Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 8 | Tuesday, March 23, 2021

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A medical work takes a swab sample of a man at Sta. Ana Health Center in Davao City on Monday. The city government of Davao re-imposed the “no negative RT-PCR, no Safe DQR, no entry” in Davao City starting today, March 23, 2021 amid the rising number of active Covid-19 infections in Metro Manila and Central Visayas Region. Edge Davao

City to conduct aggressive surveillance on flulike illnesses to avoid second wave of Covid-19 STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

SECOND WAVE ALERT

A staff member of the office of the First Congressional District Representative Paolo“Pulong”Duterte distributs cash aid and rice pack to a resident affected by a fire incident in Barangay Vicente Duterte in Agdao District. Contributed photo

City to conduct aggressive surveillance on flu-like illnesses to avoid second wave of Covid-19

By MAYA M. PADILLO he city government of Davao will be intensifying surveillance on influenza-like illnesses in the communities to prevent a possible second wave of Covid-19 in Davao City.

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Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the city will try its best to prevent from happening the similar surge of cases in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Cebu City.

The Department of

Health (DOH) on Saturday recorded 7,999 new coronavirus infections, the second straight day that the country posted a record high in daily cases.

“Duna ta’y ipahigayon na aggressive surveilance

sa atoang mga communities para maunhan nato ang mga clusters tawag nila is influenza-like illness like cough, sneezing, fever even no exposure to Covid-19 positive case,” she said in a live broadcast interview on Monday.

The city will also review the contact-tracing as it is one of the challenges during the first wave of cases in Davao City.

The mayor said another strategy is to fast-track the

rmed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana flew to this city Sunday to receive in formal rites the four Indonesian kidnap victims who were rescued by government troops on Thursday and early Sunday morning.

Rescued on Thursday were Rizal Kasta Miran, 30, Arsad Bin Dahlan, 41, and Andi Riswanto, 26, while rescued early Sunday morning (March 21) was 15-year old Khairuldin Bin Ye Kii, all residents of Kabupaten Wakatobi municipality, Sulawesi Tengara, Indonesia.

On Saturday evening, 15-year old Khairuddin escaped along with the two Sayyaf companions of Abu Sayyaf subleader Hajan Sa-

hijuan, also known as Apo Mike. But following a firefight at 6:30 Sunday morning, he was rescued as he was abandoned by the two who escaped during the military operation.

Western Mindanao Command led by Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan acknowledged the joint operatives of the Tandubas, Languyan and South Ubian municipal police, all of the PNP Maritime Force, as well as the Marine Battalion Landing Team 6, representing the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi who pursued on March 18, 20, and 21, the Abu Sayyaf Group, then resistant and heavily armed onboard a motorized boat.

The troops were likewise acknowledged for their capture of ASG sub-

leader Majan Sahijuan who led a team in battling against the Marines and Maritime Police in Kalupag Island after an attempt to ask for water from residents in the island-barangay. Sahijuan eventually died due to loss of blood while in the custody of the 2nd Marine Brigade.

Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, Deputy Commissioner for Operations of the Philippine National Police, congratulated “the key players” as he cited the “strong partnership of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.”

Binag, representing PNP Chief Debold Sinas, cited importance of trust (“tiwala”) by the civilian populace on the gov-

request of DOH 11 list for the private hospitals.

“Kaniadto we received list from the regional office of DOH needed by the private hospitals,” she said.

The city has already implemented the “no RT-PCR negative result, no entry” in Davao City for airline passengers upon entry at the Davao International Airport (DIA).

For inbound passengers, a negative RT-PCR (nasopharyngeal) negative ernment forces while he hoped to “continue this kind of working relationship,” noting the value of “cooperation, sharing of (intelligence-based) information, joint operation, et cetera.”

Sobejana on his part commended the troops and spoke of the military’s concern “to free our country of terrorists” as he specifically mentioned the Abu Sayyaf Group in Western Mindanao, the Bangsamoro Islamic fighters in Eastern Mindanao, the remnants of the Maute group in Marawi. This, as he calls on the military to be mindful of the provisions and demands of Executive Order No. 70.

He expressed opti-

AFP chief receives 4 rescued Indonesian kidnap victims

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test result (by DOH accredited lab facility) or a saliva based RT-PCR negative test result (by Philippine Red Cross only)valid within 72 hours from administering the test and upon arrival at Davao City are required.

Any person, upon entering Davao City, does not present a negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test result or invalid RT-PCR Covid-19 test result shall be required to undergo RT-PCR Covid-19 test at the place of entry

and shall be required to remain at a government sanctioned facility until the release and/or issuance of a negative RT-PCR Covid-19 test result.

Travelers exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 shall be held for testing in the facility operated by the city.

Passengers/travelers are directed to present valid DQR code and charges will be filed against individuals who will present fake DQRs.

130 AstraZeneca vials arrive in the province

130

vials of AstraZeneca vaccines allotted for the entire Davao Oriental arrived last March 21, 2021, Sunday, at the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center. A total of 1,300 people are to be inoculated with the said vials.

The vaccines are to be inoculated tomorrow, March 23. The allocation of the number of vaccines is expected to be announced later by the Provincial Health Office. The remaining vials which will not be con-

sumed tomorrow will be returned to the DOH Region XI to be distributed in the NCR. Last week, the City of Mati started inoculating the Astrazeneca vaccines which arrived earlier on March 12. A total of 28 vials were allocated for the CHO personnel and BHW’s of the city.

According to the report, 217 were already allocated – 40 with SINOVAC and 177 with AstraZeneca.

As of now, 12 vials are yet to be vaccinated to the remaining 120 BHW’s. (CIO MATI)

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EDGEDAVAO

Mati starts building P45M poultry dressing plant inside agri-complex

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he City of Mati has started building its P45 million poultry dressing plant inside the city’s agricultural complex in Barangay Tagawisan.

This is one of the proofs how Mati City Mayor Mayor Michelle Rabat always placed primordial importance to agriculture, aside from health.

Agriculture also always gets the chunk of the budget under her administration.

Rabat said an investor also plans to build a modern piggery farm in one of the barangays of Mati.

Recently, the City Agriculture Office (CAO) conducted oyster production training with the Concerned Bangsamoro Youth Development of Davao Oriental.

The training includ-

Sta. Cruz town provides skills training, employment for 313 displaced workers

A physically challenged person uses a skateboard to roam around Davao City’s downtown area. Edge Davao

LTFRB-Davao to launch T Cat. Grande route for IBS

By MAYA M. PADILLO he Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)-Davao will be launching the Catalunan Grande to downtown area route, which is the second route for the Interim Bus System (IBS) of Davao City, Tuesday (March 23,2021).

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The route will be serviced by Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board 11 (LTFRB 11) Regional Director Nonito “Dondon” Llanos III disclosed that there are 59 drivers of Catalunan Grande Operators Cooperative that will be affected in the implementation of IBS. Llanos also said that LTFRB-Davao has prepared three routes to be used for the affected drivers: Libby Road in Puan going to Toril Public Market, Matina Biao going to Calinan, and Mintal Road going to Bago Oshiro.

“Tumutulong kami sa

city for the operators to understand with the coming in of IBS. So far maganda naman yung response ng Catalunan Grande Operators Coop and they will be co-existing with the bus as of now. Pero ang ginawa ng LTFRB baka sakaling economically not viable on the part of the operators we have prepared three routes for them that they could transfer, “ Llanos said in a phone interview.

This is the second route that will be serviced by the Davao Metro Shuttle Corporation under IBS with first route the C.P. Garcia route in Davao City, which was launched last February 2, 2021.

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

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

Apart from Metro Shuttle, another Mindanao-based bus company, Bachelor Express, Inc., which is also part of the IBS project, will be servicing Toril-downtown route.

Llanos said there are no date yet when the service of Toril will commence.

It can be recalled thay Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has ordered the creation of an inter-agency task force for the Davao City HPBS Project through Executive Order (E.O.) No. 3 that aims to ensure the successful integration and effective implementation of the HPBS

rovincial Governor Edwin I. Jubahib is hellbent on ending poverty in the province of Davao del Norte as he makes intensified strides to rollout down the grassroots level the Kausa sa Agrikultura at Panginabuhian sa Barangay (KAAGAPAY).

In an interview in Talaingod, Jubahih cited KAAGAPAY as the “master key” in addressing insurgency which is rooted, among other factors, in poverty.

Jubahib recognized the need for insurgency-vulnerable sector, especially the poor and the underprivileged, to take hold of sustainable livelihood so they can provide the needs

of their families and send their children to school.

“Kaya ang direksyon ko bilang Governor, tapusin ko talaga itong kahirapan sa buong probinsya ng Davao del Norte (so my direction as the Governor, I will definitely end poverty in the entire province of Davao del Norte) in tandem with the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police, na maibay natin ang totoong kapayapaan dito sa ating probinsya (so we would be able to set sustainable peace in the province).”

Commanding General of the Philippine Army (CGPA) Lt. General Jose Faustino Jr. cited the KAAGAPAY program of Governor

Jubahib as “one very big factor” in addressing local communist armed conflict in Davao del Norte, and in bringing to the folds of the laws those who had joined the revolutionary struggle of the New Peoples Army (NPA).

During his recent visit at Talaingod-based 56th Infantry Battalion, General Faustino looked at Talaingod as a “template” of clearing an area highly influenced by the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in tie-up with its legal fronts.

He gave credit to the convergence efforts of various local and national government agencies in pooling and hauling gov-

project and to properly manage and coordinate with all relevant agencies.

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

The members of the special body are the vice mayor, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources -Environment Management Bureau, City Planning and Development Office, City Engineer’s Office, Office of the City Building Official, City Legal Office, City Transport and Traffic Management Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Barangay and Cultural Communities Affairs Division, Assistant City Administrator for Administration, HPBS Project consultant/s, and the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.

ernment services to indigenous peoples (IPs) farflung communities which previously had not been reached.

“Dito mo nakita sa Davao del Norte how the LGU led, and the chief executive led the assault on poverty, the assault on insurgency, and how the local government addresses the basic needs, the basic complaints of the people not only in Talaingod but the whole of Davao del Norte,” said Faustino in a media interview in Talaingod.

However, Jubahib said “more are yet to be done” recognizing the wide-scale needs he has to address

DavNor gov determined on ending poverty, to address insurgency

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ed lecture on the Islamic perspective of Agriculture with Alim Mohammad Bin Mohd Tayib S. Pagayawan.

The produced oysters will be assessed by the trainers before it becomes an income generating product of the group. In the long run, the production will be used as halal mushroom noodles.

“Oyster mushroom making is just one of the many agriculture projects of the City of Mati LGU, recently we also distributed farm equipment, and greenhouses to farmers for them to plant more,” Rabat said.

Rabat is optimistic that when all these projects will be in placed, the City of Mati LGU will be 100 percent capable of providing all of its agricultural needs. By Maya M. Padillo

FDAVNOR, P10

he Provincial Government of Davao del Sur has brought its TUPAD Program to Sta. Cruz town to provide 313 residents the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills, and at the same time earn an income for 15 days.

The ongoing community-based skills training has been engaging 196 women and 117 male participants in short courses such as electrical wiring, haircut and hair coloring, massage nail art and foot spa and basic welding.

The participants, who are residents from barangays Astorga, Darong, Inawayan, Jose Rizal and Sibulan, have started their training on March 1, 2021.

Rolly Impas, chief of the Public Employment Services Office (PESO) of Davao del Sur, said that after the 15-day training, each of the participants will receive P6,000.00 cash as compensation for attending the training.

He bared that the local government received a funding of P2 million from the Department of Labor and Employment

(DOLE-XI) to implement the TUPAD Program or the Tulong Pang Hanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/ Displaced Workers, which aims to provide employment opportunity for the disadvantaged workers for 15 days.

Impas explained that Governor Douglas Cagas has modified the program by integrating skills and livelihood training for the beneficiaries to be able to sustain their livelihood income if they pursue their newly-acquired skills.

“This is also one way of addressing the unemployment incidence in the province,” he stated.

He said that the participants are expected to receive their training certificates during their graduation rites tentatively scheduled on March 30, 2021, where they will also be given a document to claim their salary from a remittance/payment center.

Impas said that the LGU is hoping to receive more assistance from DOLE to be able to serve and help more disadvantaged workers in the province. (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)

wo alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and a soldier of the elite 1st Special Battalion were killed after a four-hour clash inside the 42,000-hectare Kibaritan military reservation in Barangay San Rafael on Saturday.

Another Army soldier was wounded and brought to the Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro, according to Lt. Judy Magsayo, 1st Special Battalion civil military officer.

Magsayo said the soldier died on the way to a hospital in Cagayan de Oro some 59 kilometers north from Barangay San Rafael.

The names of the slain and wounded soldiers were withheld pending notification of their kin.

One of the slain rebels was Paragas Saparo Hoyman, 21. He was identified in a funderal home in Talakag by his cousin, Dimdim

Arnado.

Arnado said Hoyaman left their family in Barangay Rogongon in Iligan City three years ago.

“We never heard of him in the last three years. We heard stories that he had joined the New People’s Army,” Arnado said.

Army spokesperson Major Rodolfo Cordero `Jr., said soldiers of the 1st Special Battalion clashed with some 70 communist rebels at the hinterlands of Sitio Kimutya, Barangay San Rafael at around 9:30am Saturday.

The encounter site lies within the 42,000-hectare Mt. Kibaritan that straddles the towns of Kalilangan and Talakag in Bukidnon and Wao in Lanao del Sur. Cordero said the soldiers recovered two M16 rifles, three AK47 magazines, five combat packs and an improvised explosive de-

2 rebels, soldier killed in Talakag clash

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F2 REBELS, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

Residents visit the wet market section of the newly inaugurated Quezon Public Market in Libertad, Quezon, Bukidnon over the weekend. Edge Davao

Amid surge in COVID-19 cases, ‘total health’, welfare of people must be considered: NEDA

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he “total health” and welfare of the people are being considered in the government’s response to the current surge in COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua said Sunday.

“The issue we face now is not economy vs health.

It is the total health of the people, whether from COVID, non-COVID sickness, or hunger,” Chua, also the chief of the National Economic and Development Authority, said in a statement.

The country on Saturday recorded 7,999 new virus cases, its highest daily number since the pandemic reached the islands

last year, raising the cumulative total to 656,056.

Metro Manila, home to a tenth of the country’s population, accounted for 4,059 of the fresh cases and has 40,517 active infections, or a little over 50 percent of the nationwide total.

“We need to continue managing risks as COVID cases rise. We do this by focusing on localized quarantines and addressing the

sources of highest risk, so that the jobs/livelihood of the far majority will not be affected,” Chua said.

He said the country’s virus cases did not spike during the holidays and when the economy gradually reopened in October.

“It was even on a generally downward trend.

This was due to strict compliance with health standards and a gradual and careful approach to reopening,” he said.

Metro Manila’s general community quarantine, the second lowest in a 4-step measure, has resulted in 506,000 jobless residents, according to Chua.

He added that 3.2 million people experienced hunger in the capital re-

gion, which accounts for about a third of the country’s GDP. “We also have much higher deaths due to nonCOVID (illnesses) because many can’t afford treatment. High burden disease claims in PhilHealth is 75 percent down. We also have to look after their welfare,” Chua said.

The country’s economy last year registered a -9.5 percent growth, its first contraction since 1998’s 0.5 percent decline due to the Asian financial crisis.

The economic downturn was also worse than the 7 percent contraction recorded in 1984, making it the steepest post-war slump in Philippine history, using available PSA data dating back to 1947.

na nilang panggastos siguro sa pagkain at sa ibang mga bagay," he said.

(This means that the cost of RT-PCR testing will be at P900 per person.

Their expenses for testing will be reduced, and they can use the money they save elsewhere during their trip.)

The official added that the full list of recently-opened tourist destinations in the country can be found at app.philippines. travel, one of the agency's initiative to revive domestic tourism.

Some of the tourist destinations that are already

open to the public include Baguio, Bohol, Boracay, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, and El Nido in Palawan.

Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat had said that the country would boost local tourism in a bid to restart the travel industry, as COVID-19 restrictions remain in place.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government also expressed its support for the gradual reopening of tourism sites, and said the easing of travel protocols could not be blamed for the recent spike of COVID-19 cases.

DOT pushes for ‘smart tourism’ amid gradual reopening of local tourism

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he Department of Tourism pushed for "smart tourism", where local residents can go to nearby tourist destinations in a bid to slowly revive the country's domestic tourism while staying safe amid the pandemic.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon, Jr. said recently streamlined travel protocols would help boost domestic tourism.

The new rules, released in late February, included the removal of mandatory COVID-19 testing and quarantine for local travelers except if they exhibit virus symptoms.

"Alam namin na malaking factor din ang [cost]...

Mayroong subsidy para sa domestic travelers, mayroon kaming partnership with the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), 50 percent subsidy noong cost ng RTPCR [testing]," Bengzon explained.

(We know that the cost of RT-PCR testing is a huge factor. Now, we have a subsidy for domestic travelers through a partnership with the PGH.) "So lumalabas na bale P900 na lang [ang presyo ng testing] sa isang tao...

Mababawasan ang gastos nila sa testing, at puwede

FDOT, P10

Allowing private sector to buy own vaccines also beneficial to gov’t, ECOP president says

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mployers Confederation of the Philippines president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. on Sunday reiterated that allowing businesses to procure the vaccines for their own employees would also be beneficial to the government, as it no longer has to shoulder the vaccines for these workers.

Ortiz-Luis made the remark as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry called on the government to allow the private sector to import and buy COVID-19 vaccines directly from accredited sources without restrictions or conditions.

Ortiz-Luis said many businesses feel that their employees are also considered economic “frontliners”, but they are among those at the end of the government’s priority list for COVID-19 vaccine.

“Kaya nagsu-suggest ang private sector na kung puwede e payagan na lang bumili diretso. ‘Yun naman ay, kung papayagan ng gobyerno, e malaking kabawasan sa kung ano man ‘yung budget na inilaan doon,” he said.

[That is why the private sector is asking to allow them to buy vaccines directly. If that is going to be the case, it would be a big relief to the budget allocated for it by the government.]

“Anything that the LGU and the private sector buys e kabawasan doon,” he added.

[Anything that the LGU and the private sector

buys would be deducted from that.]

Ortiz-Luis argued that no violation would be made if businesses buy vaccines for their employees as they are not for sale.

At the same time, Ortiz-Luis said the businesses would also purchase the vaccine brands preferred by the government.

“Hindi naman kami makikipag-usap sa hindi brand na binibili ng gobyerno. Problema na ng private sector ito kung makakabili sila o hindi,” he added.

[We will not be negotiating with brands which the government has not purchased before. It is up to the private sector whether they can purchase vaccines or not.]

PCCI president Benedicto Yujuico earlier urged the government to allow the private sector to procure vaccines without restrictions or conditions “so we could move quickly and efficiently in vaccinating more people.”

He added that the government should speed up the procurement and rollout of vaccines “to ensure the safety of our workers and people, improve consumer confidence and hasten the recovery of our economy.”

Currently, the Vaccination Program Act of 2021, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed last month, allows private entities, in cooperation with the Department of Health and the National Task Force

FALLOWING, P10

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ECONOMY

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DICT to provide more free WiFi sites in the Visayas, Mindanao

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he Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Saturday said more locations in the Visayas and Mindanao will have free Internet connectivity as the agency continues the roll-out of the Free WiFi for All Program in public places nationwide.

“Your DICT remains true to its promise: wherever you are in the country, DICT will reach and connect you. We will continue to face whatever challenge that lies ahead and pave the way for our next generation of citizens and leaders: our children,” DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II said in a statement.

The DICT’s Visayas Cluster 2 targets to provide more Free Wi-Fi sites in 267 targeted barangays this year.

Seventy of the targeted barangays are under Managed Information System-Geographical Isolated Disadvantageous Areas (MIS-GIDA) and will be provided with Free Internet using very small aperture terminal (VSAT) technology.

Meanwhile, the agency’s Mindanao Cluster 2 is set to launch more free Wi-Fi sites in the coming months, in addition to the sites deployed in the following provinces and cities:

Bukidnon: 99 hotspots in 30 locations Camiguin: 20 hotspots in 8 locations Lanao del Norte: 58 hotspots in 38 locations Misamis Occidental: 58 hotspots in 21 locations Misamis Oriental: 135 hotspots in 52 locations Iligan City: 8 hotspots in 2 locations Cagayan de Oro City: 32 hotspots in 13 locations As of March 10, 2021, the DICT said there are a total of 8,170 free Wi-Fi sites deployed across the country.

“Following President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to connect the government to other governments, businesses and citizens, we have ramped up our efforts to install more Free Wi-Fi sites across the country,” Honasan said.

“Considering our current situation, we will further double and even triple our efforts to provide connectivity to all Filipinos to help them adopt and thrive in the new normal through various opportunities found online,” he added.

Republic Act 10929 or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act mandates the DICT to oversee the deployment of free Wi-Fi sites in public places nationwide.

pinas said Friday.

The central bank said external debt ballooned by $14.9 billion as of end-2020 from $83.62 billion a year earlier, 7.1% or $6.5 billion of which was obtained in the fourth quarter.

The BSP said external debt refers to borrowings by residents from nonresidents.

Data showed public sector external debt jumped

$6.3 billion were borrowed by government-owned and -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and the BSP. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the national government raised $2.8 billion from the issuance of global bonds and $733 million net availments from official sources in the last three months in a bid

A farmer negotiates the hilly terrain all the way from Brgy. Tawin Tawin in General Luna, Siargao Island to the town proper on Friday (March 19, 2021) to get supplies. MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

NEDA wants localized lockdowns as COVID-19 positive cases spike

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he National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), PH foreign debt rises to $98.5B last year which previously called for the he country's out- to $58.1 billion in the last standing foreign debt quarter from $54.4 billion reopening of the economy to boost growth, soared to $98.5 bil- as of end-September. is now pushing for localized lockdowns lion in 2020 as authorities Majority or 89% of the sought to boost the war figure were loans of the na- amid the rising number of COVID-19 chest against the COVID-19, tional government amount- cases a year after the quarantines started. the Bangko Sentral ng Pili- ing to $51.9 billion, while

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Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua on Sunday said it is not choosing between the economy and health, but rather focusing on the total well-being of the Philippine population, whether it be related to the pandemic or otherwise.

“We need to continue managing risks as COVID cases rise. We do this by focusing on localized

quarantines and addressing the sources of highest risk, so that the jobs/livelihood of the far majority will not be affected,” he said in a message to reporters.

“The issue we face now is not economy vs. health.

It is the total health of the people, whether from COVID, non-COVID sickness, or hunger,” he added.

Chua cited that a year

after the lockdowns, there have been 3.2 million or 23% of the National Capital Region (NCR) who have experienced hunger; 506,000 unemployees in Metro Manila; and the quarantines have cost the NCR and adjacent provinces P700 million in wages.

“We also have much higher deaths due to nonCOVID because many can’t afford treatment. High burden disease claims in PhilHealth is 75% down...

We also have to look after their welfare,” said Chua.

The statement comes a day after the Philippines reported 7,999 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, its highest daily tally to date. This brings the total to 656,056 which includes

FNEDA, P10

CebPac advises clients on options as govt suspends non-essential air travel

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Cebu Pacific (CEB) says air travelers affected by the new quarantine restrictions may opt to postpone their flights and rebook their tickets or they could also choose to refund or place the ticket value in a travel fund. Edge Davao

80,642 active cases; 562,484 recoveries; and 12,930 deaths.

NEDA last week already implemented a skeleton workforce also due to the spike in COVID-19 cases being reported across the country.

Earlier this month, economic managers including Chua pushed for the further reopening of the economy despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

Signed by Chua, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, and Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado, the statement was released by the economic managers after the government reported that

ebu Pacific said clients who will be affected by the government's 2-week restriction on non-essential air travel can either rebook their flights, store the equivalent amount in a travel fund for future use, or refund the cost of the ticket.

The government task force in charge of checking the spread of COVID-19 said on Sunday ordered additional quarantine restrictions on Metro Manila and placed several adjacent provinces under a stricter quarantine classification.

Among the new restrictions adopted by the Inter Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases is a 2-week ban on non-essential travel into and out of Metro Manila and adjacent areas.

Cebu Pacific said that despite these restrictions, it will continue to operate its flight schedule as planned for the next three days.

But the airline also said passengers who wish to postpone their flights and those traveling for non-essential reasons, may rebook their flights at no additional cost.

"A minimal fare difference may apply," Cebu Pacific added.

Affected clients may also store the amount in a virtual Cebu Pacific wallet valid for two years and use this to either book a new flight or pay for add-ons such as baggage allowance, seat selection, etc.

Clients may also choose to refund the cost of the ticket, Cebu Pacific said. But the airline also warned that "due to the high volume of requests, the process may take up to 7 months from date of request."

The company also advised clients to check the real-time status of flights on its website before proceeding to the airport.

FCEBPAC, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

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VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

On the city government of Davao intensifying surveillance on influenza-like illnesses in the communities to prevent a possible second wave of Covid-19 in Davao City:

Duna ta’y ipahigayon na aggressive surveilance sa atoang mga communities para maunhan nato ang mga clusters tawag nila is influenza-like illness like cough, sneezing, fever even no exposure to Covid-19 positive case.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL More than coaching genius For being the first coach of Asian descent in basketball history to have won an NBA title, there is more to Erik Spoelstra than just being a coaching genius.

The Miami Heat head coach who traces his roots to San Pablo, Laguna, has been vocal over the rise of violence against the Asian-American community which was highlighted recently by the murder of six Asian women in a shooting in Atlanta.

Spoelstra, who won titles for Miami and went close to winning another one last year amid Covid-19 pandemic, spoke up before their game against the Indiana Pacers on Friday (Saturday in Manila). This followed the statement by the team calling the attacks “reprehensible and extremely upsetting to us.”

Spoelstra said: “I’m glad the organization made a statement about these acts of hatred and violence against the Asian community. Look, I’m Asian-American, I’m proud to be Asian-American. Seeing what’s happening with another outright form of racism and hatred, (it’s) really sickening. It breaks my heart. It’s despicable.”

The reaction came after the recent spate of violence against Asian-Americans in the United States.

Anti-Asian sentiment and violence against the Asian-American community has grown in the past year. It reportedly began when

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

Asian-Americans are being blamed for the COVID-19 pandemic. No less than former United States president Donald Trump called the coronavirus the “China virus” and “Kung Flu.” The Asian-American community in the US reeled at the news of a shooting spree at three spas in and around Atlanta last week that left eight people dead, including six Asian women.

According to “Stop AAPI Hate”, a coalition that has tracked anti-Asian violence during the pandemic. “The overall community is traumatized.” The coalition said it received 3,795 reports of hate incidents between March 2020 and February 2021. The majority of the discrimination consisted of verbal harassment and shunning, with women reporting incidents about two times more often then men.

Spoelstra is known in the NBA for his defensive genius and mild-manners.

The incidents, he said, proves that there is hatred, abundantly, still out there, and people feel empowered to attack the Asian community.

If he could only translate his coaching genius and apply the best defense as possible. He can only surmise: “I just pray in my heart that this can stop.”

Erik has started a voice that is sure to echo louder.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

COFFEE: NOW, THE GOOD NEWS For those of us who wake up to the aroma and flavor of that morning brew, the evidence is in: Coffee, in moderation, is not bad for you after all.

In fact, some studies indicate it may even have some health benefits.

For years the public was warned of the dangers of coffee, the main source of caffeine.

In one well-publicized New England Journal of Medicine study released in 1981, researchers found a link between coffee and pancreatic cancer. But when at least seven other studies failed to back up that finding, those results had to be retracted.

Now, more than 19,000 dietary caffeine studies have been done, and many experts agree that moderate daily caffeine intake – 300 to 400 milligrams, about 3 to 4 cups of coffee – is not harmful. Here are the latest findings on what coffee does to the body and mind. Just a note though: the information discussed here is for educational purposes only.

The idea that coffee is bad for your heart pops up periodically. A Finnish study found that even those people who averaged 5 to 6 cups of coffee per day were not at a higher risk for developing heart disease than non-coffee drinkers. On the

other hand, a Harvard study of 45,589 men, published in 1990, found no link between excessive coffee drinking and heart disease.

Research has also shown that regular, moderate drinking does not dangerously raise blood pressure. And studies have failed to substantiate fears that coffee might trigger abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias) in healthy people.

“For heart disease, I think the issue is closed,” says Dr. Meir Stampfer, an epidemiologist at Harvard who has studied many aspects of coffee and health. “Coffee drinking at reasonable levels is unrelated to heart risk.”

Until recently, there is no conclusive evidence that caffeine or coffee is a risk factor for the development of human cancer. In 1990, the International Agency for Research on Cancer held a monograph on “Coffee, Caffeine, Tea & Maté,” the latter being a beverage unique to South American countries.

The purpose of this monograph was to assess whether these beverages should be classified as being cancer causing (carcinogenic). Coffee was cleared in all areas with the exception of bladder cancer where there was insufficient evidence avail-

able at that time, though several studies have since been published that clearly show no link between coffee consumption and bladder cancer.

Thousands of research projects have been carried out to investigate any links between coffee consumption and the development of cancer in the human body. In 1997, the World Cancer Research Fund published a comprehensive review of diet and cancer. In regard to coffee it stated that, “Most evidence suggests that regular coffee consumption of coffee and/or tea has no significant relationship with the risk of cancer at any site.”

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive nervous disease that destroys dopamine-producing brain cells. The resulting symptoms are tremor, a slowing of movement, weakness and facial paralysis. In the past 30 years, nine studies have shown that regular coffee consumption over time may reduce the risk of PD. The coffee element that appears most likely to produce this effect is caffeine. Six retrospective studies found that people who drank coffee on a regular basis were 50 to 80 percent less likely to develop PD than those who did not consume coffee. Three of

the studies showed a dose-response relationship – strong support that the more one consumes coffee, the less likely the risk of developing PD. If regular coffee consumption over decades seems to protect against PD, how does it do so? One of the characteristics of PD patients is the reduced amount of dopamine in certain areas of the brain.

Mice whose brain dopamine content has been depleted exhibit some symptoms of PD. In a 1991 study, caffeine given to these mice prevented the development of Parkinson symptoms. In a 2001 study, mice were given a chemical that depletes dopamine in important areas of the brain. Levels of caffeine intake comparable to human consumption reduced the amount of dopamine depleted in the brain as well as the physical symptoms typical of PD in humans—providing a molecular explanation for the neuroprotective effect of caffeine against PD. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones are weakened, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of fractures occurring. Osteoporosis may be caused by many different factors, which collectively result in a weakening of the bones to

such a degree that they break easily. Cigarette smoking, lack of exercise and poor nutrition are all well established as playing a role in the development of this condition.

Coffee drinking has been implicated because it has been suggested that caffeine, which is naturally occurring in tea, coffee, and chocolate and added to cola and some energy type beverages, causes calcium excretion which in turn results in weakened bones. However, a UK Government report on Nutrition and Bone Health which looked at all the available evidence concluded that concerns about loss of calcium in the urine due to caffeine intake, “are not well founded.”

The National Osteoporosis Society in the UK states that, “We have yet to see any conclusive evidence that moderate coffee consumption is a significant risk factor in the development of osteoporosis.” On the other hand, the Osteoporosis Society of Canada says that two or three cups of coffee are not harmful if you get enough calcium in your daily diet. “As long as women consume adequate calcium (1,000 to 1,200 milligrams per day) caffeine is not a significant risk factor for osteoporosis,” says one expert.

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

APO VIEW, DAVAO’S POSTWAR HOTEL Founded in 1948, Apo View Hotel, inspired by the panorama of a dormant volcano that is visible from Davao City on a clear day, was originally the business venture of couple Mariano, the son of a millionaire, and Remedios Pamintuan, of Pampanga.

The Pamintuans first settled at Libby, in Ulas, Davao City, where they built a residence there in 1940. When war broke out, the family dwelling was seized and became the home of a Japanese general. Later, an airport was built inside his farm, and when the drive to liberate the city intensified in 1945, his stately domicile suffered a direct from aerial bombings.

When the conflict ended, Mariano became the first commission agent of Philippine Air Lines (PAL) when the idea of owning a hotel inspired him.

Without delay he worked on the an and in 1948 opened Apo View Hotel with 15 rooms; it was recognized as the region’s premier hotel. Overtime, it became a favorite business address, all the while hosting every form of gathering. Peace Corps

Volunteer Geraldine Traina, in her travelogue, Do You Eat Rice?

(1962), wrote: “This time we stayed at the Apo View Hotel, at one time, the hotel did have a view of Mount Apo, the highest peak in the country, until the city became prosperous and buildings sprouted up, blocking the view. The peak lies 25 bumpy miles from the center of town, a worthwhile trip for anyone interested in physical anthropology…

“The Apo View is in the enter of town and has a swimming pool and nite club, even if there’s no view. More expensive and much more luxurious, with a splendid view of Samal Island and the Davao Gulf, is the Davao Insular Hotel, a newly created luxury hotel and one of the country’s best resorts. It’s away from the center of the city, boasting crystal-clear water for swimming and surfing.”

The Pamintuan family, in 1978, expanded the hotel occupancy to a 100-bed accommodation in 1978. Later, as its popularity soared, the governmenr

decided to open its first regional office of the tourism department in Davao City on a leased space at the ground floor of the hotel.

Tragedy struck the hotel in 1988 after a fire destroyed half of its rooms; it was also hit by a crippling strike. Unfazed, the Pamintuans decided to renovate the building and added 46 rooms in response to its growing clientele. In pursuit of the plan, Pamintuan Enterprises Inc. applied for a loan with the defunct Banco Filipino.

All was not well, however, in the Pamintuan family. Mariano, the founder, was booted out as chairman of the company in favor of son, Mariano Jr. Adding woes to the family issues was the legal dispute with the bank.

The crises persisted until the family patriarch passed away.

The legal wrangle eventually reached the high court, which ruled in favor of the hotel management and the rehabilitation waa approved. In a story (‘Apo View wins case against Banco Filipino’) dated March 16, 2010, The Philippine Star reported lengthily on the case pitting the

hotel management against Banco Filipino: “The Supreme Court has upheld an earlier approval by the Court of Appeals of a 15year rehabilitation plan of the Apo View Hotel, one of Davao City’s leading hotels, previously agreed with its creditor, the Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank.

“Chief Justice Reynato Puno and the other justices of the High Tribunal’s First Division, in a resolution dated Dec. 9, 2009, denied the petition for review on certiorari filed by Banco Filipino Savings and Mortgage Bank against Pamintuan Enterprises (Davao) Inc. (Pamenter), which owns and operates Apo View Hotel.

“The justices found no reversible error that warrants the exercise of the Supreme Court’s discretionary appellate jurisdiction over an earlier decision of the Court of Appeals-Mindanao, which upheld the approval of the rehabilitation plan for Pamenter.

“It was Pamenter that initiated the corporate rehabili-

tation case in an effort to fix its financial woes, and at the same time be able to improve the hotel’s performance by offering enhanced services and amenities.”

Moreover, the regional trial court also endorsed a 15-year revised rehabilitation plan on August 6, 2007, for Apo View Hotel given the marked increase. Under the scheme, Pamenter could allocate its future operating revenues in the rehabilitation and improvement its business, including the lucrative operation of the hotel.

In 2014, the management of hotel was transferred to Eurotel Hotel, a subsidiary of Global Comfort Group Corp. and two years later placed under Icon Hotel, an affiliate of GCGC. At the time, GCGC was managing 65 hotels and mixed-use lodging establishments in the islands.

On October 19, 2017, Apo View Hotel was relaunched, this with a total of 185 rooms. In repackaging the hotel, the new management spent roughly P280 million for renovation of function spaces and building of additional rooms.

8

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

LIFESTYLE

SKY FIBER LEVEL-UP SPEEDS AT SAME AFFORDABLE RATES

NEW and existing SKY Fiber subscribers can quickly enhance their productivity and lifestyle in the new normal when they maximize SKY Fiber’s leveled-up fiber-fast home internet subscription plans that are even more affordably priced than before.

A P999 monthly fee can now get subscribers up to 20Mbps, a bump up from speeds of 5Mbps or 10Mbps in previous years. To date, this is considered the most affordable postpaid plan in the country.

“Subscribers will continue to have broadband plans from SKY that are affordable but in addition get faster speeds that will entirely meet their needs. SKY Fiber’s internet plans were designed to assist Filipino households to cope with their combined demand for remote work, e-learning, online entrepreneurship, or content streaming,” Claudia Suarez, SKY’s Consumer Products Group Head said.

This value for money upgrade can also be observed in the other SKY Fiber unlimited broadband plan options, most notably in its highest speed plan, which was previously only 150Mbps but has now leveled up to 200Mbps for the same price of P3,499/month.

If value-conscious consum-

ers are looking for a plan that is somewhere in between the

basic and highest plan, they can opt for plan 40Mbps

which is only priced at P1,499/ month, or plan 80Mbps which is now within pockets’ reach for only P1,999/month.

With the recent upgrade, existing SKY Fiber subscribers nationwide also experience an automatic upgrade without the hassles of going through an application process. They just simply have to do a 3-minute hard modem reset to enjoy their leveled-up internet speed.

Meanwhile, entertainmentseekers will also be delighted to know that SKY Fiber is also offering unlimited broadband + HD Cable bundle speed plans of up to 120Mbps at bestvalue. For P2,999 a month,

instead of just enjoying a speed of 60Mbps, subscribers can double the fun when they get to smoothly stream online videos with a speed of 120Mbps while also having access to over 60 cable channels.

To make the SKY Fiber Super Speed bundle plans an even more economical purchase, they all come with SKY EVO, the newest digibox innovation that offers access to over 190 SKYcable channels, 5,000 downloadable apps, and pre-installed content streaming apps such as iWantTFC, HBO GO, YouTube, Prime Video, and Spotify.

“The challenges of 2020 have compelled us to level-up our product offerings this year.

We hope that we can ease the burden of Filipinos by presenting multiple solutions in our best-value bundle plans,” Alan Supnet, SKY’s head for Consumer Broadband Products said.

To enjoy fiber-fast speeds of up to 200Mbps at highly competitive prices, visit mysky. com.ph/skyfiber. The leveledup SKY Fiber Super Speed plans are now available in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao. While Baguio, Gensan, and Zamboanga can experience fiber-fast speeds of up to 80Mbps.

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9 AGRIBUSINESS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

African swine fever still not contained

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

I

t’s not only the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that the Philippines is facing, there’s also African swine fever (ASF) which “has wiped out over a third of the country’s pig stock,” according to a report released by SciDev.Net. The SciDev.Net’s source of information, who requested anonymity, said the Department of Agriculture “has underestimated the devastation caused by the ASF virus, which has resulted in severe shortages of pork, an important part of the Filipino diet.”

The shortage of pork in the market has led to rise in prices of many food items, including chicken, fish, beef, and vegetables.

The online media agency, PhilStar Global, reported that a total of 251,540 pigs were killed since the first outbreak in August last year. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, on the other hand, said over 68,000 hog raisers were affected.

In a report submitted to the World Health Organization, Philippine authorities confirmed they have not contained the disease. In fact, 69 new confirmed outbreaks were recorded, mostly in Luzon.

ASF is no ordinary swine fever. It is called as such because it comes from Africa, where it was first detected in the 1920s.

The recent first ASF outbreaks were first reported in China – the world’s largest pork producer – in

August 2018. It quickly spread to every province in the said country.

From there, ASF hopped the border into Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Mongolia, North Korea and the Philippines. Outbreaks were also reported in some parts of Europe, South America and the Caribbean.

“ASF is a contagious viral disease that affects pigs of all ages, inducing a hemorrhagic fever,” Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) explains in its manual, African Swine Fever: Detection and Diagnosis.

“It can appear in a variety of forms ranging from peracute, acute, subacute, to chronic and apparent. It is most often recognized in the acute form with an associated lethality of up to 100%.”

ASF is not just a health issue but also an economic concern. “African swine fever is a severe threat to pig production systems,” the FAO publication states. “It not only threatens food security and challenges the livelihoods of pig producers and other actors in the supply chain, but may also have major consequences

on international trade as a result of trade restrictions.”

The Philippines ranks third to China and Vietnam in terms of pig production in Asia, data from FAO showed. Other top producers of pig in the region are Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Malaysia.

A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said that an average Filipino consumes about 14.2 kilograms of pork (2 kilograms more than the world’s average pork consumption).

Dr. Jaime A. Sison, a veterinarian who specializes in the area of pig and chicken and a regular columnist for a monthly agriculture publication, said the symptoms of ASF include high fever, decreased appetite, skin lesions and diarrhea.

“The tricky thing about diagnosing a potential case of ASF is that it can look a lot like other more common diseases,” said Dr. Sison. “(Symptoms of ASF) is just like those of the common porcine epidemic diarrhea virus or classical swine fever.”

Dr. Sison urged swine farmers to report any suspected outbreaks to their local animal health officers, as it is much easier to test a false positive than to contain an outbreak that’s festered for days.

“ASF’s real calling card is its mortality rate: it claims almost all infected

animals with 7-10 days of showing symptoms, and some drop dead much earlier – without showing any outward signs of illness,” Dr. Sison said.

The United Nations food agency says ASF virus is shed in saliva, tears, nasal secretions, urine, feces, and secretions from the genital tract. “Blood, in particular, contains large amounts of virus,” FAO claims. “Pigs can therefore become infected by contact with many different infected sources, mainly infected pigs, pork, and other pig-derived products.”

As stated earlier, ASF can be transmitted through pork and pork products. It doesn’t matter whether the pork and products are raw, frozen, dried or undercooked, the virus can survive for a long time. It remains infective for 15 weeks in chilled meat (and probably longer in frozen meat), and for months in bone marrow or cured hams and sausages unless they have been cooked or smoked at high temperature.

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) based in the United Kingdom calls ASF as “transboundary animal disease.”

“Transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and fomites (non-living objects) such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, knives, equipment, etc.,” OIE explains. “These contaminated materials can be transported over long

distances by vehicles and people.”

But the good thing is: “Although highly lethal, ASF is less infectious than some other transboundary animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease,” the FAO claims. In Africa, some indigenous pigs have been reported to have developed some degree of tolerance to ASF. But unlike most transboundary animal disease, ASF has no vaccines or drugs available to prevent or treat it. “It is particularly important that ASF-free areas are maintained as such,” FAO suggests.

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, so goes a saying.

“Prevention starts with stringent measures at the borders and raising awareness among all stakeholders involved,” FAO recommends. “Early detection, early diagnosis, early response, and good communication are critical in minimizing the spread of the disease after incursion.”

The Department of Health (DOH) assured consumers that pork infected with ASF does not pose a risk on human health.

“We want to allay the fears of the public by saying that, as long as pork is bought from reliable sources and it is cooked thoroughly, pork is safe to eat,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Agriculture Secretary William Dar echoed the same opinion. In a post on his social media account,

he said that as long as the hogs passed through the proper process of slaughtering and preparation, the public should not fear eating pork.

FAO says ASF virus survives well under most environmental conditions; 2-3 months in carcases and in sheds. It can even survive for many months in meat. “The ASF virus resists the freezing process but is inactivated by high temperature,” FAO points out.

High temperature means 30 minutes at 70 degrees Centigrade.

Dr. Ann Garvey, an American veterinarian from the Iowa State Public Health, says ASF affects only pigs and not human beings and other livestock.

“African swine fever is a viral disease impacting only pigs, not people, so it is not a public health threat nor it is a food-safety concern,” she explains.

In the Philippines, about 71% of the swine population are raised in backyard farms while 29% are in commercial farms, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Swine raising is very popular in the rural areas because the raisers can always use swill to feed their pigs to minimize expenses in buying commercial feeds.

“In any case, pigs should not be fed swill that might contain pork,” FAO advises. However, in cases where swill is being used, “the swill should be boiled

FAFRICAN, P10

10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Smart Boxes of learning

By MAYA M. PADILLO

T

he Covid-19 pandemic has resulted to closure of several schools.

As a result, education changed dramatically with the distinctive rise of e-learning.

Under Covid times, remote learning became more apparent as the future of education even in skills development, but what about those students who cannot access the internet?

Businesswoman and educator Joji Ilagan-Bian has her way.

She innovated a system that let learning continue even outside the classroom, including TVET as she introduced the Skills

Management and Assessment Responsive Training (JIB SMART) Boxes.

These boxes contain essential materials and supplies for the students to hone their skills at home. The Housekeeping Box has a set of sheets for the students to practice bed making skills; Food and Beverage Services Box contain tableware and a napkin to develop their table setting skills; Culinary and Baking SMART Box-

mism that with unity and cooperation peace will reign in the Bangsamoro region, in Mindanao and “even across the (Philippine) archipelago, because I do believe that security is a shared responsibility not only by the military and police alone. It requires support from the other agencies of the (Philippine) government.

“If we look at the reasons why there are insurgents or there are terrorists, there are other factors

that are beyond the Armed Forces to resolve. That’s the reason why we have to involve other agencies of government, even the business sector that provides their employment,” Sobejana added.

Sobejana told MindaNews in a telephone interview that the four Indonesian nationals will be “formally turned over to the Charges d’Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy on Tuesday.” (Frencie Carreon, MindaNews)

especially among IP communities and others who are living in the mountains and those at the peripheral areas of the province.

“Ang dami pa po nating kailangang i-serve sa bawat isa na matagal na nilang kinakailangan, na maibigay ng gobyerno. (There are still a number that we have to serve of services they

have been needing from the government),” he said.

Jubahib was with General Faustino who recently led the ground-breaking ceremony of a three-hectare lot in Sitio Tugas, Barangay Sto Nino in Talaingod, where the 56th Infantry Battalion will transfer its command post. (PIA XI/ Jeanevive Duron Abangan)

vice.

He said the troops are hunting the rest of the NPA band who withdrew to the forests.

Barangay San Rafael chair Puyat Sagayan said the fighting occurred when most of the village farmers were out on the field harvesting corn.

“Our farmers ran back to the village when they heard the explosions. Everyone was scared,” Sagayan told Mindanews.

He said many of the farmers in their haste to flee, left behind their sacks

of harvested corn.

Sagayan said the entire village watched as two Air Force helicopters fired rockets at the suspected NPA positions.

“We never saw anything like this in our entire lives,” he narrated.

Sagayan said later that evening, the soldiers came to ask their help in carrying the bodies of the dead rebels.

He said he sent two tanods who brought the body to the barangay hall in San Rafael at 9 p.m. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

Against COVID-19, to purchase vaccines for their

own use through a multiparty agreement.

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unemployed Filipinos rose by 1.6 million in January.

Chua in January said Filipino families lost P1.4

trillion in 2020 due to lockdown restrictions, equivalent to P2.8 billion daily spending power lost.

es contain supplies and ingredients for culinary skills.

“The delivery of skills training became more challenging during the pandemic. Schools were closed and all training delivery is done online or through modules delivered in homes of students who do not have internet connections.

Together with my academic team, we need to reset and re-calibrate our strategies,” said Bian, chair of the JIB International Schools and founder of MinTVET, a network of TVET schools in Mindanao.

To help more beneficiaries, JIB brought the boxes to the senior high

school students of public high schools in Davao City namely AL Navarro National High school in Tibungco, Jesus Soriano National High School in Catalunan Grande, Mintal Comprehensive National High School, Dona Vicenta Nograles National High School in Sandawa, and Teofilo Hernandez National High School in Indangan.

These schools made the smartest choice in partnering with JIB as students are assured of excellent training with global standards in culinary, baking, pastry production, housekeeping, bartending, food and beverage services, and welding.

“It was fulfilling to see the students wearing their JIB t-shirts and their chefs toques and aprons on screen as they do their assessments in their homes using the JIB SMART Boxes,” Bian said.

Smart Boxes gave the students a silver lining that despite the pandemic they can continue learning and have jobs considering that businesses are now gradually opening.

The program is under the Joint Delivery Voucher Program-Technical Vocational Learning (JDVP-TVL) of the Department of Education (DepEd), which is designed to optimize TVL learning by allowing senior high school

students enrolled in public schools to avail of vouchers and take their TVL specializations in eligible partner institutions that are offering TechVoc programs.

“JDVP is a strategy initiated by DepEd to help senior high school students enrolled in the TVL track gain relevant industry or workplace exposure. The JDVP gives these students the competitive advantage.

We wanted to continue to provide a rich experience to the learners despite the pandemic,” she said.

JIB is the leading hospitality, tourism, and culinary school in Mindanao employing skills-based subjects.

Streamlined cross-border travel is a move “backed by science," according to the agency.

However, the Department of Health urged caution anew amid a record-high daily tally of 7,999 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday.

The agency discouraged travel during Holy Week, to prevent increased transmission during what is

considered peak season for tourism in the country.

"With the continued rise in the number of cases being observed in the country, along with the threat of increased transmission posed by the expected higher mobility over the upcoming Holy Week, the DOH strongly urges the public to stay at home and instead opt for online masses," DOH said in a statement.

"We will provide updates on flights from March 25 to April 4 in the coming days as more information becomes available. For other questions or concerns, passengers may send a message via Charlie the chatbot on the Cebu Pacific website, or through CEB’s

official Facebook and Twitter accounts," the company said.

Airlines have been hit hard by the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Several have been forced to retrench hundreds of workers as air travel demand cratered.

to increase its COVID-19 funding and to finance infrastructure projects.

Borrowings of the private sector also picked up to $40.4 billion as of end-December against the $37.6 billion recorded in the first nine months. The central bank said the increase was due to net availments of private banks and private nonbanks.

Despite this, the BSP chief said key external debt indicators "remained at prudent levels" with gross international reserves settling at $110.1 billion

in 2020, which could cover short-term debt by 7.8 times.

Major creditor countries were Japan ($15.0 billion), the US ($3.4 billion), the United Kingdom ($3.3 billion, and Netherlands ($3 billion).

The country's debt stock was largely denominated in US dollar at 56.7% and Japanese Yen at 11.8%.

The central bank also noted that borrowings in the form of bonds or notes had the largest share at 35.6 percent of total outstanding debt.

floor before limping off the court on his own power, followed by teammates.

James’ teammate Montrezl Harrell called out Hill for the play post-game, telling reporters he didn’t feel it “was a basketball-type play. I really don’t feel like it was a loose ball...He had to go thru his legs to get the ball...I don’t feel like he tried to do it, but those are the things that you should look at.”

Losing James for an extended period of time is a huge blow for the defending champions who are still without Anthony Davis (right calf strain).

James was averaging 25.8 points, 8.0 assists and 8.1 rebounds heading into the clash with the Hawks and is a strong MVP candidate.

He had 10 points, four assists and one rebound

from 11 minutes against Atlanta, meaning his double-digit streak remains intact.

Speaking of intact, the Hawks have now won eight-straight games since Nate McMillan took over as head coach and currently sit in fifth position in the Eastern Conference.

John Collins led the way for Atlanta against the Lakers with 27 points and 16 rebounds while Trae Young had 14 points and 11 assists.

Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari and Bogdan Bodganovic added a crucial 28 combined points off the bench.

Harrell continued his strong recent form to take on extra responsibility without James, finishing with 23 points to go with 11 rebounds from 33 minutes.

for 30 minutes, with periodic stirring, and cooled before feeding to pigs.”

Meanwhile, the Swine Crisis Management Task Force of the agriculture department has been promoting the ‘1-7-10 Protocol’ in areas where ASF outbreaks happen. Below is the brief explanation: One refers to one-kilometer radius, also known as a quarantine zone. It actually refers to “an area set to contain infection within one-kilometer radius from the affected farm by limiting animal movement and employing mandatory test and destruction of all infected animals.”

The 7 is for seven-kilometer radius, or what is called a surveillance zone.

Here, “an area set within 7-kilometet radius intended to detect the extent of the infection through surveillance activities, disease reporting and limit the movement of live animals, animal products and by-products movement. Every movement outside this zone needs the required documents such as veterinary health certificates and shipping permits.”

The 10 is for the 10-kilometer radius, which is the control zone. Here, “an area set at 10-kilometer radius intended to detect infection at an early stage

through mandatory disease reporting.”

Dr. Sison, however, believed the only way to stop this disease is to depopulate all affected or exposed swine herds. “On-farm biosecurity is crucial to preventing any animal disease from developing and spreading,” he advised. “All pig owners and anyone involved with pig operations should know and follow strict biosecurity practices to help protect our pigs from ASF. Work with your veterinarian to assess your biosecurity plans and make improvements as needed.”

The PSA said that from 2016 to 2018, the swine industry showed increases. The volume of hog production for the fourth quarter of 2018 was estimated at 662.74 thousand metric tons. This was 2.01% higher compared with the 2017 output of 649.68 thousand metric tons.

The top three hog producing regions during the period were Central Luzon, CALABARZON and Northern Mindanao.

These regions posted increases in production by 4.41%, 3.0% and 3.52%, respectively.

The combined production of these three regions accounted for 47.87% of the country’s total hog production.

mundo, and Pasay’s Dhon Reverente.

Billy Robles was handed the Sportsmanship Award, while Nueva Ecija

team owner Bong Cuevas, who had a hand in organizing the MPBL bubble in Subic, was named the Executive of the Year. (PNA)

DOT... FROM4

PH FOREIGN... FROM5

NOTHING... FROM11

CEBPAC... FROM5

AFRICAN... FROM9

SAN JUAN... FROM11

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VOL.14 ISSUE 8 • TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2021

11

The Davao Occidental Tigers celebrate after the big win.

Davao Occidental S wins MPBL title

San Juan’s Wilson named MPBL MVP

M

ark Yee pulled off the deciding shot in overtime as Davao Occidental Tigers clinched the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) title with an 89-88 Game 4 win against the San Juan Knights on Sunday night at the Subic Bay Gymnasium.

Yee, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year earlier in the day, scored the match’s most critical offensive moment as he beat the shot clock with a go-ahead triple with 13.4 seconds left in the extra period.

Jhonard Clarito, who scored the championship-clinching layup for

the Knights in the 2019 finals also against the Tigers, had a golden opportunity to force the rubber match, but the Tigers’ defense forced him to lose the ball while going for a layup, eventually preserving the win and the title.

“Payback. It’s so much sweeter because we got

it back from San Juan. We were so close last time and it was heartbreaking as an organization,” said coach Don Dulay, who was later named the Coach of the Year.

Yee capped a Finals Most Valuable Player performance with 19 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks, while Eman Calo top-scored for Davao Occidental, which prevailed despite losing a 16-point second-quarter lead, with 22 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

Larry Rodriguez put up 19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks for San Juan,

‘Nothing angers me more’: LeBron’s vow

T

he Los Angeles Lakers will be without superstar duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis for an extended period of time after the former limped off on Sunday morning [AEDT].

James left the court in the second quarter as the Lakers remained locked in a tight tussle with the resurgent Atlanta Hawks, eventually going down in a 99-94 defeat.

He sustained a right ankle injury and did not return to the game.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi later reported that x-rays came back negative

on James’ right ankle before confirming he had suffered a high sprain and would be out indefinitely.

It could have a huge bearing on the Western Conference standings given the Lakers are only 2.5 games ahead of sixth place.

The Lakers currently sit third in the West and are likely to take a cautious approach with James.

Both James and Davis signed big-money extensions at the end of last year with the pair taking up $85 million ($A110m) and $190 million ($A246m) of the Lakers’ cap respectively.

It will leave a gaping hole in their roster.

James tweeted he was hurt “inside and out” with the injury.

“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates,” he tweeted.

“I’m hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now.

Back soon like I never left.

Solomon Hill had gone for a steal and collided with James, leaving the Lakers superstar writing in pain.

He remained on the

FNOTHING, P10

which was dethroned as the national champion.

Clarito (18 points and 11 rebounds), and CJ Isit (14 points and 10 assists) each finished with a double-double.

John Wilson, the regular season MVP, put up 13 points, five rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

Mike Ayonayon only got three markers, one assist, and one steal in 11 minutes of play in what would be his MPBL swan song before he returns to NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association as a lingering hamstring injury forced him to sit out the rest of the game.

(PNA)

LeBron hobbles off the court

an Juan’s John Wilson has been named the Most Valuable Player of the MPBL Lakan Season.

Wilson received his award prior to Game 4 of the national finals at the Subic Bay Gymnasium on Sunday The 34-year-old former Jose Rizal University star and Philippine Basketball Association veteran played vintage basketball for the entire season, averaging 20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.3 steals a game.

He set history during the regular season when he became the first player in league history to reach 1,000 points.

He also dropped 44 points, an all-time single game scoring record, to lead San Juan to a huge win against Pampanga

on Sept. 17, 2019.

“I worked a lot for this award. I spent more time working than with my family. I spend six times a week for training.

Deserve ko talaga ito (I really deserve this),” Wilson said.

Joining him in the All-MPBL First Team are fellow Knight Mike Ayonayon, Davao Occidental’s Mark Yee, Pasig’s Jeric Teng, and Makati’s Jeckster Apinan.

Yee was named the Defensive Player of the Year after posting averages of 11.9 rebounds, 0.8 block, and 0.8 steal a game on top of his 14.96-point average.

Last season’s MVP Gab Banal headlines the All-MPBL Second Team, joining Manila’s Chris Bitoon and Aris Dionisio, GenSan’s Pamboy Ray-

FSAN JUAN’S, P10

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HEALTH AND SPORTS Sports and COVID-19 in PSC's Sports Summit

‘S

ports and COVID-19’ takes the spotlight in the 8th session of the National Sports Summit 2021 (NSS), as the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) tap international orthopaedist and sports medicine Dr. Randolph Molo in the online lecture-forum this Thursday.

Molo, the current head of the PSC’s Medical Scientific Athletes Services (MSAS) Unit and an International Football Medicine and Doping Panel member of the Fédération Inter-

nationale de Football Association (FIFA) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC), is a fitting resource person on the topic having steered many successful sports exercises in this pan-

demic, including the on-going bubble training of our Olympic-bound national athletes.

National Training Director Marc Velasco said this is a timely topic to give attention to as "it would give ample, scientifically-backed guidance on how to continue our sports-life despite the health crisis."

The NSS has so far featured 7 sessions before this lecture of Molo since it started in January.

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File photo shows Dr. Randy Molo with Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz. Dr. Molo’s Facebook page.