Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 61 | Sunday-Monday, June 21-22, 2020

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VOL.13 ISSUE 61 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JUNE 21-22, 2020

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Bikers are seen traversing along R. Castillo Street in Davao City which is among the first main streets in the city where the city government put up dedicated bicycle lane.

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Mindanao railway path to veer away from Monteritz Estates STORY ON PAGE 2

WORLDWIDE COVID-19 NUMBERS BOARD

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PHILIPPINES

WORLDWIDE

CONFIRMED: 8,766,190 • DEATH: 462,693 • RECOVERED: 4,627,914

CONFIRMED: 28,459 • DEATH: 1,130 • RECOVERED: 7,378

As of June 20, 2020, here’s the Top 5 list of countries with most number of COVID-19 cases 1. U.S.A CONFIRMED: 2,297,338 DEATH: 121,407 RECOVERED: 956,077

2. BRAZIL CONFIRMED: 1,038,568 DEATH: 49,090 RECOVERED: 520,360

3. RUSSIA CONFIRMED: 569,063 DEATH: 7,841 RECOVERED: 324,406

4. INDIA CONFIRMED: 396,182 DEATH: 12,970 RECOVERED: 214,209

5. GREAT BRITAIN CONFIRMED: 301,815 DEATH: 42,461 RECOVERED: --

SOURCE: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 61 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JUNE 21-22, 2020

REROUTED

City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) worker paints the pavement with markings for the dedicated bicycle lane in Carpenter, Brgy. Leon Garcia Sr., Davao City on Friday night. Edge Davao

Mindanao railway path to veer away from Monteritz Estates

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ll’s well that ends well.

The gated Monteritz Classic Estates in Ma-a, Davao City is now ‘safe’ from getting run across by the Mindanao Railway Project Tagum-Davao-Digos (MRP TDD) segment.

Department of Transportation (DoTr) Assistant Secretary for Mindanao Projects Eymard Eje said the final railway alignment of the MRP will now traverse outside the posh subdivision thereby saving what could have been some 40 households to be eased by the construction.

Last year, residents of the posh subdivision objected the original plan and requested DoTr to reconsider re-aligning the railway path as it will hit Phase 1 of the subdivision. The supposedly affected homeowners have expressed resistance as it will put their homes practically “under the riles (under the tracks).”

Eje said DoTr settled the issue with the homeowners in November last year.

“No problem with Monteritz residents as the alignment will not traverse inside the subdivision anymore. Sa labas na po ng Monteritz ang alignment,” he told Edge Davao in a Viber message.

He added that documents for the right of way (ROW) acquisition are now being prepared.

In a statement emailed by the National Economic and Development Authority 11 (NEDA 11), the agency reported that the MRP is set to be presented by the DoTr to the Regional Development Council

11 (RDC 11) Full Council in a separate meeting to finalize the project’s implementation plan and timelines, as well as, resolve any issues and concerns pertaining to the project.

Eje said what DoTr is continuously presented to RDC 11 are the plans pertaining to ROW acquisition, status of the project, and other issues that need to be resolved.

“The Mindanao Railway Project has been presented to RDC 11 many times and in fact, it has been approved by NEDA Board in November 2019,” he said.

Meanwhile, RDC 11 has endorsed re-prioritized list of Davao Region’s Build, Build, Build (BBB) Flagship Projects for endorsement to the Cabinet Economic Development Cluster (EDC) during its virtual meeting on June 17, 2020.

According to the statement, this is in response to the need to focus on projects that will have the most economic impact in terms of revitalizing the economy and getting the Region back to its preCOVID-19 crisis growth rates and employment levels.

Following the criteria set by the EDC for the resumption of BBB Projects, RDC 11 has prioritized nine projects for the years 2020 to 2022: Samal Island-Davao Connector (SIDC); Davao Public Transport Modernization (DPTM); Davao City Coastal Bypass Road (including Bucana Bridge); Davao City Bypass Construction; Davao International Airport Modernization; Davao City Expressway; Davao Sasa Port Modernization; Davao People Mover (Monorail);

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PRRD renews ties with four countries, state of Palestine

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resident Rodrigo Duterte has ensured that the Philippines will continue to have “friendly and cooperative” relations with Canada, Iran, Vietnam, New Zealand, and Palestine, Malacañang said on Friday.

Duterte gave the guarantee during the presentation of credentials of the five countries’ ambassadors held at Malacañan Palace on Friday afternoon, the Palace said in a press statement.

“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte affirmed anew the Philippines’ friendly and cooperative ties with the State of Palestine, New Zealand, Canada, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” it said.

Duterte, Malacañang said, hailed Canada as “an old friend and important development partner” of the Philippines when he accepted the credentials of Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines James Peter MacArthur.

The Palace said Duterte expressed hope that the Philippines and Canada would boost cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and other key areas of mutual concern.

“The President expressed hope that Ambassador MacArthur’s tenure in Manila will lead to more robust and wide-ranging cooperation, especially in the fight against Covid-19,

trade and investments, maritime security and marine environmental protection, development issues, agriculture, and education,” it said.

Malacañang said MacArthur assured Duterte that Canada would help the Philippines in the fight against Covid-19.

MacArthur, it added, also lauded Duterte for his “signature achievements,” which include the crafting of peace agreement and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the signing of the Universal Healthcare Act, and the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

Duterte, the Palace said, also recognized Vietnam as the Philippines’ “important friend and neighbor” when he conveyed his best wishes to Vietnamese Ambassador to the Philippines Hoang Huy Chung as the new envoy starts his tenure in Manila.

Malacañang said Duterte stressed that the Philippines and Vietnam, as strategic partners, should continue working closely together to promote peace and security in the region, especially in the maritime sphere.

“We count on Vietnam’s continued support for our advocacy for the rule of law, peaceful resolution of disputes, and keeping the global commons – par-

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VOL.13 ISSUE 61 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JUNE 21-22, 2020

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

SP OKs ordinance on easing impact of pandemic among local businesses

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President Rodrigo Duterte gestures in a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang. The President has affirmed anew the Philippines’ friendly and cooperative ties with the State of

Palestine, New Zealand, Canada, Islamic Republic of Iran, and Socialist Republic of Vietnam during the presentation of credentials of the five countries’ ambassadors held at Malacañan Palace on Friday afternoon.

PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

he 19th City Council has approved the proposed ordinance to help the local businesses ease the economic impact of the pandemic in the city.

Committee on Finance, Ways and Means chair Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said that the Ordinance 0278-20 which calls for the reduction in the garbage fee, deduction on rentals and adjustment in the fees for establishment used as quarantine facilities will ease the economic impact of the pandemic in the city.

He said there will be a proportional reduction of the garbage fee on establishments based on the number of months they stopped operation during the community quarantine and enhanced community quarantine.

Dayanghirang said that for lessors, a deduction in the gross sales or receipts which are the bases for business tax, the amount which was not paid by their lessee.

He said there will also be adjustments on the monetary value in the operation of business establishments used as quaran-

tine facilities, including the contributions of the business enterprises to the city government, as a response to the pandemic.

“This measure will give relief to the business establishments amid the COVID-19 infection,” Dayanghirang said.

The City Council passed three measures to help the business establishments due to the crisis brought about by the pandemic.

Last March 20, the City Council passed the City Ordinance 0243-20, a measure extending the deadline for the second quarter installment of the business tax, the first quarter-installment of the real property tax, and the rental fee in the public markets, Davao City Overland Transport Terminal, Sta. Ana Port, Magsaysay Park and the Pasalubong Center.

Last April 16, the City Council also passed the proposed ordinance No. 0257-20 suspending the interests, penalties and surcharges for failing to pay in the local taxes due during the community quarantine and enhanced community quarantine. (Dalumpines, JS)

he Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit 11 (CIDG-RFU 11) is investigating into anomalies in the distribution of the Social Amelioration Program or SAP. As of June 18, 2020 the CIDG RFU 11 has handled 22 cases where eight cases were filed and three cases are for filing. Most of the anomalies involved barangay chairmen, barangay councilors, barangay secretaries, barangay health workers, purok leaders, day care teachers, some cases involved civilians.

In Davao City, detectives of CIDG Davao City Field Unit have already

filed two cases against a barangay captain, barangay kagawad (councilor) and barangay secretary.

“We are urging the public especially SAP qualified beneficiaries to report any violations on SAP distribution,” says Police Major Edilberto Leonardo, Regional Chief CIDG RFU 11.

Leonardo has ordered the unit to dig deeper into the investigation and expedite the filing of the cases if necessary to help facilitate the victims of these SAP anomalies.

The efforts of the CIDG RFU 11 is in line with the implementation of Republic Act 11469 known

Sec. Duque appoints CIDG 11 probes Davao Vega as chief of staff TRegion SAP anomalies H

By MAYA M. PADILLO

ealth Secretary Francisco Duque III has appointed Dr. Leopoldo Vega as his chief of staff and tasked the Dabawenyo former chief of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) to focus on the coronavirus pandemic and the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) system.

Vega, who was recently appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as Health Department Undersecretary for Special Concerns, said in a phone interview

that he was designated by Duque to the task during their meeting last Wednesday in Manila.

“My job is to do what President Rodrigo Duterte

Go pushes for digital platform to improve efficiency of service delivery

S

enator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go is calling for the swifter digital transformation of government agencies so Filipinos may find it easier to access various basic government services online.

The Senator said that the COVID-19 crisis continues to highlight the need to invest on technology and promote E-governance practices to improve efficiency in the delivery of public goods and services.

“Gamit ang teknolohiya, dapat maging mas mabilis, maayos, maaasahan at komprehensibo ang serbisyong ibinibigay ng gobyerno sa tao. Lalo na sa panahon ngayon, magmalasakit tayo at pagaanin ang hirap na pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan,” he explained.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology must

spearhead the digitalization of government functions and procedures. This will dramatically improve access to public services, specifically in terms of availability, convenience, cost and speed. A survey of the country’s top officials and senior tech executives revealed that nearly half of the nation’s agencies are behind schedule in doing so.

Go said that the Philippine government has always been committed to improving the mode of service delivery to all Filipinos. According to him, this pandemic was able to highlight gaps in the system that should be improved in order to make the country more prepared to face other kinds of crises that may come.

“Nakita natin ang importansya ng digital trans-

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is expected to be delivered in the health department,” Vega said.

He said there is no exact date yet when he will take his oath, but for the meantime he is preparing his new office and currently selecting members of his staff.

“This is a new challenge, as I will be meeting and dealing with new personalities and bigger stakeholders,” he said.

Vega is being lauded for his exceptional way in managing SPMC, the biggest state hospital in Mindanao, designated as test center

for COVID-19.

Prior to his appointment as Undersecretary for Special Concerns, Vega set up the SPMC for the implementation of UHC because he thinks “it is bound to happen.” Among the preparations they made were a number of specialty programs they call “institutes” or stand-alone facilities based on medical condition.

“So if you have problem with cancer so you go to the cancer institute. If specialties are co-located in one area like a cancer pa-

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Sen. Bong Go said that a digital government will improve access of citizens to the government regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic condition.

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 61 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JUNE 21-22, 2020

A row of small restaurants at Matina Town Square along MacArthur highway in Matina, Davao City. The City Council of Davao City has approved Ordinance 0278-20 which calls for the reduction in the garbage fee, deduction on rentals and adjustment in the fees for establishment used as quarantine facilities will ease the economic impact of the pandemic in the city. Edge Davao

BIR, BOC collections down 24.83% in January to May T

PH climbs to 45th in world competitiveness report

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he combined collections of the country’s main tax collection agencies, the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and of Customs (BOC), saw a high double-digit decline in the first five months of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Friday.

The revenue collections of the BIR and BOC stood at P874.91 billion from January to May, down 24.83% or P289.06 billion lower from P1.164 trillion collected in the same period last year.

The agencies’ combined collections also fell short of its target of P1.062 trillion for the period, representing a 17.65% shortfall.

BIR collections, alone, from January 1 to May

31 only reached P664.74 billion, down 27.13% or P247.53 billion lower than the P912.26 billion collected year-on-year.

The taxman’s January to May collection is also 21.7% or P184.17 billion short of the P848.91 billion target for that period.

BOC collections, meanwhile, amounted to P210.18 billion, down by P41.54 billion or 16.5% than the P251.71 billion collected in the same period last year.

Customs’ collections is also P3.33 billion or 1.56% short of the target of P213.51 billion for the period.

For May 1 to 31, the combined revenue haul of the BIR and BOC amounted to P135.45 billion, lower than the P263.64 billion collected for the same period in 2019.

The May collection of both tax agencies is short

by P218.35 billion or 61.72% compared to the P353.8-billion combined for that month.

The BIR collected only P105.44 billion in May, down by P100.04 billion or 48.68% lower than the P205.47-billion take for the same month in 2019 and P215.03 billion or 67.1% short of the P320.47 billion

bank, Inc. has been sacked after the employee "fabricated a bank certificate in favor of EY Germany," Wirecard's auditor. The bank confirmed the development and said they have already started termination proceedings for the employee.

In a statement, BDO has denied that it is holding any of the $2.1 billion

(about ₱107 billion) missing cash of the German payments firm, which was supposed to be held by the bank and by the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said BDO has reported the incident as early as June 9, which prompted the regulator to conduct its own probe into the matter.

Both denied that Wirecard

is a client, noting that the documents pertaining to the trust accounts were falsified.

"Wirecard AG has been informed by the auditor EY that an audit certificate for the annual financial statements for the past fiscal year 2019 requires additional audits," the company said Thursday, with the

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Local bank officer sacked for fake document on Wirecard deposits

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marketing officer of a Philippine bank has been terminated upon discovery of a fake bank certificate issued to Wirecard's auditor involving a supposed trust account holding the German company's money.

A highly-placed source with knowledge on the issue said Friday one marketing officer at BDO Uni-

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he Philippines has climbed a notch in Swiss business school International Institute for Management and Development’s (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook this year, despite the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country is now ranked 45th out 63 economies surveyed by the IMD, from 46th spot in 2019.

The IMD ranking measures the capacity of a country to maintain an environment where enterprises can compete locally and internationally as it assumes wealth creation happens at the enterprise.

The ranking was evaluated using country measures such as unemployment, gross domestic product, public spending on health and education, and perception-based survey from business executives performed in the first quarter of 2020.

The Philippines is the only one among Southeast Asian countries, aside from Singapore, that improved its ranking year-on-year.

Despite the upgrade, the country still lags behind its peers in the region with Thailand placing at 29th, down from 25th last year; Indonesia at 40th down from 32nd; and Malaysia at 27th down from 22nd.

In a statement, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said “the Philippines

stands on solid ground and has the momentum to overcome the current crisis.”

The Trade chief assured that despite the socioeconomic difficulties arising from the COVID-19 crisis, the Philippines demonstrates resilience, flexibility, and adaptability for both the public and private sectors as they face the challenges head-on.

He also said the Philippine government, through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), continues to take an active role in nation-building and economic development through the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy, which aims to grow globally competitive and innovative industries.

“The DTI remains motivated to work even harder to build a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive nation. Through the resumption of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ Program, we can pump-prime the economy and by implementing programs to reskill and upskill our workforce along with activities to improve the competitiveness of cities and municipalities, aggressive investment promotion, and continuing support to MSMEs and other vulnerable sectors, we can help mitigate the economic impact of the COVID crisis,” Lopez said.

Singapore topped the

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ECONOMY 5

Imported meat helped in relief response amid pandemic: PAMPI

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he Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) said imported meat products helped the country continue the manufacturing of processed meat, ensuring sufficient food supply amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

In a letter to Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar dated June 18, 2020, PAMPI said its members produced 256.2 million canned goods from March to May amid the lockdown measures implemented by the government.

On top of this, around 3.7 million kilograms of frozen processed meat were manufactured and distributed through different channels.

It added that these processed meat products were distributed by national relief agencies, local government units, and volunteer groups across the country to community quarantine-affected individuals.

“Since March when ECQ (enhanced community quarantine) was declared, the meat product imports that are being demanded to be banned by a group of poultry lobbyists

enabled our industry to produce processed meat products that feed millions of our people up to today even as we write you this letter,” PAMPI stated.

PAMPI warned that some groups are lobbying to ban the importation of meat products.

“We want to express our alarm at a well-orchestrated but subtle attempt by vested groups to provoke a crisis and destabilize the economy by spreading false or misleading information and blame you (Dar) for it. Such groups have been lobbying your department (DA) and politicians to ban importation of meat products,” it said.

Earlier, Dar assured that the DA is committed to continue working closely with stakeholders of the country’s meat and poultry industries to further enhance their productivity and competitiveness.

“The DA continues to innovate and build needed infrastructure and processing facilities to modernize not only the country’s poultry industry, but also the entire agriculture and fishery sector, making it more productive, resilient, and globally-competitive,” he said.

(PNA)

Foreign direct investments plunge 18.5% to $507M net inflow in March

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oreign direct investments (FDI)—investments made by foreign companies or individuals in the Philippines—stood at a net inflow, albeit lower, in March as the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on investor sentiment, according to data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) on Friday.

Central bank data showed the March 2020 FDI was recorded at a net inflow of $507 million.

This, however, is 18.5% lower than the $622-million net inflow booked in March 2019.

“The progression of the COVID-19 crisis into a full-scale pandemic and its adverse impact on the global economy dampened investor sentiment and investment activity during the month,” the BSP said.

The decline in total FDI net inflows was largely attributed to the 33.5% reduction in net investments in debt instruments to $278 million from $419 million in the same month last year.

Reinvestment of earnings also fell by 37.9% to $57 million from $91 million.

Meanwhile, net equity capital placements increased by 53.1% to $172 million in March from $112 million yearon-year.

Equity capital place-

ments originated mostly from Japan and Taiwan.

These were invested mainly in the administrative and support service, manufacturing, and financial and insurance industries, according to the BSP. In the first quarter, FDI net inflows also saw a contraction of 14.2% to $1.7 billion from the $1.9 billion net inflows in the same period last year.

“This developed on account of the 41% decline in net investments in debt instruments to $828 million from $1.4 billion.

Likewise, reinvestment of earnings dipped by 24.1% to $187 million from $247 million in the previous year,” the BSP said.

The central bank said FDI downturn was mitigated partly by the 120.7% growth in net equity capital placements to $653 million from $296 million.

In particular, gross placements expanded by 22.8% to $714 million from $582 million and withdrawals decreased by 78.6% to $61 million from $286 million.

A bulk of the equity capital placements during the period was from the Netherlands, Japan, and Singapore.

The said placements were channeled mainly to the manufacturing, administrative and support service, and real estate industries, the BSP said.

One of the 64 locally stranded individuals from Cebu City who arrive at the seaport in Iligan City on June 17, 2020 undergoes temperature check upon disembarkation. They include residents of Iligan City (29), Lanao

del Sur (23), Lanao del Norte (7) and Misamis Oriental (5). MindaNews photo by RICHEL V. UMEL

DTI chief says PH must fast track reforms to sustain competitiveness

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rade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the country should fast track reforms and implement policies that will sustain its competitiveness amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

The Institute for Management Development (IMD) reported early this week that the Philippines improved its ranking by a notch in the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2020 to rank 45 from 46th spot last year.

The WCY ranked 63 countries this year in terms of the economic landscape, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.

Among the notable indices for the Philippines

include the labor market, which was ranked 10th; tax policy at 14th; and employment at 26th place.

“The Philippines stands on solid ground and has the momentum to overcome the current crisis,” Lopez said.

On the other hand, the country is nearly at the bottom of the WCY ranking in the infrastructure landscape which involves basic infrastructure, technological infrastructure, scientific infrastructure,

health and environment, and education.

Lopez said the government is pushing through with the ‘Build Build Build’ program, investing heavily on basic infrastructure to fuel the country’s economic rebound amid the pandemic.

“As we enter 2021, the country will strongly recover from the difficulties brought about by this pandemic while being cautious of the challenges and risks that lie ahead in the new normal. The Philippines must be agile to accelerate reforms and pursue impactful economic policies to sustain the country’s growth momentum and competitiveness moving forward,” Lopez said.

oreign direct investments (FDIs) to the Philippines contracted by 18.5 percent last March because of the pandemic but a recovery is expected in the second half due to proposed tax measures and the country’s fundamentals.

Data released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that net FDIs in the third month this year reached USD507 million, higher than the USD505 million in the previous month but lower than yearago’s USD622 million net inflows.

This brought the first quarter figure net inflows to USD1.67 billion, 14.2 percent lower than yearago’s USD1.95 billion.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the drop of FDIs last March is a given because of the impact of the lockdowns here and abroad implemented to arrest the big rise of

coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.

He said the community quarantines “could have already caused some cautious stance/scaling down on FDIs in recent months amid prospects of softer global economy and some disruptions in global supply chains and constraints in global logistics.”

“Reduced production and other business/economic activities largely due to the COVID-19 lockdowns/pandemic prompted some global companies/ investors to cut capital expenditures and FDIs in response to and to adjust to softer demand/economic conditions,” he said in a reply to e-mailed questions from PNA. The economist said further drop of FDIs until May is expected “with the sharp reduction in business and economic activities, as well as the worst of the global supply chain disruptions and other logistical constraints.”

He, on the other hand, said that re-opening of economies starting in the latter part of May is a factor for the possible rise of FDIs starting June.

“The sharp reduction in interest rates/borrowing costs as well as other measures by central banks to spur/encourage greater demand for loans/borrowings in an effort to stimulate more investments (including FDIs), create more jobs/employment, and increase overall business/economic activities to somewhat mitigate/ limit the risks of recession lurking locally and in many countries worldwide,” he noted.

Ricafort said another plus for resumption of FDI flows to the country is the approval of the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) bill, which economic managers hope will be approved as soon as possible to be implemented by July 1.

Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba added that digital transformation and moving to the fourth industrial revolution will further improve the country’s competitiveness.

“This is a pivotal moment as the crisis has presented opportunities to be more creative and build more resilient industries by repurposing manufacturing, using more data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and accelerating digital adoption with all the startup work and tech innovation building up in the country. We are ready to expand our horizons and help the economy bounce back quickly,” Aldaba said.

(PNA)

He said upgrade by Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCRA) of its ratings on the Philippines from BBB + to A- and the affirmation

by S&P Global Ratings of its BBB+ with stable outlook on the country are also projected to attract FDIs and, in turn, “generate more employment and other business/economic activities in the country, as needed to sustain economic recovery/rebound after the COVID-19 lockdowns.”

“The improved economic and credit fundamentals of the Philippines in recent years, amid attractive demographics, with the 12th largest population in the world at 109 million, would make the Philippines a compelling investment destination and additional hedge for the global supply chain of various global/multinational companies looking for increased growth/sales, thereby making the Philippines as an attractive pro-

FDIs to PH seen to recover in H2 F

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

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On pushing for the swifter digital transformation of government agencies so Filipinos may find it easier to access various basic government services online.

Nakita natin ang importansya ng digital transformation in government. Sa private sector, napilitan ang mga negosyo na mag-adopt ng e-commerce techniques para mapabuti ang mga serbisyo nila. Lalo na sa gobyerno, there’s no better time than now to prioritize the government’s digital transformation.

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go

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VANTAGE POINTS

COMPETITIVE EDGE

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ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

CONVICTION OF LUDDAY, A BAGOBO In pre-Commonwealth Davao, there occurred a grisly crime that for some petty reason resulted in the death of a six-year-old Japanese boy who was the focus of a vendetta of a Bagobo hemp stripper who had an altercation with the child’s father.

In the charge sheet that was filed before the Court of First Instance of Davao, Ludday, a Bagobo, was sued for the crime of murder that took place on November 15, 1933, at the municipal district of Guianga. The victim of the heinous crime was Kyoyasu Nagamine, a six-yearold boy.

The defendant pleaded innocent, but the court found guilty or murder; he was sentenced from ten years and a day of prison mayor to seventeen years, four months, and one day of reclusion temporal, and ordered to indemnify the victim the sum of P500, without subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency, and pay the cost of litigation.

Ludday appealed his case to the higher court despite the

position of his de oficio lawyer that there was enough evidence to prove the CFI did not err in its decision. Docketed in the Supreme Court as case G.R. No. L-41486, it was finally resolved on March 7, 1935.

A review of the crime showed that on the day of the incident, Kyoyasu Nagamine, who was playing near a hemp stripper operated by Seriko Takara, was on his way home when he was followed. Ludday, according to witnesses, was wearing white undershirt and short khaki trousers, and was carrying a bolo, a big knife for chopping down abaca trunks.

Court records stated Ludday overtook the boy, put his arm around his shoulder, brought the child to the hemp farm, and were later lost from Takara’s sight. Over half an hour later, Ludday showed up at his workplace but was now wearing a striped short.

Later, Kameji Nagamine, the father of the child, showed up at the shop and inquired from Takara if he saw the child.

He responded by saying Kyo-

yasu had already gone home with Ludday. He went home to see if indeed the child had gone home but failed to find him. He returned to Takara’s workshop and asked Ludday about the child’s whereabout but denied knowing where he was. The court narrative continued: “Takara stopped work and requested some Japanese to help him look for the child, but they were unable to find the little boy that evening. The next morning Kameji Nagamine and two young Bagobos named Serra and Ende found the dead body of Kyoyasu in the hemp plantation of Tanaguchi in Tibuloy 100 meters from the road and 150 meters from the hemp stripping machine. The place where the body was found was near the trail leading from the public road to Baracatan. It was concealed by the hemp plants.

The deceased had four mortal wounds on the head and neck caused by a cutting instrument.”

After being notified of the incident, Philippine Constabulary operatives searched Ludday’s house and found a

bolo with stains of blood and a bloodstained undershirt under the roof. His rubber shoes, covered with mud, were also located. Adding more woes to Ludday’s predicament were the testimonies of two other Bagobos, Owe and Bansilan, who confirmed: “{T]hat between five and six o’clock in the afternoon of November 15th, when they and another Bagobo named Balawag were returning home from work, they saw the defendant running towards the hemp plantation of Tanaguchi; that he indicated to them that they were not to tell anybody that they had seen him; that at that time the defendant had a bolo hanging from his belt and was wearing short khaki trousers and a white undershirt. Owe testified that when they met the defendant, he told them not to tell anybody that they had met him in that place. Bansilan testified that when the defendant saw Balawag, he raised his hand and told them not to say anything; that at that time the defendant was carrying a bolo in

An immersive opportunity:

his belt and wearing short khaki trousers and a dirty white undershirt.”

Another Japanese, Shiney Kakasu, also testified that while crossing the hemp field of Tanaguchi that late afternoon he met Ludday and spoke to the suspect who looked pale and was running towards Baracatan. The lower court later found the defendant guilty of murder, declaring the qualifying circumstances pointed to the fact that Ludday took advantage of his superior strength in committing the crime. The defendant appealed his case.

In deciding the appealed case, the Supreme Court declared that “there is no controversy as to the corpus delicti or the fact of the crime,” adding the “only question in whether the circumstantial evidence is enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the defendant that killed the child.”

It also affirmed the verdict of the lower court was affirmed and ordered that the indemnification of P500 imposed on Ludday be doubled.

MCM launches Digital Learning Bootcamp 2020

M

HENRYLITO D. TACIO

ON THESE! MCM’s online ed by MCM. matics, Business, may proceed to alayan Colleges Mind-THINK anao, a Mapúa School learning tools In order for Humanities and this link: https:// as Black- participants to Social BUT… Sciences, bit.ly/MCMDIGIannounced its first Dig- such DENGUE CASES DOWN Learn, maximize the and Basic Ed- TALBOOTCAMP ital Learning Bootcamp 2020, board Col- online learning ucation for in- and follow the inviting all SHS and College Blackboard laborate, Mic- experience, they coming Grade 11 subsequent inRainy seasonin is here.

And public’s increased awareness dark and damp areas. So, if your leave the house and go into mosquitoes. You can wipe it on students Mindanao to expethere’s likelihood that dengue brought about by the COVID-19 littered with need boxes a the desunlight.

“But my advice selected areas of the clothing rosoft garage 365, isMiwill students; Basic structions and will strike again asfirst the mospandemic.” and assorted garbage, clean is to keep your doors shut at like collars, sleeves and pants. rience the fully integratcrosoft Teams, vice astimes,” a heAlgebra, to the quito eggs that were hidden “Ito ay posibleng epekto ng them up or throw them such away. all advises. If it’sGenertoo Avoidlink applying lotion“MCM on the somewhere will belearning hatched – ating increased in awareness na Don’t let them become mosquistuffy, then place a screen door eyes, mouth or hands. ed online system Zoom, Panopto, computer unit, al Physics, BusiDigital” account and once they become adults, dala ng pandemic situation,” Dr. to havens. Schedule a weekend that keeps the flies and mosqui8. Kill those mosquitoes. laptop or atoestabwill be sent the region —again!

MCMEvangelista Digital they’re ready to attack was— quotedWiley as say- Plus, clean-upand day. outside.ness and ManWhenthat it comes to dengue, it’s eiBut the good news is: den- ing.

2.

Empty containers with 5.

Spray insecticide reguther kill or be killed.

Instruct evCengage Learn- let; and internet agement, and through the and getarethe opportunity to use gue cases on the decline!

But despite the fact that the stagnant water. The den- larly. To rid your house of mos- eryone to kill as many mosquiData from thepowerful World Health Or-online number of dengue cases breed quitoes, and g cockroaches, flies as they can. Once ingis deto gue-carrying completemosquitoes connectivity of at fliesP ro ra m m i ntoes g and email address MCM’s learnganization (WHO) said a total of creasing, Filipinos should not in stagnant water. This means spray insecticides every few you’ve got them trapped in your learning tasks Mbps andyouCoding provided upon 210 dengue cases were report- be complacent as the rainy sea- that flower pots, least garbage1cans, days.for Make sure spray those for bathroom, show no mercy.

Mosing tools for FREE! ed from the Philippines – with son has just started. aquariums, unused swimming dark corners, crevices, and quitoes belong to the forest, not zero deaths! – as of May 2.

“This is 92% lower compared to the same period in 2019 (which had 2,471 cases),” the data said. “A cumulative total of 48,194 dengue cases has been reported from January 1 to May 2, 2020. The cumulative figure as of week 18 is 40% lower compared to the 80,444 cases reported in the same period in 2019.”

This is quite good as the country is still experiencing the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Last June 15, the CNN reported that “a significant decrease” has continued. Quoting Dr. Norielyn M. Evangelista, program manager of the Dengue Prevention and Control Program of the Department of Health (DOH), said the decline “can be attributed to the

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

designed for in- asynchronous incoming college your registrapools, tires and other piles are cabinets. You’ll be amazed at in your home. coming potential Grade breeding 11 sessions at students.

A full 9.tion. grounds for and the number of pests you’ll find Involve the whole commosquitoes.

So, after the rains dead in the morning.

Just make munity. way toaddidefeat and 1stfill Year Col- least 2 Mbps for course on Math, The Forbestany them with water, throw the sure that household members dengue is if the whole commuwater away. Next to the insecti-and nity istional aware of the threat. Ask lege students. s ytime, n c hkeep r o nareo not u sexposed Humanities, inquiries these containers closed and up- cide as they are not the target. your community leaders to Theseside down. tasks Socialrooms Science about the day.

MCM Flowersessions. vases should Just spray selected when schedule a clean-up The also be replaced weekly. people are not around. danger is in those empty houswill be 3.delivFamiliarizawill also be made Digital Learning Check your surroundings 6. Wear pants, pajamas, es and lots, which are excellent ered in eitherwater. tion with available Bootcamp 2020, for stagnant Some orna- the longonsleeves, and socks. Mos- for breeding places for mosquitoes. mental plant leaves have this quitoes are attracted to your Become a volunteer to synchronous or line system and demonstration please feel monitor free “whorl” or cup-like shape that breath as you exhale so they and clean up your surroundcan hold water. Beautiful to be- initiate know how to reach youthe even bootin ings. to email at adasynchronous tools will during hold but deadly in design. Turn the dark. “I guess they love bare, 10. Spread the word: Denlearningthem over sesthetheprogram, af-skin,camp period. missions@mcm. and throw water plump especially the kids gue fever is here. You’ll never away.

Upturned coconut shells who don’t shoo them away and know where dengue strike sions toare allow for ter which, parTo register edu.ph orwillconalso notorious for holding let them suck as much blood as next so better be prepared. Inparticipants to ticipants activity tactneighborhood. +63918 918 water. Non-moving rivers, espe- will they be want,” for Dr. Ongthis believes. form your cially in squatter areas, are full 7.

Apply insect-repellants “We already our eneget a feel for the allowed toor use se-mosquito and get a chance 1626, know +63999 of mosquito eggs. nets. If your my and all we have to do is fol4. Close your doors and learnkids are going low what the experts have been different modallect short to hiking, win camping amazing 227 7493, or windows. Some people open or off to school, you can apply telling us,” Dr. Garcia points out. ities oftheirremote ing modules on prizes, 831 doors in the morning for insect-repellants like interestOff-Lo- “If we+63917 will do it now, thousands a whiff of fresh air.

They also tion.

Kids like to play outdoors of people will be saved from learningbelieve providGeneral Mathe- ed participants 8048. that mosquitoes would and are prime targets of these death.”

“Although dengue is rarely lethal, its contribution to disease and ill health, especially among young children, should make dengue control a primary public health concern,” says Dr. Dominic L. Garcia, an infectious disease specialist.

The best protection against dengue is not to be bitten by the mosquito carrying the virus.

According to Dr. Willie T. Ong, who has authored several books, there are several things you can do in order for you not to be bitten.

“There’s no need to panic (when it comes to dengue) because we have 10 ways to beat dengue,” says the 2007 recipient of the Outstanding Filipino Physician award from the Department of Health.

1. Clean up your backyard.

Mosquitoes love to stay in the

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

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Bullying: When children hate going to school

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“I

t’s natural to want to protect your child from bullies. But the unfortunate truth is that many parents don’t know what to do to help.” – Deborah Carpenter “I hate school and I don’t want to go anymore!”

If one day your child goes home from school and says those words, it’s a red flag that he or she is being bullied by his or her classmates or someone at school.

Parents need to know that bullying exists in schools, whether they believe it or not. Data released by the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that a total of 19,672 cases of bullying in both public and private elementary and high schools were recorded during the school year 2016-2017.

Based on a cycle of 202 school days, this translates to 97 reported incidents of bullying in schools every day. That’s almost 100 cases of bullying each day, according to Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. “Bullying is one of the earliest forms of violence our children encounter,” he said. “We must do everything we can to protect them from it.”

Violence against children by their peers, in particular bullying, has received little attention in the Philippines, possibly due to the perception that bullying and fighting among children is part of school culture. “Away bata” is the

common excuse for it – it’s “normal” or “a rite of passage” for children.

Actually, bullying isn’t a new problem. It has been there since time immemorial. In fact, it has been depicted in some novels.

In Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens highlights bullying and criminal mistreatment of a child protagonist. The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton, tells the story of a 14-year-old boy who is bullied and victimized by rival high school students.

The Philippines has its fair share of examples. One of the most contentious cases happened in 2008 to a four-year-old boy named Manolo. His two classmates were playing when they decided to include in their roughhousing.

He was pushed and shoved and fell to the floor thereby hitting his head in the process. He was immediately brought to the hospital but fortunately hospital tests showed no serious injury were found.

When the father heard about the incident, he immediately went to the school authorities and raised his concern. However, their initial reaction disappointed the father so much. “I was told that my son shouldn’t have entered

school yet since he was too young,” the father told a local news channel. “(Regardless), once the child is in school, the school authorities should be responsible with what happens to him/her.”

In order for the incident not to happen again to his son or other kids, he decided to address the problem in the best way he knew: by filing a bill that protects the children against any form of bullying.

The father is no other than ex-Aurora representative and now senator Angara. He was the man behind the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013 or Republic Act No. 10627. The above incident pushed him to author the bill.

“When the school administrators receive a report or complaint of any instance of bullying,” he told a monthly publication, “they must promptly conduct an investigation to determine if bullying or retaliation actually occurred. Once determined, the school principal or the designated officer should take the appropriate disciplinary administrative action, as well as notify the law enforcement agency if criminal charges may be pursued against the perpetrator.”

He further explained: “The principal should also inform the parents or guardians of both the perpetrator and the victim regarding the incident. The school must ensure the victim’s parents or guardians that actions will be taken to prevent any further acts of bullying or retaliation.”

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines bullying as “to treat abu-

sively; to affect by means of force or coercion; or to use browbeating language or behavior.” This definition includes nonviolent actions such as coercion and browbeating language.

“Bullying is intentionally aggressive behavior that can take many forms (verbal, physical, social/relational/emotional, or cyber bullying – or any combination of these); it involves an imbalance of power, and is often repeated over a period of time,” wrote Dr. Deborah Carpenter, author of Parent’s Guide to Dealing With Bullies. “The bullying is generally unprovoked and can consist of one child bullying another, a group of children gathering up against one lone child, or one group of kids targeting another group.”

Verbal bullying happens when the bully uses language and words to hurt. Examples include name calling, taunting, swearing, spreading rumors, gossip, note writing, whisper campaigns, secret revealing, laughing at one’s mistakes, making up stories to get someone in trouble, insulting nicknames, hate speech, mocking or imitating, threats, and prank phone calls.

Physical aggression, however, is the most widely recognized form of bullying. “This is the type of behavior that gets adult attention, garners school suspensions, and occasionally makes headlines,” Carpenter wrote. “Typically, the behavior is action oriented, involving such behaviors as hair pulling, pinching, hitting, punching, head butting, choking, imitating wrestling holds, throwing an object at someone,

pushing books out of one’s hands, and hiding or destroying property.”

Social bullying happens when a child is humiliated or demeaned in front of her peers. Relational bullying entails intentionally damaging the social status of the victim. Emotional bullying takes place when the bully demands exclusivity and isolates her victim from her entire peer group.

There is also so-called extortion bullying. “Opportunistic bullies will use force or the threat of force to obtain money, food or personal belongings from other students,” Carpenter wrote. “Young children are particularly vulnerable to this type of extortion by older and bigger children.”

In these days of information highway, cyberbullying has become rampant.

This was highlighted in the movie, John Denver Trending, which won several awards. It tells the story of a poor 14-year-old Grade 8 high school student who got into a fight with his classmate. He was wrongly accused of stealing the iPad of his classmate while it was being charged in the classroom.

The fight was caught in a video which was applauded by another classmate on Facebook. The post became viral locally and later on throughout the country which made John a villain in the eyes of those who have watched the video.

In a feature circulated by state-owned Philippine News Agency (PNA), celebrity psychologist-psychiatrist Randy Misael Dellosa said bullying happens anywhere in the school prem-

ises and its usual victims are students with a meek personality.

“Students who are quite seen as passive, quiet… those who will not fight back, submissive, and won’t tell anyone,” Dr. Dellosa was quoted as saying.

“They are perceived as weak characters and these are the prey for the predators. So, if you see a student who’s meek and mild and passive, he or she is a potential victim of bullying.”

Boys bully more than girls and the tormenting is more often physical. In the absence of studies done in the Philippines, we are quoting a research done by Debra J. Pepler of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University. She found out that 23% of boys surveyed said they had engaged in bullying, compared to only 8% of girls.

Among victims, however, both genders were equally affected. With girls, bullying often takes more subtle forms, such as whispering campaigns, spreading rumors and shunning acts designed to destroy friendships. This can be every bit as painful as physical aggression.

“Many parents are unaware that it is happening because they never discuss it with their kids and because bullying is often a kind of underground activity that many children won’t report,” wrote Dr. Richard B. Goldbloom in an article which was published in Reader’s Digest.

How will parents know that their children are being bullied? According to psychologists, some man-

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tient would need a cancer surgeon or oncologist for chemo-treatment or radiation treatment are already in one facility,” he said.

As an apex or end-referral hospital, SPMC is now eyeing to provide sub-specialty care by training more specialists as well as prepare its workforce to become real specialists.

“That is the reason why we are opening up a lot of sub-specialists trainings wherein before can be accessed in Manila but can now be trained here in SPMC because we are an apex institution and

this is where specialty and sub-specialty end-referral would be. This is the real intention of getting this institution to become patient-centered,” he said.

Vega is expecting this kind of outlook SPMC has in terms of being an apex hospital to provide necessary services especially in the next five years when the UHC will be rolled out.

Vega described UHC as a transformative and a breakthrough in terms of the healthcare system in the Philippines.

“This UHC law means that all Filipinos will have

PhilHealth and not only that it actually has also improve in terms of the sourcing of the funding of PhilHealth and this is mainly compulsory taxation, sin taxes and increased in the premiums for PhilHealth benefits. In other words every Filipino will have to enroll into a network and enrolment of a network would mean that they would be taken cared of health care in terms of preventive and the ordinary sicknesses and ordinary non-major diseases but they can be referred to secondary hospitals,” Vega said.

formation in government.

Sa private sector, napilitan ang mga negosyo na magadopt ng e-commerce techniques para mapabuti ang mga serbisyo nila. Lalo na sa gobyerno, there’s no better time than now to prioritize the government’s digital transformation,” said Go. Go said that a digital government will improve access of citizens to the government regardless of their geographical location or socio-economic condition.

An example of this is how the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation had successfully connected its seventeen regional offices and collated their data.

This provided the agency insights to improve its internal management and fine-tune its programs. It also allowed the agency to swap information and coordinate programs faster with other relevant bodies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

The Senator highlighted that utilizing digital health technology will not only address the nation’s most urgent needs during the pandemic but also reshape the health system, resulting to more efficient and responsive services.

He called on concerned government agencies to design health service applications which citizens can access anywhere, anytime, on any device to keep them informed on how to protect themselves and be able to contribute to the country’s fight against the pandemic and future public health challenges.

“Isang benepisyo ng E-governance ay ang pag-promote ng people

participation. Gamit ang teknolohiya, mas magiging inclusive ang gobyerno at mabibigyan ang mga Pilipino ng pagkakataon na tumulong at magbayanihan,” Go said.

Go, who is the chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, also stressed that an integrated healthcare database will strengthen and improve the service delivery of existing government initiatives, such as the Malasakit Center.

Malasakit Centers bring together various agencies, namely the Department of Health, DSWD, PhilHealth and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, under one roof. The initiative was institutionalized under Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Center Act of 2019, principally authored

by Go. Its primary aim is to provide better access to financial medical assistance from government to help bring down to the lowest amount the hospital bills, especially the outof-pocket expenditures, of poor and indigent Filipinos. There are 71 Malasakit Centers to date in the country. Through an online platform, the Senator said, Filipinos can access the services of the center with a push of a button and overcome the barriers created by social distancing practices and containment efforts.

“Isang halimbawa lang itong Malasakit Center. Kung maisaayos ang E-governance sa lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno, mas mapapadali ang proseso ng pagkuha at pagbigay ng tulong sa mga nangangailangan,” Go explained.

“Kung maayos ang E-governance implementa-

tion, hindi na rin kailangan magpunta pa sa mga opisina ang mga taong humihingi ng tulong. Pwede na pong maihatid sa kanilang mga bahay ang ayuda sa paraang hindi mailalagay sa alanganin ang mga tao dahil sa sakit,” he added.

“Nagagawa na po ito ng ibang LGUs, dapat lang na pagtuunan ito ng pansin para maisaayos ang serbisyong pampubliko ng gobyerno kahit saan mang parte ng bansa,” Go said further.

Recalling his experiences as a long-time aide to President Rodrigo Duterte, Go explained how Davao City eventually became one of the most competitive cities in the country when it introduced various initiatives to fast track the delivery of services through E-governance.

As mayor then, Duterte had observed how time-consuming bureaucratic procedures rendered government agencies inefficient. Davao City was one of the LGUs that applied information technology and other e-governance reforms. This includes allowing businesses to download forms for business registration application or renewal.

In 2020, as President, he issued Administrative Order 23 directing all government agencies and offices to eliminate excessive regulations which discouraged private sector investment and inhibited job creation while placing additional costs for businesses.

“Habang nilalabanan natin ang COVID-19 pandemic, sikapin rin nating maisaayos ang mga kakulangan sa sistema. Our goal is to make the government more prepared and more responsive to the needs of the people,” Go said.

The PGA Tour is scheduled to play next week in Cromwell, Connecticut, where the Travelers Championship is testing everyone — including volunteers and media — who will be on property.

Tournament organizers made that decision.

The PGA Tour has tried to create a bubble of its key people at tournaments, designating player hotels as an option and urging everyone in the bubble to avoid outside contact.

Some players have been renting houses. There

is no regulation if they choose to eat out.

Hilton Head has been particularly busy this week, with local restaurants packed with people who typically come to this quiet island on the Atlantic coast for vacation.

“South Carolina’s open.

If you go anywhere to a restaurant, there’s a lot of people there right now,” Spieth said. “So I guess that’s probably best case is that he got it on his own outside” the bubble.

Under the tour’s guidelines for a positive test,

Watney is to self-isolate for at least 10 days. He can end his self-isolation after 10 days provided he has no subsequent symptoms or has two negative test results 24 hours apart or more.

The tour will provide a stipend to pay for the costs of his self-isolation.

Watney’s most recent victory was in 2012 at Bethpage Black in the FedEx Cup playoff opener. He has struggled to regain his top form since missing 10 months in 2016 because of back surgery.

GO... FROM3

Health Undersecretary for Special Concerns Dr. Leopoldo Vega has been appointed by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III as chief of staff and tasked to fo-

PRRD... FROM2

ticularly in our region’s maritime space – free and open,” Duterte, as quoted by the Palace, said.

The Palace said Duterte also reaffirmed the Philippines’ readiness to enhance cooperation with Vietnam to contain Covid-19 and hasten the economic recovery under the new normal.

“Ambassador Hoang Huy Chung, for his part, conveyed the warmest greetings of President Nguyen Phu Trong to President Duterte. The Ambassador noted that the elevation of Vietnam-Philippines relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2015 ushered in a new era for bilateral cooperation,” it said.

Duterte also welcomed the first Palestinian Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Asad Saleh Fhied Mohammad and viewed the re-establishment of Palestine’s embassy in Manila last year as a “new chapter in Philippines-Palestine relations,” Malacañang said The Palace said Duterte hoped that the Philippines’ ties with Palestine would lead to fruitful engagement in various areas of mutual interest.

“Ambassador Saleh Mohammad, for his part, expressed the warm and fraternal greetings of Palestinian President H.E. Mahmoud Abbas to the President and the Filipino people. He stressed that he looks forward to carrying out his mission of fostering friendly ties and cooperation between Palestine and the Philippines,” it said.

cus on the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) system.

Edge Davao

Duterte also accepted the credentials of Peter Francis Tavita Kell as New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Philippines.

Malacañang said Duterte told Kell that the Philippines is interested in pursuing cooperation with New Zealand in geothermal energy development, as well as in deepening engagement in defense and security, especially in maritime security and combating terrorism and transnational crimes.

Kell, in turn, affirmed his commitment to strengthen New Zealand’s relations with the Philippines during his tour of duty in the host country, the Palace added.

The Palace said Duterte also acknowledged the “long-standing friendship” between Iran and the Philippines when he welcomed the assumption of Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines Alireza Tootoonchian.

Duterte also expressed deep appreciation to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei for pardoning a Filipino national who was imprisoned in Iran and hoped for “stronger bilateral ties” with the Arab nation, particularly in science and technology and people-to-people exchanges, it stressed.

“Ambassador Tootoonchian, for his part, conveyed the best wishes of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and his invitation for the President to visit Iran at the earliest opportu-

nity. He also stated that the Philippines enjoys a special standing in Iran because of the country’s independent foreign policy, particularly under President Duterte, and its advocacy for peaceful co-existence among peoples of different faiths,” Malacañang said.

Meantime, Duterte also congratulated outgoing Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Jaideep Mazumdar for the latter’s successful tour of duty in the Philippines, Malacañang said.

This, after Mazumdar paid a farewell call on Duterte through telephone on Friday evening.

“Ambassador Mazumdar’s three-year tenure in the Philippines was marked by deepening bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and India. President Duterte commended his exemplary service, especially for his contributions to significantly enhance political dialogue at the highest levels,” the Palace said.

The Palace said Duterte thanked Mazumdar for providing assistance to Filipino pediatric liver transplant patients seeking affordable transplant procedure in India.

“Ambassador Mazumdar, for his part, expressed sincere gratitude to the President and the Philippine Government for the cooperation and support as he carried out his mandate of fostering closer relations between the Philippines and India,” it said.

(PNA)

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and Rehabilitation and Improvement of the Davao Fishport Project.

These infrastructure projects, which were prioritized based on availability of fund sources and

implementing capacity of agencies under the EDC criteria, are expected to revitalize the economy by facilitating the movement of goods and services and generate more jobs.

target.

The Customs collected P30.01 billion in May, lower by P28.16 billion or 48.41% compared to the P58.17 billion collected for the same period in 2019.

The BOC’s May collection is P3.32 billion or 9.96% short of the P33.33-billion target for the month.

With several top taxpayers heeding the government’s earlier call to file their income tax returns ahead of the deferred payment deadlines set by the BIR, the bureau’s Large Taxpayers Service (LTS) collected P189.46 billion in income taxes from January 1 to May 31, the DOF said.

The amount, however, is P87.93 billion or 31.7% lower than the LTS collection during the same period in 2019, it added.

The amount is also P67.86 billion or 26.37% below the target of P257.32 billion for that period.

In the first five months

of 2020, total income tax collections amounted to P341.58 billion, down by P146.85 billion or 30% lower than the P488.43 billion collected in the same period last year.

The January to May income tax collection is P98.26 billion or 22.34% short of the target of P439.84 billion.

Total value-added tax collections from January 1 to May 31 reached P125.52 billion, which is P33.7 billion or 21.17% short of the P159.22 billion collected for the same period in 2019.

The deadline for the filing of the annual Income Tax Returns (ITRs)—originally set every April 15 of the year—was extended this year by the BIR to June 15, 2020 to provide taxpayers enough time to prepare and file their ITRs following lockdowns put in place nationwide since March to contain the spread of COVID-19.

discovery prompting the firm to postpone the release of its 2019 financial statements.

Wirecard added that the account numbers supposed to be given by the banks could not be found, contrary to the company's claims that it has funds held in escrow by the Philippine lenders.

Wirecard AG's subsidiaries have supposedly paid "substantial security deposits" worth 1.9 billion euros to these offshore accounts, citing that the

Asian banks chosen to hold the funds have investment-grade ratings.

Wirecard's long-time CEO Markus Braun resigned Friday amid the controversy, with Dr. James Freis, Jr. stepping in as interim CEO. The amount is said to be worth one-fourth of the company's consolidated balance sheet. Failure to trace where the amounts are will allow about 2 billion euros worth of loans to Wirecard AG to be terminated.

World Competitiveness ranking. It was followed by Denmark, which rose from eighth spot last year.

Switzerland improved at third spot from fourth, while the Netherlands climbed from sixth to fourth place.

Hong Kong is at the fifth

rank, down from its second spot last year. Meanwhile the US dropped to 10th spot from third.

China slipped by six places to 20th from 14th spot, while Taiwan rose five steps to 11th from 16th in 2019.

duction and marketing hub, as well as an entry point to other free trade agreement

(FTA) partner countries of the Philippines,” he added.

(PNA)

leading scorer was stifled

by Sevilla’s defense after he scored in the previous two matches — both Barcelona wins — since the league resumed.

Sevilla, which played without its normally very loud fans at its Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium as mandated by health officials in all league games, remained in third place at 10 points behind Madrid.

EYEING EUROPE Villarreal moved into contention for a top-four finish and a Champions

League berth after it won at Granada 1-0 thanks to Gerard Moreno’s early strike. A third straight victory left Villarreal in seventh place but just two points out of fourth.

FIGHT AT BOTTOM Leganés snatched a 1-1 draw at Mallorca in a match between two teams in the relegation zone.

Both goals came from free kick, with Salva Sevilla putting Mallorca early and Óscar Rodríguez equalizing with three minutes left.

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Sky treats dads to blockbuster premieres, tech, and sports shows

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series of blockbuster premieres on HBO, special interest shows on Nat Geo and Tech Storm, and exciting sports action on FOX Sports await dads on SKY this month of June.

A thrilling action-packed hit comes every Saturday of June, starting with “Rambo: Last Blood” (June 13, 9 PM), followed by “Gemini Man” (June 20, 9 PM), and “John Wick 3: Parabellum” (June 27, 10 PM).

Fun, feel-good clas-

sic Pinoy hit movies that are good for de-stressing with the whole family are also available on PBO. It’ll be hard to stop laughing with Tito, Vic, and Joey’s funny antics in “Tatlo Silang Tatay Ko” (June 20, 1 PM). Likewise, a young Aiza Seguerra in “Aso’t Pusa” (June 20, 4 PM) may remind fathers of their adorable children.

There are also shows available for dads who have multifaceted interests. For those who are into food and cook-

ing, they can catch “Gordon Ramsay Uncharted” (Mondays, 10 AM & 10 PM) on National Geographic. For tech enthusiasts, there’s “Robot Wars S10” (Fridays, 9:55 PM) on TechStorm.

More adrenaline-filled action awaits them with SKY’s sports offerings this month. They can simply tune in to FOX Sports and root for their favorite football club in the Live Bundesliga games every Saturday and Sunday.

FOX Sports also presents

a live telecast of an epic showdown between No. 1 Flyweight Division, Jessica Eye, and Women’s Flyweight contender, Cynthia Calvillo on “UFC Fight Night” (June 14, 9 AM). For more heart-pumping action, they can opt to watch WWE Raw live (Tuesdays, 8 AM), and Golden Boy Classics (Mondays, 9 PM) on the Tap Sports channel.

For the complete list of titles and channels that dads can enjoy on this special month, visit mysky.com.ph/fathersday.

as Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Violators of the SAP distribution will also be answerable to Republic Act 3019 or the Anti Graft

and Corrupt Practices Act and RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has ordered the leadership of the Philippine National Police thru CIDG’s mandate of con-

ducting investigation and case build-up to look into the anomalies in the distribution of SAP. (PIA/RG Alama)

ifestations include the following: frightened of going to school and difficult to wake in the morning; doesn’t want to ride the school bus; begs to be driven to school; becomes withdrawn, anxious, or lacking in confidence; cries him/ herself to sleep at night or has nightmares; feels sick in the morning; and comes home with clothes torn or books damaged.

A child is also being bullied if he or she has possessions (like pens or pencils) that end up “missing”; asks for money or starts stealing money (to pay the bully); comes home starving (money/lunch has been stolen); stops eating; and is frightened to say what’s wrong.

A major red flag is when he or she attempts or threatens suicide or runs away from home.

The implementing rules and regulations of RA 10627 provide for the proper handling of bullying incidents in schools.

Immediate responses should include: 1) calling the attention of any school personnel who could intervene and stop the bullying, 2) separating the students involved; 3) ensuring the victim’s safety; and 4) bringing the bully to the guidance office.

In her weekly column for a national daily, Cathy S. Babao-Guballa believes that an anti-bullying program in the Philippine setting “can only be effective

if both the school and the parents’ association work together to discourage bullying, both in private and public schools.”

On how parents can make a difference when it comes to bullying, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) explained in its website: “Parents need to listen to their children and take seriously reports of being bullied in school. Children may not disclose experiences of bullying because such reports may be trivialized, seen to be their fault, or responded to in ways that may worsen rather than solve their problems.

“There is thus a need for parents to learn how to respond competently

to bullying-related issues of their children,” the PAP added. “This may include engaging in teacher-parent consultations, conflict resolution sessions, or constructive advocacy work.”

Yes, bullying, especially in schools, is everyone’s business. As Dr. Goldbloom puts it: “It is unrealistic to expect it can be totally eliminated: We can’t eradicate the conditions that turn some children into bullies and others into targets. But if everyone, concerned teachers, school authorities, police, parents and children is truly committed to zero tolerance, then there is solid evidence that the amount and the severity of bullying can be reduced dramatically.”

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Aside from financial support, the PSC also continues to provide online sports psychology consulta-

tions, virtual training sessions, nutrition, physiology, and conditioning webinars to athletes and coach-

es through PSC’s Medical Scientific Athletic Services (MSAS) and the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI).

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Team PH off to dominant start in FIBA E-sports Open

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In this photo taken Thursday, June 18, 2020 Nick Watney signals after a tee shot during the first round of the RBC Heritage Golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C. Watney has tested positive for coronavirus and did not play in Friday’s round. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

he Philippine NBA 2K team caught fire early on in their FIBA E-sports Open series against Indonesia on Friday night, leading to back-to-back blowout wins.

The Philippines opened its account with a wire-to-wire 56-29 victory before pulling away just before halftime to hack out a 64-30 Game 2 rout.

“From the start, talagang ang order sa amin, ‘Shoot to kill,’ as in from (the) first quarter to the fourth quarter, kahit tambak yan ng 20, 30, or a hundred (From the start, the order given to us was, ‘Shoot to kill,’ as in from the first quarter to the fourth quarter,

even if we lead by 20, 30, or 100),” Team Captain Philippe Herrero said post-game why the team still played hard despite already leading by much.

Aljon Cruzin sizzled in both games, scoring 22 points, three rebounds, and seven assists in Game 1 and 23 points, one rebound, and three assists in Game 2.

The Philippines can clinch the best-of-five Southeast Asian Conference championship series in Game 3 on Saturday night but even if that happens, both the Philippines and Indonesia will still have to slug it out in Game 4 also on Saturday night and in Game 5 on Sunday night.

(PNA)

PGA Tour’s Watney tests positive for coronavirus

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ILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Five-time PGA Tour winner Nick Watney tested positive Friday for the coronavirus, the first player with a confirmed infection since golf resumed its schedule last week.

Watney withdrew immediately withdrew from the RBC Heritage and must self-isolate for at least 10 days under the PGA Tour’s protocols.

He did not return a telephone call seeking comment. Watney played the opening round with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List, and a rules official notified them at the turn of the positive test.

“I was a little shocked, to be honest,” Taylor said.

“Heart started racing, got a little nervous. Just hope Nick is doing well and we get through this.”

Watney missed the cut last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.

He traveled on his own to South Carolina, and his coronavirus test upon arrival at Harbour Town was

Barca held 0-0 at Sevilla

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ARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona was held at Sevilla to 0-0 on Friday for its first stumble since the resumption of play in the Spanish league following a threemonth stoppage for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The slip gives Real Madrid the chance to pull level atop the Spanish league with Barcelona. Madrid trails Barcelona by three points before it visits Real Sociedad on Sunday to complete round 30 of 38.

Madrid holds the head-tohead goal difference with Barcelona in the case of a tie.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said the two points the defending champions left in Seville could be decisive.

“It is going to be difficult to win this league because we depend on the results of others now, and I don’t think Madrid is go-

ing to drop many points,” Pique said. “We lost a chance today. And seeing how we have played (...), it is going to be difficult.”

Coach Quique Setién, however, said the fight was far from over.

“We knew beforehand that it would be difficult to win all the games left, practically impossible, and that this was one of the toughest matches we faced,” Setién said. “It is frustration of the moment. (…) I am sure (Pique) will feel different tomorrow, and I am sure that Madrid will drop points, too. We have to be optimistic.”

Lionel Messi went closest to breaking the stalemate when his first-half free kick was cleared on the line by defender Jules Kounde, leaving the Argentina star on 699 career goals for club and country.

Barcelona’s all-time

FBARCA, P10

negative.

Before arriving to the course for his second round, he reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Watney was tested again, and the result came back positive.

Si Woo Kim said he saw Watney in passing on the range before the round.

List won last week on the Korn Ferry Tour, where one player and three caddies tested positive before the event and did not come to the courses, and two non-players tested positive before this week’s event, both in Florida.

He missed the cut at Hilton Head with a 73.

“It was hard to concentrate out there for me, just thinking about different stuff, and I wasn’t playing my best, anyway,” List said.

“It would be nice if they had an option — you can kind of say if you want to know or not in a situation like that. I would definitely like to find out after the round next time.”

As for another test, List said even if tested, “it might not show up until a few days down the road.

So there’s a lot of different scenarios.”

The tour had no positive tests of the 487 administered at Colonial, and none among the 98 players tested before taking the

charter to Hilton Head or the 369 tests for those arriving on their own.

Players, caddies and essential personnel have mandatory tests.

Jordan Spieth, one of four players on the PGA Tour’s policy board, didn’t sound surprised at golf’s first positive test.

“The whole plan put in place was not if, but when somebody tests positive, what’s the protocol, and what are the next steps,” Spieth said. “So I feel confident, just in being on those phone calls, in what the PGA Tour is going to do going forward. Hopefully, contact tracing doesn’t lead to anybody else testing pos-

itive within the bubble.”

The tour said in a statement it has started its response plan, which includes those who have had close contact with Watney.

It said it would have no further statement.

Taylor, who at 6 under after 36 holes was inside the cut line, said he had no close contact with Watney on Thursday, and he washed his hands immediately after the round.

“Nick never coughed or sneezed, so I feel comfortable,” he said.

As part of the contact tracing plan, Taylor, List and their caddies were to be tested immediately.

FPGA, P9

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez, left, tries to stop Sevilla’s Jules Kounde during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Sevilla and FC Barcelona at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan stadium in Seville, Spain, Friday, June 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Angel Fernandez)

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ALL THE WAY

VOL.13 ISSUE 61 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, JUNE 21-22, 2020

From training to Tokyo Olympics, PSC vows full support to Team Philippines

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ith around P1.3 Billion of its funds redirected back to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to fund the country’s COVID-19 fight, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) assures members of the national team of its support for their 2021 Tokyo Olympics bid.

By virtue of Republic Act 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, P596 Million, and P773 Million were realigned by the DBM from the sports agency’s National Sports Development Fund and the fund from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) respectively.

Before the lockdown, the Philippines already had four qualifiers for the 32nd quadrennial meet that include national pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, male artistic gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo, nation-

al boxers Eumir Felix Marcial and Irish Magno.

The PSC board has assured that the agency will support them for as long as they can, explaining that the investment of both the government and the athletes into their Olympic dream cannot be set aside just that easily.

In fact, PSC Chairman William Ramirez is hoping to send more athletes to represent the country in the prestigious multisport event. “We will not waiver in our quest to fulfill the country’s Olympic

dream and we are very hopeful that more athletes will be able to qualify once the situation gets better,” shared Ramirez.

The sports agency is banking its hopes on 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz of weightlifting, four-time SEA Games champion Kiyomi Watanabe of judo, 2019 SEAG double-gold medal winner Margielyn Didal of skateboarding, multi-titled jin Pauline Lopez of taekwondo, and Junna Tsukii of karatedo among others.

The budget cut has forced the sports agency to take belt-tightening measures in recent weeks, to be able to cover all commitments.

“It’s a tough situation but we understand the priorities of the national government.

We will do what we can to continue the support we give to our athletes especially those vying for an Olympic slot,” added Ramirez.

FALL, P10

Pole vaulter EJ Obiena is one of four athletes who have made it to the Olympics next year in Tokyo.