Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 124 | Saturday, August 7, 2021

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VOL.14 ISSUE 124 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 07. 2021

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‘No-vax card, no-entry’ not implemented in Davao City STORY ON PAGE 2

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A resident holds her vaccine card after completing her two doses of vaccine shots against Covid-19.

The city government of Davao announced that it is not implementing the “no-vaccination card, no-entry” policy in the city contrary to a report that vaccination cards are being required upon entry in the city’s business establishments. Edge Davao

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VOL.14 ISSUE 124 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 07, 2021

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A cyclist traverses along Roxas Avenue in Davao City using the designated bike lane in the area. Bicycle owners in Davao City can now register their bicycles in their respective barangays and with a registration fee of P150 for commercial use and P20 for personal use under the“Amended Bicycle and Light Mobility Vehicle Ordinance of Davao City.”Edge Davao

‘No-vax card, no-entry’ not implemented in Davao City

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he city government of Davao denied reports it is implementing the “novaccination card, no-entry” policy upon entry to establishments in Davao City.

“Di na siya tinuod sa pagkakaron. Because kulang pa

atong bakuna, the moment na daghan ta ug bakuna ug

wala nay gusto magpabakuna ug wala ta kaabot ug 1.2 million, isa na siya sa possible option na buhaton sa usa ka LGU para ang mga tao is maenganyo magpabakuna. Pero sa pagkakaron na kulang ang bakuna, we cannot do that, otherwise mag-

stampede ta tanan didto sa vaccination center,” said Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio via Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force,

highlighting their critical role in the government’s pandemic response operations. “ K i n o ko m e n d a h a n ko po ang ating gobyerno sa pag-apruba ng ating suhestyon na patuloy na

i-engage at dagdagan pa ang bilang ng contact tracers sa ating bansa dahil napakahalaga ng kanilang papel sa ating laban kontra COVID-19, said Go. “Our contact tracers play an important role in

managing the pandemic and not squandering the chance for early preparation,” he added.

Many Filipinos want to help put an end to the pandemic, according to the Senator. He added that hir-

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Davao City wins its first legal case over RT-PCR test result

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he Davao City government has won its first legal case against a person who presented a fake reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results upon arrival at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in February.

And while the accused was only fined P5,040 after pleading guilty, the criminal offense will appear in his records.

Lloyd Alipin Abarquez was sentenced by Judge Catherine Guerzo-Barrion of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 4 to pay P5,040 after pleading guilty to Section 9 of RA 11332 or the “Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases” and Davao City Ordinance No. 0466-21 Series of 2021 – “An Ordinance Penalizing Persons Using or Producing Falsified or Tampered COVID-19 Medical Test Results or other Health Verification Documents in

the City of Davao”.

This is the first case of the 159 cases filed by the city government through the Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC). Of the 159, a total of 145 cases were filed through inquest and 14 are through regular filing.

Abarquez was apprehended on February 27, 2021, at the Davao airport after he presented RT-PCR test results without supporting documents such as receipts and e-mail from the swabbing center.

Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) Head Angel Sumagaysay, who represented the city in the case, said that the filing of the case commenced after verifying that the swabbing center supposedly issuing the RT-PCR result could not find Abarquez’s name in its system.

Sumagaysay said that this conviction only shows

ing more contact tracers is a practical way to provide livelihood to those in need while giving them the opportunity to contribute to the bayanihan efforts against COVID-19.

“Ang pagiging contact

tracer ay isang mainam na paraan para makatulong.

At the same time, makakapagbigay pa tayo ng trabaho para sa mga Pilipinong nawalan ng kabuhayan,” he explained.

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Go commends PRRD approval of funds for contact tracers

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enator Christopher “Bong” Go has commended President Rodrigo Duterte for approving the proposal to continuously engage and hire some 15,000 contact tracers from August 2 to December 31,

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 124 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 07, 2021

NEWS

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Family and friends of Carlo Paalam and girlfriend Stephanie Sepulveda break into applause at the Sepulveda household after the judges proclaimed the boxer as winner against Japan’s hometown bet Ryomei Tanaka in the men’s flyweight semifinal of the Tokyo Olympics. It has become the practice of the Paalams to watch his fights in the Sepulveda household. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO

Davao bicycles can be registered in barangays

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icycle owners in Davao City can register their bicycles in their respective barangays following the City Council’s recent approval on third and final reading the “Amended Bicycle and Light Mobility Vehicle Ordinance of Davao City”, which is an amendment of “The Bicycle Ordinance of Davao City.’

Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta, chairperson of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, said apart from the title, one of the provisions of the ordinance is the registration fee for the bicycles wherein owners have to pay P150 commercial and P20 if their bikes are for personal use such as for work and exercise.

It can be recalled that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio signed the Executive Order (EO) No. 40 or “An order

providing for the suspension of bicycle registration, bicycle registration fees, and allowing the use of bicycle lanes in the City of Davao” in June last year.

During the Joint Committee Hearing by the City Council Committees on Peace and Public safety and Transportation and Communication last June 10 and 15, 2020, it was noticed that Traffic Code of Davao and the existing Bicycle Ordinance stipulate contradicting provisions regarding bicycle registration fees.

The temporary suspension of the implementation of some provisions of the two ordinances allow Dabawenyos the use of the bike lanes without fear of penalty for non-registration until the two ordinances have been harmonized.

The establishment of bi-

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Tribal warrior leader leaves UCCP Haran after 6 years

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tribal leader who is allegedly a member of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) has finally returned home in his ancestral land in Barangay Dagohoy, Talaingod town in Davao del Norte after six years of hiding in the UCCP Haran compound in Father Selga Street, Bankerohan, Davao City.

The homecoming of Datu Ginamao Andil who is recognized as tribal leader of Sitio Tibucag, was due to the effort made by the members of Police Regional Office (PRO) 11’s Revi-

talized-Pulis Sa Barangay (R-PSB) convincing him to leave UCCP Haran facility on Monday (August 2).

Datu Andil became a member of Salugpongan Ta’tanu Igkanogon Community Learning Center Council, eventually becoming a vice-chairman in 1990.

Based on the report from PRO 11, Andil was among tribal leaders who fought the government when the struggle ensued between the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) under the leadership of Datu Gibang

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No MICE, social events yet in Davao City: IATF T

By MAYA M. PADILLO

he city government of Davao reiterated that M.I.C.E (meetings incentives conference and exhibitions) and social events are not allowed in Davao City under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions status.

This is based on the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Resolution No. 130A Series of 2021 and the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Memorandum Circular No. 21-28 Series of 2021 under Category III prohibiting the

holding of M.I.C.E and social events in areas under GCQ with heightened restrictions classification.

“Yung mga magpakasal ngayon or may debut or reunions, this is not the time to do it because we already followed the IATF memorandum na bawal po ang mga

MICE events, conventions, exhibition and social events meaning yung mga personal na mga events like weddings, baptisms, reunions and birthday parties that we hold outside our residences.

If you want to hold a party, hold it inside your homes but only for your household.

Sinusunod natin yung IATF and DOT-DTI guidelines,” said Generose Tecson, head of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO).

The implementation of the IATF resolution also aims to protect Dabawenyos against the threat of Delta

variant of Covid-19. To date, there are three Delta variant cases detected in Davao City and all cases have already recovered.

Recently, the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) filed charges against individuals involved in a wedding including the attendees, organizer, and resort owner for violating the mass gathering ordinance in Davao City.

Tecson said event organizers in Davao City were already informed to hold off activities since the city was placed under Modified Gen-

“A great deluge looms large before us in the form of the Delta variant, which is more potent and highly transmissible,” the official stressed during Monday’s flag-raising ceremony where he announced his directive to fire unvaccinated LGU employees.

He stressed that local government workers “must serve as models for the rest of their constituents.”

Unlike the other COVID-19 variants, Bendita

noted that the Delta variant “can infect others in seconds through airborne transmission.”

Bendita, a lawyer, said the dismissal process of a regular employee who will refuse COVID-19 vaccination will be filed before the Civil Service Commission.

For job order employees who will shun COVID-19 inoculation, he noted it’s easy for him to fire them since they were hired at his discretion.

“We already notified the local government workers to get vaccinated. Now if they refuse and then unfortunately get infected by the virus, I will even file criminal negligence against them,” the mayor said.

“You can go to jail if you communicated or spread a disease to others,” he added.

As a lawyer who has handled labor cases, Bendita stressed that having a communicable or highly conta-

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SoCot town mayor vows to fire LGU workers who refuse COVID-19 jabs

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town mayor in South Cotabato has vowed to dismiss local government employees who will refuse to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Mayor Antonio Bendita of Surallah town revealed that the town’s Interagency Task Force on COVID-19, during a meeting last Friday, reached a consensus that local government unit (LGU) workers must all be vaccinated against COVID-19.

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VOL.14 ISSUE 124 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 07, 2021

Generose Tecson, head of the City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO), reminds Dabawenyos that the city government of Davao is not allowing M.I.C.E (meetings incentives conference and exhibitions) and social events die to its currently General Community Quarantine (GCQ) with heightened restrictions status. Edge Davao

BSP guards vs. risks to inflation as Covid-19 pandemic lingers P

PLDT open to idea of selling some telcom towers: MVP

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pected to be countered by the emergence of new coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variants and delays in easing lockdown measures, he said.

“The BSP remains watchful over the evolving economic conditions and challenges brought about by the pandemic to ensure that

the monetary policy stance remains consistent with its price and financial stability objectives,” he added.

The country’s inflation rate decelerated further to 4 percent in July from the previous month’s 4.1 percent.

Last month’s figure brings the seven-month average to 4.4 percent, which is still above the government’s 2 percent to 4-percent target band.

Diokno said last month’s inflation rate is within the central bank’s 3.9 percent to 4.7 percent forecast range.

last June’s 4.7 percent.

“Given the heft of the food sub-sector in the overall CPI (consumer price index) basket, we could see inflation pressures elevated in the second half of the year despite extremely soft domestic demand with the impending ECQ and ongoing recession,” he said.

The National Capital Region (NCR) will be under a two-week ECQ starting Aug. 6 as a preemptive measure against the further rise of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections following the detection of local transmission of the more contagious Delta variant in

several parts of the country.

The ECQ is currently being implemented in the province of Iloilo and Iloilo City, as well as in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog in Misamis Oriental.

These areas have been under ECQ since July 16 and this will last until Aug. 7.

Mapa cited reports about the possibility of a 3 percent to 5-percent increase in the cost of basic food items like canned goods and noodles, as well as of fruits and vegetables due to storm damage, which he said “will all likely translate to elevated food inflation.”

he Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will remain on guard against challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to keep the country’s inflation rate within the target band.

In a Viber message to journalists on Thursday, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said the increases in commodity prices in the international market due to supply-chain factors and the recovery in global demand are upside risks to domestic inflation.

But these risks are ex-

BSP’s accommodative stance seen to counter possible price increases

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conomists expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to keep its accommodative stance despite the inflation rate deceleration to counter the possible commodity price hikes during the typhoon season and the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

In a report on Thursday, ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said although the rate of price increases slowed anew last July to 4 percent from the previous month’s 4.1 percent, food inflation registered a faster annualized rate of 4.9 percent from

He said this is in line with monetary authorities’ projection that inflation will remain near the upper-end of the target band until the third quarter, and slow further to within-target range before the end of the year “as the impact of government supply side measures take effect.”

He said inflation is expected to stay at the midpoint of the target band from 2022 to 2023.

“The continued implementation of direct

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ore Filipino consumers can benefit from a bid to make financial services accessible to everyone through an open finance framework.

“With open finance, Filipino consumers will be able to have a consolidated view of their personal data, and their financial transactions, access more affordable services that fit their needs, and ultimately make more informed financial choices,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.

He said the idea behind open finance is that cus-

LDT Inc considering selling a certain number of telco towers that are not strategic in maintaining its position, company chairman Manny Pangilinan said Thursday.

Bloomberg reported in July that the telco is considering selling towers in a deal worth $800 million (P40 billion), citing industry sources.

Pangilinan was asked about the report during the telco’s first-half financial briefing.

“We’ve spoken to a number of international banks and they have enlightened us on the advan-

tages of selling part of our towers. So I think we’re open to the idea,” Pangilinan told reporters.

“So in our discussions with the bank, I think they managed to persuade us that if we were to let go of a certain number of our towers that are not strategic to our position, to our maintaining our position as the dominant network in this country, I think that led us to [say] maybe we should be open to it and for so long the financial case is compelling to PLDT,” he added.

However, Pangilinan said many details have yet to be worked out.

tomers are the owners of transaction data thus, “data should be shared if the customers wish to do so.”

Diokno said BSP has established the guidelines on open finance framework through Circular No. 1122, which is a major factor for digital transformation and financial inclusion.

“It promotes consent-driven data portability, interoperability, and collaborative partnerships among entities who adhere to the same standards of data security and privacy,” he added.

Under this framework, customers, as owners of

transaction data, may optin and opt-out when they want to withdraw or change the scope of their consent.

Diokno said regulators are seeking the financial sector’s support in this bid, adding that participation in the open finance ecosystem is not mandatory.

“In establishing the open finance ecosystem, the BSP sees the value of placing the governance of the industry into a single body with explicit formalized self-governance structure where the industry standards and inter-participant business rules are housed,” he said.

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ECONOMY 5

Cebu Pacific says it will gradually increase its international flights this month. The airline would mount additional flights to key middle east and Asian destinations starting August 4. Edge Davao

PHIC working ‘double time’ to process P25.6 billion in unpaid hospital claims CebPac says to gradually increase int’l flights in Aug

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ebu Pacific said Thursday it would mount additional flights to key international destinations starting Aug. 4 as it continuously builds back its capacity.

Flights to Singapore will be increased to 3x a week from twice weekly starting Aug. 4, the country’s largest carrier said in a statement.

Special flights from Dubai to Manila are also mounted every Wednesday “in response to the government’s call for assistance to repatriate workers in the Middle East while the travel ban remains in effect.”

Manila and Seoul, South

Korea flights have also gone up to 3x a week with additional frequency starting on Aug. 16, it added.

By Aug. 22, Cebu Pacific said it would be flying 3x weekly from Tokyo (Narita) to Manila with an additional frequency every Sunday.

Meanwhile, flights to Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Taipei will also be reinstated this month, it said.

There will be daily flights to Hong Kong from Manila beginning Aug. 11 while flights to Nagoya, Osaka (Kansai) and Taipei will begin the week of Aug. 14, the airline said.

Filipino corn farmers oppose reduction of yellow corn tariffs

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ringing down tariffs on yellow corn imported from non-ASEAN countries will have dire consequences for local growers, a group representing corn farmers said on Thursday after the government created a body to study adjustments to import duties on the commodity.

The Philippine Maize Federation Inc (PhilMaize) said that if tariffs on yellow corn are lowered, the local corn industry will suffer the same fate as the rice and other ag-

ricultural products after the tariffs on these products were also reduced.

Philmaize president Roger Navarro made the warning after the Department of Agriculture issued an order last week creating a body to study possible adjustments to tariffs on imported corn.

Navarro said farmers were caught off guard when Agriculture Secretary William Dar issued Special Order No. 540 last week creating a Technical Working Group on tariffs of yellow corn.

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tate-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) on Thursday said it was addressing the billions of pesos worth of unpaid claims by several hospitals.

In a statement, the state health insurer said its president and CEO Dante Gierran directed PhilHealth’s chief operating officer and regional vice presidents to address the issue “through constant dialogues and reconciliation of figures with hospital representatives at the regional level.”

“The allegations of huge payables of the corporation were dispelled after these reconciliation meetings,” it

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iversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) saw a turnaround from financial loss to profitability in the first six months of 2021 on the back of strong recovery across its business despite the lingering economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, SMC reported a net income of P29.6 billion for the January to June period, a reversal from the P4-billion net loss seen in the same period in 2020.

The company’s consolidated revenues grew 16% to P410.1 billion, “driven

said.

Citing its records, PhilHealth said it paid a total of P166 billion for some 13.6 million claims, or 76.4% of the almost 18 million claims received from its accredited government and private hospitals in the country from 2020 to June 30, 2021.

The state-run firm said it “is working double time to process the remaining 12% amounting to P25.6 B which are in varying levels of pro-

cessing in its offices.”

It said that some 8% of total claims received were returned to hospitals (RTH) for compliance with identified deficiencies while 3% were denied due to non-compliance and various violations of existing rules and regulations.

Of the total claims received during the said period, the state health insurer said almost 10 million claims were from accredited private hospitals, of which, 8.2 million or 82% amounting to almost P96 billion have been paid while over 892,000 claims amounting to P14.4 billion are still under process.

“The Corporation would like to clarify that the P6.3 billion paid to 206 hospitals as claimed by the PHAPi in recent news reports refer to the partial payments made by PhilHealth under the Debit-Credit Payment Method (DCPM) for hospitals with COVID cases in IATF identified critical areas during the initial phase of implementation,” the PhilHealth said.

The seeming discrepancy in figures between PhilHealth and the hospitals may be due in large part to differences in accounting treatments, it said.

“During the claims data

by higher sales from Petron Corp., up by 14%, SMC Global Power by 5%, SMC Infrastructure by 27%, and San Miguel Food and Beverage by 20%.”

Likewise, operating income surged by 309% to P61.0 billion, “brought about by improved margins, effective company-wide cost savings initiatives, and continuous improvements in operational efficiencies.”

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) stood at P80.7 billion, up 91% yearon-year from P42.2 billion.

“While there is no doubt that the uncertainties

brought about by the pandemic will continue to have an impact on our businesses, our strong performance in the first half reflects the effectiveness of the strategies we’ve put in place and our ability to quickly adapt to the evolving needs of our consumers,” said SMC president Ramon Ang. “Vaccinating our employees against COVID-19 is a crucial part of our strategy for sustainable long-term recovery. With the arrival of our company-procured vaccines-enough to cover over 70,000 in our network--our nationwide vaccination drive is now in full gear. We now have 15

operational vaccination sites all over the country, with a remaining two more set to open. Our goal is to reach herd immunity at all our facilities so we can better perform our jobs, sustain our performance, and contribute to economic recovery,” Ang said.

The SMC chief said the re-imposition of a lockdown for two weeks is an opportunity for the company to respond in terms of immediate relief for disadvantaged communities, supply much-needed essential goods and services, and help protect the country’s social and economic gains in the continuing fight against the pandemic.

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On various local and overseas groups manifested their support for Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio by forming “Sara All Philippines 2022”:

The number is growing everyday. Just recently, the Karancho Motorcycles Association manifested their support nationwide. The group of Philippine National Police (PNP) and retirees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines also manifested their support to Mayor Sara,” said Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, a staunch Duterte ally and co-convenor for “Sara All Philippines 2022.”

Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang

EDITORIAL Needed rest for Mt. Apo The good news for Mt. Apo National Park, a protected area, is that authorities have approved an annual threemonth ban om climbing of the country’s highest peak starting next year.

The off-season declaration is contained in a resolution approved recently by the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB). The PAMB en banc approved Resolution No. 6 last July 28, 2021 setting the three-month ban on trekking after a series of meetings attended by the Department Environement and Natural Resources (DENR).

The resolution scheduled the off-season for trekking activities in June, July and August every year starting 2022.

The prohibited period will give way to the rehabilitation, improvement of public services, disaster risk prevention, biodiversity preservation and strengthening of

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While the PAMB resolution covers only Mt. Apo trails in the Davao Region (Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur and Davao City), the trails in Kidapawan, Makilala and Magpet, North Cotabato are covered by another government directive.

This off-season edicts augur well for the well-being of Mt. Apo as a national park and as a protected area.

What is needed now is a strict implementation of the directive in order for the ultimate goal of caring for this top tourist destination to be really protected from irresponsible climbers whose wanton disregard of regulations is truly despicable.

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

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

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law enforocement mechanisms, the DENR-Davao Region stated in a press release.

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VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us.

And the world will live as one.” ― John Lennon ***

Hope springs eternal, so goes a saying. “Hope itself is like a star – not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity,” said English Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Martin Luther King, Jr. also stated, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.”

“We dream to give ourselves hope,” Amy Tan wrote in The Hundred Secret Senses. “To stop dreaming – well, that’s like saying you can never change your fate.”

Pittacus Lore, the story writer of I Am Number Four, reminded us: “When you have

lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope.”

American historian and playwright Howard Zinn penned: “To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.”

He continued: “What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places— and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

Zinn further said: “And if we do act, however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.

The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live

now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

This reminds me of a story shared by Willi Hoffseummer in 1000 Stories You Can Use: In one corner of the world squatted a sullen, sulking, chilly, friendless darkness.

Suddenly, a tiny light appeared in a forsaken corner. It was small, but it was a light. Someone had put it there. It just stood there and radiated.

A passerby remarked, “Don’t you think you would be more useful somewhere else and not in this forsaken corner?”

“Why?” asked the little light. “I shine because I am a light. And because I shine, I am a light. I don’t shine in order to be seen. No. I shine because it gives me joy to shine, and to be a light.”

But when the gloomy darkness heard this, it gritted its teeth and full of fury tried to put the light out. But the gigantic darkness was powerless against this tiny light.

“When you think everything is hopeless, a little ray of light comes from somewhere,” said an inscription in an old inn in St. Mortiz in Switzerland.

Martin Luther King, Jr. himself said: “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

In Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Laini Taylor wrote: “Hope can be a powerful force.

Maybe there’s no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic.”

A long, long time ago, there lived a very old man in North China. His house faced south and right in front of his door stood the two gigantic peaks of Taihung and Wangwu. They blocked his way to the south.

So he sat down with his sons and made a solemn promise and then got out of his home.

They made up their minds to hack away those two mountains.

A neighbor saw them set to work and shook his head.

“How stupid can one get?” he

screamed. “It’s absolutely impossible for you to carry away these mighty mountains.”

The old man smiled and said, “Well, when we die, my sons will carry on the work.

When they die, my grandsons will continue it. Yes, the mountains are high but they won’t get any higher. But our strength can still grow. With every bit of earth that we carry away we come closer to our goal. It is better to do something, than just sit around and complain that those mountains keep out the sunlight.”

And with complete conviction, the old man kept on digging. God saw it and was moved to send two of His messengers to earth. They lifted the two mountains onto their shoulders and carried them off.

American president Barack Obama once said: “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

ARABIC, MALAY LOAN-WORDS Dr. Jose P. Rizal has been honored with the sobriquet as ‘the pride of the Malay race,’ an appellation that declares him an ethnic Malay. There is, however, a biosphere of difference between ‘Malay race’ and ‘Malay world.’ Although scholars have contributed their own interpretations into the debate, the use of Malay, about a race, language, and territory, has also been influenced by the way colonists understood the term.

The Malays, as a race, refer to the people living on the eastern side of Sumatra, Indonesia, those that live on the littorals of Borneo, settlers of Malaysian peninsula, and the inhabitants of southern Thailand.

They were bound, centuries ago, by a common language known as Malay. For clarity, historian and orthographers have grouped other adjacent

territories as part of what is defined as the Malay region and labeled the collection as the Malay world.

Malay, historically, was one of the trade languages of precolonial southeast Asian world, alongside with Javanese and Sanskrit (Hindu), before the Spaniards colonized the country. An example of this was Enrique, the slave from Malacca Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan used in communicating with the Cebuanos.

The Malay words that have penetrated the Filipino language have interesting similarities, such as English ‘brain,’ translated to Filipino as ‘utak’ and Malay, ‘otak.’ Other loanwords with similar spelling and meaning include the following: debt (utang), five (lima), goat (kambing), garlic (bawang), open (buka or bukas), baby’s underclothes (lampin),

eyes (mata), sky (langit), child (anak), duck (itik), plate (pinggan), house (balay), scissors (gunting), and road (dalan).

There are also Filipino-Malay words with phonological sameness but spelled with slight variations. Among the popular ones are ‘umbrella’ (payong in Filipino; payung in Malay), bronze cannon (lantaka, rentaka), island (pulo, pulau), sea (laot, laut), fort (kuta, kota), thousand (libo, libu), face (mukha, muka), bowl (mangkok, mangkuk), elbow (siko, siku), pig (baboy, babi), front (harapan, hadapan), stone (bato, batu), and small cat (kuting, kuching).

There are, however, variations, in the way foreign words are adopted or interpreted. In Malay, atip means roof, like in Filipino but evolved into atop in Visayan. In Cebuano, lantay refers to a bamboo bed but in

Malay, lantai means floor (as in building story).

Some Pinoy terms, like pinggan (bowl), salawal (trousers), and salamat (thank you), originally came from Persian, translated to pingan, sarwaal, and salamah, respectively. Even the Cebuano word pangadyi (pray) comes from the Persian hajji (pilgrim).

In ‘Texts and Manuscripts: Description and Research’ (2010), I. Donoso Jimenez explained that the entry of Arabic via Spain and the Malaysia-Indonesian conduit connected ‘both edges of the Islamic World,’ citing a few familiar loan-words that now form part of the Filipino dialogue: ‘Arabic words were introduced to the Philippines directly or through Malay, but also through Spanish too, i.e., alahas (alhaja, al-haja), alkalde (alcalde, al-qadi), alkampor

(alcanfor, al-kanfur), alkansiya (alcancia, al-kansiyya), aldaba (aldaba, al-dabba), almires (almirez, al-mihras), baryo (barrio, al-barri), kapre (capre, kafir), kisame (zaquizame, saaf fassami).

Other interesting words found in Tagalog (Filipino) and Visayan with Arabic provenance include ginger tea (salabat, non-alcoholic drink), judgment (hukom, hukm), liquor (alak, araq), talisman (agimat, azimah), and teacher (malim, mu-allim).

Beyond Arabic, Spanish, and Malay, the country, also via the Malaysia-Indonesian channels, has adopted Sanskrit, Javanese, and Chinese loan-words introduced by or through foreign merchants, migrants, product labels, traditions and practices, religious beliefs, written literatures, and daily conversations.

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FAMIChicky (originally called ‘Famichiki’ in Japan) has finally arrived in the country, thanks to FamilyMart Philippines, which has made available the famed konbini (convenience store) snack in Luzon stores starting today, August 6.

“We’re so glad and excited to finally bring in this Japan favorite. Filipinos can now delight in this wellloved chicken treat, whether at home or wherever they are keeping safe,” said Celina Matias, General Manager of FamilyMart Philippines. “It’s a delicious, easy-to-consume snack wherever you are,” she added.

Launched on the same day that Enhanced Community Quarantine is re-instated in NCR Plus and other parts of the country, the FamiChicky is available across FamilyMart stores for take-out and delivery via GrabMart. Retailing for P85 each, the boneless fried chicken comes with a sauce of the customer’s liking—whether gravy, buffalo, hickory barbecue, honey barbecue, and honey glaze--offered solely in the country.

Aside from the FamiChicky, a bite-size variation called ChickyPops has also been introduced. Available in Original and Spicy, a box of 6 pcs goes for P75.00.

The Famichiki is considered a classic treat for locals in Japan. Over the years, it has been given different limited-edition iterations, including a burger version, and one spiced with gochujang.

Meanwhile, FamilyMart Philippines has been actively expanding its food and beverage selection.

Just last week, it introduced its very own iced caramel macchiato drink.

FAMICHICKY

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ENVIRONMENT

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SCIENCE DEPARTMENT PUTS WATER

AS MAJOR PRIORITY PROGRAM Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

he Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is putting water resource management as one of major priorities in their research and development (R&D) programs through partnership with both public and private sectors, said Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña during a virtual forum on ensuring water sustainability.

“We (DOST) have been able to contribute to the development and application of technology and systems that could help to improve our water resources management in the country,’’ said Sec. de la Peña in a forum that was held via DOST-Science for Change Program Facebook Page.

For one, the DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) is collaborating with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) in monitoring the conditions of the country’s water resources.

The NWRB is an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources responsible for ensuring the exploitation, utilization, development, conservation, and protection of the country’s water resources.

Through the Climate Re-

silient Initiative, both agencies provide scientific information on planning, critical infrastructure, particularly concerning climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction programs.

The automated real-time monitoring system (ARMS), which the Mapua University developed, provides sensors to the NWRB for all its water resources development and management activities, access to real-time data on water levels and as a decision support tool for the daily management of the reservoirs.

Installed sensor loads are now helping transmit real-time data in weather stations in Ambuklao Dam, Apuna Dam, Pitikan Dam, Bobok Dam, Toyongan Dam, Badayan Dam, San Roque Dam, and Filex Dam. For another, DOST regional offices with local agencies and local government units are likewise

addressing this concern, according to Sec. de la Peña.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region and MIMAROPA (composed of Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan), for instance, solar-powered pumps were installed in areas that are beyond reach of power lines. Such initiative aims to supply the domestic needs for livestock production and irrigation.

In Region X, DOST is piloting a vertical helophyte filter system that filters pollutants in wastewater so that they can be recycled.

East Manila is chosen as pilot area for a forecasting model for complex water supply systems, which was developed through the DOST’s program called Collaborative Research and Development to Leverage Philippine Economy (CRADLE).

The Ramon Magsaysay recipient Asian Institute of Management (AIM) serves as its collaborator.

“We hope and foresee that shortly with the appropriate policies and management systems and technologies, we will be able to secure sustainable water management and sanitation for the benefit of all Filipinos,” Sec. de la Peña stressed.

In the same forum, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara also shared the water sustainability landscape in the country.

“Water can be easily thought of as an abundant resource, however, according to the World Wildlife Organization, only 3% of countries’ water is freshwater that is suited for human use and consumption,” said Dr. Guevara, who is the undersecretary for research and development.

According to the DOST undersecretary, it is imperative to maximize the use of water and consider its accessibility for everyone.

In the Philippines, Filipinos used only 6% of the available water, almost 4.5 times lower in terms of utilization compared to other countries like Chinese-Taipei and Japan.

Recognizing this urgent need, the science department initiated some programs and projects related to water resources management.

In her presentation, Dr. Guevara also shared some of the department’s supported projects which have contributed significantly in ensuring water sustainability through science, technology, and innovation.

The DOST has deployed technologies that address water concerns in areas with high socio-economic importance. She cited the integrated system for monitoring water quality of Manila Bay as an example.

In Laguna Lake, the researchers are optimizing methodologies to deter-

mine organic compounds and heavy metals for better water quality management particularly in the aquaculture sector. In Boracay, a science-based guideline for water resource assessment in a tourist island was also developed.

There are also DOST-supported R&D projects that focus on the development of water technologies to improve crop, animal, and fisheries production, according to Dr. Guevara.

Among the initiatives is the drift irrigation technology for onion, peanut, garlic, and sugarcane.

“Water is a very valuable resource that greatly affects the quality of life of all and its use should be managed well for sustainability,” wrote Allan Mauro V. Marfal in a press statement.

Marfal cited a 2018 report of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) which said that 12.32% out of 22.7 million households have no access to safe water supply, mostly from the indigenous and remote communities.

There is also that concern on water sanitation, which rises every rainy and typhoon season.

Currently, the water demands – and shortages – of many cities throughout the country are expanding. In a study done by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, nine major cities were listed as “water-critical

areas.” These were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Angeles, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

“The rapid urbanization of the Philippines, with more than 2 million being added to the urban population annually, is having a major impact on water resources,” notes the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its Asian Water Development Outlook some years back.

In Metro Manila, for instance, residents often complain of lack of water during the summer months. In some parts of the metropolis, the water supply situation reaches a vulnerable state that the little amount of water some residents get is not enough even for emergency purposes like cooking and drinking.

Aside from rapid population growth, the water crisis in the Philippines can also be traced to degradation of the environment and pollution. According to an ADB study, only about 33 percent of river systems are classified as suitable public water supply sources, and up to 58 percent of groundwater is contaminated.

Of the 457 water bodies classified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), only 51 percent meet the 1996 water quality standards. Sixteen rivers are considered biologically dead during dry

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clarified that presently, the said policy has not yet been discussed.

“As of the moment hindi pa po sya napag-uusapan.

Kinahanglan pa sab og thorough analysis kung epektibo ba sya nga lakang. It’s a very complicated ug aggressive nga lakang since wala pata ka 50 percent (vaccination rollout),” Schlosser said via DCDR. Schossler challenged a netizen who claimed that there were establishments already asking for vaccination cards as part of the entry requirements to validate the claim.

“Kung naa mga claims nga ingon ana we have to make sure it is properly investigated kasi when you claim like that mura syag matagak og tsismis kung walay proper validation and

proper investigation. We will help in fixing the issue. Need jud nato tamang impormasyon para sa katawhan for us to avoid confusion and unnecessary panic,” she said.

Schlosser also appealed to the media to be responsible in reporting information so as not to sow anxiety and confusion among Dabawenyos. She also urged the media to help the city in allaying the worries and fears of the Dabawenyos.

“Nagahangyo ko sa atong mga media friends that we have been very responsible in giving information og guide sa atong katawhan. Ang atoang tumong, you and I, our media friends, is to serve our people labi na atong kapwa Dabawenyo. Instead mohatag ta og kaguol, mohatag ta og encouragement,” she said.

Apoga and employees of Alcantara and Sons, a logging concession due to misunderstanding of logging activities in Talaingod.

The incident resulted in serious injuries to some employees of Alacantara and Sons wherein Andil escaped and hid in the forested area of Talaingod, and stayed with his relatives living in the far-flung sitios for several years.

Sometime in 2002, Andil joined the NPA while he was hiding and had served 12 years in the armed struggle until he decided to live in UCCP Haran together with his family.

Andil personally met and had a dialogue with Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib at the latter’s Tahanan, Capitol Compound in Mankilam, Tagum City before he finally returned to Talaingod.

Andil also revealed to Jubahib the plans of the remaining IPs inside UCCP Haran to go out anytime soon.

Jubahib, meanwhile, offered Andil a livelihood sup-

port as he went back to his homeland. The governor also promised to give honorarium, employment to his children, and motorcycles among others.

Meanwhile, PRO 11 director Brig. Gen. Filmore Escobal emphasized that despite Andil’s decision to return to his ancestral land, he should still face the cases filed against him in court and let the authorities decide on the extent of his liability to the people and the country.

“Despite his successful homecoming to Talaingod , he is still bound to face the charges against him through a warrant of arrest issued by now retired Judge Danilo Belo, Presiding Judge, Br 31, RTC, Tagum City for Double Attempted Murder issued Sept 1, 2011,” Escobal said.

According to PRO 11 spokesperson Major Eudisan Gultiano, Andil posted P120,000 bond and was released on Thursday (August 5) after the service of a warrant of arrest on Wednesday.

gious disease is a ground for termination of employment.

For the municipal government workers who will refuse COVID-19 vaccination because their religion “would not allow it,” Bendita advised them to stop reporting to work until the pandemic is controlled.

The “no work-no pay” policy will be applied to them, he said.

The local government is trying to prevent the spread

of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, by promoting vaccination among its constituents, Bendita said.

Arthur Condes, acting information officer of the Department of the Interior and Local Government – Region 12 (DILG-12), said the agency is aware of the situation in the Surallah LGU through local media reports.

non-monetary interventions to ease supply constraints remain crucial in tempering inflation pressures,” he added.

Diokno said the latest inflation report and the second-quarter gross domestic product report, which

the Philippine Statistics Authority is scheduled to release on Aug. 10, will be among the factors that will be assessed by the central bank’s policy-making Monetary Board during its rate setting meet on Aug. 12.

(PNA)

reconciliation meetings with a number of hospitals, it was noted that hospitals have been including denied and returned-to-hospital claims in their accounts re-

ceivables while PhilHealth recognizes only good claims as its payables pursuant to prevailing government accounting rules and regulations,” it said.

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how serious the city is in apprehending people falsely representing their health status and in protecting the public from any harm caused by these people who falsely represent themselves in the time of the pandemic.

“Wala nasayang ang hago sa atong personnel nga na-assign sa airport, ang atong kapulisan na nagtabang sa atoa pag file sa kaso, ug ang City Government pud na represented sa PSSCC na nag file ug kaso, nagpasalamat ta na nagiging victorious ta aning violators of Republic Act 11332 kay ngano man may mga health concern man gud ni sya, at least tinuod ning atoang pag file ug kaso sa atong mga violator (The efforts of our personnel and the police primarily assigned at the

airport were not wasted and the City Government was represented by PSSCC which helped filed the case.

We are thankful that we are victorious against violators of Republic Act 11332 because these involve health concerns. At least we can attest that we really push the filing of cases against these violators),” he said.

Sumagaysay said that while the penalty imposed was not heavy, it will “appear as a remark on his police clearance, National Bureau of Investigation and court clearance.”

Sumagaysay also commended the verifiers, City Tourism Office through the leadership of Generose Tecson, the Sasa Police Station which prepared documents for the LGU. CIO

“Habang nakakatulong sila sa laban kontra COVID-19, matutulungan rin natin ang mga contact tracers na maitawid ang kanilang mga pamilya laban sa gutom at kahirapan,” Go added.

Contact tracers conduct case interviews and risk assessments, monitor close and general contacts daily for at least 14 days, and preserve accurate records of those contacts in addition to detecting suspect, probable, and proven COVID-19 cases.

“Marami po sa ating mga kababayan ang gustong tumulong. Pwede silang maging contact tracers kung bibigyan sila ng karampatang training at kompensasyon, bilang kabuhayan na rin sa mga nawalan ng trabaho,” he said.

The government estimates that hiring and engaging 15,000 contact tracers from August 2 to December 31 will cost almost 1.7 billion pesos. Such number of contact tracers is expected to meet the Department of

Health’s required contact tracer-to-individual ratio.

Notably, the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases has agreed to put NCR on ECQ from August 6 to August 20 to combat the spread of the Delta variant. With this, Go has also called for the continuous expansion of healthcare facilities, speedier vaccination rollout, increased contact tracing and genome sequencing, in addition to stricter community quarantine and border control measures.

“Maliban sa istriktong community quarantine guidelines, mas paigtingin din natin ang border control at travel restrictions sa bansang maraming kaso ng Delta variant. Hinihimok ko rin ang pamahalaan na mas palakasin pa ang contact tracing at genome sequencing sa bansa,” said Go. “Patuloy din nating dagdagan ang kapasidad ng mga healthcare facilities at, higit sa lahat, mas pabilisin ang pagbabakuna,” he added.

eral Community Quarantine (MGCQ) in June this year.

“We also notified yung mga dating naisyuhan ng acknowledgment letters na cancelled lahat because

MGCQ tayo at that time and then hanggang ngayon walang inisyu na acknowledgement letters ang ating office. Our event organizers know this,” she said.

cycle lanes in the city streets was pursuant to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular enjoining all local government

units to establish a network of cycling lanes and walking paths to support people’s mobility during this time of pandemic. By Maya M. Padillo

“The men and women of the PAF celebrate this historic event as Marcial brought the third Olympic boxing medal for the country,” Paredes said.

Marcial’s Olympic stint ended on Thursday afternoon after falling to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak who won via split decision at the semifinal round of the men’s middleweight event at the Kokugikan Arena in the Japanese capital.

The Philippines is now assured of four Olympic medals, following the gold medal win of Marcial’s

fellow Air Force member Hidilyn Diaz in the women’s 55-kg. weightlifting event and a silver medal from Nesthy Petecio who lost to Japan’s Sena Irie in the final round of the women’s flyweight division.

Another Filipino boxer Carlo Paalam is now assured of a silver medal after defeating Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the semi-finals of the men’s flyweight event.

He will try to clinch another gold medal for the Philippines as he faces Galal Yafai of Great Britain in the final round set on Saturday.

(PNA)

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In addition, wasteful and inefficient use of water, saltwater intrusion, high non-revenue water levels due to leaks and illegal connections, and denudation of forest cover, are placing major strains on water resources. “Combined with growing population pressures, it is becoming more difficult to provide basic water services,” the ADB study surmised.

Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project, believes water problems will be right there with climate change as a threat to the human future.

More importantly, higher global temperatures will worsen the current water problems.

“Although the two are related, water has no substitutes. We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources.

But there is no transitioning away from water to something else,” said the head of the group that seeks to save fresh water.

The majority of the world’s water is used for agriculture or food production. The Virtual Water App (http://virtualwater.eu/) is a quick way to learn how much water is used in the production of beef (4,650 liters of water for 300 grams of beef steak) and chocolates (2,400 liters per 100 grams of chocolate). It takes 1,000 tons of water to grow one ton of rice grain.

“Water is the most precious asset on Earth,” points out Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project.

“It is the basis of life.”

“As water is an absolutely vital resource, at the center of life itself, it is a key integrating factor in the environment. Without sustainable water management to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of clean, safe water, the health of ecosystems and those who depend on them, especially people, suffer,” said Dr. Klaus Toepfer, during his term as ex-

ecutive director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program.

Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A household of five needs at least 120 liters per day to meet basic needs – for drinking, food preparation, cooking and cleaning up, washing and personal hygiene, laundry, house cleaning, according to the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental group.

A person needs at least 24 liters of water daily or one liter per hour. Even when he breathes, he still needs water. “Our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide,” wrote Leroy Perry in a Reader’s Digest article.

“It is possible to lose half a liter of liquid each day just by exhaling.”

Only 2.5 percent of the water that covers over 70 percent of the earth’s surface is considered fresh water. And only 1.3 percent is available for human use since most of the freshwater is trapped in glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas. Fresh water is drawn either from wells (tapping underground sources called aquifers) or from surface flows (like lakes, rivers, and man-made reservoirs).

“There is no more water on earth now than there was 2,000 years ago,” notes the US National Wildlife Federation, which has been working for years to protect water resources not only in the United States but throughout the world as well. “This limited supply of freshwater must meet the needs of a human population that has tripled in the last century and continues to grow at almost 80 million people per year.”

“Whiskey’s for drinkin’,” American author Mark Twain once wrote. “But water is for fightin’ over.” Sir Crispin Tickell, one of the organizers of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, agreed: “The world has got a very big water problem.

It will be the progenitor of more wars than oil.”

Andanar said he is one with Filipinos in praying for Palaam’s victory against Great Britain’s Galal Yafai on Saturday to bring home the country’s second gold medal.

“Lahat ng Pilipino ay sumusuporta sa iyo at nagdarasal na makamit mo ang pangalawang ginto ng ating bansa (All Filipinos are supporting you and praying that you get the second medal of our country),” he added.

Meanwhile, he thanked Marcial for getting the country’s second medal in boxing after Nesthy Petecio’s silver in women’s featherweight and the third overall for the Philippines after Hidilyn Diaz’s historic gold medal in women’s weightlifting.

“The whole Filipino nation is very proud of Eumir Marcial for his outstanding performance in the Men’s Middleweight Boxing competition that brought us our first Bronze Medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games,” he said.

He expressed hope that Marcial’s bronze medal would motivate other Filipino boxers and athletes to work hard to achieve their dreams.

“May your success further inspire aspiring Filipino boxers and athletes. The nation eagerly awaits your return here in the Philippines.

Mabuhay ka (Long live), Eumir! We are all proud of you,” he added. (PNA)

pathetic judging that are usually accorded hometown bets. And he did, as Paalam pulled off a clinical 5-0 unanimous decision win to enter the gold-medal showdown against the Brit.

“I played the best match ever so I don’t regret anything,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “I don’t feel I lost because the opponent was very good; I just lost to myself.”

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Cagayan de Oro’s Carlo Paalam will gun for the gold on Saturday.

Paalam shoots for gold T

OKYO – Carlo Paalam shoots for gold and glory when he fights Great Britain’s Galal Yafai in the men’s flyweight boxing finals of the Summer Olympic Games at the Kokugikan Arena here on Saturday. Paalam’s date with history is at 1 p.m. (Philippine time).

On Thursday, Paalam barged into the fight for the gold after hurdling Japanese Ryomie Tanaka via a

unanimous decision win, assuring the gold medalist of the 2017 President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakh-

stan a silver the pandemic games.

Paalam tries to upgrade the color of his medal against Yafai, Britain’s reigning Best Boxer awardee and the champion of the 2018 Golden Belt in Iasi, Romania.

“Hinihiling ko lang po sa kapwa ko Pilipino na ipagdasal ako. Gagawin ko ang best ko, kasi hindi ko naman hawak ‘yung de-

sisyon, tsaka ‘yung kalaban ko kasi magaling din. Tiwala lang sa sarili. Sana ibigay na sa atin ng Panginoon,” said Paalam.

Paalam’s guaranteed silver is the third medal of the boxing team in these games, counting the silver of featherweight Nesthy Petecio and the bronze of middleweight Eumir Marcial, who also on Thursday, dropped a close split

Air Force chief hails Marcial for Olympic bronze win P

Eumir Marcial’s Olympic stint ended on Thursday afternoon after falling to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak who won via split decision at the semi-final round of the men’s middleweight event at the Kokugikan Arena in the Japanese capital.

hilippine Air Force (PAF) commander Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes congratulated Airman First Class (A1C) Eumir Marcial who won the bronze medal in the men’s boxing middleweight division at the Tokyo Olympics.

“A1C Marcial remarkably exemplifies Diwa, Galing at Malasakit of the PAF Airmen.

Congratulations, Airman First Class Eumir Marcial PAF!” he said in a statement on Thursday night.

Marcial, who hails from Zamboanga, entered the PAF in 2013 and is an organic personnel of PAF Civil Military Operations Group.

In 2019, Marcial brought home the silver medal in the men’s middleweight (75-kg.) category at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Ekatarinburg, Russia.

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decision loss to Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine.

Paalam has been nothing short of phenomenal in the Olympiad. After defeating Ireland’s Brendan Irvine, 4-1, in his opening bout, Paalam was even more impressive in his next two.

He hammered a unanimous decision win against Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi, before eliminating reign-

B

ianca Pagdanganan and Yuka Saso slipped in the race for medals in the second round highlighted by the sizzling play of Nelly Korda in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics women’s golf championship at the Kasumigaseki Country Club on Thursday.

Pagdanganan had an even par 71 for the day to slip from joint seventh to a share of 27th at 140.

Saso had a three-under 68 after an opening 74, is still at the bottom half of the 60-female field at 34th with a 142 total.

The chances of the Filipina golfers to capture a medal will now rest not just on their play but also the weather.

There are reports the women’s golf tournament could be slashed to three

ing Olympic champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan via the same emphatic 5-0 fashion to move into the semifinals against the Japanese, who on Tuesday won a 4-1 verdict in what looked like a lost bout against Rivas Martinez of Colombia.

The 23-year-old Paalam had to beat Tanaka convincingly just to avoid the sym-

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rounds due to the weather forecast, with heavy rain expected due to an approaching tropical storm. The Associated Press said the players have already been informed of the possibility that the competition will become a 54-hole event.

Korda had an eagle-aided nine-under par for the day – a 62 that could have been better if not for a double bogey in the 18th hole.

The American golfer holds the lead with a 13-under 129, four shots ahead of Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark, Aditi Ashok of India, and Emily Pedersen of Denmark.

The world No. 1 eagled the par 4 sixth hole, and had three-birdie streaks from the seventh and again from the 12th.

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Eumir Marcial (left) and Carlo Paalam (right).

INSPIRATION

Paalam, Marcial ‘inspiration’ to youth: Palace

M

alacañang praised Filipino boxers Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial for their respective feats at the Tokyo Olympics, describing them both as “inspirations” for the youth to emulate.

Paalam moved to within one win from giving the Philippines its second gold after beating Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka in the men’s boxing flyweight semifinals at the Kokugikan Arena on Thursday.

On the other hand, Marcial lost to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak via split decision, 2-3, and settled for a bronze medal in the men’s middleweight class.

“We join the entire Filipino nation in celebrating the victory of Carlo Paalam in today’s men’s flyweight boxing semifinals. We are likewise proud of Eumir Marcial for his bronze medal finish in men’s middleweight boxing,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

He said both Filipino boxers brought “pride and honor” to the country.

“They truly serve as inspiration for our people, especially the youth, to emulate. Mabuhay ang atletang Pilipino (Long live the Filipino athletes),” he added.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar lauded Paalam, noting that the Philippines has already secured multiple medals for the first time since the Los Angeles 1932 Games.

“With your win today, we have already achieved our best performance yet in the history of our participation in the Olympics,” he said in a separate statement.

FINSPIRATION, P10