Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 271 | Wednesday, March 3. 2021

GO LAUDS SUCCESSFUL START OF VACCINATION NEWS P3

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12,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrive, frontliners get jabs starting Friday

STORY ON PAGE 2

SINOVAC vaccines are loaded onto a vehicle at the Davao International Airport (DIA) and will be transported at the Department of Health 11 regional office storage facility along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City on Tuesday. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021

DELIVERED

12,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrive, frontliners get jabs starting Friday

Chinese Consul General Li Lin says the arrival of Sinovac vaccines in Davao City signifies that the city government of Davao and the Chinese government are strong together not only in the fight against Covid-19 but also in the efforts to recover the city’s economy. Edge Davao

Duterte says Robredo trying to be ‘relevant’

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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night criticized Vice President Leni Robredo for supposedly trying to be “relevant” by egging him to get inoculated with the China-made Sinovac vaccines.

In a pre-recorded public address, Duterte said Robredo probably wanted him to get the Sinovac jab since she suspected that he had already received the Sinopharm vaccine along with his close-in security detail late last year.

The Presidential Security Group (PSG) earlier admitted to vaccinating some of its members in September and October 2020.

Duterte maintained that the Sinovac vaccines, although safe and effective, are not recommended for senior citizens due to their low efficacy.

“You seem to have an angel face but a devilish mind. 'Yung pagduda mo kasi tapos na ako kaya (You’re suspecting that’s why) you want me to go into a trap of saying things which are not appropriate,” he said

He accused Robredo of issuing statements left and right for the sake of making headlines.

“Ikaw sige ka lang salita diyan wala ka namang ginagawa. Sige ka issue-issue ng statement (You keep talking but don’t do anything.

You just keep on issuing statements). You know what? Because you want to be relevant here. Gusto mong sumali sa laro na para pakinggan ka rin (You want to join the game so people will listen to you),” he said.

Duterte also hit Robredo for calling for a further review of the Sinovac vaccines by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC), an advisory board that acts as a recommendatory to the Department of Health (DOH) as stipulated under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act or Republic Act 11223.

Sinovac vaccines have been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Bakit 'di mo na sinabi noon ‘yan? Tapos

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

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bout 12,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived at the Davao International Airport (DIA) from Manila on Tuesday morning.

Officials from the Department of Health 11 (DOH-11) and Davao Center for Health Development (DCHD) led the receiving and storage of the initial supply of Sinovac’s CoronaVac vaccines for Davao City.

The delivery came two days after the 600,000 doses of CoronaVac vaccines donated by the People’s Republic of China arrived in the Philippines last Sunday.

Manufactured by Sinovac Biotech Ltd., it is the third Covid-19 vaccine brand granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) by the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque disclosed in a press briefing on March 2, 2021 that based on the allocation list for SPMC and Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC) as of March 1, 2021 there are a total of 8,004 eligible individuals to be vaccinated.

Chinese Consul General Li Lin, meantime, believes that Covid-19 vaccines will keep arriving in Davao City and it may come from China in different channels.

“The current 600,000 are donation. Maybe there’ll be more donation. The Philippines is also buying from China,” Lin said in a text message.

Lin said the arrival of Sinovac vaccines in Davao City signifies that the city government of Davao and the Chinese government are strong together not only in the fight against Covid-19 but also in the efforts to recover the city’s economy.

Meanwhile, inoculation for the frontliners of SPMC and DRMC is scheduled to start on March 5, 2021.

There are about 4,000 of the 5,900 employees of SPMC who have signed up to get vaccinated.

On the other hand, Dr. Ashley Lopez, head of City Health Office (CHO) reported that 16,677 health workers, 77,189 senior citizens, 432,549 indigent individuals and 5,258 security personnel have been identified in the priority list of the city government of Davao.

The city government of Davao is targeting to immunize 70 percent from the 1.9 million total population of Davao City to achieve herd immunity.

President Rodrigo Duterte criticizes Vice President Leni Robredo for supposedly trying to be “relevant” by egging him to get inoculated with the China-made Sinovac vaccines. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

VOL.13 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

Go lauds successful start of vaccination

President Rodrigo Duterte confers with Senator Christopher“Bong”Go over the country’s vaccination rollout.

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NEWS 3

enator Christopher “Bong” Go lauded the national government and the rest of Team Philippines for a successful rollout of the vaccination program on Monday, March 1.

A day after the arrival and official turnover of 600,000 vaccines for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Sinovac Biotech Ltd. which was a donation from China, the government immediately began inoculating pre-identified personnel in six government facilities in Metro Manila, namely Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Center and Sanitarium, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, Philippine National Police General Hospital, and Victoriano Luna Medical Center, and kicked off the much-awaited vaccination drive.

The vaccination drive will continue in the coming days in various hospitals around the country.

Based on the report of vaccine Czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., vaccines will be distributed to various regions fol-

lowing the vaccine distribution plan. Visayas and Mindanao will receive vaccines by the end of the week.

Among the first to receive the vaccine is Philippine General Hospital Director Dr. Gerardo "Gap" Legaspi.

“I am happy that today marks a milestone in our journey as one people towards recovery from this pandemic,” Go said in a statement.

“I commend Team Philippines — our leaders, frontliners and fellow government workers who are working very hard so we can have the best vaccination rollout for our country,” he added.

The Senator also shared that the start of the vaccination program sparks hope for the country to move forward to the new normal and bring back the normal lives and livelihoods of Filipinos.

Aside from the frontliners, some government officials were also vaccinated. Go explained that although these officials are not deemed as priority, the government needs

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DCCCII, Lazada partner to empower local businesses

Inday reiterates call for supporters to stop motorcades, printing of tarps

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s the city celebrated the 84th Araw ng Dabaw on Monday (March 1), Mayor Sara Z. Duterte reiterated her call to supporters to spend their money on the needy instead of using it for motorcades and tarpaulins urging her to run in the 2022 presidential election.

“Let us instead use our power and resources to give food to those who are short on money and hungry and create jobs

for those who lost their livelihood,” she said.

Even if she is not planning to throw her hat in next year's presidential race, Mayor Sara said the "show of strength and unity" of her supporters was enough to mobilize Filipinos to address poverty.

“There is no need for you to keep on calling my attention [to run for president] through motorcades and tarpaulins, I heard you, and I un-

derstand what’s in your heart. Because that is also what I felt,” she said.

Duterte also thanked her supporters for trusting her abilities to lead.

“Once again, I am grateful to all my friends who believe in me and who relentlessly express their call for me to run for president. The unity and strength that you have shown gave me comfort knowing that I have friends like you,” she said.

The mayor told PTV-

Davao in an interview that motorcades entail gasoline expenses and other costs.

“Let us instead give the budget for the motorcade to the less fortunate to buy food,” she said, adding that motorcades also cause traffic and worsen air pollution.

In recent media interviews, Duterte has repeatedly shot down any possibility for her to follow in the footsteps of her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte. (PNA)

ment Office (PEMO), said they are currently working with the local government of Lake Sebu and other stakeholders for the establishment of more hydroponic gardens within the 354-hectare lake.

He said studies showed that hydroponics, which is a method of

growing plants or crops without soil and by using mineral nutrients in aqueous solution (a solution in which water is the solvent), could be a “natural remedy” to the declining condition of the lake’s waters.

Flaviano specifically cited the deterioration these past years of the

lake’s dissolved oxygen level, a situation that has triggered perennial fish kills, with the latest recorded only last January.

“The presence of more hydroponic gardens at the lake could help enhance the dissolved oxygen in its waters and address its waste problem,”

Expansion of hydroponics farming pushed to restore Lake Sebu’s water condition

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he provincial government of South Cotabato is pushing for the expansion of hydroponics farming in the critical Lake Sebu to help improve the quality of its waters and overall condition.

Siegfred Flaviano, head of the Provincial Environment Manage-

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc, (DCCCII) and Lazada, the Singaporean multinational technology company which focuses mainly on e-commerce, has officially partnered to help empower local businesses through digitalization.

With the partnership, Lazada will offer dedicated onboarding team for DCCCII members, guidance from signup to selling to strategies, reachable team for any questions or concerns, notification for new initiatives within the Lazada platform, free campaign features, members exclusive campaign, new seller campaign access, mega campaign access, service marketplace packages, product photography, product upload, livestream feature, store builder design, and chat outsourcing support.

In a statement, DCCCII announced that for the first batch, it is to be given to the first 100 signups of DCCCII Members with a total value of around P1,180,000.

The statement also states that Lazada will also offer PR support and

communication blast, access to Lazada newsletter, and free webinar opportunities to Lazada community.

DCCCII will also share this opportunity to the local resellers of products from the different parts of the Davao Region as well as to Davao designers.

“Because Lazada has already opened its platform not just to readyto-eat meals, but even to fresh produce, or hotel and restaurant promos.

And the long term goal is to eventually go global with Lazada Global,” said Dr. Malou Monteverde, president of DCCCII. Meanwhile, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio expressed her support to the said collaboration saying this is an exciting development given the growing dependency

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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The Lanang Premier Doctors Hospital Inc. (LPDHI), the medical facility component of Megaworld Corp., recently opened in Davao Park District township, Lanang, Davao City. Edge Davao

LPDHI gives Dabawenyos access to world-class medical facility T

By MAYA M. PADILLO

he opening of Lanang Premier Doctors Hospital, Inc. (LPDHI) medical resort and wellness center, the medical facility component of Megaworld Corp.’s Davao Park District township, gives Dabawenyos access to world-class medical facility.

Inaugurated on Saturday (February 27, 2021), the 14-storey 250-bed facility aims to raise to several notches the concept

of medical facility.

Kevin Tan, chief strategy officer of Megaworld Corporation, said the opening of LPDHI

in Davao Park District Township comes at a time when many Filipinos, especially those in Davao City and nearby towns, need it most due to the pandemic.

“This also complements our vision for the township as a thriving community where our residents, office workers, and even visitors have convenient access to a

world-class medical facility,” Tan said via Messenger.

Lemuel R. Podador, chairman and chief executive officer of Lanang Premiere Doctors Hospital, Inc. (LPDHI), in an interview in August 2019 said the hospital’s pool of doctors will have varied specializations and they aim to provide service to “all walks of life.”

straight month of 2021 as sustained even after the Christmas season in December 2020,” he said.

A PMI index of above 50 indicates expansion while an index of below 50 means contraction.

Ricafort said the possible easing of the quarantine level in the remaining areas under GCQ, like the National Capital Region (NCR), will result in “higher capacity for many businesses/industries, which may lead further pick up

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Economist eyes further improvement of nationwide manufacturing sector

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urther reopening of the domestic economy and easing of quarantine level to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) nationwide in the coming months are expected to further lift the manufacturing sector.

This, after Markit’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for the Philippines remains steady at 52.5 in the second month this year.

In a report, Rizal Commercial Banking Corpo-

ration (RCBC) chief economist Michael Ricafort said the latest PMI is the highest in more than two years or since December 2018, and a reversal of the 49.2 print in December 2020. “(It is) a pleasant surprise since it is slightly higher/better vs.52.3 a year ago or in February 2020 or shortly before the Covid-19 lockdowns/ pandemic; a leading indicator that could suggest further pick up in business/economic activities for the second

FECONOMIST, P10

He also said he have instructed the medical board to give the patients the best rate and service.

He also said they are also positioning the hospital as a medical tourism facility.

Meanwhile, the 11.2 hectare Davao Park District is envisioned to be Davao City’s central business district (CBD) and a major center for

information technology and business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) in Mindanao wherein the 7.2 hectare is occupied the One Lakeshore Drive, which is a four-building condominium development by Suntrust Properties Inc. (SPI), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of property giant Megaworld known for building upscale condominiums.

piracy.

Brand owners such as Unilever Philippines, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Philippines, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Philippines, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., Castrol Ltd., and Solar Pictures, Inc., as well as business groups Philippine Retailers Association and American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines also signed the MOU. “Before, we used to experience delays especially on complaints on counterfeits and piracy. But with

this MOU, we hope that there will be easier coordination and faster action on the part of platform owners to act on complaints of counterfeiting, not only coming from brand owners but especially from the IPOPHL and DTI (Department of Trade and Industry),” IPOPHL director general Rowel Barba said in an online press conference following the ceremonial MOU signing.

Barba added the agreement provides a self-polic-

MOU on fight vs. rising online counterfeiting, piracy signed he Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the biggest e-commerce platforms in the country and intellectual property rights holders for speedy removal of fake products on online shopping sites.

IPOPHL signed the agreement with Lazada and Shopee on Monday to build a stronger industry-wide coordination mechanism against rising online counterfeiting and

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EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

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About 12,000 doses of SINOVAC vaccines for Covid-19 arrive at the Davao International Airport on Tuesday. The vaccines were donated by the Chinese government, which arrived last Sunday in Manila. Edge Davao

PH won’t be stagnant despite return to pre-pandemic life in 2023: DTI PH sustains manufacturing score in February, IHS says The country sustained its 52.5 manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for February 2021, the IHS Markit reported Monday.

IHS Markit said the country’s manufacturing score last month signaled a solid operating condition as growth rate matched January 2021 level.

The solid manufacturing condition last month was supported by increased output volumes due to higher order inflows and demand.

“Output and new order growth persisted, whilst

an acceleration in preproduction inventories suggests a commitment towards greater production in the months ahead,” IHS Markit economist Shreeya Patel said.

She said the rate of job shedding in February was the lowest for the past 12 months.

However, Patel said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) continues to pose a large threat of material shortages and transportation delays due to restrictions.

Overseas demand remained “heavily subdued”

last month, Patel said.

"For now, controlling the Covid-19 pandemic remains at the heart of the Philippines’ agenda, and whilst vaccines have been secured, delivery delays have severely hindered efforts to vaccinate the nation,” she added.

Moreover, the level of optimism of manufacturers improved in February as they expect better production conditions in the next 12 months.

Meanwhile, the Philippines has the second strongest manufacturing

he Philippines’ leading carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) permanently removes change fees, allowing passengers to rebook as many times as they need.

The carrier believes that flexibility is critical in restoring passenger confidence in air travel.

“In a recent survey we conducted, flexibility remains to be one of the considerations of our passengers when deciding to travel again.

Because of this, we are removing our change fee effective immediately. As we work on rebuilding

our network and supporting domestic tourism, we will continue to listen to our passengers so we can make it even more convenient for everyjuan to fly again,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

With the removal of change fees, passengers may now rebook their flights as many times as they need at no cost. A minimal fare difference may still apply.

The IATF has recently released a new set of simplified requirements

for domestic travel which states that travel authorities and health certificates will no longer be needed. Quarantine protocols will also be only required for those showing symptoms.

“This is a timely announcement as well, as we support the recent IATF announcement on the standardized travel requirements, and as we celebrate our 25th founding anniversary this month,” added Iyog.

Passengers may conveniently manage their bookings online through

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CebPac permanently removes change fees

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rade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the country will not be stagnant in the current economic situation even if President Rodrigo Duterte expects the way of living before the pandemic will be back by 2023.

Lopez said as Filipinos learn how to deal with the virus, some sectors of the economy will be able to gradually reopen even with the current quarantine restrictions.

“So hindi ibig sabihin na parati tayong naka ganitong situation up to two years from now (So that does not mean that we are always in this situation up to two years from now),” he said during the Laging Handa public briefing Monday.

Lopez said it is possible the economy could go back to its pre-pandemic level earlier than 2023.

“Will do our best, through other economic

reforms and programs,” he said in a Viber message to reporters.

Lopez also refuted that the government is becoming “reckless” in pushing for reopening of more economic activities and relaxing some restrictions despite the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in some parts of the country, as well as the threats of new variants of the coronavirus.

He added since the gradual and calibrated reopening in August, no surge in Covid-19 cases was recorded.

Cases also declined from 4,000-level a day to 2,000 and below

2,000-level.

Lopez said this proves that the government has a “good formula” in gradual reopening of economic activities and the Covid-19 cases were well managed.

The Trade chief also welcomed the statement of Duterte to place the entire country under the least restrictive modified general community quarantine once Covid-19 vaccines are “available to anybody”.

“Kung nakita ko na marami nang vaccine, open ko na lahat (If I see that there are a lot of vaccines, I’ll open everything)… People have to eat, people have to work, people have to pay for their upkeep and the only way to do it is to open the economy and for businesses to regrow.

Without that, patay talaga (we’re dead),” Duterte

FPH WON’T, P10

Fuel, LPG prices up again this week

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il companies have announced they are implementing price increases on fuel products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) this week.

Starting today, Chevron, Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, PTT Philippines, Seaoil, and Shell will raise diesel prices by PHP0.85 per liter and gasoline prices by PHP1 per liter.

Chevron, Seaoil, and Shell will also increase

prices of kerosene by PHP0.70 per liter.

Gasoline prices at the pump have been increasing for five straight weeks, and four consecutive weeks of price hike for diesel and kerosene products.

Meanwhile, LPG prices are up for this month.

Starting Monday, Petron implemented PHP0.82 per kilogram increase on LPG, and

PHP0.46 per liter on AutoLPG. Prices of Solane-branded LPG also rose by PHP0.65 per kilogram.

The LPG price hike translates to PHP7.15 to PHP9.02 increment on costs of a regular 11-kilogram LPG tank.

The price adjustments reflected movements in the global market. (PNA)

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO

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On Vice President Leni Robredo egging him to get inoculated with the China-made Sinovac vaccines and suspecting that he had already received shots last year:

You seem to have an angel face but a devilish mind.

‘Yung pagduda mo kasi tapos na ako kaya (You’re suspecting that’s why) you want me to go into a trap of saying things which are not appropriate.”

President Rodrigo Duterte

EDITORIAL

Hail, the jabs are here

The vaccines have finally arrived in Davao City on Tuesday. That means as promised by the city government, anytime soon the inoculation will commence.

The vaccine arrival came a couple of days after the city’s quarantine status was placed on status quo at least until the end of March. It also came a day after the celebration of the 84th Araw ng Dabaw.

What a gift this must be for Dabawenyos.

Now, as a reminder, what are things we need to know about Covid-19 vaccines.

First, according to studies COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping people from getting COVID-19. Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep us from getting seriously ill even if we do get COVID-19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help us get back to normal. Along the way, we will learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Based on the study, COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that

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causes COVID-19. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. This is very important to know. The fact is that it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 just after vaccination. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.

Second, even after we get vaccinated it’s important to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions. Even after vaccination, take steps to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19.

Although COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping people from getting sick, scientists are still learning how well vaccines prevent us from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others, even if we do not get sick.

Hence, this may sound redundant but let us never forget to use our basic tools against Covid-19: wearing a mask, social distancing, avoiding crowds, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, and frequent hand washing.

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VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE SILENT HOLOCAUST Some years back, the Philippines was listed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as one of the 13 low-income food-deficit countries in Asia (“those that do not have enough food to feed their populations and for the most part lack the financial resources to pay for imports”).

The other twelve countries -- most of them thickly populated -- were Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

“In many developing countries, rapid population growth makes it difficult for agricultural production to keep pace with the rising demand for food,” wrote Don Hinrichsen in a report published by “Population Reports.”

“Most developing countries already are cultivating virtually all arable land and are bringing more marginal land under cultivation.”

Jacques Diouf, at the time when he was the director-general of FAO, echoed the same concern.

“Population growth continues to outstrip food availability in many countries,” he pointed out during the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome.

This alarms experts so much that the concept of food security came into existence. FAO defines it as a “state of affairs where all people at all times have access to safe and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.”

People are said to experience lack food security when “either they cannot grow enough food themselves, or they cannot afford to purchase enough in the domestic marketplace.” As a result, “they suffer from micronutrient and protein energy deficiencies in their diets.”

More often than not, population is being left out in discussion whether in climate change, disaster management, and issues and concerns. To think of, it’s the people -- the inhabitants of this planet -- who are directly affected by all these.

“Logically, population growth must stop at some point, or the earth would become overcrowded and its resources eventually would be depleted,” deplores Hinrichsen, who has authored some books on the relationship between population and environment.

If things do not change now, the continuous growth of population will definitely place unprece-

dented stress on the world’s natural resources. “We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal,” deplores Jim Leape, director-general of World Wildlife Fund International. “We are using 50% more resources than the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast: by 2030 even two planets will not be enough.”

In time, the term “carrying capacity” was born. It refers to the number of people that this planet can support on a sustained basis -- that is, “support indefinitely at a constant standard of living without destroying the natural resource base.”

“There is now way to predict how large the population could become, however, before it overwhelmed the planet,” wrote Hinrichsen. “Nor is there any way to predict the quality of life in the future under the almost infinite variety of scenarios for population growth, consumption patterns, food production, technological change, natural resource use, air and water pollution, land degradation, and many other factors.”

Each year, 50 million new people are added to Asia. “Never before has agriculture faced such

a stern challenge,” said Dr. Roland P. Cantrell when he was still the director-general of the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). “Feeding Asia and providing opportunities for people to free themselves from the shackled of poverty are not impossible. This task requires political will, commitment, and sheer determination among many diverse partners. Agriculture -- rice -- must be the cornerstone of dealing with the inseparable issues of poverty, hunger, population growth, and environmental degradation.”

Hunger must be stopped now! “In the last century, some highly motivated people, driven by moral outrage, decided that slavery was monstrous, unconscionable, and must be abolished.

They were called abolitionists,” said Ismail Serageldin, former chairman of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. “Today, widespread hunger in a world of plenty calls equally for moral outrage.

The silent holocaust that causes some 40,000 hunger-related deaths every day is unconscionable and must be abolished. We must become the new abolitionists.”

To help bring food security to the growing population around the world, experts suggest that another Green Revolution is needed. The Green Revolution that started in the 1960s has helped keep food supply ahead of rising demand over the past 30 years. By doubling and tripling yields, it brought time for developing countries to start dealing with rapid population growth.

However, Green Revolution was only a “temporary success,” to quote the words of Dr. Norman Borlaug, the Norwegian-American plant geneticist who was one of its architects. Upon receiving the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution, he pointed out that it is not enough to boost yields on existing cropland; slowing population growth is also crucial.

As early as 1995, environmental guru Lester Brown warned: “Humanity’s greatest challenge may soon be just making it to the next harvest.” But even if the world can produce enough, getting food to those who need it is a huge challenge as well.

As Nobel laureate Amartya Sen puts it: “An efficient food distribution system is as important as food self-sufficiency.”

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG KULE

COMFORT WOMEN ARE NOT PROSTITUTES The portrayal of “comfort women” as willingly-paid sex workers is a misleading attempt to rewrite history and silence the victims of sexual slavery during World War II. A recent uproar began after the paper of Harvard Law School professor J Mark Ramseyer titled “Contracting for sex in the Pacific War” was published online in the International Review of Law and Economics which described Korean comfort women as “prostitutes” who had willingly entered into indenture contracts with entrepreneurs to work at war-front “brothels” in Southeast Asia.

The paper noted that the Japanese Army created standards for licensing so-called comfort stations for “healthy prostitutes” around Asia during World War II as a way of preventing the spread of venereal disease.

Ramseyer argued that the economic structure of the contracts indicated that sex work was voluntarily chosen, which in effect rationalized prostitution based on economic factors as the women were able to negotiate and command high wages for their sexual labors.

Ramseyer asserts that the comfort women “chose prostitution over alternative opportunities because they believed prostitution offered them a better outcome.”

He wrote that “prostitutes” who worked in the brothels signed contracts that were similar to those used in Tokyo brothels, but with shorter terms and higher pay to reflect the danger of working in war zones, some with large advances.

Though largely referring to South Korean victims, Lila Filipina lamented that it is an affront as well to the victims of Japanese war crimes in the Philippines who suffered the most horrible forms of military violence in the course of the brief but brutal Japanese occupation.

Lila Filipina pointed out that Ramseyer’s paper is nothing but a thinly-veiled attempt to discredit the whole narrative of Japanese wartime military sexual slavery.

It sanitizes the horrors of military sexual servitude in a language that also makes the abuse of colonial conquest sound so clinical.

It makes not even the slightest pretense of being a work of scientific value, peppered as it is with the author’s own highly subjective interpretation of events.

The Japanese government has long been engaged in historical denial and revisionism, using as one of its methods the so-called “historical research” which serve to obfuscate the issues related to Japanese military expansionism and abuses.

Ramseyer’s paper is not a standalone incident, but rather one that fits into continuing, large-scale efforts of the Japanese political far right to rewrite history and silence the victims of sexual slavery The paper is an attempt to whitewash history as it overlooked extensive evidence that the “comfort women” system amounted to government-sponsored sexual slavery, not a contract between consenting parties.

Groups criticized his work saying that his arguments are factually inaccurate and misleading as part of the attempts to justify atrocious human rights violations.

Lila Filipina echoed the call

for the retraction of the paper since it is a work that distorts history and insults the victims of sexual violence without a shred of academic evidence.

Ramseyer’s paper is a narrative at odds with accounts from survivors of being forced into sexual slavery, peppered with insensitivity and disregard of the painful memory of the victims.

The military sexual slavery enforced by Japan is a war crime and atrocious human rights violation, as confirmed by major international and domestic institutions.

Historians have determined that there was a range of force or coercion used against comfort women wherein the violence and threats were endemic.

About 200,000 women from Korea, China, Burma, New Guinea, and the Philippines were held in captivity and many thousands more were raped as part of one of the largest operations of sexual violence in modern history.

The Women’s Tribunal that sat in Tokyo, Japan from December 8 to 12, 2000 deliberated on the criminal liability of high-ranking Japanese military

and political officials, as well as the Japanese state’s responsibility for military rape and sexual slavery.

As the tribunal greatly advanced the compilation and record of historical data and evidence to support accounts on human rights abuses, it also pushed back against the assumption that sexual violence is an inevitable product of war.

The commission or avoidance of sexual violence, the tribunal concluded, is dependent on whether the armed organization choose to authorize its systematic commission in pursuit of military objectives, or effectively prohibit it.

As a result of the actions of their Japanese tormentors, the victims have spent their lives in misery, having endured physical injuries, pain and disability, and mental and emotional suffering.

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

Wells Fargo Philippines, McKinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City

Tiwi Geothermal Power Plant, Albay

Wells Fargo expands renewable energy purchases W ells Fargo International Solutions LLC – Philippines (Wells Fargo Philippines) recently announced it has entered into a retail electricity purchase agreement with Aboitiz Power Corporation through its subsidiary, AP Renewables, Inc. (APRI), for the fulfillment of its renewable energy needs.

The power company will deliver approximately 7,500 MWh of renewable energy annually bundled with International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) to Wells Fargo's Taguig facility from APRI’s Tiwi-MakBan geothermal plants in the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, and Albay.

Wells Fargo Philippines, located at McKinley Hill, Bonifacio Global City, is primarily an extension of the operations, knowledge services, and corporate support teams of Wells Fargo.

Geothermal power plants use heat from deep inside the earth to generate steam to make electricity.

According to power-technology.com, the MakBan and Tiwi plants are the fourthand ninth-largest geothermal plants in the world, respectively.

The partnership with AboitizPower is Wells Fargo’s first for geothermal energy. Wells Fargo joins a growing group of companies shifting to renewable energy, or “Cleanergy,” which is AboitizPower’s brand for

renewable energy, and is the first to do so in McKinley Hill, where its 850,000-squarefoot site is located.

AboitizPower, together with its partners, is currently the country’s largest owner and operator of renewable energy based on installed capacity.

As part of its goal to accelerate transition to a low-carbon economy, Wells Fargo has been meeting 100% of its annual global electricity requirements through renewable energy since 2017, primarily through the purchase of RECs. Wells Fargo’s recent purchase agreement with AboitizPower represents an important step in the next phase of the bank’s renewable energy goal — to transition to a higher mix of long-term renewable energy contracts and significantly increase deployment of on-

site generation to support the development of net-new sources of renewable energy.

“Renewable energy projects like Tiwi-MakBan are critical for helping us do our part to curb the impacts of climate change,” said Nate Hurst, head of Social Impact and Sustainability for Wells Fargo. “If we focus on markets where our energy needs are the greatest, we can advance our operational goals in a more sustainable way while also empowering job creation and care for the environment in communities where our employees live and work.”

Edzel Reyes, Corporate Properties Group head of Wells Fargo Philippines, shared, “We have been taking deliberate steps in our sustainability journey, with utilities being one of our major focus areas. This marks an important additional step

in that direction. The conversion of our newest site in Manila toward adopting renewable energy is in alignment with our consistent focus on increasing sustainable use of resources and development in our corporate properties.”

AboitizPower's First Vice President for Commercial Operations Juan Alejandro Aboitiz shared his optimism about the Cleanergy partnership with Wells Fargo.

“Over the years, AboitizPower has taken great strides in fulfilling our groupwide sustainability goals. This partnership with Wells Fargo is a shared commitment towards building the market for renewables in this country. A multi-sectoral approach, of all stakeholders doing their part, will help us achieve the grid's aspirational RE share of 35% by the end of the decade.

Wells Fargo’s pro-active support for Cleanergy is a good example of how environmentally-conscious corporations can strengthen their sustainability programs, and help build the market for renewables in the Philippines."

In addition to being one of the largest corporate users of renewable energy, Wells Fargo is a leader in financing large-scale wind, solar, and other renewable energy projects. The company made its first tax equity commitment in 2006. Since then, it has become one of the leading investors in the renewable energy space, providing more than $8 billion in tax equity financing to customers in support of more than 400 projects. At the close of 2019, Wells Fargo’s tax equity investments represented 10.3% of all solar and wind generation capacity in the United States.

CEB operates the widest domestic network in the Philippines, offering safe, affordable, and seamless flights to and from key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao. It also supports the local tourism industry with its regular flights to famous leisure spots such as Boracay, Bohol, Coron, Siargao, and Puerto Princesa.

Apart from the PHP 25 month-long seat sale, CEB will also be offering 25% off for flight add-ons and of course, its trademark piso sale. Visit www.cebupacificair.com for more information.

Milestones @ 25 CEB took to the skies for the first time in March 08, 1996, flying from Manila to

its hometown Cebu. Since then, it has been committed to fly where Filipinos are – from its first international flight to Hong Kong in 2001, to its first low-cost longhaul flight to Dubai in 2013.

The airline also received its first ATR 72-500 in 2008, which paved way for it to boost inter-island connection and expand its domestic network. Because of its wide network and promo fares, especially its piso sales pioneered in 2004, CEB has consistently made flying accessible for everyjuan.

CEB has also taken part in numerous passenger moments — such as when a passenger from Dubai gave

birth en route to Manila in 2016, to the surprise of its 150 millionth passenger upon arrival in Cagayan de Oro in October 2017. Its passengers have also enriched the lives of children in marginalized communities all over the Philippines

as the total donations for UNICEF’s Change for Good program reached USD 1 million in 2019 “Throughout our 25 years, we have celebrated countless wonderful moments with our guests. We look forward to #More-

SmilesAhead, as everyJuan flies again,” Iyog added.

Expect more surprises from CEB as it celebrates its 25th anniversary this month! For real-time updates, follow Cebu Pacific Air on its official social media accounts.

Cebu Pacific marks 25 years of making moments happen

T

he Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), celebrates 25 years of making moments happen with its first ever month-long PHP 25 seat sale. Beginning today until March 31, 2021, CEB flights to any Philippine destination are on sale, for travel from today all the way up to December 31, 2021.

“On our 25th year, we remain humbled to be part of our passengers’ stories and life journeys. We are in full support of the simplification of travel requirements, and expect to welcome more guests onto our flights in the coming months,” said Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and customer experience.

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AGRITRENDS

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RICE: THE GRASS THAT SUSTAINS FILIPINOS

Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO is a Rice is the principal food for over 60% rice new type that of mankind,” pointed out the Lagu- ofc orice ntains carona-based International Rice Research beta tene, which Institute (IRRI). It is particularly import- ised toconvertvitamin ant to Asia where over half of the world’s A when eaten.

Rigorous research population lives. has shown that just

“

In the Philippines, rice is the staple food, together with fish. “If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino,” the late food columnist Doreen Fernandez once said.

“One more rice, please!”

This call, which rings at dinner time in all restaurants and small eateries, best sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up. Studies show one-half cup of rice can furnish 82 calories of energy, enough to give someone energy to walk 26 minutes.

On average, Filipino consume 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year. That’s almost double of the world average of 65 kilograms per capita per year, according to Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., former director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

For thousands of years, rice (known in the science world as Oryza sativa) has been part of the human diet. Historical evidence suggests that rice may have been produced and consumed up to 10,000 years ago.

“This, alongside its current global status as the world’s most important human food, makes rice production responsible for feeding more people over a longer period than any other crop,” IRRI said in a statement.

Rice production is among the most valuable sources of income of Filipino farmers. In fact, one-third of the arable land – 10 million hectares – is planted to rice, Dr. Rasco said.

About 2.5 million families – that’s 40% of the country’s labor force – depend on rice farming and related activities for their livelihood.

Not all rice produced, however, are eaten by Filipinos.

Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, PhilRice program leader for Impact Assessment Policy Research and Advocacy reported that that every Filipino waste 14 grams of milled rice per day, which is equivalent to about 3 tablespoons per person per day.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics reports that Filipinos spend more on rice than any other food. A survey conducted by the line agency of the Department of Agriculture showed that Filipinos, especially those from low-income households, are depending solely on rice more than ever for their daily dietary energy supply and dietary protein because it remains the most affordable food in the country.

Unknowingly, rice does not only help solve hunger but also “hidden hunger,” the colloquial term for micronutrient deficiency. It happens when people get enough macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat), but not enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for optimum health.

In rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, lack of iron, zinc, and vitamin A are prevalent micronutrient deficiencies. “The cost of these deficiencies in terms of lives and quality of life lost is enormous, and women and children are most at risk,” the Rome-based UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) said in a report.

The FAO report considered the vitamin A status in the Philippines as “severe subclinical deficiency” which affected children 6 months - 5 years (8.2%) and pregnant women (7.1%).

Iron deficiency anemia is the most alarming of the micronutrient deficiencies affecting a considerable proportion of infants (56.6%), pregnant women (50.7%), lactating women (45.7%) and male older persons (49.1%).

“While reports indicate that there is enough food to feed the country, many Filipinos continue to go hungry and become malnourished due to inadequate intake of food and nutrients,” FAO noticed in its report.

In its fight against hidden hunger, IRRI and PhilRice collaborated in conducting more studies on golden rice, which has a potential way to reduce vitamin A deficiency. Golden

one cup of golden rice a day could be enough to provide an adult with half their daily needs of vitamin A. “Golden rice field trials are part of our work to see if golden rice can be a safe and effective way to reduce vitamin A deficiency in the country – to reduce malnutrition,” said Dr. Bruce Tolentino, when he was still the IRRI deputy director general of communications.

“Vitamin A deficiency is horrible and unnecessary, and we want to do our part to help to reduce it.”

Almost always, diabetics are advised to eat less rice. The reason: the starch-rich staple can potentially release high amounts of sugar into the blood when digested. The Department of Health listed diabetes as the ninth leading cause of death among Filipinos today.

The country is home to four million diabetics, with more than three million not knowing they have the disease.

But Filipino diabetics may now worry less. IRRI researchers have already identified the key gene that determines the glycemic index (GI) of rice.

“The GI is a measure of how a carbohydrate like starch affects blood sugar (glucose) levels,” explains Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, an academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology. “The higher the GI, the more glucose is released by food.”

The findings of a study, which analyzed 235 types of rice from around the world, is good news because it not only means rice can be part of a healthy diet for the average consumer. It also means people with diabetes, or at risk of diabetes, can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet.

“It is an important achievement that offers rice breeders the opportunity to develop varieties with different GI levels to meet consumer needs,” IRRI said in a statement. “Future development of low-GI rice would also enable food manufacturers to develop new, low-GI food

produ c t s based on rice.”

The rice with low GI is, indeed, good news for Filipinos. “Low-GI rice will have a particularly important role in the diets of people who derive the bulk of their calories from rice and who cannot afford to eat rice with other foods to help keep the GI of their diet low,” IRRI said. “Low-GI rice could help to keep diabetes at bay in these communities.”

While IRRI is still trying to find the type of rice that can help those with diabetes, eating brown rice may be the best solution.

A Harvard University study found out that brown rice can lower the risk of developing diabetes. Researchers drew on data from over 200,000 subjects and found that those who ate five or more servings of white rice a week had a 17 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely ate white rice. What’s more, they found that those who ate brown rice regularly were overall less likely to develop diabetes.

“When we refine rice, we strip away the majority of many of the nutrients," says Dr. Walter Willet, a co-author on the study, “including magnesium, chromium and other minerals and vitamins. You’re left with a form of starch that is rapidly broken down, leads to greater spikes in blood sugar, and increases the demand for insulin. Over time this exhausts the pancreas and leads to diabetes.”

Filipinos eating rice is as old as rice cultivation itself.

“The history of rice cultivation in the country dates back at least 3,000 years,” wrote Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, an academician and national scientist. “The building of rice terraces came a bit later.”

However, it was in 1576 that an account of rice cultivation was recorded. By 1668, someone wrote that “rice usually does not last longer than the

time it takes to harvest, since the rest they pay in tribute or sell to get the cash to pay the tribute.”

But rice is not originally from the Philippines.

Until now, it is still being debated where rice originally comes from. D.H. Grist, in his book Rice, pointed this out: “We do not know the country of origin of rice, but the weight of evidence points out to the conclusion that the center of origin of rice is

southeast Asia, particularly India and Indo-China, where the richest diversity of cultivated forms has been recorded.”

Cultivation of rice dates to the earliest age of man. Carbonized paddy grains and husks, estimated to date 1000 to 800 B.C. have been found in excavations at Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, India. Specimens of rice have been discovered in China dating from the third millennium B.C. and the Chinese term for rice appears in inscriptions from from the second millennium B.C. Paddy cultivation is of great antiquity in the Philippines. It is thought that immigrant people from south China in the second millennium B.C. constructed the wonderful system of terraces on the mountainsides of Banaue and its neighboring areas. These people were reportedly driven into the hills by subsequent invasions of Malays.

Although the Philippines is basically an agricultural country, it has not been self-suffi-

cient in rice. In fact, the country is currently the world’s major importer of rice. There are several reasons for this. Yield growth and production for the last two decades have been minimal, and at times even stagnated or declined resulting in increased importation.

Unknowingly, studies have shown that there is a 75% return on investment in rice production in the country. But the fact is, there is very little room for expansion in new areas for rice.

“Most of the increase in production will have to come from increased yields/ productivity,” said Simeon A.

Cuyson, the executive director of CropLife Philippines, Inc. “The average rice landholding of slightly more than one hectare is uneconomic, so obviously some interventions are needed to improve efficiency, provide access to credit and marketing, and provide opportunities and the means to diversify the small farmers’ source of livelihood.”

No one knows when the world will be inhabited by 10, 15, or 20 billion people. What is clear, however, is that new technologies will be needed to produce much more rice on less land, with less labor, less water, and less pesticides. Rice production must be made sustainable as well as profitable for farmers so that they do not leave the land and join rapidly expanding, highly explosive communities of the urban poor.

As former IRRI director general Klaus Lampe puts it: “We cannot protect the environment, we cannot promote biodiversity, and we cannot provide sustainability without ensuring sufficient income earning opportunities and an adequate food supply.”

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sabi mo dadaan proseso.

Anong proseso ang gusto mo na tapos naman ‘yan lahat? Gusto mo dagdagan (Why didn’t you say that before? Then you say it should go through a process. What process do you want when it’s all done? You want to add)?” he said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, the principal author of the UHC law, explained that the HTAC functions are not intended to duplicate the function of the FDA to establish safety or efficacy standards and quality measures for drugs and other products.

“The Health Technology Assessment should be institutionalized as a fair and transparent priority-setting mechanism that should be recommendatory to the DOH and PhilHealth. So hindi po totoo ang sinasabi niya narequirement po ng (So it’s not true what she’s saying that it’s a requirement of the) Universal

Health Care namandatory daw ang HTAC review,” he said.

Roque said Robredo may have been confused because a provision in the UHC law states that “each intervention must have undergone phase 4 clinical trial.”

However, he said that no vaccine brand has finished phase 4 clinical trials.

“Hindi po ito applicable sa panahon ngayon because nasa Emergency Use Authorization pa lang tayo. Wala pa pong phase 4 na clinical trial ang kahit na anong bakuna. So kung sasabihin po niyang mandatory ito, wala po tayong mabibili na bakuna (This is not applicable at the current time because we’re currently in EUA. No vaccine has finished with phase 4 clinical trials. So if she says it’s mandatory, we won’t be able to purchase any vaccines),” he said.

(PNA)

of the world on online platforms due to the pandemic.

The mayor said this will surely help local entrepreneurs improve their business and help prospective entrepreneurs establish business ventures.

“Know that the city

government of Davao shall remain supportive of initiatives such as this and all other programs geared toward empowering our business sector.

Together, let us reboot, recharge, recover, and reset the economy of Davao City,” she said.

to show to the public that vaccination is safe and effective.

“Maliban sa ating mga magigiting na mga medical frontliners, naging matagumpay din ang pagbakuna sa ilang mga opisyal ng gobyerno hindi dahil sila po ay prayoridad kundi ginawa po nila ito upang maipakita sa publiko na magtiwala po tayo sa bakuna, na tanging bakuna lamang po ang solusyon, tanging bakuna lamang po ang susi upang unti-unti na tayong makabalik sa ating normal na pamumuhay,” he explained.

Among these are Food and Drug Administration Director General Eric Domingo, Metro Manila Development Authority Chief Benhur Abalos, vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr., Testing czar Vince Dizon, and Dr. Edsel Salvana of the Department of Health Technical Advisory Group.

“Huwag kayong matakot sa bakuna, matakot kayo sa COVID-19. Ang bakuna lamang po ang tanging makakapatay sa COVID-19, kaya magtiwala po tayo sa ginagawa ng ating gobyerno,” Go meanwhile said.

“Sisiguraduhin nating safe at epektibo po ang dapat bilhin po ng gobyerno na mga bakuna at ituturok po sa tao.

Kunin natin ang kumpiyansa ng bawat Pilipino na tanging bakuna la-

mang ang solusyon dito sa problema natin kontra COVID-19,” he added.

The Senator, who also sits as the chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, expressed confidence that through these vaccines, the Philippines will be able to move forward.

“Konting tiis lang po, sama-sama tayong makakabangon muli at, tulad ng sinabi ng Pangulo, ‘No Filipino will be left behind’,” he said.

Go also shared that 525,600 doses of AstraZeneca through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access by the World Health Organization is expected to arrive soon. “'Yun pong mga kababayan natin na wala pong access, hindi nga po alam saan kukunin yung mga bakuna, unahin po natin sila — 'yung mga isang kahig-isang tuka nating mga kababayan na wala pong inaasahan kundi makabalik po sa normal nating pamumuhay,” Go assured.

The Senator further noted that despite the arrival of vaccines in the country, Filipinos must continue to be vigilant and cooperate with the government. He added that Filipinos should not be complacent as the virus still exists.

“Let us continue to observe health protocols as we go about our daily lives. Importante po magsuot ng mask, faceshield,

Whe told reporters.

He said the natural wastes that have long accumulated at the lake maybe processed and used as fertilizers for the hydroponic gardens.

The provincial government, through PEMO, launched the hydroponics program in 2016 as part of the Lake Sebu Rehabilitation, Conservation and Development Program.

Flaviano said they trained at least 25 households in the area regarding the innovative system and helped establish vegetable gardens along the lake.

The program has so far thrived, with the household-beneficiaries now selling their “organic and chemical-free” vegetables such as lettuce to the area’s hotels and resorts.

“By expanding the program, we will not only help save the lake but provide alternative livelihood to residents as well,” he said.

Flaviano said the program will complement with the continuing regular clean-up activities at the lake conducted by PEMO and the municipal government as well as the rehabilitation of its

watershed areas.

Last year, he said their enhanced reforestation program covered at least 12 hectares of the lake’s watershed and areas within its water sources.

The official said they are continually monitoring the “health condition” of Lake Sebu through the assigned lake wardens.

He said they are currently working on the purchase of at least two dissolved oxygen test kits to help stakeholders better prepare in case of a looming fish kill.

Fishery experts said the fish kills were caused by the occurrence of “kemohung,” a phenomenon triggered by the sudden rise in the water’s temperature.

“Kemohung,” which usually occurs during the rainy season, triggers the rise of sulfuric acid that eventually lowers the dissolved oxygen in the lake’s waters.

The fish kill last January devastated around 200 tons of tilapia worth PHP20 million. In 2017, portions of the lake was hit by a series of major fish kills that destroyed 1.4 million kilos of tilapia valued at around PHP126 million. (MindaNews)

said Sunday.

Lopez added with the start of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout Monday, this

“can only bring heightened optimism” among Filipinos to bring life back to normal. (PNA)

PMI among Asean countries in a February 2021 survey.

Singapore recorded the strongest production score of 55.2.

Behind the Philippines in manufacturing PMI for the previous month’s survey were Vietnam at 51.6, and Indonesia at 50.9.

Asean countries that

showed deterioration in the manufacturing sector last month were Malaysia with a PMI of 47.7, Thailand at 47.2, and Myanmar at 27.7 amid protests and political instability.

Overall manufacturing score of Asean in February declined to 49.7 from 51.4 in January. (PNA)

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social distancing, hugas ng kamay dahil delikado pa po ang panahon,” he said.

He then encouraged everyone to continue the spirit of bayanihan and help each other to hasten

the country’s progress towards the new normal.

“Ituloy po natin ang ating bayanihan at pagmamalasakit sa kapwa.

We heal as one people.

We recover as one nation,” he ended.

ing measure that will help in cleaning up the marketplace from bogus products online.

Under the MOU, industry players agreed to use the notice and takedown (NTD) system, wherein rights owners can use the NTD procedures to remove contents on the e-commerce sites that have copyright infringement and other intellectual property violations.

It also drafted a feedback mechanism between e-commerce platforms and rights owners.

“With harmonized procedures and deeper ties with platforms, intellectual property rights holders are better able to notify e-commerce and request for swift actions necessary to prevent counterfeiters and copyright pirates from making a sale,” Barba added.

He said with the massive shift to e-commerce last year due to the pandemic, IPOPHL received the highest number of reports and complaints on intellectual property rights violations done online.

The Intellectual Prop-

erty Rights Enforcement Office received some 121 reports and complaints last year, apart from over 20,000 complaints at DTIFair Trade Enforcement Bureau, he said.

Barba said this initiative also aims to keep the Philippines out of the piracy watchlist that will give confidence to investors to bring in their brands and technology to the Philippines without the fear of their intellectual property rights being violated.

The MOU is an outcome of IPOPHL’s collaboration with the British Embassy in Manila under the UK Prosperity Fund Asean Economic Reform Programme.

In the same event, British Ambassador Daniel Pruce highlighted the need to protect intellectual property rights.

“Intellectual property protection is critical -- it’s critical to encourage innovation,” Pruce said. “So we need to build confidence in online transactions by creating a safe and reliable digital ecosystem which is beneficial for all online players in the marketplace.”

(PNA)

in manufacturing activities as well.”

Citing news reports, he said a shift to MGCQ will only be allowed if the supply of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines has reached 2 million and rollout continues.

On Monday, the government launched its inoculation program using part of the 600,000 doses of Sinovac-produced CoronaVac, which were donated by China.

Among those that were given the vaccine are UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, Dr. Edsel Salvaña, Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at UP-National Institutes of Health; and

Covid-19 testing czar Vince Dizon.

“Further reduction in new Covid-19 cases could be helped further by the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in the coming months of 2021, as well any further confirmation on the effectiveness of existing Covid-19 vaccines to control the new variants/strains that are more contagious, would help improve sentiment on economy, thereby allowing more businesses and people to work and also support more economic activities that result to increased spending/consumption, which also help fundamentally boost manufacturing activities,” Ricafort added.

(PNA)

the “Manage Booking” portal on the Cebu Pacific website: http://bit.ly/ CEBmanageflight. Simply log in using your Getgo account, if applicable, or enter your booking reference to access your booking online. Bookings can be modified up to two (2) hours before the flight.

Passengers may also easily update their contact information and addresses, as well as correct misspelled names, nationality, birthdays, and salutation through

the same portal. Those who booked their CEB flights via travel agencies must coordinate requests through their respective agents.

Apart from this new policy, CEB also has an ongoing PHP 25 monthlong seat sale on top of other exciting deals in celebration for its 25th anniversary. Visit www. cebupacificair.com and follow Cebu Pacific Air on its official social media accounts for more information.

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T

he reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers are dealing with adversity for the first time this season given a slump that has coincided with an injury to Anthony Davis, but the All-Star forward said nobody was reaching for the panic button.

Davis, the Lakers' second-leading scorer behind LeBron James, suffered a calf strain on Feb. 14 that will keep him sidelined until around mid-March and the team have gone 2-4 during his absence.

"Obviously it's frustrating that we are losing and we want to win, we want to win every game but it's a time for us to get better and fix the things we need to fix," Davis told Reuters in a video interview. "We are not at all rattled or worried."

The injury to Davis left a huge hole in the lineup that was compounded by the absence of starting point guard Dennis Schroder, who returned to action only last Friday after missing four games due to the NBA's health and safety protocols.

While Schroder's return provided a boost during a pair of wins over the weekend, carrying on for an extended stretch without Davis will undoubtedly prove challenging.

Davis, who is promoting a new commercial with Ruffles potato chips that will air during the NBA's All-Star Game on March 7, said every championship team had the added pressure of facing each opponent's best

effort every night.

"We've had games this year where we play a team and they shoot lights out, don't miss a shot, and then the following game they don't make a shot," said Davis.

"It comes with the territory. When you are the defending champion it's a lot harder to repeat, the target on your back is a lot bigger and every team wants to beat the champs."

While no team wants to be without one of their top scorers, Davis does feel his absence could pay long-term dividends as it opens the door for pivotal role players to come off the bench and log confidence-building minutes ahead of the playoffs.

"You don't win playoff games and championships without your role players," said Davis. "And that's on every championship team, their role players contributed a ton.

11

Lakers not close to hitting panic button Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) will be missed until mid-March. Reuters

Kaya Iloilo to play AFC Cup in Singapore bubble PBA bubble staff to be aya Iloilo will be es for Group I inside a join fellow Philippines and Indonesia's Persipuentering a bub- bubble in Singapore.

Football League power- ra Jayapura. honored by Press Corps ble type of sports Shan United is initial- house United City there.

Visakha and Lalenok

K

event setup for its upcoming stint in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup. The AFC announced on Monday that Kaya Iloilo, Malaysian club Terrenganu, Singaporean team Geylang, and a team from Myanmar will play their group stage match-

ly the Burmese representative for Group I, but Ayeyawady United can take the place of Shan if the latter qualifies for the AFC Champions League.

Kaya Iloilo can also be taken out of the AFC Cup if they too qualify for the Champions League and

Meanwhile, the Singapore bubble will also host Group H, consisting of Malaysia's Kedah Darul Aman, Vietnam's Saigon, Singapore Lion City Sailors, and the winner of the stepladder qualifier between Cambodia's Visakha, East Timor's Lalenok United,

Kaya Iloilo is set to enter the bubble type Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

will first face off on April 28 with the winner taking on Persipura Jayapura on May 19 for the last spot in Group H. Geylang and Lion City are the de facto hosts of the Singapore bubble, scheduled from June 2228, in the process. (PNA)

T

he staff members of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) who had a hand in making the league's season bubble in Angeles, Pampanga will be feted on Sunday night during the PBA Press Corps Awards Night.

The 17-man crew led by Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro was tasked to mainly organize the bubble set up just for the league to proceed with its 45th season amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

The citation is one of the main highlights of this year's awarding ceremonies, which for the first time ever will be done online.

Earlier in the buildup to the PBA Press Corps Awards Night, the reporters doing the PBA beat announced that the semifinal decider between Ginebra and Meralco is the Game of the Season, or in this case, the

"Game of the Bubble".

Also to be honored are Scoring Champion CJ Perez, the All-Rookie Team of Aaron Black, Arvin Tolentino, Roosevelt Adams, Barkley Ebona, and Renzo Subido, Mr. Quality Minutes RJ Jazul, Top Bubble D-Fender Justin Chua, and the rest of the All-Bubble D-Fenders, namely Calvin Abueva, Chris Ross, Mark Barroca, Christian Standhardinger.

The headliners of last year's edition will also be finally recognized after the supposed awards night was canceled due to the pandemic.

To be awarded on Sunday night are Baby Dalupan Coach of the Year Leo Austria, Danny Floro Executive of the Year PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, Presidential Awardee Vergel Meneses, and Defensive Player of the Year Sean Anthony.

(PNA)

8 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 262 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 VOL.13 ISSUE 271 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3, 2021

BAD BOY’S SON

Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) star Rolando Dy is facing Abdisalam Kubanychbek.

Pinoy MMA star Rolando Dy challenges Kyrgyz foe for title

F

ilipino mixed martial arts (MMA) star Rolando Dy is bracing for what would be his biggest fight so far in his career as he will headline Brave CF 47 in Manama, Bahrain on March 11.

Dy, the son of boxing legend Rolando Navarrete, will be facing Abdisalam Kubanychbek in the main event of the said card with the winner likely to face Brave lightweight champion Amin Ayoub next.

"Sa tingin ko, ito ang pinakamahirap ko (In my point of view, this is going to be my toughest fight ever)," Dy said on Sunday night in the Sports on Air podcast.

Since joining Brave in 2019, Kubanychbek has been making a statement after another, knocking out Joao Paulo Rodrigues and Vagif Askerov in his first two forays into the promotion before

submitting Jahongir Saidjamolov at Brave CF 46 last January.

Kubanychbek has won his last nine fights overall.

Dy said Kubanychbek is ranked fourth among the top fighters within the former Soviet Union, making him a worthy protagonist in the title eliminator.

"We all know ano ang level ng Russia pagdating sa MMA, so alam ko mapapalaban ako sa laban na ito (at what level Russia is right now in terms of MMA, so I know I will be in for a tough grind in this fight)," Dy further said. "Isa siya sa pinakamagaling na nakalaban ko (He is one of the best fighters I

have faced)."

While the knockouts showed how well rounded Kubanychbek can be, Dy believes Kubanychbek is at his best when he brings the fight to the ground.

"We know that Kyrgyzstan's wrestlers are one of the best," Dy further said.

However, he believes his opponent is beatable.

"Abdisalam is powerful, but he's not fast," Dy analyzed Kubanychbek further. "He is a little bit stiff and slow."

Ahead of his battle, Dy said he will leave for Manama next Sunday even as he wraps up his training camp here this week. (PNA)