Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 106 | Saturday, July 17, 2021

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TEAM EFFORT Sara cites collective effort of Dabawenyos for top performing mayor recognition STORY ON PAGE 2

Workers pass by the construction site of a proposed concrete bridge inside Sta. Ana Port in Davao City on Friday morning. The said bridge is part of the 18.50-kilometer Davao City Coastal Road Project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which aims to address the traffic congestion in the city. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

One hundred fifty-four repatriated overseas FilipinoWorkers (OFWs) from Dhaka, Bangladesh arrive at the Davao International Airport onThursday. A one-stop shop at the DIA was set up to screen, identify, and isolate arriving international passengers to prevent and minimize the spread of COVID-19. CIO

TEAM EFFORT Sara cites collective effort of Dabawenyos for top performing mayor recognition

By MAYA M. PADILLO

M

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio cited the collective effort of Davao City residents after she was recognized as the Philippines’ top performing mayor based on a recent survey.

Mayor Sara emerged as the country’s topperforming local chief executive (LCE) with a 93 percent job approval rating based on the survey conducted by the RPMission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMDinc).

According to RPMDinc, the mayor’s rating was said

to have surpassed President Rodrigo Duterte’s record at 86 percent when he was mayor of Davao City in 2010.

In a statement, Mayor Sara said that the collective effort of all Dabawenyos in making Davao City a competitive and livable city paved the way for the recognition. She further

encouraged Dabawenyos to continue upholding the city’s tagline, “Life is Here”.

“The honor I share with all of you who work hard to serve the Dabawenyos. We all genuinely love our city and this is our core strength.

So we must continue to make it livable,” the mayor said in the statement.

Mayor Sara topped the list of officials outside the National Capital Region (NCR) in so far as achievement rating is concerned. In the National Capital Region (NCR),

Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte of Quezon City ranks no. 1 as mayor with 87% achievement rating while Governor Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu Province obtained 77% that positions her ahead of other regional governors.

Dr. Paul Martinez, an RPMDinc official, said in a statement that they hoped the result will give public servants a good insight into the impression of their constituents regarding their performance as local officials.

the plebiscite,” she said in an interview with Radio Mindanao Network – Cotabato City.

She expressed confidence the plebiscite will push through.

Maguindanao Representatives Esmael Mangudadatu (second district) and Datu Roonie Sinsuat Sr. (first district) introduced House Bill 6314 that seeks to divide Maguindanao into two

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Maguindanao sets aside P120M for plebiscite to split province into two

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he province of Maguindanao has allotted P120 million for the plebiscite seeking to divide the territory into two provinces, Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu said.

Sangki-Mangudadatu said the provincial government received a letter from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) asking if Maguindanao can fund the expenses for the plebiscite.

“Maguindanao province is ready for the holding of the plebiscite. We have allocated funds from our internal revenue allotment. Our Sangguniang Panlalawigan had approved the funds for the plebiscite,” she said.

Sangki-Mangudadatu said she notified the Comelec of the availability of the funds to hold the plebiscite.

“We are waiting for the Comelec to set the date of

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ome 1,468 displaced sugarcane workers in the Davao del Sur received a total of PHP8.6 million worth of cash assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment in Region 11 (DOLE-11) on Thursday.

In a statement, DOLE11 said the cash assistance is under the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced

BARMM grants cash aid to 1.2K education scholars

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ducation scholars of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have started receiving their scholarship benefits of PHP30,000 each to cover school expenses for the academic year 20202021.

Minister Mohagher Iqbal of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) said Friday an initial 242 scholars under the Access to Higher and Modern EducationScholarship Program (AHME-SP) have claimed the second tranche of their benefits under the package.

The ceremonial releasing of scholarship checks was held at the BARMM government center in this city on Thursday afternoon for students from here and the Special Geographic Area or the 63 villages in North Cotabato that are now part of the

BARMM. Overall, a total of 1,298 AHME scholars in the BARMM are entitled to receive PHP60,000 annually.

Launched in 2019, the scholarship program was aimed at promoting quality education to Bangsamoro student scholars, and eradicating poverty through the rightful educational system approach.

Iqbal said higher education certainly has benefits to Bangsamoro learners and AHME-SP is a testament to the MBHTE’s commitment to making quality education accessible.

“For instance, students acquire a broad range of skills that can qualify them for a broader range of career choices in different fields and offer them more room for personal and professional advancement,” Iqbal said.

He added that the MBHTE recognizes

Workers (TUPAD) program, a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

Through DOLE-11’s Davao del Sur Field Office, a

check worth PHP3.7 million was handed over to the 635 displaced workers of Free Planters Multi-Purpose Cooperative (FPMPC) while the PHP4.9 million worth of check was given to the Davao Mill District Development Council Foundation, Inc. (DMDDCFI) intended for its 833 out-ofwork individuals.

Lawyer Randolf Pensoy,

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VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

NEWS

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With one hand on the handlebar and the other holding an umbrella, a resident of Del Carmen in Iligan City braves the flood with only a bicycle on his way home as heavy rains pummeled many parts of Mindanao late afternoon Thursday.

MindaNews photo by BOBBY TIMONERA

Envi groups launch drive vs waste-to-energy project

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nvironmental groups launched a signature campaign against Davao City’s Waste-ToEnergy (WTE) project, which was recently approved by the City Council on second reading to be included in the city’s 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan.

The Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Sustainable Davao Movement and No Burn Pilipinas launched a #NoToDavaoWTE, #GoForZeroWasteDavao signature campaign through a webinar on July 16, 2021.

“IDIS along with Sustainable Davao Movement is still firm with our opposition. WTE is never the solution for the solid waste problem of Davao City,” lawyer Mark Peñalver, executive director of IDIS, told Edge Davao.

The campaign, which targets to gather 10,000 signatures, aims to persuade the City Council and Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to abandon their plans of WTE incineration in Davao City and instead support genuine zero waste solutions.

The campaign also demands the city government of Davao to reject WTE proposals from both foreign and local investors and remove WTE incineration from the 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan.

They said the proposed WTE project requires a minimum of 600 tons of waste per day wherein 30% are residuals. Davao City wastes are only 180 tons per day, a shortfall of 420 tons so this (project) produces

minimal energy despite capital expenses reaching P5 billion.

The groups instead urged the city to invest in genuine zero waste solutions such as implementing the SingleUse Plastic Ban Ordinance in order to reduce the volume of residual waste in the city; building the capacity of barangays and uplifting waste workers so they can implement the important provisions of Ecological Solid Waste Management Act such as segregationat-source, composting, and recycling; and helping businesses set up accessible and affordable refill, reuse, and return-deposit systems; and supporting existing zero waste stores and refilling stations.

The groups also emphasized that WTE is known to cause health and environmental problems to surrounding communities because incineration (aka burning waste) produces pollutants that persist in waterways, air, and surrounding farms for decades.

They explained that the process creates dioxins and furans which are known to cause respiratory and reproductive diseases, birth defects, and cancer and that WTE will not only harm the already marginalized low-income agricultural communities in Barangay Biao Escuela, Davao, but its toxic by-products may reach their plates through the food chain.

They stressed that the proposed WTE site in Davao is located just 2.2 km from the elementary school, and

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Classes officially start on Sept. 3

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Department of Education (DepEd) announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the opening the school year 2021-2022 on September 13, 2021, which is also among the options recommended by DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones.

DepEd has yet to release the school calendar for SY 2021-2022. The approval came on July 16, 2021.

In a statement, the education department hopes for the continued support and cooperation of the

stakeholders as it prepares for another challenging yet worthwhile endeavor of educating the children amid a global health crisis.

Last month, Duterte has thumbed down again proposals to begin a limited

run of face-to-face school classes, citing concerns over the more transmissible Delta Covid-19 variant.

Early this month, DepEd 11 spokesperson Jenielito Atillo said most of the parents want a faceto-face mode of learning due to some factors that include they have difficulty facilitating their children and because of their jobs.

“Daghan na nagpadayag na kung puwede mag faceto-face due to a lot of reasons including naa’y kalisdanan sa ilaha ug pag-facilitate sa

pagtudlo ug kasabot mi ana kay they are not actually teachers and they are not trained for that,” Atillo said.

He also said that majority of the teachers want to go back to face-toface classes because their tasks doubled in the blended learning scheme.

“Now they are being separated with the distance due to the modules and online scheme there is huge difficulty on that part, but we are moving heaven and earth just to respond to that appropriately,” Atillo said.

the poll with a rating of 93 percent.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), Belmonte emerged on top with an 87 percent rating.

Duterte was trailed by Calamba City Mayor Justin Marc Chipeco (82 percent), Calapan City’s Arnan Panaligan (77 percent), Cagayan de Oro City’s Oscar Moreno (74 percent), and Baguio City’s Benjamin Magalong Jr. (71 percent).

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor landed second behind Garcia with a

72-percent approval by his constituents, followed

by La Union’s Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III (70 percent), Davao del Sur’s Marc Douglas Cagas IV (67 percent), and Pampanga’s Dennis Pineda (62 percent).

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto closely followed Belmonte with an 86-percent grade, Manila’s Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domogoso got 80 percent, Valenzuela City’s Rex Gatchalian 79 percent, and Navotas City Mayor Tobias Tiangco 77 percent.

Dr. Paul Martinez, head of the RP-Mission and Development Foundation, said city mayors in every region’s capital were assessed by their constituents based on overall job performance or achievements.

“As for the governors, we chose the regional center of the province to gather a significant data for analysis.

We are hoping that this will give our public servants a good insight on how they are doing with their

Sara, Joy, Gwen top performing local chief executives -- survey

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n independent group survey has picked Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia as the best-performing local chief executives.

RP-Mission and Development Foundation survey posted Wednesday night on social media that Garcia topped governors from 81 provinces, obtaining a 77-percent rating, while Duterte ranked first among 16 city (except Metro Manila) mayors included in

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

A multinational industrial technology giant is optimistic in the potential of Davao City as a key business destination in the country due to its big upgrade in terms of infrastructure and transportation, which will lead to become a bigger destination player in the country. Edge Davao

ABB optimistic on D Davao’s potential

Monetary policy setting based on domestic factors, says BSP

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BB, a multinational industrial technology giant, is optimistic in Davao City’s potential as a key business destination in the country.

“There is a lot of things happening in Davao and there is a big upgrade in terms of infrastructure like trains, transportation like electric buses I feel that Davao will catch up with the big sister Manila.

I think there will be a lot of job opportunities

for people in Mindanao and I’m quite confident it will be not only a key city but it will be even a bigger destination player in the Philippines,” Oliver Coquerel, ABB country manager said during an online meet on July 8 with members of the media.

He bared that they had added service engineers in the city working in different infrastructure and transportation projects.

Among their clients is Davao Light and Power Company, owned by Aboitiz Power Corp.

He also said that they can help Davao City and other local government units in their pursuit of becoming smart cities.

“ABB has the technology to balance the power of a

smart city that will, in turn, contribute to the comfort of its citizens and lessen noise and pollution. It will be a smart city that does not consume much electricity, and has more space for green zones like parks,” Coquerel said.

During the online meeting Coquieral bared that they had started discussions with officials and architects in building smart cities in Luzon. (PIA/ XIRG Alama)

omestic factors and not moves by major central banks are the key considerations in any policy decision of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno underscored monetary authorities’ commitment to keep the central bank’s accommodative stance to support the economy’s recovery until signs of strong recovery in the real sector are seen.

“We would like to emphasize that while the BSP takes into consideration the policy actions of major central banks, including that of the Fed (Federal Reserve), the BSP does not need to recalibrate its policy

setting based on these external factors,” he said in a virtual briefing Thursday.

Diokno said the major factors in the BSP’s policy decisions are the developments on the domestic demand and inflation rate.

Last year, the BSP increased its key rates by a total of 200 basis points to help buoy the domestic economy from the impact of the pandemic.

It has maintained its accommodative stance since domestic output remains in contraction and the rate of price increases accelerated starting in the last quarter of 2020 and peaked thus far at 4.7 percent last

apanese companies remain interested in investing in the Philippines as they expect express lanes in the country to facilitate their investments.

In a statement Thursday, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the agency had a business dialogue with Japanese firms wherein they expressed their interest to explore expansion and diversification of products to be manufactured here.

Most of these firms are in the manufacturing of electronics and medical

devices, the DTI added.

These Japanese firms include Brother Industries, Canon Inc., Seiko Epson Corp., Terumo Corp., JMS Co., Ltd., ROHM Co., Ltd., NIDEC Corp., Minebea Mitsumi Inc., Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and IBIDEN Co., Ltd. The DTI said these companies are eyeing around USD3 billion (PHP150 billion) investments in the country.

“However, they expressed concerns and said these plans are facing

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firms eye green Gov’t infra spending to drive Japanese lanes for investments in PH PH 2021 growth: economist J T he government’s infrastructure spending is expected to be the major growth driver this year but Standard Chartered Bank has reduced its growth forecast for the Philippine economy from 6.4 percent to 4.6 percent.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Standard Chartered Bank economist for Asia Chidu Narayanan said growth may even be around the 3 percent

level if the government’s infrastructure investment will not pick up by around August since private sector investment is projected to remain soft.

“This puts the onus on the government,” he said.

On inflation, Narayanan said this may have peaked already and is “not so much of a risk anymore” even as it remains above the government’s 2-4 percent target band.

He forecasts inflation

to average at 3.9 percent this year, within the government’s target band.

Domestic rate of price increases surpassed the government’s target last January when it rose to 4.2 percent, and further accelerated to 4.7 percent the following month.

It decelerated to 4.5 percent in the next three months and slowed further to 4.1 percent last June.

Monetary authorities

expect inflation to remain elevated until the third quarter of this year, with the average for the year seen to be at 4 percent.

Narayanan said a concern now is the bank lending growth, as banks are cautious to lend given the impact of the pandemic on borrowers.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data show that bank lending, excluding placements on the central bank’s reverse

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ECONOMY 5

President Rodrigo Duterte applauds after awarding the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Global Excellence Award to Udenna Corporation President Dennis Uy in this undated photo. Uy’s Malampaya gas field takeover is facing re-evaluation after a Senate inquiry questioned his company’s financial capability to bankroll the acquisition. Handout

BSP renews P540-B cash advance to gov’t

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nother PHP540-billion bridge financing has been extended by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to the national government, the third since 2020, aimed to provide liquidity to help finance economic recovery efforts.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the PHP540 billion that the central bank extended to the national government has already been paid, which the policy-making Monetary Board (MB) approved last December.

“They asked for a renewal and the Monetary Board has approved it… last week,” he said.

The funding boost aims to ensure cash flows for various pandemic

and economic recoveryrelated programs of the government.

The BSP first extended a provisional advance to the national government in October 2020.

This move is allowed under the BSP Charter, with the amount to be based on the average revenues of the national government in the past three years.

Aside from the cash advance, the BSP also entered a repurchase deal with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) for PHP300 billion worth of government securities, redeemable within three months but may be extended for another three months.

The BTr fully redeemed the debt paper last September. (PNA)

At least 99 poor informal workers from two municipalities in Sarangani province have received around PHP1.7 million worth of livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Raymundo Agravante, DOLE Region 12 director, said Thursday they released the grants in a series of engagements in the last two weeks in partnership with the local government units of Alabel and Maasim.

He said the recipients comprised former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, parents of child laborers, former overseas workers, and disadvantaged workers in the informal sector.

In Alabel, 56 beneficiaries, mostly from Barangay Datal Anggas, received a total PHP987,140 worth of livelihood starter kits, he said.

Agravante said the approved projects or ventures were for

Uy’s takeover of Malampaya gas field faces re-evaluation

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avao City-based businessman Dennis Uy’s planned takeover of the Malampaya gas field in offshore Palawan is facing re-evaluation after a Senate inquiry questioned his company’s financial capability to bankroll the acquisition.

In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Energy (DOE) said it “extensively reviews” the Malampaya share purchase deal done by UC Malampaya Philippines Pte. Ltd., a subsidiary of Uy’s holding firm Udenna Corp., and Chevron Philippines Ltd. “I have instructed our DOE officials to provide justifications of our legal, technical and financial evaluation with regard to the approval

of transfer of the participating interest of Chevron to Udenna, pursuant to Petroleum Service Contract (SC) No. 38,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

“We will continue to exhaust all measures in thoroughly evaluating the legal, financial, and technical aspects of the transaction,” Cusi said.

In March last year, UC Malampaya completed its

buy-out of Chevron Malampaya LLC, now UC38 LLC, which has 45% participating contractual interest in SC 38 or the Malampaya gas field for $565 million.

The Energy department cleared the transaction in April.

Meanwhile, the re-evaluation of the transaction came after Senate Committee on Energy chairman Senator Sherwin Gatchalian alleged in a legislative inquiry that Malampaya Energy XP Pte. Ltd. - another Udenna firm which won the bid for Shell Philippines Explorations B.V.’s 45% stake in Malampaya gas-to-power facility, only has a paid-up capital of $100 or about P5,000.

During the Senate hearing, Cusi said that the DOE

carpentry, painting services, vulcanizing, tailoring, and vegetable gardening.

He said the grant coverage, which is under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), was mainly requested by the local government and concerned stakeholders to assist the rebel returnees in the area.

“This is a product of inter-agency collaboration under the initiative to end local communist

armed conflict,” he said in a statement, referring to the “whole-of-nationstrategy” to address the communist insurgency as provided for in President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70.

Rufinio Diamante, a former NPA member, lauded the agency for the assistance and providing them the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

“These are things that we yearned for while we were still in the mountains,” he said in

Filipino.

In Maasim town, Agravante said some 43 informal workers received a total of PHP725,530 worth of livelihood starter kits.

Also released under the DILP, he said the beneficiaries included women workers, ambulant vendors, skilled workers, transport workers, and former overseas Filipino workers.

Agravante said the starter kits were for small business projects

has not evaluated yet the sale of Shell’s stake in SC 38 to Malampaya Energy.

The Energy chief said the agency will review the Shell-Malampaya Energy deal for 30 days after the parties involved submitted all the required documents.

On the other hand, despite ordering the re-evaluation of the Chevron-UC Malampaya deal, Cusi said that the DOE determined that the company has met the financial, technical, and legal qualifications.

In a separate statement, Udenna units in question Malampaya Energy and UC Malampaya said they have more than P10 billion in cash on their balance sheets.

“The funds include a re-

such as dressmaking, welding services, barbecue and food vending, mini eatery, and transport services.

DILP is a flagship program of DOLE that seeks to contribute to poverty reduction and reduce vulnerability to risks of the working poor, vulnerable and marginalized workers either through emergency employment, promotion of entrepreneurship, and community enterprises.

(PNA)

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Sarangani towns’ informal workers get livelihood assistance from DOLE

DAVAO 6 EDGE VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

On being recognized as the country’s top-performing local chief executive (LCE) with a 93 percent job approval rating based on the survey conducted by the RP-Mission and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMDinc):

The honor I share with all of you who work hard to serve the Dabawenyos. We all genuinely love our city and this is our core strength. So we must continue to make it livable.”

Sara Duterte-Carpio Mayor, Davao City

EDITORIAL GCQ and Delta Davao City is back to General Community Quarantine (GCQ) status as directed by the national government in connection with its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The difference is that while this GCQ, from July 16 to 31, is better than Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), it will be implemented under a policy of heightened restrictions.

Restrictions augur well in the efforts of the local government unit (LGU) and health authorities to bring down the surge in Covid-19 infections experienced by Davao City recently.

The number of new cases could break out if the authorities fail to prevent the entry of feared, more virulent Covid-19 variants like Delta.

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It’s really scary considering that people are free to come to the Davao region from northern Mindanao through numerous entry points.

Is it time now for some LGUs to close their borders?

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

Latest news is that the Delta variant has already victimized half a dozen people in Northern Mindanao and could be knocking on the door of other Mindanao provinces by now.

Data from the Department of Health state that aside from the six cases in Northern Mindanao, 2 cases were detected in the National Capital Region, another 2 from Western Visayas and one from Central Luzon.

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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VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

ON HIS MAJESTY’S SERVICE Recently, Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) was buying some durian fruits in a stall located in a highway. When the vendor saw him, she inquired: “How do I call you, sir: Gov. or Sec?” In his Facebook wall, Piñol wrote: “Obviously, (she was) referring to the title of Governor which I held in North Cotabato for nine years and my current position.” He went on: “The vendor knows me personally because she reminded me that as Governor, I worked for the safe surrender of her brother, a former Communist cadre.”

Piñol told her: “Don’t be so concerned with my titles. These are temporary. Call me by my name because that’s how you have known me.”

The agriculture secretary shared this thought: “Indeed, why should we be so arrogant about our titles when on the day we return to the ground, our tombstones will be so small that it could not possibly list down our achievements, our titles or academic degrees.

Piñol said titles are earthly and temporary. “That slab of marble will only tell our names, the dates of our birth and death and three more letters: RIP. So be quiet about who you are…” he pointed out.

Several people commented.

But of those that struck me most was this: “I used to work for Philippine Air Lines and when I issued an airline ticket many would tell me to write their titles like Ex-Mayor or Ex-Governor or Atty.

(It’s very) seldom that a doctor will demand a title before their names.”

Titles, I believe, are given to people in order for them to be identified immediately. Take the case of doctors. On my way from the United States to the Philippines, the pilot announced if there was a doctor on the plane. The reason: one of the passengers was having a stroke and he needed immediate attention.

Lawyers are given the title attorney because they are supposed to prove that their clients are not guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

Hollywood movies like “And Justice for All” and “A Few Good Men” gave us some ideas that there are good and bad lawyers, indeed.

Politicians are chosen by their constituents in order to serve the people who have chosen them. The title “honorable” doesn’t mean that they are to be served by their constituents but rather to serve those who selected them in the first place. But unfortunately, instead of doing their jobs, some of them even exploit those who elected them and even rob the money that should have

been given to those who have less in life.

We are born into this world because of one reason – and that is to serve humanity, our fellow beings. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” said Mahatma Gandhi, the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. “The successful man doesn’t use others, other people use the successful man, for above all the success is of service,” noted American writer Mark Caine.

American poet Emily Dickinson has penned some lines about service: “If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain,” she wrote. “If I can ease one life’s aching, or cool one’s pain, or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.”

In 1908, Eugene V. Debs delivered one of the most eloquent speeches. “Now my friends,” he said, “I am opposed to the system of society in which we live today, not because I lack the natural equipment to do for myself but because I am not satisfied to make myself comfortable knowing that there are thousands of my fellow men who suffer for the barest necessities of life.

“We were taught under the old ethic that man’s business on this earth was to look out for himself. That was the ethic of the

jungle; the ethic of the wild beast.

Take care of yourself, no matter what may become of your fellow man.

“Thousands of years ago the question was asked; ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ That question has never yet been answered in a way that is satisfactory to civilized society.”

The American union leader, one of the founding members of the Industrial Workers of the World, continued his speech: “Yes, I am my brother’s keeper. I am under a moral obligation to him that is inspired, not by any maudlin sentimentality but by the higher duty I owe myself. What would you think if I were capable of seating myself at a table and gorging myself with food and saw about me the children of my fellow beings starving to death.”

“Giving kids clothes and food is one thing but it’s much more important to teach them that other people besides themselves are important, and that the best thing they can do with their lives is to use them in the service of other people,” said Dolores Huerta, a labor leader and civil rights activist.

Hannah More, an English religious writer and philanthropist, says that even the smallest act you do is a great service to the person who receives it. “One kernel is felt in a hogshead; one drop of water

helps to swell the ocean; a spark of fire helps to give light to the world.

None are too small, too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act,” she points out.

When you serve others, do it with open heart and gladness.

A businesswoman stopped at a coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee. The waitress grudgingly delivered it and asked, “Anything else?”

“Yes,” said the businesswoman. “I’d like some sugar, cream, a spoon, a napkin, and a saucer for the cup.”

“Well, aren’t you the demanding one,” snapped the waitress.

“Look at it from my point of view,” said the businesswoman.

“You served a cup of coffee and made five mistakes.”

Just want the kind of service the waitress renders? Your answer is as good as mine.

But remember the words of Nathan C. Scheaffer. He wrote: “At the close of life, the question will be not how much have you got but how much have you given? Not how much have you won but how much have you done? Not how much have you saved but how much have you sacrificed? It will be how much have you loved and served, not how much were you honored?”

That is the kind of service our Majesty – that Someone Up There – requires us to do!

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

KYOSABURO OHTA, PEARL TRADER Already honored as Japan’s pioneering hemp planter of Davao region, Kyozaburo Ohta (also known as K.S. Ohta) is not recognized for his other equally amazing contribution as the first person, domestic or foreign, to commercially cultivate pearl on a national scale.

Following his success in abaca and coconut farming, Ohta plunged into other marine ventures by exploiting the country’s natural resources. The Philippines, in its March 1918 edition, reported that one of the most notable contributions of Ohta “was his cultivation of the pearl-producing oyster, utilizing the discovery of a scientist fellow countryman of a method of forcing the oyster to produce pearls.”

Perliculture, the method that induces oysters to produce pearl, was first developed by William Saville-Kent, a British biologist but shared the knowledge to Japanese carpenter Tatsuhei Mise and biologist Tokichi Nishikawa.

It was Mikimoto Kokichi (after whom the pearls on the Miss Universe crown are named) who patented Nishikawa’s process in 1916. A year later, Baron Iwasaki, of Mitsubishi, applied the technology in the country using the South Sea pearl oyster.

Ohta’s brief but pioneering involvement in pearl-culture was quite amazing. When he died on Oct. 31, 1917 at the imperial university in Kyoto, Japan, his firm, Ohta Development Co., already “operated one of the most modern and extensive pearl fleets in Philippine waters, fishing on all the pearl fields of the islands, in addition to its own leased waters and shore area, where its cultivated oysters were produced.”

The first Japanese to become a millionaire in Davao, Ohta was only 16 years old when he arrived in Manila to work as labor contractor. Four years later, after a series of trips to the countryside, he opened his business. This

gave him the chance to observe firsthand the potentials of the islands, inspiring him to move his office to Davao while continuing to supply Japanese labor to abaca farms and engaging in trading hemp and exporting them to Japan.

Signaling Ohta’s success was the opening of branch offices in Zamboanga, Manila, and Kobe, Japan. Later, he expanded his business to marine-based engagements.

Prior to the commercial production of pearl using the Nishikawa method, the Philippines, as early as 1907, was already exporting pearl shells. The 1908 Report of the Philippine Commission to the Secretary of War showed that during the year pearl transactions earned P111,124. Part of the revenue came from a pearl bank of cultured shells and oysters in the eastern sector of Davao.

The Davao project was led

by Alvin Seale, an American fish

investigator, along with a retinue of three Filipino lieutenants (i.e., an artist to draw the samples, a practical fisherman, and an expert Moro diver) who aided him in collecting marine samples in Davao Gulf.

The initial exploration was encouraging. In a single day, Seale’s group collected 212 different species of shells from the gulf alone. He also worked on his fish investigations aboard the steamship USS Albatross, but decided against pursuing these after finding the vessel lacked equipment, and the conditions at the time were not fit for his experiments.

In his May 20, 1908 report, Seale noted that four pearl boats manned by trained local technicians were at work on the bed.

The pearl bank was in Paquiputan Strait, in the narrow portion between Point Lana and Linao.

The bed owed its existence to the protection of a big reef called Arboles Island and to a strong

eddy at the lower part, which permits the spot to settle down and attach. The bed is in waters from 16 to 30 fathoms deep.

Between January and May 1, 1908, about 60 tons of shell valued at P43,000 were exported, mostly yields that were “small, probably not worth more than P10,000, very irregular in shape but of good luster.”

Over half a century later, another pearl venture opened in Davao Gulf in 1958. Aguinaldo Development Corp. owned

by Manila ecologist-trader Daniel Aguinaldo opened at Samal Island a pearl farm secured by watchtowers; it cultivated and exported 12,000 white-lipped oysters from the Sulu Sea. The oysters, with shells as large as dinner plates, could manufacture white, pink, or gold-lip pearls and raised black-lipped oysters. The facility was co-managed by Japanese scientists who employed local divers to undertake the rigorous daily seeding.

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LIFESTYLE

THREE BEST WAYS TO PRACTICE SELF-CARE ON A BUDGET PRIORITIZING wellbeing doesn’t have to mean a trip to an expensive spa or investing in a pricey fitness subscription. The Jansport blog shares easy ways to practice self-care, especially when everyone should be staying at home.

customizable for everyone’s beauty needs. Relaxation doesn’t just have to be for the girls, either: Almost everyone can appreciate a new soap, shampoo, or scrub brush. Bonus: Everything fits comfortably into a Jansport Accessory Pouch to store away for the perfect relaxing moment (or just a random stressful weeknight—it’s great whenever!).

With the pandemic going on, days may seem frustrating people who want to go exploring but, weirdly, present a good time to settle in with some self-care on a budget.

Here are some ideas that won’t break the bank and can be done at home—or wherever social distancing is happening.

PLAY FREE YOGA VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE Right now, fitness buffs are getting so creative about exercising alone, together.

And the biggest vault of free workout stuff will be YouTube, forever and always. And yoga’s the perfect activity, whether someone wants to feel less out of shape or just chill out for a sec. Search “free yoga” and thousands of videos for every type and skill level come up (a ton of stuff for beginners— phew). Not only that, but instructors have entire video series that anyone can take, just like regular classes. Pack up a

Jansport SuperBreak backpack with gear, head out to your yard or a secluded green space, plug in headphones, and go.

DIY THE PERFECT ATHOME SPA DAY Instead of packing for that (probably delayed) festival, get supplies for a spa day from

home. Drug store face masks, bubble baths, exfoliating body scrubs, bath bombs, massage oils, and nail polishes are cheap, fun, and totally

LEARN SOMETHING NEW THAT’S ALSO EXCITING This might not sound fun— but give it a second. Discover Quentin Tarantino’s writing process and learn how to write dialogue. Hone those photography and video editing skills.

Learn how to practice outdoor ethics for that next big trip, exploring the world responsibly without damaging the environment.

Now that your Jansport Big Student backpack isn’t totally stuffed full of books and a laptop, fill it instead with empty notepads, fun reading, a tablet, headphones, and anything else that makes the process more enjoyable. Then head off to a quiet, secluded space to dive deep into that passion project.

This is the perfect time to do it.

Jansport is located in the Second Level of SM Lanang Premier.

SMART PADALA BY PAYMAYA MAKES REMITTANCES EASIER WITH NEW SERVICE COLLECTING your remittance has never been easier! You can now walk in and collect funds sent by your loved ones at any of the over 40,000 Smart Padala agents across the country with Smart Padala by PayMaya’s Claim Anywhere service.

With this new Claim Anywhere service, all the sender needs to do is to provide the recipient’s mobile number, and the funds can easily be claimed by their recipient at any Smart Padala agent anywhere in the country.

This new service makes receiving money much easier and hassle-free.

Best of all – customers don’t have to pay additional charges on top of the transaction fee to avail of this convenient option.

Once customers have already claimed their remittance, they can also pay for their utility or government bills or buy prepaid load at their

trusted Smart Padala agent to save time and effort in lining up at another bills payment counter.

“The launch of our new Claim Anywhere service underscores Smart Padala by PayMaya’s commitment to providing a truly PadaLapit Lang experience to Filipinos, especially during this critical time when receiving remittances in a safe, convenient, and timely manner is of the utmost importance,” said Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya President.

“With Smart Padala’s extensive network of agent touchpoints covering 92% of the cities and municipalities across the country, it is now easier for our suki to claim the much-needed funds from their loved ones, wherever they are in the country,” he added.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines, with platforms and services that cut across consumers,

merchants, communities, and government. As of end-March 2021, it provides more than 35 million Filipinos with access to financial services through its consumer platforms. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 250,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital services.

Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country, including “everyday” merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants, as well as government agencies and units.

To know more about PayMaya’s products and services, visit www.PayMaya. com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

CATHAY PACIFIC SUPPORTS PHILIPPINE RED CROSS

CATHAY PACIFIC is grateful for the opportunity to support Philippine Red Cross in a recent charity project.

Responding to a call for assistance to provide basic necessities for COVID-19 isolation facilities, the airline flew in 2,000 airline blankets from their headquarters in Hong Kong.

Country Manager Philippines Donald Morris, visited Red Cross to turn over the blankets to Secretary General Elizabeth Zavalla and Director for Fund Generation and Business Development Vanesa Lee-Calixto.

Cathay Pacific hopes these blankets will provide warmth and comfort for individuals at the COVID-19 facilities.

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MOTHER’S MILK: BEST FOR BABIES Text by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“B

reastfeeding is essentially the first food of the human body,” said Dr. Maria Asuncion Silvestre, president of Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina, Inc. (KMI).

She said those words during the online forum which revisited current health systems through first-hand accounts of experts and grassroots community workers on pediatric education, relactation, and optimal infant feeding practices.

According to Dr. Silvestre, breastfeeding is not just about the product that is the mother’s milk, but also the process wherein the mother serves as the primary food producer.

She pointed out that the first food for the first 1,000 days of an infant starts in utero, while the infant is still in the womb, hence ensuring the health of the mother is also important.

Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, director of the Lagunabased Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) asserted that the discourse on food and nutrition needs to level-up but must start at a mother level.

“We need to help mothers in pregnancy and postpartum recovery.

We need to demand for long-term health of mother protection against diseases, especially coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19),” said Dr. Gregorio, a United Nations Food System Champion.

Noting the production and consumption always comes to mind when the subject is food system, Dr. Gregorio stressed that the best example is “the wonderfully made food production system that starts from a mother for her child.

Going back to breastfeeding, it has been promoted by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Breastfeeding provides every child with the best possible start in life. It delivers health, nutritional and emotional benefits to both children and mothers. And it forms part of a sustainable food system. But while breastfeeding is a natural process, it is not always easy. Mothers need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding,” the

two UN agencies said in a statement.

As studies have found out, increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding could save the lives of 820,000 children every year around the world which would generate US $302 billion in additional income.

In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations health agency urged mothers to continue breastfeeding their children. They need to as it is the right thing to do.

COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that is a distant cousin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. “(The virus that can cause infection) has not, to date, been detected in the breastmilk of any mother with confirmed/suspected COVID-19,” the UN health agency said.

“It appears unlikely, therefore, that COVID-19 would be transmitted through breastfeeding or by giving breastmilk that has been expressed by mother who is confirmed/ suspected to have COVID-19,” it said, adding that researchers continue to test breast milk from mothers with confirmed/ suspected COVID-19.

Breastmilk saves children’s lives as it

provides antibodies that give babies a healthy boost and protect them against many childhood illnesses.

After all, breastmilk, the UN health agency explains, is more than a simple collection of nutrients. It contains all the essential nutrients like protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and sugars, in exact proportion. It meets the needs of the growing infant at every stage.

“Early and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life reduces child mortality and has health benefits that extend into adulthood,” explains the Healthy Newborn Network (HNN).

“Breastfeeding benefits not only the child but the mother and family also, as it is free of cost and reduces the risk of infection in newborns, enhances neurodevelopment, and reduces the risk of acquiring certain noncommunicable illnesses in adulthood,” HNN adds.

The HNN says that breastmilk substitutes and animal milk (from cattle, carabao, and goats) not only lack essential immunebuilding components, they also expose the infant to an increased risk of infection and morbidity.

Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, former director-general

of the World Health Organization (WHO), described breast milk in these words: “The sole truly universal food for the entire human species.”

Dr. Nakajima said breast milk, until recently, has served as “a vital link for nutrition and survival across the entire span of human existence, nurturing the newborn, the infant, and the young child during the most vulnerable years, all the while providing a powerful source of protection from infectious disease.”

Breast milk, the United Nations health agency explains, is more than a simple collection of nutrients. For thousands of years, in all continents, babies have been breastfed for a simple reason: mother’s milk is natural.

“Mother’s milk is a living substance of great biological complexity that not only provides unique protection against disease, but also stimulates the baby’s own immune system,” the WHO points out.

The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, after which “infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics pointed out the importance of breastfeeding.

It said: “Extensive research using improved epidemiologic methods and modern laboratory techniques documents diverse and compelling advantages for infants, mothers, families, and society from breastfeeding and use of human milk for infant feeding. These advantages include health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychologic, social, economic, and

environmental benefits.”

Breast milk is easily digested by babies, so they don’t have to face the problem of constipation.

Breastfed babies rarely have ear or respiratory system infections, allergies, stomach problems like diarrhea and vomiting.

Children who were breastfed exclusively for at least three months had better intelligence scores later in life than those who received formula, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

“A woman’s body is a sacred temple,” wrote Suzy Kassem, author of Rise Up and Salute the Sun. “A work of art, and a life-giving vessel. And once she becomes a mother, her body serves as a medicine cabinet for her infant.

From her milk she can nourish and health her own child from a variety of ailments.”

When mother’s milk is not available, the WHO and UNICEF promote the use of pasteurized donor human milk as the second option in preference to formulas. However, WHO has particularly specified that the “recommendation (is) relevant for settings where safe and affordable milk-banking facilities are available or can be set up.”

“The use of formulas as the next option requires counseling the mothers and families on their proper and clean preparation,” the HNN states. “The use of preterm formulas should only be recommended when the baby is not gaining weight on standard formula and if it can be affordable.”

For babies smaller than 1,500 gm birth weight, the WHO recommends adding vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus, and iron supplements. – (Photo courtesy of UNICEF)

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BARMM... FROM2 higher education as one of the critical drivers of growth performance and competitiveness in both national and global economies.

“This is why the MBHTE is fully committed to advancing higher education due to its impact on the Bangsamoro economy and society,” he said.

He added that

allowances for scholars in other parts of the region Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan, and TawiTawi - will also be released soon.

“This is unprecedented, it never happened in the past,” said scholar Datu Aljar, who claimed to be a son of a former Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatant.

(PNA)

provinces.

Reckoning from the effectivity of the Act on June 11, the plebiscite should be held on or before September 9, 2021.

Under the law, Maguindanao province shall bear the expenses for the conduct of the plebiscite.

The law states that if the majority approves the division, Maguindanao del Norte shall be composed of the towns of Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah Sinsuat, Dayu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, North Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura and Talitay.

The designated capital town and seat of government for Maguindanao del Norte is Datu Odin Sinsuat. Cotabato City shall be part of this province.

For Maguindanao del Sur, it shall cover the towns of Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Abdulla Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Datu Montawal, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Salibo, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Sharif Aguak, Sharif Saydona Mustafa, Sultan sa Barongis, Talayan and South Upi. Its designated capital town and seat of government is Buluan.

According to the 2019 Comelec data, Maguindanao has 652,414 registered voters. It is populated by about 1.2 million people.

(Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

550m from a relocation site and that its impacts may also reach those living

within and beyond the 10km radius of the facility. By Maya M. Padillo

February.

Inflation surpassed the government’s 2-4 percent target band last January when it rose to 4.2 percent, but was flat at 4.5 percent from March to May. It has decelerated to 4.1 percent last June.

Monetary authorities expect inflation to remain elevated until the third quarter of the year.

The BSP forecasts inflation to average at 4 percent this year and to stay within the target band until 2023.

This factor and the growth outlook are the main drivers for the

unwinding of monetary stimulus measures, Diokno said.

He said it is understandable for central banks to start withdrawing stimulus measures as signs of recovery from the pandemic are slowly coming out.

“At this point, however, we believe that many central banks, including the Fed, are likely to remain patient in lifting monetary accommodation given the continued downside risks to output and to provide support to economic recovery amid the Covid-19 health crisis,” he added. (PNA)

operational and fiscal bottlenecks. They cited as examples the timely issuance of travel visas for their executives and engineers, the processing and release of permits and licenses by regulatory agencies, VAT (valueadded tax) and other additional taxes by LGUs (local government units), and access to Covid-19 vaccinations,” it said.

The Japanese firms are requesting a green lane for significant foreign investments like what other governments in Asean provide to investors.

They added these express lanes would help in making the country remain competitive in attracting foreign investments.

“As the Philippines

builds back better from the pandemic, we will strengthen trade and investment ties with other countries, particularly Japan. After all, Japan has been a strong and important trading partner and investment source of the Philippines. The country is an ideal host for Japanese manufacturing and R&D (research and development) activities in electronics, printers, and medical devices,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

Japan is the country’s top source of foreign investments in the first quarter of the year, accounting for 54.1 percent of the total approved foreign investments. (PNA)

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OIC-regional director of DOLE-11, said the enlisted beneficiaries were assigned to work on canal dredging, road clearing, and maintenance of sugarcane farmlands within the province.

The said checks were

received by the District Tripartite Council members namely Yolanda Emperado, FPMC manager; Constancio Galinator, DMDDCFI chairman; and Ernesto Arendain Jr., DMDDCFI manager. (PNA)

constituents,” Martinez said a statement.

Marinez said 10 of the 16 provincial governors representing each region achieved a majority approval rating.

For mayors outside NCR, three rated below 50 percent. For NCR mayors, 14 mayors were appraised positively while three fell below the passing mark (of 50 percent), according to Martinez.

The non-commissioned survey was conducted with 3,500 respondents in NCR on July 3 to 10.

A total of 5,000

respondents were also surveyed across all regions outside NCR on July 10 to 25.

The independent analysis was meant to measure the citizens’ current opinion on their local chief executives and to assess their performances in terms of their obligations in the society.

The initiative was designed to aid officials in hatching better programs and policies that uplift the state of living of Filipinos, especially in providing assistance related to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. (PNA)

repurchase (RRP) facility, slipped by 4 percent last May, an improvement from the 5-percent decline in the previous month.

Narayanan expects this to be sustained well into 2022 even with expectations of an economic recovery this year.

He thus expects the BSP to remain accommodative up to 2022 “until growth starts to pick up.”

“We think that (the) Philippines will remain below 2019 levels of activity, below pre-pandemic levels of activity all through 2021 and only getting there in the latter half of 2022,” he added.

Meanwhile, the peso is expected to improve against the US dollar in the coming months, with the end-2021 level at 49.5, Divya Devesh, Standard Chartered Bank head of ASA (Association

of Southeast Asia) FX Research, said during the same event.

To date, the local currency is trading at 50-level against the greenback.

cent shareholder advance of P750 million to Malampaya Energy, providing a ready source of cash on hand,” the companies said.

“In addition, records from the Department of Energy (DOE) showed Chevron submitted documents to the DoE showing UC Malampaya with a bank balance summary of $39.17 million or nearly P1.95 billion,” the companies said.

Since Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, Uy, a known donor to the president’s campaign kitty in 2016, has expanded his empire through several acquisitions and ventures, including the takeover of the Malampaya facility, which supplies

a third of Luzon’s power requirements.

The Malampaya gas-topower facility fuels three gas-fired power plants with a total generating capacity of 2,700 megawatts (MW), providing up to 30% of the power generation needs of Luzon.

Connected to onshore gas plants in Batangas, the Malampaya offshore facility in Northern Palawan was inaugurated in 2001.

The project has also provided a crucial source of income for the government with a total net national government share amounting to P261,681,610,752.59 since it began commercial operations in 2002 until 2019.

ready been barred as had family members of visiting athletes.

“That was really disappointing to hear. I also hear that there’s going to be a lot of restrictions within the Village,” said Djokovic.

“Possibly you would not be able to see other athletes perform live.

“I can’t even have my

stringer that is a very important part of my team. I’m limited with the amount of people I can take in my team as well.

I’ll have to think about it.”

Fellow Grand Slam title winners Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Dominic Thiem and Angelique Kerber have all withdrawn from the Games.

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However, Devesh forecaststhelocalcurrency weakeningtoaround50.25 against the US dollar by June 2022 and to around 50.50 by end-2022.

He attributed the weakerbiasonthepesoto severalfactors,believing thatthepesoisover-valued based on their metrics, the impact of upticks of commodity prices in the internationalmarket,and the investment outflows from the Philippines.

Deveshsaidriskfactors forthepesoarethepick-up ininfrastructurespending sincethiswillmeanhigher USdollardemand,andany rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. (PNA)

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play for the Americans two years ago in the Basketball World Cup in China, but had to withdraw from consideration before training camp for family reasons.

He finally had his chance to suit up for the senior national team now and he seemed ready for it.

After scoring just two points in the Americans’ loss to Nigeria in their opener, he followed with 12 points against Australia and then had 17 on Monday against Argentina in the first U.S. victory.

“Bradley, there’s no doubt, he’s a huge loss. He was playing every well, understanding everything and fit in well with the group,” Popovich said. “So there’s no next Bradley Beal.”

Beal’s NBA team was hit hard by a coronavirus outbreak early in the season and every club had to navigate players going in and out of the lineup because of the strict protocols in place.

Golden State’s Draymond Green said it’s difficult to see the impact the virus still has after 17 or 18 months and that it’s “still costing people the opportunities of a lifetime.”

“The experience, the opportunity to represent your country is one that

we all dream about growing up,” Green said. “So to see that opportunity taken away, you can only sympathize with Brad.”

Green added that he hoped Beal would be given a gold medal if the Americans are able to win the tournament for the fourth straight time, because he had made the commitment.

The Americans have already been playing short-handed during their exhibition games, with Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday of Milwaukee and Devin Booker of Phoenix playing in the NBA Finals.

Who will replace Beal?

Popovich said the challenge for the Americans will be finding a player who is in good shape, after the NBA regular season ended in May. He said they are going through names who are available and trying to see who would be a fit. He added that the Americans wouldn’t be able to replace Beal as a scorer and might end up with someone like a utility player in baseball.

The Americans are scheduled to play two more games in Las Vegas before heading to Tokyo, with their opening game against France set for July 25.

Year, to win a championship and then come back to be the head coach. … We’re going to pay attention to the small things, which is going to lead us down the road to winning that trophy.”

Who is Nico Harrison, the Mavs’ new GM? Harrison spent 19 years as an executive at Nike before he was hired a few weeks ago to replace Donnie Nelson, who left the organization a day before Carlisle’s resignation.

Nelson joined the franchise in 1998 while his father, Don, coached the Mavericks and was promoted to general manager in 2002 under Cuban.

“For me to leave a dream job to go to another dream job, everything had to check the boxes,” said Harrison, who said he was approached by multiple NBA teams while at Nike.

“The city, the coach, the fans, everything, the owner –- it was a no-brainer.”

Kidd knows his primary task is to mentor and develop 22-year-old superstar guard Luka Doncic, whose flashy playing style reminds many of his new coach’s playing days. Harrison will need to build a roster around the talented Slovenian that will do more than go out in the first round of the playoffs, which Dallas has done in the past two seasons.

“My job is to give him answers to the test,” Kidd said of Doncic. “His imagination is at the highest level, which is a great thing to be a part of. I (as a young player) tried a lot of things, and I know I drove a lot of my coaches crazy. I won’t get mad because I’ve been in those shoes.”

Kidd said he’s spoken this summer by phone and via text with Doncic, who has been playing with his national team ahead of the Olympics. One of their collective goals could be lessening his load.

“Not having to bring the ball up every time and start the play,” Kidd said.

“When you look at the fourth quarter, he wears down at times.”

Harrison, a three-time All-Big Sky forward at Montana State during the mid-1990s, was a Nike liaison to Kobe Bryant and to former Mavericks stars Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley.

Nowitzki and Finley are now in the Dallas front office.

“He demonstrated a long history of putting people into a position to succeed and then enabling them to succeed,” Cuban said. “That’s a unique skillset that’s hard to find.”

Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse in 2011 involving his first wife and joins an organization that experienced a work-environment scandal in 2018 that led to the hiring of current CEO Cynt Marshall, a domestic abuse survivor.

Marshall said she talked with Kidd during the interview process multiple times and is convinced his hiring doesn’t undermine the organization’s zero-tolerance policy.

“I very much felt like we were doing the right thing,” Marshall said.

Kidd said much of his conversations with Marshall will remain private.

“The first step is you have to get help,” Kidd said.

“If you don’t get help, nothing changes.”

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Bradley Beal will miss the Olympics after being placed into health and safety protocols.

How Kidd plans to mentor Doncic and lead Mavs to title

D

ALLAS — New Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and general manager Nico Harrison were introduced Thursday (Friday, Manila time) by their new boss, who called it “a new chapter” for a franchise that had not changed GMs under his 21-year ownership and has not won a playoff series since winning the 2011 NBA championship.

Owner Mark Cuban said the need for “a new voice” motivated him to change GMs for the first time.

“The league has changed in the 21 years since I’ve been here,” he said. “Players have changed. How you build a championship team

has changed. Sometimes you just have to look to have a different tool set.”

Enjoy the Playoffs with superstar-level streaming & get NBA League Pass at a special price! Try now > Kidd is a Hall of Fame guard who had two playing stints in Dallas during his 19-season NBA career that included the championship season. He was hired last month after Rick Carlisle resigned following 13 seasons with the Mavericks.

“I guess it’s ‘Hello, Dallas,’ again,” Kidd said. “What a dream come true – to be drafted (second overall in 1994), to win Rookie of the

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Team USA eyes replacement as Beal ruled out of Olympics

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n a U.S. basketball team filled with stars, nobody scored more than Bradley Beal during the season.

At the top of his NBA game, he was finally set to take on the international one.

The coronavirus has wrecked his Olympic dreams.

Beal will miss the Olympics after being placed into health and safety protocols and USA Basketball said Thursday (Friday, Manila

time) it will replace him on its roster at a later date.

“I’m dying for him,” coach Gregg Popovich said.

“We all are.”

The Americans also announced that forward Jerami Grant has also been played in health and safety protocols “out of an abundance of caution.” Popovich said the Americans didn’t

W Djokovic celebrates after winning his final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in Wimbledon at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London on July 11, 2021. David Gray, pool via Reuters

orld No.1 Novak Djokovic said Thursday he will play at the Tokyo Olympics, paving the way for the first Golden Grand Slam by a male player.

“I booked my flight for Tokyo and will proudly be joining #TeamSerbia for the Olympics,” tweeted Djokovic.

The Serb has already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles this year and needs just Olympic gold and the US Open to become the first man to sweep the Golden

expect that his Olympics would be in jeopardy.

It is unclear if Beal has been vaccinated. He had started all three exhibition games for the U.S. so far in Las Vegas, averaging 10.3 points on 10-for-21 shooting.

The Washington Wizards guard was second in the NBA this season with 31.3 points per game. Only Stephen Curry, who passed on the Olympics, averaged more.

U.S. forward Bam Ade-

bayo said he checked on Beal, who told him that he had no symptoms. Still, his news was a tough blow to the players who said they have been following safety recommendations and hoped for good health.

“It still definitely gives you PTSD, somebody catching COVID,” Adebayo said. “I remember when I had it, just one of those things I wouldn’t wish on anybody.”

Beal was expected to

Grand Slam.

The 34-year-old’s announcement came just four days after he had cast doubt on his participation at the Games.

Having defeated Matteo Berrettini for a sixth Wimbledon title and 20th career Grand Slam crown on Sunday, Djokovic admitted he had cooled on making the trip, saying it was “50/50” if he would participate.

“I’ll have to think about it.

As I said, my plan was always to go to the Olympic Games.

“But right now I’m a little

bit divided. It’s kind of 50/50 because of what I heard in the last couple of days,” said Djokovic at the All England Club.

The Serb had always insisted he would think twice if the Covid-19 protocols in Japan became too strict and if fans were banned.

All venues at the Games, which start on July 23, will be closed to spectators as the Japanese authorities look to limit the dangers of COVID-19.

Foreign visitors had al-

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VOL.14 ISSUE 106 • SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021

FLYING THE FLAG

Boxer Eumir Marcial (File photo)

Marcial new PH male flag bearer in Tokyo Olympics

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oxer Eumir Marcial will be the new male flag bearer for the Philippine team in the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremonies.

The boxer will replace pole vaulter EJ Obiena as one of two athletes who will carry the Philippine flag in the opening rites scheduled for July 23, the other being judoka Kiyomi Watanabe. “[Marcial] has the most flexible schedule before and after the opening ceremony,” Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino explained the change on Thursday.

In particular, the middleweight pug will be among the first Filipinos to arrive in Tokyo on Saturday from Denver and will not see action until July 25.

Watanabe’s schedule also happens to be flexible as she is currently based in Japan and will only debut on July 27.

Watanabe will be in the women’s under-63-kilogram judo event.

The POC initially announced Obiena as the male flag bearer for the Philippine team.

However, Obiena would only arrive in Tokyo just right before the opening ceremonies, not to mention that he has to undergo coronavirus disease 2019 protocols at the airport.

Boxing coach Nolito Velasco and judo president Dave Carter will join Marcial and Watanabe in the opening parade along with Chef De Mission Nonong Araneta, skateboarding coach Daniel Velasco, swimming president Lani Velasco, and gymnastics chief Cynthia Carrion-Norton. (PNA)