapple still have huge potential in markets abroad.

Christopher Ilagan, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) co-chairman, said the country can also look into sustainable agriculture products, such as animal protein and co-

conut oil.

“Another one, we can look into animal protein markets. Knowing that our GDP (gross domestic product) has contracted, but with the growing wealthy population, we could imagine more consumption of these things. That’s certainly one. In the coconut sector, one thing we do is the coconut oil. But positioning that as a sustainable product abroad, we’ll create a special position versus the likes of palm oil, which is seen as less sustainable,” he said.

Ilagan said three out of the 28 priority bills pushed by the JFC and Philippine Business Groups for enactment will improve the country’s agriculture sector. These include Farm Entrepreneurship Act, amendments to the AgriAgra Law, and the Water Department Act. For AmCham alone, the business group supports

the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act as well as the Rice and Corn Industry Liberalization Act. The JFC also has key recommendations to the government in terms of market access, access to finance, freeing up the land market, and building infrastructures critical for the growth of the agriculture sector.

These recommendations are expanding access to market both domestically and abroad by implementing Ease of Doing Business, pursuing reforms in the protection and incentive regime, and capitalizing on existing market arrangements; improving logistics and other services through policy reforms like amendments of the Public Service Law; expanding the implementation of provisions of the Agricultural Fisheries Modernization Act on public sector and research and development for agriculture to encourage private sector’s participation and innovation; and overhauling the agricultural extension system with the prov-

ince as the focal point of governance and extension workers equipped with modern communication technologies.

To improve access to finance, the JFC proposed to formulate and implement an inclusive finance strategy for the smallholders and small fisherfolk, as well as support for agricultural finance, and move away from mandatory allocations towards incentivizing value chain finance.

The group also wants the promotion of individual fee simple rights through subdivision of collective certificate of land ownership award and lifting transfer and ownership restrictions, and shifting toward more consolidated farmland operations by lifting ownership ceilings on agricultural land.

The JFC suggests promoting infrastructure investment by expanding private sector investments in private infrastructure goods, such as postharvest facilities, cold storage, and food terminals and by concentrating public investments on public goods and quality services. (PNA)

try’s economy to weather the challenges posed by the health crisis.

Aboitiz said his team regularly inspects current operations at AP Renewables, Inc. Makiling-Banahaw (MakBan) Geothermal Power Plant, and its other businesses to check on the working conditions of the team members and frontline workers.

“Aboitiz is committed to provide unhampered delivery of products and services across critical sectors that will help keep our economy moving,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

The group will contin-

ue to provide reliable and ample power supply to the country; ensure food security along with our partners; continue to create better ways to live; and ensure enough and domestically-produced cement of good quality to support the country’s infrastructure initiatives, he added.

In all these visits, Aboitiz said these facilities are carefully following strict pre-entry safety requirements, health screening, and other safety protocols.

“On top of keeping unhampered operations on various work sites and

business facilities, the most important thing is ensuring that our team members especially those in the frontlines, those who are keeping the lights on; those who are keeping the machines running; and those who are building our homes one brick at a time are well taken-cared of; that they are healthy, safe and their needs are met,” Aboitiz said.

To ensure a safe working environment, Republic Cement Batangas plant manager Erwin Cruz said strict pre-entry screening requirements and health

Aboitiz reassures continuous business ops amid Covid-19

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he Aboitiz Group has reassured customers of its continuous operation while imposing health and safety protocols due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

This, as the firm manages critical industries such as power, banking and financial services, food, land, and infrastructure, including cement manufacturing and construction.

Sabin Aboitiz, company president and chief executive officer, shared the commitment to keep its businesses running smoothly to help the coun-

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VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

New ISP to provide options on internet requirements

By MAYA M. PADILLO nternet services will no longer be about Smart and Globe as Converge ICT Solutions Inc., a telecommunication and cable television service provider, is set to enter Davao City and General Santos City next year.

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Antonio Peralta, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Business Council (ECCP-SMBC), said Converge will set up its submarine cable initially in Gen. Santos City followed by Davao City.

He said the hub in Davao City will serve the entire Davao Region.

“But all of that will happen between the first and second quarter of 2021.

This will immediately provide us with an option on our internet requirements,” Peralta said.

Peralta said based on statements made by Converge in an online conference entitled “Internet

Connectivity: Readiness to the New Normal”, the company will provide internet services to MSMEs and residential communities and it will provide fixed broadband service.

Considered the country’s first pure end-to-end fiber internet provider, Converge has doubled its bandwidth to the government-managed internet exchange, PHOpenIX, that aims to optimize internet usage in the country.

PHOpenIX, is operated by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), mandated to lead the research and development of technolo-

gy solutions to modernize Information and Communications Technology and microelectronics in the country.

“Focusing on maximizing internet usage in the country, Converge ICT doubled its bandwidth to PHOpenIX, which is the only available and neutral Internet Exchange locally that allows the internet traffic exchange in a free-market situation among local internet and data service carriers. They have very good reviews from their subscribers in Metro Manila and other provinces. The company has been around for a while now and has been laying cables in Luzon and now in the Visayas, then here in Davao next year,” Peralta said.

Peralta said the entry of Converge will have an impact on the competitiveness of doing business in Davao City. He said ECCP-SMBC always look at

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European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines-Southern Mindanao Business Council (ECCP-SMBC) chair Antonio Peralta discloses that a new

Int'l air passenger demand drops by 91.9% in July

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he international air passenger demand dropped dramatically by 91.9 percent in July, year-on-year, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on Tuesday.

The demand saw a slight recovery from the previous month, when the demand posted 96.8 percent annual decline, the IATA said in a press release.

"Capacity plummeted

85.2 percent, and load factor sank 38.9 percentage points to 46.4 percent," it added.

Reopening aviation market in the Schengen Area contributed to the international demand in Europe but other global markets posted slight changes in July, versus June, it noted.

Alexandre de Juniac, the CEO of the IATA, said: "The crisis in demand continued with little re-

spite in July. With essentially four in five air travelers staying home, the industry remains largely paralyzed."

"Governments reopening and then closing borders or removing and then re-imposing quarantines does not give many consumers confidence to make travel plans, nor airlines to rebuild schedules," he added.

The press release also showed that domestic air

traffic was also down by 57.5 percent in July, after the decline of 68 percent in June.

Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has infected millions of people and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives globally.

Measures to stem the novel coronavirus hit several sectors deeply, especially travel, aviation, tourism, and manufacturing. (Anadolu)

es had already recovered and able to meet their financial obligations.

Had the SPV law been available earlier at that time, the local banks could have helped businesses recover faster, Dominguez told senators.

“This time, we are acting swiftly and proactively while our banks’ asset quality is still relatively solid. Financial institutions also need time to learn how to use these instruments. Your Honors, now is the time to act.

Fireproofing, after all, is best done before the fire,” said Dominguez during the virtual joint hearing on the FIST bill conducted by the Senate committees on banks, financial institutions and currencies, and on ways and means.

The FIST bill was among the priority measures that President Duterte urged the Congress during his 5th Stateof-the-Nation Address (SONA) last July 27 to act on quickly as part of the government’s economic recovery program.

The House of Representatives had already passed its version of the FIST bill on third and final reading before the sine

die adjournment of the Congress in June.

“Enacting FIST will fortify the financial sector and keep it strong and stable for the difficult task of rebuilding our economy,” Dominguez said.

Under the FIST Act, allowing banks to outsource the management of their non-performing assets to asset management companies will enable them to focus on what they do best, which is their primary task of lending to sectors in need of credit, Dominguez said.

“By keeping non-performing assets contained and managed, FIST will expand the amount of risk banks can take. This benefit cannot be understated in a crisis, when lending to businesses is riskier but also more urgently needed,” he said.

Dominguez said the FIST Act is an "improved version" of the old SPV law, and will help the financial system mobilize credit for the productive segments of the economy.

FIST will also encourage the private sector, government financial institutions (GFIs) and government-owned or -controlled corporations (GO-

CCs) to help rehabilitate distressed businesses, he added.

The measure provides tax incentives to defray the transaction and transfer costs of non-performing assets to asset management companies.

Dominguez said this would entail foregone revenues of between P3.3 billion to P13 billion every year for the next five years to clear the books of banks of bad debts, and to keep the economy going.

“We believe that the economic benefits of strengthening the financial sector through this effort outweigh the fiscal costs of doing so,” he said.

Dominguez said the Congress' swift action on the FIST Act will boost trust and confidence in the financial system, as banks remain among the country’s strongest economic assets as a result of prudent reforms put in place by the past administrations, and the sound macroeconomic and fiscal management policies of President Duterte.

In the past, the lessons learned from the Asian financial crisis along with reforms such as the SPV

Proposed FIST law ensures faster economic recovery: DOF chief

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inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Wednesday that swift action to preserve the asset quality of banking institutions will ensure the continued strength of the financial sector, which, in turn, will help the economy recover faster from the global health and economic crises spawned by the coronavirus pandemic.

Dominguez stressed this point in calling on the Congress to act fast in approving the proposed Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer (FIST) Act, which, he said, will protect the financial sector from any lasting damage from the unprecedented economic crisis by guaranteeing a steady source of credit for the pandemic-hit sectors of the economy while providing safeguards to consumers.

He recalled that to stem the damage to the economy of the 1997 Asian financial crisis that lasted till the early 2000s, a similar measure—the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Act of 2002--was passed by the Congress, but this law was enacted only five years later when most distressed business-

FPROPOSED, P10

internet service provider is set to enter the Davao City and General Santos markets. Edge Davao

PH debt hits P9.16T in July, as gov't borrowings continue to rise

T

he Philippines’ debt hit P9.16 trillion at the end of July, the Bureau of Treasury said on Wednesday.

This was higher by P1.36 trillion or 17.4 percent compared to the same month last year, and P1.43 trillion or 18.5 percent higher than at the end of December 2019.

Treasury said the total debt stock for the month increased by P110.09 billion from its end-June 2020 level as the government continued to borrow from both domestic and foreign creditors to finance its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the total outstanding debt stock, 31.7 percent was foreign debt while 68.3 percent was domestic debt.

Since the start of the year, the national government’s domestic debt has increased by P1.12 trillion, while foreign debt rose P303.9 billion.

Treasury data showed that in the first 7 months of the year, the government

borrowed a total of P157 billion from the Asian Development Bank, of which P76.27 billion was under the COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support Program or CARES. The government also borrowed P85.78 billion from the World Bank and P37.13 billion from China’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The Philippine economy shrank a record 16.5 percent in the second quarter plunging the country into recession, following one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world to curb the spread of COVID-19.

An independent survey also showed adult unemployment hitting a record 45.5 percent in July.

Official unemployment statistics will be released on Thursday Sept. 3.

Despite the country's record debt, government economic managers have said that the country's debt situation remains manageable.

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday it was investigating a cyberheist at the government controlled United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB).

“The BSP is well-aware of the reported UCPB incident and has been in close coordination with the bank since the early part of its investigation,” the BSP said in a statement.

Initial investigation results indicate no financial losses or damages were incurred by UCPB account holders, the BSP said.

“We remain steadfast in fully resolving the matter as we work closely

with the bank and relevant law enforcement agency,” it added.

United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) on Wednesday assured its clients that it "remains strong and profitable" while assuring depositors that clients’ funds were unaffected. Hackers allegedly stole P167 million from UCPB while the state-owned bank was implementing a security upgrade.

Citing a bank insider, Bilyonaryo.com.ph said hackers used a computer virus with surveillance and remote access func-

BSP probes alleged UCPB cyberheist

T

FBSP, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) On Mindanao being in a better shape compared three or four months back, even amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic” We are noting a slight reduction of power demand considering that most energy-hungry establishments such as malls, hotel industries are operating at a reduced capacity or have ceased operations ... There are farmers in rural areas already generating revenues because the demand of these commodities is back ...

This time we have to look at different mindsets in terms of our way forward direction in Mindanao and that we have to be back to where we have been strong which is on agriculture.”

Romeo Montenegro MinDA assistant secretary

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 116 • TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020

7 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

LIVING

FRED C. LUMBA

ZREWARDS, GLOBE GAMES LAUNCH MOBILE LEGENDS COSPLAY CONTEST SPECKS OF LIFE

CITIZEN COOPERATION, NOT LOCKDOWNS

Even amateur economists will tell you lockdowns will bring down a nation’s economy.

Initially, the US heeded WHO warnings by locking down its entry points from all incoming foreign visitors as alarming WE ARE news reportsALL cited HEhundreds of ROES! Inofcelebration of thousands infections worldwide.

National Heroes Day, However, bythe ZRewards Zealeconomic and repercussions did not sit well Globe Games and eSwith government authorities as port came togethermarched for Americans indignantly an online cosplay comto express their freedoms while millions lost theirwill jobs.run petition that American intelligence gathuntil September 6, 2020. ering also decried the doubtThe Grand Prize offers ful pronouncements of WHO the diathat winner came too 10,000 late in declaring monds, the official curthe CoVid19 was a pandemic.

Trump eventually rency inside thewithdrew MobileUS funding support of $425M from Legends platform.

WinWHO whom he suspected was ners will be announced playing footsy with rival China on September 7, 2020. where, not incidentally, the vicontest is open to everyrusThe originated. audacious counter-play one The in the Philippines.

Each US Pres.

Donald Trump did to participant must post a photo prevent America’s total ecoof himself in cosplay his the nomic collapse arisingoffrom

favorite Mobile Legends character. To qualify, each entry must be posted on Instagram through a public account, use the hashtags #WeAreHeroes and #MLBB, register at https:// zeal.ph/signup , and follow the official Facebook and Instagram pages of both Mobile Legends and Zeal PH. To validate the Zeal registration, the user must post his referral code in the caption of the photo. Interested participants may visit weareheroes.zeal.ph for the complete mechanicsFeras When the President a guide. E. Marcos launched dinand Bagong Lipunan (New SociThere will be a total of 25 ety), he initiated several proWinners - a grand prize wingrams and initiatives. ner who will receive 10,000Perhaps one offour thegold most popular diamonds, prize slogans during that time was: winners who willng receive 5,000 “Sa ikakaunlad bayan, didiamonds and twenty siplina angeach, kailangan.”

It can silver prize winners who will be literally translated as: in receivefor 1,000 diamondstoeach. order a country progress, discipline is needed.

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, “Why discipline importwhich has is millions of users in ant?” asked John F. MacArthur Jr. “Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than desire. Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not inherently sinful) puts THE women of ABS-CBN’s us infeisty control of our appetites family Thy Woman” ratherdrama than “Love vice versa.

It deposes are in forour theirlust finaland battlepermits of wits truth, virtue, andChiu, integrity and instinct as Kim Yam to rule our minds instead.”

Concepcion, Eula Valdes, Sunyou and loveRuffa football, then shineIfCruz, Gutierrez you probably know Jerry Lee continue pursue love, wealth,he Rice. Totothe uninformed, and the last twofootball weeks wasjustice an in American of the series airing on Kapamilya wide receiver who played Channel and Kapamilya Online 20 seasons in the National Football League. He is widely Live. considered to be the The brawl between thegreatest three wide receiver in NFL Wong families comes to anhistory exand among NFL plosive close asthe the greatest culprit behind players overall.

Adam’s (Christopher de Leon) There is an interesting death is revealed. anecdote on how he became FurtherIn steering the family101: into such.

Leadership turmoil is the scheming Amandato What Every Leader Needs (Ruffa), who hasJohn turned Lucy Know, author C. on Maxwell relatesand this story:in court (Eula) testified “Peoplefirst who him that Adam’s wife knew is his true

CoVid19 outbreak saved the nation from the edge of a civil war.

He re-opened the US economy guided by a firm posture that the CoVid19 did not pose real threats to the citizens if Americans were to strictly observe health protocols and lived normally as they did before.

Initially, chaotic riots and looting, causing death and injury and destruction of property, occurred in several Democrat-controlled cities which were trumpeted extensively by the mainstream media to portray the US was in apparent disarray.

Trump, much like PRRD, does not have the mainstream media on his side.

America is now surely recovering, though rather slowly.

(Just a side bar, in California, despite stern warnings from the governor, Pastor John MacArthur defiantly conducted a worship service in his Grace Community Church in LA where an overflow crowd of 3,000 worshipers – wearing no face

masks and observing no social distancing – attended. He was to be fined $1,000 for every infraction but a court eventually acquitted Pastor MacArthur.)

The fact remains that if Trump completely surrendered America’s fate to the WHO and pursued a lockdown policy as the Philippines is doing for almost six months now, the USA either would have been plunged into a civil war that it did not desire or the POTUS would have declared martial law to prevent the former from happening.

Truth to tell, the infectious level of CoVid19 is not as deathly threatening as dengue. Parents will tell you that they fear the latter disease more than CoVid19 which is nothing more than a common flu.

Simple traditional cures like gargling with salt and hot water, ample taking of Vit C and regularly observing correct hygiene prevent the virus from infecting a person.

Hospitals inclination to diagnose a patient with flu as

Covid infected because of the PHILHEALTH guaranteed payment plan of P750K per patient has been exposed in the Congressional hearings.

But as you noticed, even without the vaccine, thousands of Filipinos reported to be CoVid positive have recovered.

In fact, many do not go anymore to the hospital for confinement when they feel their temperatures rise.

(I, for one and my family, will not go to the hospital for treatment of the flu. I fear more to be contaminated in the hospital rather than getting a sure cure at home.)

As a result of our continued blind obedience to the WHO directives, millions of Filipinos have lost their jobs, OFWs are repatriated home and are idle and grumbling, economic activities careened to a halt, children stopped going to school, families of office workers, laborers and transport daily wage earners have gone hungry and unfed.

WHO successfully intim-

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

DISCIPLINE IS THE KEY well say he is natural. Physthe Philippines, is on the ically his God-given giftstopare incredible, yet played thoseinalone of mobile games the have notIts made him and great. country. creative dy-The real to his immersive success has namickey characters, been his self-discipline. gaming environments, and He works and prepares -- day in community activiand day outbuilding -- unlike anyone ties, allows the app tofootball. facilitate else in professional team“During building,practice strategy,in andhigh communications development. school, Rice’s coach, Charles Davis, his players sprint “Wemade are excited to venture twenty times up and down a into this partnership with forty-yard hill. On a particularly hot and hungry Mississippi day, Rice was ready to give up after eleven trips. As he sneaked toward the locker room, he realized what he killer.doing.

Although in a turbulent was relationship Kai “’Don’t with quit,’thehesuspect, told himself.

‘Because get (Sunshine) and Jiaonce (Kim)you are not into that mode of quitting, convinced that Lucy is capable of then feel likeWith it’sthis, okay.’ killingyou her husband.

Jia He went back and finished asks David (Xian Lim) for help to his sprints, and he has never furthera scrutinize her half-brothbeen quitter since.” er Gab (Karl And so,Gabriel).

Rice became a Meanwhile, thefootball rivalry between professional playthe -half-sisters on aftertoo. the er and waspresses so famous, “Even in the off-season, while imprisonment of Lucy, as a weepother players are tofishing or ing Dana (Yam) goes David for lying around enjoying downcomfort. Instead of consoling his time, Rice is working, ex-wife, David chooses tohis helpnormal exercise routine lasting Jia in her personal investigations. from 7:00 am to noon,” MaxFilledwrote. with anger and jealousy, well DanaDiscipline then heads to to -- Singapore that’s what take back herRice adopted songood Mi- to separates from chael forLeonardo herself. da Vinci puts great. it Isthis will ofnever Lucyway: truly “You the culprit have a greater or lesser all crimes?

Who among the fivedo-

minion than that over yourGlobe Games and Esports.

In self...the height of a man’s success is months, gaugedZRewards by his the coming self-mastery; the its depth of his will be expanding portfolio failure by his self-abandonof offers to the esports and ment. this law is theWe exmobile...And gaming categories. pression of eternal justice. He are happy to offer players new who cannot establish dominand over exciting deals will to enhance ion himself have no their gaming experience,” dominion over others.” said Glenn Z. Estrella, According to EntrepreMaxwell, in order us to develop a lifeneur Infor Residence of ZRewards style of discipline, we have to

by Zeal. accept challenge and eliminate any tendency that makes us to come up with some excuses. “Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we think up to hide women deserves the right towriter them,” French classical Adam’s riches?

Who between the Francois La Rochefoucauld wrote. half-sisters will build a family creative writing, diswithIn David and Michael? cipline is who a prerequisite.

Find out the last womanMichael Chabon need standing will be said, in the “You last two three things to become a sucweeks of “Love Thy Woman,” cessful novelist: talent, luck Mondays to Fridays, at 2:30 PM is and discipline. Discipline on Kapamilya Online Live on the one element of those three ABS-CBN Entertainment’s Facethings that you can control, and that isYouTube the one channel, that you bookso page and have focus controlling, and onto cable and on satellite TV via and you just have (SkyCable to hope and Kapamilya Channel trust in8the two.” channel SD other and 167 HD, CableThis is what author H. link channel 8, GSat Direct TV Jackson Brown said, “Talchannel 22, anddiscipline PCTA-member ent without is like cable operators). of an octopus onLivestreaming roller skates. the Kapamilya Channel and onThere’s plenty of movement, demand of its programs but youviewing never know if it’s going to be forward, backwards, are available on the iWant app or andsideways.” on iwant.ph.

“No success was won ZRewards Zeal is the without self-bydetermination and self-discipline,” country’s newest one-stopwrote shop Lailah Giftydeals.

AkitaThrough in Pearls for awesome of Wisdom: their website,Great users Mind. from allWilliam Cullen Bryant over the Philippines canrewrote grab Thanatopsis a hundred times. hold of premium and solid Edward Gibbon rewrote ofhis fers redeemable at nine their favorite Autobiography times. onlinewrote shops the andfirst physical Plato sentence stores. of all, there’s of his Best Republic nine no times.

Virgil 12 Membership years writing stringsspent attached. his Aeneid. is free, so the entire family can Practice makes perfect, so goes a popular saying. That is what discipline is all about.

“I believe that we learn by practice,” Martha Graham, American modern dancer and choreographer, believes.

“Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same.

“In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one’s being, a satisfaction of spirit,” Graham further said. “One becomes, in some area, an athlete of God. Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired.”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart also said: “It is a mistake

idated Third World countries like us, those in Africa and South America, and we cowered in fear like street dogs scampering with their tails between their legs.

I agree with DTI Sec. Rajoin in on the fun.remarked that mon Lopez who On the other DCserved lockdowns havehand, already their purpose.Head It is of time to fight Dominguez, Globe back and open the economy.

Games and Esports, said: The back-to-normal strate“We’ve seen wonderful gy should bea the focus aslevel pubof engagement with sublic consumption willour stimulate scribers when comes to moconfidence andithelp restore the vigorous financial posturelike the bile games.

Collaborations country before CoVid this withenjoyed our valued partners, 19. especially withthe theresiliency aim of en- of Besides, gaging our customers further the Filipinos is a natural virtue through these kinds of fun and imbedded in his character.

He will survive the challenges creative activities, are key in of time and men. our strategy of keeping Globe Someone said: “When evat the forefront erything seemsof the to games be going and esports against you, landscape.” remember that the Globe Games andagainst eSportsthe airplane takes off wind, notway with it.”enhancing (Email your leads the into feedback fredlumba@yahoo. customer to experience in the use com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPof data and internet services PINES!

for leisure gaming activities.

From creating eSports leagues to the promotion of exclusive Globe offers to cater to the needs of gamers, Globe Games and eSports continues to reshape the digital gaming industry.

With this pandemic, the esports and gaming categories have thrived and accelerated their growth in user base and revenues. This has become one of the strongest leisure activities for kids and adults alike with 74% of thethe digital populato think that practice of my hasmobile become easyin to tion art playing games me.

I assure you, dear friend, the Philippines.

Esports merits no one has given so much care faster-than-average internet to the study composition speeds whichofGlobe continuesas I. There is scarcely a famous to provide through 4G, LTE, master in music whose works and 5G mobile connectivity.

I have not frequently and diliZRewards

by Zeal is a brand gently studied.” under 917Ventures, thealargWhen asked by fellow est corporate incubator in to pianist if he could be ready play a recital on short notice, the Philippines and a whollyJan Paderewski replied, “I am owned subsidiary of Globe. always ready. I have practiced eight hours daily for 40 years.”

“I wish I had been born with such determination,” the other said. Paderewski answered back: “We are all born with it. I just used mine.”

Even if in the beginning you fail, just go on. Discipline yourself no matter what happens, you will be able to attain what you want. An assistant of American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was bewildered when he found out that he did 50,000 experiments before he succeeded with a new storage battery.

“Results?” Edison told him. “Why man, I have gotten lots of results. I now know 50,000 things that won’t work.” “... A disciplined pursuit of less will keep us focused and make the greatest impact,” wrote Tim Hiller in Strive: Life is Short, Pursue What Matters.

WHO WILL BE THE LAST WOMAN STANDING IN THE FINALE OF ‘LOVE THY WOMAN?’

8 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

Pressure on the Philippine Forest Turtle continues

D

emand for the illegal pet trade continues to be a key threat to the Philippine Forest Turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis, prized by collectors for its uniqueness and placed amongst the world’s Top 25 most endangered turtles.

New research that documented seizures, online and market trade over different periods from 2004 found thousands of Philippine Forest Turtle trafficked over the years.

Records from 2004 to 2018 showed 23 seizure incidents resulting in the confiscation of 4,723 individuals. However, a single bust in 2015 in Palawan accounted for 83% of all the animals seized involving close to 4,000 turtles.

No Philippine Forest Turtles were seized in 2019 and 2020.

At least 12 of 23 recorded incidents resulted in the arrest of 21 suspected traffickers. However, only two suspects were known to be convicted, fined, and served jail sentences, including a man who was arrested twice the same year at the Hong Kong International Airport, having

come from the Philippines with a total of 157 turtles.

Eight out of 15 seizure cases in Palawan occurred in the Municipality of Taytay, which suggests its significance as an exit point of the Philippine Forest Turtle.

The endemic turtle has long been a fascination among hobbyists with collection pressure increasing after new populations were found in the early 2000s. It is uncertain if illegally-collected turtles were also destined for the food market.

The turtle has also been illegally offered for trade online in the past 15 years, in the domestic and international pet trade, said authors of the study published in the Philippine Journal of Systematic Biology.

The study recorded 22 of the turtles for sale on-

line through monitoring of social media groups in the Philippines between 2017 and 2018. More recent unpublished trade monitoring found no individuals for sale in 2019, but four individuals were advertised online in April 2020. The authors separately observed over 1,000 Philippine Forest Turtles for sale online on a turtle trading site in China between February and September 2015.

Endangered by trade: seizure analysis of the critically endangered Philip-

pine Forest Turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis from 2004–2018 also highlighted the issues of captive breeding and laundering of wild-caught species as captive bred.

It notes the Philippines reported exporting 74 apparently captive bred individuals between 2011 and 2018. However, the Philippine Forest Turtle—banned from any wild collection and trade since 2001—is widely recognised as notoriously difficult to breed in captivity.

The first known success-

ful instance of captive breeding was documented only after a 10-year effort in June 2018.

Authors said there was a lack of credible evidence to authenticate captive breeding successes in the Philippines or elsewhere prior to 2018, and the Philippine government recently rejected an application by a facility attempting to export specimens declared as captive bred.

“The findings point towards the likelihood of wild-caught specimens being laundered as captive bred,” said TRAFFIC’s lead author Emerson Sy. “Declaring an immediate moratorium on trade in the Philippine Forest Turtle would close this loophole, help the government prevent illegal trade and help ensure the continued survival of this en-

demic species,” Sy said.

The authors also urged wildlife authorities to boost site-based protection, as well as enforcement and prosecution against smugglers.

They called for an inventory of all previously-registered captive Philippine Forest Turtles in private and public facilities in the country and ascertain that these are not permitted for any trade.

"We have recent evidence that illegal collection and trade continue, and that demand for this turtle has not diminished," said Dr. Sabine Schoppe a co-author of the study and head of a programme for the conservation of the species at Katala Foundation Inc. "More protected areas with stronger management and enforcement should be created to address the threats to this turtle. We will continue to combat threats from illegal trade with the support of our partners Palawan Council for Sustainable Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and local governments," Schoppe said.

9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 125 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020

BREAST CANCER: DON’T DIE OF IGNORANCE

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“T

he cancer cells in my brain have been reduced significantly since my radiation program three months ago. I’m off chemo for a whole month.” That was what award-winning filmmaker Marilou Diaz-Abaya posted on her Facebook site in September 2012.

A week before that, she even quoted Albert Einstein with this post: “There’s only two ways to live your life; either by believing that nothing is a miracle, or, by believing that everything is a miracle.”

But on October 7, 2012, the well-loved Filipino director lost her battle against breast cancer. According to her son Marc, his mother passed away at 6:30 p.m. at the St. Luke’s Hospital in Taguig City, after a five-year battle with cancer. She was 57.

Abaya was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007.

Her health improved in 2008 but returned the following year. It was gone again in 2010 and recurred in 2011. “On bad days, she relies on painkillers. On good days, she uses her time to show support for her sons’ numerous endeavors,” Marc was quoted as saying.

Around the world, breast cancer is the leading killer of women ages 35 to 54. More than a million develop the disease without knowing it, and almost 500,000 women die from it every year, according to the International Agency for

Research on Cancer.

In Asia, the Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer. In fact, the data released by the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society in 2017 showed the Philippines had the highest prevalence of breast cancer among 197 countries.

The Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. (PCSI) considered breast cancer as the most common form of cancer in the country – particularly among women. Of all cancer diagnosis, breast cancer accounts for 16% and about 30% of cancer cases among women.

“One out of every 13 Filipino women is expected to develop breast cancer in her lifetime,” pointed out the Asian Hospital and Medical Center.

Breast cancer can strike at any age, but it usually affects women over 35. “Age is the strongest risk factor for this disease,” wrote Sue Ellin Browder in a special report for Reader’s Digest.

Family history is another high-risk factor. This is when a member of the family (mother, aunt, sister, or cousins) has had

breast cancer. A woman who has had certain kinds of non-malignant tumors removed from her breast is also at risk.

Other possible candidates for the disease are women who menstruate early (before age 12) or had a late menopause (after age 50). A woman who is childless or has her first child at age 30 is most likely to develop breast cancer.

Lifestyle also plays an important role in the development of breast cancer.

Those who consume diet high in animal fats (pork, for instance) can also get the disease. A Harvard University study showed

that women who gained 20 to 25 kilograms after age 18 almost double the risk of developing breast cancer following menopause, compared with those who had gained only a few kilograms.

Women who drink alcoholic beverages, watch out! The risk of breast cancer rises 11% if a woman regularly drinks once a day, 24% with two drinks and 40% with more than two, according to research by Lenore Kohlmeier, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the University of Carolina.

The risk of dying from breast cancer, according

to the American Cancer Society, goes up by 25% among smokers. This figure increases in proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years as a smoker. Those who smoke two packs a day or more have a 75% higher risk than non-smokers.

Until now, health experts say they are still vague on what really causes breast cancer. What they know is that breast cancer happens when DNA damage or mutations occur in cells. “Once damaged, these cells may either repair themselves or reproduce rapidly and without control,” explained Dr. Svetlana Piñon-Barrett and Dr. Claudine R. Ordonez, of the Breast Center of National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

“Eventually, the rapidly producing cells form a lump or a mass,” the two NKTI doctors continued.

“Malignant lumps then invade adjacent structures and blood vessels causing it to metastasize to distant sites such as the lymph nodes and other organs.”

Dr. Rachel Rosario, PCSI’s executive director, told Philippine Star that some myths about what causes

breast cancer exist. Some women believe that wearing tight bras, wearing underwire bras, trauma to the beast (such as accidentally being pinched or punched by a child), having bigger breasts, and sleeping facedown may cause breast cancer.

“These are all myths,” Dr. Rosario assured. “They have not been medically associated with an increased risk in breast cancer.”

Unknowingly, there are more than one kind of breast cancer. For instance, a few rare malignancies are so aggressive they’ll kill the victim even if they’re identified on a mammogram when they’re still small. Other types are so “slow-growing” they won’t be fatal even if they’re not diagnosed for years. Still, others start out as treatable tumors that can become more dangerous and difficult to treat as they grow.

The Mayo Clinic states the signs and symptoms of breast cancer may include: a breast lump or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissue; change in the size, shape or appearance of a breast; changes in the size, shape, or appearance of a breast; and changes to the skin over the breast, such as dimpling.

Other symptoms include a newly inverted nipple; peeling, scaling, crusting or flaking of the pigmented area of skin surrounding the nipple or breast skin; and redness or pitting of the skin over your breast, like the skin of an orange.

FBREAST CANCER, P10

10 EDGEDAVAO PRRD... FROM2

meeting which Aqaba partners see the opportunity to recommit to enhanced cooperation.

Duterte also vowed to continue to work on narrowing deep-seated inequalities as an integral part of its whole-of-nation strategy on countering terrorism and violent extremism.

The Aqaba Process meeting gathered leaders and heads of international organizations for an exchange of views on strengthening international cooperation in light of the increased vulnerability of many countries to radicalization and violent extremism resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA)

group had started profiling possible suspects in the shooting.

Tayong stressed the slugs recovered at the crime scene were already submitted to the PNP Crime Laboratory for “cross-matching.”

The suspects, he hinted, could be part of a group connected to a terror organization or a criminal syndicate.

Tayong refused, though, to provide media results of such investigations as it might put in danger the lives of their key witnesses.

The task force is composed of key officers from CPPO, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and the NBI Anti-Crime Prevention Unit.

The Philippine Army in North Cotabato has

also joined the probe and tasked its intelligence unit to coordinate with the local police.

“We are doing this to prevent escalation of conflict. We don’t want this incident to hamper our peace and development efforts,” said Tayong.

On Tuesday, Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman called a meeting for members of the Municipal Peace and Order Council (MPOC) where they discussed primarily the August 29 shooting incident.

Among those that attended the MPOC were police officers and key officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), and MILF Local Monitoring Team. (Malu Cadelina Manar / MindaNews)

Authority said, when the country endured one of the world's longest stayat-home orders to slow the spread of the virus that has devastated economies

globally.

The Philippines has confirmed 226,440 cases of COVID-19, of which 64,207 were active as of Wednesday.

terconnected bus services would be prioritized along the 137-kilometer core network, and 489 km of feeder routes.

The proposed project has three components, namely, public transport system improvement, institutional capacity strengthening, and social development program.

The DOTr said that the HPBS or the project’s public transport system improvement component will involve the provision of hierarchical, interconnected bus services along major arterial roads, as well as an extensive network of feeder services covering the entire urban area.

Once operational, the

HPBS will have 29 bus routes divided into the following four tiers: MetroDavao (will form the core services that connect all major commercial centers along five routes), DavaoInter (will run along with eight routes connecting the inner urban areas directly to the Davao Central Business District), DavaoFeeder (will run along nine routes linking smaller centers and areas of more dispersed populations to the MetroDavao services), and DavaoLocal (will provide a link between the outer rural areas of the city and main transport system or the integrated terminals).

(Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

“The enactment of the FIST Law will assist the financial system perform its role of efficiently mobilizing savings and invest-

ments for the country’s economic recovery as well as its sustained growth and development,” he added.

(PNA)

allowed the financial sector to recover better, Dominguez said.

Along with other international observers, The Economist magazine recently affirmed the strength of the country’s financial sector by ranking the Philippines sixth in financial strength among 66 emerging economies, Dominguez noted.

“We transformed our

banks from a sector severely weakened by crisis to one of the strongest financial sectors among emerging economies,” Dominguez said.

He said this strength is bolstered by the Philippines’ high investment-grade credit ratings that “have endured a global tide of downgrades and remain at the highest levels they have ever been.”

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ABOITIZ... FROM4

protocols greet guests and visitors in all Aboitiz business sites, including temperature check, proper hand hygiene, wearing of masks and physical distancing.

Upon entry, both employees and visitors are met with constant reminders on physical distancing, frequent hand sanitation, proper wearing of masks, and personal protective equipment on site.

Meanwhile, at the Seafront Residences, Aboitiz inspected completed houses and amenities as well as future areas for development.

The AboitizLand,

through its assistant vice president for customer management, Monica Trajano, was able to highlight its successes and initiatives towards meeting the construction goals despite the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

To date, the Aboitiz Group has contributed nearly PHP2.2 billion for its Covid-19 response efforts to the country’s economy.

The amount excludes various payments waived, reduced, extended or restructured credit to help customers cope with the impact of the pandemic.

(PNA)

other means to improve the business climate for the members and the communities the group is serving.

“We continually look at business concerns that can have a negative impact on their operations as such and from the earlier information provided on our technological readiness, we are quite behind,” he said.

The ECCP-SMBC, in partnership with its Information Communication Technology Committee, ANZCHAM- Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce Phils., Inc., British Chamber of Commerce Philippines, German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc., French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, Span-

ish Chamber of Commerce in The Philippines - La Cámara, and Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, organized the said online conference with speakers from local telecommunication companies and the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) last August 28, 2020.

Discussed during the conference are the current programs and plans in improving the accessibility, affordability and quality of internet services in the Philippines as well as the urgency of addressing the present internet connectivity issue for business considering that the country’s technological readiness score is near the bottom end.

tions that allowed them to monitor how the bank processed, sent, and received cash online.

“UCPB is investigating the incident in close coordination with the NBI and other concerned authorities. Pending completion

of the investigation which started mid-June, the Bank continues to review and strengthen its IT and security controls," UCPB said.

UCPB is the country’s 13th largest bank in terms of assets, based on BSP data as of March 2020.

bounds for the Bucks, who were down by six with 27 seconds left and tied it.

Khris Middleton scored 23 points for Milwaukee, the last three of those coming when Dragic was called for fouling him with 4.3 seconds left.

Milwaukee got 16 apiece from Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe and 14 from George Hill.

Miami’s lead was 9086 entering the fourth — and Milwaukee had the lead back on the very first possession of the final quarter.

Middleton was fouled on a 3-point try, made the first two free throws and the rebound of the third was controlled by the Bucks. Kyle Korver made a 3-pointer off that rebound to cap a five-point possession for Milwaukee, which had the lead again for the first time since 14-13.

The Heat were undeterred. They scored 13 of the next 15 points to not only reclaim the lead, but push it to 103-93 on a 3-pointer by Crowder with 7:50 left.

Milwaukee shot 21 free throws in the first half

to Miami’s 11 - but oddly, it was the Bucks who had players in foul trouble at the break.

Middleton got his third foul only 26 seconds into the second quarter and Antetokounmpo was whistled for his third with 4:17 left in the half. Both played for a bit more in the quarter, then were pulled with 1:07 left with the Bucks no longer willing to risk either of them getting a fourth so early.

The free throws were a big factor: Miami shot 55% in the half and made nine 3s, but the lead was just 66-60 at intermission.

Antetokounmpo was called for his fourth early in the third, when Butler took a charge - or so it seemed. The call was overturned after review, so the reigning MVP had the fourth foul wiped away.

And the physicality only kept rising. Adebayo was knocked to the floor multiple times in the third quarter alone, one of them reviewed to see if it met flagrant status; it didn’t, but that review showed referees enough to hit Butler with a technical foul.

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BREAST CANCER... FROM9

Generally, it is the woman herself who may discover that she has breast cancer. That was Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman learned of her breast cancer. She was reading an article on breast self-examination and followed the instruction. Then, she felt some lump in her breast.

The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that women should examine their breasts regularly – at least once a month.

“Women should check their breasts a week after the menstrual period,” advises The Woman Almanac. “After menopause, check your breasts on the first day of each month. If you have had a hysterectomy (a surgical removal of the womb), check with your doctor or clinic for the appropriate time of the month to check your breasts.”

The Philippine Cancer Society, Inc. (PCSI) shares the following on how to practice breast self-examination (BSE): In the shower or while taking a bath: Examine your breasts. Your hands will glide easily over wet skin. Fingers flat, move gently over every part of each breast.

Use your right hand to examine the left breast, the left hand to examine the right. Check for any lump, hard knot, or thickening.

Before a mirror: Inspect your breast with arms at your sides. Next, raise your arms high overhead. Look for any changes in contour of each breast – a swelling, dimpling of the skin, or changes in the nipple. Then, rest palms on hips and press down firmly to flex your chest muscles.

Left and right breasts will not exactly match – few women’s breasts do. Regular inspection shows what is normal for you and will give you confidence in your examination.

Lying down: To examine your right breast, put a pillow or folded towel under your right shoulder. Place the right hand behind your head – this distributes breast tissue more evenly on the chest.

With the left hand, fingers flat, at the outermost top of your right breast, make small circular motions all

the way around the outer edge of the breast until you reach the top again, pressing gently all the while.

(Don’t panic if you find a ridge or firm tissue in the lower curve of each breast; it’s normal.)

Then move in an inch toward the nipple and repeat the procedure. You will probably have to circle your breast three additional times so that every part -- including the nipple -- is examined. Now, slowly repeat the whole procedure on your left breast with a pillow under your left shoulder and your left hand behind your head.

The whole time, take note of how your breast structure feels. Finally, squeeze the nipple of each breast gently between the thumb and index finger.

Early detection, doctors claim, is a key factor that can boost a woman’s chances of surviving breast cancer. “Learn how to examine your breast today and do it regularly,” the PCSI says. “The simple procedure could save your life.”

Curiously enough, men are not spared from breast cancer. “Many people associate breast cancer only with women,” says Dr. Kevin D. Maupin, a specialist in internal medicine.

“This may be because male breast cancer is rare.”

Men are usually older than 60 when they are finally diagnosed with breast cancer. “The delay in detection may be because men seek a doctor’s care later than women, feeling that breast cancer is a female problem,” Dr. Maupin thinks. “They may also be embarrassed to have their symptoms checked out and may wait up to 18 months before going to a physician.”

Having breast cancer these days is no longer a death sentence. “With numerous researches being conducted worldwide, newer and better medicines are being discovered,” wrote the NKTI doctors. “Newer techniques and modalities are identified. Breast cancer can now be cured or controlled if diagnosed early. That hope cannot be yours if breast cancer is diagnosed late.” – (Photos sourced from Wikipedia)

for spots.

Newly appointed head coach Du Feng takes a look at his prospects in the camp that started Tuesday and will run until September 20.

“The national team gathers every year,” Du was quoted as saying in an article on the Fiba website. “This is tradition, so we continue the previous tradition. As you can see, this time there are many young players and new faces gathering in the national team training camp.”

“We hope to know more about these young players through this opportunity and train them for the future,” he added.

According to Fiba, the

average age of the pool is 20.7 years old, while the oldest player is Wu at 26 on the squad that features no player from the 2019 World Cup team.

Still, expect Du to treat them like adults and legitimate members of the seniors’ team.

"The point I want to emphasize here is that although this national team includes a lot of young players, it is still the national team," Du said. "All members are wearing national team jerseys. Strict requirements and management should be implemented and I do wish everyone views themselves as a member of the national team."

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PESO President Brian Lim with the other member countries of the IESF at the 2019 IESF General Meeting.

Smart-powered PH Esports gets POC accreditation D

China also investing on young players

S

mart Communications-powered Philippine Esports Organization (PESO) has successfully gotten the Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC) nod as the official National Sports Association to govern and develop esports in the country.

This comes after PESO’s launch last August.

PESO includes the largest and most credible firms under the Esports National Association of the Philippines (ESNAP) and the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Esports Union (PSEU) -- such as Bren Esports, Gariath Concepts, Mineski Philippines, The Nationals, PlayBook Esports, Tier One Entertainment, TV5, and TNC Holdings.

“As the country’s only fully integrated telco and digital services provider, we are excited to enable

this organization and provide the best technology to elevate the local esports industry,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.

“We are honored to be at the forefront of developing the fast-growing esports industry in the Philippines,” said Brian Lim, President of PESO. “With the support of POC and Smart, we will be able to strengthen our position not only in the local scene, but more importantly, in the global arena,” he added.

Butler steady from stripe as Heat overcome Bucks

L

AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — Jimmy Butler made two free throws with no time remaining and the Miami Heat wasted a six-point lead in the final seconds yet found a way to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 116114, on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time) for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Butler rattled in the first, which was the only one that mattered, then made the second for the final margin. He got fouled

by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo with about a tenth of a second left on a jump shot from the left corner.

Referees sent Butler to the line, with no one else on the lane, as some Heat teammates knelt at midcourt.

“In the judgment of the

officials, the foul occurred, I guess, at some point when he landed,” Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said. “In the judgment of the officials, there was enough to warrant a foul.”

And just like that, the Heat became the first No. 5 seed in NBA history to take a 2-0 series lead over a No. 1 seed.

“I knew I was going to make one,” Butler said.

“That’s all that we needed.”

Goran Dragic scored 23 points, Tyler Herro added 17 off the bench and Jae Crowder had 16 for Miami.

Bam Adebayo scored 15 points, Butler and Duncan Robinson each had 13 and Kelly Olynyk added 11 for Miami — which is 6-0 in this postseason.

Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 14 re-

FBUTLER, P10

In a statement, POC Chairman Stephen Hontiveros shared, “I entrust PESO on their endeavors of uplifting the Philippines through esports globally. And I congratulate them on being an associate member of the Philippine Olympic Committee.”

Known for hosting Mobile Legends tournaments nationwide, Smart has always been active in promoting the growth of esports in the Philippines. In fact in July, the PLDT subsidiary unveiled the nation’s first-ever 5G-powered gaming hub and hosted the first mobile phone vs PC crossplay exhibition match via cloud gaming.

The mobile telco firm also teamed up with PESO and ESNAP to support the Philippine team to the very first Pacific Pro-Am NBA 2K20 Tour-

nament, soon after their successful stint at the recently-concluded FIBA Esports Open.

More importantly, Smart also supported Filipino esports athletes in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games during their training, and in the competition. Smart also rewarded the players who bagged gold, silver, and bronze medals at the multisports competition’s inaugural virtual tilt.

“We are glad to have the opportunity to unite gaming fans and rally support for our esports athletes,” Basas said. “We are honored to be part of this huge campaign that will shape the esports industry in the Philippines, and will help our athletes showcase their talents to the whole world,” she added.

For more information, visit www.smart.com.ph.

on't look now but it's not just the Gilas Pilipinas that’s looking ahead to the future by grooming Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and company to be the future of the national team.

Continental rival China is also preparing for the future based on the latest version of its national training pool.

China, ranked fourth in Asia and 28th in the world, released a youthful 24man lineup for its

three-week training camp in preparation for qualifying games for the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup, 2023 World Cup, and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Shen Zijie, Wu Guanxi, Wang Shaojie, and Rookie of the Year Hu Mingxuan are among those already playing the Chinese Basketball Association, while youth team standouts Xu Jie and Fan Ziming try to challenge their seniors

FCHINA, P10

Xu Jie is among the youth team standouts expected to vie for spots on the seniors' team. FIBA

Jimmy Butler calmly sank two free throws with no time remaining to push the Heat to a 2-0 lead over the Bucks.

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Russell Westbrook scored 20 points against his former team.

BRING ON LA

Rockets book semis vs Lakers

L

AKE BUENA VISTA, Florida — James Harden made up for a miserable shooting night with a big blocked shot, Russell Westbrook scored 20 points against his former team and the Houston Rockets edged the Oklahoma City Thunder, 104-102, on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time) in Game Seven of their first-round series.

The Rockets pulled out a tense final game of the first round that lasted long past the final basket as replays and fouls were sorted out.

In the end, Houston prevailed to set up a second-round matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers that begins on Friday despite Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer, going 4 for 15 from the field.

The frantic final seconds of a game that was tight throughout had Houston take the lead for good at 103-102 when P.J. Tucker scored with 1:25 remaining.

After changes of possession, the Thunder got the ball to Lu Dort, who attempted a 3-pointer that Harden blocked with 4.8 seconds

left.

Robert Covington made a free throw with 1.4 seconds to go and Harden was whistled for fouling Danilo Gallinari before the ball was inbounded, giving the Thunder one free throw and the ball. But Gallinari missed the free throw and the Thunder turned it over on the last inbounds pass.

Covington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Eric Gordon also scored 21 points for the Rockets. Harden finished with 17 points and nine assists.

Dort scored a career-best 30 points for the Thunder and Chris Paul, swapped for Westbrook over the summer, had 19 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds.