Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 39 | Friday, April 30, 2021

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

JUSTICE FOR KIDS

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VOL.14 ISSUE 39 • FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

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President Rodrigo Duterte chats with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members after presiding a meeting at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Wednesday night. The President has announced that Davao City remains under general community quarantine (GCQ) while the other provinces in Davao Region are still under modified GCQ (MGCQ). Presidential Photo

Mayor hails issuance of warrants of arrest vs UCCP-Haran bishop, 5 others STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

JUSTICE FOR KIDS

A public utility jeepney (PUJ) driver submits himself for a swab test at a drive-thru swabbing area at the Davao Crocodile Park in Ma-a, Davao City. Aside from the free swabbing for Covid-19, PUJ drivers also avail the free tuberculosis screening in a booth with mobile x-rays set up by the Davao City Health Office. Edge Davao

Mayor hails issuance of warrants of arrest vs UCCP-Haran bishop, 5 others

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is hopeful that Lumad children will get justice following the issuance of the warrant of arrest against the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)-Haran Bishop Hamuel Tequis and five administrators of the UCCP-Haran Center in Father Selga St. Davao City.

The Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 12 recently issued warrant of arrest against Tequis and

the administrators of the UCCP-Haran Center namely Reverend Daniel Palicte, Ephraim Malazarte, Jong

Huge fire razes more than 200 houses in Brgy. Ilang

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ore than 200 houses were gutted down after a huge fire broke out late Wednesday night at New Society, Barangay Ilang in Davao City.

The fire incident, which reached up to third level alarm, displaced 250 families.

Senior Fire Officer III Stephen Basio of the Bureau of Fire ProtectionDavao (BFP-Davao) said the firefighters were having

difficulty extinguishing the fire as entering the area was very hard due to narrow passageways.

“Marami ang mga kapatid natin diyan na mga Muslim sa area at maliliit at dikit-dikit ang mga bahay.

Masikip ang daanan mga isang dipa lang,” Basio said in a phone interview.

Based on the initial investigation of BFP-Davao, the fire started at the house

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Monson a.k.a “Jong-Jong”, Lindy Trenilla, and Grace Avila for child abuse.

The six UCCP-Haran leaders were charged with the violation of Republic Act (RA) 7610 or the special protection of children against child abuse, exploitation, and discrimination act (antichild abuse law).

“For the child abuse cases, it is already a police matter. I hope the children

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PUV drivers also avail TB test at Covid-19 swabbing center

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esides undergoing the free swabbing for Sars-CoV-2, public transport drivers also took the opportunity to avail the free tuberculosis screening in a booth with mobile x-rays set up by the Davao City Health Office at the Davao Crocodile Park.

Drivers of the Public Utility Drivers (PUV) are also susceptible to lung diseases such as tuberculosis because they are more exposed to

bacteria spread by other people.

This as more and more drivers queued up for the drive-thru free swabbing at the Davao Crocodile Park on the third day of the surveillance swab test for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease.

Dr. Julinda Acosta, Head of the City Health Office (CHO) Technical Division, said that a total of 964 PUV drivers have been swabbed

on the first three (3) days of drive-thru swabbing.

She said drivers do not have to undergo quarantine while waiting for the test result.

However, DuterteCarpio stressed that the positive ones will be isolated immediately.

“You will be given the result of the swab test from two to three days,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio said

that during the mandatory testing, merienda and grocery packs are given to all the clients.

She clarified that if ever a driver turns positive, he will be informed through the DQR Code which has the contact number of the person.

Duterte-Carpio underscored that the best

friend of the COVID-19 virus is mass gathering.

She stressed it was the non-observance of social distancing that prompted her to disband the community pantry at Quimpo Boulevard fronting a mall in Matina.

“The organizers need to coordinate with the City

Dr. Ashley Lopez, the Focal Person of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said that based on the data from the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO) there are around 21,000 PUV drivers in the city. These individuals are targeted to be tested through the city’s heightened surveillance

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Use of buses mulled in DC if many PUJ drivers turn out COVID positive

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ayor Sara DuterteCarpio mulled of using buses in all routes if many PUJ drivers will turn out positive of COVID-19 infection.

Mandatory swab tests started today for all routes of public utility, and delivery drivers in the city at the Crocodile Park along Carlos P. Garcia Highway.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

NEWS 3

Buses plying Toril-downton route traverse along E. Quirino Avenue in Davao City. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is mulling of using buses in all routes if many PUJ drivers will turn out positive of COVID-19 infection. Edge Davao

130 illegal structures along Davao River dikes demolished

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he Public Safety Security Command Center (PSSCC) reported on Wednesday that 130 illegal structures constructed on dikes along the Davao River in Barangay 76-A Bucana here have been demolished.

Retired Police Lt. Colonel Angel Sumagaysay, PSSCC head, said in a text message on Wednesday that no residents were displaced during the demolition last April 24 as the illegal structures dismantled were mostly extensions of houses.

He said illegal structures could destroy the river dikes, necessitating the clearing operation to maintain “their structural integrity.”

Clearing the dikes of

structures would protect the residents who are vulnerable to the risks of flooding during the rainy season, according to Sumagaysay.

“It is for the safety of our people in case there is an overflowing of water, especially during the rainy season. If there is flooding, the first that will be affected are the people residing on dikes,” he explained.

Sumagaysay added that clearing operations have so far not encountered resistance as the “residents have been cooperating well” during dialogue where city officials explained the plans of the local government and the dangers of residing along

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City to implement ‘test before travel’

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he city government of Davao is expected to implement “test before travel” to Davao City which will require passengers to present a 72-hour negative RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test result upon arrival at the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT).

“Atong i-implement ang test before travel among passengers particularly those non-

APOR (authorized persons outside residence).

Kansang muadto lang ug resorts, mubisita ug

parente. Even returning residents,” said Dr. Ashley Lopez, acting head of City Health Office (CHO).

Lopez, who is also the focal person of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said it is expected that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will issue an Executive Order (EO) or resolution on this matter.

“Probably next week magpagawas si Mayor ug bag-ong EO or resolution requiring all inbound

passengers non-APOR or non-essential nga mugikan sa lain lugar outside Davao Region to present a 72hour negative RT-PCR test,” he said.

Lopez said this matter was discussed during a meeting with the Covid Task Force together with the different clusters in trying to establish border control and regulations particularly to inbound

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DA-BAI starts ASF vaccine trials 4 of Angel Locsin community pantry

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he Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry (DABAI) said Wednesday it has started initial vaccine trials in areas previously affected by the dreaded African Swine Fever (ASF).

In a statement, the DABAI said the vaccine trials were done in collaboration with a US vaccine company Zoetis.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the ASF vaccine trials started on April 23, 2021, with 10 commercial swine farms participating.

“The vaccine trials complement our ongoing ‘Bantay ASF sa Barangay’ program. We consider it

as the proverbial ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ that would free us from this dark episode that adversely affected our swine industry, and pork supply and prices,” Dar said.

“Once proven effective, the ASF vaccine will serve as a potent tool, complementing our joint efforts with the LGUs, private sector, and hog raisers to effectively control, contain and manage the spread of the ASF, thus paving way for the industry’s faster recovery,” he added.

The DA-BAI said the ASF vaccine trials will be conducted and monitored by its personnel and

veterinarians for 84 days, in line with the current protocols set by the government technical working group, the vaccine manufacturer and Zoetis Philippines Inc. Zoetis is the major collaborator of the experimental new vaccine for ASF, which has prevented the virus from killing pigs in an early trials in other countries, according to the DA-BAI. “We are now coordinating with the provincial veterinarians on the conduct of the vaccine trials to ensure successful implementation. Likewise, our BAI veterinarians have

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attendees tested Covid-19 positive

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n attendee of the controversial community pantry of actress Angel Locsin is exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms while three others who availed of free tests offered by the Quezon City government are asymptomatic.

“The average incubation period for Covid-19 is approximately five days. So we call on everyone who went to last Friday’s gathering, please report to us and have yourself tested. If there was a transmission and you were exposed,

you may observe some symptoms manifesting starting today,” Dr. Rolando Cruz, chief of the City Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (CESU), said in an interview on Wednesday.

One of the attendees who got tested is experiencing headache and loss of smell and taste, a Radyo PIlipinas report said.

As of Tuesday, Cruz said they have conducted free swab tests on just four individuals who sought CESU’s services as they were among the

thousands who went to the event.

The city government said it does not have the personal data of those who went to Locsin’s pantry, organized to mark her 36th birthday.

Five days after the April 23 event in Barangay Holy Spirit, marred by the death of a male 67-yearold vendor after queuing for hours, the local government reiterated its call for those who lined up to undergo reverse transcription-polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

Taya Udasan Salik, 46, mother to seven children with ages ranging from 2 to 11 years old, returns to the evacuation center at the back of the gymnasium of Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao Wednesday (28 April 2021) as mortar shelling rocked the outskirts of this municipality and neighboring Sharif Saidona. On Tuesday, after staying for a week in the evacuation center, Salik decided to return to their village in barangay Pikag in Saidona town only to flee again today. Amid the evacuation, she struggles to observe the fasting and would still have to find food for iftar. MindaNews photo by JULES L. BENITEZ

lists COVID-19 as Insurance industry grows by ECC compensable disease P1.79T as of Q3 2020, IC says D

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he Philippines’ insurance industry has expanded to P1.79 trillion as of the third quarter of 2020, the Insurance Commission (IC) said Wednesday.

In his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, IC Commissioner Dennis Funa said that despite the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the insurance industry grew 2.83% year-on-year (YOY) as of end-September 2020, with assets increasing from P1.74 trillion in 2019 to P1.79 trillion last year.

In particular, the life insurance sector grew by 0.96% as of the third quarter of last year to P1.4 tril-

lion, while the non-life sector expanded by 9.92% in the same period to P274.5 billion.

The Insurance Commission (IC) has processed 100 % of monetary claims as well as license and product applications last year to meet the growing needs of the insurance industry, which expanded to P1.79 trillion as of the third quarter of 2020.

As of September 30, 2020, some P2.41 billion in aggregate claims were paid

Pandemic leading to lower quality jobs: ADB official

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he COVID-19 pandemic could leave a lasting impact on employment in the Philippines as job creation has shifted to less stable and lower quality jobs, an official of the Asian Development Bank said Wednesday.

Unemployment ballooned to 17.7 percent in April 2020, during the height of the strictest lockdown or Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19, government data showed.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said this improved to 8.7 percent of

the labor forcein January, as the economy gradually reopened.

Employment has since returned to pre-pandemic levels, according to Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Chua.

But during a virtual briefing, Asian Development Bank country director for the Philippines said the “composition” between sectors has changed.

“The concern for us is that the employment that’s been generated is in the informal sector. These are generally less stable employment activities,” Bird

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by insurance companies, with the health maintenance organization (HMO) segment paying the largest chunk of COVID-related claims amounting to P1.32 billion or 54.6% of the total claims paid, according to Funa.

With this, he said, 61.3% of the claims paid by the insurance industry was for hospitalization benefits as of September 2020.

The IC chief said the life sector paid P817.86 billion in claims, followed by Mutual Benefit Associations (MBAs) with P222 billion in claims paid.

The non-life sector paid P56.5 billion in claims as of the third quarter of 2020.

Death benefits accounted for 26.7% of the total COVID-19 related claims amounting to P614.86 million, while medical reimbursement benefits made up P9.62 million of the claims or 0.42%, and critical illness benefits, P77.42 million or 3.36%, Funa said.

He said assets of the HMO segment increased 30.69% to P48.7 billion as of end-September 2020.

HMO revenues increased 2.17% while expenses went down 14.1%, resulting in a 653.8% increase in its net income for the same period, the IC chief said.

In the pre-need segment

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epartment of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Wednesday said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is now listed as a “compensable disease”.

Bello said the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), an attached agency of DOLE, included Covid-19 in its list of occupational and world-related diseases through Board Resolution No. 21-04-14.

“Now, therefore, on motion duly made and seconded, this Commission resolves, as it hereby resolved to include the conditions for the compensability of Covid-19,” the Resolution read.

Covered by Employees Compensation (EC) grant

are workers affected by Covid-19 during the pandemic period.

Claimants are required to submit the following documents: certificate of employment from the employer, indicating last day of reporting to works; reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result showing positive Covid-19 from any Department of Health (DOH)-accredited testing facility; medical records as appropriate; and application forms.

“In Annex A, PD No. 626, as amended as follows: Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)-clinically diagnosed and consistent with the history, and signs and symptoms of Covid-19

“We were subjected to the lowest cost and unfortunately, also at that same time, the Philippine market was flooded with very low-cost PPEs from China, some of them are even substandard,” Carrillo said.

“We would like to call the attention of the Senate to hear the plea of the exporters, who have repurposed [their factories] and reinvested, to have the policies especially under the [Bayanihan] Act, to re-

ally focus on buying Filipino-made PPE,” she added.

Carrillo also urged the government to support the stockpiling of PPEs to secure supplies for future health crisis.

Retaining the repurposed factories will also retain around 7,500 jobs, she said.

The CPMP officer asked the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Entrepreneurship to address this “urgent matter.”

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Local companies ask gov’t to buy Filipino-made PPEs

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ocal manufacturers of medical grade personal protective equipment (PPEs) on Wednesday asked the government to buy Filipino-made products to sustain their repurposed garment factories.

During the Senate hearing on government programs for pandemic-hit industries, Coalition of Philippine Manufacturers of PPE (CPMP) Executive Director Rosette Carrillo recalled that the govern-

ment has asked them to repurpose their garment factories to produce medical grade PPEs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Carrillo said five companies have reinvested US$35 million to repurpose portions of its factories for PPE production.

However, she said the government has imposed certain rules in procuring PPEs and the locally-made ones were disregarded.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

ECONOMY

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At least 3,000 food packs are being prepared to be given away for free at the Matina Farmer’s Market community pantry across SM City in Davao City on Wednesday (28 April 2021). The colored eco bags contain assorted vegetables and rice. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO

German energy companies eye PH partners to power off-grid areas PH among recipients of free jabs from Google

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oogle.org, the charitable arm of tech giant Google, is funding vaccines for 250,000 people in several countries, including the Philippines, through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that works with the COVAX facility and the World Health Organization to ensure equitable vaccine access globally.

Other beneficiaries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, India, and Laos.

“The presence of vaccines gives us hope that we may be nearing the end of the pandemic but barriers to equitable access exist especially in low- and middle-income countries. We hope that through Google’s efforts and partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, we can help more people from countries in need to be vaccinated,” Google Philippines Country Director Bernadette Nacario said in a statement on Wednesday.

Nacario added Google

will be leading an employee-giving campaign to secure more vaccine shots, with the Gavi Matching Fund and Google.org matching the donation to triple the impact.

Google, along with other technology companies in the country, has partnered with the Department of Health’s fight against vaccine misinformation, alongside taking down harmful and misleading content.

In mid-April, it launched a dedicated search results page for quick and easy access to credible and timely information on vaccines from trusted news sources and health authorities.

Reliable information on vaccination updates, news, links to global and local health authorities, and health information among others will be suggested when people type in relevant keywords such as “Covid-19 vaccines”.

The Philippines has so far administered 1,809,801 doses of Covid-19 vaccines as of the April 27, 2021 data.

(PNA)

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erman energy companies are eyeing to partner with local firms to provide renewable energy solutions in off-grid areas.

Eight German firms are presenting their technology, particularly for solar, wind, and energy solutions during the German Energy Mission from April 26 to 30.

“This conference shows the enormous potential for business cooperation between German and Philippine companies in the field of renewable energy.

More than 80 B2B (business to business) meetings

were arranged during this business mission,” German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) president Stefan Schmitz said in an online conference Tuesday.

He said German firms have seen the country’s potential for renewable energy, which can be a solution in off-grid areas.

He added that German companies, who would like

to partner with Philippine firms, have unique technology and solutions using photovoltaic-hybrid and energy storage systems.

“Solar and other renewable energy options are attractive and encouraged given the renewable energy policies of the Department of Energy. Fossil fuel in off-grid areas is not sustainable operationally, economically, and environmentally. We need a paradigm shift towards self-sufficiency and a cleaner environment,” Renewable Energy Management Bureau director Mylene

Capongcol said.

German firms that are doing the virtual business mission this week include 21st Century Clean Energy, BAE Batterien, DHYBRID Power Systems, Ferntech, iQron, KRAFTWERK Renewable Power Solutions, TESVOLT, and Wollny Consulting.

Their business mission is supported by the German Energy Solutions Initiative, an export program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy that supports German small and medium enterprises expand their businesses across the globe. (PNA)

Kelly Bird said that the multilateral lender’s lending program this year will focus on its “three pillars” of support for the country, namely: • Accelerating infrastructure and long-term investments • Promoting local economic development • Investing in people Under the investing in people pillar is the $400-million loan it ex-

tended to the Philippines last March to help the country purchase vaccines against COVID-19.

The loan forms part of the $700-million Second Health System Enhancement to Address and Limit COVID-19 under the APVAX (HEAL 2) project, $300 million of which is co-financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Meanwhile, the bulk of

the ADB’s lending program this year will finance the South Commuter Railway project amounting to $1.75 billion.

Also under infrastructure, the bank is setting aside $180 million for the Metro Manila Bridges project.

“We are focusing on infrastructure projects that have large employment multipliers and support

ADB lending program for PH to reach $3.9B in 2021

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he Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) sovereign lending program to the Philippines is seen to reach $3.9 billion this year or roughly P188 billion to support investments in the country’s infrastructure, local economic development, and social assistance amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At a virtual briefing on Wednesday, ADB Philippines country director

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DAVAO 6 EDGE VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

On the city government of Davao’s ‘test before travel’ rule: Atong i-implement ang test before travel among passengers particularly those non- APOR (authorized persons outside residence).

Kansang muadto lang ug resorts, mubisita ug parente.

Even returning residents.”

DR. ASHLEY LOPEZ

ACTING CITY HEALTH OFFICER

EDITORIAL Brilliant suggestion Amid the growing popularity of holding community pantries in this pandemic times, there is a also a growing need to push for the safety nets of doing them.

Consider this one from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The DILG is thinking of linking the pantry movements to the economic sector of the local communities in a manner that will benefit the latter while providing the needs of the people.

The idea is to connect community pantry organizers to local businesses for the supply of food and basic goods. By doing so, the pantry organizers also help the local economy recover from the impact of the pandemic. With this mechanism of ensuring the supply chain stays local, the community cooperation benefits everyone.

EDGEDAVAO

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Another thing to keep in mind that these pantries could be used for political ends. With the elections ‘just around the corner’, putting of signs, posters, billboards, or streamers indicating the names, images, initials, and projects of politicians who are out to gain popularity mileage in community pantries should be avoided.

These community pantries, as the government would say, is a representation of “the best in the Filipino character.” But it could also be ruined by the sleight of political hands.

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

KENNETH IRVING K. ONG ATHENA JILLIAN BRAVO NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN MEGHANN STA. INES FERINA SANTOS Lifestyle

CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL ANA MARIE G. SILPAO Layout

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. Consultant Correspondent Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

OLIVIA D. VELASCO SOLANI D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONAJASPER OLIVIA D. VELASCO V. BACSAL General Manager PresidentAdvertising Specialist Finance General Manager / VP Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

The next step would be to ensure that the health protocols are strictly followed. Pantries, by nature of being acts of charity, are not required to pay fees or secure permits. But they must follow the enforced restrictions and regulations. Rules are rules and it should not bend just because people need food. We still have to think of everyone’s welfare as being reckless could mean disastrous results.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-YacapinProduct Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

BLESSINGS BE UPON YOU “When we lose one blessing, another is often most unexpectedly given in its place.” -- C.S. Lewis

*** “To be grateful is to find blessings in everything,” says Alan Cohen, author of several inspiration books, including the best-selling The Dragon Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. “This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything.”

Dana Arcuri, author of Harvest of Hope: Living Victoriously Through Adversity: A 50-Day Devotional, agrees. “Cultivating an attitude of gratitude begins with counting your blessings,” she writes. “In simpler terms, gratitude is expressing thanks for gifts we receive. Genuine gratitude helps us to see the little things in life that are often overlooked, yet so precious.”

More often than not, we look at the things which others have and ask ourselves why we don’t have those. Jeff Dixon, the man behind The Key to the Kingdom, reminds us: “Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have!”

I know trees cannot talk.

What if they are given the op-

portunity to talk with us? I am sure they have so many stories to tell. Listen to one of those trees talking: “When I was young, I didn’t notice it. But later on, I began to realize how different I was. I was short and crooked and all out of shape while around me stood those tall stately pines and those long-branched acacia trees. I should tell you, though, that I am hanging here onto the side of a cliff and my few roots are twined around the top of a stone.

“I often dreamed of being big and beautiful, with the wind bending me to and fro and the showers of rain washing my leaves. But here on the cliffside I felt so small, the wind didn’t often blow through my branches.

Even the sun only warmed me for half a day and then it left me in the shade of my cliff and shone down on those majestic trees in the valley.

“Why did I have to stay here, hanging onto a cliff? I did not have enough soil to develop all the beauty inside me. I was dissatisfied with my lot in life. Why did I have to stand here and be like this?

“Then early one spring morning, the perfume from all the new meadow flowers wafted up to me, a tiny bird warbled its

song from my branches, and the first warm sun rays kissed me long before they ever got down into the valley. What a beautiful panoramic view I had from up here. No other tree down there could see as far as I could.

“From that day on, I began to realize that I was something special. I was a special kind of tree made for a special kind of place. None of those big beautiful trees could do what I am doing. Why did it take me so long to realize that?”

A wise man once said, “Your presence is a present to the world. You are unique and one of a kind. Your life can be what you want it to be. Take the days just one at a time. Count your blessings, not your troubles. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again.”

“Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some,” wrote Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol and Other Christmas Writings.

The Daily Motivator also affirms, “No matter what kind of troubles you may have, just think of how fortunate you are to be alive and living in a world

where almost anything is possible. Consider for a moment the good things you have, and the good things that you can accomplish through your willingness, determination and action.”

God never promises that a day is always beautiful. There are days that it may be dark but you have to see the brighter side to appreciate it. Remember the Persian saying? It said, “I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.”

Once there was a poor widow who had two sons. This widow’s livelihood depended entirely upon her sons’ meager little businesses because she was so weak and frail. Every day, she worried about their businesses. She fretted and hoped that they would do well.

One son sold umbrellas. So the mother would wake up in the morning and the first thing she would look to see was if the sun was shining or if it looked like it was raining. If it was dark and cloudy, she would gleefully say, “Oh, he will surely sell umbrellas today!” But if the sun was shining, she would be miserable all day, because she feared that nobody would buy her son’s umbrellas.

The widow’s other son sold

fans. Every morning the poor old widow would arise and look to the skies. If the sun was hidden and it looked like a rainy day, she would get very depressed and moan, “Nobody’s going to buy my son’s fans today.”

No matter what the weather was, this poor old widow had something to fret about. If the sun was shining, she felt terrible because nobody would buy her son’s umbrellas. If the sun was not shining and it was cloudy, she also felt terrible, because nobody would buy her other son’s fans. With such an attitude, she was bound to lose.

One day, she ran into a friend who said, “Why, you’ve got it all wrong. There’s no way you can lose. If the sun is shining, people will buy fans; if it rains, they’ll buy umbrellas. You love off both of your sons. You cannot lose!”

How true. “Always embrace and cherish the blessings that come with each day and let its negative experiences vanish with the past that today is soon to become,” Edmond Mbiaka points out. “God has some great plans for your future. So never seize to keep your faith and hope alive and strong. Your current circumstances aren’t the final chapters of your life.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

CRITERIA FOR (LOCAL) HEROES Other than the creation of state-sponsored agencies to drumbeat the legacy of individuals regarded as icons of history, there has never been any law that was enacted to determine who gets to be honored as a hero. The relevance of this reality can be seen in the light of Davao City’s legislature unanimous adoption of an ordinance declaring Datu Bago as hero of Davao City.

Prior to martial law, two agencies were imbued with the task to identify who could be classified as ‘hero’: the Philippines Historical Committee (PHC) and the National Heroes Commission (NHC). They were later merged to become National Historical Institute (NHI, now National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the NHCP).

Not too long ago, the NHCP, through its Project Saysay, compiled several criteria proposed by three national scientists in the field of Social Sciences on how to recognize heroes, or the constructs to proclaimwho are

qualified to be called as ‘national heroes. The standards were formulated over a thirty-year period.

The first to came out with norms in 1965 was eminent historian Teodoro Agoncillo who cited four criteria, which the PHC espoused, namely: (i) the extent of a person's sacrifice for the country’s welfare; (ii) the motive and methods employed in attaining the ideal (welfare of the country); (iii) the moral character of the person concerned; and (iv) the influence of the person concerned on his age and/or the succeeding age.

In 1993, former University of the Philippines (UP) president Onofre D. Corpuz added three more standards to Agoncillo’s criteria. He argued that to become heroes (i) they have a concept of nation and thereafter aspire and struggle for the nation's freedom; (ii) they define and contribute to a system or life of freedom and order for a nation; and (iii) they contribute to the quality of life and

destiny of a nation.

Two years later, Filipino psychologist Alfredo Lagmay added three more, saying: (i) a hero is part of the people's expression; (ii) a hero thinks of the future, especially the future generations; and (iii) the choice of a hero involves not only the recounting of an episode or events in history but of the entire process that made the person a hero. Agoncillo’s and Lagmay’s criteria were considered by the National Heroes Committee but nothing came out of the move.

While there is such a thing as the necropolis for heroes, the Libingan ng mga Bayani, there is no law or agency that is imbued with the authority whom to declare as national hero. In fact, people we consider as ‘national heroes,’ from Jose Rizal to Miguel Malvar, are fundamentally part of written discourses, cultural relevance, and past tradition.

Historically, there were laws passed to honor persons who contributed to the coun-

try’s nationhood. For instance, on Dec. 20, 1898, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo declared Dec. 30 of each year as a national day of mourning in honor of Rizal and the other victims of the Philippine Revolution.

Interestingly, it was William Howard Taft, American governor general in the islands and future president of the United States, who first broached the idea of naming Rizal a national hero. On June 11, 1900, under Act No. 137 that organized the politico-military district of Morong into the province of Rizal, Rizal was labeled as a great martyr and hero.

Two decades later, on Feb. 16, 1921, Act No. 2946 was enacted, tacitly making Nov. 30 as Andres Bonifacio Day. Three years earlier, however, Act No. 2760 was passed on Feb. 23, 1918, ratifying the steps needed to create, maintain, and improve national monuments, and the erection of a monument in memory of Bonifacio.

In the postwar era, President Fidel V. Ramos who issued

Exec. Order No. 75 on March 28, 1993, creating PHC under the Office of the President. The principal task of the agency was “to study, evaluate and recommend Filipino national personages/heroes in due recognition of their sterling character and remarkable achievements for the country.”

In what could be the first law, national and local, to declare someone a hero, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao City passed Resolution No. 01938-18 and Ordinance No. 0430-18, on March 9, 2018, declaring Datu Bago as ‘hero of Davao City.’

The Davao City ordinance carried four key features: (i) officially legislating Datu Bago as a Maguindanaoan, Tausug, and Kalagan; (ii) imbues the City Mayor with the authority to set the annual date of commemoration; (iii) inclusion of the chieftain’s ‘life and time’ in public and private schools curriculum; and (iv) the construction of monument in tribute to the Moro leader.

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EDGEDAVAO LIFESTYLE

RENT A FURNISHED CONDO UNIT AT

AEON TOWERS WALK straight to a fully-furnished unit at Aeon Towers now. Rent is the key.

Taking modern living to an entirely different level, homegrown Company Aeon Luxe Properties, Inc. launched its Aeon Rental Management Program with fully furnished condo units at Aeon Towers offered to the public for lease this April.

The program aims to promote the luxury living experience at the iconic Aeon Towers through overnight staycations and long-term

stays for guests who are searching for a place to live within downtown Davao that has access to business establishments and other essential needs.

And why not? Aeon Towers being the city’s iconic skyscraper, there’s every reason for one to dream of living in one of its posh units.

After a soft launching this month, Aeon Towers has decided to extend its special promo for Studio and Onebedroom units until the month of May to cater the increasing number of guests inquiring.

Studio units are open for lease at Php2,500 per night while the Onebedroom units are at Php3,250 per night inclusive of an access for two to Club Aeon, Filipino breakfast, free internet or Wi-Fi access, free use of the pool at 6th floor and fitness gym and one time minibar consumption.

To ensure the safety of the guests, disinfection inside the units and within common areas are maintained on a daily basis by the management. Safety protocols like the Safe Davao QR, contactless temperature check, sanitation and social distancing are also being observed within the property.

Weekly and monthly lease are also offered to long staying guests. For inquiries call 968-5758518 or 0926-685-8413 or message at https:// www.facebook.com/AeonRentalMgtProgram .

9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

SOLVING THE COUNTRY’S MALNUTRITION PROBLEM

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

O

ne out of four children, less than five years old, in Mindanao found to be underweight, according to a nutrition survey results presented during the recently concluded Online Technology Forum for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI).

“Underweight prevalence generally increased except for Lanao del Sur,” reported Lea B. Landicho, a science research analyst at DOST-FNRI, adding that four out ten, for the same age group, are also stunted.

Underweight is defined as “a condition where children are found to weigh below the standard weight.”

Stunting, on the other hand, is based on height for-age index or when the height of a child is below the standard

BY REALLY TRYING

for the child’s age.

Stunting reflects chronic undernutrition, according to a DOST press release. It’s a manifestation of past nutritional status wherein there’s a prolonged inadequate intake, recurrence of illness or improper feeding practices.

“Stunting prevalence generally increased except for Tawi-Tawi,” Landicho said.

Eight out of a hundred children, less than five years of age, are considered wasting or thin. Wasting or thinness is based on weightfor-height index or it is a condition when a child’s weight is below the standard for the child’s height.

“Wasting generally decreased except for Sulu and Tawi-Tawi,” Landicho pointed out.

What is even more alarming is that four out of one hundred are overweight for their height among the less than five years old.

In Northern Mindanao, for instance, a 7.1% prevalence of overweight and obesity has been recorded based on a survey conducted by the regional office of National Nutrition Council (NNC) in 2018.

Being underweight or overweight and thin or fat are signs of malnutrition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in

a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients.

“Every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition,” says the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines.

“Twenty-seven out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. A third of Filipino children are stunted, or short for their age.”

According to Landicho, the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, which begins in pregnancy, is critical because the damage is irreversible if the child does not get proper nutrition during this period.

Despite the critical importance of the first 1,000 days, Filipino infants are not eating well, according to UNICEF. “As a result, they are surviving but not thriving,” the UN agency deplores.

NNC study showed that only a third of babies are exclusively breastfed during the first six months. Around 44% of children aged 6-23 months are not fed fruit and vegetables, and 59% are not fed eggs, dairy products, fish or meat. “(These children) are not getting required nutritional intake by consuming from at least five of the seven food groups,” the UNICEF said.

The seven food groups refer to the seven main classes of nutrients that the body needs. These are carbohydrates, proteins, fats,

vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.

“There has been little progress in addressing undernutrition, and overnutrition has emerged as a serious concern,” said UNICEF in its report, Fill the Nutrient Gap. “This growing double burden hinders the country’s potential for social and economic development.”

When one speaks of malnutrition, one cannot fail to mention hunger. One in nine people are hungry, stated the 2020 Global Nutrition Report.

The latest edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World has even heightened the problem. “More people are going hungry,” it said. “Tens of millions have joined the ranks of the chronically undernourished over the past five years, and countries around the world continue to struggle with multiple forms of malnutrition.”

“Overcoming hunger and malnutrition in all its forms (including undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity) is about more than securing enough food to survive: what people eat – and especially what children eat – must also be nutritious,” the report said. “Yet a key obstacle is the high cost of nutritious foods and the low affordability of healthy diets for vast numbers of families.”

The report presents evidence that a healthy diet costs far more than US$1.90 a day, the international poverty threshold. It puts the price of even the least expensive healthy diet at five times the price of filling stomachs with starch only.

Nutrient-rich dairy, fruits, vegetables and protein-rich foods (plant and animal-sourced) are the most expensive food groups globally, the report states.

“Malnutrition is a threat multiplier,” Dr. Cynthia Rozenzweig, author of the food security chapter in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report on land and climate change, told Guardian. “I think it has been ignored that people who are malnourished are likely to have lower immune systems.”

Dr. Venkatesh Mannar, a special adviser on nutrition to the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition, also deplored: “Poor diet and malnutrition is not a matter of personal choice. Most people are not able to do this because of inequality of food systems. They do not have access to a range of healthy food. The interface between the food supply chain and consumer is inequitable.”

Some years back, the Philippines was listed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as one of

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VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

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will get justice,” Mayor Sara said in a text message.

In May 2020, Mayor Sara blamed the Lumad organization over the deaths of two children inside UCCPHaran.

The first child from Haran to die was an eight-monthold baby who died on May 11 while the second was a threemonth-old baby who died on May 17.

In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio) DCDR), the mayor said what happened to the two children was a form of “murder.”

She said the two children would not have died if they had been taken care of properly.

The mayor issued the statement after the PASAKASMR, a confederation of Lumad organizations, issued a statement denying that the cause of death of the two children was Covid-19.

PASAKA stated that it was not possible for the two children to have contracted COVID-19 since the Lumad in Haran do not even have food and medicine (FM) passes and therefore could not go out.

swabbing.

“Hopefully majority ani atong drivers atong ma-swab so that ma-verify sad nato ang status sa atoang mga drivers because they are considered as one of the high risk essential workers nato (Hopefully, majority of the drivers will be swabbed so that we can verify their [health] status),” Lopez said on Wednesday’s Covid-19 Alert Program over the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio. He said the public transport drivers are considered as one of the highrisk essential workers.

Lopez said that the swabbing at Crocodile Park can cater up to 500 per day. He also explained the system that the drivers undergo in a drivethru swabbing.

Five tents have been set up at the Crocodile Park. It is a drive-thru set up so that drivers do not need to step out of the vehicle.

Lopez said that the drivers will receive a text message within a week if the results are positive. If drivers do not receive a notification within a week means that they tested negative.

of Alicia Caymo.

There are no casualties and injured reported.

The BFP-Davao estimated the damage to houses at P9 million.

Fire victims are now asking assistance.

Basio said an investigation is

ongoing to determine the cause of fire.

Fire incidence is high in this area. In fact, in August last year, a fire broke out in Sunrise Village, Barangay Panacan wherein a total of seven houses were partially damaged and 44 totally destroyed. By Maya M. Padillo

Government in ensuring that the minimum public health standard is complied with where people observe social distancing consistently,” DuterteCarpio pointed out.

She also cited the Muslim communities in the city and other crowded places, as the areas to be swabbed, two weeks after the Ramadan.

Duterte-Carpio stressed that the city’s campaign on COVID-19 is geared towards COVID-19 regardless of the variant.

She said the checkpoints have screened from areas with

higher COVID-19 cases.

“They are checked by our TF Davao personnel especially from areas with high incidents of COVID-19,” Duterte-Carpio said.

She bared proposing the possible semi- closing of the borders of Davao City while it is addressing the COVID-19 cases here.

“We wrote the RIATF for their consideration,” she said.

Duterte-Carpio also announced the extension of the liquor ban and curfew for a month up to May 31, 2021. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)

riverbanks.

The official said building of structures on river dikes is prohibited.

He said the PSSCC earlier

cleared structures built on top of creeks and dikes in Talomo, Toril, Bunawan and Panacan. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

supported by diagnostic proof to include reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is compensable in any of the following conditions: a) There must be a direct connection between the offending agent or event and the worker based on epidemiologic criteria and occupational risk (e.g. healthcare workers, screening and contact teams tracing team; b) The tasks assigned to the worker would require frequent face-to-face and close proximity interactions with the public or with confirmed cases for health care workers; c) Transmission

occurred in the workplace; or d) Transmission occurred while commuting to and from,” the resolution added.

Bello said an employee affected by Covid-19 will be receiving PHP30,000.

“It will become a compensable illness. The usual compensation on work-related illness is PHP10,000 but if it’s Covid-19, PHP30,000 under this ECC resolution,” he said. “There is no distinction (mild or severe), if it’s Covid, the compensation will be PHP30,000. If the patient needs operation or additional hospitalization, PhilHealth is there.”

already undergone orientation and are ready for deployment,” Dar said.

“The trials in the respective farms will depend on the agreement by the concerned parties, the availability of trial animals, schedule of the farm and BAI veterinarian and Zoetis representatives,” he added.

The DA chief expressed

hopes that the vaccine trials yield positive results to put an end to the disease that crippled the country’s hog industry, causing loss of livelihood and incomes to backyard and commercial raisers, substantially reducing hog population and supply, and pushing pork prices to unprecedented levels, to the detriment of consumers.

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the 13 low-income food-deficit countries in Asia (“those that do not have enough food to feed their populations and for the most part lack the financial resources to pay for imports”).

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

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

Jacques Diouf, at the time when he was the director-general of FAO, echoed the same concern. “Population growth continues to outstrip food availability in many countries,” he pointed out during the 1996 World Food Summit in Rome.

Hunger is the world’s “most solvable problem,” declared the UN World Food Program. But in the Philippines, hunger persists across the country.

“A generation of Filipino children are already hindered from reaching their full potential if they are hungry and deprived of the nutrition they need to learn in school and stay active,” Senator Grace Poe said in a statement. “We must collectively work together to take care of our children and ensure that they are able to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them.”

More than 2 billion people suffer from hidden hunger globally, and there is a ripple effect that has consequences for the entire population. “Hidden hunger” is caused by a lack of essential vitamins and minerals.

“Even if people have enough calories to eat, they can still suffer from ‘hidden hunger’ if their only food options do not contain the necessary micronutrients,” says Bev Postma, who has 25 years of experience as a policy expert in international food systems, nutri-

tion and food security.

But there’s good news. The DOST-FNRI has launched a Malnutrition Reduction Program (MRP) which addresses the undernutrition problem among young children in the country.

MRP includes the DOST PINOY strategy, a package of interventions involving direct feeding of rice-mongo based complementary foods for six months to below three years old children, and nutrition education among mothers and caregivers. This program has been on the rollout in the countryside.

Alexis M. Ortiz, a research specialist at the technology transfer and commercialization section said that DOST-FNRI has activities and projects focusing on sharing the nutrition status with the end-users, so that they’ll be encouraged to take action.

Through MRP, advocacy meetings or fora are initiated among local executives and councils where issues are being tackled and informed about the nutritional status of their areas.

In this way, food technologies can be introduced.

Among these food technologies are complementary food, such as rice-monggo blend crunchies and curls for snacks and ready-to-eat food for infants and young children, and micronutrient growth mix.

According to the press release, the ready-to-cook blend of rice, mung bean and sesame seeds contains 130 kilo calories (energy) and four grams protein per 30 grams serving portion - enough to meet the 18 % of recommended energy and 28.6 % of recommended protein intake of 6-month to less than 10-month-old children.

In addition, the DOST-FNRI also developed squash supplemented products, such as pancit canton and bakery products with squash, and also the fast-becoming popular enhanced nutribun.

-- (Photos from UNICEF)

tests.

Barangay Holy Spirit Chair Felicito Valmocina was already approached by more individuals who went to the pantry and wanted to be tested, according to CESU. The Quezon City Police

Department is also looking into the possibility of Locsin’s liability, the city government said.

The city’s free RT-PCR test is for all residents, not only for those who went to Locsin’s community pantry.

passengers in overland terminals.

“Kay wala man ta’y problema sa air ug sea travels kay istrikto man ta diha tanan musulod whether APOR or nonAPOR required man ug RT-PCR basta gikan ka sa gawas sa Davao Region, whereas diri sa overland terminal usahay ang uban munaog dinha ug Cebu tapos musakay ug munaog ug Agusan mag by- land sila padulong ug Davao para dili masakpan. Or dili na sila maka RT-PCR test kay mahalan daw sila,” he said.

This is part of the city’s city’s implementation of the heightened surveillance and response of Covid-19 cases in Davao City under Executive Order No. 18, which includes tracking down influenzalike illnesses (ILI), an acute respiratory infection with a fever of more than 38 degrees

Celsius and cough with onset within the last ten (10) days, and referring them for swabbing.

The surveillance will be facilitybased, community-based, and establishment-based.

The heightened surveillance and response of Covid-19 cases aim to stop the rising of Covid-19 cases and prevent the entering of other Covid-19 variants in the city.

“Kung makaya na nato matest ang tanan tao sa Davao City mas labing maayo para atong ma-confirm kung naa pa gyud nabilin na mga kaso. Subayon gyud ni tanan kay gusto ni Mayor Sara in case na musulod tong new variant sa Covid, andam nata. As much as possible we would like to zero in on these new cases. So far wala pa koy nadawat na report about aning new variant dinhi sa Davao City,” Lopez said.

long-term economic growth through improved connectivity,” ADB vice president Ahmed Saeed said earlier.

Under local economic development pillar are loans for Davao Public Transport Modernization project ($238 million), Sustainable Palawan Tourism Development project ($96 million), and Local Governance Reform program ($400 million).

The ADB is also extending $400 million in loans for the Facilitating Youth School-to-Work

Transition project and another $400 million for the Building Up Implementation and Local-Level Drivers for Universal Health Care program.

“We have designed our new Country Operations Business Plan to help the Philippines overcome the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. We are focusing on infrastructure projects that have large employment multipliers and support long-term economic growth through improved connectivity,” according to Saeed.

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ACTIVE ... FROMP12 mising the safety of an individual or the community. The initiative is spearheaded by Davao City’s City Sports Office under their umbrella campaign, Aktibo Davaoeño.

“The Aktibo Davaoeño program promotes a healthier and more active lifestyle for everyone during these trying times of the pandemic,” Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte said. “With the active support of MILO, no doubt that every Davaoeño can be healthy, active, and strong.”

The Sports Interactive Caravan is a city-wide sports program that will roam around 170 barangays in all three districts of Davao, engaging around 1.8 million Davaoeños into recreational and competitive sports. With the help of the City Sports Office, the caravan will visit a barangay every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7AM to 4PM and feature all instructional sports videos by MILO, including their Champion Habit initiative, a program designed to make Physical Education (P.E.) classes accessible to schoolchildren nationwide in support of the country’s ongoing blended learning program.

“Recently, we have seen the growing need for sports and other recreational activities that will promote a healthier lifestyle to all Davaoeños without sacrificing their safety,” Mikey Aportadera, Chief of the Davao City Sports Development Division said. “We are fortunate to be working with MILO who shares the same goals as our Aktibo Davaoeño campaign. We believe that with this program, we can resume physical activities in a safe environment.”

Each session will follow the standard safety protocols implemented by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) and the local government of Davao City. Officials from the City Sports Office will be limiting the number of participants, will be strictly using protec-

tive equipment such as face masks and shields, and uphold physical distancing regulations throughout the duration of the program. The whole-day sports event will have a maximum of 25 kids per batch in an open court area conducive for safe active playing. The caravan is open to both the younger and older residents of each barangay.

“We are fully committed to supporting the local government of Davao City in their effort to reintroduce sports activities in the different municipalities and nurture the future sports heroes,” Lester P. Castillo, Assistant Vice President, Nestlé Philippines-MILO. “The Aktibo Davaoeño Sports Interactive Caravan is aligned with our thrust to continue finding ways to get children into sports despite the challenges of the situation. Regular physical activities also promote postitive mental health. Mula noon, hanggang ngayon, anuman ang panahon, magtutulung-tulungan tayo para ipagpatuloy ang kanilang pagiging champion.

MILO along with its partners like the Davao City Sports Office will enable more children to achieve proper nutrition, lead active lifestyles, and become champions of tomorrow.”

Through active collaborations, MILO is able to assert its efforts in helping parents encourage their kids to pursue their champion dreams today and beyond. By adapting to innovation, the brand has established its lifelong legacy in nurturing individuals Mula Noon, Hanggang Ngayon.

Equipped with a glass of MILO, kids can make their champion journeys more energizing together with the MILO Champion Formula that contains more milk, packed with more Champion Energy Nutrients na PROTOMALT, Iron, at Vitamins B2, B3, B6, and B12, at mas sulit dahil mas pinarami na ang isang sachet at the same suggested retail price, parents and their children are given the right energy to stay active and healthy every day.

consisting of 12 active licensed firms, meanwhile, had total assets reaching P90.39 billion and premium income amounted to P12.73 billion as of the third quarter of 2020.

Funa added that last year, the IC was able to examine the books of 26 life insurance companies, five composite firms, 35 MBAs, 54 non-life companies, 74 brokers, 12 pre-need firms and 29 HMOs—representing 100% of its target for 2020.

The IC was likewise able to settle all disputes and mediation proceedings brought before it, and acted on 100% of premium rate applications last year, which earned for it a 98.9% customer satisfaction rating, he said.

In 2020, the IC released circular letters related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

These include the circulars on extending the grace period for all insurance-related payments; guidelines on initiatives aimed at providing additional benefits or free insurance coverage to COVID-19 affected clients without the need for prior approval from the IC; and guidelines on the continuity of selling insurance products to the public even amid the strict lockdowns.

Funa said the IC also released circulars calling on industry players to waive provisions in insurance contracts that may become barriers to health care access and treatment; and providing emergency assistance to insurers’ sales agents and other commission-based workers during the crisis.

The IC issued, likewise, circulars encouraging insurance

said.

“That’s the concern, lower quality jobs are being created not quality jobs. And we’re concerned that with this pandemic there could be scarring effects in this segment,” he added.

There is significant growth in jobs in administrative jobs as well as in information and communication due to the shift to work-from-home setup, Bird said.

The largest contraction was seen in the accommodation and food sector as businesses were disrupted by restrictions, he said.

This situation could re-

turn to normal once the economy reopens, but it could also “persist,” he said.

“There is a massive sectoral reallocation of jobs as the economy recovers, that reallocation will kind of narrow but it could persist over the medium term,” he said.

The Philippine government can “strengthen” policies to create more formal jobs, implement skills training and invest in new innovations, Bird said.

Model practices from other countries can also be used to improve the quality of employment in the country, he added.

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The Gilas 3x3 quartet of Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Mo Tautuaa, and CJ Perez.

Asian elite boxing tourney moved to Dubai

T

he Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates capital of Dubai from May 21 to June 1, 2021.

In a news release on Wednesday, the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP) said the decision was announced by the Asian Boxing Confederation late Tuesday.

The original host city was New Delhi but had to be moved because of the massive surge of coronavirus infections in the Indian city, the ABAP said.

According to Anadolu Agency’s report, India set a new global record Wednesday for daily coronavirus cases, registering more than 360,000 infections in the past 24 hours.

According to daily statistics released by the Health Ministry, 360,960 new cases

were registered, taking the country’s overall caseload to 17.99 million.

The death toll has now reached 201,187, including a record 3,293 new fatalities.

India has been registering an exponentially high number of cases – over 300,000 daily Covid-19 infections since April 22.

ABAP secretary-general Ed Picson said ABAP president Ricky Vargas instructed him to study the plausibility of participation in the tournament considering the adjustments, both logistical and financial, that the change entails.

“We will make that determination in a few days”, Picson said.

Most of the Filipino elite national boxers are currently in Muaklek, Thailand in a joint training camp with the Thai national boxing team. They have been in Thailand since March 10 of this year. (PNA)

Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 to enter ‘Calambubble’ T he Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 squad heading to the FIBA 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) will be entering a training bubble next week.

As announced by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) on Wednesday, the quartet of Joshua Munzon, Alvin Pasaol, Mo Tautuaa, and CJ Perez as well as reserves Santi Santillan and Karl Dehesa will enter the bubble at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba.

The Gilas 3x3 pool will join its 5-on-5 counterpart in the practices in “Calambubble”.

SBP president Al Panlilio said their request to bring the six players inside the “Calambubble” was “received favorably” by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

“The SBP thanks Commissioner Willie Marcial, the PBA board of governors, and the mother teams of the five players for their support,” added Panlilio, also Meralco’s representative to the PBA board.

He also said all the people involved in the Gilas 3x3 bubble “have started the protocol necessary to enter the training bubble.”

Panlilio then added, “It’s good to get this chance to prepare so our players can get back into game shape and develop chemistry.”

Gilas 3x3 has been grouped with Qatar, Slovenia, Dominican Republic, and France in one preliminary pool of the FIBA 3x3 OQT from May 26-30 in Graz, Austria.

Panlilio believed that the pool right now has what it takes to give Slovenia and France, two of the top 10

teams in the FIBA 3x3 rankings, a fight.

“It’s a big challenge to upset teams ranked in the Top 10 of 3×3 in Slovenia and France but we have a good combination of skill, speed, size, and strength to give them a run for their money,” he said.

However, he warned the Philippine team not to be complacent against Qatar and Dominican Republic as they could also provide huge upsets as well.

“We may be ranked ahead of Qatar and the Dominican Republic but we can’t count them out either,” Panlilio said. (PNA)

and 176 for his career, just five away from Oscar Robertson’s career mark.

The Wizards were up 69-67 early in the second half when they used a 16-2 run to break things open and grab an 85-69 edge with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

Then, in the fourth, the hosts kept pouring it on, and a fast-break dunk by Ish Smith on a pass from — who else? — Westbrook made it 98-79 with less than 9 1/2 minutes remaining and brought most of the Wizards players onto the court to celebrate at the ensuing timeout.

James has been sidelined for more than a month with

a sprained right ankle, a 20game absence during which the Lakers are 8-12 and have dropped to fifth in the Western Conference standings.

He sat near LA’s subs, a mask covering his nose and mouth.

The good news for the visitors: Anthony Davis scored 26 — 14 in the fourth quarter — his highest output in four games back since sitting for 30 with a strained right calf.

He also ended up on his backside on the baseline and checking his nose for blood after taking a hand to the face on Rui Hachimura’s fast-break dunk over the 2012 No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Wizards overcome big 4th from AD to beat Lakers

W

The Los Angeles Lakers lost for the fourth time in their past five games.

ASHINGTON — Still missing LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers lost for the fourth time in their past five games Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time), beaten, 116-107, by the Washington Wizards, who got league scoring leader Bradley Beal’s 27 points and Russell Westbrook’s 13th triple-double in April.

Washington has won nine of 10 games, led by its dynamic duo of Beal and Westbrook, who finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 14 assists. That extends his NBA record for most triple-doubles in a month and gives him 30 for the season

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 262 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021 VOL.14 ISSUE 39• FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2021

City Sports coordinator Mikey Aportadera speaks during a barangay sports program.

ACTIVE LIFESTYLE

MILO, Davao City partner for producing more elite athletes

T

he local government unit of Davao City, together with leading beverage brand MILO, further amplifies its efforts in building an active and healthy community as the two partners roll out the Sports Interactive Caravan.

The program, which was officially launched today at Bahay Pag-asa, was designed to reintroduce sports and physical activity through broadcast and social media without compro-

FACTIVE, P10

FHAIL, P10