Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 277 | Wednesday, March 10. 2021

ABOITIZPOWER AND PEF: CELEBRATING PANGARAP, OUR COUNTRY’S SYMBOL OF HOPE

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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I never ask for money to use in my campaign: Sara STORY ON PAGE 2 A worker sorts out dried cacao beans at the factory of Puentespina Cacao Farm in Malagos, Davao City. The Senate has recently approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1741 declaring Davao City as chocolate capital and the entire Davao Region as the Philippines’ cacao capital. Edge Davao

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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Only 17 session days left for Congress to act on BARMM transition extension

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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 Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on Monday evening. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

I never ask for money to use in my campaign: Sara

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio advised the public to immediately report to the nearest police station any person or groups soliciting money for her campaign in the incoming 2022 Presidential Elections.

There are reports that some individuals or groups are soliciting money to help finance her campaign in 2022.

“If people come across sa mga ingon ani you immediately report it to the nearest police station wherever it may happen not only in Davao City. Reiterate lang gihapon nato ang atoang

mga panawagan na kung dunay mag-solicit sa inyuha o mga negosyante ug kuwarta para gamiton kuno sa akoang pagdagan sa 2022 nga dili sila maghatag because until mahuman ang filing sa atoang candidacy which will happen in October that will be the only day na mahibalo ta kung kinsa ang mudagan sa pag-

ka-Presidente,” Mayor Sara said in a live broadcast interview on Monday.

The mayor stressed that she never ask for money to use in her campaigns as mayor and vice mayor in Davao City.

“Sa tanan nako pag dagan, nagdagan ta ug mayor ug vice mayor, wala ko sukad nagpa-solicit sa mga negosyante or bisan kinsa man nga tao para mutabang sa akoang pag dagan. Pag-abot nato sa October kung unsa man ang mahitabo kung mudagan ta sa bisan unsang posisyon, bisan unsa pa man atong daganan

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March 8 during her regular program on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio, urging the public to still observe the minimum health protocols, such as wearing of face masks and face shields, frequent

hand washing, and physical distancing until the city achieves herd immunity.

“Ang importanteng buhaton nato karon is the emphasis of minimum public health standards and other COVID-19

kung mudagan man ko sa muabot na 2022 election dili gihapon ko mag sulti sa uban tao na magsolicit sila para mutabang sa atoang kampanya,” she said.

The mayor is firmed to her pronouncements that she will not run for Presidential Elections.

She said there is an impasse because the people cannot all move on to her decision.

“Kung dili mo mutuo sa akoang gisulti that is why naa ta sa standstill tanan. Murag nagbalik balik ang question because dili sila (tao) mu-

health regulations and ikaduha paspasan nato ang pagbakuna sa atoang mga healthcare workers inside the hospitals (The important thing to do right now emphasis on minimum public

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Sara urges public to observe health protocols even after vax avao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has reiterated the need to observe minimum public health standards even after the vaccination.

The city mayor made the call on Monday,

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he two houses of Congress have only 17 session days from March 9 until its adjournment sine die on June 3 to act on seven bills proposing to extend the transition period in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from its supposed end on June 30, 2022 to June 30, 2025.

Seven bills have been filed in Congress – five in the House and two in the Senate — seeking to extend the transition period for another three years by resetting the date of the first election of the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament to May 12, 2025 instead of May 9, 2022.

The House has held two joint committee hearings while the Senate initially set the date of its first hearing on February 24, reset it to March 3 and reset it again to March 10.

The Senate Committee hearings were postponed twice but Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri met Moro leaders twice in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Davao on February 20 and 27. Another meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, March 9 in Metro Manila, a meeting that is expected to decide the fate of the transition bills in Congress.

Between March 9 until Congress takes a break on March 27 are eight session days. Congress will resume sessions on May 17 and will have nine session days until it adjourns sine die on June 3.

“Too short” The 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the body tasked to govern the Bangsamoro region during the three year transition period from 2019 to 2022, passed Resolution 93 on November 17 last year, urging the House of Representatives and the Senate to extend the transition period to June 30, 2025 to give the BTA “sufficient time to continue in performing its powers and functions and fulfill its mandate.”

On November 23, President Rodrigo Duterte and six of his Cabinet members met with the BARMM’s interim Chief Minister, Ahod Balawag Ebrahim and his delegation in Davao City, to discuss support for the proposed extension.

On November 26, at the House Committee on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity hearing on the status of the implementation of the Bangsamoro law, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

Carlito Galvez said President Duterte believes a three-year transition is “too short” and is asking Congress to extend the transition period until 2024 or 2025, to enable the BTA to “fulfill its mandate in a most reasonable time.”

RA 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM lists down the deliverables not only of the Bangsamoro transition government but also of the national government, both in the political and normalization tracks.

Between December 1 and 17, five representatives filed bills to fix the first regular election in the Bangsamoro to May 2025 instead of May 2022: Antique Rep. Loren Legarda filed House Bill 8116; Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, HB 8117; Leyte Rep. and Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, HB 8161; Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, HB 8277and Lanao del Norte Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, whose HB 8224 seeks to synchronize the first Bangsamoro election with the other elections in May 2028.

In the Senate, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III filed Senate Bill 2019 on January 25 while Senator Richard Gordon filed SB 2025 on January 27, both seeking to reset the date of the first Bangsamoro election to 2025.

CDO and Davao City meetings The February 20 Cagayan de Oro meeting at the Xavier Estates Sports and Country Club was, according to an attendee, on the request of governors of the five-province, threecity BARRM but only Sulu Governor Sakur Tan who is opposing extension and whose province voted against inclusion in the BARMM in 2019, and Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong, Jr., who is supporting extension, were present.

Also present was Basilan Rep. and Deputy Majority Leader Mujiv Hataman who filed a resolution on January 26 seeking an inquiry, in aid of legislation “on the Bangsamoro transition and its listed accomplishments, ongoing programs, as well as existing challenges,” among others.

Hataman was governor of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from December 2011 to February 26, 2019.

In the Davao City meeting, Zubiri and Cabinet secretaries – Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Defense

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VOL.13 ISSUE 277 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2021

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Testament of Survival. In 1992, residents, allegedly prodded upon by Italian missionary Fr. Peter Geremia, PIME, stormed this warehouse of the National Food Authority to get its stock of rice in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat due to hunger after a devastating drought hit the area. However, those who withdrew the rice promised to repay it in

NEWS 3

the next harvest season. After spending nearly a month in jail, Geremia and 19 others were released on bail.The case was eventually dismissed. This photo was taken on Saturday, 6 March 2021. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO

Regulation, not total ban on single-use plastics

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he 19th City Council recently passed the ordinance regulating the sale, distribution, and use of single-use plastics (SUPs) in Davao City.

Reacting to the measure, the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) Inc. lauded the City Council for passing the ordinance but qualified that it is not what the group was expecting.

The group is lobbying for the total banning of SUPs in the city.

Lawyer Mark Peñalver, executive director of IDIS, said this is a step closer to addressing the plastic wastes issue in the Davao City and hopeful that the ordinance will stir behavioral and attitude change to Dabawenyos and the business sectors to also do their part in impacting change.

The city councilors unanimously voted to pass the said ordinance wherein single-use plastics such as drink-

ing cups, ice cream cups, condiments or gravy containers, cup lids, stirrers, cutleries, straws, meal boxes, pastry or cake boxes, egg containers or clamshells, balloon sticks, and hand gloves are no longer allowed to be sold, used, or distributed for free without a special permit to distribute and/or use single-use plastic products.

Furthermore, one year after the effectivity of the ordinance, selling of the above listed SUPs will not be allowed unless with a “special permit to sell”, issued by the City Mayor’s Office and upon showing that there are no commercially available alternatives.

While the usage, distribution, and selling of sando bags, labo bags, and PET bottles

are not included, IDIS and other environmental groups will still advocate and call for these single-use plastics to be banned or regulated.

On the other hand, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio didn’t give any comments yet on the recent passage of the ordinance.

“Dili lang sa ko mag-comment about sa ordinance until muabot diri sa amoang side of executive department. Wala pa diri sa amoa ang ordinance,” the mayor said.

Last month, Mayor Sara certified the draft ordinance banning SUPs as urgent. She also announced that she has written the City Council a letter to discuss the proposed measure following the concerns of the environmental groups to the alarming increase in the volume of plastic wastes in Davao City.

Signature campaign for Davao Light to take over old Daneco starts online

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n online signature campaign emanating from the Garden City of Samal has started, urging the Davao Light and Power Co. (Dalight) to take over the franchise area of the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco) in Davao del Norte.

The campaign initiated by the DavNor Consumer Coalition was first posted last week on the

online portal change.org.

A business leader in Davao del Norte has expressed his support to the campaign.

In a text message, Virgilio Agunod, executive vice president of the Tagum City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the campaign “a very good move.”

Agunod said the takeover by a private entity such as Dalight of the

operational control over all the Nordeco franchise area in the province “will allow it to provide the much-needed stable power” needed especially for growing urban areas.

At the moment, Dalight serves the city of Panabo, and the towns of Sto. Tomas, Braulio Dujali and Carmen, all of Davao del Norte.

public address, Duterte said Robredo did the public a “disservice” by supposedly making it appear that the government was skipping regulatory processes for vaccines.

He insisted that an HTAC review is only recommendatory and is not required before the government can roll out vaccines.

“Ang ginawa niyang

disservice to the people is noong hindi niya sinabi na recommendatory (She did a great disservice to the people when she didn’t say that it was recommendatory),” he said.

Duterte said Robredo did not even bother understanding the provision under the Universal Health Care Act or Republic Act also known as

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PRRD: Robredo created doubt during Sinovac vaccine rollout

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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night said Vice President Leni Robredo’s call for a review of Sinovac's CoronaVac Covid-19 vaccine by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) created doubt just as the government was boosting public confidence in the vaccines.

In a pre-recorded

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Davao’s Cacao growers expect concrete support

By MAYA M. PADILLO acao growers and farmers expressed delight over the Senate’s recent approval on third and final reading a bill declaring Davao City as chocolate capital and the entire Davao Region as the Philippines’ cacao capital.

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With the declaration, the cacao sector expects the national government to provide concrete programs for the farmers to make the industry sustainable.

The Senators passed Senate Bill No. 1741, which seeks to “recognize Davao as the country’s biggest producer of cacao and its vital contribution in making the Philippines world-renowned and sought-af-

ter by chocolate makers from the United States, Japan, and Europe.”

Rex Victor Puentespina, Malagos Agri-Ventures Corp.’s farmer and chocolate maker, said in a phone interview that the recognition makes Davao Region as the flag bearer of sought after fine flavor cacao beans.

He said there is a need for the farmers to level up production of quality fine flavor cacao

beans to maintain its presence in the international market.

“Dapat ang recognition masundan pud ug mga programa to make it more sustainable such as concrete support for the farmers. It’s the private sector and the farmers who really worked hard for Davao Region to be recognized.

Dapat masundan ug programs for the farmers para ma-promote ang sustainability,” said Puentespina.

Puentespina said the recognition will also boost the morale of the farmers in Davao Region and increase production.

“Among gina-emphasize sa mga farmers na

karon naa nata sa radar dapat mag-level up sila in producing more para dili masayang ang penetration nato in the international scene ug dili masayang kay naa naman, nalanog na ug ang musunod ana is production. Dapat masundan ug supporta kay kung wala, masayang lang,” he added.

Meanwhile, Val Turtur, president of Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (Cidami), said the Senate’s approval will get the attention of the international community that the national government is supportive to the cacao industry, not only increase farmers’ pro-

ductivity but they can now bargain in terms of prices.

In 2017, the city’s cacao industry was getting support from the city government of Davao aiming to make Davao as Cacao Capital of the country considering that Davao City is a home to award-winning chocolate maker Malagos Chocolate and supplier of Askinosie Chocolate owned by social entrepreneur Shawn Askinosie.

The city has been pushing for the declaration of the Davao Region as Cacao Capital since 2015 due to the significant role it plays in the cacao industry.

“We are thankful na gi-recognize karon sa gobyerno ang efforts sa mga farmers sa Davao Region. Hopefully, mapirmahan ni Presidente Duterte and be named as Cacao and Chocolate Capital of the Philippines. We already put Davao City and Davao Region in the chocolate map of the world. Naa nata sa radar sa tanan chocolate makers around the world as a fine flavor coco bean producer,” Puentespina said.

Malagos Chocolates, NutraRich Davao Fine Table and Rosario’s Davao Artisanal Chocolates were also featured in the international festivals.

4M Pinoys jobless in Jan. even as economy further reopens

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nemployment rose in January with around 4 million adult Filipinos, representing 8.7 percent of the labor force, jobless in the first month of the year compared to the same period last year, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Tuesday.

January's unemployment rate contrasted with the 5.3 percent jobless rate in the same month last year with the estimated number of persons out of work at 2.39 million, before the country felt the full brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This also contrasted with the estimated 3.8 million adult Filipinos who were jobless as of October, representing 8.7 percent of the labor force.

For 2020, the average jobless rate was 10.4 percent, or 4.5 million adult Filipinos, the highest since 2005.

The underemployment rate for January 2021 settled at 16 percent, data showed.

An independent survey by the Social Weather Stations meanwhile put the average joblessness

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Cycling, protected bike lanes can augment public transpo shortage

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A worker pedals his bicycle to work along R. Castillo Street in Davao City on Tuesday. The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) believed that promoting cycling and building protected bike lanes can

augment public transportation and help people safely get to work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Edge Davao

romoting cycling and building protected bike lanes can augment public transportation and help people safely get to work during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has hurt the economy, especially the transport sector. The community quarantines and physical distancing regulations that help protect lives inadvertently reduced transport supply and resulted in public transport shortages,” acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a forum.

Data from the Philip-

pine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicate that the land transport sector contracted 30.7 percent in 2020, more than three times worse than overall gross domestic product (GDP).

Chua said a sharp contraction in transportation can significantly bring down the rest of the economy amid its large economic linkages.

He added reduced vehicle capacities have also led to a land transport shortage, leading to a spike in passenger road transport inflation, from 2.6 percent in 2019 to 9.6 percent in 2020.

“As we learn to live with the virus, improving access to mobility in the country is crucial in jump-starting the econo-

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EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY A2

Ironworkers assemble a metal structure for the foundation of a building at a construction site along Chavez Street, Davao City. Workers in the country are projected to have an average increase of 5.6 percent in their salary this year, the Salary Budget Planning Report of global advisory, broking, and solutions firm. Edge Davao

Economic rebound still possible amid rising Covid-19 cases: DTI W

PH employees seen to get 5.6% salary increase in ‘21

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he country’s top trade official believes that the economic recovery is still possible this year if only localized or granular lockdowns will be imposed amid the rising coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the past week.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said granular lockdown should be implemented in areas with a spike in Covid-19 numbers to contain the infection while allowing areas with no surge in cases to remain in status quo, even if the government is

pushing for the reopening of more economic activities.

“By implementing strict protocols and localized lockdown, I think our projected rebound is still doable especially in the second and third quarter,” Lopez said in mixed English and Filipino in a radio interview

Monday.

He added the economic cluster expects the economy to post positive growth this year.

With Covid-19 cases in the country breaching the 3,000-mark again, Lopez said the DTI is “very flexible and sensitive” in this kind of situation.

He said even the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has further allowed more economic activities to reopen, they give local government units (LGUs) the power to decide to suspend or postpone the reopening of sectors,

SEC set to open online portal for annual reports submission

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orporations and partnerships may start using the online submission tool (OST) to submit their annual financial statements (AFS), general information sheet (GIS), and other annual reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) by March 15.

The commission on March 8 issued Memorandum Circular No. 3, series of 2021, or the

schedule and procedure for the filing of AFS, GIS, and other annual reports.

“With the OST, we are one more step closer to achieving our ease-of-doing-business and sustainability goals, which have been at the core of our ongoing digital transformation,” SEC Chairperson Emilio Aquino said in a statement Monday.

Aquino said the OST is “equally important” in the commission’s efforts

to automate business transactions to limit faceto-face interactions, and consequently help stem the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and accelerate the country’s recovery from the pandemic.

Mandatory enrolment Corporations, partnerships, and their authorized filers are required to enroll in the OST by accomplishing

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such as cinemas and arcades depending on the Covid-19 situation in their localities.

Cinemas, libraries, archives, museums, cultural centers, video and interactive game arcades, tourist attractions such as parks, theme parks, natural sites, historical landmarks, and the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) industry were the latest economic activities that the IATF reopened starting last Friday.

“But now that the numbers are rising, we will understand if they

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orkers in the country are projected to have an average increase of 5.6 percent in their salary this year, the Salary Budget Planning Report of global advisory, broking, and solutions firm Willis Towers Watson (WTW) said.

The average salary increase in the Philippines this year, however, is slightly lower than the 5.7-percent pay rise in 2020.

Aside from the Philippines, the report shows that 12 other markets in the Asia Pacific region have slowed down their 2021 average pay rise forecasts. These include Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia,

Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

Countries with higher pay hike rate in 2021 include Bangladesh, Myanmar, and New Zealand, while nations such as Australia, China, Taiwan, and Thailand are expected to maintain their salary increase rate this year.

“After a difficult year for employers and employees -- battling lockdowns, employee safety issues, working from home and declining revenues -- many employers are finding ways to handle the crisis better, manage their businesses and help their employees with a more focused work and reward strat-

nications player will spur competition in the local market that will benefit consumers in terms of better quality of services and prices.

“Let competition run its course to see how the telco race will result in competitive pricing and raise the level of overall connectivity, quality, and coverage in the country,” he said.

He added the PCC will monitor the market behavior of the telecommunications players to ensure they will compete fairly.

The commission will also continue promoting pro-competition measures in the telecommunications industry, Balisacan said.

“This development resonates with the aspirations of every connected Filipino, and opens the door for policymakers to consider other reforms such as the easing of foreign equity restrictions, push for open access and common towers, and prevention of exclusivity arrangements in last-mile internet service,” he said.

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Launch of DITO major dev’t in PH telco: PCC

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he Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has welcomed the launching of DITO Telecommunity in the telecommunications sector in the country.

In a statement Monday, PCC chair Arsenio Balisacan said the launching of the third telecommunications player is a major development in the sector that has been ruled by only two companies for the past long years.

Balisacan said the anti-trust body is expecting that the new telecommu-

4 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

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On the Senate approval of a measure formally making Davao City the cacao capital of the Philippines: Magsisilbing inspirasyon po ito sa ating mga cacao producers at farmers na patuloy na magsikap upang mapalago ang industriya na ito na hindi lamang nagbibigay ng karangalan sa Davao, maging sa buong bansa.”

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go

EDITORIAL Road to normalcy The rollout of the initial Covid-19 vaccination in Davao City formally jumpstarts the journey back to ‘normalcy.’ By ‘normalcy’, it could mean a different thing altogether with what is now known as the ‘new normal’ standards incorporated to our way of life.

Although the vaccination began with the health frontliners as the first recipients, there is a ray of hope in the horizon that with medical people showing their confidence and faith in the inoculation program, the rest of the population should follow suit.

The rollout process was impressive. Each step of the way, the vaccinee is provided with information on hot

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

the stage is going to be done. For those with hesitation, a counselling is readily available.

The development of the vaccine is considered as breakthrough in medical science and is seen as the ‘savior’ of innumerable lives. The development of the vaccine is a testament that science research and medicine will be the weapons of mankind to ensure survival.

Now that the vaccine is available, each one of us must be vaccinated as it is the only hope for now. We cannot afford to waste our chance. Let’s do it not only for ourselves but for the future generation.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

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WOMEN... FROM8 for its support and guidance in their careers so they end up triumphant in the sport and in life.

Commissioner Kiram also shared that they will be holding a webinar from March 10 to 12, for PSC staff entitled, “Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Women Empowerment in the Philippine Sports

Commission System.”

“This is important for the agency so everyone could be gender-sensitive and effective in making responsive programs, plans and policies. The learnings in this webinar will not be limited to their work in the office, they could also apply it in their own homes,” said Kiram.

Republic Act No. 11223 which states that the HTAC is recommendatory.

The donated Sinovac shots, he said, are not yet required to undergo an HTAC review because these were donated and not procured by the government.

“We were fighting against the tide of non-believers na huwag kayong matakot, ganito (not to be afraid). Now, here comes the statement na hindi niya --- hindi niya binasa kumpleto ang batas (she made without completely reading the law), with just a simple statement, magke-create ka ng (you’re creating) doubt,” he said.

He blamed Robredo’s call for an HTAC review as the reason why more

individuals rejected the Sinovac-made CoronaVac vaccines.

“We were doing everything convincing, spending most of our time convincing the people that it is safe. Ang bakuna is safe. Now, if you create that uncertainty in the minds of the people mas maraming ayaw (there would be more who would refuse to get vaccinated),” he said.

Duterte expressed frustration over how Robredo relied on “halftruths” when she failed to read the UHC law.

“Medyo galit ako (I’m slightly angry) for coming with a half-truth na basahin mo kalahati lang (where you read just half of the law),” he said.

Instead of joining the government’s efforts to

PRRD... FROM3

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE OF A PORTION OF A PARCEL OF LAND Notic e is hereby given that the estate of the late AND RE S ALINDAO who died on JUNE 9 2016 I N Davao City , left a parc el of land with TC T No.C - 32574 has been the subjec t of E X TRAJUDI CI AL SE TTLE ME NT OF E STATE WI TH DE E D OF ABSOLUTE SALE OF A P ORTI ON OF A PARCE L OF LAND E xec uted am ong his heirs, per Doc . No. 278; PageNo. 57; Book No. 97 Series of 2020, of t he NOTARY P UBLI C ATTY. NE I L B. JAO, M A;M BA. promote vaccine confidence, he said Robredo “muddled up everything.”

“I said, creating an uncertainty and doubt in the minds of the people.

So ‘yon ang nagalitan ko (So that’s why I’m angry) because we were running against time, kailangan mabakuna na agad (we needed to start vaccination immediately),” he said.

He, meanwhile, appealed to Robredo to stay quiet if she is unsure of her statements.

“I hope that next time kung wala naman siyang

masabi na tama (if she can’t say anything right), she just would maybe shut up. Siguraduhin niya muna o hindi magbasa siya, siya mismo. Ikaw, ma’am, ang magbasa and (Make sure you read first and) take notes of the important or salient points of the law. Otherwise, I said, a misplaced comma could change the meaning of everything,” he said.

Last week, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the HTAC is evaluating the Sinovac-made CoronaVac vaccines since

5

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

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

BRANCHES

DATE PAWNED

DAVAO: September Sasa Maa 01 - 30, Sandawa 2020 Matina Panabo Main Panabo Branch

DATE & PLACE OF AUCTION March 26, 2021(Fri.) 9:00 AM VGM Pawnshop, Inc, Sandawa Branch VGM BLDG., Sandawa Rd., SIR New Matina, Davao City

THE MANAGEMENT the government is expected to procure 1 million doses this month under a PHP700 million purchase deal.

The country kicked off its vaccination pro-

gram rollout on March 1, a day after the first batch of 600,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine donated by China arrived on board a Chinese military aircraft on Feb. 28. (PNA)

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NOTICE This is to inform that a Seawind Condominium unit by (Damosa Land) specifically Bldg.

C, Unit 3-S2, purchased by ALBERT B. BALDON under a Contract to Sell has been cancelled dated February 28, 2021 recorded in the notarial registry of Atty.

Roland A. Reyes as Doc No. 480, Page No. 97, Book No. 4, Series of 2020.

ONLY 17... FROM2 Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado – met with BARMM Governors as well as the BARMM leadership under interim Chief Minister Ebrahim, and Hataman. The governors present were Tan, Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu and Governor Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato, whose 63 villages are now part of the BARMM. The Provincial Board of Maguindanao passed a resolution as early as October 2019 to push for an extension of the transition period until 2025. Also present in the Cagayan de Oro and Davao meetings were Mangudadatu’s husband, Suharto, governor of neighboring Sultan Kudarat province which is not part of the BARMM. In both Cagayan and Davao meetings, photographs were posted on social media but details about what transpired during the meetings were not made public.

Hataman posted a photograph of the attendees in Davao City, flashing the peace sign which he captioned with

“Bangsamoro higit sa sarili” (Bangsamoro more than self or Bangsamoro first).

Asked what their consensus was during the February 27 meeting, Hataman told MindaNews, “meeting pa ulit, May mga konting ayusin pa” (We will meet again.

Some things need to be threshed out).

Hataman said an agreement could be reached soon.

That “agreement” is expected to be reached

by March 9 during the “Political Leaders Meeting” convened by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in Metro Manila. Those who attended the Davao meeting had agreed that the follow-up meeting be held “prior to the deliberation of the Senate Committee on Local Government” on SB 2019 and 2025. The Senate Committee will hold its first hearing on March 10.

Resolutions As of March 9, only Sulu out of the five-province, three-city region, has no resolution from either the Provincial Board (Sangguniang Pan-

lalawigan) or the League of Municipalities (LMP) Sulu chapter, supporting the extension.

The Provincial Boards of Maguindanao, Tawi-tawi and Basilan and the LMP chapters in Lanao del Sur and Tawi-tawi have passed resolutions in support of extension.

Insider Mediators, a network of Bangsamoro stakeholders on March 5 called on Congress to “fast track the amendment of Republic Act No. 11054 that would extend the transition period until 2025” while an online petition urging President Duterte to certify as urgent the transition bills has generated nearly a million signatories – 969,487 as of 10 a.m on March 9.

Cardinal Orlando B. Quevedo, OMI, issued a statement of support in January, as did the Christians for Peace Movement led by the Christian church leaders in Cotabato City.

Appointees At present, the 80 members of the BTA comprising 41 nominated by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and 39 nominated by the

NO SOLI... FROM2 tuo ug maminaw,” she said.

She also shared her conversation with a high ranking official in the national government who assured her that when

she had decided to run they will work together for her campaign.

“Giingnan nako siya nga nag decide nako ug nagsulti nako sa ako desisyon ang problema

dili ka mutuo. Ang iyaha tubag sa akoa ‘tinuod dili ko makatuo ug ga-ampo gihapon ko nga magbag-o ang imohang decision’,” she said.

health standards and other COVID-19 health regulations and secondly, the prompt vaccination of our healthcare workers inside the hospitals),” Duterte said, stressing also the need to immediately inoculate medical workers as soon as the vaccines are made available in the city.

After the first vaccination rollout last Friday, March 5, which inoculated at least 150 medical workers from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), the immunization against COVID-19 to health workers from the different private

hospitals in the city has also started today.

Duterte also said that more anti-COVID-19 vaccines coming from the national government and the city’s procurement from private firms are expected to arrive in the city in the coming days.

“Ang priority nato sa pagkakaron is ang bakuna and ensuring na adunay bakuna moabot and dunay mga tao nga mabukanhan (Our priority right now is the vaccines and ensuring its supply and there are people immunized),” Duterte said.

The city government is also intensifying its

COVID-19 vaccination campaign programs to explain further the benefits of completing the vaccines.

“Our way of making people opt nga magpabakuna or choose nga magpabakuna is kaning pagexplain sa ilaha (Our way of making people opt or choose to be vaccinated is to explain it to them further),” Duterte explained, adding that government employees are not forced to undergo vaccination.

Davao City targets to vaccinate 1.2 million of the 1.8 million population to achieve herd immunity. CIO

If the takeover is successful, the city and the entire province will join a few local government units in Mindanao, whose electricity requirements are supplied by private distribution companies like Dalight.

Asked for his reaction, Mario Angelo Sotto, general of Nordeco, whose previous name was the Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative (Daneco), claimed there were individuals with vested interests behind the move.

“These groups have only wanted to make money out of the privatization (of the operations) of the cooperative

(in the province),” said Sotto, who was part of the team that President Rodrigo Duterte assigned to the cooperative to restore order as the power coop has been embroiled in internal conflict.

Sotto added that the campaign to allow a private company to take over the operations of the cooperative has been there since the 1990s, but nothing much has happened.

Dalight, on the other hand, declined to comment on the signature campaign.

“We cannot comment on the issue being faced

by Daneco. We believe

that this issue will ultimately be decided by the member-consumers (of Daneco) themselves”, Dalight president Rodger Velasco said in a text message.

Earlier, the late lawyer Jose Amacio, first and longest serving general manager of the embattled electric cooperative, recommended the takeover by Dalight of Daneco’s franchise areas so it can meet the requirements of expansion and better service.

At the time, the province of Davao de Oro was still part of Davao del Norte. (AMA)

national government, are all appointed by President Duterte.

The BTA is supposed to end on June 30, 2022, when the first elected officials of the regional government shall have taken their oath of office, as mandated by RA 11054, the enabling act of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the MILF on March 27, 2014, after 17 years of negotiations.

The BARMM is the third autonomous region set-up in the predominantly Moro areas in the past four decades but it is the first, as agreed upon by the two parties, to adopt a parliamentary system within a

highly-centralized Presidential system of government.

A Bangsamoro Electoral Code is supposed to govern the elections in the region. The Code has not been passed.

The Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), an independent body set up by the Philippine government and the MILF to monitor the implementation of the CAB told a virtual press conference on December 14 that the peace process is “fundamentally on track” with the establishment of the BARMM as a “very big achievement” but noted that some elements “will require more time to complete.”

Speaking from Brussels, TPMT chair Heino Marius, said it is beyond

the mandate of the TPMT to recommend an extension of the three-year transition period as that matter has to be decided upon by both parties, but asked if “more time” means “beyond June 30, 2022,” he replied “yes.”

He said the remaining challenges mentioned in their report “tend to show that the time allocated to the transition period is very tight and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has considerably complicated the picture” and as a consequence, “it has become clear that many elements which form part of the peace process,” particularly the normalization track, “will in all likelihood require time beyond May 2022.”

(Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

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AboitizPower and PEF: Celebrating Pangarap, our country’s symbol of hope F

Photo courtesy of the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF).

rom a year riddled with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the aptly named Philippine eagle Pangarap, proudly adopted by Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), remains a symbol of hope that our country can rise again.

It is AboitizPower’s goal to promote sustainability for its communities, and that includes the care and concern for the flora and fauna native to our local lands. The Philippine eagle is perhaps the biggest representation of the struggles that our wildlife continues to

face, but struggles that can also be overcome with the right amount of action taken to drive meaningful change.

Pangarap, one of the last females of her kind, recently celebrated her 22nd hatchday, marking another year of strength and hope for the critically endangered species.

In light of her special day, AboitizPower and the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) set out to spread positive energy by hosting a fun and lively celebration via Zoom along with a week-long blast on Facebook, highlighting Pangarap and what she means to our country’s wildlife.

Grade school students and teachers from the Ateneo de Davao University were able to watch and learn more about the exotic bird of prey through games and activities with Malaya, PEF’s beloved mascot.

“To us, Pangarap is a national treasure and a symbol of hope for our country’s unique wildlife, and I want to give a big thank you to the Philippine Eagle Foundation for taking such good care of her over the years, even with all the challenges brought about by the pandemic,” shared AboitizPower President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio

in a special hatchday message for Pangarap.

“We at AboitizPower are happy to be a partner in her upbringing. As we aim to spread positive energy all over the country and in all aspects of life, we look to drive towards our goal of sustainability and foster a healthy environment for generations to come,” Rubio added.

11 years since she was first adopted, Pangarap remains in good health under the care of AboitizPower and the PEF. She is one of the few eagles who is still eligible to reproduce and regrow her species’ population.

Dennis Salvador, Executive Director of the PEF, thanked the company for their continued support to save the Philippine eagle: “Our partnership with Aboitiz Power Corporation does not only sustain Pangarap but also our initiative to breed the species in captivity. Pangarap symbolizes our dream to one day produce enough suitably reared Philippine eagles to repopulate the wild.

This dream can only be realized with the generosity and support of our partners like AboitizPower.

Beyond providing for Pangarap’s annual

needs, AboitizPower’s sponsorship of her hatchday celebrations is also invaluable in inspiring care for the eagle among the youth.

We are grateful for the company’s growing support to save our national bird.”

AboitizPower stays committed to serving its host communities and spreading positive energy throughout the environment and its wildlife, proudly supporting the PEF and Pangarap in their mission to grow the Philippine eagle population. Pangarap is currently housed at the Philippine Eagle Center in Malagos, Davao City.

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rate for 2020 at a record-high 37.4 percent.

The PSA and SWS use different metrics for measuring unemployment.

Last year, the Philippines suffered its worst economic contraction since the end of World War 2.

Government economic managers have said that employment should recover this year as the economy gradually reopens and bounces back to positive growth.

Businesses, especially small firms, suffered from significant loss of income due to the months-long lockdown. In June 2020, DOLE said some 2,000 companies declared permanent closure, redundancy or retrenchment.

During the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon last year, unemployment in the country ballooned to 7.3 million, as the jobless rate rose to 17.7 percent in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

my. In the Greater Manila area, only 12.5 percent of households own private cars. Meanwhile, the rest cannot go to work because of limited public transportation. Promoting cycling and other modes of active transportation will provide safe, healthy, and affordable means of participating in the economy,” Chua reiterated.

According to the Bureau of Customs, bicycle imports increased from 1 million to 2.1 million units or by 112 percent from 2019 to 2020. This shows that more and more people are choosing cycling as their new mode of transportation.

Moreover, based on the 2020 data from Social Weather Stations and Department of Health (DOH), 87 percent of Filipinos agree that roads in cities will be better if public transportation, bikes, and pedestrians are prioritized.

Chua said NEDA supports the initiatives of the DOH, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Works and Highways, and Department of the Interior and Local Government to work together to build protected bike lanes around the National Capital Region.

“We are one with the various national agencies

and local government units in their concerted efforts to increase mobility of people as we carefully reopen the economy. The current bike lane design provides significant protection to the growing number of cyclists, myself included,” the NEDA chief added.

Promoting sustainable and inclusive mobility is in line with the National Transport Policy that encourages local government units and national agencies to give priority to development of proper sidewalks and networks of bicycle lanes.

“We are also inviting the private sector to contribute to this alternative transport movement by providing end-of-trip facilities such as bike parking spaces and showers areas for employees who bike or walk to work,” Chua said.

Aside from these, companies can also explore provision of incentives and subsidies for cycling, similar to how some businesses provide car plans or shuttle services to employees.

The Moving As One: Public Private Cooperation on Active Mobility forum on March 5 was organized by the DOH, the Makati Business Club, and the Move As One Coalition. (PR)

egy,” WTW Philippines head of talent and rewards Patrick Marquina said.

The report said sectors have different pay hike rates depending on the impact of the pandemic to their industries, but the most optimistic ones are the sectors of pharmaceutical and health sciences, high-technology electronics manufacturing, and business support services include business process outsourcing.

Aside from pay rise, these sectors are expected to employ more this year as these industries prepare for growth and

development opportunities this year.

“While there is certainly more optimism this year in both employers and employees alike, the recovery for many hard-impacted businesses would not be smooth sailing. Companies will continue to experience smaller salary budgets this year. Therefore, it is important for employers to differentiate their allocation of pay rises so that they can provide meaningful salary increases for their best and most valuable talent, and prioritize spending on jobs that are likely to contrib-

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Mati, Lupon hospitals to benefit from initial 600 doses of Sinovac

T

he Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center, St. Camillus Hospital and the Isolation of the Divine Healer (Milagrosa ACS) in the City of Mati; and Lupon Municipal Isolation Facility will be the first ones that would benefit from the initial 600 doses of Sinovac vaccines that arrived at the DOPMC Monday, March 8.

The rest of the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities in the province will follow suit.

The 600 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived at the DOPMC noontime Monday and was received by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Reden Bersaldo and Governor Nelson Dayanghirang.

The vaccines were escorted from Davao City by the DOH 11, PNP, Army, PHO, and BFP to ensure the safety of the vaccines.

Before the vaccines arrived, the PHO, together with the BFP, conducted a safety inspection of the cold storage rooms and the vaccination area.

The rollout of the vaccines is set on March 10 at the Davao Oriental State College of Science and Technology.

A total of 90 people from St. Camillus Hospital, 300 people from DOPMC, and 37 from the ACS are set to be vaccinated. The remaining number of vaccines will be distributed to the next priorities.

The flow of vaccinees

are based on the clustering of the priority list, in which the COVID-19 referral hospitals came in first, hospitals catering to COVID-19 cases came in second. These are followed by quarantine or isolation facilities, remaining hospitals, government-owned community-based primary care facilities, remaining healthcare facilities thru LGU, and closed healthcare institutions.

Dr. Bersalde said that the cold storage rooms and vaccination teams per LGU are now ready for the vaccination day. A simulation exercise will be conducted before the scheduled rollout to have an organized flow of the process of the vaccination.

The City of Mati LGU under Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat has meanwhile allocated a total of P20 million for purchase of syringes and other materials needed for the massive vaccination. Of which, 17 million will be allocated for the purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.

The City of Mati Incident Management Team had earlier identified 24,000 Matinians under the “vulnerable sectors” consist of health frontliners, senior citizens, indigents, and uniformed personnel.

Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat however said they target to inoculate a total of 100,000 Matinians by the end of this year. (CIO MATI)

added.

As the new head coach, Gavina “will be in charge of the development of the team.”

“He will be the one to create the system that will bring the team to greater heights. He will be the one calling the time outs and substituting the players. He will draw up plans on how to beat the other teams at every single game,” Oribiana said.

The confusion on the coach-consultant setup rises from a recent trend in which teams have hired foreign coaches to backstop the team only to actually call the shots more than the listed head coach.

The most recent was in the case of Talk ‘N Text, in which Bong Ravena was named the head

coach but it was active consultant Mark Dickel really doing the coaching chores.

The team made it to last season's finals only to fall to Ginebra.

The Tropang Giga eventually moved on from Dickel and named Chot Reyes the new head coach with Ravena keeping a spot in the coaching staff.

Despite what happened to TNT, Oribiana believes it will not be the case in ROS. “It may have not worked in other teams but who is to say that it won’t work this time around. The story of the PBA’s ‘active consultant’ role is very clear, it is when some people use it to skirt or bend the rules that makes it vague and confusing,” he said. (PNA)

ROS... FROMB2

ute the most to the success or survival of their businesses” Marquina added.

Meanwhile, the report said 13 percent of surveyed Philippine employ-

ers are expected to freeze pay rise this year.

This is lower than the 28 percent of companies that did not implement salary increases last year.

(PNA)

ECONOMIC... FROMA2 will suspend that part of the reopening,” Lopez said in Filipino.

The DTI chief added LGUs also have the flexibility to decide on the percentage of the operating capacity of restaurants and internet café, among others, if there is an increasing number of Covid-19 cases in their areas.

“We, even in the economic cluster, want to reopen the economy. But we will not sacrifice the health situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lopez said the rising number of Covid-19 cases is not due to the newly reopened sectors as these economic activities were allowed to reopen on March 5.

(PNA)

the online application form and submitting the required documents.

The documents required for enrollment include a board resolution authorizing its representative to file reports on behalf of the corporation or partnership, and a special power of attorney from the authorized filer/representative of the corporation to file reports on their behalf.

Corporations and partnerships must also submit a copy of their submission of email addresses and cellular phone numbers or their accomplished GIS using the 2020 version of the form, as required by SEC Memorandum Circular No. 28, series of 2020.

All stock corporations, including the branch offices, representative offices, regional headquarters and regional operating headquarters of foreign corporations, will be required to submit their reports using the OST starting this year.

Meanwhile, nonstock corporations will still have the option to submit their reports over the counter.

By 2022, the commission will require all nonstock corporations to enroll in and submit their reports through the OST. Law, consultancy and other firms providing related services to corporations and partnerships may also enroll as authorized filers.

Online submission The authorized filer of a corporation or partnership may start submitting reports through the OST once they have successfully enrolled.

The SEC will no longer require hard copies of the reports submitted through the portal.

Corporations may use the OST for the filing of their AFS, GIS, sworn statement for foundation (SSF), general form for financial statement (GFFS), and special form for financial statement (SFFS) during the initial implementation.

The OST will also accept submissions of affidavit of non-operation (ANO), together with

their GIS or AFS, and affidavit of non-holding of annual meeting (ANHAM), together with the GIS. The online facility will show the required format of the report to be submitted. For instance, a GIS must be submitted as an accomplished but unsigned form saved as a multipage portable document format (PDF), as well as a high-resolution scan of the signed and notarized document saved as a multipage PDF. The reports will undergo quality check upon submission. Once approved, the filer will receive a QR code indicating the final acceptance of the reports.

Deadlines All corporations shall submit the GIS within the 30 days following their respective annual meetings.

For their AFS, corporations whose fiscal years ended on Dec. 31, 2020 shall observe the following filing schedule, based on the last numerical digit of their SEC registration or license numbers: 1 on April 1 to 30; 2 on May 1 to 31; 3 and 4 on June 1 to 30; 5 and 6 on July 1 to 31; 7 and 8 on Aug. 1 to 31; and 9 and 0 on Sept. 1 to 30 Corporations also have the option to file ahead of the prescribed filing dates through the OST. Those whose fiscal year ends on a date other than Dec. 31 should file their AFS within 120 days from the end of their fiscal year.

Meanwhile, publicly listed companies and other issuers of securities should file their AFS within 105 days after the end of their fiscal years.

Corporations whose AFS are audited by the Commission on Audit (COA) may submit outside the prescribed filing schedule, provided they attach an affidavit and a letter from COA attesting to the timely submission of their financial statements and supporting documents to the state auditor. (PR)

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Fil-Aussie James Laput, who grew up in Perth, Western Australia, is one of the Fil-foreigners in the PBA Draft.

21 Fil-foreigners, 65 R others make PBA Draft

ROS clarifies coaching setup

S

ome 86 players, including 21 Fil-foreigners, have been given the green light to join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 46 Draft following the release of the final list of draftees on Monday.

A total of 97 players applied for the March 14 event, but 11 of them have been taken out from the final list with seven due to failure to submit necessary documents.

Former Alab Pilipinas players Jason Brickman, Brandon Rosser, and Jere-

miah Gray, former Chooksto-Go Pilipinas 3x3 star Taylor Statham, and former Adamson and La Salle player Tyrus Hill headline the Filipino-American athletes who missed the March 5 deadline to submit clearances from the Department of Justice and the Bureau of

10 teams joining PVL Open Conference

T

en teams will take part in the return of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL).

The league announced on Monday night that holdovers Creamline, Choco Mucho, Petro Gazz, Banko Perlas, Balipure will return for the upcoming Open Conference scheduled to open in May. PLDT is making a comeback to the league formerly known as the Shakey's V-League, tagging along sister team Cignal, which made the jump from the Philippine Superliga.

On the other hand, Peak Form, another PVL debutant, will now be playing under the name

UAC Energy Holdings.

Interestingly enough, the team will carry the moniker "Power Hitters" much like PLDT's team name.

Meanwhile, two military teams, Army and Air Force have also confirmed their participation.

Due to the rules on enlisted soldiers playing in professional leagues, both Army and Air Force will be considered guest teams.

All the matches will be played at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna as part of a bubble amid the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (PNA)

Immigration to become eligible for the draft.

The five players are projected to be selected within the first two regular rounds based on early mock drafts.

John Paul Gulfo and Christopher Cancio also failed to submit the needed papers.

On the other hand, JJ Española, John Paul Zarco, Ezra Ocampo, and Neiloween de Jesus have backed out from the draft.

Despite the subtraction, the draft class tipped as one of the deepest pools

ever, remains loaded with the likes of Joshua Munzon, Jamie Malonzo, and Alvin Pasaol leading the way in the regular rounds.

Also to watch out are the four players included in the special Gilas Pilipinas round -- Jordan Heading, Tzaddy Rangel, Will Navarro, and Jaydee Tungcab.

With no PBA Draft Combine set this year due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the teams have been permitted to conduct pre-draft workouts.

This year's draft will be conducted virtually. (PNA)

The Premier Volleyball League is set to open in May.

ain or Shine alternate governor Edison Oribiana maintained that only Chris Gavina will be calling the shots for the team ahead of the upcoming PBA season.

This, as there is still a confusion among the fans about Caloy Garcia's new role as active consultant and head of basketball operations.

Oribiana said Gavina will do the “micro” management of the team while Garcia will do the “macro” management.

In the new coaching setup, Garcia will be more of an adviser even as he can also keep his job as part of Gilas Pilipinas' coaching staff.

“It means he will have less time to personally supervise the

training and development of his mother team and with the unpredictable schedule of the tournaments there will be conflicts even with actual games of the PBA. We can’t tell him to just politely beg off because we are also an ardent supporter of our national team ever since,” said Oribiana on Garcia's new role.

The coaching shakeup "was deliberated thoroughly by [the Elasto Painters'] upper management."

“Being the head of basketball operations and an active consultant does not mean he reports to himself. He reports to the team governor and the team owners,” the management

FROS, PB1

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WOMEN POWER

PSC gives tribute to women for National Women’s Month

A

special tribute to the achievements and contributions of all the great women leaders, athletes, coaches, employees, and mothers is the core of the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) virtual programs for March in line with the National Women’s Month celebration.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez stresses the extraordinary roles of women in creating social change and development in the country.

“To all women, grandmothers, and mothers, you deserve equal rights, equal treatment, and equal opportunity. In war, in calamities, in a pandemic, even in sports competitions, women play very important roles,” explained Ramirez.

In a statement on the celebration of International Women's Month, the sport's chief gave a toast to the

strength and resilience of women, saying that "today is an opportunity to reflect and admire women for their constant strength and resilience. Their help shapes us as persons and as a nation. For all the things you do, thank you and I wish you all a happy women’s day.”

PSC has been very active and consistent in its programs for Women in Sports even during COVID-19 health crisis.

A series of free online seminars have been conducted to

push its drive for gender equality and women empowerment.

“This is our holistic approach to reach out to all the women in the country to be active in our leadership programs and encourage them to live a healthier lifestyle,” said PSC oversight Commissioner for Women in Sports Celia Kiram.

The PSC’s Rise up Shape up (RUSU) – a weekly web series that streams every Saturday on Facebook and Youtube, features different women experts and personalities aimed to inspire and empower ladies in different fields.

In its previous episode last March 6, RUSU featured the country's prized women boxers led by 2012 AIBA Women’s world boxing champion and five-time gold medalist in Southeast Asian Games Josie Gabuco, 2019 SEA Games silver medalist Riza Pasuit and bronze medalist Aira Villegas, who paid tribute to their moms

FWOMEN, P5

Dabawenya Olympic hopeful Nesthy Petecio in training. Nesthy Petecio FB page