Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 156 | Saturday, October 10, 2020

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VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

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City to issue new regulations on mass gatherings STORY ON PAGE 2

Workers unload boxes of bond paper at Palma Gil Elementary School along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City on Friday. Hundreds of boxes of bond paper were delivered to the school which will be printed and used for its modular learning program. Edge Davao

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

PRRD to Cayetano, Velasco: Resolve impasse or else

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President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his remarks following a meeting with the officials of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, discussing the impasse in Congress as he called on its members to resolve the issues on the passing of the national budget for 2021

at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Thursday night. Joining the meeting are Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, and Senator Christopher“Bong”Go. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

SURGE ALERT

City to issue new regulations on mass gatherings

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio disclosed she will be issuing new regulations on mass gatherings following the reported surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City two weeks ago.

According to the mayor, she has a study which states that rapid transmission happens in an enclosed space with poor ventilation.

“Very soon duna ta’y ipagawas na regulation sa mass gathering kay

we have a study na gigunitan nato karon na ang pinakapaspas na maka-spread ug Covid-19 are enclosed spaces nga pangit ug ventilation unya daghan tao sa sulod,” Mayor Sara said in a broadcast interview on Friday.

Pulong donates communication equipment to Catalunan Pequeño

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irst Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte on Thursday, October 8, donates a set of communication equipment to Barangay Catalunan Pequeño, Talomo District, of this city.

Barangay representatives received one base radio with power supply and antenna which will be used in response to calamities in their areas of responsibility.

Rep. Duterte sent the equipment following a request letter from Barangay Councilor Jhun Duray, chairman of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction

Management Center (BDRRMC) and Peace and Order in Catalunan Pequeño.

Duray said in his letter to the young congressman that the communication equipment would help strengthen the operation of the BDRMMC and the Barangay Peace and Order, especially that it has been consistently raining recently.

Though the barangay has handheld radios, Duray said they could not use these units because of the absence of the base radio needed for these equipments to be fully utilized during emergency response.

Mayor Sara said a surge is expected as the region is currently under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status wherein movement of people is not restricted.

“Daghan na kaayo maglihok lihok diri sa syudad sa Davao. Tungod sa surge kadaghanan ana nila kanang local transmission ug dili ma-determine ug asa ila exposure. Buot pasabot naa gyud sa atoang communities ang transmission,” she said.

The mayor also said that rapid transmission usually happens in areas where there is convergence of people such as churches, markets, funeral homes, and malls. “ Expected na musaka ang cases kay wala ta gapugong sa pagkakaron.

Ginasunod nato tanan ang regulations sa MGCQ and people continue with their lives close to normal,” she said.

Mayor Sara remind-

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ed up with intramurals at the House of Representatives, President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night urged speakership rivals House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to resolve their leadership tussle or else he would fix the problem himself.

“Either you resolve the issue sa impasse ninyo diyan (on your impasse) and pass the budget legally and constitutionally. Pag hindi ninyo ginawa, ako ang gagawa para sa inyo (If you fail to do it, I’ll do it for you),” Duterte said in a taped speech.

Duterte’s threat came after senators warned that the move of Cayetano and his allies to abruptly suspend its session at the House of Representatives would guarantee a reenacted national budget for 2021, which would be a blow to the government’s financial capacity to address the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson said the sudden suspension of sessions in the House is related to the speakership row between Cayetano and Velasco as it preempts any attempt to snatch away the leadership from the former at least until sessions resume on Nov. 16.

Duterte brokered a term-sharing agreement in 2019 where Cayetano would serve as the Speaker until October 2020 while Velasco would supposedly take over and assume the position until 18th Congress ends in 2022.

However, Duterte said he no longer wanted to be in between the tug-ofwar taking place between his two allies if would not mean putting the proposed 2021 budget in jeopardy.

“Huwag naman sana ninyo sobrahan ang laro sa Congress na yung budget mismo ang nalagay sa alanganin(Don’t play too much in Congress to the point that the budget is at risk),”

he said.

Duterte said he would not give them a deadline, but would step in once he sees the possibility of the proposed 2021 budget being delayed.

“I am not going to give a timeline. Mga diktador lang gumagawa ng ganun.

Gusto ko na ayusin ninyo (Only dictators do that. I want you to resolve the problem). If and when I see that there will be a delay and it will result in the derailment of government service I will, I said, solve the problem for you,” he said.

He said he was not scaring them, pointing out that there were more important concerns that needed to be addressed rather than the issue of who gets to be the House Speaker.

“We always forget that there is something more, higher than just the delaying or maneuvering in Congress because everybody wants to be Speaker,” he said.

Think about the sick, the dying Duterte appealed to the speakership rivals to consider Filipinos who were suffering and dying from Covid-19.

“Ang pakiusap ko, ayusin ninyo at isipin ninyo ang Pilipino na nasa ospital ngayon na kailangan ng medisina at yung mga Pilipinong mamatay ngayon (My appeal is, resolve it and think about Filipinos in the hospital who need medicine and Filipinos who are dying),” he said.

He said the government already had enough problems dealing with the health crisis, especially since a vaccine has yet to be developed.

“Ang gobyerno natin maraming problema. ‘Yang Covid na ‘yan, hindi ‘yan umaalis ng Pilipinas matagal na (The government has a lot of problems. Covid has been here for a long time). So people are dying, people are sick, people need medicines at marami pang ibang sabihin ko sain-

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Barangay Catalunan Pequeno representatives inspect the base radio with power supply and antenna which will be used in response to calamities in their areas of responsibility.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

NEWS 3

City-owned hospital to rise in third district

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city-owned hospital will rise soon in the third district.

The City Engineer’s Office (CEO) has started conducting a survey of the lot inside University of the Philippines-Mindanao campus for the proposed facility .

The hospital is the main subject of Councilor Mary Joselle Villafuerte’s proposed “Davao City Hospital Ordinance” which has hurdled first reading.

According to Villafuerte, the city is now looking at a three-hectare property beside the proposed UP Mindanao College of Medicine.

“Nag-survey na ang CEO sa proposed lot sa sulod sa UP-Mindanao campus katabi ng proposed UP College of Medicine. Kung naa na initial building design diha na nato mahibaw an how much is needed,” Villafuerte said in a text message.

“When I spoke with Mayor Sara back then, naa na sila ginatan-aw na lugar sa third district for a city hospital. The UP Mindanao came in, ipinakita yung almost three hectares na lugar katabi ng kanilang proposed UP College of Medicine,” she said.

DOH has recommended a second level hospital and gradually expand to a third level training hospital like SPMC. She added that they will be working with the local finance committee and Mayor Sara for the sourcing of the funds.

“I would think the national government may help us and the city will allocate some funds,” she said.

The establishment of a city-owned hospital is in line with the city government of Davao’s response in addressing outbreaks and pandemics.

“For the city to invest in health infrastructure so we are better prepared for outbreaks someday. Yan po ang ginagawa ng ibang bansa when they went through SARS and MERS COV. Naka-first reading pa ang ordinance pero hinay hinay ginalihok ang mga papeles para naay permit to build from the Department of Health (DOH),” she said.

Villafuerte expressed optimism that the project will benefit Dabawenyos especially those in far flung barangays and those who do not have access to services of Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

She said this project is vital especially with the dearth in medical facilities amid the pandemic.

“It is an investment hospital and poised to be the first city-owned hospital in Davao City. Matagal na po yan dream ng lahat ng konsehal. Nung mapasa ang City College Ordinance I approached the mayor and she agreed we should invest in a city owned hospital. Wala pa nag-Covid pinag-usapan na po yan.

Lalong naging kailangan ngayon na nasa pandemya tayo. We need to invest in health, health personnel kaya may mga scholarships po si mayor sa mga magdo-doktor,” Villafuerte said.

Apart from the cityowned hospital, Villafuerte said she will also proposed a city-owned dialysis centers. Maya M. Padillo

DepEd: Not all modules screened for quality

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he Department of Education (DepEd) admitted that not all of the self-learning modules it issued for distance learning this school year underwent "quality assurance" screening, and vowed to be stricter in evaluating the materials in the future.

This, following several posts on social media pointing out errors or confusing questions on some printed materials that were allegedly from DepEd. Education Undersecretary Diosdado San Antonio said while they try "very hard" to screen everything, some erroneous items still slip through.

"Hindi lahat ng self-learning modules... ay dumaan sa aming quality assurance sa Central Office. At kahit po yung mga dumaan sa amin, may mga nasisilip po na hindi tama.

Kasama po 'yan sa mga hindi tamang pag-present ng lesson na kailangang bigyan ng pagsasaayos," San Antonio said on ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

(Not all self-learning modules underwent quality assurance in the Central

Office. Even those that were screened contained errors.

These erroneous presentation of lessons need to be addressed.)

San Antonio asked the public to first validate if the printed modules containing errors really came from DepEd, since materials from private educational institutions are beyond the department's control.

"Hindi pa rin namin completely naba-validate kung 'yung mga pages ng mga self-learning modules na 'yan ay gawa namin sa DepEd o nakita sa private sector counterpart... Wala po kaming kaalam-alam doon," he said.

(We haven't completely validated if the pages of the said self-learning modules that contained errors came from DepEd or from the private sector. We don't know.)

"Katulad noong una, kami agad inakusahan doon sa malalaswa ang salita. Di naman sa amin... Bago husgahan kung DepEd 'yan, alamin muna para kung sino'ng may pananagutan ay makapagpaliwanag," he

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Painters commissioned to repaint a building along Quimpo Blvd., in Davao City take a breather while on a suspended scaffolding. Edge Davao

TF Davao to conduct first city-wide community exercise against terrorism

By MAYA M. PADILLO n average of 35,000 vehicles are expected to use the Samal Island-Davao City Connector each day once fully operation.

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Undersecretary Emil Sadain of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said in a text message the 35,000 vehicles include all types of passenger vehicles from both directions: Samal to Davao and Davao to Samal.

Corey Wong, associate director of Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Ltd., said with expected traffic brought by the bridge due to the number of vehicles expected to use it, their study has recommended for localized widening of the road networks.

“Padak-an pud nato ang atong mga kalsada to accommodate sa mga ramps, maka-comply ta with road safety requirements when it comes to the bridge, the curbs, etc, because of that

properties will be affected on the Davao side diri sa Lizada area,” said Diana Kristina Velasco, land use specialist of Galerio Environmental Consultancy, in a virtual public hearing last September 28, 2020.

Velasco said properties are expected to be affected in the road widening in both Davao City and Samal sides.

“Sa taas circumferential road (Samal) will be widened. The project will not just affect structures and properties but will also affect utilities,” she said.

Velasco added that the study also include an inventory of all the affected utilities so that they can be integrated in the management plan when the proj-

ect is finally implemented.

Meanwhile, the number of vehicles has concerned Wenifredo Gorrez, a resident of Barangay Hizon in Sasa, as he is expecting that it will cause gridlock in their area.

“The traffic here in Barangay Hizon is getting worse. No matter what you say. You are talking about 35,000 vehicles daily ang tatawid sa Samal. Saan dadaan yun sa coastal road? Hindi dadaan sa kalsada namin? There will be a massive gridlock in our place kung dito ilalagay sa amin yan,” he said.

The landing points of the bridge are specifically located in Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal, the barangays that will be affected are Vicente Hizon Sr., A. Angliongto and R. Castillo. While Barangay Limao will be affected on the IGaCoS side.

Wong said that in the future the proposed bridge

will not be the only thing that is bringing the traffic to the area as it is expected that Davao City and its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow, the traffic and the population will grow that will have a strong impact of the traffic situation in the future.

The SIDC which is included in the “Build, Build, Build” Program is proposed as a four-lane bridge in southern corridor to connect Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, IGaCoS to Davao City between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction.

The proposed bridge will provide a resilient and reliable transportation link between Metro Davao and IGaCoS, enhancing internal mobility and external linkage to support the growth potential of Davao Region as envision by President Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

wharf, and Davao-Samal port. The checkpoints are being held in coordination with the Task Force Davao.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the city also used P5,500,650 for the “Tabang sa Industriya sa Panghayupan” for the marketing assistance of livestock, poultry, and dairy farmers by buying their products and distributing the same to the vulnerable sector. This assistance was used during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in April and May this year. Identified households were also provided with food from this initiative during the lockdowns.

For the Crisis Intervention Program, some P8.5 million was shelled out from the City Mayor’s Office (CMO) budget as compensation to affected farm-

ers whose hogs were culled due to the African Swine Fever (ASF).

Assistant City Veterinarian Dr. Esther Cherrie G. Rayos, in an interview with the City Information (CIO), said there were 950 farmers affected by the ASF outbreak in barangays Lamanan and Dominga in Calinan District and Inawayan, Toril where around 4,450 pigs were culled.

But Rayos was quick to add, “ASF in these barangays has already been controlled except for few isolated cases in Paquibato, maybe due to the inter-connectivity of our roads, that have yet to be verified.”

She said that ASF follows the movement of people. “It’s the people who are carriers of the infection through their vehicles and shoes,” she said.

The city government has continued to control the ASF outbreak by investing P5 million to procure supplies and materials for the prevention and control of the ASF and P999,633.75 for the massive ASF testing and diagnosis that targeted the surveillance of ASF in vulnerable areas.

Rayos, however, admitted tracing ASF sources and carriers are equally challenging as contact tracing for suspected coronavirus disease (Covid-19) patients.

“Mahirap talaga kumbaga mag forward and backward tracing. Ang hirap hindi naming alam kung saan galling. Kinu-control nalang naming ang sakit (It is difficult to do forward and backward tracing. We don’t know where the dis-

Davao City pours P30-M to help farmers cope with crisis

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he Davao City government has invested over P30-million for crisis intervention programs and projects to help farmers cope with losses during calamities that hit the city this year.

Of the P30 million under the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and the Annual Development Fund (ADF) of 2020, P6 million was used to acquire the veterinary mobile clinic and laboratory and animal rescue vehicles.

The funds of P2.282 were allocated for supplies and materials for animal rescue operations during disaster response under the “Sagip Hayop” while P3 million went to the operation and maintenance of quarantine checkpoints in Lasang, Lacson, Toril, Sasa

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VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

RTL, RCEF to regain PH rice sector’s strength, resiliency

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epartment of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar has reiterated the benefits of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), saying these reforms will regain the strength and resiliency of the Philippine rice sector.

A client gets her hair done by a hairdresser at a beauty salon along Bonifacio Street in Davao City on Friday.

Beauty and grooming industry in Davao City is strug-

gling to survive as it hardly had any customer due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Edge Davao

RTL funds RCEF, other agriculture programs

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he revenues collected from the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) are not only funneled to Rice Competitiveness and Enhancement Fund (RCEF) but also other programs that will further boost the agriculture sector.

RTL, which took effect in March last year, mandates the allocation of PHP10 billion annually for RCEF. Finance Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito Lambino II, during the webinar on the RTL Thursday, said that within the first year of the said law’s implementation the government gained about PHP12.1 billion for the

RCEF. He said the excess from the PHP10 billion was allocated for the Crop Diversification Program and the Expanded Crop Insurance Program.

In the first half of 2020, Lambino said tariff collections from the RTL has exceeded PHP10 billion.

He said customs enforcement has been strengthened to ensure that revenues from RTL are properly collected to boost the rice farming sector.

He said the audit on 60 rice importers found to have the largest number of violations from March to June 2019 showed that

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DTI chief stresses need to bring back consumer confidence

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epartment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez underscored on Thursday the importance of safe reopening of businesses to bring back consumer confidence.

At the launch of the “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat” campaign, Lopez noted that despite the government allowing the reopening of many businesses and economic activities, their businesses are still recovering.

“As we are reopening the economy, we feel that it’s quite difficult to bring

back automatically the consumer confidence,” Lopez said.

He expressed his support to the private sector-led “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat”, a campaign that encourages business to put safety as a top priority in their operations and empowers consumers to help rebuild the economy and protect jobs by giving them the tools and information to safely commute, shop from their favorite stores, and patronize their favorite restaurants.

“And efforts we are do-

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million tons in 2026, and 15.88 million tons in 2030.

In 2019, palay production reached 18.81 million metric tons (MT), or equivalent to 12.3 million tons of rice. This accounted for 90 percent of the projected local rice utilization of 13.91 million tons, Dar added.

‘Good results’ “Initially, we are seeing good results,” Dar said, noting that palay production in the first semester of the year increased to 8.39 million MT from 8.27 million MT in 2019.

He cited the latest survey among 5,000 RCEF beneficiaries in 55 provinces, who harvested an average of 4.14 MT per hectare, reported an additional yield of 440 kilograms, or close to nine cavans of rice per hectare.

The improvement in yield translates to PHP7,500 additional income per hectare for farmers, which farmers and their families can use amid the pandemic, Dar said.

RCEF benefits A key provision of the RTL is the RCEF, which provides free seeds, machinery and equipment, access to credit facilities, and trainings to farmers.

Annually, the government earmarks PHP10

At the RTL webinar on Thursday, Dar said the RTL meant to achieve these goals by increasing productivity and reducing production cost.

But this would also involve some adjustments among farmers as they have to organize themselves into cooperatives to obtain economies of scale and benefit from modern farm mechanization, he added.

The RTL has been enacted more than a year ago, lifting the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice and placed it under a general tariff regime.

It aims to protect local farmers by imposing tariffs on imported rice, while tariff collection will fund mass irrigation, warehousing, rice research, and other assistance to farmers that will be affected by the RTL. It targets to lower domestic rice prices and makes it affordable to

greater number of the population.

Dar stressed that the enactment of the RTL is a major game-changer in the country’s rice history.

“We hope to see that after six years of RTL, we have raised the productivity of our farmers from the current average harvests of four metric tons per hectare, to at least six metric tons per hectare. Secondly, we should have reduced average production costs by 30 percent of the carrying costs, ranging from PHP12 to PHP14 per kilogram to ensure bigger profit margins. We need higher productivity and lower production costs,” he said.

The agriculture chief added that the RTL will help the Philippines secure the staple for its growing population in the future.

He noted that the national rice consumption is projected to reach 14.45 million tons in 2022, 15.18

tual job fair since June. Virtual job fairs are conducted and are posted on our Facebook page twice a month,” he said.

Cagape said that before the actual job fair interested applicants can send their applications through the links posted on the page.

The employers will start evaluating and call applicants for an interview on the day of the virtual job fair.

“If they are available for a video interview on FB messenger, they should

comment #READY so the company representative may contact them with the FB account used to post the comment. They should also make sure to keep their mobile phones available for interviews,” he said.

Cagape added that through the virtual job fairs more applicants can apply as long as they have internet access.

“Compared before, around 300 applicants can only be accommodated.

Since it became virtual, around 1,000 applicants

can now apply. They can now also apply to all the companies they’re interested in, unlike before, they struggle because of long queues,” Cagape said.

On one hand, he said the companies may also find it difficult to reach out to the applicants due to the availability of the applicants for a virtual interview.

Cagape reminded all applicants to make their mobile phones or telephones accessible after sending an application for employers to easily reach them. CIO

ecosystem, thus, the BSP has formulated a threeyear digital payments transformation roadmap.

“This initiative fosters the creation of a digital financial ecosystem that is supportive of financial inclusion,” he said.

The BSP earlier set a goal to increase the share of electronic payments to 20 percent of total payment transactions in the country by 2020.

Diokno said the community quarantine provided a boost for this goal, thus, the change in the figures from 20 percent electronic payments by 2020 to about 50 percent of total transactions by 2023.

He said a major factor to this goal is the proposed regulatory framework on digital banks since these institutions

“can help advance financial inclusion by addressing long-standing demand and supply constraints to delivering financial services.”

He said a digital bank is largely proposed to have a minimal to zero reliance on physical touchpoints.

And since these players are seen to have the same financial risks as banks with physical officials, “they are expected to adhere to the same standards of corporate governance and risk management commensurate to their business model and risk profile,” he said.

Diokno said digital financial institutions need to have governance management on information technology and cybersecurity, outsourcing, con-

sumer protection, and measures against money and terrorism financing.

Relatively, Diokno said the BSP continues to push for effective cybersecurity measures to thwart any threats.

“As BSP supervised financial institutions adopt technology that is practically borderless, protecting data or their ‘crown jewels’ becomes more crucial,” he said.

Thus, he said banks now need to have a second look at their cybersecurity strategies and possibly adopt a shift to a “zero-trust” operational model.

“Strengthening data protection is in line with BSP’s broader efforts to boost BSP Supervised Financial Institutions’ cyber resilience,” he added.

(PNA)

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Over 1K vacancies still up for grabs in PESO virtual job fair

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total of 1,189 vacancies from six partner employers of the Davao City Public Employment Service Office (PESO) are up for grabs in the virtual job fair opened by the city government since October 9, 2020.

PESO Labor and Employment Officer Erwin Cagape said job vacancies are posted on the official Facebook page of PESO which they can access through www.facebook. com/PesoDavaoCity.

“This is the seventh vir-

Diokno eyes digital bank policies before year-end

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olicies on the establishment of digital banks are expected to be ready before end2020, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said on Thursday.

“The BSP is in the final stages of the policy formulation process. We hope to issue the policy before the end of the year,” he told journalists in a virtual briefing.

Diokno said the central bank will start accepting applications for authority to establish digital banks once the policies are ready but stressed that they will limit the number of players vis-à-vis the overall banking situation.

He said the pandemic increased the need to further speed up the shift towards a digital financial

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VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

Saddled with dwindling catch and low prices, fishermen in Brgy. Santa Fe in General Luna, Siargao Island prepare their gear for another day of fishing on Wednesday, 7 October 2020. MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

Reliable electricity supply vital to MSMEs in Davao de Oro say B

Ending lockdowns no guarantee of quick economic rebound: IMF

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ccess to a reliable electricity supply is widely considered to be vital to the operations of businesses and firms, particularly to the micro small medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Davao de Oro. There are more than 1,000 MSMEs in Davao de Oro and most of them are from the retail and service sector and only few are from the processing/ manufacturing sector.

Lawyer Lucky Seigfred Balleque, provincial director of DTI-Davao de

Oro, said the province is experiencing brownouts at least 4 times a month, most of the time if it rains.

Those brownouts usually last just for a few minutes and very seldom that it reaches hours but there were instances that the interruption reached 4 to

5 hours.

Given the above situation, the MSMEs are minimally affected and are still able to cope up with their production and sales.

However, according to Balleque there is a link between reliable power and business growth especially those in the manufacturing sector and other power-hungry industries, wherein growth will be affected if the power situation is really that bad.

“Reliable power is essential to the economy because practically it

tate-run Land Bank of the Philippines said it has extended a total of P20.86 billion in outstanding loans to farmers’ cooperatives and associations as of end-August.

The amount covers 1,081 farmers cooperatives and associations.

In a statement, Landbank president and CEO Cecilia Borromeo assured cooperatives of readily available credit facilities with low interest rates to finance recovery projects and initiatives.

Borromeo expressed the lender’s continued commitment to support the role of local coops in

getting communities and the economy back on its feet amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“As your long-time partner in growth, we in Landbank reaffirm our unwavering commitment and solidarity to the noble objectives of the cooperative sector. We recognize the important role of coops in helping revive the local economy, with your presence in communities, especially in the countryside,” she said.

As of August 2020, Landbank’s outstanding loans to the agriculture sector reached P224.66 billion, of which P20.86

billion was extended to farmers’ coops.

The amount includes P428 million in loans provided to cooperatives under the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) and the Expanded Rice Credit Assistance under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ERCA-RCEF) administered with the Department of Agriculture (DA), as well as the Socialized Credit Program under the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SCP-SIDA) in partnership with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

runs the economy. Large or small, their production and/or productivity will be affected without power. You can’t run even a simple machine or equipment without power,” he said.

He added that power must not only be reliable but also low cost as reliable and low cost electricity is one of the main factors influencing investments.

“Investors will definitely shy away from a country with poor power,” he said.

The Landbank-managed ACEF aims to increase productivity of farmers and fishers by providing the necessary credit to farmers and fishers and their cooperatives and associations, and micro and small-scale enterprises, for the acquisition and establishment of production, postharvest, and processing machineries, equipment and facilities, farm inputs and improvement.

A maximum of P5 million can be availed by farmer and fishers cooperatives, associations, and micro and small enter-

usiness shutdowns amid the coronavirus pandemic imposed an economic cost, but removing restrictions is no guarantee of a quick recovery unless the virus is defeated, the IMF said Thursday.

Voluntary social distancing played nearly as large a role in the economic impact of COVID-19 as the forced restrictions, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook (WEO) chapter on lockdown effects.

Using mobility data from Google and Vodafone, the report found that voluntary social distancing made an "important contribution" to the recession, which "should caution

against expecting a quick economic rebound once lockdowns are lifted."

"This is especially relevant for countries that lift lockdowns prematurely, when infections are still relatively high," the IMF said.

Despite the short-term economic costs, lockdowns may lead to a faster economic recovery by containing the virus and reducing voluntary social distancing, according to the research.

But the IMF rejected the debate as a simple tradeoff between lives and livelihoods, since rising infection rates hit the economy as well, making people less willing to venture out.

egion 11 posted an inflation rate of 0.8% in September, the lowest among the 17 regions in the Philippines, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA, however, said the region’s latest inflation figure increased slightly from 0.2% reported in August.

The region is composed of the provinces of Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental and Davao City.

Bicol Region in Luzon reported the highest inflation rate at 4.5% last month from 4% in August.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was the only one of the six regions of Mindanao that sustained a decreasing inflation rate, from 2.4% in August to 2.3% last month.

The Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9) increased at 2.2% in September from 2.1% in August, Northern Mindanao (Region 10) at 2.6% from 2.1%, Soccsksargen (Region 12) at 2.9% from 2.4%, and Caraga at 3.2% from 2.9%, according to PSA. The agency earlier reported that the headline inflation in the Philippines

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Loans to farmers’ coops, associations reached P20B as of end-August: LBP R-11’s inflation rate in Sept. lowest in PH

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On plans to issue new regulations on mass gatherings following the reported surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City:

Very soon duna ta’y ipagawas na regulation sa mass gathering kay we have a study na gigunitan nato karon na ang pinakapaspas na makaspread ug Covid-19 are enclosed spaces nga pangit ug ventilation unya daghan tao sa sulod.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDGEDAVAO

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NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN MEGHANN STA. INES FERINA SANTOS Lifestyle

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7 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

UP AND ABOUT

FRED C. LUMBA

ZREWARDS, PARTNERS TURN OVER CARE PACKAGES TO JEEPNEY DRIVERS SPECKS OF LIFE

ARE THERE ANYMORE GOOD MEN LEFT

In a huge population of more than 100 million, would it be exasperatingly hard to find someone to fit the bill?

Or is it more like searching in a haystack?

ZREWARDS

by Zeal,mess The huge financial in partnership with by a discovered – and exposed Lalamove and Minimart. whistle-blower - in the Philhealth corruption scandalover indicts ph, has turned carethe cultural impunity that has packages composed ofbeen in existence and in practice for food, toiletries, laundry many decades, nursed in fact by supplies, andindifference protectiveof a the benumbed equipment, to jeepney timid and tolerant society.

The Philhealth is not drivers and theirissue families the tipwere of the displaced iceberg, mindby you. who Many more earth-shaking the current pandemic. exposes’ in yesteryears and reThe move was part of gone but cent past have come and the the HELPJEEP authors of campaign the evil schemes have notbybeen convicted launched the three partiesand jailed.

It appears that they are last July wherein the public able to squeeze themselves out of was encouraged to take part the discomfiting situation bybysesimply becoming a member of curing the services of “talented” ZRewards for free.

ZRewards, lawyers who smartly navigate the legalcommitted waters withtoaprovide variety of in turn, “swimming” methods and styles. care packages upon reaching its Yes, it can no longer be detarget membership milestone. nied that our justice and penal

“We are proud to have gone through this initiative to help our jeepney drivers and their families together with Lalamove and Minimart. It is important for us to proactively serve the community, and practice our commitment to make sure that no Filipino is left behind,” shared Zeal Entrepreneur in Residence, Glenn Estrella.

ZRewards is the country’s newest one-stop shop for premium and solid deals, discounts, and vouchers ranging from food, beauty, health and “The political scene is perfitness, entertainment, among haps the most public other offers, redeemable at arena where people have expressed onlinedistrust shops and physical stores. their in those who lead For the HELPJEEP campaign, them.

These are not easy times

in which to be a leader.” -- Henry and Richard Blackaby, authors of Spiritual Leadership *** And it came to pass that God saw the sufferings of His people in Egypt. He had heard them crying out because of the miseries they were experiencing. He wanted to rescue them from their bondage. So, He JAMIEaRIVERA is igniting called man named Moses to bring God’s Christmas chosen people the Filipino cheerout of Egypt. amid difficult times through a “Who am I, that of I should go reimagined version her song to Pharaoh and bring the Israel“Disyembre Na Naman” now ites out of Egypt,” Moses asked. aptlyMoses titled was “Ber terrified Months Na to become the set leader. their book, Naman,” to beIn released this Spiritual 9.Leadership, authors October Henry and‘Ber’ Richard “It’s the seasonBlackaby again, wrote: “Leadership. Everyone time to prepare muchexperiences it, orfor thethe lack of it, in awaited celebration of the year, their daily lives. Those called to lead can find doing so a daunting Christmas,” the Inspirational task. teased.

Those expected to follow Diva canThe experience when cheerfulfrustration song, which their leader is unable to lead.” details many thedifferent beloveddefiThere areof 850 Filipino traditions nitions ofChristmas leadership.

That was whathanging Warrena Bennis like lantern,and gift-Burt Nanus found when they giving, Noche Buena feast,were writing their collaborative book, and night mass, is a perfect Leaders: Strategies for Taking kick starter onsetwhy of the Charge.

It isfor no the wonder toYuletide season which starts day’s leaders have a hard time measuring their level. inThere during the up ‘Ber’ months the are too many standards to meet!

Philippines.

Dr. John the C. Maxwell, an auAlthough celebration

system is pockmarked with loopholes, if you know what I am pointing at.

Rumors that we have thugs and crooks in robes in the judiciary are no longer rumors. Many criminal cases involving scions of rich, prominent and politically-connected families are able to buy their way out of a sure conviction because there is a crooked system existing.

One sickening horrific fact is that while we have an extradition treaty with the USA, Filipinos who are facing court suits conveniently escape by taking the first plane out to Uncle Sam’s territory where they enjoy the “fruits” of their labor.

Criminal minds and plunderers are ironically encouraged to push through their sinister plots to engage in pilferage and thievery because they are not scared of the penal laws existing in the country.

The death penalty is being re-introduced only because the increasing surge of criminality is now – again – being felt and expe-

rienced.

Ordinarily, however, the spate of corruption controversies no longer surprise and shake the Pinoy nation.

They have gotten used to these wrong-doings because they have become integral parts of their contemporary life.

But with the grave anti-social effects of Covid 19, Filipinos are now realizing (and recognizing, I hope) that they need to collectively voice out their rightful indignation because these corruption scandals have got to stop as the wrong-doings are negatively affecting the government and the people in a monstrous manner.

Unfortunately, Philhealth appointees have been – one after the other - exiting disgracefully, hounded by issues about negligent and lax management, dereliction of duty, incompetence and such other concerns, even bordering on inutility.

Everybody is agreed that the matter is systemic.

From top to bottom, the culture of corruption has ebbed

down to its lowest level that nothing – it seems – can solve or even minimize it to a tolerable level.

Perhaps, PRRD should ask for a volunteer.

Instead of scouting for talented managers and executives that will man and head government offices, the President could ask the nation if there is anyone willing to volunteer and serve the country in a position that has no political backing or support.

In this way, the volunteer-appointee will not suffer from political pressures if he had been otherwise backed or recommended by a powerful politician.

I believe there are still many capable Filipinos out there willing to take up the challenge.

These are the guys who silently do their jobs and accomplish their tasks with noble objectivity and diligence.

Enough of bureaucrats.

Enough of the ‘padrino’ connection. Enough of the old traditional “you and me” brotherhood.

I would strongly espouse this volunteer-ism concept.

We have tried everything possible under the sun but our government remains in bondage to corruption, thievery and illegalities.

A volunteer-appointee I think will do better under the circumstance because he is not indebted to anyone but to the appointing authority alone.

Therefore, he will have much leeway to hire and fire, whenever necessary and implement the changes he sees to be effective and efficient.

At least, PRRD need not search in a haystack.

Napoleon Hill, author of the much-acclaimed Think and Grow Rich, said: “No man ever achieved worthwhile success who did not, at one time or other, find himself with at least one foot hanging well over the brink of failure.”

Challenges will not stop daring us in the face.

It is up to us if we cower in fear or take the dare. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES.

A Lalajeep driver receives a care package from ZRewards by Zeal.

ZRewards partnered with hand, provided a generous on-demand delivery company discount for the items as well as Lalamove to access the Lalajeep free packaging and free delivery drivers who were among the to the QC distribution site hardest hit by community designated by Lalamove.

THINK THESE! quarantine restrictions.

The ON “The partnership with jeepney drivers who lost their Zeal and Minimart is aligned livelihoods were taken in by with our goal to empower Lalamove in agreement with the our Lalajeep community to Quezon City local government continuously reach out to unit. Instead of carrying them. The jeepney community passengers, Lalajeeps carry was among the most heavily thority onbusinesses leadership, has need writ- affected Commitment: “People goods for which by the pandemic, and do ten a very comprehensive book not follow uncommitted leada more affordable means to we are very happy to continue entitled, The 21 Indispensable ers. Commitment can be disdeliver their to provide a means to Qualities of products. a Leader. In his played in athem full range of matters Minimart.ph,heonposed the other earn, and moreover, introduction, these to include the workdeliver hours you

HENRYLITO D. TACIO

possibilities of having a care package for them to provide essential goods.” shares Lalamove Philippines managing director Dannah Majarocon.

ZRewards continues to support the stricken communities and anyone can help by signing up for free at https://zeal.ph/signup.

ZRewards members will also benefit from the different ever honored forfrom what he rediscounted offers a wide ceived.

Honor has been the array of merchants such as reward for what he gave.” -- Calvin Flowerstore.ph, Minimart.

Coolidge, American president ph, Melo’s Steakhouse, Beauty Initiative: “Success seems

Scout, ZALORA Philippines, The Naturale Market, AudioVideo Solutions Corporation, Avignon Clinic, Digits Trading Corp, Harem Inc, AJ Wellness Corporation, IAJ Wellness Corporation, papemelroti, Malongo Atelier Barista, The Smile Bar, Chris Sports, Toby Sports and Trident Food Holdings, Inc. ZRewards by Zeal is a brand himself.”

-- Louisthe Nizer of 917Ventures, largest Security: “No man corporate incubator in will the make a great leader who wants to do Philippines a wholly-owned it all himselfand or get all the credit subsidiary of--Globe. for doing it.”

Andrew Carnegie,

WHAT MAKES A TRUE LEADER?

questions: “What makes people want to follow a leader? Why do people reluctantly comply with one leader while passionately following another to the ends of the earth? What separates leadership theorists from successful leaders who lead effectively in the real world?”

Maxwell enumerated the 21 qualities -- in alphabetical order -- as follows: character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, positive attitude, problem solving, relationships, security, self-discipline, servanthood, teachability and vision.

Now, here are some thoughts from various leaders and thinkers from around the world: Character: “Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.” -- Bernard Montgomery, British Field Marshal Charisma: “How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than will different you be arearguably making them feelthis good aboutcompared you.” -- Dan Reiland, vice 2020 to the previous president of leadership developyears, Jamie hopes that the ment still sets Filipinos’ sights song

choose to maintain, how you work to improve your abilities, or what you do for your fellow workers at personal sacrifice.”

-- Stephen Gregg, chairman of Ethix Corporation Communication: “You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” -- Lee Iacocca, American automobile on what is really important executive Competence: “The sociduring the Christmas season. ety“Let which scorns excellence us be reminded that in plumbing because plumbing the gift of love will always be is a humble activity and tolerthe and evenininphilosophy the new atessame shoddiness normal, givingactivity will because the it isjoy an of exalted will have neither good plumbing stay and will remain,” she nor good philosophy. Neither its explained. piped its theories will hold “Bernor Months Na Naman” water.” -- John Gardner, Ameriwas written and produced can novelist

by Jamie, while its music Courage: “Courage is was rightly esteemed thearranged first of human composed and by qualities… because it is the qualDenis Quila. ityRecently, which guarantees all oththe Star Music ers.”-- Winston Churchill, British artist dropped the Tagalog Primealso Minister version of her song “Heal Discernment: “The Our first rule ofcalled holes:“Hilumin When you’re Land” Mo, in one, stop digging.” -- Molly Ivins, Bayan Ko.” American columnist Look forward to a merry Focus: “What people say, Christmas festivity what people do, andbywhat they streaming “Berdifferent Months say they doJamie’s are entirely things.”

-- Margaret Mead, anNa Naman,” out on various thropologist digital streaming services this Generosity: “No person was October 9.

to be connected with action.

Successful people keep moving.

They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” -- Conrad Hilton, hotel executive Listening: “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.” -- Woodrow Wilson, American president Passion: “Without passion man is a mere latent force and SM SUPERMALLS possibility, like the introduces flint which awaitsTogether, the shockitsoflatest the iron beTrace fore it can give forth its spark.” innovation in Safe Malling.

-- Trace Henri Together FredericisAmie, a mall-Swiss moral philosopher based contact tracing initiative Positive Attitude: “The of SM Supermalls. greatest discovery This of my generation is that human beings can supports the government’s alter their lives altering their interventions onbycontact attitude of mind.”

-- William tracing in the country.

James, psychologist “Trace Together inspires Problem Solving: “The meaour to think safety sureshoppers of success is notofwhether youa shared have aresponsibility,” tough problem to as deal Engr. with, Jonathan but whether says Nickit is the same problem you had last year.”

Santos, regional operations -- John Foster Dulles, US Secremanager of SM Supermalls tary of State in Mindanao.

“By tracing Relationships: “The most importantshoppers single ingredient together, would helpin the formula of successand is knowkeep the community each ing how to get along with peoother safe.” ple.” -- Theodore Roosevelt, The platform is easy and American president user-friendly.

With this, Responsibility: “When a man points finger at someone shoppers areaencouraged to else, the he should remember that scan QR Code and declare four of his fingers are pointing health status whenever they at

industrialist Self-discipline:“A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself… He longs to whatever can make captive of him.” -- John Foster, author Servanthood: “The true leader serves. Serves people.

Serves their best interests, and in so doing will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern rather than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.” -- Eugene B. Habecker, author Teachability: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” -- John Wooden, Basketball coach Vision: “The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.”

-- John Scully, Chief Executive Officer are at the mall’s entrances, To end this piece, here is a stores, and common areas in final statement from Chinese SM City Davao and SM“To Lanang philosopher Lao-Tzu: lead people, walk beside them ... As Premier. forShop the best leaders, theatpeople and dine safely SM. do not notice their For more updates, visitexistence. the The next best, the people honor official social media of and praise.

The next,pages the people SM and SM fear;City andDavao the next, the Lanang people hate ... When the best leader’s Premier. #TogetherAtSM work is done the people say, ‘We #SafeMallingAtSM did it ourselves!’” #EverythingsHereAtSM.

JAMIE RIVERA SPARKS FILIPINO TRACING TOGETHER AT CHRISTMAS SPIRIT WITH NEW SONG SM SUPERMALLS

8 AGRITRENDS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

SAVING UPLANDS THROUGH SUSTAINABLE FARMING SYSTEMS

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

(Last of Three Parts)

A

long, long time ago, the Philippines was totally covered with forest. “A few hundred years ago, at least 95 percent of the Philippines was covered by rain forest; only a few patches of open woodland and seasonal forest, mostly on Luzon, broke the expanse of moist, verdant land,” wrote Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney, an American ecologist and biogeographer of the Field Museum of Natural History of Chicago.

By the time Ferdinand Magellan “rediscovered” the country on March 16, 1521, scattered coastal areas had been cleared for agriculture and population dwellings. Three hundred years later, the rainforest still covered about 70 percent of the country.

Today, the Philippines is almost devoid of its forest cover. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 25.7 percent or about 7,665,000 hectares of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares is forested. Of this, 11.2 percent (861,000) hectares) is classified as primary forest.

Between 1990 and 2010, the Philippines lost an average of 54,750 hectares or 0.83 percent per year. “Most of the (Philippines’) once rich forest are gone,” said the FAO publication, Sustainable Forest Management.

“Forest recovery, through natural and artificial means, never coped with the destruction rate.”

According to the Department of Environment

and Natural Resources (DENR), the principal cause of the decimation of the country’s forest cover are logging (both legal and illegal), forest fires, natural calamities (like earthquake), as well as conversion to agricultural lands, human settlements and other land uses brought about by urbanization and increasing population pressure.

Additional threats to Philippine forests come from mining operations – which also cause pollution – collection of fuel wood (85% of meals in developing countries are cooked over wood or charcoal), and kaingin farming (slash-and-burn agriculture).

Most of the remaining forests these days are located in upland areas or those rolling and steep lands with slopes ranging upward from 18%. At least 60% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares are considered uplands.

Some of these uplands are already being tilled by farmers. “It is in the uplands where supplemen-

tary and additional food sources will be grown,” wrote Charles Castro in his position paper, Uplands and Uplanders: In Search for New Perspective. “It is in the uplands which will give Filipinos temporary elbow room for the land shortage. It is in the uplands where landless rural people will find a new option in fighting rural poverty.”

“Three out of four farmers in developing countries farm in the hills,” said Harold R. Watson, former director of the Davao-based Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc. when he accepted the Nobel Prize of Asia in 1985.

“When they hold a fistful of exhausted soil and let

it fall to the ground, they feel their livelihood slipping through their fingers.”

He continued: “Land degradation is a problem affecting the standard of living of many nations, especially on the millions who live on and farm the hillsides. I call on people everywhere to help stem the tide of this wave of destruction while there is still time.”

To help the problem of deforestation, soil erosion, low crop production and hunger, the MBRLC developed SALT 3, a modification of the original one-hectare Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT 1). SALT 2, or Small Agro-Livestock Technology, refers to raising goats to address the malnutrition problem, which is common among the upland farmers.

In SALT 3, one-hectare is developed for various agricultural crops. Following the SALT 1 principle, different nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs (like the local “ipil-ipil” and “kakawate” and introduced species such as Flemingia macrophylla, Desmodium rensonii, and Indigofera anil) are planted in double rows, following their natural contour.

“The principle of SALT is the same as that used by the Ifugao tribes in Mountain Province,” says Jethro P. Adang, the new director of MBRLC. “All we are doing is using various nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs instead of rocks.”

When the rows of vegetation are 1.5 to 2 meters tall, they are cut back to about 40 centimeters and the tops are piled in the 3to 5-meter alleys where

crops are growing. “The leaves of the shrubs make very good nitrogen-rich fertilizer and also add organic matter of the soil,” Adang points out.

In the SALT scheme, you find a mix of permanent crops, cereals and vegetables. Every third strip of available land is normally devoted to permanent crops like cacao and coffee. A combination of various cereals (corn, upland rice, and sorghum) and vegetables (string beans, cucumber, squash, etc.) are planted on the remaining two strips of land.

MBRLC recommends crop rotation. For instance, those strips planted with cereals earlier are planted with peanuts or winged beans in the next cropping. “Crop rotation helps to preserve the regenerative properties of the soil and avoid the problems of infertility typical of traditional agricultural practices,” Adang says.

Multistory cropping may also be practiced (planting black pepper, corn, and lanzones together in one hedge). In waterlogged areas, gabi, kangkong and other water-loving crops are planted. “We all do these to make use of all the available spaces of the farm,” Adang says.

“Some of the crops should be planted to feed the farmer’s family, while other crops are grown for sale, so family income is well spread out over the season,” says Adang. “Every week or every month, there’s always something to harvest. The system can, in fact, raise the family income threefold.”

One foreign consul-

tant who came to see the agricultural component commented: “The system provides great stability (in both economic and ecological terms) and appears to conserve soil very well in the process of growing useful plants.”

However, MBRLC encourages that only one hectare is planted to crops. This is where the farmer will concentrate more as years go by.

However, the upper portion of the farm is planted to different trees, which are native to the area.

Adang talked about “tree time zones” of 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and 16-20 years, within which progressively more valuable products are harvested.

Some very valuable trees could be left longer, and he dubs this “the grandchild project – plant something for your grandchildren.”

Among the tree species planted in the SALT 3 model farm are bamboo, Sesbania sesban, “ipil-ipil,” Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium, Swietenia macrophylla, Pterocarpus indicus (more popularly known as narra), and Samanea saman (rattan is planted below it). Some of these are planted basically for fuelwood while others are for furniture purposes.

Meanwhile, Watson believed that just like the prophet David who defeated the leviathan Goliath with just a slingshot and a stone, going back to the basics could solve the problems. “We do not need modern technologies and high-tech gadgets to defeat the enemy.

All we have to do is use what God has provided us throughout the years,” he

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ed Dabawenyos to stay at home and maintain the health protocols.

She also said the city will intensify its campaign on the implementation of the health protocols especially that Christmas is near. “ Pakusgon nato ang

kampanya sa basic health protocols most importantly ang cooperation sa management sa mga establishmrnts as we rely on their serious implementation of the health protocols kay hapit naman ang Christmas,” she said.

ease came from. We just control it),” she added.

Asked if the city is ready for another outbreak, Rayos said, “We are intensifying our monitoring. Our personnel in the districts submit a weekly report.

That is what we can do considering that there is no medicine or vaccine for ASF or even for avian influenza. If there are suspected symptoms, our personnel would immediately go to the area to collect samples.”

According to Rayos,

the ASF was the worst outbreak that hit Davao City.

“We had outbreaks in the past but not as massive as the ASF. We had cholera outbreak but not as adverse as what we experienced with the ASF,” she said.

For the public’s safety, she reminded Dabawenyos to only buy meat products from reputable suppliers and that consumers who go to the markets and supermarkets must check the meat inspection certificates. CIO

ing now, on consumer safety and economic recovery is really what we need,” he said.

A study by Cobena, a data science and management consulting firm, shows that top sentiments online of Metro Manila consumers amid the pandemic were the desire to go back to the ‘old normal’ and the fear of contracting of coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

“Filipinos in Metro Manila are already hoping to return to the life that they

are accustomed to. They are aware of the risk but cognizant of the steps that must be taken to stay safe,” Cobena senior market research and marketing technologist Pierre Samson said.

“Our economy is really damaged, and it’s really about time to revive the economy, re-stimulate the demand. And to be able (to) do that, we really need to bring back consumer confidence,” Lopez said.

(PNA)

these importers need to pay about PHP1.4 billion in customs duties, surcharges, penalties, and interest.

“Rest assured that we will continue to enhance our efforts to ensure that we protect the tariff revenues that directly benefit our rice farmers,” he said, noting that the DOF will continue to ensure the government’s fiscal space to increase investments in agriculture.

Lambino said the government continues to

prioritize agriculture as proven by the PHP8.5-billion allocation under the Bayanihan 1 for the Rice Resiliency Project.

He said the funds were allotted for the acquisition of hybrid and inbred rice seeds and fertilizers.

About PHP24 billion was also allocated under the Bayanihan 2 for productivity enhancement, income enhancement, social protection, and subsidies for farmers, he added.

(PNA)

slowed down to 2.3% last month from 2.4% in August, owing to the slowdown in the inflation for the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages which eased at an annual rate of 1.5% during the month, from 1.8% in August.

Slower inflation was recorded for alcoholic

beverages and tobacco at 12.9%; clothing and footwear, 1.8%; and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 3.7%.

The annual rate in the index of recreation and culture declined by 0.5% during the month. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)

said.

Through the years, MBRLC has received several recognitions from various government agencies, including the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

In 1991, the MBRLC was recognized by the UN

Food and Agriculture Organization with a World Food Day Silver Medal “in recognition of the contribution to mobilizing people’s participation in tree planting and sustainable forest resources management.”

“Only when the last tree has been cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish caught will we realize we can’t eat money,” so goes a Native American proverb.

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yo, alam ninyo ‘yan. I will not enumerate kasi alam ninyo, kayo ang nag-prepare ng budget nga diyan e (and there are more problems. You know them all.

I will not enumerate because you know you prepared the budget),” he said.

Duterte noted that he could not understand why he would still hear reports about patients dying because they are unable to pay for medicines despite being admitted in government hospitals.

“Hindi ko talaga maintindihan isa pa ito na may mamatay sa ospital ng gobyerno dahil walang medisina. Huwag na huwag akong makarinig ng ganun sa totoo lang. Ang Kongreso must be generous enough to give us the Bayanihan Act to Heal as One lahat ng pera nandi-

yan. Wala pa naman akong kalokohan akong nakita (I really don’t understand how people die in government hospitals because there’s no medicine. I really hate hearing about them to be honest. The Congress must be generous enough to give us the Bayanihan Act where all the money is),” he said.

No apologies Duterte said people will not remember the players involved in causing a government to go “haywire” but they will always remember the President under whose term it happened.

“Dito sa ating bayan na kung magka letse letse, hindi sila magtanong kung sino ang may kagagawan o (In our country, when things go haywire, they won’t ask who did it or

who is) responsible for the mess that we are in right now. Ang maalaala lang nila, ‘panahon ni Duterte napakabaho’, kita mo kung ganun. They do not mention ah yung si Alan sa Congress o si Lord sa ano, wala. Ang sabihin administrasyon ni Duterte (What they’ll remember is ‘during the time of the President was stinky.’ They do not mention oh it’s Alan in Congress or Lord. They’ll say it happened during the Duterte administration),” he said.

He said he did not want to be take part in a squabble only to have to take the blame when he is no longer in office.

“Huwag ninyo ako idamay sa away ninyo at tapos (Don’t get me involved in your fight and then) in the future people will be ask-

ing what happened to the administration of Duterte or the administration of Arroyo or of Aquino or of Ramos. Hindi man sila magtanong kung sino yung mga tao doon responsible for the haywire administration of a certain period gaya ko sa panahon ko (They won’t ask who were responsible for causing the administration to go haywire during my term),” he said.

Duterte, meanwhile, said he would not apologize for reprimanding his allies in Congress.

“I will not apologize for saying this because indeed we are all of the same dream and that is really by itself and alone it is already an honor, it is a dream fulfilled for any lawyer, for any Filipino for that matter to serve his country,” he said. (PNA)

added.

(We were accused before as being responsible for items with lewd language. That didn't come from us. Before the public blame DepEd, they should verify first its source so they could explain and we could hold them accountable.)

The agency, he said, is already looking into the possibility of hiring more proofreaders to address the problem.

"May kinakasa kami.

Nag-uusap na kami ng aming team... Pero ang paghire kasi ng mga tao, hindi naman madali dahil may procurement processes...

Hanggang ngayon, nasa proseso pa rin 'yung mga dagdag naming tagabantay [sana] sa ganitong errors, TV lessons, at printed materials," he said.

(We are already discussing it in our team. But hiring itself is difficult because of the procurement processes. Until now, the hiring of people to guard these materials from errors is still being processed.)

According to him, some already volunteered to proofread, or offered their help to screen their modules and the lessons on DepEd TV for errors. He welcomes those who want to volunteer to help evalu-

ate their materials.

"May mga nagbo-volunteer po kahit hindi namin sila bayaran... Kung marami pong gustong ganito, tumulong sa amin, makipag-ugnayan po sa amin," he said.

(Some already volunteered even without pay. If more people want to volunteer and help us, please coordinate with us.)

Earlier this week, DepEd's television channel drew flak from social media users after it aired the wrong solution to a math problem. In August, netizens also criticized DepEd TV for airing grammatically-incorrect sentences during its test broadcast.

In September, social media users slammed a private school self-learning module that used people's names known to be Filipino puns alluding to lewd acts.

Modular learning is only one of the components of distance or blended learning being implemented this school year since in-person classes remain suspended due to COVID-19. Students also learn through online classes, and TV- and radio-based instructions.

Some 22.5 million students in public schools in the Philippines resumed their studies on Monday.

billion for RCEF for the six years from the tariff revenues of rice imports.

Dar mentioned that from the dry season in 2019 to 2020, over 1.37 million bags of certified inbred seeds were distributed to 554,512 farmers covering 68, 586 hectares.

On the other hand, more than 2.27 million bags of inbred seeds were given to 862,854 farmers covering over 1 million hectares during this year’s wet season.

In terms of rice farm machinery and equipment grants, some 2,938 postharvest machineries

were already distributed.

Of the number, 1,108 were distributed to 625 farmer cooperatives and associations in rice-producing provinces.

In terms of credit facility, RCEF has loaned out PHP1 billion to 5,671 individual farmers and 22 cooperatives last year.

For this year, there is an obligation to release PHP670.88 million worth of loans. Some PHP102.71 million was already released to 610 farmers and 15 cooperatives.

National Scientist Emil Javier, also former president of the University of

the Philippines, said it is better if a big portion of the annual PHP10-billion RCEF fund will be provided as a low-interest loan with generous insurance to farmers.

Javier said this credit facility should be available not only to members of farmer cooperatives but to all farmers to expand the beneficiaries of RCEF. Measures to stop falling palay prices Meanwhile, Dar said measures are in place to prop-up palay prices.

These measures include a partnership with local government units to procure palay from farmers

in their area; procurement, processing, and marketing of palay by multipurpose cooperatives from their farmer members; multinationals to buy directly from farmer cooperatives and associations for their employees’ rice allowance; and potential of giving cash assistance.

For the Department of Trade and Industry, Undersecretary Ruth Castelo said that since the enactment of RTL, prices of rice in the market have gone down.

The RTL has contributed to the taming of the food inflation, Castelo said.

(PNA)

"By bringing infections under control, lockdowns may thus pave the way to a faster economic recovery as people feel more comfortable about resuming normal activities," the report said.

The Washington-based crisis lender in June projected a nearly five percent global recession this year,

but IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva this week said new data show the situation is "less dire" although certainly not rosy.

The IMF is due to release the updated WEO forecasts on Tuesday.

The report showed strict lockdowns early in the pandemic were more effective in containing the

spread of the illness, and could be lifted sooner, compared to restrictions imposed after the case level had risen.

But the authors caution that "as long as significant health risks persist, economic activity is likely to remain subdued."

They repeated Georgieva's call for officials to resist

the impulse to withdraw policy support too quickly and instead should "preserve spending on social safety nets."

That said, governments should implement measures that support economic activity while continuing social distancing, including work-from-home programs.

prises, according to the Landbank.

The RCEF is mandated under the Rice Tariffication Law or Republic Act No. 11203 with a total of P10 billion to be allotted annually and will be incorporated under the General Appropriations

Act to be used in boosting the agricultural productivity in the country and help the lives of farmers.

Meanwhile SCP-SIDA is funded by 15% or about P300 million of the annual P2-billion fund allocated for the development of the country’s sug-

ar industry.

Alongside extending loans, Landbank said it will also be providing financial literacy trainings to 220 micro and small coops from 92 unbanked municipalities under the Financial Inclusion Through Cooperatives

(FIT-Coop).

Together with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the program is designed to help improve the business operations and strengthen the capacity of cooperatives to access formal credit, the lender said.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

COMPETITIVE EDGE

This year, the Aboitiz Group celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to the next 100 years with sustainability at the core of its operations across various businesses, namely power, banking and financial services, food, land, infrastructure, as well as construction. The Group rolls out its community development programs through its corporate social responsibility arm Aboitiz Foundation.

Sustained by environmental, social, governance legacy, Aboitiz Group looks toward next 100 years

I

n its 100th year, the Aboitiz Group’s best practices in environmental management, social responsibility, and good governance are strengthening its ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, similar to how the group’s corporate values strengthened the establishment of the company amid an earlier pandemic a century ago.

Aboitiz & Co. traces its roots to the 1800s as an abaca trading and general merchandise business in Ormoc, Leyte. It was formally incorporated in 1920. Today, it serves as the private holding company of the Aboitiz family.

The Aboitiz Group was established as the world grappled with the challenges of the 1918 influenza pandemic, considered by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “the most severe pandemic in recent history.”

“The timing of our 100th anniversary this year is a fitting reminder to all of us that Aboitiz was built and strengthened over the course of a century, weathering many adversities and overcoming hard times,” said Sabin M. Aboitiz, Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Aboitiz Group prevailed and this year, the

Group celebrates its centennial anniversary and looks forward to the next 100 years with sustainability at the core of its operations across its various business units.

“A sustainable future is only certain when it is firmly anchored on what is consistent. For 100 years, Aboitiz has been consistent in living out our values and in adapting to change. We are committed to delivering one purpose and for the next 100 years, I am confident that as OneAboitiz, we can build a future that will transcend for generations to come,” Aboitiz said.

Globally, companies’ environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) performance is fast being recognized as a reliable indicator of its potential longterm market position and ability to perform during challenging times.

Amid today’s health cri-

sis, for instance, the Aboitiz Group’s response hinges on its ESG initiatives and how these address various social issues that hinder community development ー and under a new normal at that.

Under Environment, there have been opportunities for fuel, energy, and water consumption reduction in business operations as the company continues its environmental management efforts.

Under Social, the Aboitiz Group ensures a healthy and safe work environment by maximizing the use of digital tools to adjust to a work from home arrangement, team engagement, and corporate social responsibility programs for COVID-19 response.

Under Governance, Aboitiz has demonstrated a strong balance sheet that is resilient to financial implications without undermining economic contributions to society. The Aboitiz Group’s business continuity plans are proving to be effective.

COVID-19 has also tested and continues to test the company’s governance in terms of risk management and planning.

The Aboitiz Group put together a COVID-19 Technical Working Group which implements guidelines on the company’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. The

team also regularly updates the group-wide Business Continuity Plan, Business Impact Analysis, and Business Recovery Plan in collaboration with all business units based on different scenarios.

The business recovery plan also includes a review of profit and loss, cash flow impact, and risk mitigation measures to address any negative impact. Learnings during the quarantine are also being reviewed to provide input on how processes can be improved in work moving forward.

Overall, the Group’s COVID-19 efforts aim to address immediate concerns on safety and these efforts were made possible through stakeholder partnerships, recognizing that greater and closer collaboration between the government and the private sector can help mitigate COVID-19’s impact.

To date, the Aboitiz Group’s total contribution to the national COVID-19 response effort has reached over P2.2 billion (excluding various payments waived, reduced, extended, or restructured to help customers cope with the impact of COVID-19), underscoring the group’s sustained campaign to help address the urgent needs of frontliners and affected communities nationwide.

are not doing well and the management cannot afford to give such pay, they may defer it. That might be the more acceptable formula to address the issue of the payment of the 13th-month pay. They cannot pay it right now, maybe they can settle it next year or next month.

That’s an option. The other option is, if the company is distressed, (you) are excused. But you have to prove that you are distressed," Bello added.

Bello admitted that they have to come up with an advisory to determine the meaning of “distressed company”.

Under the law, if a business establishment is characterized as a distressed company, it is exempted from giving 13th-month pay.

“We have to come up with an advisory to determine what is the meaning of a distressed company or a distressed business establishment for them to be exempted from the payment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bello said they are looking to exempt micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from payment of 13th-month pay.

“Undersecretary Benjo (Benavidez) and I dis-

cussed when it comes to 13th-month pay, if MSMEs may be exempted and then those with a capitalization of PHP1 million and above may be required but this is still being studied, it will be a subject of a tripartite consultation,” he added.

Presidential Decree 851 provides for the grant of 13th-month pay as a mandatory benefit for private sector workers An employer may give his or her employees half of the 13th-month pay before the opening of the regular school year and the remaining half on or before December 24 every year. (PNA)

Companies may delay grant of 13th month pay this year

T

he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) urged companies affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic just to delay and not completely discard the grant of 13thmonth pay to their workers.

In a virtual press briefing on Thursday, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the issue on the grant of 13th-month pay needs to be discussed by the management and employees.

This came as quarantine restrictions impaired the economy and affected business operations.

“Since the businesses

KENIN... FROM11

“I wanted to play this match as if it was the first round. I didn’t want to think it was a semi-final because it would have stressed me out.”

Swiatek is only the second woman from Poland to reach the final at Roland Garros - the last was Jadwiga Jedrzejowska, who finished runner-up in 1939.

Consistent Kenin sees off cavalier Kvitova The second semi-final was a contest between an American player, who played a game of percentages and the Czech, who went for broke with her groundstrokes.

Kvitova produced more winners (28-23), but also made more errors (31-20) than her opponent.

The experienced Kvitova, a semi-finalist in 2012

who has never reached the final, was a double-break down in the opening set.

She stated that she felt nervous before her quarter-final match against Laura Siegemund, and that appeared the case in the early exchanges on Philippe Chatrier.

The two-time Wimbledon champion got one break back in the sixth game, which featured one extraordinary moment when she turned her back to celebrate thinking she had won the point before having to react to Kenin’s shot that had crept over the net. She then had a second chance to break, but the Australian Open champion produced two brilliant serves to get herself out of trouble en route to taking the set.

Coe said, braving the rain on the track. "We are absolutely committed to working with the organizing committee for the delivery of a fantastic games, though there have to be some adaptions.

"There needs to be some differences, but I am absolutely convinced that even under these circumstances, there will still be fantastic games. We will adapt, we will also be supported by the organizing committee in anything we need to do to make sure that athletics is the center stage of the Olympic Games."

Coe will meet with Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori later, but admitted that he did not come for "assurances" from the organizers.

"Athletics is the number one sport of the Olympic Games. We are here to let the organizing committee know, I think they already know it. We want to work very closely with them.

We want these games to be hugely successful. They (the games) will come when the world is relying heavily on sport. I hope

they come out of the pandemic,” Coe said.

The Englishman is excited by the two world records that were broken in Valencia, Spain on Wednesday night -- by Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei in the men's 10,000 meters and Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey in the women's 5,000 meters.

"This is a spectacular season," said Coe, himself a two-time former Olympic champion. "This is an exceptional year. I'm really thankful for them. It tells me that the athletes have weathered the pandemic months extremely well.

Many of them have been limited to their own houses for many months."

He also hopes that Tokyo will host the world championships again soon after the Olympic Games.

"We want athletics to have a permanent home in Japan," he said. "It would be a perfect solution to bring the world championships here as soon as possible," he said.

Japan hosted the world championships twice, in Tokyo in 1991 and Osaka in 2007. (Xinhua)

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

11

Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder, and Duncan Robinson try to help Heat avoid elimination. PHOTO: AP

Heat eager to spoil LA party

L

AKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The trophy ceremony plans are getting finalized. Boxes are being shipped out of the NBA bubble in advance of the looming shutdown. Hotel rooms, sometime in the next few days, will be filled again by regular people looking for their long-awaited Disney fix.

For LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers,

the stage is set.

The NBA Finals —

Kenin to face teener Swiatek in finals

T

he French Open women’s final will be contested between Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin and Polish teenager Iga Swiatek after two contrasting displays in their semi-finals.

Swiatek, 19, needed only 70 minutes to beat Argentine Nadia Podoroska 6-2 6-1 to reach her first major final.

American Kenin, 21, overcame Czech seventh seed Petra Kvitova 6-4 7-5.

Fourth seed Kenin produced controlled tennis but had to save 10 break points against the two-time Wimbledon winner.

She has yet to play Swiatek on the main tour, but faced each other on the same stage in the juniors four years ago.

“I lost, but it was a close one,” said Kenin.

“Sofia is on fire this year,” said Swiatek after her win over world number 131 Podoroska. “I don’t want to think about it - I’m just happy I’m in the final.”

‘It’s like a dream come true’ - Kenin Having overwhelmed Romanian top seed Simona Halep in the fourth round,

Swiatek will not fear Melbourne champion Kenin.

Kenin defended brilliantly against Kvitova and will have to produce a repeat performance against a Swiatek forehand which at times reached 80mphplus against Podoroska.

The teenager produced 11 groundstroke winners on that side, out of a total of 22.

Podoroska, the first qualifier in the Open era to reach the French Open women’s semi-finals, also has a strong forehand side but was never given a chance to get into her rhythm.

The 23-year-old’s only bright moment came in the fifth game of the second set when she broke the Pole, although she needed four bites at it. Swiatek broke back straight away before serving out for victory at a cold and breezy Philippe Chatrier.

“I’m surprised,” Swiatek said of her run to the final. “But I always knew if I was going to reach a Grand Slam final it would be the French Open. It’s like a dream come true.

FKENIN, P10

and the longest season in league history, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and four-and-a-halfmonth shutdown that followed — could end on Friday night (Saturday, Manila time), with James and the Lakers going into Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead over the Miami Heat.

The Heat are simply looking for a way to extend this matchup into a Game 6 that would be played

on Sunday, while James is looking for his fourth ring and, he thinks, a whole new level of respect from L.A. fans.

“What I’ve learned being a Laker is that the Laker faithful don’t give a damn what you’ve done before,” James said. “...

They don’t care about your resume at all until you become a Laker. You’ve got to do it as a Laker, and then they respect you.”

World athletics exec sees fantastic Tokyo Olympics

T

OKYO – World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said here on Thursday that Tokyo will host a fantastic Olympic Games despite the uncertainties amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Coe arrived here on Wednesday night and became the first high-profile leader of international sports organizations to visit Japan since the

Covid-19 outbreak.

The former president of the London Olympics organizing committee inspected the track at the Olympic Stadium accompanied by the Japanese Olympic Committee chief Yasuhiro Yamashita and World Athletics CEO Jon Ridgeon.

"We don't know for sure what will happen in the next few months,"

FWORLD, P10

Iga Swiatek’s previous best performances at Grand Slams came at the 2019 French Open and this year’s Australian Open where she reached the fourth round.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 156 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2020

SEMIS-BOUND

Eala barges into French Open semis R ising Filipina tennis star Alex Eala fought back from a first set loss to clinch a semifinals berth in the 2020 Roland Garros girls singles on Thursday (October 8) in Paris France.

The world no. 4 Eala defeated world No. 33 Linda Noskova of Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, to nail her first Grand Slam semis appearance.

The victory made Eala the first Filipino to reach a Grand Slam semifinals in 35 years since Felix Barrientos clinched a last 4 slot in the 1985 Wimbledon juniors tournament.

Facing the tough Czech, who had won 3 clay titles in 2019, Eala overturned her opening set loss with a 3-0 start in the 2nd set to shock Noskova.

As the tournament No. 2 seed forced a decid-

ing set, she denied Noskova a comeback as she took 4 straight games, 4-1, and closed out the match.

Eala is the highest-ranking seed remaining in the tournament.

Eala already ended her bid in doubles action after an opening round exit with American partner Elvina Kalieva as they suffered an upset loss to the Italian pair of Lisa Pigato and Eleonora Alvisi.

Last February, world No. 4 Eala made history in the 2020 Australian Open juniors doubles tournament, which she ruled together with Indonesian Priska Nugroho.

Alex Eala fought back from a first set loss to clinch a semifinals berth in the 2020 Roland Garros girls singles.