Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 243 | Friday, January 29, 2021

STAY IN THE GYM SPORTS P8

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

KIDS STAY

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

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AT HOME

Davao City not ready to ease restrictions on children

STORY ON PAGE 2

A vendor gathers the crabs he is selling minutes before Bankerohan Public Market’s 5 p.m. closing time schedule on Thursday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has her photo taken with a medical frontliner at Rizal Park in Davao City. The President’s daughter is considered as the ideal person to be the country’s next president, considering her excellent track record and exceptional leadership, a ranking Malacañang officil said. Edge Davao

KIDS STAY AT HOME Davao City not ready to ease Connector expected to draw people to Samal

restrictions on children

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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avao City is not yet easing Covid restrictions on children.

Dr. Ashley Lopez, focal person of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said the city is not yet ready to follow the new guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases allowing children aged 10 to 14 years old to go out.

Through Resolution No.

95 issued last January 21, 2021, IATF rules permit those aged 15 to 65 years old to leave their homes.

Although the guideline is applicable for those areas under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), Lopez said the mayor has the discretion whether or not to follow the guideline while the city is

still under general community quarantine (GCQ).

“Naa na ta’y statement na gidugang sa IATF bahin aning guideline to encourage other cities and provinces under GCQ because it will be under the discretion of the mayor whether atong i-adopt ning additional guideline na gipatuman sa IATF sa mga syudad under MGCQ. GCQ pa man ta so naa ta option whether to follow the new guideline or not,” Lopez said.

Lopez said there is still the need to intensify the preventive measures implemented especially the Covid cases here continue to increase since January 4, 2020 and recording with 100 cases per day.

“So dili pa puwede ka kumpyansahan. Kung ingon ani pa kadako atong positivity rate dili pa ta mukumpyansa to loosen up. Katong mga tao na mugawas ug balay labi na karon na nagpa-

dent Rodrigo Duterte in the 2022 national elections.

Panelo said Sara has demonstrated all the traits that every Philippine president should possess, including having political will, courage, and passion to serve the people.

“Kitang-kita ko 'yung qualities mo, Mayor Sara.

Kaya regardless of whether you’re the daughter or not, ikaw ang napusuan ko (I

have seen all your qualities, Mayor Sara. That’s why regardless of whether you’re the daughter [of the President] or not, I want you [to be his successor]),” Panelo said during his commentary show “Counterpoint.”

During his recent meeting with local executives in Pangasinan, Panelo said there is “no legal impediment” that would prevent Duterte-Carpio and her fa-

ther to run for president and vice president, respectively, in 2022.

Panelo also reiterated the need for the “continuity of the Duterte leadership.”

Pinoys to decide In an interview with The Manila Times, the President’s daughter rejected calls for her to seek the presidency, stressing that “continuity is not based on

FKIDS, P7

Mayor Sara has all qualities to be next president: Panelo

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avao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte is the ideal person to be the country’s next president, considering her excellent track record and exceptional leadership, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Wednesday.

Panelo issued the statement as he renewed his pitch for the possible daughter-and-father tandem of Duterte-Carpio and Presi-

FMAYOR, P7

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he construction of the Samal Island-Davao City Bridge is expected to steer relocation of people in the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos).

“Definitely, maraming mag-relocate sa Samal.

Maganda ang Samal lalo na kung makakabit ang tulay. Malaking tulong ang bridge na yan,” said Pastor Lozada, Jr., president of the Samal Resort Owners Association.

However, Lozada said the local government of Igacos must strictly enforce regulation against squatting.

“It should be controlled,” he said.

Apart from squatting, traffic gridlock in Lanang area is also identified a problem with the construction of the bridge.

A Davao City consumer advocate has warned of heavy traffic for at least 5 years if the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will push through with the plan of building the bridge to Samal Island at Davao City's Lanang area instead of Sasa.

Meanwhile, DPWH has already accepted the bid of a Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation-Philippine branch, for the Contract for Design and Build for the Samal Island-Davao City (SIDC) Connector Project.

The governments of China and the Philippines have signed the commercial contract of the China-financed $400-M of the Project on January 14, 2021.

The project is one of the key cooperation projects between China, PH under the “Build, build, build” program.

According to the Chinese Embassy, the project is a 2-way 4-lane 3.86-km bridge to connect the Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) to Davao City across the Pakiputan Strait. The main bridge is 1.62 km long and will be designed in a cable-stayed structure with the twin towers and double cable planes, The project is expected to break ground in the first half of 2021. Maya Padillo

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

NEWS 3

Metro Shuttle bus to start servicing C.P Garcia route

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Police forensic experts who examined the tissues of the internal organs of deceased flight attendant Christine Angelica

Dacera disclose that the cause of her death is“natural”. Photo from the Facebook account of Christine Angel Davera

Dacera’s death ‘natural’: PNP medico legal report

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olice forensic experts who examined the tissues of the internal organs of deceased flight attendant Christine Angelica Dacera ruled that the cause of her death is "natural".

"Based on the available information on hand, the manner of death is classified as natural death," said the report signed by Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory Medico-Legal Officer, Lt. Col. Joseph Palmero, and released Wednesday.

The report also ruled

out homicide as the cause of Dacera's death, noting that aortic aneurysm is considered a medical condition.

"Rape and/or drug overdose will not result in the development of aneurysms.

Even overdose and ruptured aneurysm are two different conditions and cannot be both included as a cause of death of a patient," the report said.

Increased blood pressure, it added, is the triggering factor for the ruptured aneurysm.

FDACERA’S, P7

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he Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation will start servicing C.P. Garcia route in Davao City.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 11 (LTFRB 11) Regional Director Nonito “Dondon” Llanos III disclosed that the interim bus service launching for the C.P. Garcia route will be on February 2 this year.

“Metro Shuttle will ply this route,” Llanos said.

The interim bus project is part of the city government of Davao’s High Priority Bus System (HPBS), which aims to replace all jeepneys along major roads.

Metro Shuttle will also service the Catalunan Grande-downtown route.

Davao Metro Shuttle was established in 1995 with its main office in Tagum City, has been operating inter-city, inter-province and inter-regional routes.

Apart from Metro Shuttle, another Mindanao-based bus company, Bachelor Express, Inc., which is also part of the IBS

project, will be servicing Toril-downtown route.

Llanos said there are no dates yet when the service of Toril and Catalunan Grande will commence.

“Marami pa discussions about the routes,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has recently ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force for the Davao City HPBS Project through Executive Order (E.O.) No. 3 that aims to ensure the successful integration and effective implementation of the HPBS project and to properly manage and coordinate with all relevant agencies.

The Davao City HPBS Task Force, also known as TF HPBS, shall be composed of the city mayor as chairperson and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as co-chairperson.

The members of the special body are the vice mayor, Department of Public Works

and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources -Environment Management Bureau, City Planning and Development Office, City Engineer’s Office, Office of the City Building Official, City Legal Office, City Transport and Traffic Management Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Barangay and Cultural Communities Affairs Division, Assistant City Administrator for Administration, HPBS Project consultant/s, and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. The mayor directed all members of the TF HPBS to name their respective alternate and permanent representatives, who shall take their places in their absence. She also included the national agencies in the TF HPBS, citing Section 2 (paragraph c) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 that mandates all national agencies and offices “to conduct periodic consultations with appropriate local government units

(LGUs), non-governmental and people’s organizations, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in their respective jurisdictions.”

She also empowers mayors citing Section 455 (paragraph 16) of the Code “to call upon national official or employee stationed in or assigned to the city to advise him on matters affecting the city and to make recommendations thereon; coordinate with said official or employee in the formulation and implementation of plans, programs and projects; and, when appropriate, initiate an administrative or judicial action against a national government official or employee who may have committed an offense in the performance of his official duties while stationed in or assigned to the city”.

The mayor also mandates the City Administrator’s Office to be the TF HPBS Secretariat that will handle all administrative and secretarial functions.

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A1 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

A young boy stands atop a mobile stall as he serves buko juice to customers at Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City. Edge Davao

1.2M sqm space to be added in PH office market this year

PH rice output hits all-time R high of 19.3M MT in 2020

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he Philippines’ rice production reached an all-time high last year at 19.3 million metric tons (MT), up 2.6 percent from 18.8 million MT in 2019, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) released on Wednesday.

This was driven by the strong rice harvests in the second quarter and third quarter, which rose 7.1 percent and 15.2 percent, respectively.

The bumper crop in the second and third quarters offset the 1.4 percent annual drop in rice output in the fourth quarter.

The country's rice out-

put was one of the few bright spots in agriculture, which saw farm and fisheries production fall 1.2 percent last year.

Despite higher rice production last year, the Philippines, which is the world's biggest rice importer, will still needto bring in at least 1.69 million tons of its staple food this year to fully cover domestic requirements, the government said earlier in January.

Agriculture Secretary

William Dar said that rice output, together with other crops, will further increase throughout 2021 supported by the government's P20-billion program, barring destructive typhoons.

Last year, the DA started distributing cash aid for rice farmers, and offering accessible loans for farmers, fisherfolk and agribusiness owners to help the agricultural sector bounce back from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.

eal estate consultancy firm Santos Knight Frank expects an additional 1.2 million square meters of leasable space in the office market this year.

Santos Knight Frank senior director for occupier services and commercial agency Morgan McGilvray said the vacancy rate in the office sector is expected to increase in 2021 with these new supplies coming into the market.

McGilvray added some of these new office spaces are those projects that should have been delivered in 2020 but were delayed due to restrictions amid the pandemic.

Santos Knight Frank

data show the local office space market recorded its historical vacancy rate last year at nearly 10 percent from a little over 4 percent in 2019.

McGilvray said the softer demand for office space will also lead to higher vacancy rates this year.

With the higher supply of office space than the demand, rates are expected to flatten out in 2021, he added.

While some firms are anticipated to be downsizing, especially local companies, the executive said large business process outsourcing (BPO) companies and multinational companies are likely to expand. (PNA)

Agency (KOICA).

As of November 2020, the service provider has already completed the business process reengineering and information strategy planning for the project.

With assistance from KOICA, it is now working on the development of the value-added tax (VAT) system, installation of the information communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and the capacity building aspect of the project, Tionko said.

“The e-invoicing system we are developing is capable of processing and storing electronic invoices issued by taxpayers on near real-time. This will make it easy to issue digital receipts and capture and upload the data in the receipt to a centralized database,” Tionko said.

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) upsized further the offering for the term deposit facility (TDF) Wednesday as demand remained strong, thus the facility’s interest rates declined anew.

Data released by the BSP showed that the rate of the seven-day TDF declined to 1.6220 percent from 1.6325 percent during the auction last Jan. 20.

The rate of the 14-day facility slipped to 1.6400 percent from last week’s 1.6534 percent.

The BSP offered the shorter-dated TDF for PHP230 billion this week and tenders reached PHP272.499 billion.

This resulted in a bid coverage ratio of 1.1848 from last week’s 1.3881 when the facility was offered for PHP210 billion and bids totaled to PHP291.491

billion.

The 14-day facility was offered for PHP380 billion, up from last week’s PHP360 billion.

Tenders this week amounted to PHP432.269 billion.

Bid coverage ratio stood at 1.1376, lower than the 1.2923 last week when bids totaled to PHP465.22 billion.

In a statement, BSP Deputy Governor Francisco Dakila Jr. said “sustained strong demand for the TDF reflects ample liquidity in the financial system as cash holdings continue to normalize from the previous month’s holidays.”

“Moving forward, the BSP’s monetary operations will remain guided by its assessment of liquidity conditions and market developments,” he added. (PNA)

rates slip anew as Tax-related digitalization projects TDF demand remains strong to be fully implemented, says DOF T

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he Department of Finance (DOF) expects the full nationwide implementation this year of the fuel marking program and several digitalization projects to improve tax administration in step with its goal of utilizing new technologies to boost tax compliance and fight official corruption.

According to a report by the DOF’s Revenue Operations Group (ROG), it expects the fuel marking program, including its enforcement activities to curb smuggling, to be fully operational nationwide by the first quarter of this year.

As of Jan. 6, the volume of fuel marked under the program totalled 17.73 billion liters.

Taxes and duties collected by the Bureau of Cus-

toms (BOC) under the fuel marking program totaled PHP149.36 billion since its implementation in September 2019 up to Jan. 4 this year.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), meanwhile, collected excise taxes of PHP23.94 billion under this program from December 2019 up to Dec. 28, 2020.

In a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the ROG said it is targeting to complete the electronic tax exemption system (TES) of the DOF’s Revenue Office (RO) by the first quarter to allow qualified importers to register, file, and track online their duty- and tax-exemption applications.

In 2020, the RO processed 16,650 tax exemption applications, which translated into PHP12.5 bil-

lion in foregone revenues.

These include 2,520 applications under the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act (Republic Act 11469 or Bayanihan 1) and the Bayanihan To Recover As One Act (RA 11494 or the Bayanihan 2), said Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, who heads the ROG. In her report, Tionko said the Online Registration and Update System (ORUS) of the BIR is also expected to be operational by August.

This front-end interfacing system will allow new business and individual registrations online, as well as the updating of taxpayer details.

Tionko said the pilot rollout of the BIR’s e-invoicing system will proceed as scheduled this year with the assistance of the Korea International Cooperation

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

ECONOMY A2

Sacks of unhusked rice are neatly piled outside a rice mill in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. The country’s rice production reached an all-time high last year at 19.3 million metric tons (MT), up 2.6 percent from 18.8 million MT in 2019. Edge Davao

Telcos insist on prepaid load expiry citing ‘carrying cost’

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elecommunications companies on Wednesday opposed calls to remove the expiration date for prepaid cell phone credits saying this will affect telcos' system maintenance and burden them with “carrying cost.”

Removing the expiry date for loads will also affect telcos ability to offer promos, an official of Globe Telecom said during a Senate hearing on the proposed Prepaid Load Forever Act. “It is a limited rollout and it's a limited number of subscribers because that is only the number of subscribers that are capacitized by the system,” said Globe head of policy division, corporate and legal services Ariel Tubayan.

Prepaid loads, at present, expire after 1 year, according to Tubayan.

PLDT-Smart also said removing the expiry dates for prepaid credits will strain networks and lead to higher system maintenance.

Roy Ibay, Smart Vice President for legal and regulatory group, said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recognize the burden of carrying cost to telco firms if prepaid loads don’t expire.

“The compromise between the carriers, DTI,

NTC, and DICT way back in December 2017 was really to come up with a load period so interest would be balanced,” Ibay said.

An advocacy group meanwhile proposed an alternative to prepaid load expiry.

“The expiry should be treated as how the banks used to do it with passbooks," said Tito Pierre Galla, co-founder of Democracy.Net.PH. "You have a minimum maintaining balance, if your account is inactive for x amount of time, babawasan siya ng piso (a peso will be deducted) for example for everyday until it gets zeroed out,” Galla said.

“In this way, it becomes a win-win solution for the consumers and the telcos, the only question now is what is the definition of inactive,” he added.

The NTC meanwhile backed calls to scrap prepaid load expiry. “[Prepaid] is not the same as the [postpaid], yung [postpaid or] wired kasi naka-dedicate yung line sa’yo eh so there is that carrying cost. Yung mobile (prepaid) wala po ‘yun eh because there is no line... so lumiit nang lumiit po yan so that's the reason why I support the non-expiry, provided that pagka hindi ginagamit, binabawasan hanggang maging zero,” said NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios.

Industrial, logistic sectors to lead real estate recovery

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(Covid-19) vaccination program.

“Even pre-pandemic there’s a lot of big institutional funds regionally looking to invest in Southeast Asia in industrial and logistics. That market is only constrained by supplies,” Santos said.

With the large appetite for investments both from local and regional sources,

he added this sector will lead to the shift of the market and the renaissance of the real estate sector.

Santos Knight Frank director for investments and capital markets Kash Salvador said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth for e-commerce that pulled up the demand for warehousing.

E-commerce growth is also estimated to grow by 26 percent this year.

To cater to these demands, some real estate assets are being repurposed as storage facilities, Salvador said.

He said Tutuban Mall in Manila and SM North Edsa

in Quezon City are among the brick-and-mortar malls that are repurposing their spaces for storage.

“Malls are repurposing their spaces for storage like Tutuban Mall in Manila and SM North Edsa. Smaller developers are really looking into how they will adopt, how do they take a piece of the pie with the stable and strong demand coming from the industrial and warehousing,” Salvador added.

He said the upcoming infrastructure projects will further allow growth opportunities for commercial real estate, particularly for the industrial and logistics sector. (PNA)

and moved "to the top of priority in vaccines in order to do their jobs."

The Department of Transportation earlier recognized Filipino seafarers' contribution to world trade amid the COVID-19 crisis.

"Seafarers need to be vaccinated... We are down to 9th-10th in priority [list] in the Philippines. We hope that the IATF [Inter-Agency

Task Force on COVID-19] will see to it," said Henriksen, who is also the Maritime Committee chairman of German, Dutch and Nordic Chambers of Commerce.

He said 2021 will be a positive year for container shipping, as bigger economies such as the US and Europe are seen to have stronger demand for products

manufactured in Asia, such as bigger TV screens and other electronics.

Bulk shipping of coal, ore, steel, and other commodities is also set for a good run this year, as strained trade relations between China and Australia will translate to more coal transport to and from other countries.

mid the challenges brought by the health and economic crisis that started in 2020, a consultancy firm said the industrial and logistics sector will lead the recovery of the local real estate market.

In a virtual press conference Wednesday, Santos Knight Frank chairman and chief executive officer Rick Santos said industrial and logistics will be the sunshine sector for the property market this year given the rise in demand for warehousing due to the growth of e-commerce and cold chain facilities for the coronavirus disease 2019

PH gov’t urged to put seafarers on COVID vaccine priority list

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maritime industry stakeholder is calling on the Philippine government to also prioritize seafarers as in the country's COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Tore Henriksen, president of Doehle Shipmanagement Philippines, stressed in an interview Wednesday that Filipino seafarers must be given key worker status

4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

On the new IATF guidelines to allow children 10-14 years old and the elderly to go out of the house: Naa na ta’y statement na gidugang sa IATF bahin aning guideline to encourage other cities and provinces under GCQ because it will be under the discretion of the mayor whether atong i-adopt ning additional guideline na gipatuman sa IATF sa mga syudad under MGCQ. GCQ pa man ta so naa ta option whether to follow the new guideline or not...

So dili pa puwede ka kumpyansahan.

Kung ingon ani pa kadako atong positivity rate dili pa ta mukumpyansa to loosen up. Katong mga tao na mugawas ug balay labi na karon na nagpagawas ang IATF ug bagong resolution lowering those age limit na puwedeng mugawas from 10 years old up to 65 years old.

Sauna 15 years old and above.”

Dr. Ashley Lopez

Focal person, Davao City Covid-19 Task Force

EDITORIAL Ray of light for hotel industry?

Current restrictions on Covid-19 should not stop people from staying in hotels for as long as they follow strictly government imposed protocols.

In the midst of the fears gripping everyone of contracting Covid, it is important to understand that staying in hotels is still safe.

For example, can you get the virus from people who were in the room previous to you?

The answer is hotels and other accommodations should have procedures for cleaning, disinfecting and ventilating the room properly between every guest’s stay. These processes allow the accommodations to be used immediately afterward. If these procedures are followed, there is no need to leave the room empty between guests. Assuming all that has been observed, it is safe.

One of Davao City’s prime accommodations, Seda Abreeza bared on Wednesday that people are beginning to come and stay in the hotel. At least as far as Seda Abreeza is concerned,

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

their occupancy is starting to pick up. Perhaps far from previous occupancy rates under normal times, its manager Ken Kapulong believes it’s a good indication.

Davao City lost two of its biggest luxury hotels to the pandemic and several others are still not operating. It’s an uphill battle but when people are educated well and they follow health standards, the hotel is a safe home.

Davao’s hotel industry was booming until the pandemic hit.

The Royal Mandaya Hotel, a locally-owned luxury hotel, had just underwent massive renovation of its rooms, lobby, restaurants and swimming pool area when Covid struck. Before the lockdowns and its temporary closure, it was enjoying one of its brisk periods in terms of occupancy and events. Marco Polo Davao, the icon of Davao’s luxury accommodation, was the biggest casualty to the coronavirus as it was forced to shut down.

It may just be the case for Seda Abreeza but it is hoped that the other hotel players in the city can get back on track this year, slowly but surely.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

ENVIRONMENT

SAVING MEDICINE CABINETS OF 21ST CENTURY

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO r. Lourdes Cruz was among the more than 1,000 nominees worldwide for the award given annually to women scientists from five different regions of the world for their outstanding scientific contributions and commitment. Fortunately, she was chosen by a jury composed of 18 eminent members of the scientific community headed by the 1999 recipient of the Nobel Prize in medicine, Dr. Gunter Blobel.

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Dr. Cruz was given the 2008 L’Oreal-Unesco Award for Women in Science “for her pioneering research on the venomous toxins of the cone snail, called conotoxin, which can produce a medication that is more powerful than morphine and can serve as powerful tools to study brain function.”

Conotoxin is just one of the chemicals found from the species inhabiting the coastal waters.

Unknowingly, the ecologically-fragile coral reefs hold considerable untapped potential in medical science.

So much that the US State Department said that half the potential pharmaceuticals being explored today come from the oceans, many from coral reef ecosystems.

“The sky's the limit,” Dr. Deborah Gochfeld, a senior research scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research of the University of Mississippi, told this author. “The oceans have a much broader diversity of chemical structures than are

found in plants – which include uses for cancer, heart disease, and infections, among others – so it is likely that marine animals will include all of these options and more.”

Dr. William Fenical, director for marine biotechnology and biomedicine at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, echoes the same idea. “Marine resources could be the major source of drugs in the coming years,” he pointed out.

Most of these marine resources thrive in coral reefs. “Many coral reef species produce chemicals like histamines and antibiotics used in medicine and science,” reports The Nature Conservancy, an organization whose mission is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters needed for their survival.

“Coral reefs are sometimes considered the medicine cabinets of the 21st century,” says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA). “Coral reef plants and animals are important sources of new medicines being developed to treat cancer, arthritis, human bacterial infections, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, viruses, and other diseases.

“Some coral reef organisms produce powerful chemicals to fend off attackers, and scientists continue to research the medicinal potential of these substances,” it adds.

Coral reefs, touted to be the rainforests of the sea, are one of the most productive and biologically rich ecosystems on earth. They extend across about 250,000 square kilometers of the ocean – less than one-tenth of one percent of the marine environment – yet they may be home to 25 percent of all known marine species.

“About 4,000 coral reefassociated fish species and 800 species of reef-building corals have been described to date, though these numbers are dwarfed by the great diversity of other marine species associated with coral reefs, including sponges, urchins, crustaceans, mollusks, and many more,” Reefs at Risk Revisited in the Coral Triangle reported.

For centuries, coastal communities have used reef plants and animals for their medicinal properties. In the Philippines, for instance, giant clams are eaten as a malaria treatment.

“Unique medicinal properties of coral reef organisms were recognized by Eastern cultures as early as the 14th century, and some species continue to be in high demand for traditional medicines,” observes Dr. Andrew Bruckner,

a coral reef ecologist in the US National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Protected Resources in Silver Spring, Maryland.

In China and Taiwan, tonics and medicines derived from seahorse extracts are used to treat a wide range of ailments, including sexual disorders, respiratory and circulatory problems, kidney and liver diseases, throat infections, skin ailments, and pain.

In Japan’s reefs – one of the most studied coral coasts in the world – there is a chemical called kainic acid, which is used as a diagnostic chemical to investigate Huntington’s chorea, a rare but fatal disease of the nervous system. Sea whips, a type of soft coral found throughout the Caribbean may hold the key to promising new painkillers.

Other coral chemicals have proved useful in research on arthritis and asthma. In Australia, researchers have developed a sun cream for a coral chemical that contains a natural “factor 50” sun block.

In addition, the porous limestone skeleton of coral is now being tested as bone grafts in humans. “If used properly,

the reefs of the entire world can better serve humans with medicine rather than with food,” some researchers claim.

In an article which appeared in Reef Research, Dr. Patrick Colin, a marine biologist, clearly described the hopes that had led him to spend the 1990s collecting marine samples in the Pacific for the US National Cancer Institute (NCI).

“Over the years, the NCI has been screening terrestrial plants and marine organisms worldwide for bioactivity against cancer and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and has come up with a number of hot prospects, a number of which are in clinical trials,” Dr. Colin wrote.

Already, the NCI has been screening each year about 1,000 species of oceanic invertebrates and plants, including sea slugs, sea squirts, sponges, and several other denizens of coral gardens.

“The marine environment became a focus of natural products drug discovery research because of its relatively unexplored biodiversity,” says the book, From Monsoons to Microbes.

According to the book,

5

marine sponges are among the most prolific sources of diverse chemical compounds with therapeutic potential. Of the more than 5,000 chemical compounds derived from marine organisms, more than 30 percent have so far been isolated from sponges.

Chemicals with therapeutic potential can also be extracted from bryozoans, ascidians, mollusks, cnidarians and algae.

Several strains of phytoplankton have been discovered to be exhibiting antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Since the mid-1970s, private and government-funded institutions from the United States and other industrialized countries have devoted varying levels of effort to the discovery of marine-derived pharmaceuticals.

Meanwhile, the use of corals in bone grafts is spreading rapidly. Pieces of coral set into a fracture act as a scaffold around which the healing can take place. The implant eventually disappears, absorbed by the new growth of bone. Rates of rejection are much lower than with artificial grafting materials. -- (Photos courtesy of Gregory C. Ira)

6 EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

7

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine approved for emergency use in the Philippines

T

he approval follows a landmark tripartite agreement as AstraZeneca supports the Philippine government in paving the way for a return to normalcy and full economic recovery in line with its no-profit, equitable distribution model.

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (AZD1222) has been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the Philippines by the Food and Drug Administration indicated for active immunization of individuals ≥18 years old for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The approval in the Philippines marks another important milestone after a landmark tripartite agreement with the Philippine Government, Local Government Units, and Private Donors that aims to supply close to 17 million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca to millions of Filipinos.

The decision to approve was anchored on a rolling submission which included results

of an interim analysis of the Phase III programme conducted by the University of Oxford and published in The Lancet on 8 December 2020. The Philippine FDA authorization is for the two standard dose regimen of COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca, which was shown in the clinical trials to be well tolerated and effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19, with no severe cases and no hospitalizations more than 14 days after the second dose.

The COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) for at least six months. It is easily administered within existing healthcare settings.

AstraZeneca Country President Lotis Ramin said: “This emergency use authorization will give millions of Filipinos access to AstraZeneca’s effective, well-tolerated, and simple-to-administer vaccine once supply becomes available. We will continue to fulfill our com-

mitment to provide broad and equitable access at no profit as we work with the Philippine government to pave the way for a return to normalcy and the country’s full economic recovery.”

The COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca has also been granted emergency use authorization in the United Kingdom, India, Thailand Argentina, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico and Morocco and continues to seek approval worldwide. AstraZeneca is also seeking Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization for an accelerated pathway to vaccine availability in low-income countries.

In addition to the University of Oxford-led programme, AstraZeneca is conducting a large study in the US as part of a global programme. In total, the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca expect to enrol more than 60,000 participants worldwide. AstraZeneca is also seeking Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization

gawas ang IATF ug bag-ong resolution lowering those age limit na puwedeng mugawas from 10 years old up to 65 years old. Sauna 15 years old and above,” he said.

Lopez is hopeful that the city will not yet level down to MGCQ status due to the current number of cases.

As of January 26, 2021, there are 11,166 total cases since March 15, 2020 and out of this there are 1,482 active cases including 99 new cases, which accounts to about 13 percent of the

total cases since March.

There are also 9,962 total recoveries recorded including 99 new recoveries and 522 deaths including 10 new deaths.

“If you look at the positivity rate sa Davao City ang threshold anang positivity rate is 5 percent only and according to World Health Organization, Davao City, from January 10 up to 24 medyo taas pa ta ug positivity rate ug daghan pa ta transmission sa atong households in the community,” Lopez said.

Lopez is hoping that be-

fore Valentine’s Day, cases in Davao City will decrease.

He said a surge of cases is expected in the middle of next month.

“Hinaut lang muubos because I’ve been announcing na ang surge na atoang gina anticipate for Davao City will be felt until midFebruary. Atong i-ampo na bag-o muabot ang Valentine’s Day atong mapaubos hinay-hinay ang atong mga kaso sa Davao so that we could celebrate Valentine’s Day happily,” he said.

kinship.”

Panelo said he wants Duterte-Carpio to be the next president not because of her relationship with the Chief Executive but because of her strong character and leadership skills.

“Tama si Mayor Sara. It should not be based on kinship. Talagang dapat, kumbaga, kailangan batay sa kwalipikasyon (Mayor Sara is right. It should not be based on kinship. It should really be based on the qualifications),” he said.

Had he based it on kin-

ship, he would have picked either Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Panelo said.

“Unang-una, hindi ko pa nakakakitaan ng gusto kong qualities yung dalawa. Most likely meron din sila but I have not seen that (First and foremost, I have not seen from them the qualities a president should possess. Most likely, they have the qualities but I have not seen that),” he said.

Panelo, nevertheless,

said the ultimate decision on who deserves to be Duterte’s successor would come from the Filipino people.

“That’s for the people to decide. The idea has been floated. It’s the Filipinos or the Filipino people [who] will either take it or reject it. It’s for the people also to make it flourished,” he said.

On Jan. 14, Duterte said he does not want his daughter to run for president in 2022 because presidency is an unsuitable job for a woman. (PNA)

It was also stated in the EO that the operating costs of the TF HPBS will be

sourced from the available funds of the City Government of Davao, or the proj-

ect itself, subject to usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

"If ever there (is) presence of drug or alcohol, that will only be an incidental finding because even by their absence, rupture can occur if blood pressure shoots up from different strenuous physical activities. Vomiting or retching can also increase blood pressure and trigger the ruptured aneurysm," the report said.

It noted that the aneurysm on Dacera's aorta already started "a long time ago or maybe years" before her death.

"If she (did) not die that fateful night, she will still die in any scenario that presents an activity that will increase her blood pressure enough to tear that aneurysm," it added.

Dacera's heart reportedly weighed 500 grams that is the normal 300 grams.

"This is a finding that supports Dacera's apparently undiagnosed hypertension. An examination revealed hemorrhages highly suggestive that there was really significant increase in her blood pressure prior to her death," the report said.

KIDS... FROM2

MAYOR... FROM2

METRO... FROM3

DACERA’S... FROM3

for an accelerated pathway to vaccine availability in low-income countries.

COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (AZD1222) COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca (AZD1222) was co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech.

It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARSCoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

The interim analysis for efficacy was based on 11,636 participants accruing 131 symptomatic infections from the UK and Brazil Phase III trials conducted by Oxford University. As announced on 23 November 2020, the primary efficacy endpoint based on a pooled analysis showed that the vac-

cine was 70.4% (confidence interval: 54.8% to 80.6%) effective at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 occurring more than 14 days after receiving two doses of the vaccine. A secondary efficacy endpoint of prevention of severe disease demonstrated no cases of severe infections or hospitalisations in the vaccine group.

The safety data published so far is from over 20,000 participants enrolled across four clinical trials in the UK and Brazil and South Africa. The Lancet publication confirmed that AZD1222 was well tolerated and that there were no serious safety events confirmed related to the vaccine. The participants were from diverse racial and geographic groups who are healthy or have stable underlying medical conditions. This analysis provides safety data on 74,341 person-months of follow-up after first dose (median 3.4 months) and 29,060 person-months of follow-up after two doses (median 2.0

months). The overall reported rates of serious adverse events were 0.7% in the vaccine group and 0.8% in the control group.

In addition to the programme led by Oxford University, AstraZeneca is conducting a large trial in the US and globally. In total, Oxford University and AstraZeneca expect to enrol up to 60,000 participants globally.

AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca.

Petition for Extension of Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a FILCAB ORDINARY REGULAR Service.

Petition for Extension of Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate an AIRCONDITIONED UV EXPRESS Service.

Petition for Extension of Validity of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular Service.

Case No. R11-EV-FC-2021-1-013 (2016-XI-00013) NOLI C. SODUSTA, JR., Petitioner.

Case No. R11-EV-UV-2021-1-764 (2015-XI-00764) ESPERIDION A. NGOJO, Petitioner.

NOTICE OF HEARING

NOTICE OF HEARING

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a FILCAB Ordinary Regular service on the route: SASA VIA JP LAUREL AVENUE with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on December 31, 2021. In the petition filed on January 19, 2021, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 2, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao.

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

Witness Dir. NONITO A. LLANOS III, Regional Director, this 21st day of January 2021 at Davao City, Philippines.

Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of an AIRCONDITIONED UV EXPRESS service on the route: DAVAO CITY - CATEEL (DAVAO ORIENTAL) AND VICE VERSA with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate has expired last December 29, 2020. On January 6, 2021, Petitioner filed a Motion seeking the acceptance of the late filing of the Petition for Extension of Validity which was duly granted by this Board taking into account the issuance of MC 2010-034. In the petition filed on January 14, 2021, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on FEBRUARY 23, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao.

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

Witness Dir. NONITO A. LLANOS III, Regional Director, this 19th day of January 2021 at Davao City, Philippines.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office No. XI Libby Road, Puan, Davao City

x----------------------------------------------------x

Atty. CATTLEYA B. ACAYLAR

Acting Chief Transportation Development Officer

Petitioner, Noli C. Sodusta Counsel, Atty. Randolf P. Esparagoza

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office No. XI Libby Road, Puan, Davao City

x----------------------------------------------------x

Atty. CATTLEYA B. ACAYLAR

Acting Chief Transportation Development Officer

Petitioner, Esperidion A. Ngojo Counsel, Atty. Raul C. Espina

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation LAND TRANSPORTATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office No. XI Libby Road, Puan, Davao City

Case No. R11-EV-PJ-2021-1-563 (2016-XI-00563) ROMEO D. ALIÑAR, Petitioner. x----------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF HEARING Petitioner is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience issued in this case authorizing the operation of a PUJ Dual Ordinary Regular service on the route: KIBLAWAN (DAVAO DEL SUR) - DAVAO CITY and for cargoes as dual service from said place to any point in Region XI with the use of ONE (1) unit, which Certificate will expire on June 22, 2021. In the petition filed on January 19, 2021, petitioner requests authority to extend the validity of said Certificate to operate along the same route with the use of the same unit previously authorized.

NOTICE, is hereby given that this petition will be heard by this Board on MARCH 2, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. at this office at the above address.

At least TEN (10) days prior to the above date petitioner shall publish this Notice once in a newspaper of general circulation in Mindanao.

Parties opposed to the granting of the petition must file their written opposition supported by documentary evidence on or before the above date furnishing a copy of the same to the petitioner, and may if they so, desire appear on said date and time.

This petition will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and the documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/or oral evidence.

Witness Dir. NONITO A. LLANOS III, Regional Director, this 21st day of January 2021 at Davao City, Philippines.

Atty. CATTLEYA B. ACAYLAR

Acting Chief Transportation Development Officer

Petitioner, Romeo D. Aliñar Counsel, Atty. Randolf P. Esparagoza

B1 COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

HOLY CHILD COLLEGE OF DAVAO’S BEST PRACTICES

H

OLY CHILD College of Davao is a Christian School that envisioned to produce graduates who respond to the will of God in their lives.

Through the years, it progresses leading the learners to the right path on a right way.

“Train up a child in the way he should go; when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6), is the guiding verse of Holy Child College of Davao, which leads the school to the achievement of its goal that truly motivates everyone to embrace best practices that impacted greatly the lives of the students.

Holy Child has been making noise – a noise that is a sweet aroma to the throne of Him. And it has not stopped even this time of pandemic. The Monday Morning Devotional- praise and worship, scripture reading which is participated by everybody is the number one best practice of the school that we all love the most.

Take a look at the following testimonies of our Alumni: “Holy Child definitely helped shape my Christian life. The Praise and Worship in our daily devotional time is one great thing that I will

never forget, which I still do this time.”

“Holy Child is the school that helps shape students not just in academic terms but also in their spiritual lives. And that Holy Child really impacted students’ lives through helping them grow in their Christian lives, along with honing their skills in academic competitiveness and enriching good morals, values and attitude.”

Holy Child College of Davao promotes safe and healthy learning environment before and during this time of pandemic and everyone shares this responsibility for this to be sustainable, becoming a culture.

We Nurture a Family Relationship in School. The school leaders together with the faculty and staff are in collaboration making all students feel that they have a second family in school that they can trust.

We Create a Welcoming Learning Environment. We do our best that the whole

Holy Child Community feels a sense of belongingness as they enter our school, even in their respective e-classrooms now that we are experiencing pandemic. ¬¬¬¬We Uphold Go¬¬¬¬¬¬¬od Manners and Right Conduct. As school authorities, we model good manners and right conduct the best we can, to our students which show the best we have to offer and encourage others to be their best.

We Encourage Healthy Behaviors. We strongly believe that students who are physically healthy are better learners. We promote good health in our e-classroom by explaining to our students the importance of good nutrition and exercise.

We Support Individual Students. As a school, we see how important it is to form a relationship with our students to know if a student needs help and support.

We Set Limits. We believe that students need boundaries in order to feel safe and secure enough to explore the world around them and one way to set boundaries in the e-classroom is to create rules.

Holy Child Provides Venues to Enhance Students’

Skills and Abilities. The school opens different clubs which are good venues to develop students’ talents and gifts. This includes Academic and Non-Academic Clubs.

We Conduct Life Group with Students. This is part of the Values class which is offered to Grades 4 -10 wherein there is a group leader (a pastor, a guidance counsellor or a Christian teacher) who will facilitate activities like praise and worship song, prayer, sharing of God’s word, testimony time and group prayer.

Our Teachers Go Above and Beyond. Teachers often go above and beyond spending time talking with their students, helping students with their personal needs, coaching them, and making their students feel comfortable.

School Leaders Support and Collaborate with Teachers to Ensure Quality Education. We work hand in hand to provide quality education. As school leaders, we support the teachers by engaging them to meaningful professional development and training, providing meaningful evaluation, establishing ongoing open communication, providing the resources they need,

conduct mentoring, and giving them encouragement.

Take a look on more of the stakeholders’ testimonies: “I really love the teachers in Holy Child, I feel that they are a family to me, especially those who I grew up with for 14 years. The close relationship we had with teachers is a big thing to me.”

“We parents like the school activities very much.

They help enhance our children’s skills. We also like the idea of having coaching time with those who need help academically.”

Holy Child College of Davao provides programs to help students, parents and guardians to make themselves prepared for the new system in education to make everything easy for them. We believe that if they would have easy access to people whom they can ask about their concerns, things will become lighter and easier for them.

Before the opening of classes, we engaged students to Zoom Classes, which aims to help the students in conditioning their minds as we transition to the new normal.

We created official student’s email address to be

used in submitting school related matters. We conducted Parents Orientation and Tech Training for Parents, Community Prayer, created Class GCs for students and teacher’s communication, private Class fb page, where the teachers post their announcements, Parents GC with Class Adviser and Level Coordinator which is for easy access of answers to queries, included a Tech Support Personnel in the class GC with parents to assist them when they have online concerns.

The school also formed a Help Desk composed of IT experts who act as Tech Support Group to assist teachers, students and parents who would have online or technical concerns. This is available to serve the clients every day and night up to 8PM. Indeed, Holy Child College of Davao would like to extend sustainable quality service to its clients.

Holy Child College of Davao’s Best Practices, have indeed impacted greatly the lives of the students. Their testimonies are a sweet music to the ears which keep motivating the Holy Child College of Davao Community DO Work Worthy of God. Anilyn R. Olorvida

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

B2

Andre Drummond had 23 points, 16 rebounds and five steals against his former team.

Drummond lifts Cavs over Pistons C LEVELAND — Collin Sexton scored 29 points and Andre Drummond had 23 points, 16 rebounds and five steals against his former team, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 122-107 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time).

Taurean Prince added 16 points and rookie Isaac Okoro had 10 points and a season-high six assists to help the Cavaliers snap a two-game losing streak and improve to 9-9.

Jerami Grant scored 26 points and Mason Plumlee had 15 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high eight turnovers for Detroit. The Pistons have the worst road record in the Eastern Con-

ference at 1-7. Grant made 10 of 10 free throws.

Drummond made a bank shot midway through the fourth quarter to give Cleveland its largest lead of the night at 108-89. The Cavaliers went ahead for good at 72-69 on Darius Garland's 3-pointer in the third.

Garland had 14, and Cedi Osman and Jarrett Allen added 10 apiece for Cleveland. The Cavaliers shot 54% from the field, going 52.4% on 3-pointers.

Detroit guard Derrick Rose returned after miss-

ing two games with a sore left knee, scoring 13 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Wayne Ellington had 17 points.

Cavaliers power forward Larry Nance Jr. was unavailable for the second straight game after spraining his right wrist at Boston on Sunday.

Pistons coach Dwane Casey is encouraged by Cleveland's development, specifically mentioning Sexton and Garland. The Cavaliers are seventh in the East after finishing with the

second-worst record in the NBA last season. "A couple of years ago, Cleveland was where we are now," Casey said. "They're an exciting up-and-coming team, like we want to be."

TIP-INS Pistons: F Blake Griffin (left knee) and G Killian Hayes (right hip) were inactive. Griffin is not playing in back-to-back games for precautionary reasons. … Rookie G Saben Lee was assigned to the G-League in a procedural move. "Saben would have been inactive with Der-

rick (Rose) back, so this will save days on his two-way contract," Casey said.

Cavaliers: Garland made his first start since returning from a sprained right shoulder on Jan. 22. The second-year pro missed eight games, but coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he is no longer on a minutes restriction. … F Kevin Love (right calf strain), G Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) and rookie F Lamar Stevens (abdominal strain) were inactive.

ADRID - Lionel Messi returned from suspension to help guide Barcelona to a 2-1 win away to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey. Barca dominated the match and hit the woodwork three times but second division Rayo took a surprise lead in the 63rd

minute when Barca keeper Neto failed to deal with a low cross and midfielder Fran Garcia pounced to bundle the ball over the line.

Rayo went looking for a second goal and were badly caught out on the break when Frenkie de Jong picked out Antoine Griezmann and the Frenchman laid the ball off for Messi to slot into the net from close range in the

70th minute.

The Argentine, who became Barca's record appearance maker in the competition with 76 Copa matches, was the architect of the second goal 10 minutes later, releasing Jordi Alba down the left wing with a sumptuous pass and De Jong finished off the defender's cross to send the Catalans into the last eight.

AFC CL, Cup groups set M U nited City and Kaya Iloilo finally found out who they will be facing as they embark on another year of Asian club football.

United City, the reigning Philippines Football League champion, was grouped together with two perennial domestic title contenders in its first foray into the AFC Champions League (ACL).

Following the result of the group draw on Wednesday in the AFC's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, the reigning PFL champion was placed in Group I alongside Japan's Kawasaki Frontale and China's Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao.

Coached by Toru Oniki and led by captain Shogo Taniguchi and Japan's 2018 FIFA World Cup player Ryota Oshima, Kawasaki won the J1 League title last year.

On the other hand, the Fabio Cannavaro-coached Guangzhou side was the hottest club in the Chinese Super League last decade, winning eight titles in the nine seasons the club was in

the top division during the said span.

However, Guangzhou was dethroned last year after losing to eventual firsttime champ Jiangsu Suning in the finals of the CSL's special season tournament.

A showdown between T1 powerhouse Ratchaburi and K-League club Pohang Steelers on April 14 will decide which team will complete Group I. Interestingly enough, a Ratchaburi win would mean OJ Porteria, who joined the club fresh from helping United City clinch the PFL title last November, will take on his former club.

Also possibly booking a showdown against their former club are Luke Woodland and Curt Dizon, who played for United City when it was still known as Ceres Negros.

Meanwhile, Kaya Iloilo was grouped, interestingly enough, in another Group I, this time for the AFC Cup. Kaya Iloilo was placed in the same group as Malaysian club Terengganu and

Singaporean squad Geylang.

However, Kaya Iloilo may leave the AFC Cup group if it qualifies for the ACL. Kaya Iloilo must first beat A-League side Brisbane Roar on April 7 to force a clash with Beijing FC the following week for the right to join Group F in the ACL together with K-League's Ulsan Hyundai, the ACL defending champion, T1's BG Pathum United, and Vietnam's Viettel.

Meanwhile, a fourth club from Myanmar will complete Group I of the AFC Cup, but it will depend on Shan United's own ACL qualification bid.

Shan will take on Melbourne in the first round of the qualifiers on April 7 with the winner battling Cerezo Osaka a week after.

The winner of the clash between Osaka and the Shan-Melbourne victor will complete Group J of the ACL Group Stages, joining Shandong Luneng of China, Port of Thailand, and Kitchee of Hong Kong.

Messi leads Barca to Copa comeback win over Rayo

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates scoring their first goal. Sergio Perez, Reuters

EDGEDAVAO 8 SPORTS STAY IN THE GYM

VOL.13 ISSUE 243 • FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2021

Arcadia Fitness extends discounted membership fees

By NEILWIN JOSEPH BRAVO

B

ecause a healthy lifestyle does not stall with the pandemic restrictions, Davao’s premier fitness hub has something to keep fitness buffs in the gym.

Arcadia Fitness Gym has slashed down its membership fees to encourage fitness buffs to continue a healthy lifestyle especially amid the pandemic.

In an announcement posted on its Facebook page, Arcadia has brought its Monthly Membership Fees from P3,000 to P2,4000 and Quarterly Membership Fees from P7,500 to P6,000.

The re-imposition of government regulations on coronavirus-related measures forced Arcadia and other Davao City fitness gym facilities to adopt to a stringent 5-man limit per gym hour regardless of the floor area size.

Arcadia adjusted to a new gym schedule beginning late last year "in accordance to Executive Order No. 57 Series of 2020, Section 10." Arcadia Fitness Gym imposed the limited gym schedule effective October 28, 2020.

The revised rules include gym visits 'by-appointment basis' only; maximum of 5 members per session are allowed for both pool and gym access; at no time can face masks be taken off while inside the gym; booking for sessions must be done on a daily basis; cancellation of booking must be done 3 hours prior to gym session; no entry unless the schedule confirmation

is received.

"Members are advised to book their schedules accordingly.

We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Together, let’s stay active and stay safe," the announcement read.

Gym users may contact the administration for more information through (0917) 146 4304 or (0923) 104 2585.

Arcadia Fitness Gym recently introduced Kinesis Personal Vision to its members and gym users. The new training method allows one to rediscover and improve strength, coordination, flexibility, posture control and breathing control. One can exercise both single muscles and entire muscle chains for a complete and effective functional workout including abdominals, glut exercises, and many more.

A female fitness enthusiast works out at the Arcadia Fitness Gym cyclo class. Arcadia photo