Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 178 | Saturday, November 7, 2020

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VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

City gov’t clarifies: No deadline for registration of DQR STORY ON PAGE 2

A mall goer relaxes in front of the ‘Reindeer Farm’ at the fountain court of SM Lanang Premier in Davao City on Friday. The Reindeer Farm is part of the mall’s holiday installation this year. Edge Davao

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VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

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City gov’t clarifies: No deadline for registration of DQR

By MAYA M. PADILLO he city government of Davao reiterated that registration for the Safe Davao QR code has no deadline.

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The clarification came after some Dabawenyos complained of the sloppy registration system.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio likewise earlier stressed that there is no deadline and the mandato-

ry use of the DQR has been moved to November 23, 2020. The mayor reiterated that anyone can still register even after Nov. 23.

“Pwede pa mu-register sa QR code kay online man siya. Especially tong musu-

lod sa Davao after Nov. 23.

Kung di ka mugawas up to December. I suggest sa December nalang ka mukuha.

Dili mawala ang site after sa Nov. 23 because there is always someone nga manginahanglan sa DQR especially sa mga manulod diri sa city,” she said.

As of this writing, the website for Safe Davao QR is still non-functional.

Developers of the system

decided to take down the website after DQR applicants attempting to log or access the site or link swelled to 10,000 at one time which proved to be too much for its capacity.

The city government will make a separate announcement when the DQR website is ready to accept registrations.

The mayor said if the system is still not acces-

sible on Nov. 23, she will make a statement.

“Kung daut gihapon ang system sa Nov. 23, mag-istorya napud tag usab,” Mayor Sara said.

The Safe Davao QR is created to help expedite contact tracing and enforce the prohibition on non-essential travel. All residents and non-residents of Davao City shall need their unique and permanent DQR to

travel around Davao City.

Private and government offices are also required to acquire scanners for the DQR as it will be used also as a contact tracing log for entry and exit in all offices and establishments.

The DQR also serves as a pass in law enforcement checkpoints and barangay patrols implementing the prohibition on non-essential travels.

he much-awaited Davao City Crematorium is nearing completion this month and will be operational soon.

Engr. Joseph Felizarta, the Head of the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), said that the city crematorium is a 75 per cent completion rate.

Located inside the Davao Wireless Cemetery, the city crematorium can house two (2) cremation machines but the city is setting up only one unit

and would add another machine in the future when the need arises.

“With one cremation machine, sa usa ka adlaw kaya niya ni mo-cater og upat per day. Kay two (2) hours man ang usa ka lawas i-cremate (In a day, it can cater to four because it would take two (2) hours to cremate one body),” he said.

Felizarta said that the construction of the city crematorium was made

City Crematorium operational soon

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FCITY, P10

Public Advisory

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago)

Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Thursday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

PRRD orders audit of DPWH projects

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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered an audit of projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to determine whether or not there are so-called “ghost projects” within the agency.

In his public address, Duterte said the ghost projects are being used for corrupt practices in the DPWH, noting that such irregularities are “shortchanging” the government.

“The best way is to conduct an audit of those projects to determine if they are ghost projects or not, and I think they are plenty,” he said.

He advised the public officials linked in the supposed anomalous projects to vacate their posts immediately.

“For the longest time, wala masyadong imbestigasyon diyan, pero kayong may kasalanan diyan sa mga gano’n, I advise you

to resign now (For the longest time, there’s not much investigation about that, but those who have erred, I advise you to resign now),” he said. “Resign now kasi pagdating ng panahon… makita ninyo, you’ll be prosecuted administratively and criminally at walang patawaran dito (Resign now, because when the time comes… you’ll see [that] you’ll be prosecuted administratively and criminally and there would be no

impunity),” he said.

Duterte earlier ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to form a task force to investigate allegations of corruption “in the entire government” with a special focus on the DPWH. He said the DOJ may also prosecute and file appropriate charges against those involved in anomalies investigated.

However, he also warned dishonest officials

ore than 200 barangay chairpersons allegedly involved in anomalies in the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) aid during the COVID-19 pandemic are either facing charges or have been suspended, Interior and Local Government Sec. Eduardo Año said Thursday.

Año said 183 barangay heads are currently facing charges while 89 have al-

ready been suspended.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) received 781 complaints, involving 1,259 suspects. It has also conducted 363 investigations, according to Año.

He also said he has issued show-cause orders to 10 mayors who were not in their municipalities when super typhoon Rolly hit the country.

Cell tower permits

Meanwhile, Año said the government has approved more than 2,000 applications for cell tower construction permits.

He said they have approved 815 more applications, bringing the total permits to 2,082.

There are still 637 pending applications, Año added.

After Duterte had threatened to shut down telcos if no improvements

in internet connectivity are made by December, Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu earlier revealed that it takes about 28 to 30 permits and over 8 months to build just one tower.

The permitting woes are on top of miscellaneous fees collected by local government units, including tower fees and special use permits, Cu

FPRRD, P10

Raps filed vs 183 village heads over SAP distribution anomalies: Año

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FRAPS, P10

In line with the latest weather forecast from PAGASA relative to the weakening intensity and estimated exit of Typhoon “Rolly” from the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), as well as the projection on the nominal effects of Tropical Storm “Siony” over the country, the PCSO shall resume the conduct of Lottery Draws on Monday, 02 November 2020. Catch-up draws for the games covered by the suspension on 01 Novem-

ber 2020 shall be held tomorrow at 12:30 pm and may be viewed at PTV4's and PCSO’s official Facebook page and other social media accounts.

The selling of tickets remains continuous in all operational Lotto Outlets, subject to prevailing IATF and LGU rulings and ordinances.

We thank the public for patronizing PCSO games in their respective localities while paying attention to their safety at all times.

VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian“Baste”Duterte receives 30 Huna-Hunaw Art Sinks donated by the Rotary Club of Downtown Davao at the Malayan College Mindanao campus on Thursday. CIO

Barangay Mintal to form T waste collectors unit T

Davao City deploys 164 tracers for Covid-19 cases

By MAYA M. PADILLO he barangay local government unit (BLGU) of Mintal, known as the "Little Tokyo" of Davao City, will be organizing waste collectors to help manage its wastes.

This was made possible through the project called PHINLA or the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka, which aims to address poor waste management concerns in the barangay.

“We have chosen Brgy.

Mintal because we are familiar of it and also passed the qualifications such as informal waste pickers and the willingness of the BLGU officials to accept and implement the project. Also, the barangay should have materials recovery facility in which they are working in it now,” said Chinkie Pe-

liño-Golle, executive director of Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) Inc. In partnership with environmental groups IDIS and Sustainable Davao Movement, the project aims to implement a zero waste management project, which will address the increasing waste concerns in Mintal.

“I-organize pa sila (waste pickers) pero naa na’y identified persons for the project,” Golle said.

For Barangay Mintal, the waste collectors will be

provided with equipment such as 17 trisikads, five motorized tricycles, PPEs (gloves, respirators, raincoats and boots) while the establishment of barangay MRF will be equipped with biodegradable shredder, weighing scale and mobile phones for the BinBank application.

Other supplies will be provided for the documentation of the MRF and creation of the Community Savings and Credit Association (CoMSCA).

Aside from the formation of the waste pickers, the project also aims to provide them livelihood.

The empowerment of waste collectors and communities affected by poor waste management will be done by using waste as a resource to create em-

ployment and for them to earn income, while tackling health and environmental issues associated with waste.

The project will also help communities in establishing the waste collector's association. It also provides capacity building and equipment necessary to aid the community and its waste workers.

Golle said the project is in line with IDIS’ advocacy of zero waste in Davao City.

“We are excited for the full implementation of this project and for its future results. We do hope that with the cooperation of the barangay officials and residents, this will really solve the local waste management concerns and eventually will make Brgy.

“The DICT is targeting the rollout of a total of 10,069 live sites until the end of 2020, with plans to establish up to 100,000 Wi-Fi access sites by the year 2023 following the deployment of the National Broadband Program,” the DICT said.

Due to the challenges brought by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the DICT said the program’s “intensified rollout” presently priori-

tizes the education sector.

“Presently, the program has established free Wi-Fi sites in 138 public libraries, 1018 public schools, 967 State Universities/Colleges, and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) institutions,” it said.

One of the institutions recently granted free Wi-Fi was the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Education, Training, and Doc-

trine Command (AFPETDC) in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The AFPETDC, which also houses the AFP Command General Staff College (CGSC), provides professional military education to AFP uniformed personnel for higher command responsibilities and doctrine development.

During the virtual launch of the AFPETDC free Wi-Fi hub on October

FBARANGAY, P10

6,723 free Wi-Fi sites now installed across PH: DICT

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he Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Thursday said its Free Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) for All program is now available in 6,723 sites nationwide and will continue to increase in the next three years.

In a statement, the DICT said the Free Wi-Fi for All sites were installed in 1,021 municipalities and cities in 80 provinces, including Metro Manila.

F6,723, P10

he Davao City government is deploying 164 tracers of the 1,500 hired by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to improve and intensify contact tracing of the local government of Covid-19 cases.

Dr. Julinda Acosta, the head of the Technical Division of CHO, said that the city government said the 164 individuals were the first batch of the trained contact tracers hired by the DILG. “Fast contact tracing is important to immediately stop the transmission, and isolate the virus at an early stage,” she said.

The city government is conducting orientation and training online per session for the remaining hired contact tracers starting on November 6, 2020.

“This Friday will be our first day of online training, wherein at least 500 contact tracers who applied can join. With this, we aim

to finish the training and orientation in two to three days,” Acosta said.

After the training, contact tracers will be deployed to different districts in the city, prioritizing areas with a higher number of Covid-19 cases, and those with a larger population.

“Bahin bahinon sila, depende sa unsa tong district na daghan og kaso ug katong dako kaayo nga population. Mao to among i-prioritize nga daghan daghan ang contact tracers. (They will be divided depending on the district with the most cases and those with a larger population. We will prioritize to give them more contact tracers). The district staff or district doctor will guide and supervise them,” Acosta said.

As of November 4, 2020, Davao City has a total of 1,122 Covid-19 active cases. The city has a total of is 4,072 cases, 2,771 recoveries, and 179 deaths. CIO

he Braulio E. Dujali, Davao del Norte Municipal Agriculturist Office (MAGRO) started Wednesday night the depopulation of African swine fever-infected (ASF) hogs.

In an interview Thursday, Mayor Leah Marie Moral-Romano told the Philippine News Agency that some 180 pigs are set to be culled inside the 500-meter radius of the ASF-affected area in Barangay Cabayangan.

Last week, Romano

said MAGRO personnel directed hog raisers to quarantine, disinfect, and put footbaths in their areas following the ASF-cases in neighboring towns.

MAGRO also told the hog raisers to avoid swill feeding to further prevent the infection from coming in, she said.

Earlier, the Department of Agriculture in Region 11 (DA-11) confirmed several ASF cases in Tagum City, Sto. Tomas and Carmen towns in Davao del Norte last month.

DavNor town culls ASF-infected hogs

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

Troops of 27th Infantry “Action” Battalion together with the police exhumes the cadaver of former vice commanding officer of Guerilla Front 55 Junjie “Totong” Caintoy aka Bords in the hinterlands of Paquibato District in Davao City on November 3, 2020. Contributed photo

SoCot mulls expansion of rice subsidy scheme

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he provincial government of South Cotabato is planning to expand the implementation next year of its subsidized buying scheme for palay to accommodate more local farmers, an official said on Thursday.

Dr. Raul Teves, head of the Provincial Agriculturist Office, said they are currently finalizing the implementing guidelines for the Palay Support Program (PSP) to make it more viable and facilitate its rollout on a long-term basis.

In particular, Teves said they are firming up the processes in the buying of palay from local farmers, milling of the purchased stocks, sale to concerned government

agencies, and their corresponding payments.

“This is to ensure the proper liquidation of the palay stocks that we purchased and disposed of,” he said in a briefing.

This year, the provincial government allotted some PHP15 million for PSP, increasing from the PHP10 million budget last year.

Through the PSP, the local government buys palay from local farmers at a subsidized price of PHP19

per kilo, which is higher

by PHP3 to PHP5 than the prevailing commercial buying prices in the area.

The priority are farmers with a palay production area of at least one hectare. The average palay production in the province is currently at 4.6 tons per hectare.

Teves said they already used up the funds released for this year, purchasing a total of 8,110 sacks of palay that benefited some 158 farmers.

He said a total of 7,285 sacks were withdrawn by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and provincial jail, with 825 remaining on standby.

The program’s trust fund still has remaining funds but already allotted

it as repayment to its conduit Binhi-an ng Timog Kutabato Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Bintiku), he said.

“Once we get the payment for the disposed stocks, we’re expecting an additional return of PHP226,000 and we will use that for the palay subsidy as well,” Teves said.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. pushed for the program’s initial rollout last year to help local farmers cope with the sharp decline in palay commercial buying prices, which reached PHP12 to PHP13 per kilo.

The local government procured over 2,600 bags of palay last year from around 100 farmers in partnership with Bintiku.

(PNA)

maybe between 6.5-7.5 percent (in 2021) but that means we have not fully recovered. Full recovery will take place in 2022,” he said during a virtual briefing.

Economic managers forecast a 5.5-percent contraction for the domestic economy, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), for this year on account of the pandemic.

Pre-pandemic, the do-

mestic economy posted expansions of over 6 percent.

Based on the announcement of the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) last December, the GDP was projected to accelerate at 6.5 to 7.5 percent from 2020-2022.

In a meeting last May 12, these figures have been revised to -3.4 to -2 percent for 2020, 7.1 to 8.1 percent for 2021, and 7 to

8 percent for 2022.

However, in a meeting last May 27, economic managers changed the 2021 and 2022 growth projections to 8 to 9 percent and 6 to 7 percent, respectively.

Revisions were again made last July 28, with the 2020 growth projection now between 4.5 to 6.6 percent, and the 2021 to 2022 figures between 6.5 to 7.5 percent. (PNA)

PH economy’s full recovery expected by 2022: Diokno

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he growth normalization of the Philippine economy may be expected by 2022, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said on Thursday.

Diokno said the third quarter 2020 growth is expected to be better than the -16.5 percent in the second quarter, and 2021 will be a recovery year.

“We expect the economy to bounce back by

MVP withdraws bid for Sky Cable citing regulatory risks

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elecoms tycoon Manny Pangilinan has withdrawn his bid to acquire Sky Cable Corp from the Lopez Group due to worries that antitrust regulators may flag the deal.

"We withdrew from the bidding for ABSCBN's SkyCable since there might be a risk local competition authorities might reverse the transaction a year after the effect of Bayanihan 2," Pangilinan said during a briefing on PLDT’s third quarter financial results.

Pangilinan is chairman, president and CEO of PLDT, which operates Cignal TV Inc, a Philippine satellite television and IPTV provider, under the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund.

Cignal directly competes with Sky's pay TV division, while PLDT's home broadband division competes with Sky Fibre.

The Bayanihan to Recover As One Act or Bayanihan 2, exempts transactions with values below P50 billion from being reviewed by the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) if entered within 2 years from the effectivity of the law. It also suspended the PCC's power to review these transactions by itself for 1 year.

Prior to the new rules, merger deals

worth P2.4 billion and above were subject to PCC review.

But Pangilinan said they were worried that the PCC may review a possible deal with Sky “one year after the effectivity of the act (Bayanihan 2) and possibly reverse agreements which may have been struck in the course of that first year."

He added that the PCC may eventually require them to divest.

"When the Bayanihan 2 was passed, we put an offer to ABS [CBN], but on further review of the Act by ourselves and by our legal counsel, we were told about this risk of possible divestment by us on review starting the second year of the act," he said.

ABS-CBN Corp, the parent firm of Sky meanwhile clarified that Pangilinan's bid for its paid TV and broadband service unit was unsolicited.

"PLDT's bid was unsolicited and withdrawing their bid is their prerogative. This has no impact on the operations of Sky Cable," said Kane Errol Choa, ABS-CBN Corp Head of Corporate Communications Sky Cable Corp and ABS-CBN are part of the Lopez Group of companies.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

ECONOMY 5

P2.7B worth of flight cancellations due to Covid-19 refunded: CebPac

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udget carrier Cebu Pacific on Thursday said it has already refunded at least P2.7 billion worth of flight cancellation requests in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an advisory, Cebu Pacific said it continues to process a high volume of refund requests due to COVID-19 related flight cancellations.

“We have refunded an additional P300 million since our last update, for a total of P2.7 billion, and are currently processing refund requests filed in June,” the airline said.

In September, the carrier said if refunded over P2.4 billion worth of booking cancellations. The amount is equivalent to 50% of all the refund requests the airline has received.

Local carriers earlier explained that it was taking more time to process air ticket refunds as volume of

applications piled up due to frequent flight cancellations.

“To ensure Cebu Pacific continues to provide affordable and accessible air transport services in the years to come, we have been working on raising fresh capital,” the carrier said.

“Rest assured, we remain fully committed to close off pending refunds at the earliest possible time.

Updates will be provided to our passengers once their requests have been processed,” it said.

Cebu Air Inc., the operator of Cebu Pacific, announced last month its plan to raise $500 million (around P25 billion) additional capital to strengthen its position to recover from the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cebu Air said it is seeking regulatory approval for

FP2.7B, P10

EU commits add’l funding worth 150-M euros to PH

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he European Union will grant another 150 million euros (around P8.5 billion) to the Philippines, the Department of Finance said Thursday.

The DOF said twothirds of the amount will help finance programs to boost agricultural productivity in Mindanao and provide electricity to its far-flung small island-communities.

According to the DOF, Thomas Wiersing, the charge d’affaires of the EU to the Philippines, made this commitment during a virtual meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Wiersing also reaffirmed the EU’s intention to reorient portions of its grants to the Philippine government’s COVID-19 response efforts in Mindanao, the DOF said.

The EU will continue to help the Philippines reform its justice system, the DOF added.

Dominguez meanwhile thanked the EU for its plan

to shift some of its grants to Mindanao’s pandemic response efforts and support its cash-strapped local government units, as well as help in the electrification of its rural areas.

The Finance Chief also asked if the EU could help the government provide individual land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries, especially in Mindanao, so they could have access to credit facilities.

The DOF said that as of August this year, the EU has extended a total of 85 million euros worth of grants for the government’s peace and development initiatives in Mindanao.

Relations between the EU and the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte have been testy, with Duterte even telling EU delegates to get out of the country at one point, and refusing aid from the EU over its criticism of alleged human rights abuses in the country’s drug war.

Last September, the Eu-

FEU, P10

WorldRemit waives transfer fees for remittances to the PH

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igital payments platform WorldRemit will waive its transfer fees on remittances made to the Philippines until November 10, as the country deals with the aftermath of Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) along with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an advisory, WorldRemit said its transfer fees were waived starting November 4, and will last until next Tuesday, November 10, when customers input the code "PHRolly" in transactions made through the website or its mobile application.

"Like the entire global community, the Philippines has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but must now also deal with the devasta-

tion caused by this natural disaster," said WorldRemit country director for the Philippines Earl Melivo.

"This is why we are waiving our fees for anyone who wants to support the people of the Philippines during this challenging time. A number of those on the ground will be relying on this source of income to help rebuild their lives," he added.

Rolly -- said to be the worst storm in 2020 -- hit the Philippines over the weekend, and exited the country's area of responsibility on Tuesday.

Latest data available from the central bank showed that cash remittances or money coursed through banks declined by 4.1% to $2.483 billion in August.

A Cebu Pacific aircraft departs from Davao International Airport in Davao City. The airline disclosed that it has already refunded at least P2.7 billion worth of flight cancellation requests in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic. Edge Davao

Cyber crimes up during early days of quarantine: Diokno

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yber threats increased during the earlier days of the community quarantine but these have been addressed by financial institutions’ tough stance against online crimes.

In a virtual briefing Thursday, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said cyber crimes like phishing and sending out malicious e-mails and links to malicious websites “with the spin on coronavirus dis-

ease” increased.

Diokno said banks addressed these by launching targeted cybersecurity awareness campaigns to combat phishing and social engineering attacks.

He said banks also upped their surveillance

monitoring by implementing tighter network controls like stringent firewall settings, end-point protection, and white-listing of websites or applications.

“Towards the end of the lockdown, phishing and malicious website (had) already tapered off, indicating effective countermeasures of the BSP-supervised institutions,” he said.

Phishing is done by getting an individual’s personal details, account numbers, and personal identification

number (PIN), among others, through e-mail.

Amid the banks’ cybersecurity readiness, Diokno said criminals continue to attack the financial institutions’ cybersecurity defenses and controls.

“BSFIs (BSP-supervised institutions) should therefore continue to closely monitor and anticipate these changing attack tactics through defense in depth strategies and effective cyber response mechanisms,” he added. (PNA)

Pinoys urged to invest in stocks, bonds

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ilipinos are encouraged to invest in bonds and stocks to seize opportunities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In a virtual press briefing Thursday, AP Securities vice president Jaycob Yedra said the best stock market returns are those invested during times of uncertainties.

“When everyone is fearful, usually that’s the best time to get in. As a matter of fact, the markets around the world

already rebounded by more or less 50 percent from its lowest point in March. Even if you look at more than 100 years of data, you can see that the stock market performed well right after the pandemic,” he said.

Yedra said during the 1918 Spanish flu, the US market “came roaring right after even if it was deadlier and more devastating (than) what we have right now.”

Wealth Arki president Rienzie Biolena underscored the importance

of investing in the bonds market.

“So bonds, whether these are corporate bonds or even government bonds, have a special place in each everyone’s portfolio. Of course, this is a matter of tweaking and tailor-fitting to your investment (plans) and horizon,” he said.

Biolena said those eyeing more returns can consider investing in corporate bonds.

Meanwhile, Biolena said the Global Filipino Investors Inc. (TGFI) will

hold bonds and stocks online conferences from Nov. 21 to 22 to promote financial literacy for free.

“We will also be talking about when you should be investing in a bond or when you should be not investing in a bond. What are bonds for, would it be for retirees, just retirees? For example, young professionals and those just starting off, should I go investing for bonds? The different advantages and benefits of having a bond,” he added.(PNA)

Fiscal support for health care system, SMEs needed: IMF exec

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nsuring fiscal provisions for the most-affected sectors and the health care system is the primary way for countries to recover from the impact of the pandemic, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, IMF Regional Office for Asia Director Chikahisa Sumi said “there is no silver bullet” for countries that are lagging in terms of virus contain-

ment.

Sumi said fiscal support to safeguard the health care system is one of the most important measures.

“There’s no panacea.

Basically, you need to contain the virus’ spread by taking the measures that have been really good.

Especially for the government, make sure that your health care system is still capable of handling it, so the (need for) funding

support,” he said.

Aside from focusing on the health care system, Sumi also underscored the need to focus on saving livelihoods, particularly helping the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“You may want to err on the side of caution” by scrutinizing the viability of small businesses, he said.

“There is no difference that basically people say like there’s a trade-off between the economy and

saving lives. To me, that doesn’t make any difference. It’s not a trade-off.

The economic recovery cannot stop, cannot take root unless the health condition is under control,” Sumi added.

Meanwhile, the IMF forecast the Philippine economy to contract by 8.3 percent this year but recovery is seen to boost domestic growth by about 7.4 percent next year.

(PNA)

6 VANTAGE POINTS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

In stressing that there is no deadline for registration of the Safe Davao QR Code and that the mandatory use of the DQR has been moved to November 23...

Pwede pa mu-register sa QR code kay online man siya. Especially tong musulod sa Davao after Nov. 23. Kung di ka mugawas up to December. I suggest sa December nalang ka mukuha.

Dili mawala ang site after sa Nov. 23 because there is always someone nga manginahanglan sa DQR especially sa mga manulod diri sa city.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDGEDAVAO

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REVIEW

MISAENG (AN INCOMPLETE LIFE)A REVIEW ATTY. ANGELA LIBRADO-TRINIDAD

AT THE OUTSET, This K drama focuses on Jang Gue Rae, a high school graduate who lived and breathed Baduk (a famous board game) for the most part of his adolescent life. And when he fails to become a pro, Jang Gue Rae applies in and was hired as an intern at One International, a large trading company, with only his high school equivalency exam and a highly influential sponsor for an acquaintance as credentials.

He joins three other interns with highly remarkable academic credentials — Ahn Young Yi, an extremely competent, trilingual intern, Jang Baek Gi, whose bearing and training spell ambition and success and the scientific and manual labor-exposed but emotional Han Seok Yool.

As they navigate the trading world and the corporate bureaucracy, they experience competition, greed and corruption in both their raw and subtle forms. In turn, these interns learn what it takes to survive – talk less, work more. Gloat a bit but push some more. They are further

influenced by Oh Sang Shik, Gang-rae’s alcoholic supervisor whose work style knows no short cuts, no mediocrity as well as comprises.

In the latter part of the series, however, Jang Rae is seen investing wholly in “his” coporation and yet fails to secure a position,to his utter dismay.

While this K drama does not attempt to illustrate how one may succeed in the corporate world , MISAENG inspires because it is as real as it gets depicting the grim reality that while hard work and sheer commitment guarantee one’s survival , they are

not necessarily one’s license to success. These however remind us that victories, whether small, unexpected and insignificant are reasons enough to continually live and breathe.

Misaeng- which literally

means an incomplete life – its charm overflows not because it tells us that one’s life is completed only when one succeeds. On the contrary, it explains that one already succeeds when he/she lives his/ her life completely.

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UP AND ABOUT

LENOVO LAUNCHES LEGION SLIM 7i

GLOBAL tech innovator Lenovo today launched the stylish and savage new Legion Slim 7i at the annual Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS). The newest addition to Lenovo’s gaming sub-brand, the Legion Slim 7i is a finely calibrated gaming machine enclosed within a slim and lightweight exterior yet is powerful enough for creative and work needs while on-the-go.

At only 1.8 kg and 17.9 mm thin, the Legion Slim 7i is currently the world’s lightest GeForce RTX gaming laptop.

Underneath its sleek all-aluminum case, it runs on an Intel Core i7-10750H processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card for real-time ray tracing, 16GB 2933MHz DDR4, and 1TB SSD with extra slot, allowing users to relish in optimum framerates and reduced load times.

The Legion Slim 7i sports the world-class TrueStrike per-key RGB keyboard powered by Corsair iCUE software and beloved by gamers, with second transition switches providing a more satisfying, deeper key travel feel. With its FHD 15.6” display and Dolby Vision support that spin up to 144 Hz refresh rate, the Legion Slim 7i dominates the competition as it yields laser-sharp and smooth visuals during competitive gameplay, featuring 100% sRGB color accuracy for pristine true-to-life views in its four-sided narrow bezels.

“With the Legion Slim 7i as the latest addition to Lenovo’s powerhouse slate of gaming PCs,

we explore new levels of innovation to enable our customers to do more with their Legion device. While gaming laptops are not usually slim and light, the Legion Slim 7i was developed with the same cutting-edge technology the brand is known for, but made more compact to offer portability and convenience like never before. This is a testament to our commitment to continuously pursue innovation as we deliver smarter technology for all,” said Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines President and General Manager.

Above it all, the device comes with Lenovo’s exceptional 3-Year Premium Care international carry-in warranty and local on-site service. With this front-of-the-queue and straight-to-the-experts customer support service, Lenovo is wellpositioned as a global integrated solutions provider capable of helping customers address their most critical needs.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7i is priced at PHP 99,995 and comes with a Legion Recon Gaming Backpack. It will be available at Lenovo authorized retailers nationwide soon.

Legion joins the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit Lenovo Legion once again joins the Philippines’ biggest esports and gaming convention.

Despite going digital this year, the ESGS promised that “gaming never stops” and delivered nonstop gaming and esports fun and surprises during its week-long run.

“We at Lenovo Legion are beyond proud as the local gaming community continuously expands to new heights in terms of innovation and breadth of community reach. As a regular participant of the annual event,

we continue to support the community with our technology that provides immersive gaming experiences, enabling gamers to explore new paths in this field to further broaden their gaming prowess,” said Ngan.

As one of the Major Sponsors, Legion kicked off the event on October 19 hosting tournaments for Mobile Legends Bang Bang and Rainbow Six Siege. Alongside the announcement of its newest Legion Slim 7i, the Philippines’ fastest-growing gaming brand also launched its special The Empire Christmas Sale and the Lenovo Legion Phone Duel, the gaming community’s most anticipated release of the year.

The Empire Christmas Sale

ENTERTAINMENT

As the holiday season approaches, Lenovo Legion is opening The Empire Christmas Sale to all customers who will purchase qualifying products from October 31 to December 31, 2020.

To enter, gamers must sign up and upgrade their account in Legion’s The Empire website <legion.lenovo. com>, Lenovo’s exclusive gaming community and rewards program where members are granted special perks including access to Legion merchandise, VIP entry to Legion gaming events, and more. Members earn corresponding Empire Points for every product purchase which they can use to redeem exclusive Legion merchandise or products. Points may also be obtained by joining weekly missions posted at The Empire website.

Participating models for The Empire Christmas Sale include the IdeaPad L340 Gaming, IdeaPad Gaming 3i, Legion Y540, Legion Y545, Legion Y740, Legion 5/5i, Legion 5Pi, Legion 7i, Legion T530, Legion Tower 5i, IdeaCentre Gaming 5i, and its newest gaming flagship smartphone, the Legion Phone Duel.

Terms and conditions apply.

For the full mechanics, ‘like’ the Legion official Facebook page.

GMA ARTIST CENTER WELCOMES KHALIL RAMOS

KHALIL RAMOS officially starts his journey as a Kapuso after signing an exclusive management contract with GMA Artist Center.

Present in the contract signing were GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara, GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer, and GMA Artist Center Senior Talent Manager Joy Marcelo.

Expressing his enthusiasm and joy, Khalil shared, “It feels quite overwhelming. Everyone that I’ve

met so far has been very welcoming. I feel loved! The amount of support that I’ve been getting so far is very gratifying. I’m incredibly happy to be a Kapuso. I’m very much excited to be able to collaborate with such talented and skilled people. I can’t wait to meet everyone else.”

Khalil entered the entertainment industry in 2011 at the age of 15. From then on, he has grown into a multihyphenate for much of his career: a filmmaker, a content creator, a host, a performer, and a highly-regarded actor.

Now that he is a certified Kapuso, Khalil looks forward to portraying challenging roles that

GMA is known for highlighting on screen.

“I’d definitely want to take on roles that are acting pieces. Some that I could think of are roles in a heavy drama series. Thriller and suspense roles would be great as well. Comedy is also something that I’d like to explore after doing Dead Kids. I am really interested in roles that would challenge me as a storyteller,” he related.

Driven by passion and a creative eye, Khalil co-founded Limitless Production House with his friends. As its CEO, director, and producer, he collaborates with the country’s top directors and cinematographers, on and off the

screen, as an actor and mentee.

Khalil revealed that his fans should look forward to more of his captivating music and creative storytelling in his new home network.

He said, “They can expect a whole lot more stories from me as an actor. Sa mga fans ng music ko, I would also be going back to singing here in GMA. I hope to have a travel or documentary style show on GMA News TV.” He added that he hopes to work with various Kapuso stars including Alden Richards, Dingdong Dantes, Michael V., Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Janine Gutierrez, and Gabbi Garcia among others.

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WATERSHED PROTECTION MEANS SUSTAINABLE WATER SOURCE

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

U

nless watersheds are fully protected, Filipinos will never have a sustainable source of water in the near future. Already, some areas in the country are now experiencing water shortage.

A study released by the World Resources Institute (WRI) some years back has identified the Philippines as one of the countries that will experience water stress in the coming years.

Water stress, as defined by the Washington, D.C.based think tank, is “the ratio between total water withdrawals and available renewable surface water at a sub-catchment level.”

Of the 161 countries surveyed by WRI, the Philippines was ranked 57th under the “business-as-usual” scenario.

The country got a score of 3.01 which, according to the study’s water stress threshold level, is “high.”

The ratio of withdrawals to available water is 40% to 80%.

While there is still enough water for every Filipinos these days, the water scarcity will be felt by 2040 – that’s 20 years from now.

“These country-level stress projections are intended to provide useful information about potential future water situations that can help drive improved water management at the international scale,” notes the WRI study.

Water is life in itself. “A person can survive only three to five days without water, in some cases people have survived for an average of one week,” says the-

waterpage.com. “Once the body is deprived of fluids, the cells and organs in the body begin to deteriorate.

The presence of water in the body could mean the difference between life and death.”

Only 2.5 percent of the water that covers over 70 percent of the earth’s surface is considered fresh water. And only 1.3 percent is available for human use since most of the freshwater are trapped in glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas. Fresh water is drawn either from wells (tapping underground sources called aquifers) or from surface flows (like lakes, rivers, and manmade reservoirs).

“There is no water on earth now than there was 2,000 years ago,” states the US National Wildlife Federation, which has been working for years to protect water resources not only in the United States but throughout the world as well. “This limited supply of freshwater must meet the needs of a human population that has tripled in the last century and continues to grow at almost 80 million people per year.”

Ideally, a person should have at least 50 liters of water each day to meet his basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing

and personal hygiene, laundry, and house cleaning.

Due to its geographic location, the Philippines has abundant water resources.

The country’s average annual rainfall is about 2,500 millimeters, said a position paper written by Pacita F. Barba, of the National Water Resources Board.

On recent assessment, the dependable supply is estimated about 126,000 million cubic meters per year (MCM/year).

The groundwater safe yield of aquifers covering some 50,000 square kilometers found extensively in the plains of the three major island is estimated at 20,200 MCM/year.

Currently, the water demands – and shortages – of many cities throughout the country are expanding. In a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, nine major cities were listed as “water-critical areas.” These were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Angeles, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

“The rapid urbanization of the Philippines, with more than 2 million being added to the urban population annually, is having a major impact on water resources,” notes the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Water Development Outlook some years back.

In Metro Manila, for instance, residents often complain of lack of water during the summer months. In some parts of the metropolis, the water supply situation reaches a vulnerable state that the

little amount water some residents get is not enough even for emergency purposes like cooking and drinking.

It’s just a matter of time the country will experience water crisis as its watersheds are continued to be destroyed. “A watershed is a watershed is a watershed,” said the late Paz L. Lopez when she was the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Most of these watersheds are located in uplands where forests used to abound. These uplands – which constitute at least 60% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares – are now devoid of forest cover. “Where have all our forests gone?” environmentalists asked.

“A watershed needs trees in order to absorb rainwater when it channels into streams, rivers and eventually dams where human communities source fresh water,” Rappler’s Pia Ranada wrote.

“A typical tree breathes out 250 to 400 gallons of water per day through its leaves, humidifying the air,” Ranada explained. “This process, called evapotranspiration, is responsible for most of the rain that falls inland, far from oceans.

Thus, without trees, there is no rain and it is rain that supplies much of the freshwater humans need to live.”

Dr. Patrick Durst, former regional forestry officer of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said the main benefit trees provide is helping to intercept precipitation and

facilitate its infiltration into the soil and ground water storage areas.

The tree also helps reduce erosion of soil by “breaking the fall” (that is, the impact) of rainfall that might otherwise dislodge soil particles upon harsh impact, Durst added.

“Trees, through its leaves and branches, intercept rainfall,” the former FAO official explained. “But more importantly, healthy forests’ ground cover – organic litter, twigs, small plants and fallen leaves, among others – help trap water and hold it until it has an opportunity to soak into the ground soil.”

In addition, roots – whether alive or decaying – provide additional pore space above that of normal soil texture for water to infiltrate into the ground.

“This is the reason why local springs and streams maintain a healthy flow when surrounded by protected micro-watersheds,” Durst pointed out.

Father Pedro Walpole, of the Environment Science for Social Change, Inc., said that in a watershed, there is the interrelation of many resources.

“There are (also) ecological services that a watershed provides such as delivery of water as part of the water cycle, stable land-water dynamics, nutrient cycles, a diversity of life forms,” he explained.

As such, “watershed management is not just a matter of managing water but of managing the land that delivers the water and coordinating the people in that management,” Fr. Walpole urged.

Not all watersheds in the country are in pristine status, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) discloses. “Some are already affected by deforestation, pollution, and other unsustainable practices of humans, who are oblivious of the potential adverse effects,” it admits.

“Climate change, ballooning population, and industrialization exacerbated the hazards to the sustainability of watersheds.”

To prevent further degradation on a national scale, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Aquatic Resources and Research Development (PCAARRD) convened several government agencies and came up with five steps in managing watersheds with the participation of surrounding communities: Form a management team: Locals, as primary recipients of benefits of watersheds in the area, are likely to be interested on initiatives protecting their water source. A watershed project management team composed of at least a team manager and representatives from local government units, non-government organizations, state universities and colleges, and environment officials is formed to be part of the Community Watershed Stewardship Program.

Characterize the watershed: Characterization is done through geographic information system mapping of the watershed, inventory and assessment of timber and water resources, evaluation of land cover

FWATERSHED, P10

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that resigning would not prevent them from facing administrative or criminal charges.

The mega task force, headed by the DOJ, is composed of the National Bureau of Investigation,

Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Special Assistant to the President, National Prosecution Service, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.

DOJ will also invite the

Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, and the Office of the Ombudsman to work together with the Task Force, with due consideration for their independence as constitutional bodies. (PNA)

said.

The President reiterated his warning that he will go after local government officials if they are found guilty of hampering con-

struction of cell sites in the country.

Earlier, the head of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said telcos with complete applications for

building towers will be automatically approved if local government units or agencies of the national government fail to act within 7 days.

possible with a budget allotment of P14.850 million under the Public Service Enhancement Program of the city.

In May this year, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte asked for the building of a city-owned

crematory after seeing challenges experienced by three (3) private crematoria in Davao on cremating cadavers of patients with Covid-19-related deaths.

The construction of the city crematorium complies with the guidelines of the

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Specialist to cremate or bury the cadavers of patients that died due to the deadly virus within 12 hours. CIO

Mintal, a role model in zero waste practices,” she said adding that the groups are also committed to contribute in increasing the public awareness of this project and in other needed assistance.

Barangay Captain Reynaldo Bargamento said they are planning to start

the zero-waste weekly challenge by encouraging residents to bring their own water tumbler and to bring their own eco bags at public markets and gradually adapt and commit on the zero-waste campaign.

PHINLA is being implemented by World Vision in partnership with Eco-

Waste Coalition and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Global Development.

Aside from Brgy. Mintal, the project is also being implemented in Barangay Cugman in Cagayan de Oro and Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City.

28, DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said the provision of free Wi-Fi hubs in schools nationwide is meant to alleviate the plight of educators and learners amid the pandemic.

Major General Edgard

Arevalo, commander of the AFPETDC, thanked the DICT and added that through the free Wi-Fi program, the government is “gradually filling” everyone’s right to internet access.

“The Free Wi-Fi for

All is one of the greatest leaps that the government, through the DICT and the able leadership of the good Secretary Honasan II has made to accelerate the efforts of enhancing accessibility for the Filipinos,” Arevalo said. (PNA)

the issuance of up to $250 million in new convertible preferred shares, as well as another $250 million in privately placed convertible bonds.

“We understand how difficult this situation is for everyone, and we sincerely

apologize for the delay. As the aviation industry gradually restarts and reshapes amidst this new normal, we hope for your continued patience and understanding, as refunds may still take up to six months from the time the request

was filed,” Cebu Pacific said.

“We are continuously enhancing our processes for a better overall customer experience. Thank you, everyJuan, for your support in this unprecedented and challenging time,” it said.

ropean Parliament called for a review of the trade perks extended to the Philippines, citing alleged human rights abuses and a

“deteriorating level of press freedom.”

The government however has said that there was “no reason” for the EU

to revoke tariff incentives awarded to the Philippines since there is an effective monitoring in place to ensure compliance.

two steals to contribute to the triumph, which was actually the first in over a year for the franchise.

Then under the Columbian banner, the Dyip scored a 106-104 win over Phoenix in the elims of the 2019 Governors’ Cup last Oct. 25, 2019.

“Always feels great to get that first win,” said Adams. “We’ve been going through battles, never finishing games but today we showed a lot of grit and effort.”

With Adams catching fire early, the Dyip opened up an 11-point advantage in the second and held a 54-45 tear after the first 24 minutes of play.

But just like in their

previous losses, the Dyip came out of the halftime huddle quite flat again, allowing the Elite to get back and even wrest an 81-80 upperhand on the strength of a 36-26 echange in the third.

However, the Dyip willed themselves to bring this game to the finish line and succeeded, with Perez and Tiongson leading the way.

“Sinabi ko sa kanila we have to step up. We always lost in the second half in our past games and today, even though we had a slow start in the third, we kept our composure and gave ourselves a chance to win,” said Cardel.

The Dyip spoiled the

29-point offensive outburst of Nino Canaleta for the Elite, whose slide now extended to five games.

The Elite dropped to 2-6 win-loss, their shot at the quarters becoming thin. (PBA) The Scores Terrafirma 110 - Perez 27, Adams 20, Tiongson 19, Calvo 11, Camson 11, Faundo 7, Ramos 5, Khobuntin 4, Celda 4, Cahilig 2, Agovida 0, Baligasay 0.

Blackwater 101 - Canaleta 29, Trollano 16, Sumang 15, Daquioag 12, Belo 10, Magat 8, Golla 4, Dennison 4, Tolomia 3, Dario 0, Escoto 0, Salem 0, Gabriel 0.

Quarterscores: 27-20, 54-45, 80-81, 110-101.

RAPS... FROM2 CITY... FROM2

BARANGAY... FROM3

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EU... FROM5

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New C in Town Santé introduces new Brand Ambassador for Daily C

P

revention is better than cure, they say. That is why amid the current global health crisis, everyone is encouraged to take extra precautions to avoid getting sick.

As part of the “new normal,” people are advised to stay at home, wash the hands frequently using soap and water or sanitizers, and wear protective equipment, facemasks, and face shields, among others, as prescribed by the local authorities.

For Ms. Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, however, it also pays to take Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be produced by our body. While it can be found mostly in the food we eat, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and kiwi, taking an extra dose of this important nutrient can help our body’s immune functions, as well as other health benefits.

“Keeping a healthy lifestyle, which starts with eating a well-balanced diet to get the right amounts of important nutrients and vitamins, is important to help maintain a healthy immune system. One of these important nutrients is Vitamin C, which has been featured in supplements due to its promising properties,” Ca-

triona said.

As a model, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder, known for her healthy lifestyle choices and as a fitness inspiration for all, Catriona Gray encourages everyone to get that extra dose of Vitamin C as she joins the Santé family as the new brand ambassador of Daily C. Santé’s Daily C is your go-to Vitamin C supplement for the whole family, as well as young professionals who work all-day or on night shifts. And since it is non-acidic, it is gentler on the stomach and safer for daily consumption.

This time, Santé Daily C now has an exciting new look and an additional variant. Aside from its Daily C 500mg which has been in the market for over 5 years, Santé also introduces Daily C in 750mg, a bigger serving of the trusted Daily C – ascorbic acid as sodium ascorbate, now in vegetable capsules.

Daily C provides an extra dose of Vitamin C, which not only aids the immune system but also prevents scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency); an extra level of protection by enhancing the absorption of iron and the formation of collagen in our bodies; as

well as an extra aid in speeding the process of wound healing.

“Now more than ever, it is important for all of us to take good care of our health and overall wellbeing. I’m glad that I am able to promote this mindset as the newest brand ambassador for Santé Daily C,” said Catriona.

Joey Marcelo could not agree more. He said that “amid these uncertain times, we all need to take extra precautions. We are glad that we have our country’s pride, Ms. Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, as our new brand ambassador for Daily C as we encourage everyone to keep themselves healthy and strong, especially amid the current global health crisis.”

Santé Daily C is just one of the many other organic health and wellness products offered by Santé.

Known for its flagship, Santé Barley™, the company has developed a comprehensive selection of everyday barley-based products. They are made with organic barley grass, as certified by BioGro, New Zealand’s leading organic certification agency.

To learn more about Santé, visit its website at santebarley.com.

and land use, and socio-economic, livelihood, and politico-institutional profiling of the communities and stakeholder analysis.

Assess the watershed’s vulnerability: Environmental hazards are identified and modelled out to illustrate possible impacts to communities.

This will help people visualize what courses of action to take in times of emergency situations, such as disasters.

More so, biophysical and anthropogenic factors as well as pollution sources

which increase vulnerability are noted.

Equip watersheds with necessary instruments and conduct real-time monitoring: In instrumentation and monitoring, five aspects are closely observed, such as stream discharge, water quality, meteorology, biodiversity, and erosion and sediment yield.

Develop an interactive online database for learning watersheds: A webbased watershed management system database contains comprehensive

watershed profiles, map compendiums, real-time monitoring and vulnerability assessment system, and other pertinent data.

“Watersheds play a multi-functional role in every community,” PCAARRD reminds. “Aside from providing water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes, watersheds in good condition serve as habitats to various plant and animal species and play ecological functions that keep flooding and other natural disasters at bay.”

executive vice president of basketball operations, has worked in the team’s front office for the last 15 years.

He said his new position shouldn’t be that big of a transition because he and Morey worked “handin-hand” over the past few years. Morey was hired as

Philadelphia’s president of basketball operations on Monday.

Stone was coy when asked about his plans for upgrading the roster as the Rockets chase their first title since winning back-toback trophies in 1994-95.

“We have an immense-

ly talented roster... the goal is to bring in another guy or two who can really complement these guys,” he said. “And there are a variety of mechanisms we can use to do it. And we’ll be just incredibly aggressive about making that happen.”

which indicates that thirty percent (30%) representing the charity fund and

proceeds of six (6) sweepstakes of lottery draw per annum shall be given to the

PSC to help fund the country’s sports development programs.

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11

New Rockets coach: I want to win now

H

RJ Jazul of Phoenix drives to the basket in this sequence. PBA Images

Jazul fires 9 triples, keys big Phoenix win A nchored upon a career-high performance from RJ Jazul and a club record, Phoenix Fuel Masters pulled off a huge Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) bubble win over San Miguel Beermen with a 110-103 decision on Thursday night at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Pampanga.

Jazul, known throughout his career as more of a facilitator, dropped 33 points, the first time he reached the 30-point mark in his career on nine triples for the Fuel Masters.

However, none was more important than his

last triple with only 13 seconds left that finally shut the door on the Beermen’s chance to at least sneak closer into the Fuel Masters’ lead.

Jazul also had two assists and two steals for Phoenix, which climbed

Terrafirma awakens in the PBA bubble

T

errafirma broke its slump in the PBA Philippine Cup bubble, hammering out a morale-boosting 110-101 verdict over a lackadaisical Blackwater Wednesday at the AUF Gym Powered by Smart 5G. CJ Perez and Juami Tiongson took charge in the endgame as the Dyip recovered from another third-quarter collapse to get the job done this time and taste victory after a string of seven losses.

Perez and Tiongson dropped nine points each in the payoff period as they closed it out for a Terrafirma side that kept its slim hopes of a quarterfinal stint alive with the noontime W. Coach Johnedel Cardel’s charges seek to finish with four wins while no other team in the vicinity of the

Magic 8 cutoff would get to five victories so they can force a playoff for the quarters.

“Credit to all the players, they kept on fighting even though we’re 0-7 (prior to this game). I told them I didn’t want to go home from here with 0-11, at least makapanalo tayo para mabawasan ang pagiging homesick,” said Cardel.

Perez finished with 27 to go with four rebounds and three assists while Tiongson rifled in 19 including back-to-back treys that restored a seven-point cushion for Terrafirma, 108-101, in the last 1:15.

Top rookie pick Roosevelt Adams lived up to expectations and delivered 20 markers spiked by four treys and 16 boards that went with two assists and

FTERRAFIRMA, P10

to solo third place at 6-3, a half-game behind joint leaders Ginebra and TNT, which will face off on Friday night for solo leadership.

Jason Perkins provided the early spark for the Fuel Masters with 27 points, 19 in the first half, on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range alongside 10 rebounds and three assists.

In total, the team converted 22 triples, the most in the club’s young history, and the most so far in the ongoing bubble season.

Matt Wright, the PBA’s leading scorer so far this season, played more of a facilitator this time, but he

still got a double-double of his own with 10 markers and 10 dimes alongside seven boards and one steal.

Mo Tautuaa put up 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Beermen, but foul trouble slowed him down in the second half, where the Fuel Masters held them to only 18 third-quarter points before dropping 35 in the fourth.

Alex Cabagnot and Marcio Lassiter each tallied 20 markers for SMB, which saw its four-game winning run come to an end and fell to a tie with Meralco for fourth place at 5-3. (PNA)

OUSTON — Growing up with an NBA coach as a father, Stephen Silas started his education into the ins and outs of coaching long before he chose it as a career.

When he decided to pursue the profession, it was his father, now-retired Paul Silas who gave him his first job as an assistant with the Charlotte Hornets.

Twenty years later, the younger Silas continues to follow in his father’s footsteps as he begins his first head coaching job with the Houston Rockets.

“The reason I’m here is because of him, the reason I’m prepared for this position is because I’ve been preparing for this all my life,” Silas said Thursday (Friday, Manila time) after being introduced in Houston following his hiring Friday.

The Rockets hired Silas after Mike D’Antoni decided not to return when his contract expired following Houston’s loss to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.

Along with the Hornets, the 47-year-old Silas has worked as an assistant in Cleveland, Washington, Golden State and has spent the last three seasons in Dallas. He knows those years of experience have helped prepare him for this opportunity but believes being exposed to great coaches as a child helped shape him as well.

“It’s been being in locker rooms for years when I was little,” he said. “My dad coached with Chuck Daly and Pat Riley and I was there and watching film with my dad. And all the things and the people that I’ve met and the things that I’ve learned over those years, that’s what makes me ready for this position.”

Paul Silas won three NBA titles during a 16year playing career before spending the next 32 years

CJ Perez finished with 27 to go with four rebounds and three assists for Terrafirma. PBA Images

in various NBA coaching positions. He was the head coach of the San Diego Clippers, the Hornets, Cavaliers and Bobcats.

Stephen Silas played for Brown in the Ivy League.

He recalled the moment he phoned his now 77-yearold father to tell him that he’d been hired by the Rockets.

“It was amazing,” he said adding that he’s already sent him a box of Rockets’ gear. “It was the best feeling in the world because he gave me my first opportunity and asked me, do you want to coach?”

Silas inherits a team led by stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook that has been to the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons.

“For me it being my first head coaching experience and being in a win-now situation that’s great,” Silas said. “I’m a win-now coach.

So, to not have to deal with growing and all that type of stuff, to think championship right away is exciting to me and I prepared for it and I’m ready for it.”

Silas doesn’t have any major changes planned for the team, but just wants to try and improve on what has already been successful. He met with both Harden and Westbrook during the interview process and was impressed with their team-first attitude.

“I didn’t know either guy very well coming into the situation,” Silas said.

“So, for them to be talking less about stats or offense or whatever and talking more about, hey, we have an opportunity to win and win big, that was so gratifying.”

Silas will work under new general manager Rafael Stone, who was also introduced Thursday after being promoted last month when Daryl Morey stepped down. Stone, who most recently served as Houston’s

FNEW, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 178 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2020

SHOT IN THE ARM PCSO remits P359K share to PSC D espite their operations and sales being badly hit by the pandemic, a total of P359, 672.07 was remitted by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) at the PCSO Main Office in Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Thursday.

The PSC was represented by Commissioner Celia Kiram and Cashier Maybelle Panis who formally received the check from PCSO Charity Assistance Department Officer-in-Charge Jerusa Corpuz in simple ceremonies. This fifth remittance for 2020 brings this year’s PCSO total remittance to P1,816,527.03.

“PSC is so happy that despite the pandemic, PCSO generously gave their share for the development of sports” said Commissioner Kiram.

The PCSO has been at the forefront of the country’s sports development

program. In February alone, the PSC received a total of P1,456,854.96 from PCSO, a month before the COVID-19 lockdown in the country was effected.

In 2019, the PCSO released a total of P2.3 million to the agency, the same year when the country hosted and clinched the overall championship of the 30th Southeast Asian Games held last November 30 to December 11.

This is a regular remittance of the charity agency as provided for in Section 26 of R.A. 6847,

FSHOT, P10

PCSO Charity Assistance Department Officer-in-Charge Jerusa Corpuz and PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram.