Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 235 | Wednesday, January 20, 2021

NGCP TOWER TOPPLED NEWS P3

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

JOB HAZARDS

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

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@EdgeDavao

www.edgedavao.net

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P 15.00 • 12 PAGES

Number of Covid-19 cases in City Hall reaches 118

STORY ON PAGE 2

John Rey Plaza brews arabica coffee on top of his customized motorcycle while customers wait in front of his mobile coffee shop along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Lanang, Davao City on Tuesday morning. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

JOB HAZARDS

Number of Covid-19 cases in City Hall reaches 118

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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total of 118 employees at the Davao City Hall have been infected with Covid-19 since September last year.

President Rodrigo Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Monday evening. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Rep. Paolo Duterte to prioritize poor families

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irst Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte said on Monday, January 18, that his office will prioritize assistance to the marginalized and indigent families in the first district here in Davao City amid the coronavirus global pandemic.

Rep. Duterte, in a press conference, expressed his full support to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, his father, to prioritize assistance to the poor and the frontliners as well, in response to the public health emergency over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Among priority karon

kung unsang matabang sa mga negosyante, sa katawhan, sa tanan, na magpadayon atong kinabuhi na naay pangita.” Rep. Duterte said.

Rep. Duterte said the legislature seeks to amend the economic provisions of the Philippine Constitutions, to help the country prepare and combat public health emergencies brought about by the natural mishaps, or recent outbreaks and pandemics like COVID-19.

The young congressman said that his staff is continuously going around the areas under his jurisdiction to check if there are other sec-

tors who have yet to receive assistance from the government.

Rep. Duterte said his office will continue to deliver necessary programs and services for the general public, especially to those people affected by the pandemic like the marginalized and displaced workers, persons with disability, and single parents, among many others.

“Padayon atong ayuda para sa katawhan ug kung naay mga additional na panginahanglan na makita nato sa taga-Dabaw maoy atong i-address una,” he added.

Among the beneficiaries who received cash aid, following the ongoing caravan of the First Congressional District Office, are referees, coaches, terminal vendors, gasoline attendants, KTV workers, janitorial staff, and drivers, hotel and restaurant workers, all residents from the first district.

Rep. Duterte thanked the president and other local and national government officials for their support to Davao City. He also thanked all the beneficiaries who attended the caravan.

He assured that the assistance will be distributed to identified beneficiaries.

DCWD spokesperson JC Duhaylungsod.

She said that instead of going elsewhere like bringing their concerns to private groups on Facebook which DCWD will have difficulty in replying, they should just go straight to the DCWD Facebook page.

“Diretsaha nalang mi sa among Facebook page, makahatag pa gyud mi ug transaction record dayon nimo, ma-explain pa gyud namo asa niadto ang mga payment and thus naa pay nabilin ECQ installment (Just go straight

to our Facebbok page, we can give immediately the transaction record, we can explain where the payment went and if there are ECQ installments remaining), Duhaylungsod said.

If ever the DCWD will find irregularity as they examine the account, the DCWD can automatically make a report which will be endorsed to appropriate departments.

ECQ installments During the ECQ period which ran from March to May, DCWD suspended billing collections

and offered staggered payment terms called ECQ installments.

As the meter reading operations were also suspended, the DCWD used average consumption for the ECQ period. The ECQ billing is divided into six payment installments and is added into water bills from July 2020 to December 2020.

“Since it is already January 2021, the installment term is completed, we are reminding those still with

DCWD chat support on Facebook now 24/7

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he Davao City Water District (DCWD) chat support services on Facebook is open 24/7 ready to respond to customers’ queries particularly on Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) installment billing.

“Kay online man tanan, 24/7 pud ang atong chat support sa Facebook/ Davaowater, ihatag lang ninyo ang inyuhang concern didto, (Since everything is online, our chat support on Facebook/Davao water is also 24/7, just provide your concerns there)” says

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Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said there is no specific department with high cases but most of them are in the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), Ancillary Services Unit (ASU), Office of the Building Official (OCBO), City Treasurer’s Office (CTO), and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC).

The city government of Davao employs some 12,000 people who are working under shifts to limit the spread of Covid-19.

It can be recalled that Mayor Sara required city hall employees to wear face shield with face mask in all city government buildings and offices following the issuance of Executive Order 65-A, also known as An Order Consolidating All The Issuances On The Use of Face Shields.

Mayor Sara signed the order in December last year citing the need to create a guide for Davao City residents on the mandatory use of face shields as health safety and protection against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).The mandatory use of face shield with a face mask is also mandatory for people visiting city government offices and buildings,

including the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), its camps and police stations.

In her E.O., she cited the issuances of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Memorandum Circular No. 2020-014 dated August 3, 2020, mandating the use of face shield with a face mask for all public transport passengers; and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Labor (DOLE) Joint Memorandum Circular No. 20-04-A dated August 15, 2020 that mandated the use of face shield with a face mask, as the premise of her new directive.

She reiterated DTI and DOLE’s circulars on the proper use of face shields under Section 2 (Workplace Safety and Health) Item B (Reducing Transmission of COVID-19), that face shields must entirely cover the face; visor-type face shields are not allowed; face shields and masks should always be worn together when interacting with colleagues, clients, and/or visitors; and face shields must only be removed depending on work demands and occupational safety and health conditions of employees.

Davao City bound pax reminded to fill up health declaration forms

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he chief of the City Tourism Office has appealed to Davao City-bound passengers to fill up their respective health declaration forms which will be used in their 14-day quarantine with the suspension of the realtime polymerase chain reaction test at the Davao International Airport.

Generose Tecson, chief of the CTO stressed arriving local passengers based in the city must report to their respective barangay governments for monitoring since a 14-day quarantine is mandatory for them.

She said health declaration forms will be given to the barangay health emergency response teams which will be responsible for the 14-day quarantine

that is mandatorily required on arriving passengers who are based in Davao City.

“Arriving passengers bound to Davao City need to provide their respective health declaration forms for monitoring by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams who will be responsible in nursing their 14-day quarantine,” she said.

Tecson said the free RTPCR swab test is suspended temporarily as the city trains it resources to the pressing local situation where COVID-19 cases are increasing every day.

Tecson assured that the free local RT-PCR test will resume once the city gets certificate to operate the laboratories in the Davao

FDAVAO CITY, P7

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

NGCP Tower toppled due to sabotage

The toppled tower 60 of NGCP’s Baloi-Aurora 138kV line is located in Poona, Tangcal, Lanao del

Norte. Restoration of the said tower will commence as soon as the area is secured.

A stub angle, which forms part of Tower 60’s foundation, was intentionally pilfered, with bolts and other tower parts disman-

tled. With the weakened foundation, perpetrators used ropes to topple the said tower.

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Tower 60 of NGCP’s Baloi-Aurora 138kV line was toppled due to intentional pilferage at 10:13AM today, January 18. The sabotage caused a power interruption fol-

lowed by manual load droppings affecting customers in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Oriental, and parts of Lanao del Norte.

ower #60 of NGCP’s Balo-iAurora 138kV line in Poona, Tangcal, Lanao del Norte was toppled due to the intentional pilferage of transmission line parts, causing a power interruption at 10:13AM of January 18.

This was followed by manual load droppings affecting customers of ZAMSURECO I, ZAMSURECO II, ZANECO, MOELCI I, MOELCI II, and LANECO in parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula, Misamis Occidental, and parts of Lanao del Norte starting at 10:17AM. NGCP is working with authorities to secure the area

and to identify the perpetrators of the sabotage. Restoration of tower 60 will commence as soon as the area is secured.

The company stresses that any form of sabotage to transmission lines and structures only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are sabotaged.

NGCP continues its appeal to the public, local and national government, and local community leaders to help identify the perpetrators of sabotage and prevent power interruptions.

Unilab-donated molecular laboratory now operational

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he city government of Davao is now increasing its testing capacity with the opening of a molecular laboratory.

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced that the molecular laboratory located at the Davao International Airport (DIA) donated by Unilab Philippines is now operational and can run about 300 specimens per day.

In September last year, the city government of Davao collaborated with Unilab for the setting up of the said laboratory at the parking area of DIA. The license to operate was issued last Friday.

“Operational na ang facility and about 300 per day ang ma-process na specimens for Covid-19,” the mayor said.

The city government of Davao has also trained the medical technologists that will be assigned in the said facility.

Air travel passengers coming in the city will be prioritized to be tested in the donated testing laboratory.

Mayor Sara said the operation of the facility will help the city in combating

the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Davao City.

She also emphasized that there are no changes in the city’s efforts in responding the cases including the test, trace, treat or isolate campaign; fast track contact tracing, and test more people.

“Wala’y nag bag-o sa atoang mga priorities. Kung kaniadto is test, trace, treat and isolate or quarantine, mao lang gihapon na ang atoang focus karon. We increased our testing capacity so that more people will be tested. Treatment is now under One Hospital Command and the city’s Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs),” she said.

ECCP Davao to revisit logistic challenges faced by MSMEs

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he European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP)-Southern Mindanao Business Council (SMBC) will continue its advocacy programs implemented last year including the challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on the shipments of goods.

ECCP-SMBC pushed for a greater consensus from the Mindanao business community to lower the cost of

shipping last year.

Antonio Peralta, chairman of ECCP-SMBC, noted that the amendments to the Cabotage Law, was signed into law by then President Benigno S.C. Aquino III on July 21, 2015, in 2016 brought down shipping costs at a minor level.

Last year, the ECCP-Davao, in partnership with freight forwarding firm All Transport Network, Inc., held a webinar on Business Conference on Logistics

with participants from sea and air cargo companies, importers and exporters, and representatives from ports and Customs bureau.

The webinar discussed bottlenecks, demographics, market characteristics, and opportunities in logistics.

The said online conference was done to help resolve the longstanding issue of high shipping rates.

Aside from logistics, Peralta said ECCP Davao

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VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

Some Davao City businessmen approach the local government to express their intention to donate undisclosed amount of money for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines. Edge Davao

Congress urged by PSE, C PDS to pass CREATE bill

Gov’t won’t allow businesses with unpaid taxes to operate

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he country’s equities and fixedincome exchanges have called on Congress to swiftly pass the proposed Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises Act (CREATE) to make the Philippines an attractive investment hub in the region and the domestic capital market a viable venue for raising funds.

In a joint statement sent to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) and the Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp. (PDS) expressed their strong support for CREATE, which they described as “a

landmark bill in a series of reform measures undertaken by this administration.”

“We respectfully urge both houses of Congress to prioritize the immediate passage of the CREATE bill so that the country can fully reap the benefits of this

reform bill without delay,” they said in their statement.

The statement of support was signed by PSE president Jose Pardo; PDS chairman Cezar Consing; and Ramon Monzon, the president-chief executive officer of both the PSE and PDS. Both the PSE and PDS thanked the Department of Finance (DOF) under Dominguez’s leadership “for tirelessly working to ensure the timely approval” of CREATE, which represents the second package of the Duterte administration’s Comprehensive Tax

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has welcomed the signing of Executive Order (EO) 123 retaining the tariff rate of imported mechanically deboned meat (MDM) of chicken and turkey at 5 percent until end-2022.

In a statement Monday, the DTI said retaining the tariff rate for imported MDM will keep suggested retail prices (SRPs) of processed and canned meat products.

DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez has earlier supported

the retaining of MDM tariff at 5 percent as there are no local producers that needed to be protected.

“There is no need to increase the tariff to 40 percent because there are no local producers to protect. Since MDM is the main cost component in low-priced canned and processed meat products, any tariff increase will only lead to the inflation of cost and prices of most canned meat products that are also part of basic goods in our SRP,” Lopez said.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed the new EO last Jan. 15.

“The new EO amends EO 82, signed by the President in June 2019, which prevents the tariff rate to reverting to a high of 40 percent at the beginning of 2021 amid the lapse of the country’s Quantitative Restriction (QR) privileges and the eventual enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) on 31 December 2020,” the DTI said.

In previous statements, the Philippine Association

Reform Program (CTRP).

The immediate lowering of the corporate income (CIT) tax to 25 percent for large businesses and foreign corporations, and to 20 percent for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with a net taxable income of PHP5 million and below and total assets of not more than PHP100 million (excluding land), will leave more funds in the hands of publicly listed companies either for business expansion or distribution to stockholders, the PSE and PDS said. (PR)

of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) said reverting imported MDM’s tariff to 40 percent will increase prices of hotdog and canned meat products by 12 to 17 percent.

“These products are what the majority of the Filipino consumers buy, and during these challenging times, we want to ensure that their access to these basic goods will not be affected by tariffs and price increases,” the DTI chief added. (PNA)

DTI welcomes tariff retention on imported deboned meat

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ompanies that fail to settle their tax obligations to the government will not be allowed to operate even if they gain a franchise from Congress, President Rodrigo Duterte said late Monday night.

Duterte made this warning, lamenting how a certain company failed to pay correct taxes.

"No franchise will ever be implemented. Maski na bigyan ninyo ng 5,000 franchise ‘yan. Hindi ko i-implement‘yan (Even if you give them 5,000 franchises, I will not implement that). Settle your accounts with government," he said in a taped speech.

Duterte questioned the real estate taxes being paid by the said company, which he did not identify, saying it occupies a 44,000 square

meter area.

He said this company “abandoned” their duty to pay correct taxes yet sought protection for their businesses.

“Makita naman kung sino ‘yung binibira ko ‘yon ‘yung hindi bumabayad ng buwis at (You’ll know who I’m referring to because they don’t pay taxes and they’re) riding on the popularity because it’s so popular. It’s a fad now to have these kind of shows kung anu-ano (about different topics) but yet abandoning their duty to the government. And you ask protection from government in your business. In return, you pay your taxes correctly. You do not pay your taxes correctly, eh iyan ang nangyari sa inyo (that’s what you get),” he said. (PNA)

Dep. Gov. Dakila appointed as BSP OIC as Diokno recovers from medical procedure

B

angko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. has been designated as the officer-in-charge of the central bank, while Governor Benjamin Diokno recovers from a medical procedure to address a blood clot caused by a minor head accident.

In a statement on Monday, the BSP said Diokno underwent the medical procedure on Sunday, January

17, 2021, and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in the next four to five days, and anticipated to return to work subsequently.

"The procedure went well and I'm now on my way to recovery. Meanwhile, I'm designating Francis Dakila as OIC BSP Governor while I'm recuperating," Diokno was quoted as saying in a message to the Monetary Board and BSP staff.

EDGEDAVAO

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ECONOMY A2

A vendor collects boiled corn that he will sell around the downtown area of Davao City on Tuesday. Edge Davao

DA-13 on alert after ASF found in nearby Davao Oriental towns

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he Department of Agriculture in Caraga Region (DA-13) has raised an alert over the new cases of African swine fever (ASF) reported in the Davao Oriental towns of Boston and Baganga.

The two towns, particularly Boston, is situated next to the Surigao del Sur town of Lingig.

In an advisory issued Monday, DA-13 called on Caraga residents to keep watch and join the agency in keeping the region free from ASF. “As a preventive measure, live pigs and meat products from infected areas are still prohibited from entering our region,” the DA-13 advisory said.

In November last year, an isolated ASF case was already recorded in Cortes, also in Surigao del Sur, al-

though it was immediately contained.

No ASF cases were reported in the region after the effective containment of the isolated case in Surigao del Sur last year.

“We request our fellow Caraganons to help us protect our region from ASF by following biosecurity measures such as establishing foot baths in their piggeries, avoid swill feeding, do not buy processed meat products from affected areas, and report illegal selling of meat and meat products, especially from online sellers without veterinary certificate and shipping permits,” the DA-13 said.

The cause of the isolated ASF case in Surigao del Sur last year was due to the entry of contaminated processed pork products in the area. (PNA)

Groups welcome deferment of PhilHealth contribution hike

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rade unions and business groups have welcomed the temporary suspension of contribution increase for members of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which will provide relief to stakeholders amid the ongoing health and economic crisis.

“As we are all well aware, workers and employers, both contributors to the funds, are still suffering from the debilitating effects and threats of the Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. A suspension of the increase is one of the immediate interventions that (the) government can provide to the economy and

Palace remains optimistic about country’s economy

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alacañang remains optimistic about the country’s economy after the Philippine peso-US dollar exchange rate reached PHP48.05 to USD1 last week.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this statement after data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed that the country's gross international reserves (GIR) for the whole year of 2020 rose to USD109.8 billion in December, up USD4.98 billion from USD104.82 billion the month earlier.

“Patuloy po ang kumpiyansa sa ekonomiya natin na pinatutunayan po ng napakalakas po ng pagsara ng halaga ng piso. Ngayon po, ang halaga ng piso ay 48.05 to one dollar noong Biyernes (We continue to have confidence in our economy as evidenced by the very

strong closing of the peso.

Today, the peso was 48.05 to one dollar on Friday),” he said in a Palace press briefing.

Roque said this figure is the Philippine peso’s best finish against the US dollar in more than four years.

He acknowledged that a stronger peso may not always be a good thing, since it also means that Philippine exports become more expensive and less competitive.

However, he said it also means that imports will be less expensive, which will benefit businesses and manufacturers that import their raw materials.

A strong peso also translates to lower consumer prices, which would benefit Filipinos who have lost their jobs or are underemployed due to the pandemic.

It will also temper infla-

tionary pressures emanating from imported goods and international commodity prices.

“Bagama’t maraming nagsasabi na ang malakas na piso ay hindi rin all together nakabubuti dahil nagiging mahal ang ating exports eh kahit papaano po, patunay po iyan na marami pong nagkukumpiyansa sa ating ekonomiya dahilan kung bakit lumakas din po ang ating piso (Although many people say that the strong peso is not all good together because our exports are becoming expensive, somehow, that proves that many are confident in our economy, which is why our peso also strengthened),” he said.

Late last year, Roque said "the worst is over" for the Philippines as the economy is seeing signs of recovery. (PNA)

its stakeholders as we all try to recover from this crisis,” the Leaders Forum said in a statement Monday.

The Leaders Forum is a bipartite committee composed of business groups Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Philippine Exporters Confederation,

Inc. as well as labor groups Federation of Free Workers, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines.

Early this month, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the deferment of the scheduled contribution hike for PhilHealth members.

The Leaders Forum said it finds the adjustment on PhilHealth contributions as inappropriate amid the alleged corruption in the state-owned health insurance corporation.

“Until these issues are cleared and addressed, we find no moral ground for the rate hike, collections from which may again be lost to

the same corrupt practices,” the bipartite committee added.

The group also called for the suspension of the contribution hike for members of the Social Security System (SSS). “(We) reiterate our call for the government to suspend the imposition of the 1-percent SSS premium increase,” the Leaders Forum said. “We find the increases untimely since millions of workers have lost their jobs or have been asked to report for work sparingly with many companies either on skeletal working arrangements or have temporarily or permanently shut down.”

(PNA)

he city government here is eyeing a PHP76-million budget this year to boost agriculture projects to improve the lives of local farmers.

“We will empower this sector, which I believe is a pillar in attaining our perspective for sustainable development,” Mayor Joseph Evangelista said Monday, as he announced the Sangguniang Panlungsod's approval of the PHP1-billion annual budget for 2021.

Evangelista said the local government unit (LGU) seeks to implement programs to guarantee competitive prices on all farm products from the local farmers, particularly palay, corn, and

fruits.

Parallel programs would also serve local fisherfolk, livestock, and poultry growers, he added.

Evangelista said the LGU also plans to sign an agreement with farmers’ associations to efficiently provide ample farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.

In addition. he said the LGU will directly purchase the products of local farmers based on the ‘current farm gate prices’ to be delivered to competent larger markets outside the province.

“I also suggest to impose diversified farming of viable products that could double

their income at any given season of the year,” Evangelista said.

The local government, he added, will also purchase a backhoe exclusively to support the fisherfolk in excavating ponds, three units of refrigerated vans to traverse meat and vegetable products, and a feed mill for poultry and livestock productions.

Existing “demo farms,” he said, will be fitted with a greenhouse, hydroponic facilities, tilapia breeding stations, dairy, and free-range chicken production. Evangelista said they target to launch such projects in the second quarter. (PNA)

Kidapawan City to allot P76-M for agri projects T

4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

On the initiatives of the private sector and LGUs to secure Covid-19 vaccines to help the poor and vulnerable sector: Napakahalaga ng papel ng bakuna sa ating recovery mula sa kasalukuyang pandemya.

Ito po ang magiging susi upang makabalik ang pamumuhay natin sa normal. Kaya naman, napakalaking bagay ng ceremonial signing na magaganap ngayong araw dahil opisyal na nitong uumpisahan ang ating pagbangon mula sa COVID-19.”

Chair of the Senate Committee on Health

Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go

EDITORIAL Critical information on vaccination The prevailing cloud of uncertainty as regards Covid-19 vaccination is understandable. Afterall, decision-making around vaccination can be a complex mix of psychosocial, cultural, political and other factors.

Even health workers, just like the broader public, may perceive they are at low risk of acquiring a vaccine-preventable disease.

They may have concerns about the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine and/or may find it challenging to get vaccinated.

All these factors may make everyone including health workers reluctant to get the vaccine. Hence, communication strategies should be tailored to take these factors into account.

First, the fact remains that health workers are at higher risk of COVID infection and illness. They can also act as extremely efficient transmitters of viruses to others in medical and agedcare facilities. That’s why health workers have been prioritised to get a COVID vaccine in most countries that have already started it.

Whilst the government has been praying for a vaccine to be developed the soonest, Filipinos are all of a sudden arguing about

EDGEDAVAO

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ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

CHRISTIAN JAY H.RAFAL GRACE M. BORDIOS Layout

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHA MONFORTE Consultant Cartoonist Correspondent 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

the choice of vaccines now that they are about to be available.

All of a sudden, instant medical experts are sprouting here and there talking about the risks of vaccination as well as their brand preference as if they know too much about the subject.

As there will people with questions about the vaccine, perhaps there is also a to need further support to help them decide.

It is important to note that different groups have different reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy; rates and reasons can vary across and within countries.Sometimes, it can also be political.

Ultimately, protecting the people is critical and achieving high COVID-19 vaccine uptake is imperative.

Experts are the most trusted source of information on the COVID-19 vaccine and the government must endeavor to get the message through in order to quash any hesitation. Likewise, prudence dictates that non-experts must give way to more credible sources of information.

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)

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

5

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE POWER OF PRAISE “The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticisms.”

– Norman Vincent Peale *** When was the last time you praise someone? The truth is, you cannot remember it anymore.

“Giving praise is much like giving love,” says American poet and English professor Irving Feldman.

“The giver is usually the most benefited. He casts bread upon the waters and often gets back cake.”

And so, it came to pass that a married couple came to a counselor for advice. Once they were seated, they immediately started speaking simultaneously in a duel of criticisms. When they finally stopped for lack of breath, the counselor suggested that now they tell each other all the good they see in the other person.

There was a total silence from both.

The counselor gave each a pen and a sheet of paper. They were told to write down something praiseworthy about the other person. Neither of them wrote.

They both sat and stared at the paper.

But after what seemed like a long time, the husband started to

write something. At once, the wife also began to write – fast and furiously.

Finally, the writing stopped.

There was silence again. The wife pushed her paper over to the watching counselor. He pushed it back signaling that she was to give it directly to her husband. She reluctantly shoved the paper half way across the table. He took it and in turn, slid his paper towards his wife.

Each began to read. The counselor watched. Soon a tear slid down the cheek of the wife. She crumpled the paper in her fist and held it tight. That proved that she treasured the sudden revelation of good things her husband had expressed about her. The whole atmosphere of the room changed.

There was no need for anything to be said. Praise had healed a thousand wounds.

The husband and wife left the room arm in arm.

“The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated,” reminds American philosopher and psychologist William James. “In the best, the friendliest and simplest relations flattery or praise is necessary, just as grease is necessary to keep wheels turn-

ing,” wrote Leo Tolstoy in War and Peace.

“So long as men praise you, you can only be sure that you are not yet on your own true path but on someone else’s,” penned German philosopher and cultural critic Friedrich Nietzsche. The story below illustrates: One day, a field marshal requested an audience with Napoleon, and Napoleon knew what was coming. But as every good leader must, Napoleon agreed to hear him out. The field marshal brought news of a great victory he had achieved. He talked for a long time about his accomplishment, piling detail upon detail.

Napoleon listened closely throughout the entire narration but said nothing. The officer was disappointed. He had hoped for a more enthusiastic reception, as well as Napoleon’s congratulations. Neither was forthcoming.

Summing up, the field marshal repeated much of what he had already stated. As the officer rambled on, Napoleon continued to listen politely, and the marshal interpreted this as encouragement.

Surely, he thought, Napoleon will now give me the praise I so richly deserve.

When the field marshal finally stopped talking, Napoleon asked him one question, “What did you do the next day?”

The field marshal was speechless. But the lesson was not lost on him. From then on, the officer understood that he should never rest on his laurels. So, he left it to others to bestow the praise.

In some instances, what people actually wants is not praise but flattery. As American inspirational speaker Dale Carnegie pointed out, “Flattery is telling the other person precisely what he thinks about himself.”

Nancy Golden tries to explain the difference between flattery and praise. “Flattery is underserved praise,” she said, “and is usually general in nature. For example, when Grandma comes over and says, ‘Son, you are so handsome and smart, too,’ that is flattery. Praise, on the other hand is specific and well-deserved positive reinforcement. When a mother says to her son, ‘Mark, I really like the way you kept your room clean all day today.’ That’s praise.

“Respect and praise support children’s growing sense of themselves,” Golden continues, “and en-

courages positive behaviors.”

Give praise to someone who really deserve it and not for the sake of praising someone. Say those words that further will further encourage him to do what is best not only for himself but also for others. “Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise,” said Sam Walton.

But don’t overdo it or it may lose its true value. Samuel Johnson, in The Works of Samuel Johnson: The Rambler, reminds: “Praise, like gold and diamonds, owes its value only to its scarcity.

It becomes cheap as it becomes vulgar, and will no longer raise expectation or animate enterprise.”

Here’s what Emily Post also said, “An overdose of praise is like 10 lumps of sugar in coffee; only a very few people can swallow it.”

Finally, here’s a word of wisdom from David Brandt Berg: “Most people are not really conceited, but feel a certain amount of inferiority and tend to get a little discouraged with themselves, therefore encouragement is a very important thing. I do it all the time! I praise everybody for everything they do that I see is good.”

DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

STO. NINO AND THE RELIGIOSITY OF FILIPINO SEAFARERS Viva Sto. Nino!

The Sto. Niño is venerated all over the country with annual festivals celebrated every last two weekends of January through special masses, dances and processions attracting millions of devotees and tourists.

The main religious festivals in honor of the child Jesus are Ati-Atihan of Kalibo, Aklan, Sinulog of Cebu, Dinagyang of Iloilo and Dinagsa of Cadiz City.

Even if the statue is a diminutive figure, Jesus is depicted as a small king with royal regalia: crown, red cloak of intricate embroidery, with its left hand holding a cross-bearing orb (a symbol of Christian authority), while its other hand is in a priestly blessing gesture.

However, Filipinos downsized the merrymaking atmosphere this year due to COVID19.

In the street dancing event of Ati-Atihan called Sadsad, the Sto. Ninos are normally dressed based on the group’s interest.

I usually see some wearing a seafarer’s uniform, presumably owned by a family whose member is in the maritime profession.

This is a reflection of the practice of most Filipino seafarers of bringing with them on board the vessel their religious beliefs, ideas and tradition.

They normally maintain a renewed faith practice and religiosity each time they go home.

The Philippines is considered as one of the major supplier of maritime labor globally as it is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every five crew members on board a vessel at any time.

The sea-based sector’s remittance comprise at least 22 percent of the total dollar remittances of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

The estimated 519,031 deployed Filipino seafarers in 2019 per POEA data remitted $6.539 billion or around P326.95 billion.

Religion offers for the ordinary Filipino seafarers strength, hope and peace in relation with their daily work and social relationships on board the vessel.

A study by the Seafarers International Research Center (SIRC) revealed how religious practice may serve to mitigate negative aspects of work such as loneliness,

isolation, and institutional living, as well as fear of the dangers that can be encountered at sea.

Religion assists seafarers in coping with dangerous and emotionally challenging workplaces.

Despite its glorification due to economic returns, a job of a seafarer is not exactly a walk in the park.

The maritime profession has always been identified as a highrisk workplace replete with health and safety hazards in relation to the risks of accidents, illnesses and mortality.

The seafarer is often mentally, physically and emotionally stressed, aside from being constantly exposed to a variable environment while working on board vessels that cross ocean boundaries.

Some seafarers described faith as helpful in overcoming difficult emotional shipboard conditions and in making life at sea bearable in many ways.

SIRC noted that seafarers find strength in their God as they commonly experience fear for his life during emergencies at sea often associated with storms, mechanical failure, collisions and ground-

ings.

SIRC stressed that God was being drawn upon by seafarers to increase their resilience in dealing with stressful and dangerous workplace situations.

Seafarers are more likely to draw on their belief in a God to help them at times when they are powerless to help themselves, SIRC said.

It was relatively common for seafarers to engage in faith-based routines which they hoped would offer them some protection from ill-fate.

During the interviews of the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP), I asked some of them what personal item will they bring with them if the boat is in danger of sinking and most of them answered the rosary.

Their answer is a reflection of what SIRC noted as the practice of carrying something with totemic significance or religious artefact that will comfort them as protection like rosary, bible as well as other religious pamphlets and written materials.

They find great solace.in their belief in God.

Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle said in one of the National Seafarers’ Day celebration that Filipino seafarers are ‘saint potentials’ .

Referring to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod, Tagle noted that they were seafarers and missionaries at the same time before they became saints who sailed to other countries and died for a mission: “to teach the Good News.”

Tagle underscored that the pain brought by separation is a sign of the seafarer’s love, strength, and faith for the good of his family and the country.

“Even if you feel pain when you leave your family and your country, that suffering is not a reason for you to be ‘paralyzed,’ but inspire you to strive for more,” said Tagle, adding that their hardships will not weaken them but make them even stronger.

Viva Pit Senyor !

Atty. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786)

6 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

Republic of the Philippines Province of Davao Oriental OFFICE OF THE SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN SP Complex, Government Center, Dahican C I T Y O F M AT I EXCERPTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE 73RD REGULAR SESSION OF THE 16TH SANGGUNIANG PANLALAWIGAN OF DAVAO ORIENTAL, HELD ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020, AT THE CITY OF MATI, THIS PROVINCE. PRESENT: Hon. Niño Sotero L. Uy, Jr.

Vice Governor - Presiding Officer

Regular Members:

District I

Hon. Nelson R. Dayanghirang, Jr. Hon. Dante M. Caubang Hon. Marietta D. Palmera Hon. Joselito B. Villademosa Hon. Laureano B. Taya

District II Hon. Louis N. Rabat Hon. Anacleto P. Macatabog Hon. Enrico M. Antopuesto Hon. Dennis V. Roflo, Jr.

Ex-Officio Members: Hon. Charlie S. Ambasan Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representative Hon. Ronald T. Lara, Jr. Sangguniang Kabataan Provincial Federation President ABSENT: Hon. Lemuel Ian M. Larcia SP Member, District II Hon. Rabsalon M. Lamaran President, Philippine Councilor’s League – O.B. Banaybanay Hon. Rustan R. Castillones President, Liga Ng Mga Barangay Representative PROVINCIAL ORDINANCE NO. 16-49-11-2020 Author : Hon. Anacleto P. Macatabog Sponsor : Hon. Louis N. Rabat AN ORDINANCE OPERATIONALIZING FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF DAVAO ORIENTAL AND PROVIDING GUIDELINES THEREFORE AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. WHEREAS, on July 23, 2016, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, His Excellency Rodrigo R. Duterte issued Executive Order No. 2, entitled: “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Right to Information and the State Policies to Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service and Providing Guidelines Therefor”; WHEREAS, the said Executive Order is limited in scope to government offices under the Executive Branch, and merely encourages local government units to observe and be guided accordingly; WHEREAS, recognizing the importance of the people’s right to government information, and guided by the President’s Executive Order, the Provincial Government deems it necessary to provide a local mechanism for its offices where the people’s right to information is respected and upheld, subject to exceptions provided by law and jurisprudence; WHEREFORE, on motion of SP Member Louis N. Rabat, duly seconded by SP Member Dennis V. Roflo, Jr., it was Be it ordained by the 16th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Davao Oriental in session duly assembled that: SECTION 1. TITLE. - This ordinance shall be known as the “Davao Oriental FOI Ordinance of 2020.”

SECTION 2. DEFINITION OF TERMS. For the purposes of this Ordinance, the following terms shall mean: (a) “Information” – shall mean any records, documents, papers, reports, letters, contracts, minutes and transcripts of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, data, research materials, films, sound and video recording, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data, computer stored data, any other like or similar data or materials recorded, stored or archived in whatever format, whether offline or online, which are made, received, or kept in or under the control and custody of any government office under the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental pursuant to law, ordinance, executive order, and rules and regulations or in connection with the performance or transaction of official business by any government office under the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental; (b) “Official record” – shall refer to information produced or received by a public officer or employee, or by a government office in an official capacity or pursuant to a public function or duty; (c) “Public record” – shall include information required by laws, executive orders, rules, or regulations to be entered, kept and made publicly available by a government office; (d) “SALN” – refers to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

SECTION 3. COVERAGE. This order shall cover all government offices under the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental.

SECTION 4. ACCESS TO INFORMATION. Every Filipino resident of the Province of Davao Oriental shall have access to information, official records, and public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, in the custody of the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental or any of its offices.

SECTION 5. EXCEPTIONS. The request for access to information of records or documents as provided under Section 4 of this Ordinance shall be denied when the information falls under any of the following: 1) When the information is covered by the communication privilege of the Chief Executive; 2) When the privileged information relates to internal relations and security of the Province as determined by the PNP and other military agencies; 3) Information concerning law enforcement and protection of public and private personal safety; 4) Information deemed confidential for the protection of individual’s privacy, such as minors, victims of crimes, or the accused and privileged communications in legal proceedings as determined by law or by the Rules of Court; 5) Prejudicial premature disclosure (of information/documents) 6) Records of proceedings or information from proceedings which, pursuant to law, or relevant rules and regulations are treated as confidential or privileged. The Minutes of Meetings of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, considering that it is for the convenience, reference and consumption of the SP Members is hereby clothed with a privileged character; and 7) Such other information as may be declared privileged/confidential by local laws, rules and regulations.

SECTION 6. AVAILABILITY OF SALN. Subject to the provisions contained in Sections 4 and 5 of this ordinance, all public officials of the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental are reminded of their obligation to file and make available for scrutiny, their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) in accordance with the existing laws, rules and regulations, and the spirit and letter of this ordinance.

SECTION 7. APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION. There shall be a legal presumption in favor of access to information, public records and official records. No request for information shall be denied unless it clearly falls under any of the exceptions in the inventory of Freedom of Information (FOI) exceptions.

The determination of the applicability of any of the exceptions to the request shall be the responsibility of the Head of the Office, which is in custody or control of the information, public record or official record, or the responsible provincial or field officer duly designated by him in writing.

In making such determination, the Head of the Office or his designated officer shall exercise reasonable diligence to ensure that no exception shall be used or availed of to deny any request for information or access to public records, or official records if the denial is intended primarily and purposely to cover up a crime, wrongdoing, graft or corruption.

SECTION 8. PROTECTION OF PRIVACY. While providing access to information, public records, and official records, responsible officials shall afford full protection to the right to privacy of the individual, pursuant to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173), as follows:

(a) Each government office shall ensure that personal information in its custody or under its control is disclosed or released only if it is material or relevant to the subject matter of the request and its disclosure is permissible under this ordinance or existing law, rules or regulations; (b) Each government office must protect personal information in its custody or control by making reasonable security arrangements against leaks or premature disclosure of personal information, which unduly exposes the individual, whose personal information is requested, to vilification, harassment or any other wrongful acts; (c) Any employee, official or director of a government office who has access, authorized or unauthorized, to personal information in the custody of the office, must not disclose that information except when authorized under this ordinance or pursuant to existing laws, rules or regulation.

SECTION 9. PROCEDURE. The following procedure shall govern the filing and processing of request for access to information: (a) Any person who requests access to information shall submit a written request to Provincial Administrator’s Office or the government office concerned. The request shall state the name and contact information of the requesting party, provide valid proof of his identification or authorization, reasonably describe the information requested, and the reason for, or purpose of, the request for information: Provided, that no request shall be denied or refused acceptance unless the reason for the request is contrary to law, existing rules and regulations, or it is one of the exceptions; (b) The public official receiving the request shall be designated as the Freedom of Information (FOI). Receiving Officer and shall provide reasonable assistance, free of charge, to enable all requesting parties and particularly those with special needs to comply with the request requirements under this Section; (c) The request shall be stamped by the Provincial Administrator’s Office (PAdO) or the concerned government office, indicating the date and time of receipt and the name, rank, title and position of the FOI receiving officer with the corresponding signature, and a copy thereof furnished to the requesting party. Each government office shall establish a system to trace the status of all requests for information received by it; (d) The Provincial Administrator’s Office or the concerned government office shall respond to a request fully compliant with requirements of sub-section (a) hereof as soon as practicable but not exceeding fifteen (15) working days from the receipt thereof; (e) The period to respond may be extended whenever the information requested requires extensive search of the government office’s records facilities, examination of voluminous records, the occurrence of fortuitous cases or other analogous cases. The Provincial Administrator’s Office or the concerned government office shall notify the person making the request of the extension, setting forth the reasons for such extension. In no case shall the extension go beyond twenty (20) working days unless exceptional circumstances warrant a longer period; (f) Once a decision is made to grant the request, the person making the request shall be notified of such decision and directed to pay any applicable fees.

SECTION 10. FEES. (a) Concerned agency/s shall not charge any fee for accepting requests for access to information, except those fees imposed under Section 4A.01, Article A, Chapter IV of the Provincial Ordinance No. 15-25-08-2018, otherwise known as the “Revised Revenue Code of the Province of Davao Oriental”; (b) The fee shall be paid to the Provincial Treasurer at the time of the request, whether written or verbal. The Official Receipt number, the amount of the total fees, and the date of payment shall be indicated at the bottom of the certificate; (c) The Provincial Administrator’s Office or the concerned government office may exempt any requesting party from payment of fees, upon request stating the valid reason why such party should not pay the fee; SECTION 11. NOTICE OF DENIAL. If the Provincial Administrator’s Office or the concerned government office decides to deny the request, in whole or in part, it shall as soon as practicable, in any case within fifteen (15) working days from the receipt of the request, or within twenty (20) working days in case of extension, whichever is applicable, notify the requesting party the denial in writing. The notice shall clearly set forth the ground or grounds for denial and the circumstances on which the denial is based. Failure to notify the requesting party of the action taken on the request within the period herein stipulated shall be deemed a denial of the request for access to information.

SECTION 12. REMEDIES IN CASES OF DENIAL OF REQUEST FOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION. (a) Denial of any request for access to information may be appealed to the Office of the Governor, following the procedure mentioned in Section 9 of this ordinance: Provided, that the written appeal must be filed by the same person making the request within fifteen (15) calendar days from the notice of denial or from the lapse of the relevant period to respond to the request; (b) The appeal shall be decided by the Office of the Governor within thirty (30) working days from the filing of said written appeal. Failure of the Office of the Governor to decide within the aforestated period shall be deemed a denial of the appeal; (c) Upon exhaustion of administrative appeal remedies, the requesting part may file the appropriate case in the proper courts in accordance with the Rules of Court.

SECTION 13. KEEPING OF RECORDS. Subject to existing laws, rules, and regulations, government offices shall create and/or maintain accurate and reasonably complete records of important information in appropriate formats, and implement a records management system that facilitates easy identification, retrieval and communication of information to the public.

SECTION 14. PENALTIES. Failure of any government officer to comply with the provisions of this ordinance shall be a ground for the following penalties:

1st Offense – Reprimand;

2nd Offense – Suspension of one (1) to thirty (30) days; and

3rd Offense – Dismissal from the service.

SECTION 15. FOI OFFICE. The Provincial Administrator’s Office is designated to be the FOI Office tasked to oversee the implementation of this ordinance. The PAdO is further directed to formulate the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), which shall include, among others, the following provisions: (a) The name, location, and contact information of FOI receiving officers; (b) The procedure for the filing and processing of the request; (c) The standard forms for the submission of requests; (d) The process for the disposition of requests; (e) The procedure for the administrative appeal of any denial; SECTION 16. SEPARABILITY CLAUSE. If any section or part of this ordinance is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force or effect.

SECTION 17. REPEALING CLAUSE. All other ordinances, orders, issuances, rules and regulations, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 18. EFFECTIVITY. This ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication.

ENACTED: NOVEMBER 18, 2020.

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

DAVAO CITY... FROM2

International Airport and the Los Amigos Laboratory.

Though air travel is one of the causes in spreading the disease, she noticed that there are more cases noted locally than from the airport passengers.

Tecson also called on arriving passengers who go out to the provinces to coordinate first with their

respective local government units which will fetch them at the Davao International Airport.

She said persons who can show airport authorities their respective 72-hour RTPCR test will be prioritized to go out of the airport immediately. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

Nabunturan allots P5-M, creates Task Force COVID-19 vaccine

N

abunturan Mayor Chelita Amatong created on Monday the town’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force through Executive Order No. 02-2021.

The task force will be chaired by Municipal Health Officer Dr. Danielo Rubillos with members from the different departments in the municipal government.

According to the order, the Task Force will supervise and implement the procurement, profiling and prioritization, logistics, mobilization, funding, and information education campaign about the virus.

The mayor also specifies in the order that the vaccines that will be acquired are those authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in coordination with national government.

The local government has allocated more than PhP 5-million as initial budget for the purchare of the vaccines.

The order also states that the Task Force will pro-

file and identify the priority beneficiaries of the vaccine in accordance to the guidelines set by the national Inter Agency Task Force on COVID-19.

A system for vaccine administration will also be formulated by the group, which will include the registration of beneficiaries, administration and tracking of doses, notification on the eligibility and schedules for vaccination, and monitoring.

The task force will also ensure the availability of suitable storage equipment and facilities of the vaccine, develop and strengthen the supply chain, and if needed, select and develop vaccination centers within the municipality.

For the public to be aware and eventually accept the vaccination program, the task force is also mandated to conduct a systematized, and easily comprehensible information education campaign. (PIA XI, Michael Uy)

DCWD... FROM2

balance in ECQ installments to settle on or before the due date of their December billing so to avoid penalties in their ECQ installments,” Duhaylungsod said.

For clarifications aside from the Facebook Page, the DCWD encourages customers to contact the

DCWD call center right away with their landline and mobile numbers.

DCWD call center can be reached at landline number (082) 235-3293 or mobile numbers 0927- 798-8966, 0925-511-3293, 0908-4410653. (PIA/RG Alama)

will also revisit internet connectivity considering that business operations are migrating to an online platform, business financing for MSMEs to continually stay in business, and the continual promotion of trade Activities between Mindanao and European countries.

He said ECCP Davao will also continue to establish its

presence in key urban areas outside Davao City and will continue to push for an all inclusive approach to expanding its membership base with the inclusion of established farmer cooperatives, indigenous people owned businesses, women owned businesses among others. Maya Padillo

ECCP... FROM3

‘Genuine autonomy’ achieved in BARMM: Chief Minister Ebrahim

C

hief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) said “genuine autonomy” has been achieved in the region as he led Monday the commemoration for the second founding anniversary of the newlyminted regional government with the hoisting of the Philippine and Bangsamoro flags.

Speaking inside the BARMM government center, Ebrahim said that “genuine autonomy” has been

achieved in BARMM, even as he called on residents to support the regional government's moral governance campaign.

“We can now proudly say that we have achieved genuine autonomy that encapsulates the long history of Bangsamoro people, our sacrifices, and our shared visions for the next generation,” Murad said.

Since its creation in the last two years, Murad said BARMM has seen “an incredible number of challenges and

7

NOTICE OF AUCTION The VGM Pawnshop, Inc. will hold a Public Auction Sale to all unredeemed and unrenewed items on the following schedule listed below.

Ang VGM Pawnshop, Inc. magpahigayon ug subasta sa tanang prenda nga wala nalukat sa maong iskedyul nga nakasulat sa ubos.

BRANCHES

DATE PAWNED

DAVAO: July 01 - 31, Sasa Maa 2020 Sandawa Matina Panabo Main Panabo Branch

DATE & PLACE OF AUCTION January 25, 2021(Mon.) 9:00 AM VGM Pawnshop, Inc, Sandawa Branch VGM BLDG., Sandawa Rd., SIR New Matina, Davao City

THE MANAGEMENT opportunities that defined what makes of our new bureaucracy and how we can address such concerns that will ultimately benefit everyone.”

The chief minister maintained that the next level of the Bangsamoro

struggle could be considered successful "if the moral governance thrives. We cannot claim success in this next level of our struggle if we will not be successful in building a real governance, which is founded on moral governance." (PNA)

B1 ENVIRONMENT EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

PH OVER TROUBLED WATER

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO n March 6, 2019, about 10,000 households across Metro Manila started to lose water supplies.

Five days later, the water level in La Mesa Dam – which supplies most of the water needs of the metropolis – reached 68.93 meters above sea level (masl), below its critical level of 69 masl.

O

“For many residents in Metro Manila, coping with a ‘water supply crisis’ has been part of their daily woes for years,” states IBON Foundation, a non-profit research, education and information development institution.

The occurrence was literally a dry run of what was to come in the future. Metro Manila was one of the nine major cities in the country that was identified as “water-critical areas” in a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency some years back.

There were more cities from Luzon: Angeles and Baguio. The three cities from Visayas were Metro Cebu, Bacolod, and Iloilo.

In Mindanao, the cities most likely to have water problems were Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and Zamboanga.

“Metro Manila is currently experiencing water deficits,” a World Bank report states. “Although for some cities like Baguio, which have no shortfall considering current demand, it is known that major water shortages do occur during the summer.”

The Interface Development Interventions, Inc. forecasts D a v a o City will “experience a deficit of 69 million cubic meters (45% of the demand) of groundwater.” In its website, it explains: “This will likely happen considering the growing population and economic activities in the city. Added to this is the unabated destruction of water recharge areas in the uplands.”

The 21st century has been called the century of water. Currently, some 2 billion people in the world are facing water shortages. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that by 2080 nearly half the world’s population will be without clean water.

“Our planet has been losing the balance between the amount of usable water and the demand, and even the balance of the ecosystem and our ability to co-exist

with nature,” observed Ryutaro Hashimoto who was chairman of the National Japanese Steering Committee of the World Water Forum when he said those words.

“The necessary sense of urgency is lacking,” said the New York-based United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in a statement. “The facts have been staring us in the face for years.

While demand increases, the annual available fresh water supply per inhabitant is regularly decreasing and is expected to fall to an average 4,800 cubic meters by the year 2025 against 7,300 cubic meters in 1995.”

However, the water crisis may come sooner than what the UN body has predicted. “We are fast exhausting our surface water supplies – water consumption and use now exceed the capability of the system to renew itself,” says Terry Leckie, one of Australia’s leading water industry experts and a passionate advocate of water reform. “And the majority of groundwater sources are either already contaminated or soon will be.”

That is what is happening

right now in the Philippines, where rapid population growth over the last century has been a major factor in increasing water usage. Experts claim that with an annual population rate of 2 percent to 2.3 percent, the Philippines would be facing a water shortage by 2025.

Currently, the water demands – and shortages – of many cities throughout the country are expanding. “The rapid urbanization of the Philippines, with more than 2 million being added to the urban population annually, is having a major impact on water

resources,” notes the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Water Development Outlook some years back.

Aside from rapid population growth, the water crisis in the Philippines can also be traced to degradation conditions of the environment and pollution. The ADB report said that 16 rivers were considered “biologically dead” during dry months. Some 48% of water pollution comes from domestic waste, 37% from agricultural waste, and 15% from industrial waste.

“Untreated wastewater affects health by spreading disease-causing bacteria and viruses, makes water unfit for drinking and recreational use, threatens biodiversity and deteriorates overall quality of life,” the ADB report pointed out.

In addition to pollution, wasteful and inefficient use of water, saltwater intrusion, and high non-revenue water levels due to leaks and illegal connections are also placing major strains on water resources.

“Combined with growing population pressures, it is becoming more difficult to provide basic water services,” the ADB study surmised.

Another reason for water shortage: degradation of watershed areas. “Land use and vegetative cover in the watersheds are very important because they affect water flow and water quality,” explained Patrick Durst, who was then senior forestry officer of the regional office of Food and Agriculture Organization when

interviewed by this author.

Example of a good watershed is a healthy forest. “This is because forests can help to relegate the flow of water,” Durst said.

A recent report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that 90% of the 99 watershed areas in the country are “hydrologically critical” due to their degraded physical condition as a result of loss of forest cover.

Even if the country has a healthy forest, it has to contend with another problem: agriculture. “Water for agriculture is critical for food security,” points out Mark W. Rosegrant, a senior re s e a rc h fellow of the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute.

“The link bet w e e n w a t e r and food is strong,” says Lester R. Brown, president of Earth Policy Institute, also based in Washington, D.C. “We drink, in one form or another, nearly 4 liters of water per day. But the food we consume each day requires at least 2,000 liters to produce, 500 times as much.”

Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project, believes water problems will be right there with climate change as a threat to the human future. More importantly, higher global temperatures will worsen the current water problems.

“Although the two are related,

water has no substitutes. We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. But there is no transitioning away from water to something else,” said the head of the group that seeks to save fresh water.

“Water is the most precious asset on Earth,” Postel said. “It is the basis of life.”

Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival.

Water makes up more than 60 percent of your body weight. Proteins make up only 18% while fats encompass 15%, minerals 4%,

carbohydrates 2% and vitamins less than one percent.

Your brain contains 74% water, blood contains 83% water, lean muscle has 75% water and bone has 22% water. A lack of water affects everything from your digestive tract to your immune system. It also helps regulate your body temperature.

A household of five needs at least 120 liters per day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning, according to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental group.

A person needs at least 24 liters of water daily or one liter per hour. Even when he breathes, he still needs water. “Our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide,” wrote Leroy Perry in a Reader’s Digest article. “It is possible to lose half a liter of liquid each day just by exhaling.”

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

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

“Whiskey’s for drinkin’,'' Mark Twain once wrote. “But water is for fightin’ over.” Sir Crispin Tickell, one of the organizers of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, agreed: “The world has got a very big water problem. It will be the progenitor of more wars than oil.”

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

B2

Pringle wins BPC award

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arangay Ginebra guard Stanley Pringle has been named the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) for the past Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. On Sunday night, the league announced in a special awarding ceremony that Pringle edged Phoenix Fuel Master counterpart Matthew Wright in the closest BPC race ever.

Pringle garnered a total of 1,640 points, just 62 points ahead of Wright, who had 1,578.

The votes from the PBA Commissioner's Office ultimately decided the BPC race.

The league gave its first-place vote to Pringle, who was sixth in statistical points and second in the player votes, giving him 300 more points.

Wright, however, did not get the nod from the PBA office despite overwhelmingly taking the media vote.

The TNT guard combo of Roger Pogoy and Bobby Ray Parks finished third and fourth in the race with 958 and 876 points, respectively.

Fuel Master Calvin Abueva was fifth with 779

points, while Terrafirma Dyip's CJ Perez finished sixth with 668.

Pringle, Wright, and Abueva headlined the Elite 5 with Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar and TNT's John Paul Erram completing the cast.

Meanwhile, Ginebra center Prince Caperal beat Fuel Master Justin Chua in a much talked about Most Improved Player award race.

Caperal got 2,447 points to top Chua, who got 2,096.

Chua got the overwhelming lead in the media votes, but Caperal was ahead in the player votes.

Like the case of Pringle, the PBA vote became the deciding factor as Caperal got the nod from the league officials over Chua.

On the other hand, Ginebra's Scottie Thompson took home the Sportsmanship Award, beating Perez in yet another tight race.

Thompson's lead in the media and the player votes was more than enough to

PBA 45TH SPECIAL AWARDS. (L-R) Gov. Erick Arejola, Gov. Richard Bachmann, Gov. Atty. Raymund Zorrilla and PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial. edge Perez, who got the nod from the PBA Commissioner's Office.

Thompson totaled 2,360 points, while Perez got 2,069.

On the other hand, Aaron Black became the lowest drafted player to be given the top rookie award after he was named the Outstanding Rookie of the Philippine

Cup. The 18th pick of the 2019 regular draft (23rd overall counting the special Gilas Pilipinas Men draft) bested first-round selections Roosevelt Adams, Barkley Ebona, Aris Dionisio, and Arvin Tolentino for the top rookie prize.

The Meralco guard, the son of coach Norman Black,

finished with 2,002 points, topping the media votes, while Tolentino, who was tied with Dionisio on top of the player votes, came in second with 1,406.

Ebona ended up third with 1,246, while Dionisio was fifth with exactly 800 points, directly below top regular draft pick Adams,

who finished fourth with 1,045.

In the tabulation of the BPC and the Outstanding Rookie awards, 40 percent will come from the statistical points, 30 percent from the media votes, 25 percent from the player votes, and five percent from the league office. (PNA)

OKYO – The Japanese Diet opened Monday with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga vowing to go ahead with preparations to hold the Tokyo Olympics this summer, in the face of growing public opposition amid a surge in coronavirus infections across the country.

In his first policy speech at the Diet's regular session since taking office last September, Suga outlined his policy agendas and stressed his determination to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

"We will press ahead with preparations, with determination of building watertight anti-infection measures and holding an event that can bring hope and courage to the world," Suga said of the Olympics.

Rumors ran wild recently that the Tokyo Olympic Games would be postponed to 2032, immediately causing a stir among athletes who had planned to compete at the showpiece event in less than 200 days.

Both the International Olympics Committee and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee had moved swiftly to deny such accusations, dismissing all

such reports concerning the cancellation of the Games as "fake news."

They reaffirmed their commitment to hosting the already-delayed Tokyo 2020 Games this summer.

As for the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak, Suga vowed to tackle surging infection cases and restore normal life "as soon as possible".

"To protect the lives and health of the Japanese people... I will get the situation back to normal as soon as possible," he said.

Suga declared a state of emergency over the Covid-19 pandemic in Tokyo and three surrounding prefectures in an effort to contain a resurgence of infections earlier this month, and expanded it to seven more prefectures including Osaka and Aichi last week.

"What is important is to provide necessary medical services to people in need. We will exhaust all measures to safeguard the medical system," said the Japanese leader. "We are all ready to deploy the Self-Defence Forces' medical team if requested by governors.” (Xinhua)

Harden, KD lead Nets T over Bucks in thriller J

ames Harden collected 34 points and 12 assists, Kevin Durant added 30, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 36.8 seconds left and the Brooklyn Nets outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks for a 125-123 victory Monday night in New York.

Harden became the first Net to get a 30-point game in his first two games with the team and also added four rebounds. He shot 13 of 25 from the floor and scored 13 points in the final 12 minutes when the lead changed hands 10 times.

Harden's biggest rebound occurred with 38 seconds left when he missed a 3-pointer and got the offensive rebound. He quickly found Durant, who calmly knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give Brooklyn the lead for good at 125-123.

Milwaukee had a chance to regain the lead but Khris Middleton missed a 3-pointer with 29.2 seconds.

After a turnover by Durant with 5.5 seconds left, Milwaukee called a timeout but the game

Brooklyn Nets shooting guard James Harden (13) and power forward Kevin Durant (7) high five during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Barclays Center. Reuters ended when Middleton missed left corner 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left while being closely guard-

ed by Bruce Brown.

Durant surpassed 30 points for the fourth time in five games since

returning from missing three games due to health and safety protocols. His 3-pointer helped Brooklyn

win its fourth straight and end an eight-game home losing streak to Milwaukee.

Japanese PM vows to go ahead with Olympics

8 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

Veteran coach and SBP 11 liaison officer Ronel Leuterio show here in an interview in file photo.

VOL.13 ISSUE 235 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2021

BIG GAMBLE

Dabawenyo coach thinks Nets experiment hinges on how Irving and Harden can play together

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO or veteran coach Ronel Leuterio, the Brooklyn experiment of brining into its fold the disgruntled James Harden from Houston is too risky.

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The former coach of the Davao Eagles who is now the liaison officer of Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) 11, said the gambit will depend on whether or not superstars Harden and Kyrie Irving can play alongside each other.

“With regards sa Nets, I was bit surprised, kasi for Irving and Harden for them to be effective kailangan they have always the ball in their hands,” Leuterio told this writer in an online interview.

To succeed, the troika of Kevin Durant, Harden and Irving need to make the adjustments in their roles.

“Durant can come off screens but I don’t see Irving and Harden doing the same,” he said.

On the blockbuster trade, Leuterio said he was not surprised.

“Im not really surprised with the trade ke Harden, former manager ng Rockets who believes sa smallball was no longer with the Rockets, he is now the gen

manager ng 76’ers. First to go was Westbrook, and is that an indication that the Rockets in a different direction,” Leuterio said.

He added that the failure in Houston should serve as example not only for players but also for coaches.

“The Rockets experiment with smallball has shown us that the game should be played on both sides of the floor hindi pwede panay opensa lang,” he said.