Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 74 | Thursday, June 10, 2021

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BPO LOCKDOWN 6 call centers in Davao City placed under lockdown

STORY ON PAGE 2

Small fishing boats are docked beside the breakwater of Davao City Coastal Road in Talomo, Davao City on Wednesday as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 11 (BFAR 11) implemented a three-month closed fishing season in the Davao Gulf. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 74 • THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

President Rodrigo Duterte says he is reluctant to run for vice president as he is“ready”to retire as the country’s chief executive after his term ends in June next year. Edge Davao

BPO LOCKDOWN P Six BPO companies in Davao

Duterte reluctant to run for VP in 2022 nat’l polls

City placed under lockdown

By MAYA M. PADILLO total of six Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Davao City has been placed under lockdown due to high cases of Covid-19.

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Dr. Michelle Schlosser, focal person of the Davao City Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19, said the lockdown was necessary after reports of high cases of Covid-19 in the BPO sector.

It escalated after 03 call center agents in one BPO company alone were tested positive of Covid-19.

Davao City assistant city health officer Dr. Marjorie Culas disclosed on Monday that from 1,000 workers underwent for surveillance swabbing, 403 were tested positive.

“This is very high already sa kanilang positivity rate that is why we are really forced to lockdown the

area dahil talagang surge na within the workplace ang nangyari sa kanila,” Culas said in a virtual presser on Monday.

Among the factors the contributed to the surge is the non-disclosure of the company with regards to the close contacts (F2 and F3) of the positive workers.

Culas also said that the city has received reports of uncooperative BPO companies and still allowed employees to work even with symptoms of Covid-19.

“The reports reached us na may mga uncooperative companies, still they are roaming around the city kahit na F1 sila. We have an Executive Order na ang F1 natin kailangan talaga even with negative RT-PCR they have to finish their 14-day home quarantine.

Yung F2 and F3 there is a mandatory swabbing for them (second and third generation contacts). If they have symptoms kahit na negative sila they are really

keep his vow to protect his fellow Filipinos.

“You destroy my country, I will have to tell you that you bring out the worst in me, (the) violent side of my persona. Eh naaawa ako sa bayan ko (I pity my country),” he said.

‘Lessening’ of illegal drugs Amid his government’s

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resident Rodrigo Duterte has expressed reluctance to join the vice presidential race in the 2022 national elections.

In an exclusive interview with SMNI’s “Exclusive” aired on Tuesday night, Duterte said he is reluctant to run for vice president as he is “ready” to retire as the country’s chief executive after his term ends in June next year.

“Mahirap iyan kasi mag-retire na ako tapos this time ako ang mamili ng presidente (It’s difficult because I will retire and this time, I will have to pick the presidential aspirant),” Duterte said.

Duterte added that he would resist calls to seek vice presidency to reject insinuations that he wants to hold on to power.

He said his plan is to retire and return to Davao

City when he steps down from office next year.

“Sabihin nila, ano ko lang iyan, perpetuate yourself in power so magre-resist ako (I will resist),” he said.

On May 25, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said “strong” public clamor might convince Duterte to run for vice president.

Duterte is still undecided about his potential vice presidential bid, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual presser earlier Tuesday.

Duterte’s supporters and allies are urging him to run for vice president with either Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte or Senator Christopher Lawrence Go as his running mate.

Spare Sara Duterte, however, maintained that he does not

Coordinator and BP2P Davao del Norte Team Leader Nelson Plata announced that these relocatees were welcomed in Davao del Norte last April and were assisted as they settled back in their original locality which are Sto. Tomas, Asuncion, Tagum City, and Panabo City.

Plata explained that these individuals first expressed

their intent to relocate in Davao del Norte from Metro Manila. A screening process was conducted by the National Housing Authority (NHA) which was later vetted and re-assessed by the welcoming local government.

“We limited the beneficiaries among those

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Duterte a ‘hardliner’ in fight 20 relocatees benefit BP2P vs. corruption, drugs, crime program in Davao del Norte

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resident Rodrigo R. Duterte has maintained his approach to be a “hardliner” as he continues the fight against illegal drugs, corruption in government, and criminality.

“Ako talaga ay hardliner.

And ganoon talaga ako, noon pa, hardliner ako (I am really a hardliner. And I have been a hardliner even before),” Duterte said in his interview

with SMNI’s “Exclusive” aired on Tuesday night.

His resolve is to pursue a relentless campaign against drug offenders, corrupt government workers, and criminals until his term ends in 2022.

Duterte maintained that he would do everything to live up to his promise, adding that he is ready to show his “violent” side to

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ix families consisting of 20 individuals in Davao del Norte are currently benefiting the assistance benefits provided for by the government thru the Balik Probinsya Bagong Pag-asa Program.

Guesting in the One Davao Virtual Presser, Davao del Norte Provincial Planning and Development

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EDGEDAVAO

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NEWS 3

A mother and her daughters are seen walking along Matina in Davao City onWednesday despite constant reminder that children below 18 years old are not allowed to go outside. Members of the Executive Department of the city government of Davao are urging the Dabawenyos to follow the rules under the modified enhanced community quarantine designed to lower down the cases of COVID-19 in the city. Edge Davao

Dabawenyos urged to obey MECQ rules

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embers of the Executive Department of the City Government urged the public to follow the rules under the modified enhanced community quarantine designed to lower down the cases of COVID-19 in the city.

Retired Colonel Angel Sumagaysay, chief of the Public Safety and Security Command Center assessed that the MECQ reclassification in Davao City since June 5 recorded several apprehensions for violation of the guidelines.

He said that from June to June 6, the Davao City Police Office arrested 347 persons for violating the curfew, two persons for the liquor ban, 351 for social gathering, 589 persons for not wearing face masks, 822 persons for nonwearing of face shields in public conveyances, and 37 persons who were advised

to go home following the observation that their trips were non-essential.

Sumagaysay revealed that three persons presented fake RT-PCR swab test results and suits were filed against them immediately.

He said the number of arrests totaled to 2,148 while a total of 77 persons were sued in court.

Sumagaysay said 55 persons were also arrested for the absence of barrier for riders.

He said eight persons were sued by the DCPO for on board pillion without a barrier alone.

Sumagaysay felt sorry of the violations which showed that many people remain unmindful for the measures being imposed by the City Government to save them from the onslaught of the COVID-19.

He also lamented that

he Mindanao Development Authority through the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) assured consumers and stakeholders of Mindanao of a stable and reliable power supply.

Based on the daily monitoring of the Department of Energy (DOE) shared by MinDA, the Mindanao grid as of June 2,

2021 reached peak demand of 1,928 megawatts (MW) with an available capacity of 2,780 MW, thereby having a gross reserve or supply excess of 852 MW. “While our power supply is considered to be stable, we continue to pursue measures and approaches to support expected rise in the demand for power while keeping energy rates cost-effective

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SPMC seeks City Council’s help on staffing problem

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he state-run Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is suffering from severe staffing issues and has pressed the button for help from the city government.

Dr. Ricardo Audan, head of Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), has appealed to the City Council to help the hospital with the problem on staffing.

During the council’s session via Zoom on Tuesday asked the City Councilors for staff augmentation from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

“I am asking from the City Council to help us augment coming from the

Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) or Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The ratio between nurses and patients at SPMC should be one nurse is to eight patients but we can expand that to one nurse to 12 patients and for the ICU is one is to three patients,” Audan said.

It can be recalled that last year, the AFP augmented 25 nurses and doctors to SPMC as well as 10 medical staff from the BFP. “They stayed us for six

months last year and helped us. Yung 10 na BFP umalis sila last April kasi it was also the month when the cases decreased in less than 40 percent. Umalis na sila kasi overwhelming the din ang staffing, but now we are surging, so we are asking your help to bring back the BFP. Sayang, hindi na lang sana sila umalis sa SPMC,” Audan said.

He added that the Department of Health 11 (DOH) also augmented 15 nurses in the month of April this year. These nurses were deployed at the city’s Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs) when there was no high admission at SPMC. “Now they are getting back the 15 nurses but I

as the economy recovers from the pandemic, and industries reset operations to pre-Covid levels,” said Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, chairman of MinDA. Dr. Adrian Tamayo, communications head of MinDA, assured there is excess power and no rotational brownout to happen in Mindanao including Davao City.

In a statement, MinDA

stated that Mindanao’s energy is a crucial factor in the overall socio-economic development of the island making sure that supply is reliable and stable to support economic recovery from the impact of the pandemic and an expected rise in demand when industries return to pre-Covid operational levels.

Piñol added that one of the measures being put forward is the policy push

to keep the ownership and control of the state-owned Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Complex.

He said MinDA’s position is against the privatization of Agus-Pulangi Hydroelectric Complex, which is deemed best left in the hands of the government but defining its role in an era of market competition.

“We need these assets to not just tame future supply

told RD Yumang na hatihati kami as we are in surge because DOH also want to help the private hospitals.

Naghati kami, iniwan niya ang seven sa amin ang eight were distributed to private hospitals that are also asking for nurses. The problem really is staffing whether public or private hospitals,” he added.

Audan said SPMC can expand beds and areas, however, there are no takers or no staff to apply at SPMC. On his end, Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., recommended for the city council to pass a resolution asking the AFP and PNP including DOH to send augmentation staff to SPMC. Meanwhile, Audan

volatilities but also continue fulfilling its obligation to serve especially the marginalized areas,” Piñol added.

Recently, MinDA hosted Mindanao Power Forum 2021 that aims to cover sessions on the unprecedented social and economic disruptions brought about by the pandemic, as well as the

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MinDA assures Mindanao has stable power supply T

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Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, chair of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) assures the consumers and stakeholders in Mindanao of a stable and reliable power supply. Edge Davao

DTI-DavOr promotes dev’t of biz among vulnerable sectors T

SEC approves EDC’s offering of green bonds

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he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the province of Davao Oriental has continued with its commitment to further promote entrepreneurship, especially among the vulnerable sectors.

The office has been actively implementing various initiatives and interventions to develop more entrepreneurs in the countryside, including those in the hinterlands. These range from providing livelihood kits to the conduct of relevant training programs and business consultancy. Several former rebels, indigenous peoples (IPs), and farmers are the newest beneficiaries of

DTI’s continued support to entrepreneurship.

Recently, the office of Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go initiated an activity wherein government agencies converged to extend some help. Together with the provincial government of Davao Oriental, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Department of Agriculture (DA), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), a distribution of assistance was conducted as part of the national government’s whole-of-nation approach to end the local communist armed conflict.

“During the two-day activity in the barangay of Dawan in Mati City and in Salingcomot in Baganga, the former rebels, IPs, and farmers were given business consultancy, including the benefits they can get once they start their own

Trade, manufacturing activities: green shoots of recovery growing

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reen shoots in the Philippine economy, such as improvements in trade and manufacturing activities, are expected to get a further boost from medical and other measures, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.

In an economic bulletin released Tuesday, the DOF said the increase in merchandise trade and manufacturing activities “signify that the green shoots of economic recovery are growing”

“Managing the spread of the virus and its risks, either through pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions, will be key in restoring and maintaining the growth of economic activities,” it said.

The report said merchandise trade rose by 22.49 percent last March after it reached USD15.8 billion.

It said its growth is higher than the 4.52-percent jump in merchandise trade in the previous

month.

Exports expanded by 31.6 percent and imports by 16.6 percent, it added.

“What is noteworthy is that not only did the February and March 2021 total merchandise trade figures surpass their respective 2020 levels but also their respective 2019 pre-pandemic levels,” the DOF said.

The report said the rise in manufacturing indicators from both the Philippine Institute of Supply

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business. And we’re glad that they really decided to register their business with us. By getting their business name certificate from DTI, they have already begun their journey as entrepreneurs,” DTIDavao Oriental OIC-Provincial Director Sylvia D. Ordiz said, adding that these 20 new business name registrants from the vulnerable sectors will use part of the cash aids they received from DSWD and DOLE to build a livelihood for their respective families.

In the meantime, Trade Assistant Secretary Niño Contreras and DTI-Davao Oriental’s business devel-

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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has considered favorably the public offering by Energy Development Corporation (EDC) of up to PHP15 billion of fixed-rate Asean green bonds.

The EDC will use proceeds to fund geothermal growth and maintenance capital expenditure projects, including a portion of the capital expenditures (capex) for its Palayan Bayan Binary Project, Mindanao III Binary Project, and other geothermal capex for natural catastrophe resiliency, power plant equipment upgrades, spare parts replacements and other capex projects.

In its meeting on June 8, the commission en banc resolved to render effective the registration statement

of EDC covering securities under the EDC Asean Green Bond Program which may be issued in one or more tranches within three years, subject to certain remaining requirements.

Asean Green Bonds refer to bonds and sukuk which comply with the Asean Green Bonds Standards, where the proceeds will be exclusively applied to finance or refinance, in part or in full, new and/or existing eligible green projects.

Eligible green projects include those for renewable energy, energy efficiency, pollution prevention and control, environmentally sustainable management of living natural resources and land use, clean transportation,

pines and Asia so jobs will abound.

“Cloud computing has become central to the digitalization of businesses in the Philippines and around Asia. With our first data center in the country, we will be able to better support Philippine enterprises in adopting cloud technologies and preparing for a digital-first future,” he said.

“We look forward to building out the cloud ecosystem in the Philippines

and contributing to the digital economy in Asia, leveraging the synergy with other hubs in the region.”

He said the company has kept track of the Philippines’ emerging pool of talents and would like to make use of it.

“We can see that the Philippine economy is performing well amid the pandemic and as it recovers, these opportunities will be of great help to the govern-

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Alibaba Cloud building first data center in PH

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ilipino professionals in the digital technology industry can expect employment opportunities as Alibaba Cloud, the digital intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, eyes to build its first data center in the Philippines by the end of this year.

In a virtual media interview on Tuesday, the company’s general manager, Leo Liu, said the center will cater to the digitalization of businesses in the Philip-

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ECONOMY

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Generose Tecson, chief of the Davao City Tourism Office, reveals that on the tourism side, many still don’t follow the rules under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ). Tecson also said for domestic travelers, they still need to present a maximum of three-day RT-PCR swab test results before arrival to Davao City. Edge Davao

DOLE 11 hosts Virtual Kalayaan Job Fair

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n celebration of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Davao Region will host a series of virtual Kalayaan Job Fair this June 10 to 19, 2021 with over 200 local employment opportunities secured from employers across the region as of June 7, 2021.

The DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office will hold its virtual job fair on June 10 to 11, 2021. The DOLEDavao City Field Office will conduct the said event on June 18, 2021, while the DOLE- Davao de Oro Field Office’s virtual job fair is scheduled on June 19, 2021.

The virtual job fair is in partnership with Public Employment Service Office (PESO)

of Panabo City, Davao City, and Municipality of Maco.

The 2021 Kalayaan: Online Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan (TNK) Job and Business Fair will be conducted through Zoom video conferencing.

“We are continuously striving to provide decent employment and sustainable livelihood especially during these challenging times. We encourage the jobseekers in Davao Region to take advantage of these virtual job fairs and we hope that they will manage to land a job that matches their qualification,” DOLE-Davao Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo said.

Jobseekers are advised to regularly check the offi-

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Cacao enterprise expands Maragusan Coop operations

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very quality tablea produced by the Maragusan Multipurpose Cooperative (MAMPCO) carries with it a beautiful story of hard work and success.

MAMPCO, which started as a small cooperative with only a few members 50 years ago, has now grown to an organization with almost 4000 members.

In 2010, they decided to get into the production and marketing of cacao fermented beans with a dream of expanding into tablea production to help more cacao farmers achieve a stable source of income.

To make this dream a reality, MAMPCO applied

Pangilinan steps down as president, CEO of PLDT Inc

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ycoon Manny V. Pangilinan on Tuesday stepped down as president and CEO of telco giant PLDT Inc. Pangilinan, who will remain as chairman of PLDT Inc, officially passed the baton to Alfredo Panlilio, currently the telco’s chief revenue officer.

“At the end of this meeting, I will discharge my duty as president and CEO of PLDT. I’ve asked Al to succeed me in this position,” MVP said during the company’s virtual shareholders’

meeting.

“It has been an unparalleled privilege to have served you and this company as your CEO. It has indeed been a remarkable walk with destiny,” he added.

Pangilinan said he had served as the company’s president for 23 years, witnessing first hand the milestones and ordeals for over 2 decades.

“I would be less than honest if I say I knew from the start what to do or where PLDT should be going. Rather, I have my own

dark nights of doubt and long days of despondence.

But because we came together as one, hope was nurtured and we all healed. We are now a stronger company, establishing historic high revenues,” Pangilinan said.

“My primordial goal as CEO was the rejuvenation of PLDT as the foremost telco in our country,” he added.

Pangilinan is also the chairman of Metro Pacific Investment Corp and holds various positions within the MVP group, which has inter-

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for enterprise development support from the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) provided MAMPCO through the

PhP2.51 million “Tablea Processing and Marketing Enterprise” subproject.

The interventions provided by PRDP to MAMPCO included one unit tablea processing building, roaster, cracker, grinder, stainless molding equipment, chiller, vacuum sealer, air conditioning unit, and other inputs for tablea processing.

Almost three years since the completion of the subproject, the beneficiaries from MAMPCO said that the tablea processing center has made a big impact to their cooperative when it comes to value adding of cacao beans, and generating additional income for their farmer members.

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On his caution that people in some parts of Mindanao like Cayagan de Oro and Bacolod in the Visayas seem to ignore the pandemic:

Gaya ng (Just like) Mindanao, Mindanao then Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro. Nakita ko talaga (I can really see it). I passed by the place while going home to Mindanao, na ang mga tao, bale wala, parang walang nangyari. Parang walang sakit (that people there ignore it, it’s like nothing happened. It’s like there’s no disease).”

PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE

EDITORIAL Paranoia amid the pandemic It looks like many Filipinos have either forgotten that there is a pandemic going on or are just paranoid.

That’s the straightforward assessment of President Duterte when he issued a general caution to the nation on Monday night.

Duterte’s caution was issued during his regular Talk to the People as the Department of Health in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao) set a meeting with the City Health Office (CHO) and the health officials of Ozamiz City and Bukidnon province amid the rising Covid-19 cases in Cagayan de Oro and Bacolod.

The President remarked: “Gaya ng (Just like) Mindanao, Mindanao then Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro. Nakita ko talaga (I can really see it)…I passed by the place while going home to Mindanao, na ang mga tao, bale wala, parang walang nangyari.

Parang walang sakit (that people there ignore it, it’s like nothing happened. It’s like there’s no disease).”

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There seems to be a general atmosphere of paranoia as people battle through the very hard times. It’s practically health versus economics.

People are moving on with their lives just because they need to live. Plain and simple. Even at the risk of contracting the virus.

At this stage, people cannot be blamed.

Still, the safest way out of this is to stick with the health protocols. In other words, we will live and die with health and safety practices, so to speak.

As one author said: “...But just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there isn’t an invisible demon about to eat your face.”

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 statement also came at the heels of Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio predicting Davao City will surpass Quezon City with the most number of new Covid cases given the current surge in numbers.

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)

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE IMPORTANCE OF OCEANS Ending the “war on nature” must be part of global recovery from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for World Oceans Day which was observed last Tuesday.

The annual commemoration was a reminder of the major role oceans have in everyday life as “the lungs of our planet” and as a source of food and medicine.

Although this year’s theme focuses on their importance for the cultural and economic survival of communities worldwide, the UN Secretary-General cited a recent report which confirmed that many of the benefits oceans provide are being undermined by human activity.

“Our seas are choking with plastic waste, which can be found from the remotest atolls to the deepest ocean trenches,” he pointed out in his message that was posted in the UN web-

site.

But the list does not end there. “Overfishing is causing an annual loss of almost $90 billion in net benefits – which also heightens the vulnerability of women, who are vital to the survival of small-scale fishing businesses,” he added.

“Carbon emissions are driving ocean warming and acidification, destroying biodiversity and causing sea level rise that threatens heavily inhabited coastlines.”

This year’s World Oceans Day was being celebrated as countries continue to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis and the ongoing assault on oceans, seas and marine resources, the Secretary-General said.

With more than three billion people worldwide, mainly in developing countries, relying on the ocean for their livelihood, he called for action.

“As we strive to recover from COVID-19, let’s end our war on nature,” Guterres said.

Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, executive director of the Laguna-based ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), also delivered her message which was made available to the media.

“Humanity cannot exist without oceans,” she said. “The ASEAN region has immensely rich and diverse marine resources, which comprise 30 percent of the world’s coral reefs, 35 percent of mangroves, and at least 18 percent of seagrass meadows.

“The region’s 173,000 kilometers of coastline serve as a vital resource base for key industries— fisheries, tourism, shipping— and for its population of 650 million people.

Fish and marine products are among the most traded goods across the world.”

Dr. Lim argued that while oceans are heavily affected by climate change, “these natural systems are our frontlines against climate change.”

For example, she pointed out, “healthy mangroves, tidal

flats, seagrass beds, and coral reefs act as natural barriers against strong winds and storm surges and contribute to our resilience to rising temperatures.

“There is no argument that oceans have gained much attention in recent years as the new frontier of sustainable development,” she said. “The blue economy, or the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, has improved livelihoods and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.

“However, oceans are continuously under threat due to a host of factors, many of which are human-driven,” she stressed. “The greater challenge rests on making this socalled blue economy “green” and ensuring that protecting marine biodiversity is a cross-sectoral endeavor supported by available science and technology.”

According to her, 2021 “is critical for oceans as leaders

of nations are set to agree on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework, a landmark 10year strategic plan to reverse the loss of marine and terrestrial biodiversity.”

“The proposal of scientists and leaders to protect at least 30 percent of the planet, including oceans, by 2030, is backed by the best available science and can be an opportunity to empower countries to further advance their priorities for better ocean management. However, in order to achieve this, the support and involvement of everyone is paramount,” Dr. Lim said.

In conclusion, she said, “Healthy oceans that teem with an abundance of life are critical to humanity’s subsistence, livelihood, and well-being. Therefore, it is high time that we work together as we bridge science and policy to protect our marine ecosystems. I am optimistic that our collective efforts will make waves and benefit all, generations after generations.”

DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

LISTEN TO THE FILIPINOS’ CLAMOR TO DEFEND OUR SOVEREIGN RIGHTS – MARLAWPH Listen and respond to the clamor of the Filipinos to defend their sovereign rights and entitlements in the West Philippines Sea (WPS).

In a published statement, the Maritime Law Association of the Philippines (MARLAWPh) called on the national leaders to capitalize on the landmark Arbitral Award and to undertake a focused, determined and unwavering defense of our maritime jurisdiction and entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

I was the 2016 MARLAW president when the 5-member Arbitral Tribunal released its July 12, 2016 decision in favor of the Philippines on most of its submissions.

MARLAWPh Is an organization of lawyers and other professionals engaged in maritime practice and helps spur the development and advance the interests of the various stakeholders in the Philippine maritime industry, as well as the maritime interests of the Philippines.

MARLAW has been active-

ly involved in the campaign on the WPS issue.

The Philippines initiated in January 2013 the arbitration case (Philippines vs. China, PCA Case No. 2013-19) wherein it sought, among others, a declaration that the countries’ respective rights and obligations regarding the waters, seabed, and maritime features of the West Philippine Sea are governed by the UNCLOS. The decision declared that China’s historic rights claims over maritime areas inside the “nine-dash line” have no lawful effect as they exceed what they are entitled to under UNCLOS. There was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources in areas falling within the “nine-dash line”.

The decision likewise noted that China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by construction of artificial islands at seven features in the Spratly Islands, interfering with Philippine fishing and hydrocarbon exploration, and failing to prevent Chinese fishermen from fishing in the Philippines’ EEZ

MARLAW took note of President Duterte’s pronouncement, in his speech at the 75th UN Assembly on 22 September 2020, that the decision is “now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon. We firmly reject attempts to undermine it.”

Sadly, MARLAW expresses deep concern over the current response of our national leaders towards the occupation

by China of the features in the WPS that are within the 200 nautical mile EEZ measured from the baselines in Palawan.

The artificial islands built

by China have gravely degraded the maritime ecosystem in the WPS and the illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by Chinese vessels in our waters have deprived the Filipinos of their rightful share in the resources of the sea.

MARLAW strongly believes that the rule of law, alliance with like-minded States and diplomacy especially with ASEAN are effective tools to achieve a peaceful resolution

of the dispute in the WPS on the basis of the Philippine Constitution, UN Charter, UNCLOS and relevant principles of international law.

Congress must also urgently and clearly define the limits of the maritime areas of Philippine archipelago as provided under UNCLOS by passing into law the pending Act to Define the Maritime Zones of the Republic of the Philippines.

Another statement was released by faculty members and alumni of my alma mater UP College of Law calling on President Duterte to take back his controversial remarks on the WPS. Signatories, including myself, objected to the president calling the arbitral win in 2016 as a “mere piece of paper,” and in saying that Beijing is in possession of the country’s waters.

“When a President speaks on a matter of foreign policy, the world listens. The statements of the President betray the interests of the country he swore to protect,” the document says.

President Duterte’s re-

marks trivialize the Arbitral Award, contradict the country’s own legal position, and effectively waive rights already won. ”The Arbitral Award is a victory and the pride of the Filipino people; it does not belong to the waste can.”

President Duterte is urged to immediately retract his statements and recall his duty to act in the best interest of the Philippines and the Filipino people.

Duterte recently said that his promise during 2016 election to ride a jet ski to challenge Chinese incursion in Philippine waters was a “pure joke” and that those who believed it were “stupid.”

UPLAW stressed that President Duterte’s statements are disheartening to Filipino fishermen who look to him to safeguard the Philippines’ sovereign rights in waters which, by international law, are for our exclusive benefit.

The WPS dispute will again be a hot issue for next year’s national election.

It should not be treated as a joke.

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DAVAO EDGEDAVAO EDGE

VOL.14 ISSUE 74 • THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Aeon Towers’ rent a room promo extended to June 30

R

night or the 1-Bedroom Units at P3,499nett/ night with the following inclusions—Access to Club Aeon for two persons, free Filipino Breakfast for two, with Wi-Fi access, one time consumption of the mini bar and access to the fitness gym and led-lit swimming pool at the 6th floor (Operating Hours:9:00am-6:00pm).

Aeon Towers management is encouraging clients to take this rare chance to experience luxury living at Davao City’s iconic Aeon Towers located at J.P. Laurel Avenue, Davao City (beside Shell fuel service station).

Promo runs from June 1, 2021 until June 30, 2021. Availment is subject to room availability. Prior reservation is required.

For inquiries call 09685758518 or message at www.facebook.com/ AeonRentalMgtProgram.

iding the crest of a highly successful Aeon Room Rental Program, Aeon Towers has extended the offer until June 30, 2021.

The extension is designed to cater to the overwhelming inquiries received during the period.

Under this program, guests can reserve either of the Studio Units at its special price of P2,999nett/

DTI-DAVOR... FROM4 opment unit head Domingo S. Cruz Jr. did a profiling and assessment of the qualified beneficiaries for the agency’s Pangkabuhayan sa Pagbangon at Ginhawa (PPG) program. The department also pledged to provide livelihood training and entrepreneurial seminars to the beneficiaries as follow-up support.

This group will be the

first set of beneficiaries of DTI-Davao Oriental’s PPG implementation for this year. In 2020, the office recorded a total of 436 beneficiaries under the said program.

“Once the fund is available, we will release a livelihood kit to each of the 20 beneficiaries for them to augment their capital,” Ordiz noted.

DTI11

Management (PISM) and IHS Markit of above 50 index in the first quarter indicates “expansion of manufacturing activities.”

However, the PMI index from IHS Markit fell to 49.0 last April “when stricter community quar-

antine measures were imposed in the NCR (National Capital Region) and its surrounding regions during the month.”

A PMI index of below 50 indicates contraction but an index of 50 and above suggests expansion.

(PNA)

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ment because this is a big hit for income generation,” Liu said.

The new data center will extend the reach of Alibaba Cloud’s offerings in the Philippines, ranging from elastic computing, database, security, and network services to machine learning and data analytics capabilities.

Local businesses across sectors such as financial technology (FinTech), e-commerce, education, and media will be

able to adopt and implement cloud technologies more efficiently and better position themselves to capture the emerging opportunities in the country, he said.

Cloud services include servers, storage, database, software, and analytics over the Internet for faster and more flexible access.

Alibaba is a Chinese multinational technology company that specializes in such.

Allen Guo, Alibaba

climate change adaptation, and green buildings.

For the first tranche, EDC will offer up to PHP3 billion of three-year bonds due in 2024 and five-year bonds due in 2026, with an

oversubscription option of up to PHP2 billion.

The bonds will be offered at face value, and will be listed and traded on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PR)

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Cloud Intelligence country manager, said the data center will be constructed in Manila and will bring the company’s total availability zones to 76 spread across 25 regions worldwide.

“Alibaba Cloud’s upcoming data center launch underscores our commitment to equipping Philippine customers with secure, reliable, and scalable cloud solutions. It is important for local enterprises to have access to reliable cloud architecture to efficiently meet the evolving needs of Filipino consumers. We are glad to be in a position to provide local enterprises with the tools they need to succeed,” he added.

The two officials said the Philippines is their biggest market in the Asia Pa-

cific and it will also benefit from their newly launched program catering to countries in the region.

In Liu’s presentation, he shared that Alibaba will invest USD1 billion for a program benefitting Asian countries with a vision to foster about 1,000,000 digital talents, empower 100,000 developers, and accelerate the growth of 100,000 tech startups.

In 2020, Alibaba Cloud announced the formation of the Philippines Ecosystem Alliance to fast-track the digitalization of local businesses and support the government’s Cloud First Policy.

The company also aims to train 50,000 local informatiton technology professionals and help 5,000 businesses migrate online by 2023. (PNA)

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ENVIRONMENT

OZONE LAYER:

SAVE OUR SHIELD

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

H

ydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are man-made chemical compounds commonly used in the foam, refrigeration, and air conditioning sector.

Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that HCFCs destroy the protective ozone layer and contribute to climate change, according to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Because of this, the government is pushing for the establishment of policies for the use of “low carbon, energy efficient” cold chain systems to totally eliminate the use of HCFCs in the country, a press statement said.

In the $27.5 project called the “Global Partnership for Improving the Food Cold Chain in the Philippines” (GPI-FCCP), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is also carrying out a program putting up environment-friendly cold chain facilities.

The press statement said the country’s refrigeration systems for transporting goods for the food industry will no longer use ozone-depleting substances (ODS) like HCFC. Stringent policies are important in providing a stable investment environment for investors in “green” cooling technologies, the DENR said.

Cold chain covers every

product that needs cooling from the “field to the fork (transport, storage, transformation, packaging). Policies will involve national standards for flammable refrigerants and revision of energy efficiency standards.

The project is assisted by international funder Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Among the initiatives it will conduct include training of 200 key stakeholders on energy-efficiency and climate-friendly cold chain technologies. There is also a high level training for 50 local engineers, system suppliers and end-users on the use of global innovative cold chain technology.

The environment department said the cold chain project came about as part of the country’s compliance to its commitment to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production

and consumption of ODS. The Montreal Protocol compelled signatory countries to freeze consumption and production of the HCFCs. Developing countries should have cut by 100% their HCFC production by 2030.

The earth’s atmosphere is divided into several layers.

According to science, the lower region – called troposphere – extends from the planet’s surface up to about 10 kilometers in altitude.

(For the uninformed, Mount Everest, the tallest mountain on the planet, is only about 9 kilometers high.) All human activities occur in this layer.

Ozone at the ground level, at the bottom of the troposphere is a harmful pollutant.

One of the greenhouse gases, it is actually a result from the exhausts of automobiles and other vehicles and other sources.

After the troposphere comes the stratosphere, which continues from 10 kilometers to about 50 kilometers. Most commercial airline traffic occurs in the lower part of the stratosphere. It is in this layer where the ozone shield is found.

“If all the ozone contained in the atmosphere from ground level to a height of some 50 kilometers could be assembled at the earth’s surface, it would comprise a layer of gas only about three

millimeters thick, weighing some 3,000 million tons,” a science scribe wrote.

Why is there so much ado about the ozone layer? Nothing except that the existence of humans and other terrestrial beings depends on the presence of ozone. Studies have shown that depletion of the ozone layer would allow more ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth’s surface.

“Protecting the ozone is crucial since it is the only gas in the atmosphere that limits the amount of harmful solar ultraviolet radiation reaching the earth,” points out Cynthia Pollack Shea, a senior researcher at the Washington, D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute. “Without ozone, life on earth would be impossible.”

The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by the French physicists Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson.

“Measurements of the sun showed that the radiation sent out from its surface and reaching the ground on Earth is usually consistent with the spectrum of a black body with a temperature of 5,5006,000 K (5,230-5,730⁰C) except that there was no radiation below a wavelength of about 310 nanometers at the ultraviolet end of the spectrum,” Wikipedia states.

It was deduced that the missing radiation was being absorbed by something in

the atmosphere. Eventually, the spectrum of the missing radiation was matched to only one known chemical, ozone.

The properties of ozone were explored in detail by the British meteorologist G.M.B. Dobson, who developed a simple spectrophotometer that could be used to measure stratospheric ozone from the ground. Between 1928 and 1958, Dobson established a worldwide network of ozone monitoring stations, which continue to operate to this day.

Then, it was found that the ozone layer was thinning out. This was observed when a British Antarctic survey headed by Dr. Joseph Farman monitored ozone levels from Halley Bay, a scientific outpost on the Antarctic coast in 1957. Measurements taken with the spectrophotometer remained stable until the team observed in the 1970s a sharp decline in ozone during the months of September and October.

At first, the British scientists refused to believe their findings, dismissing them as either human or technical error. The 40% drop was too significant to be believed. The “hole,” as the media called it, was as big as the United States and as deep as Mount Everest.

In 1974, two American scientists – Drs. Mario Molina and F. Sherwood Rowland from the Jet Propulsion Institute of Pasadena and the University of Southern California in Irvine, respectively – hypothesized that man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were escaping into the atmosphere and “eating” the ozone layer.

In 1976, it was found that the concentration of chlorine in the atmosphere – which were released from CFCs – was 1.25 parts per billion (ppb). The number doubled in 1989.

9

“Although the figures may sound like a ridiculously small amount, CFCs are about 15,000 times more efficient at producing greenhouse effect. So, a little means a lot. About 20% of global warming is attributed to CFCs,” wrote H. Steven Dashfhersky, author of the book, Environmental Literacy.

It was then that scientists became alarmed as the effects could be lethal. UVB (the higher energy ultraviolet radiation absorbed by ozone) is generally accepted to be a contributory factor to skin cancer and to produce Vitamin D. In addition, increased surface ultraviolet leads to increased tropospheric ozone, which is a health risk to humans.

Another form of skin cancer – malignant melanoma – is much less common but far more dangerous, being lethal in about 15–20% of the cases diagnosed. The relationship between malignant melanoma and ultraviolet exposure is not yet well understood, but it appears that both UVB and UVA are involved.

There are also studies suggesting the association between ocular cortical cataracts and UVB exposure.

In the Philippines, 400,000 Filipinos get blind because of cataract, whose global cost of blindness is approximately 25 billion dollars annually in lost productivity.

“When a cataract happens, the amount of light that can enter the eye is reduced and the patient complains of blurring of vision especially in bright sunlight when the pupil gets constricted and also glare at night when driving,” says Dr. Manuel Agulto, chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine. “These complaints are progressive and by the time the cataract

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to observe yung home quarantine kahit negative ang results, kung wala silang symptoms the F2 and F3 can go back to work. F1 talaga is mandatory swabbing and mandatory home quarantine even if negative ang result,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has urged all private offices and establishments to report Covid-19 positive cases to avoid widespread transmission in their workplaces.

“Tungod kay ang kanang Covid-19 bisan unsang klaseng variant paspas gyud siya makatakod sa mga tao masirado gyud na ang ilang establishments kung ilang tagu-taguon ang mga positive cases nga naga panghitabo sa ilaha. Mas maayo nga sa sugod pa lang nga gamay pa lang ang affected, they cooperate with the City health Office and the contact tracing team para ma-assist namo sila,” the mayor said.

want his daughter to run for president in 2022.

He said he talked to Sara on Monday night to tell her not to “commit the mistake of running for presidency.”

“I do not mean to insult the Filipino people.

Presidente ka, wala ka talagang makuha. Wala para sa’yo (As a president, you will get nothing), except for one thing – ‘yung sense of fulfillment mo sa kapwa tao mo na may nagawa ka (the sense of fulfillment for your fellow countrymen that you have done something),” Duterte said.

Duterte said he gave the advice to spare Sara the difficulty of being the country’s chief executive.

Presidential aspirants For now, Duterte said he prefers to be “neutral” when it comes to those who are gunning for presidency in 2022.

He, nevertheless, said he would need proper time to name several presidential aspirants.

“Meron diyang mga aspirant s(There are aspirants). I may publicly name them when the time comes),” he said.(PNA)

anti-narcotics drive, a “lessening” of illegal drugs has been observed, Duterte said.

He attributed the successful fight against illegal drugs to “better intelligence.”

Duterte then reiterated his warning against drug personalities that he is willing to “trade his soul to the devil” and “go to hell” to stop their illicit activities.

“So evil to evil tayo (So, that is evil to evil). And do not ever, ever think that you are the only one who can do evil things kasi ako, marunong din akong bumaba sa impyerno (because I can go to hell) to really meet you where you want it to be,” he said.

Friends not exempted Duterte also reassured the public that he has zero tolerance for corruption.

His friends in government who will be proven guilty of corruption will not be spared from his firing spree, he said.

“Ako kaibigan tayo pero sinabi ko naman sa kanila iyan, huwag kayong pumasok sa corruption (I have told my friends not to get involved in corruption),” Duterte said. “Basta ako sa corruption, talagang yayariin kita (When it comes to corruption, I will go after you). I do not have to announce it to the public.”

He said he would just do his job of getting rid of corrupt public servants

“silently.”

‘Lasting, sustainable’ peace Duterte also renewed his vow to attain “lasting and sustainable” peace in the country.

“So since the beginning of my presidency, we have shown our determination in combatting insurgency and terrorism with the end goal of attaining lasting sustainable peace in the country,” he said.

His administration, he said, is busy eradicating terrorism and insurgency that have been plaguing the country for a long time.

Duterte added that the peace talks with the communist movement are “dead in its tracks,” and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, is “fighting without a cause anymore.”

“We will also continue our socio-economic development mechanism that will address the root cause of our peace and order problem. We need to win the hearts and minds of our people so that they would not easily fall prey to the manipulative skills of these insurgents and extremist groups,” he said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines - NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)

reported that currently ICU beds at SPMC is at 94 percent occupied or out of 87 beds, 82 beds are currently utilized and all 321 isolation beds are 100 percent utilized.

“We are at critical level but just to inform everyone it’s not the first time that we have this scenario. We were like this

last year when our data really reached 100 percent and I am so happy with my frontliners because they did not surrender, they fight, in spite of we are understaffed. We really is very thankful with our frontliners at SPMC. Of course with the help of the city government of Davao,” he said.

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RELOCATEES... FROMP2 who have a home or who have relatives where they can live with when they settle back in the province,” Plata explained. Due to the pending housing program which forms part in the BP2P package, this was initially established by the Davao del Norte LGU. However, he clarified that infrastructure projects that are planned and approved to support the BP2 Program are on the works and will directly benefit the relocatees when completed.

As initial assistance benefits, the six families received cash benefits from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as their seed money for livelihood.

Each family received P30,000 and another P6,000 from the TUPAD program.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

provided a cash assistance for transitory family support.

The Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) then provided to each of the beneficiaries skills and livelihood training as well as availment of scholarship grant.

Entrepreneurship consultancy and business registration were offered by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The Provincial Government of Davao del Norte complemented this national program with the enrolment of the beneficiaries to the LGU’s KAAGAPAY program or Kawsa sa Agrikultura ug Panginabuhian sa Barangay where they received seedlings of vegetables, rice, cacao, and other crops.

The beneficiaries also get to practice livestock farming.

many motorists were turned around for non-compliance of the essential travel and negative RT-PCR test results.

Sumagaysay said the law enforcement aspect of the COVID-19 campaign of the city is working like the 1003rd Brigade, the Task Force Davao and the Davao City Police Office and the Liga ng mga Barangay for their assistance.

He expressed the readiness to implement other measures just to ensure compliance by the residents on the measures to control the COVID-19 infection.

Mikey Aportadera, chief of the City Sports Division of the City Government stressed that under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, fitness gyms are prohibited to operate due to the severity of the COVID-19 infection.

He cited stubbornness as the reason for the city not to attain the lowering of the COVID-19 cases. “We need everybody’s cooperation and we have no other recourse but to enforce the law, for the safety of everybody,” Aportadera said.

He appealed to everyone to strictly follow the guidelines and to be disciplined in reminding

oneself the ill-effects of the COVID-19 infection.

Aportadera said under the MECQ, exercise is still allowed within the proximity of one’s residence.

He urged bike enthusiasts and fitness buffs to give the city at least two weeks to lower down the cases of COVID-19 infection.

“We are doing this for our families, and for ourselves. I do not see any reason why we could hardly follow the rules under the MECQ,” he said.

Generose Tecson, chief of the Davao City Tourism Office revealed that on the tourism side, many still don’t follow the rules under the MECQ. As far as the airport is concerned, she bared that the monitoring is fine, though new guidelines are imposed for international arrivals.

Tecson reported that for domestic travelers, they still need to present a maximum of three-day RT-PCR swab test results before arrival to Davao City.

She stressed that the RTPCR is deemed expired if the RT-PCR exceeds three hours from its effectivity.

“Consequently, the passenger may be asked for a re-test,” she said.

efforts and way forward for a more resilient Mindanao with the sustainable and reliable power source.

The MPMC is cochaired by MinDA and the DOE with members that include Energy Regulation Commission (ERC), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Electrification Administration (NEA),

Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives (AMRECO), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Mindanao Power Electric Alliance (MEPA), and the National Transmission Corporation. By Maya M. Padillo

rally and cut the deficit to 7978 with 3:46 left in the third after a difficult 3-pointer by Bogdanovic.

Milton made a trey in the last second of the third quarter as the Sixers took a 91-84 advantage.

Milton and Dwight Howard keyed a quick 11-0 spurt to open the fourth and the

lead quickly was extended to 18. Milton capped the run with a 3-pointer that put the Sixers up 102-84 with 9:45 to go.

Atlanta’s John Collins grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 8:23 left to get the Hawks within 104-88. Collins finished with a team-high 10 rebounds.

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has become matured (noticeable by its white color) the patient is already blind.”

Ozone depletion can also have devastating effects on the environment. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), depletion of the ozone layer could reduce crop yields and seriously disturb the balance of the ecosystems of the oceans.

Had the depletion of the ozone layer continued, the world would be at least 25% hotter today. “That additional heat energy would have provided ‘fuel’ for today’s extreme weather events like typhoons, floods and droughts,” said Dr. Rolando Garcia, a senior scientist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research.

In 1987, the Montreal Protocol was created to reduce the amounts of

ozone-depleting substances like CFCs, halons (used in firefighting equipment) and solvents like carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform.

Thanks to the said protocol, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050, according to recent research done by the University of Leeds and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “But the Protocol has two major pieces of unfinished business,” wrote Stephen Leahy in a news report published by the National Geographic.

“Some countries in the developing world haven’t yet phased out ozone-damaging chemicals like R-22, a hydrochlorofluorocarbon found in many refrigeration and air conditioning systems.” (Photo from publichealthnotes. com)

According to MAMPCO manager Armando Escuadro, their cacao farm expanded after PRDP provided their processing building and equipment followed by an increase in the number of their farmer members.

“We started with only 70 farmer-members with a production area of around 70 hectares dedicated to cacao,” said Escuadro. “But with the help of PRDP our production area has expanded to 156 hectares and the number of our cacao farmers has doubled.”

MAMPCO is currently producing around 3,800 kilograms of fermented cacao beans per month. Their institutional buyer, Kennemer Foods International Inc., gets 70% of their produce while the remaining 30% goes to their tablea processing. From this they can make an average of 800kgs of chocolate tablets per month.

In a day, they can make two batches of 222 packs

of tablea with each pack containing 100 grams. This is the result of the processing equipment that helped them fast track their processing and ensure a good quality tablea in the end.

Through PRDP, other agencies were also able to provide support to MAMPCO expanding their market and allowing them to tie-up with their institutional buyers.

Some of these agencies and institutions were Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Provincial Agriculture Office (PAGRO) of Davao de Oro, Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao (CIDAMI), and more recently, the Foundation for Sustainable Society, Inc. which will partner with them for their planned expansion of their production area to another 100 hectares including establishment of agri-tourism and farm resort.

cial Facebook page of DOLEDavao for the complete list of vacancies and the link for online application. DOLEDavao emphasizes that only shortlisted candidates from the pre-registration will be accommodated on the virtual job fairs.

The annual job fair in celebration of the Philippine Independence Day that is usually held in big venues will be conducted online due to stricter safety and health protocols in order to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus. (PR-DOLE XI)

ests in health care, energy, water and media, among others.

Incoming president and CEO Panlilio “humbly” accepted the new post but underscored the pressure of replacing a big name.

“I must confess, I have big shoes to fill since you have set the bar so high,”

Panlilio said.

Pangilinan cited Panlilio’s “long experience” and “competent qualities,” which made his decision to step down “less difficult.”

PLDT Inc has long been one of the two main telecommunication players in the country, along with Globe Telecom.

points and 10.3 rebounds through seven postseason contests. He is the first Denver player to win the NBA MVP award.

Perhaps the biggest indicator of Jokic’s MVP status was how the Nuggets fared when star guard Jamal Murray went down for the season with an ACL tear on April

12. With Jokic carrying the team, the Nuggets finished 13-5 down the stretch to secure the No. 3 seed.

The other MVP finalists are Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. Official voting results have not yet been released by the NBA.

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SPORTS 11

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) dunks the ball in front of Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (15) during the second quarter in game two of the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Reuters

Sixers pull even with Hawks Eala, partner advances French Open Junior doubles quarters

T

he top-ranked tandem of Filipino Alex Eala and Russian Oksana Selekhmeteva is through to the Roland Garros junior girls’ doubles quarterfinals after imposing a swift 6-3, 6-1 victory over Sofia Costoulas of Belgium and Laura Hietaranta of Finland Tuesday in Paris, France.

Eala and Selekhmeteva amped up their serve and sustained their power and precision throughout their 2nd round match that lasted for only 57 minutes. The W25 Platja D’Aro Spanish tournament finalists had zero double faults, posted 21 out of 25 wins on first serve (84%), and converted all six of their break points.

They were the first to break in the opening set to have a 3-2 advantage. Eala tipped a forehand volley winner that forced an error to widen their lead to 4-2. Serving for the set at 5-2, with Eala on serve, they failed to convert a set point and yielded the eighth game to their opponents. They wasted no time by earning two set points in the following game and breaking back to take the first set, 6-3.

The 16-year-old Filipino and 18-year-old Russian literally smashed their way through the second set, as Selekhmeteva’s smash sealed their 3-0 lead and another smash from the Rus-

sian extended their lead to 4-0. They were broken in the next game and they responded with a break to serve for the set at 5-1. Eala sealed the match at 6-1 with a forceful forehand winner.

Eala and Selekhmeteva, both junior doubles grand slam champions, will face either Barbora Palicova of Czech Republic and Annabelle Xu of Canada or No. 5 seeds Petra Marcinko of Croatia and Natalia Szabanin of Hungary in the quarterfinals.

In the first round on Monday, 2020 Australian Open junior girls’ doubles champion Eala and 2019 US Open girls’ doubles champion Selekhmeteva overcame Evialina Laskevich of Belarus and Alina Shcherbinina of Russia, 6-4, 6-4.

Prior to her first round doubles match, Eala was ousted in the junior girls’ singles opening round where the No. 2 seed was defeated by Matilda Mutavdzic of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-1. Ninth seed Selekhmeteva, meanwhile, is in the third round of the junior girls’ singles where she will face No. 7 seed Kristina Dmitruk of Belarus.

Eala, a Rafa Nadal Academy scholar, reached the Roland Garros junior girls’ semifinals in October 2020. More than three months later, she clinched her first professional title at the W15 Manacor tournament in Spain.

J

oel Embiid scored a playoff-career-high 40 points and grabbed 13 rebounds Tuesday as the host Philadelphia 76ers evened their Eastern Conference semifinal series with a 118-102 victory over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2.

Once again, Embiid was questionable to play shortly before tipoff due to a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee.

Tobias Harris added 22 points and Seth Curry had 21, including five 3-pointers, for the Sixers. Shake Milton scored 14 points in 14 minutes off the bench.

Philadelphia’s reserves were held scoreless in the first half but came through with 26 points in the second half.

Trae Young put up 21 points and 11 assists for the Hawks. Danilo Gallinari had 21 points and nine rebounds, and Kevin Huerter added a playoff-career-high 20. Bog-

dan Bogdanovic scored 14 points while Clint Capela had 10.

Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter missed his second straight game because of right knee soreness.

Game 3 in the best-ofseven series will be played Friday in Atlanta.

The Sixers came out strong and moved ahead 23-6. The Hawks stayed patient, chipped away and closed within 37-35 midway through the second quarter.

Embiid soon capped a 9-0 run with a short jumper in the lane and the Sixers led

by 11 with 4:52 remaining in the half.

Gallinari dropped in a 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left and the Hawks trailed only 57-55 at halftime.

Harris scored 18 points before the break, and Embiid added 16 points but had three fouls by halftime.

Huerter and Gallinari each had 15 first-half points for Atlanta.

When Embiid hit a trey from the wing with 7:12 to go in the third quarter, the Sixers led 73-63.

The Hawks mounted a

FSIXERS, P10

D

enver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the 2020-21 NBA Most Valuable Player award, The Athletic reported Tuesday.

Jokic started all 72 games for the Nuggets and averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per contest -all setting or matching career highs. The Serbian shot 56.6 percent from the floor, including 38.8 percent from 3-point range, and made 86.8 percent of his free throws.

Denver finished third in the Western Conference at 47-25 and began its Western Conference semifinal series against the Phoenix Suns on Monday with a 122-105 loss.

The Nuggets eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round in six games.

Jokic is averaging 31.4

FJOKIC, P10

Jokic started all 72 games for the Nuggets and averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists per contest -- all setting or matching career highs. Reuters

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 74 • THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021

DOMINATION AAK Davao karatekas rule online tourney

Vryzyse Edelweiss Krebs led the AAK-Davao winners.

T

he Association for the Advancement of Karatedo-Davao pulled off seven gold medals in the online 2021 2nd Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated E-Kata and E-Fantom Kumite Championships.

Vryzyse Edelweiss Krebs, Aldren Solon, Julius Ilaya led the gold medal winners along with Galford Sagario (9-11 years-old boys novice e-kata), Heleina So (6-8 years-old girls novice e-kata), Elaizah Jeanne Sagario (12-14 girls novice e-kata) and Johanna Fhey Lim (15-17 girls novice e-kata).

AAK Davao is spearheaded by head coach Rommel Tan who is also the regional director of Karate Pilipinas.

Krebs won the gold medal in the girls 6-8 years old girls intermediate e-kata competitions then followed it up with a silver in the 6-8 years old girls intermediate e-fantom kumite.

Solon took the gold in the boys 15-17 years-old advance e-fantom kumite and a bronze in the boys 15-17 years-old advance e-kata. Ilaya won gold in the boys 12-14 novice e-kata and a silver in the 12-14 boys intermediate e-fantom kumite.

John Philip Cagan-

dahan (15-17 boys advance e-fantom kumite) and Sofia Ferenal (15-17 years old girls novice e-kata) also won silvers while the bronze medals came from Julian Ambrose Ramirez (18 boys advance e -fantom kumite), Stephen James Cartagena (15-17 boys advance e-fantom kumite), Christopher Cagandahan (1214 boys advance e-fantom kumite), Jet Lu (12-14 boys intermediate e-fantom kumite), Kyzzhia Pauline Navarro (1517 years old girls intermediate e-fantom kumite), Adrian Paul Ilaya (18 and above boys advance e-kata), Jared Dale Nirza (15-17 boys intermediate e-kata), Robert Bryan Dayanan Jr. (9-11 years old boys intermediate e-kata), Zacchary Subang (9-11 years-old boys novice e-kata), Liam Japheth Lim (9-11 yearsold boys novice e-kata), Jet Lu (12-14 boys novice e-kata) and Eaia Xundroa Ching (9-11 years-old girls intermediate e-kata).

AAK Davao is set to compete in the Karate Pilipinas Sports Federation Incorporated Regional Directors Cup which is set on the last week of June.