Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 44 |Tuesday, June 2, 2020

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DavOr hospital doctor tests positive of Covid-19, contact tracing, swabs ongoing STORY ON PAGE 2

OFF THEY GO. Passengers troop to the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) during the first of its operation on Monday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

Two 30-minute power interruptions on June 4

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Stranded families in Davao City wait for the vehicle commissioned by their local government unit (LGU) that will bring them back to their home province at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) on Saturday. Edge Davao

avao Light and Power Co., Inc. will conduct two 30-minute power interruptions on June 4, Thursday, affecting customers in Calinan, Baguio and Marilog Districts.

These service disruptions will be necessary to facilitate line upgrading works of Davao Light's 13.8 kV distribution line at Calinan Substation.

To avoid longer duration of power interruptions, load from the affected lines will be transferred to nearby lines anytime between 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.. Normalization or return of load back to its normal set-up will be anytime between 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m..

Specifically affected are customers from Calinan proper going to Buda, including De Lara Street, Biao Joaquin, Talandang,

Lacson, Gumalang, Tamugan, Marahan, Marilog, Baganihan and neighboring areas.

Also affected are customers from Calinan Proper going to Calinan Riverside and nearby areas.

Davao Light apologizes for the inconvenience brought about by these scheduled power interruptions. But it will exert all efforts to restore electric service as scheduled or earlier. However, there may be instances where restoration may extend beyond the schedule due to unavoidable circumstances.

Please contact our 24/7 Customer Contact Service at 229-3572, 0917-864-2793 (Globe) or 0920-970-1357 (Smart) for any power interruption that will fall outside the given schedule.

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DavOr hospital doctor tests positive of Covid-19, contact tracing, swabs ongoing

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center (DOPMC) has confirmed a report that one of its doctors has tested positive for Covid-19.

In a statement issued on Monday by the provincial government of Davao Oriental, the confirmed case is a 32-year-old resident doctor for internal medicine at the DOPMC. It was reported that health authorities of the Province of Davao Oriental had an emergency meeting last Sunday (May 31, 2020) and decided to place the entire hospital under quarantine including all of its personnel and patients.

Those identified to have close contact with the doctor were reportedly traced and have been isolated and swabbed. Results are pending as of this posting.

Based on record, while rendering duty hours in a dialysis facility in Davao City, the said doctor was subjected to reverse transmission-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab test on May 8 and consequently received a negative result on May 14. The doc-

tor then reported for duty at the DOPMC on May 25 to 26 without any symptoms.

Despite having secured a negative RT-PCR swab test result in the days prior his duty at the DOPMC and was declared asymptomatic, the doctor was again subjected to a mandatory RT-PCR swab test as per the standard protocol of the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19, which is to test all health personnel, frontliners, and essential workforce frequently traveling to Davao City.

The doctor underwent a mandatory RT-PCR swab testing on May 26 at the DOPMC and the results of

the swab test was subsequently released on May 30 confirming the positive result.

In response, the DOPMC management and the Provincial Task Force on COVID-19 immediately conducted extensive contact-tracing that resulted to the quarantine and isolation of the 58 hospital staff (majority of them are nurses) who are considered the “direct contacts” of the doctor.

All of the isolated staff are asymptomatic except for one who is experiencing runny nose due to recurrent sinusitis. Out of the 58 staff, 20 individuals

who have an ideal isolation space at home are subjected to strict home quarantine while the rest are isolated in various quarantine facilities provided by the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental.

Meanwhile, out of the 14 hospital patients who have received direct care from the doctor, seven remains strictly isolated at the hospital’s isolation facility while the other seven were already discharged from the hospital and endorsed to the City Health Office of Mati for contact tracing, including their family members and watchers who have direct

exposure to the doctor.

The quarantine facilities of the City of Mati are prepared to receive individuals, who upon the discretion of the medical officer, will be subjected for isolation.

Upon consultation with the Infectious Disease Specialist based at the Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC), the contacts of the COVID-19 positive case will be swab tested between June 2 to 4, given that the seventh to 10th day from the last exposure is the ideal time to get more accurate results.

However, those who are

he Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), a member of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa (BP2) program, has completed a series of consultations with local government units (LGUs) and regional directors of line agencies for the implementation of the program in Mindanao.

In a statement on Sunday, MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said that after their trip in Lanao Del Norte to consult with Governor Imelda Dimaporo and several mayors and Kalawit, Zamboanga del Norte Mayor Salvador An-

tohado Jr. on May 27 and 28, respectively, their team has traveled by land from Mindanao to Manila over the weekend for a series of meetings with Senator Christopher Lawrence Go. Go is the main proponent of the program, while the BP2 program council secretariat is headed by National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Jun Escalada.

“I will present to them the concerns of the LGUs, specifically Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga del Norte so that these will be taken into consideration as we stage the roll-out of

the three model resettlements. Let me clarify that, contrary to earlier reports that Balik Probinsya has already started in Mindanao, not a single family has yet returned to Mindanao under the program,” Piñol said.

He said the program is a “noble undertaking” which will correct the flawed development planning of the government for so long.

Piñol also assured the public that with his long experience in governance and involvement in crisis management, he will not initiate a program without

the needed consultations with all parties involved.

“The most important guiding philosophy I have embraced in governance is to build programs from the ground up and that the most solid foundations of any program are those which are made up of the dreams and aspirations of people who will be affected,” he added.

Piñol said MinDA will ensure the program will succeed in Mindanao as he hoped they would be able to provide a template for ‘Balik Probinsya’ communities in other parts of the country. (PNA)

DRMC gets nod for COVID-19 testing T

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he Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC), the only tertiary government hospital in the province of Davao del Norte, has been given the go signal to perform independent testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Department of Health (DOH)-Davao released a copy of the certification from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and a license to operate from the DOH-

Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau on Saturday.

The new COVID-19 testing laboratory, the second of its kind in the region, will serve as a testing center to increase the capacity to detect infected individuals in the region.

For two months since the third week of March, the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City was the lone sub-national laboratory for

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NEWS

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VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

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Pisay grads raise funds for SPMC, Central 911 frontliners

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Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) head Aisa Yusop tries to put order as province-bound passengers troop to DCOTT during the first day of the terminal’s operation on Monday. Edge Davao

raduation day is one of the most exciting events in a student’s life. But with the coronavirus crisis, graduating students of Class 2020 will not be making that march in March.

Instead of sulking in disappointment, Class 2020 of the Philippine Science High School-Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC) collectively called "Sanghaya" are turning the downside to an opportunity by making it more significant with an online thanksgiving and fundraising event "Handog Ng Sanghaya” through social media platforms. Proceeds of the campaign will go to health workers and frontliners.

Dubbed as “Sanghayuda” and powered by 91 graduating students, the fundraiser has generated cash donation amounting to P131,105. The event started on May 22, 2020 and culminated on May

26, 2020 through a livestream posted in the PSHS SMC 2020 Facebook page that presented Sanghaya's 91 graduates.

“Sanghayuda” aims to gather funds, which will be used to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) to the frontliners of Davao Central 911 and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

“Our door to graduating in real life may have closed, but the door to helping others surely has been opened. Even with this pandemic, we still wanted to celebrate our six-year Pisay journey.

This whole event started off with a small committee that later turned into a batch initiative,” said Via Adalin, batch governor.

“Sanghaya” denotes "to float", which symbolizes the batch's versatility amidst all the storms that have come their way.

By Maya M. Padillo

Davao will be serving the following routes: for Davao de Oro route: Davao City to Monkayo, with a scheduled trip at 9 a.m, will have a stopover in Montevista; Davao City to Nabunturan (8 a.m trip) with stopover in Mawab; Davao City to Pantukan (10 a.m.) with stopover in Maco and Mabini. The bus company’s scheduled trips are from Mondays to Saturdays.

The bus company will also serve the following routes in Davao del Norte: Davao City to Talaingod with stopover in Panabo City, Carmen, Kapalong, Sto. Tomas and Davao City to Tagum City. The trips were scheduled from Monday to Friday.

For Metro Shuttle Bus

Company, the following routes will be served: Davao City to New Bataan (9 a.m.) with stopover in the municipality of Compostela Valley; Davao City to Maragusan (9 a.m.) with stopover in Camanlangan; and Davao City to Laak (9a.m.).

For its Davao Oriental route: Davao City to Governor Generoso (8 a.m.) with stopover in Banay-Banay, Lupon, and San Isidro; Davao City to Mati City (9 a.m.) with stopover in Banay-Banay, Lupon and Manikling; Davao City to Boston (8am) with stopover in Mati City, Tarragona, Manay, Caraga, Baganga, and Cateel. The trips are scheduled from Monday to

DCOTT jampacked on Day 1 of re-opening

By MAYA M. PADILLO he Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) was jampacked with passengers on the first day of the resumption of provincial bus operation in Davao Region on Monday.

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As a result of the mammoth crowd, the protocol on social distancing was hardly implemented outside of the terminal. Upon entry though, DCOTT personnel made sure the protocols were observed.

Some of the passengers who came to DCOTT on Monday were bound to destinations which do not have special permits issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-Davao

(LTFRB-Davao). These passengers were supposed to go to the Cagayan de Oro (CDO), Butuan and Davao Occidental routes which have yet to be authorized.

“Nakita namo nga naay mga pasahero nga padulong ug CDO, Butuan ug Davao Occidental. Dili ni sila aware nga kani nga mga biyahe wala pa’y special permit. Isa ni sila nga nakadaghan sa mga pasahero. Despite nga gibuhat namo ang tanan aron

UP Min, SPMC to train staff handling C-19 tests

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s more public and private hospitals in the Davao region and in other parts of Mindanao are putting up COVID-19 testing facilities, two major institutions in Mindanao have agreed on a joint intensive training program for medical personnel handling these facilities: the University of the Philippines in Mindanao (UP Mindanao) and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), both based in this city.

The Memorandum of Agreement for a joint intensive training program on SARS-CoV-2 molecular diagnostics was signed

by UP Mindanao Chancellor Larry Digal and SPMC chief Dr. Leopoldo Vega on May 26 at the SPMC. SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) causes the coronavirus

disease (COVID-19).

“Public and private hospitals in Davao Region are establishing COVID-19 testing laboratories to address the increasing number of confirmed cases and the limited number of testing facilities. Through this joint program, we can address the need for more personnel to handle clinical specimens and perform the necessary molecular tests,” Digal was quoted as saying in a press release issued Friday by UP Mindanao.

The program aims to train more medical personnel to operate additional COVID-19 testing centers in Davao City and in other areas in Mindanao in a mix of online lectures, simulations and actual handling and processing of specimens.

Dr. Lyre nni Murao,

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ma-control ug ma-implement ang social distancing, ug first come first serve basis pud ni maong medyo naglisod mi despite with the coordination with Task Force Davao, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), and Philippine National Police (PNP),” said Aisa Yusop, DCOTT head in a phone interview.

Yusop assured that social distancing was strictly implemented and observed inside the terminal.

“Sa sulod sa DCOTT hapsay kaayo ug na-implement jud ang social distancing. Wala ko’y nakita na problema sa sulod sa DCOTT kay dili ko gusto matanggong ang mga pasahero,” Yusop added.

To avoid the passengers of crowding outside DCOTT again, the management will be setting up lanes for buses of Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Oriental in the terminal drive.

“Atoa pud pangitaan paagi ang mga bus operators sa paghatag sa control number,” Yusop said.

A maximum of 25 passengers were accommodated per bus and each bus is allowed to have one trip per day only.

LTFRB 11 has provided special permits to bus companies namely Bachelor Express Davao and Davao Metro Shuttle Bus Company to operate and to serve passengers.

Bachelor Express

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Passengers wait to board a bus at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) during its first day of operation on Monday. Edge Davao

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

A huge tarpaulin at the entrance of Felcris Centrale along Quimpo Boulevard in Davao City thanks all frontliners with prayers and a salute while a traffic enforcer guides motorists late Friday afternoon. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO C. BUENO

Pandemic to hit poorest economies harder: WFP S

S&P affirms PH's 'BBB+' rating, stable outlook

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s the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak, millions in the poorest countries have become more vulnerable to the economic downturn and food insecurity, UN experts warn.

The World Food Program (WFP) said the economic outlook — and risks of food insecurity — continues to darken because of effects of the coronavirus pandemic, posing further threats to regions in Africa that are already battling extreme poverty.

An estimated 265 million people could go hungry in 2020, nearly doubling 2019 figures, according to latest WFP’s forecasts.

Experts explain the way the global economic downturn is affecting low-income economies is that it is becoming “increasingly visible” and acts through different channels.

“Countries depending heavily on tourism, remittances, food imports or primary commodities exports are going to face a dire situation,” Susanna Sandstrom, head of the WFP Economics and Markets Unit, told Anadolu Agency.

She noted most vulnerable countries are those hit by not just one, but several damaging factors at the same time, and will not be able to protect themselves.

Key economic effects The first factor hurting vulnerable economies is the price of primary commodities, which have plunged as the price of crude oil fell to record lows,

cutting export earnings vital for large parts of the developing world.

The second is tourism, which contributes significantly to foreign exchange earnings in many fragile countries. The UN World Tourism Organization expects international tourist arrivals to decline by as much as 30 percent in 2020, hitting countries in developing areas that base their economies on the flux of foreign tourists.

Remittances — the third key channel through which the economic downturn reverberates on poor countries — are responsible for up to 30 percent of gross domestic product in low-income economies and are expected to fall dramatically, as they did during the 2008 economic crisis.

Economists expect the flow of foreign direct investments to shrink by up to 40 percent in 2020.

The other key factor im-

pacting the poorest countries is the dependence on food imports, which leaves those relying on imports exposed to the economic downturn and increased food insecurity. That puts upward pressure on domestic prices at a time when households’ purchasing power is tumbling due to the large percentage of income lost amid the crisis.

The Covid-19 pandemic and forced lockdowns that followed, is taking a heavy toll globally in terms of unemployment. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates a reduction in working hours in the second quarter of 2020 that is equivalent to 195 million full-time workers.

“Those people who were already living below the international poverty line, now are also losing their jobs. Those are the ones who risk the highest damage,” said Sandstrom.

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&P Global Ratings has affirmed its ‘BBB+’ investment rating with a stable outlook on the Philippines as it forecasts a strong bounce back with a growth of 9 percent for the domestic economy in 2021 from a projected 0.2-percent contraction this year.

“Although the economic slowdown will weigh heavily on fiscal and debt metrics over the near term, we expect a meaningful stabilization over the next three to four years owing to strong economic fundamentals and generally orthodox policymaking,” the debt rater said in a statement Saturday.

It said this growth outlook assumed that the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will be “generally contained” globally in the first half of next year.

S&P Global Ratings added the rating’s outlook “reflects our expectations that the economy will continue to achieve above-average growth over the medium term, which will drive constructive development outcomes and

underpin broader credit metrics.”

“Although the country's fiscal and debt settings will deteriorate due to the Covid-19 stimulus measures, the government's long track record of fiscal prudence provides some buffer, assuming a meaningful stabilization begins in 2021. The ratings are also supported by the economy's sound external settings,” it said.

Reforms in the past years benefit the domestic economy, it said, adding these reforms enable the Philippines to become one of the fast-growing economies in the world due mainly to supportive policy dynamics and improving investment climate.

“The economy's constructive trajectory is underpinned by strong household and company balance sheets, sizable inward remittance flows, and an adequately performing financial system.

Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, the country's unemployment rate had been declining for a few

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ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

Phoenix Petroleum names new President

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hoenix Petroleum Chief Operating Officer Henry Albert Fadullon takes a new role as he becomes the company’s second President, succeeding Founder and now Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategy Officer Dennis Uy. The country’s fastest-growing oil company, Phoenix Petroleum, announced the election of Henry Albert “Bong” Fadullon as the company’s new President who will lead its business growth effective June 1, 2020.

He was elected to the position shortly after the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on May 29, 2020 where he was likewise elected as a new member of the Board of Directors for 2020-2021.

Serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer since 2017, Fadullon has been at the helm of Phoenix’s robust operations leading the Company to exponential growth and expansion in the past years, including the integration of several acquisitions and new ventures.

With his new role, he

will also lead the Company’s overall vision, strategies, and direction.

He succeeds Founder and former Chief Executive Officer Dennis Uy who will now assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Strategy Officer who will be actively involved in the Company’s long term strategy and represent the Company with key stakeholders.

Former Chairman Domingo Uy, meanwhile, remains in the Company’s Board of Directors and as Chairman Emeritus.

“Phoenix Petroleum has been around for 18 years now and it is about time I hand over its management to people who can lead it to new and greater heights.

Bong has only been in the Company for a few years, but has already proven his effectiveness as a leader.

I am confident that as the second and new President of Phoenix Petroleum, he will continue to build the Company into a dynamic, world-class brand with a professional and progressive corporate culture and discipline,” Chairman and CSO Dennis Uy said.

Fadullon, 52, has over 25 years of retail experience in the petroleum industry, having held various roles at Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., a decade of which was spent overseas with postings in Malaysia, Oman, and London. Prior to joining Phoenix, he served Shell Shared Services (Asia) B.V. as General Manager (Offer to Cash) for Global Businesses.

“I am extremely honored to be elected into this new position in these exciting times. Phoenix has never been this progressive and diverse, and as the new President of the company, I vow to continue working towards our goal of becoming an indispensable partner in the journey of everyone whose life we touch, and seek excellence in everything we do,” Fadullon said.

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Phoenix Petroleum Chief Operating Officer Henry Albert Fadullon takes a new role as he becomes the company’s second President, succeeding Founder

PH secures $4.55B loan for COVID-19 response

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he Philippines has secured some $4.55 billion in foreign loans from different financial institutions for its COVID-19 response as of mid-May, the Department of Finance said Sunday.

Of this figure, $1.7 billion was from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and $500 million was from the World Bank, the DOF said in a statement.

Some $2.35 billion was raised from the dual-tranche issuance of the

Philippines’ global bonds, which fetched rates of 2.45 percent for the 10year and 2.95 percent for the 25-year, both the lowest ever for a Philippine dollar bond.

The bond issuance “demonstrates the resiliency of global investor interest in the Philippine economy despite an environment gripped with pandemic fear," Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

The ADB also committed $8 million in grant

financing to support 2 projects by the Department of Health and other agencies dealing with the pandemic, the DOF said.

The World Bank accelerated its distribution of the $200-million additional financing for a social welfare development and reform project, the agency added.

Last month, the Philippines signed a $100-million loan with the World Bank for government’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Project (ERP),

which aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to the threat of the virus.

The loans will enable the country to "a recovery program to gradually jumpstart the economic activities" and "shield the Filipino people against the adverse impact of the pandemic," the DOF said.

Dominguez earlier said the country "honors its financial obligations" and "will not consider a moratorium" on its debts.

and now Chairman of the Board and Chief Strategy Officer Dennis Uy.

San Miguel to buy excess carabao’s milk from farmers

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an Miguel Corporation (SMC) said Saturday it was set to buy excess carabao’s milk from farmer-cooperatives struggling due to supply-demand disruptions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The purchased carabao’s milk would be donated to poor communities and food banks in and around Metro Manila, SMC said in a statement.

“It’s heartbreaking.

There is so much excess milk that goes to waste, instead of getting them to where they are most needed. By buying their excess milk, we are hoping to help not only our farmers stay in business but also get these produce to food banks and communities to help address the growing food insecurity facing the poorest

families,” said SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang. The initiative was the company’s latest response to support the agricultural sector through the crisis.

Ang said the company would start identifying farmer-cooperatives it would buy carabao’s milk from, who will then identify poor communities and feeding centers they can deliver their produce.

SMC planned to have the milk sent to hard-hit communities and feeding centers in Bulacan, Navotas, and various localities around Metro Manila.

The company hopes to start rolling out the program soon with the help of the government through the Department of Agricul-

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Airlines prepare for takeoff as world aviation fights bankruptcy

T Plastic barriers are placed in between barber chairs to ensure the safety of the customers at a barber shop along R. Magsaysay Avenue in Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao

he Philippines' airlines on Monday waited for a go signal from government to return to the skies after President Rodrigo Duterte eased one of the world's longest coronavirus lockdowns and as their global peers battled bankruptcy.

The country's largest airline, Cebu Pacific said it would resume flights as early as Tuesday. AirAsia Philippines said it would restart the following day and Philippine Airlines moved its return to June 8 from June 1.

All carriers have put in place strict health checks and protective suits for cab-

in crew and ground staff.

"This is a developing situation. We may reduce or add flights depending on passenger demand, quarantine conditions and travel restrictions," Cebu Pacific said.

The 3 airlines tallied $5 billion (P250 billion) in losses as of May, Air Carriers Association of the Philippines Vice Chairman Roberto Lim told a Senate hearing.

Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific tallied a net loss of P1.18 billion in the quarter ended March, counting just 2 weeks of the lockdown that stretched nearly 80

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

ON SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOL DURING THE FIRST DAY OF BUS OPERATIONS UNDER THE GENERAL COMMUNITY QUARANTINE (GCQ):

Nakita namo nga naay mga pasahero nga padulong ug CDO, Butuan ug Davao Occidental. Dili ni sila aware nga kani nga mga biyahe wala pa’y special permit. Isa ni sila nga nakadaghan sa mga pasahero.

Despite nga gibuhat namo ang tanan aron ma-control ug maimplement ang social distancing, ug first come first serve basis pud ni maong medyo naglisod mi despite with the coordination with Task Force Davao, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), and Philippine National Police (PNP).

AISA YUSOP Head, Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT)

EDITORIAL

Oops, they did it again.

The death of an unarmed black man at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis last Monday is yet another chapter of the increasingly bothersome brutal police actions.

People who stormed to the streets in protest cannot be blamed. It has happened before, it has happened again. And by the looks of it, it will happen again in the future. The widespread fury that George Floyd’s killing has aroused is not unprecedented.

But this is one they are not letting pass without another fight.

Similar eruptions followed high-profile police killings of black men, including Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City, both in 2014. Nearly 30 years ago, rioting in Los Angeles sparked by the police beating of Rodney King left 63 people dead.

Hence, there is that dreadful familiarity that reminds everyone after Floyd’s fate at the hands of white police officers.

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MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL Layout/Cartoons

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHA MONFORTE Cartoonist Correspondent Consultant Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

OLIVIA D. VELASCO D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JASPERSOLANI V. BACSAL General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist VP Operations General Manager JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

Fortunately, the acts of brutality were videoed from a bystander’s phone. Unfortunately, Floyd did not survive.

As one police officer pressed a knee down the handcuffed Floyd’s windpipe for several minutes, the poor black man repeatedly pleaded for mercy. His last words, “I can’t breathe”, have become a rallying cry for often violent protests that have since shaken cities across America.

This latest chapter evoked protests not just from the black community but also white people, Latin and Asian communities.

Fil-Am basketball player Jordan Clarkson joined the protest and twitted a photo that says “Filipinos 4 Black Power.”

Floyd’s death came at a time when black people in America are feeling a disproportionate impact of the coronavirus crisis.

The pandemic lynching reached its summit and the explosion of anger is not surprising.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-YacapinProduct Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

SAVING QUEENS, THE THEATRE One of two movie houses that used to grace Bonifacio Street, Davao City, was Queens.

During its heyday, it was advertised as the largest cinema in the Visayas and Mindanao. When its popularity grew, establishments started to sprout across, adjacent, or near the theatre.

Queens theatre, opened in the 1970s, was built on a property first owned by the Guinoo family. It was, however, swapped for a Limso property just across the cinema, in a space that is now occupied by eateries.

As was the trend in the 1980s, Queens had ‘double program,’ which means a ticket holder can view two B—rated movies for the price of one. Most of the films shown then were Hollywood produced flicks. Except in movie houses where X-rated Tagalog flicks or ‘bomba’ films were offered, cinemas in the same category as Queens presented war and love stuffs. Movies at the time was advertised as a form of relaxation.

At a time when families treated movie-viewing as a time for bonding, Queens was in the com-

pany of other cinemas, such as Galaxy, Garnet, Golden, Garmon, Lawaan, Odeon, Eagle, Crest, Tagumpay, New Life, Ideal, Lyric, and Landmark 1 & 2, to name a few.

Historically, the Queen’s lot, prior to its acquisition by the Limso family, hosted a postwar, single-story apartment. Antonio O. Floirendo, the banana mogul, his wife Nenita, and the growing brood occupied a door. One of his neighbors there was Federico Melocoton, who became chief of police of Davao City. Later, when the business flourished, the Floirendo family moved to Juna Subdivision, the city’s first millionaire’s village, in Matina.

The late Floirendo, acknowledged as the country’s top banana exporter, was also known as a political kingmaker in Davao region in the 1970s. Though he did not run for public office, some members of his family eventually joined the political bandwagon.

After the swap, Ricardo Limso, a Mason, promptly constructed an edifice in the former Guinoo property to house the cinema, which he called Queens. Accord-

ingly, the name was a takeoff from the trendy British rock group Queen. The theatre, with an upper-section veranda, was famed for its iconic grand staircase and rail pegs that led moviegoers to the loge section.

(As personal hunch, the name Queens could have been inspired by a borough in New York, which shares border with Manhattan and the Bronx. It is also home of the Unisphere, a metal globe replicated outside the Mall of Asia in Manila. It hosts the world’s busiest airports, namely the John F. Kennedy International Airport, and La Guardia Airport, and the area has a diversified economy.)

Limso, a successful logger and landowner, was the same guy who helped build the Masonic Temple outside Santa Ana wharf.

He principally donated lumber, nails, and cash to construct the first postwar home of Freemasonry in Davao, which started in 1918. The structure has since been demolished after a permanent edifice was built along V. Mapa Street. A hospital along Ilustre Street was named in his

memory.

Affected by the entry of Betamax, laser discs, and digital video discs and the opening of cinemas in mall, Limso decided to close the scarlet curtain and thereafter leased the building to a certain Chua who eventually bought the property in the late 1980s.

On the dark side, the cinema was the scene of the January 14, 1992, grenade-throwing that resulted in the death of two moviegoers and the injury to six others due to the stampede that ensued.

The incident, according to probers, was predicated by a lovers’ quarrel. The authorities did not say how the bomb was squirreled inside.

For nearly two decades, the curtain fell on the movie house. It was rented by a sect which used the building for its religious activities but had to pack up after the building was sold and set for renovation and retrofitting. After an extended lull, the property opened as a commercial edifice under a new owner and management, the Davao DDBP Resources, Inc. To the credit of the new own-

er, the old name Queens was retained for nostalgic reasons, but its structure is now infused with modern layout that stands out among the buildings along the Bonifacio thoroughfare. On July 10, 2016, the renovated edifice was greeted gleefully.

“People cheered with the pulsing music and strobe lights,” local paper Sun-Star Davao reported, “as the three-colored lights go up and nestled in the old Queens marquee, the burst of light brightened one of the city’s best-known buildings in Davao. Amid showers of snowlike confetti, joyous energy spread through the crowd, people jumped and cheered as a handful of coins and treats flipped in the air to attract prosperity and good luck.”

Housed there today is Focusinc, a New York-based business process outsourcing (BPO) firm and 7-Eleven, a Japanese-owned, US-based convenience store. The BPO firm introduces itself as “catering to small-scale business owners in the [US] particularly in the New York Tristate area.”

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

OVERCOMING MIND-KILLER “Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson *** Breathes there a man with soul so dead who has never said to himself, “I feared no one. There nothing is this world I fear.”

If you encounter such man, then he’s a damned liar. There is no such person. Whether you’re male or female, handsome or beautiful, ugly or despised, young or old, we are afraid of something.

There are those who are afraid of height and public speaking. There are those who are frightened upon seeing a spider or a snake. And there are those who don’t feel at ease when they alone in an elevator or walking in the dark.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light,” Plato said. In The

Wise Man’s Fear, author Patrick Rothfuss wrote: “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

“Fear is the mind-killer,” Frank Herbert said in Dune.

Norman Vincent Peale, American motivational leader, thinks so, too. “Fear began in the first place as a think trickle of thought across your mind, perhaps in childhood, in fact most probably in your early formative years,” he wrote.

“Continuing to develop, it finally cut a deep channel of thought in your mind,” Peale continued. “So dominating did it become that every thought you have about yourself, your health, your future, your family, was drained into this deep channel of ear and came up tinged with anxiety.”

The reason why we have fear in life is because we are afraid to die. I was reminded of a story that happened to Nikita Krushchev. He was the Soviet statesman who led the Soviet Union during the part of the Cold War. He became the first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and was chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964.

When Krushchev pronounced his famous denunci-

ation of the Stalin era, someone in the Congress Hall was reported to have said, “Where were you, Comrade Krushchev, when all these innocent people were being slaughtered?”

Krushchev stopped, looked around the hall, and said, “Will the man who said that kindly stand up?” Tension mounted in the hall. No one stood up. Then Krushchev said, “Well, you have your answer now, whoever you are. I was in exactly the same position then as you are now.”

The man who asked the question didn’t stand up because he was afraid something bad might happened to him.

“Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration,” Herbert said.

The exact opposite of fear is courage. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it,” Nobel Peace laureate Nelson Mandela said. “The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

There are two kinds of courage, William Barclay pointed out. “There is the courage that is an instinctive reaction, almost a reflex action,” he explained. “It is the courage of a man or woman suddenly hit with a crisis and reacting bravely, without hav-

ing had a moment to think about it all. Many a person can become an immediate hero or heroine in the heat of the moment.

“But then there is another kind of courage, the courage of a person who sees tragedy approaching. It is still faraway and he or she has time to think and time to escape the issue, but clenches the fists and goes on.”

History records how Alexander the Great and his army were dying of thirst after marching eleven days.

Suddenly, they came upon some local farmers who were fetching skins full of water from a hidden river. Seeing the famous general choked with thirst, they offered him a helmet filled with water. He asked them to whom they were carrying the water.

“To our children” the farmers answered in chorus. “But your life is more important than theirs. Even if they all perish, we can raise a new generation.”

Then Alexander took the helmet filled with water into his hands and looked around to see all his soldiers eyeing the water and licking their dry lips. He did not have the courage to drink, but gave back the water untouched to the farmers. “If only I would drink,” he

told them, “the rest of the soldiers would be out of heart.”

At that, the soldiers rallied around him as never before and defied their fatigue and their thirst.

“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can’t practice any other virtue consistently,” wrote Maya Angelou, an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist.

“There are so many ways to be brave in this world,” Veronica Roth wrote in Allegiant.

“Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater.

“But sometimes it doesn’t,” Roth continued. “Sometimes it is nothing more than gritting your teeth through pain, and the work of every day, the slow walk toward a better life. That is the sort of bravery I must have now.”

“Courage doesn’t always roar,” commented American writer and artist Mary Ann Radmacher. “Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I’ll try again tomorrow.”

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Curbing soil erosion can incease farm production

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

W

ith the dreaded coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to take its toll all over the world, people are in a quandary as supply of food is getting scarce. There may be shortage of rice, vegetables, and fish if the pandemic lingers.

“The threat of hunger is as real as the threat of COVID-19,” pointed out Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar. In response to the threat, the Department of Agriculture (DA) launched the Plant, Plant, Plant Program or Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat (ALPAS) Laban sa COVID-19. “It aims to further improve our food adequately levels through increased rice, food crops, livestock, poultry and fish production, including that of attaining efficient food processing, marketing and distribution to major consumption center,” Dar explained.

Even if almost Filipinos plant now – and even if there are farming technologies available like biotechnology, organic agriculture, and high-yielding varieties of crops – if the problem of soil erosion is not addressed, food production will still lag and doesn’t improve at all.

In farming, topsoil is the primary resource.

As American naturalist Charles Kellogg puts it: “Essentially, all life depends upon the soil.

There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they have evolved together.”

The soil is among the most precious resources,

yet people often take it for granted or destroy it by making it susceptible to soil erosion. Every year, the world loses an equivalent of five to seven million hectares of farmland through erosion, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This is equivalent to the land area of Belgium and the Netherlands combined.

In the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) listed 22 provinces to have “alarming” soil erosion rate. Among those that had been losing their topsoil were Cebu, Batangas, Marinduque, Ilocos Sur, and La Union. This means that 58% of the country’s total land area of 30 million hectares is susceptible to erosion.

Soil experts say there is nothing wrong with normal soil erosion, which is even beneficial to man. But accelerated erosion – usually caused by man himself – is destructive. Soil is lost much faster than it is created through normal geological processes.

Studies have shown that it takes 200 to 1,000 years to form 2.5 centimeters of rich topsoil. But on the average, farmlands are losing 2.5 centimeters of topsoil every 16 years,

or 17 times faster than it can be replaced.

“Much awareness needs to be created on the need to maintain, improve and rehabilitate our soil resources because without healthy soils, we cannot grow enough food for us and future generations,” Dar surmised.

More often than not, people howled a protest against foreigners invading another country. But the Philippines is almost conquered already by an unseen foe: soil erosion.

This has been pointed out by Harold R. Watson, an American agriculturist who once headed the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in barangay Kinuskusan in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. “Soil erosion is any nation’s enemy – far worse than any outside enemy coming into a country and conquering it because it is an enemy you cannot see vividly,” said Watson, Ramon Magsaysay laureate.

“It’s a slow creeping enemy that soon possesses the land.”

Studies have shown that as much as 20% of eroded materials end up in rivers, reservoirs, and irrigation canals. Siltation also can cause serious damage to already endangered coral reefs and coastal fisheries.

Water and wind are the most important degradation processes in Asia, according to FAO’s Frank Dent. “Although the processes are different,” he said, “there is a common factor in all man-made erosion – the absence of vegetation to hold and cover the soil.”

What happens when topsoil is eroded? Authors Lester Brown and Edward Wolf in Soil Erosion: Quiet Crisis in the World Economy, wrote: “The loss of topsoil affects man’s ability to grow food in two ways. First, it reduces the inherent productivity of land, both

through nutrient loss and degradation of the soil’s physical structure. Second, it increases the cost of food production.

“When farmers lose topsoil,” the two authors continued, “they can only increase land productivity by substituting energy in the form of fertilizer.

Farmers who lose topsoil may experience either a loss in land productivity or a rise in costs (inputs).

But if productivity drops too low or costs rise too high, they will be forced to abandon their land.”

A recent study by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution concluded that approximately 30% of the world’s arable crop land has been abandoned because of severe soil erosion in the last 40 years.

Brown and Wolf said that the immediate effects of soil erosion are economic but in the long run its ultimate effects are social. “When soils are depleted and crops are poorly nourished,” they wrote, “people are often undernourished as well.

Failure to respond to the erosion threat will lead not only to the degradation of land, but to the degradation of life itself.”

Last year, during the World Soil Day celebration, the unified message of two government agencies – DA and DENR – and the UN food agency was: “Stop soil erosion. Save our future.”

“We will vigorously develop and implement soil and water conservation resources programs and technologies that will ensure the sustainability and viability of our resources,” said Agriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero.

Among the soil conservation measures experts have identified are as follows: contouring,

cover cropping, crop rotation, contour strip cropping, contour buffer planting, terracing, grassed waterways, farm ponds and checks dams, and reforestation.

The MBRLC has developed a technology that tried to combine most of these conservation measures. It is called Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT). “The principle of SALT is the same as that used by the Ifugao tribes in Mountain Province,” says Jethro P. Adang, the center’s director. “All we are doing is suggesting using different nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs instead of rocks.”

Examples of nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs are kakawate (Gliricidia sepium), ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) and the introduced species Flemingia macrophylla, Desmodium rensonii, and Indigofera anil. These are thickly planted in double rows to form hedgerows.

When a hedge is one-andhalf to two meters tall, it is cut back to a height of 40 centimeters and the cuttings are placed in the strips between the hedgerows to serve as organic fertilizer.

The SALT scheme requires careful management of the space between the hedgerows.

A combination of permanent, semi-permanent, and annual crops is recommended so as to rebuild the ecosystem and maximize yields while enabling farmers to organize their work time efficiently.

Every third strip of available land is planted to permanent crops. Examples include cacao and coffee. “Both cacao and coffee have steady markets,” says Adang. “Cacao has a potential of becoming one of our agricultural exports.”

FCURBING, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

EDGEDAVAO

COMPETITIVE EDGE

9

An immersive opportunity:

MCM launches Digital Learning Bootcamp 2020

M

alayan Colleges Mindanao, a Mapúa School announced its first Digital Learning Bootcamp 2020, inviting all SHS and College students in Mindanao to experience the first fully integrated online learning system in the region — MCM Digital — and get the opportunity to use MCM’s powerful online learning tools for FREE! This Digital Learning Bootcamp will be held on June 1 to 13, 2020 and is described as an immersive experience inside MCM’s Online Learning System, aiming to demonstrate and give participants an opportunity to immerse

themselves in the first fully integrated online learning system in Mindanao.

The participants will be given access to MCM’s online learning portal, “MCM Digital” where they can explore and get hands-on experience utilizing

MCM’s online learning tools such as Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Panopto, Wiley Plus, and Cengage Learning to complete learning tasks designed for incoming Grade 11 and 1st Year College students.

These tasks will be delivered in either synchronous or asynchronous learning sessions to allow for participants to get a feel for the different modalities of remote learning provid-

ed by MCM. In order for participants to maximize the online learning experience, they will need a device such as a computer unit, laptop or a tablet; and internet connectivity of at least 1 Mbps for asynchronous sessions and at least 2 Mbps for synchronous sessions.

Familiarization with the online system and tools will initiate the program, after which, participants will be allowed to select short learning modules on General Mathe-

matics, Business, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Basic Education for incoming Grade 11 students; Basic Algebra, General Physics, Business and Management, and P ro g ra m m i n g and Coding for incoming college students. A full course on Math, Humanities, and Social Science will also be made available for demonstration during the bootcamp period.

To register for this activity and get a chance to win amazing prizes, interested participants

may proceed to this link: https:// bit.ly/MCMDIGITALBOOTCAMP and follow the subsequent instructions and link to the “MCM Digital” account that will be sent through the email address provided upon your registration.

For any additional inquiries about the MCM Digital Learning Bootcamp 2020, please feel free to email at admissions@mcm. edu.ph or contact +63918 918 1626, +63999 227 7493, or +63917 831 8048.

10 EDGEDAVAO

FRONTLINER... FROM2

already exhibiting symptoms have to be swabbed immediately.

Moreover, the Infectious Disease Specialist also mentioned that asymptomatic positives are less likely to transmit the virus. Nonetheless, all contacts will be swabbed and all health measures will be implemented to contain the virus.

Since Sunday, May 31, stringent disinfection measures have been done at DOPMC. All areas have been thoroughly disinfected through the use of DOH and WHO approved disinfection solution.

The hospital has activated and mobilized its Infection Control Team to ensure safety in the facility for all its staff and patients. Likewise, all staff are advised to strictly fol-

low quarantine protocols while those who are still able to duty are reminded to follow minimum health standards.

Under Executive Order No. 26, the province of Davao Oriental was put under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from June 1 to 15, 2020.

As of May 31, 2020, the Province of Davao Oriental has 12 positive cases of COVID-19. These patients, who are all asymptomatic and currently in stable condition, have already undergone re-swabbing. Meanwhile, the contacts of these individuals were already traced and were consequently isolated. Swabbing of these contacts, including the health workers who looked after them, has already been started.

COVID-19 testing in Mindanao.

Other laboratories for COVID-19 testing have been set up in Zamboanga, Cotabato and Cagayan de Oro and now in Tagum City.

The DOH said this new development would ease the difficulty in sending swab specimens for

COVID-19 testing in SPMC and RITM in Manila and would improve its efficiency in releasing test results.

The DRMC will use Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (pert Express SARSCoV-2) testing following the World Health Organization standards. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

director of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) Mindanao based in the UP Mindanao campus in Mintal and SPMC chief training officer Dr. Maria Elinore Concha witnessed the signing of the agreement.

UP Mindanao, through PGC-Mindanao, will carry out a 14-day training for selected medical technologists and laboratory analysts, beginning with an online module on the molecular biology principles for SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), followed by extensive hands-on and practical exercises on laboratory procedures and workflow simulations at the UP Mindanao campus.

From the campus, the trainees will move to SPMC for the clinical diagnostics practicum and assessment program, which will involve actual handling and processing of specimens and operations in a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics facility following

guidelines established by the Department of Health (DOH).

The trainees who successfully complete the training program will have to undergo assessment by DOH before they can operate in a COVID-19 testing facility in their respective institutions.

Aside from the joint training with SPMC, UP Mindanao’s COVID-19 response also includes PGC-Mindanao’s diagnostic program for the testing facility at the Davao Regional Medical Center in Davao del Norte, assistance to the City Government of Davao in the renovation planning for the testing lab in Los Amigos, Tugbok District; the Interdisciplinary Applied Modeling laboratory’s work on COVID-19 mathematical modeling and data analysis as input for policy-making; and the university’s agreement with the local government to establish two isolation facilities within its campus.

(MindaNews)

days.

Philippine Airlines is losing $300 million in revenue per month, compounded by losses from earlier this year. It incurred additional losses in 2019 due to a change in accounting rules, it said.

The flag carrier has used up half of the $600-million capital infusion from February, COO Gilbert Santa Maria said a week before Metro Manila shifted to a general community quarantine.

While the flag carrier is "not in immediate danger of bankruptcy," the world's

airlines are "on the brink of bankruptcy," he said.

Local carriers are eyeing travel between GCQ areas, which allow commercial flights. International flights will depend on travel restrictions in destination countries.

In Southeast Asia, Singapore Airlines reported its first annual loss while Thai Airways filed for restructuring before a bankruptcy court.

The world's second oldest airline, Colombia's Avianca, and Latin America's largest, LATAM, also filed for bankruptcy.

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She stressed economic insecurity, due to the stopping of remittances and job loss, translates into food insecurity, which is also aggravated by increasing food prices.

“The areas at highest risk are mostly countries in Africa that were already facing economic problems and food insecurity,” said Sandstrom, citing South Sudan, Nigeria, Angola and the Middle East.

She noted the struggling population of refugees living in camps is particularly exposed to sanitary and the economic effects of the pandemic, which are often combined with other distressing factors.

“This is happening for instance in Bangladesh, where the pandemic crisis has coupled with the monsoon season,” she said.

WFP role To help vulnerable populations cope with the pandemic and its economic fallout, the WFP is focusing on maintaining effective operations despite the sanitary emergency.

“We are sustaining our operations around the world, making sure that the distribution of food or cash transfers can be made respecting security and sanitary conditions,” said Sandstrom.

The WFP is cooperating with local governments to

help build safety nets able to shield people who are losing jobs and becoming exposed to extreme poverty.

Sandstrom noted the Covid-19 crisis is often has a heavier effect on urban areas due to the income effect.

“People in the countryside can still provide food to themselves by farming,” she said. “While people in the urban areas are more dependent on market food.”

Another critical issue for WFP is the closure of schools in poor countries, where many families receive food aid through the school meal programs.

“We had to find other ways to reach these families, compensating them because they are not getting their school meals.

This can be done by delivering the children’s meals at home or instead by providing instant cash to the families,” said Sandstrom.

Another key role for the WFP is to provide logistics to UN humanitarian staff and other organizations on the ground, ensuring they have access to hospitals and protective items to shield them from contagion risks.

“We have hubs that make sure that these type of items can be shipped to where they are needed,” she said. (Anadolu)

years, signaling the economy's strengthening labor market even as the working-age population continued to grow,” it added.

With the need to ensure that the economy recovers fast from the pandemic, the government has formulated a PHP1.7 trillion worth four-pillar program and S&P forecasts this to widen the government’s budget gap to 7.3 percent of domestic output this year.

This budget deficit level vis-à-vis the gross domestic product (GDP) is seen to increase the net general government debt stock to about a decade high of 35 percent of GDP, but S&P said this level is lower compared to similarly-rated economies.

With the affirmation of the country’s credit rating and its outlook, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said this shows the credit rater’s “unequivocal recognition” of the economy’s resilience.

“We are confident that our government’s four-pillar strategy to deal with the pandemic will see us through this global health emergency as we remain focused on saving lives and protecting communities while gradually lifting mobility restrictions to restart the economy and get

people back to work,” he said in a statement.

Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority Director General Karl Kendrick Chua said the government’s ample buffers and fiscal space serve as a springboard for the government to finance needed programs on “healthcare, infrastructure, and the entire food value chain.”

“No country has been spared from the economic effects of this global pandemic, but our strong economic fundamentals and inclusive recovery measures will power our return to growth,” he said.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the central bank continues to enjoy monetary policy space because of years of instituting reforms and sound policy management.

“While being mindful of our price and financial stability mandates, we are thinking outside the box to enact policies that ultimately help safeguard the lives and livelihoods of our people. Such is our solemn responsibility in this oncein-a-lifetime crisis, and I am confident that our approach will demonstrate the resilience of our country," he added. (PNA)

Friday.

The Davao del Sur route will be limited only from Davao City to Digos City, 8 a.m. which will be served

by Davao Metro Shuttle.

For those passengers

who are not able to join the trip, they are instructed to approach the table of the bus operators and register their names so that they will be prioritized on the next trip.

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A combination of various cereals (upland rice, corn, and sorghum) and vegetables (beans, pulses, tomato, eggplant, ampalaya, and sweet pepper) are planted on the remaining two strips of land. Each has its own specific area so that there can be a seasonal rotation. For instance, an area planted to corn previously will be planted with mung bean in the next cropping season.

“Crop rotation helps to preserve the regenerative properties of the soil and avoid the problems of infertility typical of traditional agricultural practices,” explains Adang on the importance of regular rotation of crops.

A study showed that a farm tilled in the traditional manner erodes at the rate of 1,163.4 metric tons per hectare per year over a period of six years.

A SALT farm erodes at the rate of only 20.2 metric tons per year in the same period.

The rate of soil loss in a SALT farm is 3.4 metric tons per hectare per year, which is within the tolerable range. Most soil scientists place acceptable soil loss limits for tropical countries like the Philippines within the range of 10 to 12 metric tons per hectare per year.

Despite all the conservation measures, SALT still didn’t take off as expected. Although MBRLC, some government agencies and other non-government organizations are promoting the technology, farmers still fail to appreciate it.

One reason is the adaptability of the system. “In the beginning, I tried to follow the system after getting a training at MBRLC,” admits a farmer from South Cotabato.

“But the hedgerows take so much space from my farm. My production was completely affected.”

Another reason is labor.

“Finding the contour lines, planting nitrogen-fixing trees and

shrubs, growing different crops, and maintaining the hedgerows – all these take so much of my time,” said another farmer, who’s from Malita, Davao del Sur. Those reasons are valid. “The advantages of SALT are well-established,” Adang explains.

“But, I think, we fail to inculcate to these farmers who have undergone training at the center the importance of topsoil. We know that farmers need to have higher income to support their family.

The SALT system is not a panacea,” he points out. “It was developed for small-scale farmers and for upland areas. We know that 60% of the country’s land area are considered uplands.”

Adang considers SALT as a sustainable farming system. “It’s not for short-term but for longterm of farming,” he says.

“The land which the farmer now farms can be inherited by his children.

He has to preserve its fertility. Without the fertile topsoil, and even if it is enriched with fertilizers – either organic or commercial – nothing much will come out of a depleted soil.”

Speaking just like a church pastor, of which he is, Adang says that God has given land to people and they have to be a good steward of the land.

Echoing a famous statement, he says, “Farmers are not the owners of the land they are tilling; they are just borrowing it from their children’s children.”

As they are the way to food production, the soil must be preserved and protected at all cost. “If the soil is not well cared for, a country can never develop a sound agricultural base,” FAO reminded. “And without that, national development plans rarely succeed. Soil conservation effectively increases today’s agricultural yields while insuring the well-being of future generations.”

Phoenix Petroleum, the country’s leading independent oil company, was established in Davao City in 2002. A publicly-listed company since 2007, the brand has expanded to include related and com-

plementary products and services to its growing portfolio. Today, Phoenix is involved in selling, manufacturing, and marketing of fuels, lubricants, asphalt, LPG, and convenience stores.

ture, Department of Health, and the Department of

Interior and Local Government.

nearly nine minutes until well after he went motionless, while three other officers stood by.

“Don’t turn your back on racism. Don’t accept innocent lives being taken from us. Don’t make any more excuses. Don’t think this doesn’t affect you,” Nike said in the video, in which white words appear across a black background.

The campaign hardly

marks the first time Nike, whose “Just Do It” slogan is known worldwide, has waded into US social justice issues.

In September 2018, Nike made waves when it released an advertising campaign featuring US football player and activist Colin Kaepernick, criticized for kneeling during the US national anthem at games in protest at racism.

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11

People wearing protective face masks walk past the closed Nike store on a nearly empty 5th Avenue, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Manhattan, New York city, New York, U.S., May 11, 2020. Mike Segar, Reuters

Nike says ‘Don’t Do It’ on racism

S

Filipino American Jordan Clarkson (third from left) joins the protest in Los Angeles.

AN FRANCISCO -Nike has taken a stand against racism with a “Don’t do it” campaign, a twist on its famous catch phrase, as protests against police brutality spread across the United States.

“For once, Don’t Do It...

Don’t pretend there’s not a problem in America,” the US sports apparel giant said in a video posted to Twitter late Friday.

The message came as protesters across the United States took to the streets against the treatment of George Floyd, an

African American who died in the hands of police in Minneapolis earlier this week.

In a rare sign of solidarity, competitor Adidas retweeted the video, with a message stating: “Together is how we move forward. Together is how we make change.”

Floyd’s death on Monday was captured in a horrifying cellphone video now seen around the world, in which a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for

son of the Brooklyn Nets’ G League affiliate. Brogdon and Anderson played together in college at Virginia.

Floyd, who is black, died while in police custody in Minneapolis on Monday, leading to murder and manslaughter charges against officer Derek Chauvin, who is white. Fervent protests have emerged in dozens of cities across the nation this week, with some remaining peaceful and some turning violent.

Brown posted on Twitter late Saturday that three people who were part of his protest were arrested, and he asked for help in finding the names of those arrested.

Brogdon, a 27-year-

old born in Atlanta, emphasized his pride in his city and his sense of purpose being part of the peaceful protest.

“This is a moment. We have leverage right now,” he said in Brown’s video.

“We have a moment in time. People are going to look back, our kids are going to look back at this and say, ‘You were part of that.’ I’ve got a grandfather that marched next to [Martin Luther King Jr.] in the ‘60s, and he was amazing. He would be proud to see us all here.

We got to keep pushing forward.

“Jaylen has led this charge, man, and I’m proud of him. We need more leaders.” -- With reports from Reuters.

FNIKE, P10

Jordan Clarkson joins Los Angeles protest

F

ilipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson joined the list of athletes who marched in protest after the death of a black man, George Floyd, at the hands of a white Minneapolis policeman.

Clarkson, who now plays for the Utah Jazz, joined JR Smith in a protest in Los Angeles and posted images from the rally on his Instagram account.

He also posted a sign with the words “Filipinos for Black Power.”

On Twitter, he sent “love and prayers” to all.

A video of Floyd gasping for breath and saying

“I can’t breathe” while the policeman, Derek Chauvin, put his knee on his throat went viral, inciting protests in several major cities in the United States.

Curfews were installed in many areas, including Los Angeles, after initially peaceful demonstrations turned violent.

Several athletes have spoken out after Floyd’s death, including NBA su-

perstar LeBron James, Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, Heisman winner Joe Burrow, and former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Another NBA player Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drove 15 hours from Boston to help lead a peaceful protest in Atlanta on Saturday night, he said on a live stream of his Instagram account.

“I drove 15 hours to get to Georgia, my community,” said Brown, who is from Marietta, Ga., and is also a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association.

“This is a peaceful protest. Being a celebrity, being an NBA player don’t exclude me from no conversations at all. First and

foremost, I’m a black man and I’m a member of this community. ... We’re raising awareness for some of the injustices that we’ve been seeing. It’s not OK. “As a young person, you’ve got to listen to our perspective. Our voices need to be heard. I’m 23 years old. I don’t know all of the answers. But I feel how everybody else is feeling, for sure. No question.”

Brown, 23, posted a photo of himself holding a sign reading “I Can’t Breathe,” a reference to the death of George Floyd earlier this week.

He was joined by Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, who is also an NBPA vice president, and guard Justin Ander-

MOSES BILLACURA CLEAN SLATE

HEART OF A MOTHER I can still vividly remember that day.

I believe Vice Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio was acting mayor at that time when she was invited to the opening of a boxing tournament organized by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines(ABAP)-Davao City chapter headed by Councilor Edgar Ibuyan.

The opening rounds were the kid’s division.

There was Inday Sara witnessing the bouts and for some

unknown reasons, she stood up and just walked away and I can see on her face that she was not pleased with what she saw. Gisapot ang nawong (fuera buyag, gwapa nga gisapot).

ABAP-DC president Ibuyan quickly followed her and from the way I look at it, he was apologetic of the situation.

I could be wrong. Probably, I could have misinterpreted the scene.

Yet I have the strong feeling that day that Inday Sara’s

reaction was that of a normal Dabawenya mother.

Seeing those young boys exchanging blows, although they were properly equipped with headgear and other protective equipment as per AIBA (the international boxing federation) rules, must have hurt Inday Sara.

Probably, had the opening rounds been the adult division, she could probably take it and possibly appreciate the boxing prowess of the Davao fighters.

But not looking at those kids.

You see, it is ideal to learn the sport at a young age and if there’s really a potential, the Davao boxers can be very good candidates for the National Training Pool and eventually become members of the National Boxing Team. That’s how it is, any sports program, there’s always that motto, “Start Them Young”.

I really can’t blame Inday Sara that day. It’s just a moth-

er’s instincts to abhor seeing young boys and girls get hurt.

Sure she can punch a sheriff, as everybody knows. She may be tough but despite that toughness as a leader of a growing city with all the challenges, there’s always a soft side of the heart being a mother. Ayaw lang pabadlong.

This may be a late greeting, yet from this corner, I say, happy birthday Davao City's inahan, Mayor Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio.

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 44 • TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2020

Practicing social distancing protocols, three golfers take their respective putts at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Cabantian, Davao City over the weekend. Contributed photo

HARD DECISION

PH athletes, coaches take 50-percent cut on allowance

T

he country's sporting heroes are taking the coronavirus hit. But no complaints. They are taking it in stride.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced on Friday that it would cut the allowances it is giving to the national athletes by half as the country continues to battle the coronavirus disease 2019

(Covid-19).

“This is a hard decision to make, but one that (is) needed to be done so we can continue caring for our athletes longer,” Ramirez said.

The move was made to preserve the National Sports Devel-

opment Fund (NSDF), which was "considerably diminished because of this health crisis we are now experiencing," he said.

Ramirez, however, assured that "once the NSDF reaches a comfortable level again, allowances will be restored to the present rate."

The PSC announced that all Filipino athletes and coaches would finally

get to enjoy a 20-percent discount for all their needs.

On Friday night, the PSC said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Regulation 132020, which paves the way for the discount clause to be fully implemented for all athletes.

“We have been looking forward to this and we are thankful that our athletes and coaches

will finally enjoy the privilege they deserve,” said PSC chairman Butch Ramirez, whose organization has been working together with the BIR for the discount benefit to be fully enjoyed by local sportsmen.

The discount clause is part of Republic Act 10699, formally known as the "National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incen-

tives Act".

The discounts shall be applied to food, medicine, recreation centers, hotels, lodging establishments, and sports equipment purchases.

The PSC has already issued identification cards to national athletes, with booklets similar to those used by senior citizens for their own discounts, to follow. (PNA)