Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 211 | Thursday, December 17, 2020

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VOL.13 ISSUE 211 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

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New FM passes to be distributed soon STORY ON PAGE 2

An elderly Catholic faithful fervently prays during the first day of Misa de Gallo at St. Joseph the Worker Parish along Doña Pilar Road in Brgy. Sasa, Davao City on Wednesday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 211 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

REVISED

Residents listen to a homily of a live-streamed Misa de Gallo from the training center of St. Joseph the Worker Parish along Doña Pilar Road in Brgy. Sasa, Davao City on Wednesday morning. Edge Davao

New FM passes to be distributed soon

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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new Food and Medicine pass (FM pass) will soon be distributed in Davao City’s barangays.

This after the ordinance regulating the use of the new FM pass, otherwise known as “FM Pass Ordinance” in Davao City authored by Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta was passed on the third and final reading in the 19th Davao City Council on Tuesday.

“There are new FM passes being printed now. Once distributed, these will be the valid FM passes to replace the old ones,” Acosta said in a text message.

According to Acosta the ordinance was requested by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio while the guidelines were drafted by Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte.

Section 2 of the said ordinance states that the new FM pass shall only be used for the purpose of buying food and/ or medicines and will be used by two individuals who belong to the same household may be named in the pass, but only one named person can use it at any given time.

The FM pass must be used with the Safe Davao QR (DQR) code or when necessary, a valid government issued ID, company issued ID/certificate of employment or school ID. It is stated in the ordinance that “any person who shall tamper with an FM pass as to change any important part thereof (such as changing

the names of the holder, or the control number given) or shall forge a fake FM Pass to make it appear that it is valid, or shall use a tampered or forged FM Pass shall be penalized.”

A penalty and an administrative fine of P5,000 will be imposed for those who tampered or forged the FM passes.

For lost or damaged FM pass, residents should submit their control number to their respective barangays and have it verified so that they can claim a Temporary Barangay Certificate indicating their Control Number as a replacement.

The Temporary Barangay Certificate is only valid for a specified date.

It can be recalled that Mayor Sara re-imposed the use of FM passes through Executive Order (EO) No. 62, which took

effect on November 13, due to the surging cases of Covid-19 in Davao City.

The mayor issued the EO due to the persistent disregard of many individuals to abide by the quarantine guidelines of the modified general community quarantine.

It aims to limit the movement of people to access goods and services, for work in the offices or industries, and other allowed activities since the city was placed under to general community quarantine (GCQ) last November 20, 2020.

For those holders of FM pass with last digits of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 are allowed to go out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while for those holders of passes with last digits 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 are allowed to go out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

the sea 86 kilometers south of Sarangani Island in Davao Occidental.

Its depth of focus was 16 km. In seismology, tremors with a depth of less than 70 km are classified as “shallow-focus earthquakes.”

The temblor was felt with an instrumental Intensity V in General Santos City, Intensity IV in Kiamba in Sarangani

and Tupi and Koronadal City in South Cotabato and Intensity III in Alabel, Sarangani and Kidapawan City in North Cotabato.

In an advisory released through the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, GenSan Mayor Ronnel Rivera ordered the temporary suspension of work in all local government facilities until 1

p.m.

Rivera said the suspension will give time for the City Engineer’s Office to inspect the structural integrity of government facilities and other vital public infrastructure in the city.

PHIVOLCS said it was expecting damage and aftershocks due to the magnitude of the tremor. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

Magnitude 6.2 quake jolts Soccsksargen

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Magnitude 6.2 earthquake of tectonic origin rocked Soccsksargen region Wednesday morning, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said.

PHIVOLCS’s Earthquake Information No. 2 released 8:40 a.m. Wednesday said the quake struck 7:21:50 a.m. with the epicenter recorded under

Vaccine firms yet to apply for emergency use in PH -- FDA

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accine firms have yet to apply for emergency use in the Philippines, the Food and Drug Authority said Wednesday as it urged Chinese drugmakers to register their COVID-19 vaccine in order for these to be distributed in 3 months.

The FDA published its guidelines for emergency use authorization (EAU) on Monday, said executive director Eric Domingo.

"So far we have not received any formal application yet...It takes time to prepare. In the Philippines, I’ll only accept the application if they already have an EUA in their home country," he said.

"I guess it’s really also the timing of the companies being able to supply that is why they're not yet applying for EUAs. Maybe they're not yet ready to supply even if we do give them that authorization, maybe production is not enough to supply here immediately."

Domingo, meantime, said China's Sinovac or Sinopharm should now apply for an EUA in the country if they plan to roll out their vaccines by March.

The Philippines has no information yet on Sinopharm's phase 3 clinical trials while Sinovac is expected to get their clinical trial phase 3 interim report by end of the month, Domingo added.

"Remember, if Sinovac or Sinopharm apply, these have EUAs only in China but not in WHO (World Health Organization)-qualified regulators," he said.

"We’re going to have to take a close look at this and it will take a little longer than for example a product that’s already been approved by US, Japan, Singapore which are known to have very stringent regulatory agencies."

Domingo said the FDA would look at 2 criteria in approving the vaccine: 1) safety and efficacy, and 2) quality and stability.

"We have to see the clinical trial results, we have to check the safety profile and see any if there were any adverse effects, and we have to see the efficacy, how it protects the person if injected," he said.

"For a vaccine to be useful, this is pegged at 60 to 70 percent efficacy minimum requirement. The higher it is, the better."

The vaccine firm or the government who will be using the vaccine may apply for an EUA, Domingo said as the Duterte administration attempt to secure supplies from various drugmakers.

"I guess we can make early negotiations but as I said di naman siya mapapasok dito hanggang di makukumpleto ang data on safety and efficacy," he said.

(The vaccines cannot enter the country until we have complete data on its safety and efficacy.)

"Mahirap din kung biglang darating ang data tapos mamadaliin natin.

We have to very careful with this because these are new products."

(It will be difficult if data suddenly arrives and we rush it.)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 211 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

NEWS

No city-wide lockdown during holidays, Mayor Sara assures

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ayor Sara Duterte has advised Dabawenyos to ignore the rumor that Davao City will revert back to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) this holiday season as the local government does not plan to enforce a city-wide lockdown to control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation.

During her live interview over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5), the mayor said the city government is not discussing a city-wide lockdown although she acknowledged the possibility of another surge after the Christmas season due to mass gathering.

She said the city government wanted to manage the COVID-19 situation without shutting the economy.

Duterte said that even Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) frowned on a city-wide ECQ despite the surge.

“Let’s just stop all these talks about a city-wide lockdown because that will not happen. Our direction is, we want to manage COVID-19 with our economy open, and our offices, businesses, and establishments open,” she

said.

In lieu of a city-wide lockdown, Duterte said what the city government can do is enforcing lockdowns on houses, streets, and compounds while residents who live there await results of their reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) tests after their exposure to a COVID-19 case.

As of December 14, Department of Health-Davao reported a total of 10,836 COVID-19 cases in the region, with 2,272 active, 8,137 recoveries, and 427 deaths.

Of the total cases, Davao City reported 7,580, Davao de Oro with 535, Davao del Norte with 1,311, Davao del Sur with 800, Davao Occidental with 122, and Davao Oriental with 488.

Duterte reminded Dabawenyos to avoid attending Christmas parties to prevent exposure to the coronavirus, and to celebrate holidays with family members who live in the same household.

Davao City reverted to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) from Modified GCQ last November 20 to 30, and has been extended until the end of this year. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

Duterte, cabinet OK add'l P3.5-B budget for national ID registration

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resident Rodrigo Duterte and his Cabinet have approved additional funding to register 20 million more people to the national ID system next year, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

The Duterte Cabinet, which met last Monday, approved "the P3.52-billion additional budget for 2021 to register 20 million more individuals (on top of the 50 million target) to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys)," said the President's spokesman Harry Roque.

Duterte in 2018 signed into law the PhilSys Act that mandated the government to

create a single official identification card for all citizens and foreign residents that would serve as a de facto national identification number.

The ID aims to boost efficient public service delivery, enhance administrative governance, reduce corruption, curtail bureaucratic red tape, promote ease of doing business, and strengthen financial inclusion.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is mandated to lead the ID system, with support from a policy board chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority and composed of various government agencies.

CA defers appointment of Davao poll veteran as Comelec commissioner

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he Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday deferred the appointment of Davao del Norte provincial election supervisor Aimee Ferolino Ampoloquio as a commissioner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) until she could submit documents and answer questions about her husband's assets.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon moved to "reset" Ferolino Ampoloquio's confirmation hearing to a later date after the Davaoeña election veteran submits several documents that would detail the assets of her husband who is earning from his family's "rice and corn mill business."

"The question that we raised is to test the validity of the SALN," Drilon said, referring to the nominee's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

Sen. Francis Tolentino tried to block Drilon's motion, saying the CA panel "needs to amend rules to require submission of additional documents," noting that documents about the assets of the nominee's husband were not among the requirements asked from other government officials who faced the Commission.

"I still maintain, with all due respect, that the rules, notifications coming from this commission... should not be

changed during committee hearings itself," he said.

Drilon clarified that it was Ferolino Ampoloquio who volunteered to submit the said documents in the future so that she could adequately answer questions about her husband's family business.

Ferolino Ampoloquio, who started work in the Comelec as an emergency laborer in 1994, said she hopes to receive the CA's approval to be able to "realize" her father's dream who also worked in the poll body.

"It humbles me so much that a lot of my coworkers and colleagues have been inspired by my nomination as commissioner that they have started to dream again and set goal for themselves," she said.

The long-time Davao del Norte elections official - who is also a lawyer - said that while 3 of her siblings serve as vice mayor and barangay officials in Davao del Sur, her decisions were never influenced by neither her family nor her peers.

Ferolino Ampoloquio also denied representing any politician, especially those facing election-related cases, in her capacity as a private lawyer.

"I did not handle any case before the Commission [on Elections]... I only handle cases outside the Comelec's jurisdiction," she said.

"I can say my integrity has never been in question," she said.

A strong morning temblor rips a cladding structure at the façade of SM City mall in General Santos City on Wednesday (16 December 2020). The magnitude 6.2 quake with epicenter south of Sarangani Island in Davao Occi-

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dental was felt in nearby towns and provinces. No one was reported injured in the incident that came a year after a series of quakes struck Mindanao in 2019. MindaNews photo by ROMMEL G. REBOLLIDO

DQR team provides prototypes as options for struggling firms

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he developing team of Safe Davao QR (DQR), which is comprised of the Information and Communications Technology-Davao (ICT-Davao) and the Ingenuity Software Inc., is providing scanning prototypes to establishments facing financial challenges in the DQR scanning order of the city government of Davao.

ICT-Davao President Samuel Matunog said the team is looking forward for the deployment of the free-standing QR scanning kiosks to the establishments that don’t have resources to employ to do the scanning.

“As soon as the development team will be able to provide the necessary application interfaces then we might be able to implement these free-standing kiosks for establishments. Maybe this is another option,” Matunog said.

Matunog also said that Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) is thinking of doing a prototype that is very small and will only cost less than P5,000. He said there is another one being developed by the University of Mindanao (UM) that also costs less than P10,000, which is a simple box that will allow people especially employees and small establishments do the scanning.

“They will just place it at the door and then allow the people to do the scanning

themselves so that it will not affect so much the operation of the establishments and will also lessen the queuing of people when they enter and exit the establishments,” he said.

Matunog said these are some of the things the team is exploring to move forward and to ensure that every establishment has their respective device for scanning.

John Naranjo, founder and CEO of Ingenuity Software, Inc., said the other option is individual scanning that is set to be launched. He said the team is still waiting for it to be approved by the city government of Davao.

“This is already ready and ideally individual’s smartphones can also scan the DQR of the establishment para naman ma-offload a little bit yung potential traffic and also challenges of establishments na possibly walang

mobile devices and internet connections,” he said.

The DQR system is implemented in support to the city government of Davao’s efforts to contain outbreaks and it is supposed to be an information generation for policymakers and lead agencies.

The establishments covered by the DQR system include establishments under agriculture industry, stores, restaurants, banks, barangay halls, hardware, military installation, police station, supermarkets, pharmacy/ drugstores, markets, hospitals, City Hall, and City Health Office.

“The DQR is designed as a two-way scanning with assigned person to do the scanning of those who go in and go out but establishments have the options such as a dedicated device attached in their doors and will do the scanning,” Naranjo said.

Cotabato City now officially part of Bangsamoro region

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early two years after its residents voted “yes” to inclusion in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Cotabato City is now officially part of the region, its supervision transferred effective December 15 from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to the Bangsamoro’s Ministry of Interior and Local Government (MILG).

Local Governments Secretary Eduardo Año and Interior and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo led the ceremonial turnover through signing of documents on the transfer of supervision of Cotabato City to the BARMM, as well as properties and assets, and movable properties and records of the Cotabato Field Office of the DILG. Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, who campaigned against inclusion of Cotabato City in the BARMM in last year’s plebiscite, was a no-show.

Sayadi, in a February 7 position paper addressed

to President Rodrigo Duterte, asked the President to “hold in abeyance the turnover of Cotabato City to BARMM” and to maintain the status quo “until such time that the three-year transition period has been completed and the BARMM bureaucracy would have been fully operational.”

“Nagagalak akong makasama kayo sa ating makasaysayang paglipat ng Lungsod ng Cotabato, kasama ang iba pang mga barangays, pag-aari at kagamitan, sa pamamahala ng BARMM (I’m happy to be with you in this historic transfer of the City of Cotabato, including a number of barangays, and properties and equipment, under the care of the BARMM),” Año said.

Año also turned over to Sinarimbo the supervision for the 63 barangays in North Cotabato that voted for inclusion in the BARMM. “The people have spoken, their outcry for autonomy resounding loud and clear throughout the archipelago,” Año said.

He underscored that through the leadership of Chief Minister Ahod Murad Ebrahim and Minister Sinarimbo, “we will continue to improve the standard of governance and steer public service to cater to the needs of our Moro brethren.”

In his acceptance speech, Sinarimbo vowed to ensure that Cotabato City and the 63 villages in North Cotabato are “able to optimize their performance which will redound to the benefit of the people.”

He named the officials who would be assigned to the Cotabato City field office of the BARMM’s MILG and assured the audience that they will give the “same quality of services” that the DILG gave.

“We welcome the city of Cotabato and the 63 barangays in North Cotabato to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” Sinarimbo said.

Aside from Año, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Police Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the

Philippine National Police, flew to this city to witness the historic event. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, co-chair of the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB), sent a representative.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim said that in the turnover of Cotabato City and the 63 North Cotabato villages to the BARMM, “Lahat tayo ay panalo, walang talo” (all of us are winners, there are no losers).

Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, who chaired the MILF peace panel and is now head of the peace implementing panel and IGRB co-chair, described the turnover as a “defining moment in our history as a people.”

“Surely, you will not regret this decision of joining the BARMM, insha Allah,” Iqbal said.

Cotabato City voted for inclusion in the BARMM on January 21, 2019, with 36,682 in favor and 24,990 against. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)

4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 211 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

On the ordinance regulating the use of the new FM pass, otherwise known as “FM Pass Ordinance” in Davao City authored by Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta passed on the third and final reading in the 19th Davao City Council on Tuesday:

There are new FM passes being printed now.

Once distributed, these will be the valid FM passes to replace the old ones”

Councilor Mabel SungaAcosta

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 211 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Republic of the Philippines Province of Davao Oriental OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN SP Complex, Government Center, Dahican C I T Y O F M AT I

Republic of the Philippines City of Davao Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod 18th City Council 21st Regular Session Series of 2018 PRESENT: Vice Mayor Bernard E. Al-ag Councilor Nilo M. Abellera Jr. Councilor Maria Belen S. Acosta Councilor Victorio U. Advincula Jr. Councilor Dante L. Apostol Sr. Councilor Conrado C. Baluran Councilor Joanne M. Bonguyan-Quilos Councilor Ma. Cherry Ann M. Bonguyan Councilor Pilar C. Braga Councilor Carmelo J. Clarion Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang Councilor April Marie C. Dayap Councilor Jimmy G. Dureza Councilor January N. Duterte ABSENT: Councilor Al Ryan S. Alejandre

EXCERPTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 70TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE 16TH SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN OF DAVAO ORIENTAL, HELD ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2020, AT THE CITY OF MATI, THIS PROVINCE. - Presiding Officer

PRESENT:

Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor Councilor

ABSENT:

Edgar P. Ibuyan Jr. Leah A. Librado-Yap Rene Elias C. Lopez Diosdado Angelo A. Mahipus Sr. Bonifacio E. Militar Avegayle Dalodo Ortiz Antoinette G. Principe-Castrodes J. Melchor B. Quitain Jr. Marissa P. Salvador-Abella Mary Joselle D. Villafuerte Jesus Joseph P. Zozobrado III

- On Vacation Leave

ORDINANCE NO. 0461-18 Series of 2018 AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING THE USE OF LEAD SAFE PAINTS IN CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND RENOVATION PROJECTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY OF DAVAO Be it ordained by the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City, in session assembled that: SECTION 1. TITLE - This Ordinance shall be known as “AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING THE USE OF LEAD SAFE PAINTS IN CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND RENOVATION PROJECTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY OF DAVAO”.

SECTION 2. DECLARATION POLICY - It is hereby declared the policy of the Local Government of Davao City to promote the public’s health, safety and welfare, as well as promote a toxic-free environment, by ensuring the mandatory procurement and use of duly certified lead safe paints.

SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF TERMS - “Lead Paint” is a paint or other similar surface coating materials containing lead above the regulatory total maximum lead limit of 90 parts per million (ppm). “Lead safe paint” is a paint or other similar surface coating materials which does not contain added lead as verified and confirmed with through a thirdparty certification.

SECTION 4. SCOPE – This Ordinance shall cover the procurement and use of certified lead safe paints, including enamels, glazes, lacquers, primers, stains, varnishes and other surface coatings, for publicly-funded construction, maintenance and renovation projects and activities undertaken by the local government through its employees, contractors, and service providers, as well as partners from public and private sectors including the private-funded construction.

SECTION 5. PROHIBITED ACTS – The following acts shall be prohibited: a. Manufacturing, distribution and selling of paints containing lead above the regulatory limit of 90 parts per million (ppm); b. Procuring and purchasing paints that lack independent proof of compliance with the regulatory standard on lead in paint; c. Donating and receiving paints without the necessary certificate of compliance with the lead paint regulation; d. Using uncertified lead-containing paints in decorating and constructing public and private facilities and amenities, including, but not limited to, schools, day care centers, children’s parks and playgrounds, health centers, sports complexes, and covered multipurpose courts, residential, commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.

SECTION 6. PERSONS LIABLE FOR THE COMMISSION OF PROHIBITED ACTS a. The distributor, manufacturer or seller of paints; b. The one providing or purchasing the paints; c. The donor or receiver of the paints; or d. The one using lead-containing paints; SECTION 7. LEAD DUST HAZARD PREVENTION – City employees, contractors and service providers shall take protective measures (prescribed and appropriate industrial masks) when surfaces previously coated with lead paint are disturbed during repair, remodeling or repainting activities in order to prevent and control the formation and dispersion of dangerous lead-containing chips and dust, and reduce the risk of exposure to lead.

SECTION 8. PENALTIES – Any violation of this Ordinance shall be punishable as follows: a. For first time offenders, an administrative fine of not more than five thousand pesos (Php5,000.00) shall be imposed to persons mentioned under Section 6 who shall violate Section 5 of this Ordinance. b. For second time offenders, the penalty of imprisonment of thirty (30) days or an administrative fine of not more than five thousand pesos (Php5,000.00) or both in the discretion of the court shall be imposed to persons mentioned under Section 6 who shall violate Section 5 of this Ordinance. c. For third time and succeeding offenders, the penalty of imprisonment of six (6) months or a fine of not more than five thousand pesos (Php5,000.00), or both in the discretion of the court, shall be imposed to persons mentioned under Section 6 who shall violate Section 5 of this Ordinance.

In case any violation of this Act is committed by a partnership, corporation, association or any juridical person, the partner, president, director or manager who shall consent to or shall knowingly tolerate such violation shall be directly liable and responsible for the act of the employee and shall be criminally liable as a co-principal; In case the offender is a government official or employee, he or she shall, in addition to the above penalties, be deemed automatically dismissed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any elective or appointive position.

SECTION 9. DUTY FOR IMPLEMENTATION – The City Engineer’s Office shall lead in the strict implementation of this Ordinance. It shall be the duty of the implementing officer to: 1. Disseminate the necessary information that will inform and enjoin employees, contractors and service providers to observe the Ordinance; 2. Collect data for all paint purchases and maintain an inventory of paints in stock; 3. Collect data for any paint used by external contractors and service providers; 4. Prepare an annual report describing the progress in implementing the Ordinance; 5. Coordinate with relevant national government agencies, including the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Occupational Safety and Health Center of the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Health and other agencies, for the implementation of the Ordinance.

SECTION 10. MONITORING TEAM – A monitoring team shall be created for the implementation of the Ordinance which shall be composed of the following: a. City Mayor – Chairperson; b. City Engineer or his/her duly authorized representative; c. City Health Officer or his/her duly authorized representative; d. City Environment and Natural Resources Office e. Department of Health – representative from Toxicology Section; f. Philippine National Police representative; g. Department of Trade and Industry representative; h. Department of Environment and Natural Resources – EMB representative; i. Association of Paint companies – 1 representative; j. Non-Government Organization – 2 representatives; k. Liga ng mga Barangay representative.

SECTION 11. INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN – The City Health Office shall conduct a citywide information and education campaign on the provisions of the Ordinance, with the assistance of concerned government agencies and Non-Government Organizations.

SECTION 12. BUDGETARY REQUIREMENT – The funds needed for the implementation of the Ordinance shall be taken from the Annual Development Fund or any Supplemental Budget that may be passed for the purpose.

SECTION 13. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE – If, for any reason, any provision or part of this Ordinance is declared invalid or unconstitutional, other provisions not affected thereby shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 14. REPEALING CLAUSE – All Ordinances, Resolutions, local Executive Orders, or Administrative Issuances or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of the Ordinance are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SECTION 15. EFFECTIVITY –This Ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Davao; ENACTED, June 5, 2018, by a unanimous vote of all the Members of the Sanggunian, there being a quorum.

ATTESTED:

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CERTIFIED CORRECT:

LAPSED APPROVED : ________________, 2018

Hon. Niño Sotero L. Uy, Jr.

Vice Governor - Presiding Officer Regular Members:

District I District II Hon. Nelson R. Dayanghirang, Jr. Hon. Louis N. Rabat Hon. Marietta D. Palmera Hon. Anacleto P. Macatabog Hon. Joselito B. Villademosa Hon. Lemuel Ian M. Larcia Hon. Laureano B. Taya Hon. Enrico M. Antopuesto

Hon. Dennis V. Roflo, Jr. Ex-Officio Members: Hon. Rabsalon M. Lamaran President, Philippine Councilor’s League Hon. Ronald T. Lara, Jr. Sangguniang Kabataan Provincial Federation President Hon. Dante M. Caubang SP Member, District I Hon. Rustan R. Castillones President, Liga Ng Mga Barangay Hon. Charlie S. Ambasan Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 16-45-10-2020 Author : Hon. Anacleto P. Macatabog Sponsor : Hon. Rabsalon M. Lamaran

AN ORDINANCE REQUIRING ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS IN THE PROVINCE OF DAVAO ORIENTAL TO PUT UP THEIR OWN PUBLIC CLOCK AND FOR ALL OTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICES/AGENCIES, HOSPITALS AND BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS TO INSTALL A CLOCK WITHIN THEIR BUILDING THAT IS VISIBLE ENOUGH FOR THE PUBLIC AND THEIR CLIENTS. WHEREAS, Harvey Mackay, a motivational speaker, author, businessman and columnist, said that: “time is free but it is priceless, it cannot be owned but can be used, cannot be kept but can be spent, but once lost, one can never get it back”; WHEREAS, most often, Filipinos had been known for the “Filipino Time” practice, which is negatively connoted as the habit of most Filipinos to arrive at a meeting or a gathering minutes after the stated time to start the meeting or gathering, which is completely the opposite of the “American Time”, a practice where invited guests arrive minutes before the time to start the meeting; WHEREAS, despite the explanation that Filipinos do have a different psychology or orientation of time compared to other countries or cultures, the truth remains that the way we handle or manage our time defines our effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity in giving services to the public or our clients; WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 9485, otherwise known as Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 (ARTA), was signed into a law to serve as the government’s commitment in reducing public sector inefficiencies and preventing graft and corruption. Since then, the law has become the foundation of the service delivery improvement program of the public sector. One of the main features of the said law is mandating all government agencies, government-owned and/or controlled corporations, or local government or district units to develop a Citizen’s Charter – which is an official document that outlines service standards to effectively guide the citizens of availing frontline services; WHEREAS, to ensure that frontline services are delivered efficiently, each service is given a time component which the client would expect for the service to be done or delivered; WHEREAS, the following are required to display and comply with the Philippine Standard Time (PhST), as per Republic Act No. 10535 or The Philippine Standard Time (PST) Act of 2013: a. National government agencies including State Universities, and Colleges (SUCs) and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs); b. Local Government Units; c. Government television and radio stations; d. Private television and radio stations; e. Private corporations/agencies; f. Airports, seaports, terminals, expressways, and government electronic board and similar establishments; g. Peoples’s organizations, non-government organizations and civil society groups.

At least once a month, all of these offices, through their information and communication technology units or its equivalent, shall coordinate with PAGASA’s Time Service to synchronize their official timepieces and devices; WHEREAS, it is for this reason that a policy of the provincial government should be enacted to remind our clients and the service providers of the great value of time and give due respect to the time of others; WHEREFORE, on motion of SP Member Rabsalon M. Lamaran, duly seconded by SP Member Dennis V. Roflo, Jr., it was Be it ordained by the 16th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao Oriental in session duly assembled that: SECTION 1. TITLE. This ordinance shall be known and cited as the “DAVAO ORIENTAL PUBLIC CLOCK ORDINANCE”.

SECTION 2. DECLARATION OF POLICY. It is hereby declared the policy of the Provincial Government to promote the value of time, observes Filipino Time as on-time and to respect to the time of others.

SECTION 3. DEFINITION OF TERMS. For purposes of this ordinance, the following terms shall be defined and understood as: a) CLOCK – refers to the time device required to display PhST in accordance with the official time being provided by the PAGASA using its Network Time Protocol (NTP). Official time devices include, but not limited to, bundy clocks, displayed clocks, chronometers and quartz clocks, as per RA 10535 or The Philippine Standard Time (PhST) Act of 2013”. b) BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS – refer to all registered businesses in the locality whose area of operation is within a building with a main lobby or a room where it receives its clients. c) LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS – refer to the institutional units whose fiscal, legislative and executive authority extends over the smallest geographical areas distinguished for administrative and political purposes, such as the Barangay, Municipal, City and Provincial local governments.

SECTION 4. IMPLEMENTATION a) All Local Government Units in the Province of Davao Oriental are hereby required to put up a public clock in their respective institutional building such as at the façade of the barangay hall for the barangay, municipality/city hall for the municipality/city government and the provincial capitol for the provincial government; b) The public clock should be big enough and high enough to be visible to the public as well as to the commuters and with enough lighting even at night time; c) All national/regional and local government offices including government hospitals are hereby required to put up a public clock within their building’s main lobby or in a conspicuous area where most number of clients wait for service, where the size of the wall clock should be big enough and high enough to be visible to the public or clients; d) All business establishments whose place or area of operation is within a building with a main lobby or room to receive clients are hereby required to put up a public clock within their building’s main lobby or in a conspicuous area where most number of clients wait for their service; e) Public Clocks should be adjusted to synchronize with the Philippine Standard Time through the DOSTPhilippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the official timekeeper of the country as per RA 10535 or The Philippine Standard Time (PhST) Act of 2013.

SECTION 5. PENALTIES. Failure to comply with the provision of Section 4 of this Ordinance shall be penalized as follows: a. First Offense – fine of P1,000.00 b. Second Offense – fine of P2,000.00 c. Third and succeeding offenses – fine of P5,000.00 SECTION 6. MONITORING. The Provincial Information Office (PIO), in coordination with their counterparts in the component LGUs, shall monitor the proper implementation of this ordinance.

SECTION 7. REPEALING CLAUSE - Provisions of existing ordinances which are inconsistent herewith are hereby deemed repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SECTION 8. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE - Should any provisions of this ordinance be thereafter declared illegal or unconstitutional, all other provisions which are not so declared shall remain implementable and enforceable.

SECTION 9. EFFECTIVITY- This ordinance shall take effect after compliance to the posting and publication requirement as provided by law.

ENACTED: OCTOBER 28, 2020.

CARRIED, by eleven (11) affirmative votes of SP Members Nelson L. Dayanghirang, Jr., Louis N. Rabat, Anacleto P. Macatabog, Lemuel Ian M. Larcia, Enrico M. Antopuesto, Dennis V. Roflo, Jr., Marietta D. Palmera, Joselito B. Villademosa, Laureano B. Taya, Rabsalon M. Lamaran, and Ronald T. Lara, Jr.; negative votes – none; and abstention - none. * * *

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A man browses through a display of vegetables at a makeshift store in Brgy. Mintal, Davao City on Wednesday. Edge Davao

DTI launches national A trade fair digital mall

10.9M Pinoys lost jobs, had lower income due to pandemic -- ILO

I

n lieu of the usual national trade fair (NTF) organized annually, the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTI-BDTP) has launched the NTF digital mall to address the challenges of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) amid coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Formally opened Tuesday, the NTF digital mall is a platform that offers continuous promotion of the food and non-food products from the different regions amid the physical restrictions of the pandemic, the DTI-BDTP said in a statement.

A project of the DTIBDTP in collaboration with the DTI-Regional and

Provincial Offices, the NTF digital mall is an e-commerce platform inside the UB GlobalLinker site that aims to help MSMEs future-proof their businesses as they pivot to online selling.

Like all national trade fairs, the digital mall showcases the best products of 223 MSMEs from all parts of the country.

Featured products include processed food and beverages, gifts and souvenirs, houseware and decor, fashion accessories, wearables, as well as health and fitness products.

“For a more convenient online shopping experience, the NTF digital mall features a product catalog with a facility to search for a specific product or product category. For easier transactions, buyers can connect with the MSMEs via the Viber app for secure instant messaging. Visitors will also have access to DTI webinars, and can read about the participating exhibitors’ inspirational success stories,” it said.

The NTF digital mall is hosted on UnionBank GlobalLinker, a free and innovative platform that helps

to the strong foreign exchange operations of the central bank and income from its investments abroad, it said.

This was partially offset however by withdrawals made by the national government to pay off foreign debts and losses from the BSP's gold holdings as prices

went down in November.

The BSP said the November GIR "represents an adequate external liquidity buffer" which is equal to 11.2 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

This buffer "can help cushion the domestic

MSMEs grow online with tools for efficient business management and network expansion.

It is distinct from other e-commerce platforms as it is an all-in-one accessible platform that enables MSMEs to connect to both local and global business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) partners, suppliers, and customers.

“It has networking capabilities to help MSMEs grow and manage their business. It offers immediate access to financial service providers, point of sale, accounting, inventory, human resources, tax and payroll services, supply chain management, and B2B and B2C marketplaces,” the DTI-BDTP added.

(PR)

PH dollar reserves rise to an all-time high in November

T

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said the country's gross international reserves reached an all-time high in November.

The country's GIR rose to $104.51 billion, up by $710 million from $103.80 billion in October.

The increase was due

economy against external shocks," it said.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier said the central bank has been actively trading gold, as prices surge the past few months.

He previously noted that gold takes up over 10 percent of the central bank's dollar reserves.

round 10.9 million Filipino workers lost their jobs and had lower incomes and working hours this year as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economy, according to a labor report released Tuesday.

The report showed two thirds or 7.2 million of the 10.9 million vulnerable Filipino workers may be “displaced” as the Philippines shifts towards online.

“The impact of the crisis has been far-reaching, with underemployment surging as millions of workers are asked to work reduced hours or no hours at all,” the International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a report.

High-risk sectors with most displacements include manufacturing, transportation and storage, accommodation and food service activities, as well as arts, entertainment, and recreation.

Christian Viegelahn, a senior economist at ILO Asia-Pacific, said employment recovery “will take some time” as with the process of vaccinating every people.

He added that the bounce-back of the tourism-heavy economies like the Philippines would depend on the confidence of travelers which is hinged on vaccination.

For the Asia-Pacific region, the ILO report said around 81 million jobs were lost this year, which can bring up the unemployment rate in the region to as

high as 5.7 percent from 4.4 percent in 2019.

Incomes also decreased by up to 10 percent in the first three quarters of 2020, which meant that 22 million to 25 million workers may go beyond the poverty line, the report cited.

Working hours fell by an estimated 15.2 percent in the second quarter, and 10.7 percent in the third quarter, compared to preCOVID levels.

These factors led to a higher number of 98 million “working poor” in the Asia-Pacific region this year.

Working poor are classified as people living on less than $1.90 or around P90 a day, according to the ILO. Sara Elder, another senior economist at the ILO Asia-Pacific, said governments in the Asia-Pacific including the Philippines need to invest more in social protection, employment programs, and services to help job seekers.

“We need the economy to start heating up and job creation to heat up so that those persons who are not just unemployed but outside of the labor market to also be reabsorbed into jobs,” Elder said.

Official unemployment data in the Philippines reported 3.8 million jobless Filipinos as of October, on the back of persisting effects of the pandemic.

Earlier reports by Social Weather Stations and Asian Development Bank also pointed to a higher number of jobless Filipinos and lower incomes in the country.

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EDGEDAVAO

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LIFESTYLE

ART ON THE POT TURNING passion into profit is something a lot of us aspire to do. After all, starting a hobby business is a productive way to spend idle time. You can immerse yourself in something you enjoy while earning extra income. If your hobby involves artistic endeavors, there are many ways you can turn your creativity into a lucrative side hustle or full-time vocation.

In the case of Karina Angelica “Kia” Ledesma-Marquez, her sister, Keisha Gabrielle Pulido, and their friend, Francis Cabrera Escuadro, the necessary breakaway from old routines opened the door for a breakthrough collaboration.

All three work full-time in various industries, but share the same love for arts and design.

Outside their regular jobs, they didn’t think they could monetize anything handmade until they found their pot of gold amidst a growing fascination with ornamental plants and urban greening.

A NOVEL IDEA Kia, herself, resorted to indoor gardening to keep her occupied at home. The artist in her wanted to spruce up her plant display. She decided to add color and life to her pots with her own illustration and painting. This little project sparked a business idea which Kia immediately pitched to her sister and Francis. The thought of painting on pots (instead of the usual canvas), as well as earning on the side, excited them all. They immediately drew up a plan to paint and curate cement planters for sale—the collection that will launch their hobby business called Potheads.

The first set they created featured lines and geometric patterns. They later took inspiration from pop culture, music and story books, as well as the

works of Klimt, Van Gogh, Banksy and other notable artists. The trio gave one another free hand to showcase their personal style and character preferences.

“The first set I made had characters from Friends, my all-time favorite TV sitcom,” beams Francis.

“In the beginning, we just

worked around our imagination and interests,” Kia adds.

“We got overwhelming response with our second collection, which featured more complex designs. From then on, orders came pouring in and our following online grew as more people took notice of our work.”

MADE TO ORDER Business started to pick up and they eventually accepted custom orders from friends and clients.

“I do all the cartoon designs, while Francis does most of our modern art themes. All portraits are made by Kia,” explains Keisha.

Production time varies depending on the design and pot size. Some may take half an hour to finish, while others can take hours and days.

Kia points out that passion projects such as this need dedication and commitment. “We usually paint at night and on

the weekends, when we’re offduty. Time management is very important, and it helps that get to divide the tasks among ourselves. We do our best to follow through and accommodate as much orders as we can—even requests for canvas and digital art. We are very grateful for this opportunity to bring ideas and concepts to life.”

Find @potheads_dvo on Instagram and Potheads Davao on Facebook, to place your orders or see more product photos and designs.

Photos courtesy of Kia Marquez, Keisha Pulido, and Francis Escuadro.

8 SPORTS

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DESPITE INJURY

Parks still on track for best player award

T

NT Tropang Giga swingman RayRay Parks remains on top of the statistical points race for the PBA Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award following the tabulation until the recently concluded finals, as revealed on Tuesday.

Parks, who missed the last three games of the Tropang Giga’s championship series against Barangay Ginebra due to a calf injury, got an average of 38.2 statistical points, way ahead of Phoenix Fuel Master Calvin Abueva, who has 37.1.

Terrafirma’s CJ Perez is third with 35.7, while Abueva’s teammate Matt Wright is slightly ahead of Parks’ comrade RR Pogoy for fourth with 35.65 compared to the latter’s 35.64.

As clarified by Commissioner Willie Marcial recently, the BPC but not the Most Valuable Player will be awarded in a special rite sometime in January.

Three Ginebra players also made the Top 10.

Stanley Pringle is in sixth with 34.8 statistical points, Japeth Aguilar is

eighth with 32.9, and Scottie Thompson is ninth with 32.8.

Rounding out the Top 10 are NorthPort’s Chris Standhardinger (seventh with 34.6 statistical points) and Phoenix’s Jason Perkins (10th with 32.7).

The Top 10 have an inside track of making the “Special Five”, a mini version of the Mythical Five that will be awarded also next month.

Meanwhile, the Dyip’s Roosevelt Adam remains the top rookie in the stats race with 20.3 statistical points, but Meralco Bolt Aaron Black (second with 17.3) and the Barangay’s Arvin Tolentino (fifth with 15.5) have a good shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award after their teams made a long playoff run. (PNA)

Ray Parks Jr drives to the basket. PBA