Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 253 |Wednesday, February 10, 2021

SEN. BONG GO BATS FOR INCLUSION OF ATHLETES, COACHES IN VACCINATION PRIORITY

SPORTS P8 VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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SCAM ALERT DoTr warns public vs. schemers STORY ON PAGE 2

Chinese Consul General Li Lin turns over to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio 8,700 “friendship bags” amounting to P4.6 million to help struggling Dabawenyos. The “friendship bags”were donated by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao and the Chinese Enterprises’ Mutual Aid Group in Mindanao. CIO

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

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

SCAM ALERT

DoTr warns public vs. schemers A A

By MAYA M. PADILLO n official of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) has warned the public against posers who solicit money and favors on behalf of the agency.

Eymard Eje, Assistant Secretary for Project Implementation of DoTr-Mindanao Cluster disclosed that it has come to the attention of the DoTr’s Mindanao Railway Project (MRP) Project Management Office (PMO) and the High Priority Bus System (HPBS) that there are some individuals or groups who have been purportedly posing as representatives and/or agents of officials and personnel of the DOTr MRP-PMO and the HPBS, or are name-dropping said officials and employees in fraudulent and unlawful schemes to extort money.

In a statement, Eje warned the public that the DoTr MRP-PMO and HPBS

have not authorized any person, groups of persons, or even the DOTr DOTr MRP-PMO and HPBS personnel to solicit money or other things of value from the public, in exchange for alleged benefit or favor, or for any other cause and purpose.

These solicitations, he said, are fraudulent, unauthorized, illegal, and absolutely prohibited.

Eje added that the DOTr MRP-PMO and HPBS condemn these activities in no uncertain terms, and categorically denies any involvement or participation in said schemes.

He also reminded the public to avoid transacting with these posers and

scammers, and to directly address their concerns to the proper offices of DOTr MRP-PMO and HPBS, or any authorized body/committee, using official channels of communication.

Eje also advised the public not to entertain these individuals or groups.

“If you are a victim of these unauthorized acts or has any useful information thereof, kindly report the same to the DOTr MRP-PMO and HPBS for appropriate action and investigation,” he said.

Eje assured that DOTr MRP-PMO and HPBS will not tolerate these kinds of illegal activities.

“Let us all unite against individuals /groups engaged in illegal activities and who tarnish and destroy the good name and reputation of our government agencies and officials/ personnel for their personal gains,” he said.

Mati City’s isolation facilities almost full n official of Mati City Incident Management Team (IMT) disclosed that the city’s Covid-19 isolation facilities are almost full due to post-holiday surge.

“We anticipated that there will be a post-holiday surge because the virus is behavior driven,” said Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr., head of Mati IMT in an email interview.

Catbagan said the city has expanded its surge capacity and testing capacity using rapid antigen tests to augment the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test allocation given for Covid-19.

He added that although isolation facilities are almost fully occupied, Mati City still has functional barangay isolation units.

He also said that during the past two weeks of surge, the city managed the con-

firmed cases by instructing them to stay home while the city is preparing places as isolation facility for them; or discharge patients, then fetch them.

Catbagan said it is the city’s goal to get these confirmed Covid-19 cases isolated at home than at isolation facilities to cut transmission.

“Some would request home isolation, if our facilities are full at the moment and the isolation conditions of the confirmed case fits the requirement, and the patient is asymptomatic, we allow under special circumstances,” he said.

He added that Covid-19 positive patients were required to sign an agreement in relation to RA11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

Catbagan said Mati City recorded 403 confirmed cases since March 2020 and recorded 279 recovered cases (69 percent recovery rate).

He said there are a total of 118 active cases wherein the bulk of cases is from a group of Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR) and the remaining are clustering areas in the city.

Catbagan said all clustering areas were managed according to zoning quarantine strategy and Prevent-Detect-Isol a t e -T r e a t - R e i n t e g r a t e (PDITR) system.

“The positivity rate is still above the threshold of 5 percent, meaning transmission will still be expected to continue. We will established systems and strengthened our PDITR,”

FMATI, P7

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

Covid vaccines AstraZeneca, Pfizer set to arrive in March

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Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director General Ramon L. Cualoping III discloses during a news conference in Davao del Norte that AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are set to arrive in March. Edge Davao

residential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Director General Ramon L. Cualoping III said that AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are set to arrive in March.

During the BIDA Bakunation Press Conference on February 4-5 at Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental, Cualoping III announced the arrival of these vaccines.

“Ang muabot karong March, the first week of March, is around 15-19 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer (Around 15-19 million doses of AstraZeneca and Pfizer will arrive this March, first week of March),” he revealed.

He added that for the roll out of the national vaccination program, the government will be using a

“portfolio” of vaccines and not just one brand.

With this, Cualoping III dismissed the disinformation that only Chinese vaccines will be used.

“So diha palang, dili tinuod ang mga gina-ingon sa uban nga only Chinese brands lang daw ang muabot (Just from that, the claim that only Chinese brands will arrive is already untrue),” he said.

According to him, the National Vaccination Program aims to inoculate at least 70% of the country’s population.

With recent surveys having revealed that only 25% are willing to get vaccinated, Cualoping III said that the government is rolling out a massive information and education campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated.

(Jan Vincent Leuterio/PIAXI)

Chinese gov’t vows to continue extending aid to Dabawenyos T

By MAYA M. PADILLO

he Chinese government through the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Davao vowed to continue extending assistance to Dabawenyos in need.

Consul General Li Lin said the Consulate General in cooperation with the city government of Davao will continue its assistance program.

Recently, the Consulate General and the Chinese Enterprises’ Mutual Aid Group in Mindanao donated a total of 8,700 “friendship bags” amounting to P4.6 million to the city government of Davao. Each package contained five kilos of rice, six pieces noodles, three packs of pancit canton, six cans sardines, and four cans of corned beef.

The turn-over ceremony was led by Lin and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. It was also attended by Deputy Consul General Liu Qian, Vice Consul Cao Jianwei, and representatives from the Chinese Enterprises’ Mutual Aid Group.

Lin also affirmed that the Consulate General will continue to collaborate with the city government in the fight to contain the virus and to the city’s efforts to recover economy and achieve social-economic progress.

The Consulate has been extending aid and medical

supplies to the city to help support in its fight against Covid-19 pandemic.

As Chinese New Year is approaching, Lin also conveyed his best wishes that may the Year of the Ox bring good health, happy family, and a successful career to everyone.

On the other hand, Mayor Sara also delivered a message and expressed her gratitude to the Consulate General and the Chinese enterprises in Mindanao for the generous donation as these will help those communities deeply affected by the pandemic.

She said that the “friendship bags” symbolizes the friendship and long standing history between the Chinese people and Dabawenyos.

on the guidelines of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Epidemiologist and Infectious Disease Specialist, the cadavers of patients that died due to the deadly virus has to be cremated or buried within 12 hours.

Mayor Inday Sara Duterte on Monday announced that the city crematorium has started its operation on February 4 and exclusively catering to Covid-19 related deaths for now.

“Sa karon, ang gina ac-

commodate lang nato is all Covid-19 cadavers lang sa pero pag once mahuman na ang atong pandemic, then all kinds of cadavers referred to us for cremation maka accommodate na (For now, we only accommodate all Covid-19 cadavers but once the pandemic will be over, then all kinds of cadavers referred to us from cremation will be accommodated),” Mayor Sara said during her Special Hour over Davao City Disaster Radio. CIO

Newly-completed Davao City crematorium starts operation

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he newly-completed Davao City crematorium at the Wireless Cemetery is now in operation but only for Covid-19 related deaths giving relief to the handling of the bulk of referrals for the cremation of patients who died of the coronavirus disease.

The facility can cater four (4) cadavers per day and the charges for cremation services will be free.

Cremation is one of the components of the city’s Covid-19 response. Based

A1 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

An oil refinery in Brgy. Sasa, Davao City. Oil companies have announced an increase in their pump prices. Gasoline prices hiked by P0.85 per liter and P1.10 per liter on diesel. Edge Davao

Davao City-based company promotes urban gardening

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Filipino company based in Davao City has promoted the conversion of biodegradable waste to natural fertilizer by giving incentives to interested Dabawenyos.

The Davao Thermo Biotech Corporation (DTBC) launched its project called the Yellow Drum Project (YDP) in the last quarter of 2020.This aims to adopt biodegradable waste management by diverting biodegradable wastes to the DTBC’s composting plant located in Toril, instead of sending them to the city’s

landfill.

With the city’s increasing population, it is expected that the amount of garbage and wastes would pile up.

Based on the 2018 records of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), the city generated an average of 1,012 tons of waste a day. However, the daily collection would only

cover 292 tons.

The long quarantine months allowed DTBC to see the need for proper biodegradable waste management in households, particularly for kitchen and other compostable solid waste, including branches, dried leaves, and pet waste.

The company was then motivated to encourage people to start composting in their respective.

The project took its name from the yellow drums the company distributes to households which families can use in collecting their

biodegradable waste. Once filled, the DTBC will collect, transport, and compost the waste for Php500.00 per drum.

The project also provides the participants with a 10-kilogram bag of Dr. Bo's Compost Starter that will serve as a deodorizer to prevent the biodegradable waste’s foul smell. Under it, households will be given incentives in the forms of biofertilizer, enriched potting mix, or compost starter after their third filled yellow drum or every time each household completes a

cycle of three yellow drums.

In the meantime, the DTBC uses hyper thermophilic aerobic bacterial composting to convert biodegradables into soil and plant fertilizer.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11 Industry Development Division Chief Arriel N. Nengasca shared that this is worthwhile project not only for the environment but also for the garbage collectors or the basureros.

“Personally, the project has encouraged me to start an advocacy in proper waste

segregation. With the help of the project, composting has been made easier,” he said.

Nengasca further emphasized that the DTBC initiative has likewise promoted and encouraged urban gardening among homeowners, which could be a means towards food security and sustainability.

DTI 11 Regional Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi said that this type of project is timely, especially that a lot of people have been staying home most of the time these

publicly listed real estate developer has retained its market leadership in Visayas and Mindanao (VisMin) in 2020, according to a recent market study by property consultant Santos Knight Frank (SKF).

The Cebu-based Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) has the largest market share from among real estate firms providing condominium projects and subdivisions in the region.

The study disclosed that CLI accounted for 18,683 units or 12 percent of the available 86,126 units in

VisMin, pulling ahead of developers operating nationwide based on third quarter 2020 data.

Its closest rivals were Sta. Lucia Realty and Development and Camella Homes, at 11,897 units and 11,768 units, respectively.

Franco Soberano, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of CLI, on Monday said: “The high sales velocity of our projects even at the height of the lockdowns in key cities verify a deeply felt need especially among VisMin economic and mid-income earners to own their own

homes. We intend to continue fulfilling this need in 2021 with 8,000 more units in 15 residential projects in Cebu, Ormoc, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Davao.”

A market study by Leechiu Property Consultants corroborated that the VisMin housing backlog would be at 2.85 million houses by 2022, with an average annual demand of 475,000 new housing units.

Of this number, 200,000 mid and economic housing units are needed per year.

FDAVAO, B1

CLI retains market leadership in VisMin Economist says BSP rate hike to do little in addressing inflation A

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n economist discounted a hike in the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) key rates on Thursday, citing this would do little to address the elevated prices of meat and fuel products to date.

In a report, ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno, who earlier indicated against any adjustment in the BSP rates despite the elevated inflation rate, is “caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Mapa thus cited the lack of possibility for any adjustments in the BSP’s key policy rates until next year.

This, as the inflation rate last January rose for the fourth consecutive month and exceeded the government’s 2-4 percent target band until 2024 when it accelerated to 4.2 percent.

Mapa said all eyes are now on the first rate-setting meeting of the BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) for the year on Thursday.

He said Diokno has not-

ed that inflation upticks are caused by supply-side pressures thus, there is less need for any monetary policy measure.

“Meanwhile, a rate hike at this stage of the game, with the economy still mired neck deep in recession, would derail the recovery efforts both by signaling a reversal in policy stance and make it even more difficult for cash strapped households and firms to access much-need funding,”

FECONOMIST, B1

FCLI, B1

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

ECONOMY A2

Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar rejects calls for his resignation, saying his agency has implemented several measures to address the soaring prices of pork products. Edge Davao

CREATE bill to boost employment recovery policy with 2M new jobs D epartment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said Monday the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act aiming to reduce corporate income tax will attract investments that will create more jobs.

The recent bicameral approval of the game-changing CREATE Act can also provide a big boost to the National Employment Recovery Strategy (NERS) Task Force chaired by the DTI and co-chaired by the

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), which was signed last Feb. 5 by several agencies.

“The landmark tax and

Some banks set to hike interbank ATM transaction fees on April 7

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ome banks will be hiking their interbank ATM transaction fees on April 7 as banks implement “acquirer-based ATM fee charging” -- meaning fees for ATM transactions will be set by the bank that owns the ATM used.

The hikes also come after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in 2019 allowed some banks to raise such fees.

Beginning April 7, Bank of the Philippine Islands said non-BPI cardholders who use BPI ATMs will be charged P2 per balance inquiry, and P18 per cash

withdrawal.

The fees are higher than the P1.50 balance inquiry and P15 withdrawal fees currently charged by the Ayala-led bank on non-BPI card holders.

Metrobank also said it is hiking its interbank balance inquiry and withdrawal fees to the same amount as BPI's, for other local bank cardholders.

But, Metrobank said balance inquiry by PSBank cardholders will be free of charge, while cash withdrawal rate will be P7.50 only.

FSOME, B1

incentives reform bill that we expect to be signed by the President is expected to bring in (a) massive inflow of investments that will create more jobs, especially as we focus efforts in the National Employment Recovery during this period of the pandemic and beyond. The passing of CREATE will firm up the tax and incentive reforms that will make the investment climate significantly more attractive than the current tax and incentive regime,” Lopez said in a

statement.

He said the bill will certainly encourage more investments with the lowering of the corporate income taxes rate from 30 percent to 20 percent for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and 25 percent for large corporations.

“Modernizing the incentives system likewise makes the incentives such as income tax holiday (ITH), special corporate income tax rates (SCIT) or enhanced deductions (ED), available

to industries considered strategic, critical or export oriented," he added.

The Trade chief said the length of incentives, such as four to seven years of ITH plus five or 10 years of SCIT or ED, will depend on the nature of industry, export or domestic oriented, degree of technology and value adding, and geographical location, with additional years outside the Metro Manila and urban centers.

“There is also (a) longer transition period for those

currently granted incentives. Thus, incentives are now made more performance-based, focused and timebound,” Lopez said.

CREATE is a bill certified urgent by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte upon the recommendation of the economic team led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Lopez also thanked the legislators at the Senate and the House of Representatives, with Sen. Pia Cayeta-

Dar also dismissed criticism he was slow in responding to the African swine fever that continues to ravage parts of the country.

"That's not true. When I came in August 2019, nandiyan na 'yong problema (the problem is already there).

We continued to work with local government units every step of the way," he said.

As of December 2020, the country has culled at least 400,000 pigs since the outbreak started.

Dar blamed unscrupulous traders for jacking up the prices of pork products

at the expense of consumers.

"Napatunayan natin (We have proven that) in our moving around and feedback from the field that the traders are the ones dictating... putting the farmgate price much, much higher than the real farmgate price," he said.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a price ceiling on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila amid rising cost in these food items.

Executive Order 124 sets a price cap of P270 per kilogram for kasim and pigue,

P300 per kilogram for liempo, and P160 per kilogram for dressed chicken in the National Capital Region for 60 days.

Some meat vendors went on a "pork holiday" on Monday after Duterte capped the price for 2 months.

Asked when the government could possibly lift the price cap, Dar has this to say.

"If supply augmentation from other countries shall have arrived, and gradually available now, that will ease [and] lower effectively the prices," he said.

FCREATE, B1

Dar shrugs off quit calls: ‘That’s not fair’

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griculture Secretary William Dar on Tuesday rejected calls for his resignation, saying his agency has implemented several measures to address the soaring prices of pork products.

"That's not fair. We are having mixed interventions to handle this concern on food prices," he said.

The Department of Agriculture has allotted some P500 million for lending to backyard hog raisers. A special financing window amounting to P27 billion is also offered to swine commercial raisers.

4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

On pushing for the inclusion of national athletes and coaches in the priority list of Covid-19 vaccination: As chair of both health and sports committees, I appealed to our Vaccine Czar, Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. to include in the priority list for Covid-19 vaccination our athletes and other delegates who will be competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, both this year.”

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go

EDITORIAL

Behavior-driven

Somewhere between the cost of acquiring medical solutions and imposing health protocols are common sense and attitude.

The latter two plays just as crucial as the first two. Maybe even more critical at this very point in the battle to contain the spread of Covid-19.

In Davao City, the good news is that cases are on the decline.

It could be attributed to a good mix of the first two and the last two. Despite the improvement, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is not letting the guard down. And for as long as the city is under the GCQ regime, the restrictions will stay as they are.

Other provinces in the region are not having as good progress as Davao City. Mati City in Davao Oriental for one is experiencing a post-holiday surge according to an official of the Mati City Incident Management Team (IMT) who disclosed that the city’s Covid-19 isolation facilities are almost full due to post-holiday surge.

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Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr., head of Mati IMT, said the rise in cases is behavior-driven. That means, it sits anywhere between the last two--common sense and attitude.

The biggest stumbling block to containing the virus’ spread is simply how people behave under the current protocols and restrictions. Dr. Catbagan nailed it when he said it is behavior-driven.

Hence, if people remain complacent and ignore their responsibility to their personal health and equally, their responsibility to other people’s health, the situation is nowhere to improve and the cases will continue to rise. It is clear now that the key to defeating the virus is adherence to the protocols and being responsible.

While LGUs continue to find ways to expedite and make accessible the tests, all these will go to naught if people do not submit to tests when they need to. Or when people continue to defy the restrictions and live with a false mindset that this virus is just a myth, until they are hit.

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VANTAGE POINTS

VOL.13 ISSUE 253 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2021

5

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

HOW DO YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? During my college days, one of my favorite American singers was Kenny Rogers. One of the songs I liked was “A Love Song.” The memorable lines go this way: “Why do people cry when they hear the word goodbye in a love song? Tears are sure to fall when you know they gave it all in a love song.”

Another stanza has these words: “Each of us know there’s no guarantee we’ll ever find love. And in the songs that we share, the heartache is there to remind us.”

More often than not, a broken heart is real. Some people have a hard time moving on after love has ended. There are those who still long that love will rekindle again for both of them. For some it may happen but for most, it won’t.

Helen Reddy’s song comes to mind: “I can’t say goodbye to you no matter how I tried. You’re such a part of me without you, I would die.

Deep in the heart of me, I know that you and I were meant to be together, I can’t tell you goodbye.”

Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz once wrote: “Why can’t we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn’t work.

Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to

say good-bye. I hate good-byes.”

For many people having a broken heart is something that may not be recognized at first, as it takes time for an emotional or physical loss to be fully acknowledged. “Human beings are not always aware of what they are feeling,” Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson points out. “Like animals, they may not be able to put their feelings into words.”

This does not mean we have no feelings. Well-known psychologist Sigmund Freud once speculated that a man could be in love with a woman for six years and not know it until many years later. Such a man, with all the goodwill in the world, could not have verbalized what he did not know. He had the feelings, but he did not know about them.

It may sound like a paradox— paradoxical because when we think of a feeling, we think of something that we are consciously aware of feeling. As Freud put it in his 1915 article The Unconscious: “It is surely of the essence of an emotion that we should be aware of it. Yet it is beyond question that we can ‘have’ feelings that we do not know about.”

Even the Holy Bible has a passage on the subject: “Insults have broken my heart and left me weak, I looked for sympathy but there was

none; I found no one to comfort me” (Psalm 69:20. In this verse, King David explains that insults have broken his heart, not loss or pain. It is also a popular belief that rejection, major or minor, can break an individual’s heart. This heartbreak can be greatly increased if rejected by a loved one or someone whom you respect.

So, how do you mend a broken heart? Having been broken-hearted several times over, I can say I am an expert on the subject. Here’s what you can do: Accept it. No matter what you do, it is the end of a beautiful relationship. If there is a beginning, there is always an ending. You cannot control the feeling of the other person. When it comes to love, two hearts must combine to beat as one. If there’s only one that beats, then it is not love at all. Instead of feeling sorry for yourself, be glad that you were part of the other person’s life before.

It’s not the end of the world.

Just because you won’t see the person you loved the most anymore, the world hasn’t ended. The fact is: the wind will continue to blow, the sun to shine, and the sea waves to rush to shore. Your friends and enemies may talk about the failed relationship you had but that’s part of life and growing up. You are still in control of your life.

You can even sing the Every Brothers’ song: “I’m through with romance, I’m through with love. I’m through with counting the stars above.”

Move on. It’s okay to think of your beloved for a day or a week. But after that, move on. Count your blessings. That person may not be the right person for you. I have known a lot of people who said, “I should have not married early in life.” Or you might be singing the song of Ogie Alcasid: “Bakit ngayon ka lang dumating sa buhay ko.” The break up might be a sign that someone out there is much better than your previous love.

Find another love. It might be easier said than done. I am sure you have heard it before: “I won’t find another love but you.” What they really meant is that they won’t open their heart again for a new love. Instead, listen to your heart. Love will find a way. “I believe for everyone who goes astray,” Tom Jones sings, “some will come to show the way.”

These rules are not foolproof.

There are those that despite what they do, they continue to be brokenhearted. And although “heartbreak” is usually a metaphor, there is a medical condition—appropriately known as broken heart syndrome—where a traumatizing incident triggers the brain to distribute chemicals that

weaken heart tissue.

Broken heart syndrome is clinically different from a heart attack because the patients have few risk factors for heart disease and were previously healthy prior to the heart muscles weakening. The recovery rates for those suffering from “broken heart syndrome” are faster than those who had heart attacks and complete recovery to the heart was achieved within two weeks.

The symptoms of a “broken heart” can manifest themselves through psychological pain but for many the effect is physical. Although the experience is regarded commonly as indescribable, the following is a list of common symptoms that occur: a perceived tightness of the chest, similar to an anxiety attack; stomach ache and/or loss of appetite; partial or complete insomnia; anger; shock; nostalgia and apathy (loss of interest).

Other symptoms include feelings of loneliness; feelings of hopelessness and despair; loss of self-respect and/or self-esteem; medical or psychological illness (depression, for example), suicidal thoughts (in some cases); nausea; fatigue; constant or frequent crying; a feeling of complete emptiness; the thousand-yard stare; and in extreme cases, death.

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG KULE

BARRICADES OF THE DILIMAN COMMUNE “Raise high the barricades!” was the headline of the February 4, 1971 issue of the Philippine Collegian that chronicled the so-called Diliman Commune.

The Diliman Commune occurred fifty years ago, from February 1–9, 1971, as an uprising led by the students, faculty members, and residents of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, together with transport workers in protest of the three centavo increase in oil prices.

I was barely two months old then when the nine-day uprising became an evidence of UP’s role as the “bastion of activism” since the early days of the Marcos dictatorship.

It is the same academe where I later spent a decade of my student life in the late 80s until late 90s.

A year before Marcos’ eventual declaration of Martial Law, the Diliman Commune is hailed as the first ever display of mass resistance from the UPD community and the first

student action after the First Quarter Storm.

The “communards” bravely fought for the safety of the campus against the violent police and military force under the common banner of academic freedom and the right of peaceful assembly.

“Babalik kami. Mas madami.’

After every chase and dispersal, where the military used sticks, shields, and guns to disperse the students, the UP community quickly consolidated their ranks and returned.

The barricades were even raised higher by hauling logs, branches, chairs and tables from their classrooms to replace what had been destroyed. Improvised Molotov cocktails, pillboxes, and rockets were also used to deter police from entering the University.

The Commune is just a historical point in the long history of radical activism in UP. The university teaches what

textbooks cannot capture, the state education curriculum avoids, or the military censors erase or prohibit.

As a symbol of people standing up against oppression, fellow UP SAMASA member and visual artist Toym Imao recreated UP’s barricades in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Diliman Commune.

“Barikada” is Imao’s art installation assembled from bamboo, repurposed materials and condemned classroom furnitures, previous installations which are painted bright red.

Imao said in an interview that “Barikada now not only represents a commemoration of the Diliman Commune but becomes an essential visual response to current developments concerning the university and state forces.”

Fifty years later, attempts by state forces to dismantle the “barricade” continued, as recently amplified by the sudden, arbitrary, and unilateral termination by the Department of

National Defense of the so-called UPDND accord.

The UP-DND Accord was signed on June 30, 1989 that established certain norms and protocols governing relations between the University and military and police forces.

The termination eliminates key freedoms essential to UP’s academic freedom and institutional autonomy, such as the non-entry of military and police operatives into U.P. campuses nationwide as well as the non-interference by the military or police in protest activities except under strictly defined circumstances and after complying with strictly defined procedures.

This is seen as part of the government’s propaganda of maliciously associating critical thinking and dissent to extremism or terrorism.as it waged anti-communist witch hunts for those who dared to speak against the regime.

However, UP will continue to be a bastion of resistance in the name of democracy, offering refuge to those marginalized and silenced by the state.

All educational institutions, including UP, must be maintained as safe havens for civilized and intelligent discourse of all beliefs and forms of democratic expression, where students and teachers can discuss freely without fear of censorship or retaliation.

UP shall continue to exist with a critical eye on social and historical issues.

“Raise high the barricades!”

Kule is the monicker of Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of UP Diliman. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

5G is changing the game for network performance, security Aboitiz opens application I for college scholars n 2020, remote work became the norm as organizations worldwide were forced to rapidly shift their operational models. However, even once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides and some employees move back into the office, many others will continue working from home into the future. Indeed, “work” is increasingly viewed as something we do as opposed to a place we commute to and from. With this in mind, security and IT teams must adjust their strategies to manage this new hybrid workforce at scale effectively. Below we highlight the factors that play into the security of these environments, including the cloud, general security infrastructures, and employee cybersecurity awareness.

Accelerating Trends and 5G for Network Performance and Security Organizations have long been cautioned against the dangers of a piecemeal security approach that can leave gaps in protection.

They have also been warned that a lack of a comprehensive, coherent digital transformation strategy with an integrated security solution presents long-term challenges. And this was before the pandemic hit.

When COVID-19 entered the picture, workforces around the world transi-

tioned to a remote structure with little warning. This meant networks that were already in a precarious position were stretched even further in size and scale to maintain business continuity. The need for such rapid expansion meant that many businesses let security fall by the wayside.

This rapid network expansion, however, was less of a journey into uncharted territory and more of an acceleration of trends that were already occurring.

Now, with 5G entering the picture, additional security

challenges are presenting themselves. Moreover, many do not realize how unprepared they may be for the additional changes coming down the pipeline.

The 5G that many companies are familiar with has low bandwidth and is generally under six gigahertz, a stark contrast to what is emerging on the scene – new smartphones can use 5G bandwidth at performance levels of 24 gigahertz and above. This will fundamentally change network performance requirements on the edge for both devices and applications; it will also require the appropriate security infrastructures to monitor and manage this new level of performance.

The new 5G is expected to power everything from manufacturing and energy grids to autonomous vehicles and consumer brands.

Businesses that do not proactively prepare for this shift will start to encounter latency issues and severely diminished user experiences and will ultimately get left behind.

Tackling 5G Security Demands on networks will increase significantly, particularly at the edge, and increased complexity will simultaneously lead to evolving security needs.

But simply adding security on top of the network can create bottlenecks. The key is to find a way to increase network capabilities securely in a way that doesn’t impact the user experience.

Two approaches are on the table for addressing the challenges of 5G. The first approach is to deploy security at the 5G carrier level. The second requires focusing on edge security since the edge is where 5G is used either as a backup connection or, increasingly, as a primary connection.

No matter the approach, the edge will require AI-predictive and ASIC-accelerated performance.

The cloud edge, in general, will require new levels of highly optimized security even if 5G isn’t considered a priority. Complex hybrid networks now span collections of clouds and data centers, requiring more virtual devices and firewalls to handle the load. And while 5G will make transactions and applications faster, it will also enable faster cyberattacks. Proper management requires extreme consistency in security policy and deployment strategy.

The Time to Prepare is Now with 5G Today, 5G represents

F5G, P7

P

overty is not an excuse for failing to get a good education and realize one’s dreams. This is true for Harold O. Sapues, a farmer’s son, now a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who was an Aboitiz scholar for eight years.

The 25-year old who graduated top of his class

THEN AND NOW. (Left) Aboitiz scholar Harold Sapues, CPA delivering an inspirational speech during the Aboitiz Education In-

(Bachelor of Science in Accountancy) at the University of Cebu - Banilad Campus in 2015, was the fifth among a brood of seven and the first in the family to obtain a diploma. Five years later, the young CPA is now a Certified Tax Technician for a multinational corporation,

FABOITIZ, P7

tervention event in 2015. (Right) Now, Sapues is an experienced professional currently pursuing his MBA degree.

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MATI... FROM2

he said.

For a faster detection of positive cases, Catbagan said the local government of Mati is increasing its testing capacity by opening its own testing laboratory.

“Yes we are doing legworks on it led by Mayor Michelle Rabat to bolster our chances of winning this war against Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

He said the funds for the construction of the building was already prepared and the city is now identifying the ideal lot where it will be constructed.

Catbagan added that

medical technicians have undergone training and have been certified by the Department of Health (DOH).

He also said the national government is helping the LGU of Mati with the equipment and the facility/ building plans are undergoing evaluation by DOH for the city to get a Permit to Construct Certificate.

“By God's blessings we can complete this project in 3 to 4 months. We are also preparing for the licensing requirements of the facility,” he said. Maya Padillo

about $5 billion in operator-billed revenue opportunity. This is projected to grow to an astounding $357 billion by 2025, representing a significant shift in how and where 5G is used.

Therefore, meeting the performance and security needs of 5G will be crucial to any company wishing to remain viable.

Many organizations do not currently have this capability. Moreover, previous strategies of chasing best-

of-breed devices mean that many organizations have a legacy security setup made of a hypercomplex patchwork of increasingly difficult-to-manage infrastructures. Certainly, last-minute deployments in the wake of the pandemic did not help matters. Adding 5G on top of such architectures is likely to compound the issue and lead to a whole host of problems and vulnerabilities.

and pursues a Master’s Degree in Business Management at the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu.

“I owe a lifetime of gratitude to the Aboitiz Foundation for helping me and my family build a better qual-

ity life through education,” Sapues shared, recalling how both his parents constantly reminded him about the value of education.

While poverty, according to Sapues, is what held his parents (a farmer/part-

5G... FROM6

ABOITIZ... FROM6

7

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE

NOTICE OF AUCTION

Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late LEON F. PELAYO and RUPERTA U. PELAYO who died on December 15, 2005 and October 5, 2004 leaving parcels of land with the following ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE (OCT) OCT NOS. T-125907,P-6204, P-15371,T66247,P-19911 has been the subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE Executed among their heirs, per Doc. No.346; Page No. 70, Book No.XXlV Series of 2007 of the Notary Public NAPOLEON F. SANGO

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

time factory worker and a housewife) back, killing their beliefs and aspirations in life, it is also poverty that propelled them to dream big for their children.

The Aboitiz Group, through its social development arm Aboitiz Foundation, responds to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals No. 1 (No Poverty) and No. 4 (Quality Education) by giving opportunities to bright and promising yet financially-challenged students to have access to quality education.

“Our education programs aim to bridge education to employment so that individuals will be empowered to create a better future for themselves

and their families. Our social impact is measured not only by the numbers but by the quality of lives changed,” said Aboitiz Foundation president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan.

The Aboitiz Foundation recently announced that applications for the Aboitiz College Scholarship Program (ACSP) are already open for school year 20212022, particularly for students who are pursuing degrees in data science, digital transformation, engineering, information technology, sales, e-commerce, agriculture and nutrition.

The scholarship which started in 2000 has so far assisted nearly a thousand students. It provides a com-

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

BRANCHES

DATE PAWNED

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

DATE & PLACE OF AUCTION February 24, 2021(Wed.) 9:00 AM VGM Pawnshop, Inc, Sasa Branch VGM BLDG., Km. 11, Sasa, Davao City

THE MANAGEMENT prehensive benefit package which includes full tuition fee coverage, monthly allowance, and board review fees for degrees that require board exam after graduation.

To qualify for the program, applicant must be a full-time incoming freshman of an eligible college or university, must be pursuing

a degree identified by the Foundation, has a general weighted average (GWA) of at least 88% with no failing grade and incomplete grade, and does not have a record of any form of disciplinary action. One must be able to accomplish the application form and submit the requirements on time.

B1EDGEDAVAO Over 300 whales, dolphins spotted in Sarangani Bay

E

nvironment personnel have spotted over 300 whales and dolphins during a four-day monitoring in parts of Sarangani Bay last week.

Joy Oloquin, area superintendent of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), said Monday the marine mammals were specially monitored in the seas off this city and Sarangani province and appeared to have been thriving in the area’s marine environment.

The marine mammal monitoring activities were conducted from Feb. 2 to 5 by joint personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Region 12’s conser-

vation and development division, SBPS protected area management office, General Santos City environment and natural resources office and the Environmental Conservation and Protection Center of Sarangani.

“Food hunting and nursing of calves are the possible reasons why the whales and dolphins are in the bay,” Oloquin said in a report.

She said the team specifically spotted 20 to 30 short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), eight Risso’s dolphins, 80 to 100 Spinner dolphins and 150 to 200 Fraser’s dolphins.

Most of them were seen in various occasions in the

BDO’s website meanwhile puts interbank ATM balance inquiry fee at P2 and withdrawal at P11.

Development Bank of the Philippines and UCPB said they would charge P2

for balance inquiry and P15 for withdrawal.

UnionBank, for its part, said it would charge P2 for balance inquiry and P12 for withdrawal.

days. Thus, they could look into the possibility of taking an active role in waste management.

The DTBC is one of the assisted micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the Regional Inclusive Innovation Center (RIIC) Davao project which

DTI 11 spearheads. The RIIC is being implemented in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST). DTI11/ALP/jmm

he said.

Maps said Diokno is “likely aware of the limits of monetary policy and will be more circumspect in his actionstomakeeverypolicy

theeconomysupportforthe recoverywhileatthesame timesafeguardagainstany buddingdemandsidepressure,whichappearstobe negligibleatthemoment.”

HeaddedDioknoappearsreadytoaccommodatethefirstroundofinflationarypressureand onlyconsideractingshould signsofsecondroundeffects(wageandtransport fareadjustments)threaten astructuralimpactonthe inflation path.

“Giventhattheeconomy remainsdeepinrecession and is not likely to see a starkpickupingrowthmomentumsoon,wedobelieve thatBSPwillbeona‘long pause’unless2ndroundeffectsbecomeapparentorif demandsidepressuressurface,” Mapa said.

Hesaidwhile“riskof runningrealnegativereal rates is indeed real, the marchingordersoftheday continuetobeaconcerted pushtojumpstarttheeconomy,withBSPGovernor Dioknodoinghisshareto upliftgrowthallthewhile cognizantoftherisksof runningnegativepolicy rates.” (PNA)

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move count.”

Citingtheimpactofthe ratehikesandthecutsin banks’reserverequirement ratio(RRR)in2018,which wereaimedtoaddressthe elevatedinflationratethat time,Mapasaidmonetary authoritieswillbemorecircumspect this time.

Hesaidthesemeasures “confoundedmarketplayers,hikingpolicyratesbut simultaneouslyreleasing tonsofliquidityintofinancial markets.”

“Theseriesofmovesdid littletoquellinflationnor allayconcernsaboutacceleratingpricegains,culminatinginaseverebreachof theinflationtargetand,just asdetrimental,abroadside tobanklendingmomentum thatimpairedcapitalformationformonthstocome,”he added.

Mapasaid“inactionis action”thistime,adding that“atthisjuncture,keepingpolicyratesunchanged wouldallowBSPtoprovide

coastal waters between Malapatan and Glan towns in Sarangani.

The latest dolphin and whale sighting in the Sarangani Bay is among the biggest reported by DENR-Region 12.

In August 2019, its monitoring team spotted around 270 of the marine mammals in different sites of the bay.

Among the threats observed by the agency to the existence of the dolphins and whales are the continuous throwing of hazardous garbage such as polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles, cellophanes, plastic wrappers and other

non-biodegradable materials.

It also noted the presence of fishing vessels conducting various activities within the bay that could harm the cetaceans and other marine organisms.

DENR-12 had previously set quarterly monitoring activities to track down developments and day-to-day undertaking of establishments within the bay.

Starting this year, Oloquin said they decided to conduct monthly marine mammal monitoring “to ensure the strict protection and conservation” of the SBPS. (MindaNews)

no and Rep. Joey Salceda, respectively, as principal authors, for the hard work of the committee members in bringing the CREATE bill to fruition.

“The passing of CREATE will unleash the growth potential of investments by removing uncertainties during the period that the bill was under deliberation,” Lopez said. "Based on our estimate and those from Cong. Joey Salceda, CREATE can bring in over PHP200 billion of new investments that can generate 1.4 (million) to 2 million incremental jobs."

CREATE will help boost investments in the Philippines, which would support the 2021 target of the Board of Investments (BOI) of PHP1.25-trillion investment approvals.

A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had also estimated that the Philippines bucked the trend in Southeast Asia, and had increased its foreign direct investments (FDIs) during the pandemic by 29 percent last year.

Meanwhile, the NERS 2021-2023 is a medium-term plan anchored on the updated Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and ReCharge PH by expanding the Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan initiative and improving access and security of employment.

The strategy also takes into consideration the changes in the labor market brought about by the pandemic and the fast adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution (FIRe) technologies.

"NERS shall also consolidate all measures, programs, and institutions that influence the demand and supply of labor, as well as the functioning of labor markets," Lopez said.

Members of NERS Oversight Committee include the Departments of Transporta-

tion (DOTr), Tourism (DOT), Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Science and Technology (DOST), Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Agriculture (DA), Agrarian Reform (DAR), Interior and Local Government (DILG), Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and National Security Council (NSC), as well as the Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS), Departments of Finance (DOF) and Budget and Management (DBM), and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said: “This JMC (joint memorandum circular) will fortify our collective undertaking as a Task Force working to develop a policy environment that encourages the generation of more employment opportunities, improves employability and productivity of workers, and supports existing and emerging businesses.”

Lopez further stressed the importance of continuing with the calibrated and safe reopening of the economy to allow the country to regain the growth momentum that it had before the pandemic.

The vaccine rollout is also another complementary program that will help further improve consumer and business confidence as immunity of the majority of the population is achieved, he said.

“Vital wide-ranging and integrated policy measures are needed. These should focus on: stimulating the economy and jobs; supporting enterprises, employment and incomes; and protecting workers in the workplace, including occupational safety and health,” he added. (PR)

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CLI... FROMA1 But only a handful of the current top 10 VisMin developers in 2020 are likely to maximize opportunities provided by the mid and economic income segment in 2021 and beyond.

A number of these developers extended project completion and turnover dates due to the pandemic, the study revealed.

Soberano said that by mid-year 2020, CLI’s housing inventory was similarly at risk of being overtaken by strong demand.

But the firm leaned on

its strategic relationships with local stakeholders including local government units to minimize delays in planning and construction.

It thus succeeded in rolling out nine new projects with 4,300 units in Bohol, Iloilo, Dumaguete, and Davao.

“The year 2020 opened our eyes further to how high the demand truly is for quality housing in VisMin,” Soberano said, “and we hope to build on our growth momentum to satisfy this great need.” (PNA)

Federal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the devices on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers.

Former NTSB Chairman James Hall said he hopes the FAA will require the systems as a result of the crash.

“Historically, it has required high-profile tragedies to move the regulatory needle forward,” he said.

The devices, known as TAWS, cost upward of $35,000 per helicopter and require training and maintenance.

Helicopter Association International discouraged what it called a “one solution fits all” method. President and CEO James Viola said in a statement that mandating specific equipment to the entire industry is “ineffective” and “potentially hazardous.”

Even though Zobayan was flying at low altitude in a hilly area, the warning system may not have prevented the crash, Coleman said. The terrain could have triggered the alarm “constantly going off” and distracted the pilot or prompted him to lower its volume or ignore it, the Embry-Riddle safety science professor said.

Federal investigators said Zobayan, an experienced pilot who often flew Bryant, may have “misperceived” the angles at which he was descending and banking, which can occur when a pilot becomes disoriented in low visibility, according to NTSB documents.

The others killed were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach his daughter’s basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.

Alyssa and Payton were Gianna’s teammates.

The crash has spawned lawsuits and countersuits.

On the day a massive memorial service was held at the Staples Center, where

Bryant played most of his career, Vanessa Bryant sued Zobayan and the companies that owned and operated the helicopter for negligence and the wrongful deaths of her husband and daughter. Families of other victims sued the helicopter companies but not the pilot.

Vanessa Bryant said Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, and its owner, Island Express Holding Corp., did not properly train or supervise Zobayan. She said the pilot was careless and negligent to fly in fog and should have aborted the flight.

Zobayan’s brother said Kobe Bryant knew the risks of flying in a helicopter and his survivors aren’t entitled to damages from the pilot’s estate. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied responsibility and said the crash was “an act of God” it couldn’t control.

It also countersued two FAA air traffic controllers, saying the crash was caused by their “series of erroneous acts and/or omissions.”

The countersuit claims one controller improperly denied Zobayan’s request for “flight following,” or radar assistance as he proceeded in the fog. Officials have said the controller terminated service because radar couldn’t be maintained at the altitude the aircraft was flying.

According to the lawsuit, the controller said he was going to lose radar and communications shortly, but radar contact was not lost. When a second controller took over, the lawsuit said the first controller failed to brief him about the helicopter, and because the radar services were not terminated correctly, the pilot was under the belief he was being tracked.

Vanessa Bryant also sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, accusing deputies of sharing unauthorized photos of the crash site. California now has a state law prohibiting such conduct.

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The Gilas Men coached by Tab Baldwin.

PBA sets up Gilas Men’s role in PH Cup

T

he Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) board of governors has agreed on some key developments that will involve Gilas Pilipinas Men for its upcoming season.

Following the board meeting on Monday, the most significant move made was for Gilas Men to play as a guest team in the Philippine Cup scheduled to start on April 9.

While they will play as

a guest team due to the current core's amateur status, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said Gilas Men are eligible to win the championship in the season-opening conference.

The collegiate players in

PSC’s NSS zero in on grassroots sports

T

he nation’s grassroots sports as the key to Olympic success take center stage in the third session of the National Sports Summit 2021 this Thursday, February 11.

The Philippine Sports Commission shares its programs catering to amateur athletes in the Philippines as the foundation of elite sports excellence, through the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI), in the upcoming session of the online summit.

PSI Dean Prof. Henry Daut leads the discussion focusing on the nature, status, and challenges of implementing the science-based measures to tap the local rich source of talents.

“It is high time that we give educators, athletes, and sports stakeholders a clear picture of what the PSC has been doing through these years to develop the amateur talents we have,” explained PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

The sports chief also emphasized how important it is for the youth to turn to sports and benefit from the values it teaches that are vital in this time of a pandemic.

Participants from all over the country have registered and attended the first two installments of this weekly lecture-fora where United States Sports Academy President T.J. Rosandich presided over the opening session and Davao del Norte Sports and Youth Development Head Giovanni Gulanes.

the national team will first need to secure special guest licenses from the Games and Amusements Board to be cleared for PBA action.

On the other hand, this would also mean Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, the Nieto twins, and even Allyn Bulanadi, if he gets cleared to play after his shoulder surgery, will finally see some PBA action after deferring from last season following their selection in the Gilas round of

the 2019 draft due to Gilas Men commitments.

If successful, the Nationals could become the first Philippine national team to capture the top tier league title since the fabled Northern Consolidated Cement-backed national squad during the mid-'80s.

On the other hand, the PBA board also agreed that the special Gilas round for the PBA Draft on March 14 will only be good for three

to five picks.

This means by default, only Terrafirma, NorthPort, and Blackwater Bossing would benefit from the Gilas round as they own the first three picks of the regular draft.

It is yet to be known, though, if previous trades will factor in even in the Gilas round as the Bossing gave up their third overall pick to the NLEX Road War-

riors in the blockbuster Poy Erram trade to TNT Tropang Giga.

The NLEX and maybe Rain Or Shine would benefit from the Gilas draft if the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas opts to go beyond three in the said round.

The board also agreed that the Gilas draftees may get to play for the teams that chose them if they are free to play. (PNA)

Authorities to finally announce probable cause of Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

LOS ANGELES — In the year since the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant crashed into a hillside on a foggy morning, killing all nine aboard, there’s been plenty of finger-pointing over the cause of the tragedy.

Bryant’s widow blamed the pilot. She and families of other victims also faulted the companies that owned and operated the helicopter. The brother of the pilot didn’t blame Bryant but said he knew the risks of flying.

The helicopter companies said the weather was an act of God and blamed air traffic controllers.

On Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time), federal safety officials are expected to announce the long-awaited probable cause of the crash that unleashed worldwide grief for the retired basketball star, launched several lawsuits and prompted state and federal legislation.

“I think the whole world is watching because it’s Kobe,” said Ed Coleman, an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor and safety science expert.

Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and six other passengers were flying from Orange County to a youth basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County on Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter encountered thick fog in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles.

Pilot Ara Zobayan climbed sharply and had nearly broken through the clouds when the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter banked abruptly and plunged into the Calabasas hills be-

A mural of the late Kobe Bryant and daughter Gigi. low, killing all nine aboard instantly before flames engulfed the wreckage.

There was no sign of mechanical failure, and it was believed to be an accident, the National Transportation Safety Board has said.

The board is likely to make nonbinding recommendations to prevent future crashes when it meets

remotely Tuesday.

The NTSB is an independent federal agency that investigates crashes but has no enforcement powers. It can only submit suggestions to bodies like the Federal Aviation Administration or the Coast Guard, which have repeatedly rejected some of the board’s safety recommendations after other disasters.

One recommendation could be for helicopters to have a Terrain Awareness and Warning System, a device that signals when an aircraft is in danger of crashing. The helicopter didn’t have the system, which the NTSB has recommended as mandatory for helicopters.

The FAA only requires it for air ambulances.

FAUTHORITIES, PB1

8 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

INCLUDE ATHLETES

Sen. Bong Go bats for inclusion of athletes, coaches in vaccination priority

S

enate Committee on Youth and Sports and Health chair Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go revealed that he made an appeal on Monday to the National Task Force on Covid-19 to include in the priority vaccination list the athletes and coaches bound for the Tokyo Olympics in July and the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam in November.

This came after National Task Force against Covid-19 chief Carlito Galvez Jr. agreed to review the possibility of putting national athletes and coaches high on the priority list of individuals who will receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

“As chair of both health and sports committees, I appealed to our Vaccine Czar, Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. to include in the priority list for Covid-19 vaccination our athletes and other delegates who will be competing in the Tokyo Olympics and Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, both this year,” Go said in an interview. The report was published on the

Business Mirror.

“Secretary Galvez responded positively to this appeal and they are currently studying how our competing athletes could be prioritized without prejudice to other sectors that have already been identified as top priority for vaccination such as frontliners and those belonging in poor and vulnerable sectors,” Go said in the report.

The neophyte lawmaker from Davao said that the Filipino athletes deserve all the protection during the pandemic because they represent the country in overseas competitions.

“They carry our flag to bring home glory. And in the

2019 SEA Games hosted by our country, the Philippines became the overall champion,” Go said. “Our government, the private sector and ordinary Filipinos united as one for our athletes.”

The Philippine Sports Commission listed a total of 996 national athletes, 262 coaches, 280 para athletes and 82 para coaches in the roster.

According to Galvez in an earlier report, that number of athletes and coaches is “small” but stressed he needs the approval of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases before prioritizing the sports sector.

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Sen. Bong Go with national athletes and coaches.