Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 149 | Tuesday, September 7, 2021

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

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TO ECQ OR NOT? No expected ECQ status for Davao City, Sara consults health group STORY ON PAGE 2

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio says the city government is not expecting the Covid-19 Task Force to request that the city to be placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) despite the increasing cases of Covid-19. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

Officials of the medical doctors’group in Bukidnon push for a month-long Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to stop the surge of Covid-19. As of August 24, the Department of Health – Region 10 (DOH-10) reported that five areas in Bukidnon breached the ADAR (Average Daily Attack Rate) 20 category, which are considered in“critical risk”

led by Malaybalay City with 27.66, Quezon with 25.30, Manolo Fortich with 24.40, Maramag with 20.78 and Valencia City with 20.40. Edge Davao

TO ECQ OR NOT? P

PNP intensifies drive vs. loose firearms

No expected ECQ status for Davao City, Sara consults health group

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Monday that there is no Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) classification expected for Davao City despite the surge of Covid-19 cases.

“Wala ta’y expectation sa ingon ana (ECQ) sa Covid-19 Task Force.

Naghatag na ug IATF Resolution No. 136 that Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Occidental will be under GCQ with heightened restrictions,” Mayor Sara said on Monday.

Mayor Sara disclosed that it was recommended by the health group of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force to place the city under ECQ, however, she asked the group to look into the number of cases and see if the city pass the criteria for an ECQ status of

the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF).

“Ang health group nag-recommend sila for an ECQ but we told them na they must look into the criteria of the IATF kung musulod ba ang atoang numbers for an ECQ,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara reiterated that the management of Covid-19 cases in Davao City is still the same: test, trace, quarantine/isolate, and treat.

“Ang action plan for

Covid-19 is the same is we need to do testing, isolate or quarantine, medical care.

Testing, tracing, quarantining, treatment. Dili na siya nagabag-o,” she said.

Based on the provincial distribution of cases as of September 5, 2021, Davao City logged 6,712 active cases compared to Davao del Norte with 1,790 cases, Davao del Sur with 3,146 cases, Davao de Oro with 570 cases, Davao Oriental with 1,289 cases, and Davao

FTO ECQ, P10

hilippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T Eleazar ordered on Sunday (September 5) all chiefs of police and other area commanders to intensify the accounting of all loose firearms in their respective areas of responsibility.

Eleazar said the aggressive campaign against loose firearms will complement a crackdown on all the private armed groups (PAGs), in preparation to ensure that both the goons and loose guns will not be used as instruments to sow violence in next year’s general elections.

He said he already instructed all chiefs of police and area commanders to intensify the campaign as part of the early preparation for a peaceful, honest and orderly conduct of elections next year.

“Kasama dito ang maigting na operasyon laban sa mga gun-running syndi-

cates at ang mga baril na matagal nang hindi nare-renew dahil maaari itong gamitin na instrumento ng karahasan upang ma-impluwensiyahan ang resulta ng Halalan 2022,” he added.

Eleazar said part of the campaign is for police units to encourage gun owners with expired licenses to renew the registration.

Records show that there are 664,480 firearms owned by private individuals with expired licenses as of second quarter of 2021.

He said the PNP intelligence community is currently validating reports on the number of loose firearms, especially those owned by criminal syndicates, communist rebel groups and other large threat groups.

The Chief PNP emphasized the need to prepare early for the election security in order to come up with strategies that would

uthorities arrested a barangay kagawad (village councilor) during a buy-bust operation at his residence in Purok 4, Barangay Camudmud, Babak District, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte on Friday night (September 3).

The suspect was identified by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 spokesman Noli Dimaandal as Allan Ajos Cuberos alias Allan, 51.

He said Cuberos is a barangay kagawad in Camudmud and also among the high-value targets of PDEA. Dimaandal said Cu-

beros was arrested around 7:50 p.m Friday after he sold a plastic sachet of suspected shabu to a poseur-buyer in exchange for a P6,000 bill used as marked money.

The operation also resulted in the confiscation of four transparent plastic sachets with suspected shabu weighing more or less one gram, drug paraphernalia, and the buybust marked money.

The suspect has been placed in the custody of PDEA Davao del Norte, while cases for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Dan-

Barangay kagawad nabbed in Samal Island drug bust

Docs push for month-long ECQ in Bukidnon to stop COVID-19 surge A

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total lockdown or Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), not granular lockdown, is the best remedy to stop the spread of the COVID-19 in Bukidnon, an official of the 350-member medical doctors’ group told MindaNews on Sunday.

Dr. Efren D. Villahermosa Jr, president of the Bukidnon Medical Society, a component society of the Philippine Medical Association, said at least a monthlong total lockdown is ideal

to control the surge.

“Without considering other factors, a one-month total lockdown is the answer,”Villahermosa said in an online interview, adding a two-week lockdown is “still risky.”

There is no other way to ensure the decline of cases, said Villahermosa, who chairs the Department of Surgery of the Bukidnon Provincial Medical Center (BPMC).

Last week, Roderico Bioco, chair of the Philippine

Red Cross (PRC) Bukidnon, called on officials to tighten the quarantine classification of the province from Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), saying its coronavirus disease infection level is already nearing “critical risk.”

Bukidnon has been under MGCQ since August 18.

Last Friday, Provincial board member Nemesio Beltran Jr. said the provincial government is unlikely to recom-

mend an ECQ or total lockdown due to the prospects of loss of jobs. He said granular lockdown is preferred because it only locks down selected areas.

Of the 1,228 new cases reported in Northern Mindanao on September 4, about 44% or 534 cases were in Bukidnon.

Villahermosa said granular lockdown will not stop people from moving from one locality to another and from getting infected.

FDOCS, P10

FPNP, P10

FBARANGAY, P10

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

NEWS

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Dr. Rachel Joy Pasion, head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) of DOH-Davao Region, affirms during a virtual presser on Monday that the clustering of Covid-19 cases in Barangay Buda, Marilog District was due to a religious gathering. Edge Davao

Davao Region logs its highest number of Covid-19 cases over the weekend Worker killed, another injured as Digos bridge due for demolition collapses

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60-year-old bridge in Digos City, Davao del Sur which was scheduled for demolition after it was damaged by previous earthquakes collapsed around 12 noon on Saturday, killing one person and injuring another, both workers of the project’s contractor, TSK Builders and Supply.

Dean Ortiz, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Davao Public Affairs and Information Officer, said on Sunday that the two-lane Ebreo Bridge, constructed in the 1960s and closed to vehicular traffic since May last year, was supposed to be demolished on Monday to give way to

the construction of a threeway lane bridge that would replace it.

He said there was ongoing excavation by the contractor “at Abutment A of the existing old bridge” in preparation for the board filing at the project site when the bridge collapsed.

In a report by DXDC RMN Davao, the Digos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) identified the casualty as Joyco Failma, 30, of Upper Panuntungan, Davao City, and the injured as Dexter Orapa, 37, of Santo Rosario, Digos City.

(Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

Getting nat’l ID starts with online sign-up

T

he Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has promoted the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) with a recent social media post on how to begin the process of acquiring the Philippine Identification (PhilID) card.

In a Facebook post on Aug. 21, DCPO posted the process for Step 1 online registration, as enumerated by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA): 1. Log in and register at philsy.gov.ph.

2. Fill out all the need-

ed information. Make sure you don’t miss out on any details.

3. Make sure that your contact/mobile number is active because the system will be sending you an OTP (one-time pin) code.

4. You will receive a message or email from PSA indicating the procedures for Step 2 (biometrics).

The PSA clarified that for now, the Step 1 online registration is available for Filipino residents only.

FGETTING, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

D

avao Region logged an unprecedented total of 1,123 newly confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the weekend, the region’s highest number of recorded cases.

“Yesterday (September 5, 2021) we recorded the highest number of new cases in the region which total to 1,123 newly confirmed cases. This means meron tayong ongoing transmission of Covid-19 in our locality,” said Dr. Raquel Montejo, chief of local health support division of Department of Health-Davao Region in a virtual presser on Monday.

Based on the Regional Situation Update on

Covid-19 in Davao Region as of September 05, 2021, DOH-Davao Center for Health Development reported a total number of Covid-19 active cases to 14,651.

Of the new 1,123 cases, 586 are from Davao City, 43 from Davao de Oro, 154 from Davao del Norte, 140 from Davao del Sur, 79 from Davao Occidental, and 121 from Davao Oriental.

There are 104 recoveries reported and among

these, 80 are from Davao City, and 24 from Davao Oriental. There are four death cases reported and among these, two are from Davao City, and two from Davao de Oro. With these cases, the region has 20.6 percent available ICU beds, 41.7 percent available Isolation beds, 25.9 percent available ward beds, and 66.3 percent available mechanical ventilators.

Montejo said this trend will continue if the public fails to follow the minimum health standard protocols.

She said public must strictly observe the protocols especially that Delta variant of Covid-19 is now detected in

the region.

“We are reiterating no single strategy can fight this problem. We would like to emphasize yung ating contact tracing, dapat within 24 hours dapat na-contact trace na lahat ng cases agad-agad ang close contacts ma-isolate and ma-quarantine.

Number 2, adherence sa minimum health standards to reduce the spread ng virus kung puwede sana avoid ang mass gathering, biyahe for leisure purposes or going out for non –essential transaction puwede nating ma-postpone,” she said.

Montejo also urged the public to get vaccinated.

is now coordinating and waiting for the report of the surveillance officers of Marilog District.

“Right now what we know is there was a clustering of cases there because of religious gathering. We are still have to verify the data,” she said.

Barangay Buda is one of the favorite destination among local travelers to eat and for leisure.

The city government of Davao placed Buda in a crit-

ical risk level among other barangays from September 6, 2021 to September 11, 2021 barangay classifications due to surge of cases of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Pasion confirmed that majority of cases in Davao Region are due to clustering of cases in the households.

“Wala pong katapusan ang ating clustering of cases in the household and bubble is because nakikita natin na because of

these VOCs (variant of concerns) as well mas paspas ang pag-transmit sa atong Covid-19 dili lang sa isa ka balay but also sa mga establishments,” she said.

Pasion added that DOHDavao also recorded a lot of clustering in one establishment wherein hundreds were tested positive.

“We could now really evaluate doon sa mga may nagpositive ano kaya yung mga breaches na kanilang

DOH exec blames religious gathering for clustering of cases in Bgy. Buda

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n official of Department of Health-Davao Region disclosed on Monday that the clustering of cases in Barangay Buda, Marilog District was due to a religious gathering.

“I came across a report that there was a gathering there of a religious group,” said Dr. Rachel Pasion, head of the Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit (RESU) of DOH-Davao Region, in a virtual presser.

Pasion said DOH-Davao

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

Philippine Airlines Inc. (PAL) announces it has filed for bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York as part of its restructuring plan. PAL said restructuring will not affect its passengers and employees. Edge Davao

Restructuring will not affect F passengers, employees: PAL

DOLE allows alien work permit request via PH-based employers

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made for recognition in the Philippines under the Financial Insolvency and Rehabilitation (FRIA) Act of 2010.

This plea, which requires a US court approval, would provide over USD2 billion payment reductions and other changes from the majority of lessors, lenders, and other creditors.

At least USD505 million infusion via equity and debt

will come from its majority shareholder.

PAL has arranged for USD150 million of additional debt financing from global private investors to facilitate post-restructuring activities.

The trade creditors and suppliers are expected to be unimpaired by the restructuring plan, PAL said, adding that passengers and employees will also be unaffected by the restructuring.

“PAL will continue to operate flights in the normal course of business in accordance with safety regula-

tions, and the company expects to continue to meet its current financial obligations throughout this process to employees, customers, the government, and its lessors, lenders, suppliers, and other creditors,” the statement read.

Business operations would continue as usual during restructuring.

As the carrier expects the US court’s approval of its plea, PAL will continue to gradually increase its domestic and international flight

can also gain Axie Infinity Shards (AXS).

“Sky Mavis, the developer of the online game Axie Infinity, is not licensed/ registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” the BSP said in an email interview.

According to the BSP, digital units of exchange used as in-game tokens such as the SLPs, are excluded from its scope under the Guidelines for Virtual Asset Service Providers and regulatory focus is on the exchange of fiat money to virtual assets.

“However, we’re also actively monitoring the level of merchant acceptance of

SLP as a form of payment for goods/services, which may fall within the activities of an Operator of Payment System,” the BSP said.

The central bank did not elaborate on the monitoring efforts being conducted, and if the firm qualifies as an OPS. The BSP defines an OPS as any person or business organization who provides clearing or settlement services in a payment system, or defines, prescribes, controls, or maintains the operational framework of the system.

Under the National Payment Systems Act (NPSA), the BSP is given oversight authority over all payment

systems in the Philippines, with supervisory and regulatory powers.

Moving forward, the BSP cautioned the public on dealing with virtual assets (VAs) such as non-fungible tokens, with an increasing number of individuals and institutions riding the digital wave.

“The price volatility associated with VAs presents enormous risks which might result in financial loss.

If you plan to engage in these play-to-earn online games, make sure that you are knowledgeable in the basics of how the game works and more importantly, how to secure your money,” it said.

lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said restructuring will not affect its passengers and employees.

The airline has voluntarily filed for a pre-arranged restructuring under the US Chapter 11 process in the Southern District of New York to implement the consensual restructuring plan.

A Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a company to stay in business and restructure its obligations.

In a statement, PAL said the parallel filing would be

FRESTRUCTURING, P10

oreign nationals who intend to work in the country for over six months may now apply for an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) or Certificate of Exemption/Exclusion (COE) through their Philippine-based employers.

“Essential foreign workers, through their Philippine-based employers, may now apply for AEP/COE and 9(g) work visas at their concerned DOLE regional offices before entering the country,” Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a news release on Sunday.

Bello earlier issued Labor Advisory No. 16, series of 2021, or the Issuance of AEP and COE for Foreign Nation-

als Intending to Come to the Philippines for Long-term Employment.

“Under the new guidelines, issuance of the work visa may be done at Philippine Consulate General at the foreign national’s place of origin and will no longer require an entry stamp from the Department of Foreign Affairs,” the advisory stated.

All documentary submissions for the AEP and COE shall still be based on earlier released guidelines (Joint Memorandum Circular No. 001, series of 2019 and Section 3 of Department Order No. 221, series of 2021), except for the copy of the valid visa which shall be submitted within 30 work-

FDOLE, P10

Axie Infinity operator not registered: BSP Fuel prices up for

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ky Mavis, which operates Axie Infinity, is not registered with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), even as transactions within the platform may fall under activities of operators of payment systems (OPS) which are regulated by the central bank.

Axie Infinity has been gaining traction due to its play-to-earn scheme, where players breed, battle, and trade digital pets called Axies.

Small Love Potions (SLPs) are then awarded to successful challengers, which users can either cash out or use to breed new Axies.

Users of the platform

2nd straight week

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ump prices of petroleum products will be hiked anew this week, marking the second consecutive week of increases.

In separate advisories, Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Seaoil Philippines Inc. said they will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P0.50, diesel by P0.95, and kerosene

by P0.60.

Cleanfuel and Petro Gazz will implement the same changes, excluding kerosene which they do not carry.

The changes will take

effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7, for all the firms except for Caltex which will implement the adjustments at 12:01 a.m., and Cleanfuel at 04:01 p.m. the same day.

Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week.

Latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE) show that yearto-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P12.85 per liter for gasoline, P9.95 per liter for diesel, and P8.10 per liter for kerosene as of August 31, 2021.

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

ECONOMY

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Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) aims to not only expand to China, but to serve Chinese food all over the world to drive growth, a goal it hopes to achieve by acquiring Michelin starred restaurant chain Tim Ho Wan. Edge Davao

DA-12, Kidapawan LGU open P6-M rice processing center to farmers T J Jollibee completes buyout of Tim Ho Wan

ollibee Foods Corporation (JFC) is aiming to not only expand to China, but to serve Chinese food all over the world to drive growth, a goal it hopes to achieve by acquiring Michelin starred restaurant chain Tim Ho Wan. Jollibee Worldwide, a unit of JFC’s, completed the acquisition of Hong Kong-based Tim Ho Wan last month by paying S$71.56 million (US$53.25 million) for a 15 per cent share that it did not yet own, to private-equity

fund Titan Dining, which held the restaurant’s master franchise. It now owns 100 per cent of Tim Ho Wan. “The Jollibee Group aims to build, as an important part of its portfolio, a significant business serving Chinese cuisine in different parts of the world. In line with plans to further expand operations in China, JFC entered into a joint venture agreement with the Tim Ho Wan Group to open and operate Tim Ho Wan restaurants in the mainland,” said a company spokesman.

he city government, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture–Region 12, has turned over a PHP6-million rice processing center to small-scale farmers here following a test run.

The project was a joint initiative with the DA-12, which allocated PHP4.6 million for the equipment and structure; while the city government earmarked PHP1.4 million for the electrical system of the facility.

Mayor Joseph Evangelista led the ceremonial switch-on of the machinery together with local

officials and representatives from the city agriculture office on Saturday afternoon in Barangay San Isidro.

“I am optimistic that this could really lessen the burden of farmers in maximizing their time output in a short period of time,” Evangelista said, adding the facility will cater to all rice farmers

through their respective associations from nearby villages.

Dionisio Wanal Sr., village chair of San Isidro and himself a farmer, expressed his gratitude to both DA-12 and the city government for pursuing the initiative despite the pandemic.

“This is proof that the government is continuously serving the people amid the crisis brought by the coronavirus disease 2019,” he said in the vernacular.

Rice processing includes the cleaning of har-

posing, or conveying in any manner, any related assets to ensure the preservation of the assets of the investors.

The order extends to R.L. Aggregates’ directors, namely Roberto S. Llorente, Jennylyn M. Clemente, Patricio B. De Villa, Carlo S. Mamaril and Alvin C. Camanero, its operators, officers, representatives, salesmen, agents including Ashley Reyes, Maya Gonzalez, Randy Dela Cruz and Kenneth Daniel Papa, and any and all persons claiming, acting, and operating for and in their behalf.

The SEC issued the order after finding that R.L. Aggregates has been enticing the public to invest in the company in exchange for guaranteed returns of 1% per day or 30% per month over a lock-in period of three months.

The scheme requires potential investors to invest or deposit an amount ranging from P1,000 to P500,000, with dividends to be paid out every 15th and 30th of the month.

With this, an investor with a capital of P1,000 will

supposedly earn P150 every 15 days, or a total of P1,900 after three months. Over the same period, those who invest P500,000 would receive a total of P950,000.

The scheme involves the sale and offer of securities to the public in the form of investment contracts, whereby a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect profits primarily from the efforts of others, according to the SEC. Section 8 of Republic Act No. 8799, or The Securities

vested palay (unhusked rice grains) from foreign objects like small stones and tree stumps, hulling, milling, polishing, grading, sorting, and packing into rice bags for delivery to markets.

The village farmers’ association will run the operation of the facility under the supervision of the city agriculture office.

It is expected to serve over 400 small-scale farmers in the villages of San Isidro, Gayola, San Roque, Katipunan, Sto Niño, Binoligan, Sikitan, and Paco. (PNA)

Regulation Code (SRC), provides that securities shall not be sold or offered for sale or distribution within the Philippines, without a registration statement duly filed with and approved by the SEC. R.L. Aggregates is registered with the Commission and holds a Certificate of Authority to operate as a lending company. However, it has never secured a secondary license to solicit investments from the public, as required under Sections 8 and 12 of the SRC.

SEC stops R.L. aggregates’ fraudulent deceitful investment scheme

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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has ordered R.L. Aggregates and Diversified Lending Group, Inc. to stop soliciting investments from the public through a fraudulent scheme that involves the use of falsified registration documents.

In an order issued July 27, the SEC ordered R.L. Aggregates to immediately cease and desist from engaging in the unauthorized solicitation, offer and/or sale of securities in the form of investment

contracts until the requisite registration statement is duly filed with and approved by the Commission.

The SEC further enjoined the company to cease its internet presence relating to the transactions and investment scheme covered by the order.

The company, along with its operators, directors, officers, representatives, salesmen, and agents, has likewise been prohibited from transacting any business involving funds in its depository banks, and from transferring, dis-

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

In reiterating that he is uninterested in running for the Presidency in the upcoming 2022 national elections:

As I have said numerous times, I leave my fate to God, to the Dutertes, and to the Filipino people.”

Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go

EDITORIAL The surge: A positive outlook A surge of new Covid-19 cases is being experienced on a daily basis all over the Philippines. The same is being experienced in the Davao Region where an average of 1,000 new cases are recorded daily in the first few days of September. Of this regional tally, more than 400 or close to one-half are recorded in Davao City everyday.

At the Southern Philippines Medical Center, which is the country’s biggest public hospital, Covid-19 patients in critical condition are queuing up to be admitted.

Some other effects of the dire situation included a number of Catholic churches like the Redemptorist Church, one of the city’s biggest, and some government offices like the Regional Trial Court and the City Assessor’s Office suspending services for several days.

SPMC’s Covid-19 ward with 448 beds and 92 ICU (intensive care unit) beds have been fully occupied, according to Dr. Ricardo Audan, SPMC chief. Dr. Audan remains unfazed as the monolithic medical center has not yet reached what he calls as the overspill situation of India and some parts of our country. Dr. Audan’s optimism also re-

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One positive aspect of the situation is the presence of the One Hospital Command Center whose concept empowers the Davao City government to assist private hospitals to expand their Covid-19 wards.

As to oxygen tanks, SPMC’s two large plants could only produce 875 tanks everyday. However the plants’ shortfall of 250 tanks are now being supplied by private makers.

Audan revealed one positive aspect of the surge – that majority of those infected in the current surge of are unvaccinated.

This simply means that people who are fully vaccinated are less likely to be infected or would be in critical condition if at all afflicted.

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

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

fers to the 44-bed modular hospital constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways which has been helping decongest SPMC’s emergency ward. Patients who could not be accommodated in SPMC are to be transferred to private hospitals or at the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City, second biggest public hospital in the Davao Region.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

WHY YOU NEED TO GIVE As a little boy growing up in poverty in Hong Kong, Chinese martial arts actor Jackie Chan lived in an orphanage. When he visited the Philippines, he told the press: “We received help from the Red Cross every month. One day, I went up to the priest from the Red Cross to say thank you. He said, ‘I’m just the deliverer. When you grow up, show your appreciation by giving to others.’”

Those words stuck in his mind. So much so that after he became a bankable actor, he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation in 1988. Its objectives include helping the elderly and movie workers injured on the job, and giving scholarships to poor children who wish to pursue careers in sciences or performing arts.

What the Chinese actor is doing reminds me of the words of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. “The gratification of wealth is not found in mere possession or in lavish expenditure, but in its wise application.”

English politician and writer Joseph Addison had the same opinion. “I have somewhere met with the epitaph on a charitable man which has pleased me very much,” he penned. “I cannot recollect the words, but here is the sense of it: What I spent I lost; what I possessed is left to others; what I gave away remains with me.”

This brings us to an anecdote

shared by Willie Hoffsuemmer. It goes this way: A rich man complained to his friend, “People don’t like me. They say I’m selfish and stingy. And yet in my last will and testament, I have donated all that I own to a charitable institution.”

His friend told him: “Well, maybe the story of the cow and pig has a lesson for you. The pig came to the cow and complained, ‘People always talk about your friendliness. Well, it’s true: you give them milk. But they get much, much more from me. They get ham and bacon and lard, and they even cook my feet. And yet – no one likes me… to all of them I am just a pig, a hog. Why is that?’

“The cow thought it over a bit and then said, ‘Perhaps it’s because I give milk while I am still alive.’”

Arthur Ashe, a prominent African-American tennis player who is well-remembered for his efforts to further social causes, said: “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said the same thing: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Alice R. Pratt also said, “An ungiving person does not live; he breathes, he eats, he sleeps, he gratifies his needs, but only exists until he has discovered the interwoven secret of life, giving of oneself. True giving is done without

the slightest trace of expecting to receive. It is only in giving that we ever receive? Perhaps in giving of oneself there is enough taken away to have room to receive.”

There was this very conscientious Christian lady who was born to a wealthy family. At one time, during a Sunday school in the church, she spoke and looked back on her childhood in a big city.

“On Sunday afternoon, it was a favorite charity of these superior Christians to make the rounds of the cells at the police station. The men in particular did this. They visited the week-end drunks, lectured them, forced them to take the pledge, and then bailed them out of jail so they would be back to work on Monday.

“These do-gooders were smugly respectable, very visibly in a different moral category from those to whom they gave. They had one fault: they never gave themselves. When we stoop and give from on high, even out of the sense of Christian duty, but we never give ourselves, our giving is incomplete. No gift is complete unless we ourselves are in it.”

Christians give because the Bible tells them to. Sir Wilfred T. Grinfelt talks on the subject when he said: “The service we render to others is really the rent we pay for our room on this earth. It is obvious that man is himself a traveler: that the purpose of this world is not ‘to have and to hold’ but ‘to

give and serve.’”

William Penn said it best: “I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there can be kindness I can show, or any good things I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now, and not deter it or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

There are many wealthy people who give money to charitable institutions and organizations.

When William Bloomberg, a business news entrepreneur, donated US$45 million to Johns Hopkins University, he was quoted as saying: ‘There are lots of young men and women we would love to have as students, the Nobel Prize winners, the Lasker Award winners of the future. It would be a sin if society is deprived of the fruits of their work down the road because those of us, today, who could have helped, didn’t.”

When you give, give and don’t expect something in return. In The Light in the Heart, Roy T. Bennet wrote: “Help others without any reason and give without the expectation of receiving anything in return.”

“When we give freely,” wrote Gina Lake in What About Now?: Reminders for Being in the Moment, “we feel full and complete; when we withhold, we feel small, petty, impotent, and lacking. We are meant to learn this great truth, that giving fulfills us, while withholding and trying to get causes

us to feel empty and even more needy. This truth runs counter to our programming, which drives us to try to get something from others to fulfill our neediness, only to end up even more needy, grasping, lacking, and unfulfilled.”

There is so much for you when you give. Frances Hodgson Burnett, in A Little Princess, wrote: “If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that – warm things, kind things, sweet things – help and comfort and laughter – and sometimes joy, kind laughter is the best help of all.”

When you give, don’t choose.

After all, you also receive something even if you are not deserving. In The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran pointed this out: “You often say ; I would give , but only to the deserving, The trees in your orchard say not so , nor the flocks in your pasture. Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and nights is worthy of all else from you. And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.

See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver , and an instrument of giving. For in truth it is life that gives unto life-while you , who deem yourself a giver , is but a witness.”

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 loan-words 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 (alcal-

de, al-qadi), alkampor (alcanfor, al-kanfur), alkansiya (alcancia, al-kansiyya), aldaba (aldaba, al-dabba), almires (almirez, almihras), 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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VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

DONATE-A-BOOK, SHARE THE JOY OF LEARNING AT THE

SM STORE

S

M shoppers can continue to share the joys of learning with children who need them most through The SM Store’s Donate a Book campaign, which is now ongoing at select branches nationwide until September 30, 2021.

While face to face classes still have to resume, schooling certainly extends beyond the campus. And your donations will go a long way as these will be very helpful to distributed topartner public schools and libraries around the country. Here’s how you can share your gift of knowledge: • Visit the Donate a Book booths at participating branches of the SM Store at Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

• Donate new or preloved books. All books are

very much welcome, especially storybooks, educational, and hobby books that can help spark a child’s curiosity, imagination, and knowledge.

• Donate and match with Learning Is Fun (LIF) books that are available at The SM Store. LIF offers a wide range of books from toddlers to adult categories such as activity books, early learning educational books, cookbooks, reference books, storybooks, Inspirational books, and game and toy books.

Being the participating partner of the said campaign, the company will donate the

Kids from Balanga Elementary school are very happy to receive These girls from Balanga Elementary School happily and books donated by The SM Store during the recent Donate-a-Book excitedly show their brand new sets of school supplies campaign turn-over ceremony, held last 2019 in Balanga, Bataan courtesy of The SM Store’s Donate-a-Book campaign.

same number of books sold during the program period.

• School supplies are welcome. you can also donate notebook packs of 6 and school sets that include a backpack, notebooks, rulers, and pens that are4 available at The SM Stationery section.

In exchange, shoppers will receive 100 pesos discount coupon for every donation made.

The Donate-aBook campaign began in 1998 as one of SM

FDONATE, P10

Since 2015,The SM Store has collected and distributed over 800,000 books to public schools and libraries through the DonateA-Book campaign. Pre-pandemic photo shows the turnover of the books and school supplies to the students of Balanga Elementary School in Balanga, Bataan. Here, Elena Almario and Marlyn Gerio of Dep Ed EPS 1, and Balanga Elementary School Principal IV Amelia Inieto receive the books from (from left) SM Foundation Head of School Building Team Juris Soliman, The SM Store North Luzon Zone Head Joseph Rosal, SM Retail SAVP Gilda Maquilan, and The SM Store Olongapo Branch Manager Rosemarie Chua-Labrador.

Shoppers can share the gift of knowledge with less fortunate children through the Donate- a-Book campaign now ongoing at selected SM Stores nationwide until September 30.

New and gently used pre-loved books in all kinds are all welcome. Shoppers can also donate and match with Learning is Fun (LIF) books, as well as SM Stationery section’s learning materials, and in exchange, shoppers will receive 100 pesos discount coupon for every donation made.

he brand’s best offers of the year are up for grabs this month Motor Image Pilipinas, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Subaru vehicles in the Philippines, celebrates this year’s Subaru Festival Month with its most enticing offers of the year. This year, the physical Subaru Festival event, or “SubieFest” as it is fondly called, will not be taking place due to the observance of health and

wish to purchase via financing may also do so with a low downpayment of only Php178,000.

Forester buyers who choose not to opt for the full cash discounts may avail of complimentary service vouchers worth up to Php 40,000*, equivalent to approximately 2 years of worry-free maintenance**. They may also choose to equip their Forester with a Free GT

Subaru celebrates Festival of Deals this September T safety protocols. This event is widely known for the annual Palm Challenge, Grand Roadshow, and Subaru Communities meet. In its place, Subaru offers customers more reasons to celebrate in other ways by introducing the Festival of Deals this September.

SALES This month, customers may purchase the Forester 2.0i-L EyeSight for as low as Php1,728,000. Those who

Lite Body Kit, consisting of a GT Edition Aerokit and Rear Spoiler, giving the Extraordinary SUV a sportier and more eye-catching appearance. *for the Forester i-L EyeSight variant. Forester i-S EyeSight and GT Edition variants come with a Php 30,000 service voucher package. **computed based on the standard PMS schedule, scope of work, and maintenance parts & lubes to be replaced. There are 2 PMS in a year, or one PMS every six months.

On the other hand, customers interested in the XV crossover may purchase the new 2021 Subaru XV 2.0i-S EyeSight for as low as Php1,698,000.

Financing customers may also drive home the new XV with a low downpayment of only Php89,000.

Buyers of the 2021 XV will enjoy a host of new upgrades and segment-leading features, such as Dual-function X-MODE, SI-DRIVE, EyeSight Driver Assist Tech-

nology, a new 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a SAR360 camera system for effortless parking and manoeuvring, and enhanced ride comfort thanks to its improved suspension, among many others.

The All-New 2021 Subaru Evoltis 7-seater SUV is now also available to interested customers for as low as Php3,380,000, a total savings of Php100,000 from the premium midsize SUV’s launch SRP. Subaru’s flagship SUV pampers its owners with luxuries that set it apart from its peers, such as 2nd row Captain seats and over 4,700 litres of cabin space that ensure utmost comfort for its occupants, a 14-speaker, 792-watt Harman/Kardon sound system and 8-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, a massive 54-inch panoramic sunroof, and a total of 19 cup and bottle holders.

Furthermore, the recently launched All-New 2021

Subaru Outback shall be available with an exclusive Php50,000 introductory discount for customers who book their unit until September 30, 2021.

The 6th-generation Subaru Outback marks the Philippine debut of Subaru’s newest, most advanced technologies, such as EyeSight 4.0, a state-of-the-art 11.6inch HD tablet-style infotainment system, and a new Driver Monitoring System (DMS) with facial recognition. Buyers may also indulge in its genuine Nappa leather upholstery and 12-speaker, 576-watt Harman/Kardon sound system.

Exciting cash discounts also await buyers of all other Forester variants, the WRX, and the Levorg.

Lastly, Subaru is pleased to announce that it is extending its Special Frontliners Appreciation Promo, which gives frontliners, essential workers, and their family members an exclusive Php20,000 discount that

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VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

“B

eing a lawyer has always been my cherished dream,” says Attorney Israelito P. Torreon.

“When I was growing up, I personally witnessed forms of injustices being perpetuated on different people, the marginalized especially. There were instances of people being disturbed in the ownership of their property, people being duped into signing contracts the terms of which they were made to believe would favor them, people getting involved in crime out of force of circumstances. The list is almost endless.”

Those incidents drove him to pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer. He is one of the very few who romanticized the late Pres.

Ramon Magsaysay’s statement, which has become his guiding principle to this day: “Those who have less in life should have more in law.”

The boy who’s from Bansalan, Davao del Sur has gone a long, long way; he is now one of the finest and most in-demand lawyers in Davao City and other parts of the country. The eldest son of Carlos Torreon and Thelma Pañares – both school teachers – he struggled his way up, however. Although he grew up in a middle-class family, he had the will to succeed, and a brilliant mind.

Actually, he never dreamed of becoming a lawyer. “I wanted to become a doctor when I was growing up,” he admits. “However, when I was in elementary school, I realized that I had a gift in reasoning and analytical thinking. It was then that I decided that I will be a lawyer.”

It was a struggle pursuing his dream. “It was not an easy path for me,” he says now. “I experienced some financial difficulties while studying law. I did not have the money to buy the books

that I needed. Hence, I ended up being a library rat.”

Bobbet attended Bansalan Central Elementary School and finished his secondary course at Nazareth High School. He attended the University of the Philippines – Visayas for his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. In all those endeavors, he garnered honorific awards and assumed leadership in studentry.

He finished his law at the Ateneo de Davao University, where he got the highest quality point index (QPI) – the running grade point average, like the general average in high school – in his batch. While still in his second year, he became the student council president aside from being a master chancellor of Sigma Legis Fraternity and Sorority.

Bobbet finally became a full-fledged lawyer on May 6, 1998. He pursued Masters of Law at San Beda University and qualified for a scholarship for Masters in International Humanitarian Law in Nalsar University in India. Likewise, he finished Introduction to US Laws, Systems and Methods in George Washington University in Washington, D.C. through the Institute of US Laws.

When he was 36, he be-

GAME CHANGER

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DAVAO DEL SUR’S

NEW HOPE Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

came the president of the Davao del Sur chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). He was considered the youngest lawyer to hold such office in the province.

“I felt elated when I was elected,” he told this author some years back. “I was elated in the sense that my distinguished compañeros and compañeras chose me.

I must say, however, that the road before victory was not easy…”

Atty. Torreon was also elected by leaders of lawyers as IBP Eastern Mindanao Governor. “As IBP officer, I spearheaded many projects to help our people and our lawyers such as IBP legal aid projects, seminars and I even managed to make IBP Davao del Sur as an MCLE (Mandatory Continuing Legal Education) accredited provider,” he says.

For more than two decades, he has been a law professor (in Ateneo de Davao University, Cor Jesu College of Law, and Jose Maria College of Law). He is also a law dean for about 12 years now.

“I started teaching when I became a lawyer in 1998,” he recalls. “What I like about

teaching is the chance to touch the lives of your students by sharing your legal knowledge and experiences as a lawyer. I also cherish the times when students would meet you in some places and thank you for being their mentor. Such is priceless.”

While in Ateneo, Atty.

Torreon was chairman of the Centralized Bar Operations which assisted barristers in taking and passing the bar.

He was likewise the coach of its debating team, which produced national champions in Square Off: The CVC Law Debates beamed via ANC Channel.

When Atty. Torreon was recruited by the Sacred Heart Brothers of Cor Jesu, he was instrumental in increasing the passing percentage of lawyers “by a great leap.”

He credits this “miracle” to “God’s guidance and help coupled with hard work, study, and perseverance.”

“We also managed to make Cor Jesus become national champion in CVC Law Debates,” he points out. “Our performance in Ateneo and Cor Jesu were the motivating factor why Pastor Apollo Quiboloy offered me to establish the now renowned JMC Col-

lege of Law. In a short span of time, JMC Law became regional champion and even national champion and international champion in debate and moot court competitions.”

Now, there are some talks that he is entering a new field – that of being a political leader. In next year’s election, he is running for governorship in Davao del Sur. The last time a governor was chosen from his Bansalan hometown was in the 1960s when Ramon delos Cientos became the first governor of Davao del Sur. “I think I have prepared my entire life for (becoming a governor),” he says. “What I lack admittedly would be an efficient organization that can convert awareness into actual votes. While I also have a little money, it may not be enough to sustain a rigorous and costly campaign.”

Right now, Atty. Torreon thinks there is a need for a new leadership in the province. “There are realities that I have to contend with but I’m finding ways to overcome them. I just really feel that there is a vacuum of responsible, decent and competent leadership in our province.

Somebody competent has to step up knowing the enormous responsibilities that await the governorship come 2022,” he says.

Atty. Torreon cites the Mandanas ruling which will be implemented in 2022, hence enormous funding would flow into the local government units (LGUs). “Such, however, brings concomitant responsibilities knowing that under the Magna Carta of the Poor (a new law), the LGUs are mandated to craft development plans as to how to respond to the rights of the poor to decent food, decent shelter and decent life. That would be an awesome responsibility that cannot be handled by anyone.”

What if Atty. Torreon becomes the governor? What would he be doing? “I would implement a wholistic approach towards answering the need to respond to severe poverty while not neglecting the small businesses that need to thrive especially in this time of pandemic.

“I would identify the poorest of the poor and make sure that they can avail the skills training program that would help them acquire the

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Occidental with 1,144 active cases.

Meanwhile, top 10 areas by new cases in Davao City as of August 29, 2021 to September 4, 2021 reported by the Department of Health-Davao Region, are Buhangin District and Talomo South (top 1) followed

by Talomo Central, Talomo North, Bunawan District, and Tugbok District.

On the other hand, the city government of Davao issued barangay classifications from September 6, 2021 to September 11, 2021.

Critical risk barangays are Brgys. 4-A, 27-C, 32-D, 33-D, 38-D; Bago Aplaya, Baguio Proper, Baracatan, Buda, Cadalian, Calinan Proper, Lasang, Leon Garcia, Sr. (Agdao), Mudiang, Subasta, Talomo River (Calinan), Tibuloy, and Wines.

High risk barangays are Brgys. 3-A, 7-A, 10-A, 15-B, 16-B, 17-B, 19-B, 20B, 21-C, 24-C, 25-C, 34-D, 35-D; A. Angliongto, Sr., Alambre (Toril), Baliok, Bangkas Heights, Bato (Toril), Binugao, Bucana, Buhangin Proper, Bunawan Proper, Cabantian, Catalunan Grande, Catalunan Pequeño, Communal, Daliao, Dumoy, Gov. Paciano Bangoy (Agdao), Indangan, Langub, Lapu-lapu (Agdao), Lizada (Toril), Lubogan, Maa, Magtuod, Malagos, Mandug, Marilog Proper, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi, Mintal, Mulig, Pampanga, Rafael Castillo (Agdao), San Antonio (Agdao), Sasa, Sirawan, Sto. Niño (Tugbok), Tacunan, Talomo Proper, Tibungco, Tigatto, Wangan, and Wilfredo Aquino (Agdao).

deny threat groups the opportunity to influence the elections especially in the provinces.

One of them is the conduct of various election violence that includes assassination of rival candidates and supporters and threatening supporters of certain

candidates.

“Lahat tayo ay nagnanais na magkaroon ng tahimik at tapat na halalan sa susunod na taon subalit ito ay isang adhikain na nangangailangan ng kooperasyon ng COMELEC, ng mga pulis at ng sambayanang Pilipino,” Eleazar said.

gerous Drugs), Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the

Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared for filing in court.

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BARANGAY... FROM2 DOCS... FROM2

“If we cannot control them from moving around, we have to put them in their houses. That’s the only way,” he said.

Villahermosa said 90% of those who tested positive for COVID 19 are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms but they can spread the virus.

“They (asymptomatic) are the more dangerous ones because you will not know if they have the virus,” he said.

Delta is here He disagreed with statements that the COVID situation in the province is not yet “critical.” He said the Delta variant is already in the province. The Department of Health reported additional 13 cases of COVID-19 confirmed to be Delta variant, as of September 1.

Municipal isolation units which were supposed to house only mild and asymptomatic patients have now turned into treatment facilities catering to moderate and even critical cases, he said.

Villahermosa said they saw the pattern from supposedly only one or two cases in a household. “Now we have observed cases where the rest of the members of the household are already infected,” he said.

He also cited the full bed capacity of both public and private hospitals in Bukidnon.

There is an average of 100 patients on the waitlist in each hospital, he said.

There are a total of 1,319 patients waiting in 13 public and private hospitals in the province, according to One Hospital Command Center as of 1 p.m. on Friday.

He added some patients

died in their homes because they were refused admission in hospitals. In Valencia City, the deaths had reached 102 as of September 4, prompting the city government to open a new cemetery, the New Valencia City Memorial Park.

In a statement, the City Government denied reports of a “mass grave.” It noted that the remains of the COVID-19 fatalities are buried in individual graves in accordance with the provisions of the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines and other supplemental guidelines of the Department of Health.

It said the remains of the COVID-19 fatalities are buried in individual graves in the New Valencia City Memorial Park, a new government cemetery.

Critical risk As of August 24, the Department of Health – Region 10 (DOH-10) reported that five areas in Bukidnon breached the ADAR (Average Daily Attack Rate) 20 category, which PRC’s Bioco suggests as threshold for “critical risk”: Malaybalay City with 27.66, Quezon with 25.30, Manolo Fortich with 24.40, Maramag with 20.78 and Valencia City with 20.40.

The same five localities are in the Top 10 municipalities and cities with active COVID -19 cases in Northern Mindanao.

As of August 24, Malaybalay City’s 793 cases placed second to Cagayan de Oro’s 3,770 cases. Valencia City placed third with 666 cases; Quezon, Bukidnon placed fifth with 531 cases; Manolo Fortich at sixth with 393 cases; and, Maramag at seventh with 260 cases.

VOL.14 ISSUE 149 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2021

GETTING... FROM3 Step 2 will be done in registration centers as iris and fingerprint scans and front-facing photographs must be recorded.

The Philippine Post will deliver the PhilID cards.

The entire process is free of charge.

Signed into law by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in August 2018, Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act, aims to establish a single national ID for all Filipinos and resident aliens.

The national ID shall be

a valid proof of identity that shall be a means of simplifying public and private transactions, enrollment in schools, and the opening of bank accounts.

It also seeks to boost efficiency, especially in dealing with government services where people will only need to present one ID during transactions.

As of Aug.18, a total of 26,322,999 Filipinos have completed the Step 2 registration while 1,048,255 PhilID cards have been delivered. (PNA)

nagawa at paano natin makorek? It’s because we could really you see the spread of Covid-19 right now is really yung discipline ang isang tao kung paano niya ma-protektahan ang sarili niya at ang kanyang household or even ang kanyang ka-trabaho,” she said.

Pasion also mentioned the ongoing surveillance conducted by the local

government units (LGUs) that also contributed to the number of cases.

“Nakita pud nato there is really surveillance going on. Active ang surveillance sa LGUs sa ILIs (influenza like illnesses) sa ilahang mga barangays and even private establishments nagahimo pud sila ug active surveillance gamit ang available testing kits,” she said. By Maya M. Padillo

needed skills to earn a decent living,” he continues.

The government’s Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) program, he says, should be used to the maximum so it can train them, including the unschooled youth, mothers and those who desire to have more in life.

“I would maximize the training programs and assistance from the Cooperative Development Authority so we can create cooperatives for the poor, the youths, mothers and all national and provincial livelihood programs would be channeled through this scheme,” Atty. Torreon says.

“This is the best way because in collectively, accountability is easily tracked.”

Atty. Torreon also believes that government, especially in times of pandemic, should be the stimulus for business.

“Hence the provision under the Local Government Code empowering LGUs to create local economic enterprises should be maximized.

“If plans to invite investors to create processing centers would not be successful, then the provincial government should lead the way towards the establishment of these processing centers into coco oil and soaps. Our cacaos would be processed into world-class chocolates and the like,” he says.

“The PPP (Public Private Partnership) option under the build operate and transfer law would likewise be an option,” he continues. “A provincial PPP office can be created so that it can facilitate the establishment of enterprises for development

in partnership with the government.”

Another project Atty.

Torreon would like to do, should he become a governor, is to build modernized ports in Malalag and Santa Cruz. “I likewise believe that the provincial government should be the catalyst for big-ticket projects that can bring real benefits to the constituents,” he explains.

He thinks the modernized seaports in the aforementioned towns “can bring direct and incidental benefits to the people. Ports have always been known to be the spark plugs of progress of any society, hence, even if belated already it is now high time to make a big push for these to happen.”

These are just a few of the things he would like to do once he becomes a governor. He believes he could do his plans “because all my life whatever modest accomplishments that I have done have been self-made with the assistance of people who love me and with the guidance of the Supreme Architect of the Universe,” he says.

Atty. Torreon may be the dark horse among the candidates, but with the support of those who believe in him, it may happen. “The challenges are almost insurmountable, what with lack of organization and money,” he says.

“But with the Supreme Being, hard work and perseverance, everything is doable for we are here on earth not to linger in every nook and cranny but to strive hard so that we may all become instruments in making our world a better place to live in.”

operations.

It plans to build up flight frequencies on key regional and long-haul routes, and also expand domestic networks from its hubs in Manila and Cebu.

Passengers’ valid tickets and vouchers, “Mabuhay miles” and benefits will still be honored, PAL said, while also reaffirming to fulfill re-

fund obligations.

Passenger and cargo flights will continue to operate, subject to demand and travel restrictions.

PAL will also continue to operate special all-cargo flights to transport vaccines, and medical supplies. It will also continue to work with the Philippine government to mount repatriation.

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tion and further development of talent identification for para athletes. “Together with the Philippine Paralympic Committee, we hope to find training venues for our para-athletes in the national

pool.”

“The sacrifices and resiliency of these para-athletes are beyond compare. We will support them in any way we can,” assured the sports agency chief.

emphasis on making us accountable for our positions, the responsibilities and opportunities that we have.

We played for each other,” said Williams.(PBA) The scores: TNT 83 - Castro 17, M. Williams 14, K. Williams 13, Pogoy 12, Rosario 11, Erram 9, Marcelo 4, Heruela 2, Reyes 1, Exciminiano

0, Khobuntin 0, Montalbo 0, Alejandro 0, Javier 0, Mendoza 0.

Magnolia 76 - Abueva 23, Lee 13, Sangalang 10, Barroca 10, Jalalon 9, Corpuz 5, Dela Rosa 4, Reavis 2, Brill 0, Melton 0, Ahanmisi 0, De Leon 0, Capobres 0, Pascual 0, Dionisio 0.

Quarters:15-15, 35-32, 59-52, 83-76

the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and Italy.

Each country will organize its own tournament, with the champions earning a spot in the NBTC national finals in the Philippines. Only the players with Filipino lineage will be eligible to play in the Global Games.

“Through this new program, we are hoping to provide a platform for the next Jalen Greens to emerge. There remains many young Filipino basketball players around the world waiting to be discovered,” said Altamirano.

“In the last six years, we have gotten numerous requests from international

teams to play in the NBTC national finals. We couldn’t entertain all of them since we have limited slots,” he explained.

“The Global Games will open the door for hundreds of players overseas to showcase their talent and widen the pool for our national youth teams.”

Already, community leaders in different countries are preparing to organize their own local competitions with the NBTC Global Games in mind. Cris Gopez, founder of FilAm Nation Select, anticipates some 40 teams in the West Coast to take part, while around 60 teams from the East Coast have already expressed their interest.

Foundation’s groundbreaking mall-based programs. It has since been part of the SM Store’s community programs since 2015, collecting and distributing almost 800,000 books and learning materi-

als through the generosity of The SM Store customers.

Share the Joy of Learning and visit the Donate-a-Book kiosks at the participating branches of The SM Store nationwide.

may be availed on top of Subaru’s other generous deals.

To avail of this special offer, customers need only present a valid Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) ID, or company ID (whichever is available). Subaru shall honour all frontliners and essential workers defined according to the National government’s existing classifications: • Medical and health personnel • Commuter transport (land, air, and sea), including logistics • Frontline government workers in the justice, security, transport, and social protection sectors • Workers in manufacturing for food, beverage, medical, and pharmaceutical products • Frontline workers in food retail, including food service delivery • Frontline government workers • Frontline workers in financial services • Teaching personnel in medical and allied medical courses of higher education

institutions, including personnel handling laboratories • Frontline workers in hotels and accommodation • Priests, pastors, and religious leaders • OFWs not classified above and scheduled for deployment within two (2) months Furthermore, all customers who either walk-in or book an appointment with a Subaru sales consultant will instantly receive special Subaru merchandise upon arrival at the showroom. They shall then receive another premium Subaru item upon their completion of a test drive of any Subaru model.

Indicated prices exclude freight and other additional logistical costs that may apply and are subject to vary depending on location.

Interested customers are encouraged to contact or visit their nearest Subaru showroom to learn more about Subaru’s promos on its entire line-up of models, each equipped with over 100 standard safety features and Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system.

ing days upon arrival and completion of the 14-day quarantine protocol.

The lead time for the issuance of the AEP is five working days upon com-

pletion of labor market test or publication in a newspaper of general circulation while three days after receipt of the application for COE.

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TNT gets win no. 6 TNT guard Mikey Williams goes up for a jumper. PBA

Global Games to showcase young basketball talents

T

he National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) program, which counts Kai Sotto and Jalen Green among its alumni, is launching the Global Games to provide an even bigger platform for Filipino basketball players.

The NBTC has been on pause since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but its founder and director, coach Eric Altamirano, on Monday announced that they are taking the steps towards a return.

“It has always been NBTC’s aim to identify, develop and hone the best Filipino talents both here and abroad,” said Altamirano in a press conference on

Monday morning. “For the last 13 years, we have seen the exponential growth of the program, from three cities when it first started to more than 100 cities, and still growing.”

Altamirano noted that former NBTC players have gone on to play in the UAAP, the NCAA, and even the PBA. Recently, Green -- who played in the NBTC National Finals in 2018 and 2019 -- was taken second overall by the Houston Rockets in the NBA Rookie Draft.

With the goal of finding “the next Jalen Greens,” the NBTC launched the Global Games that will take place in six different countries:

K

elly Williams dished out what’s easily his best game thus far in his comeback, playing big as TNT preserved its unblemished card with an 83-76 win over Magnolia in a low-scoring duel in the PBA Philippine Cup at the DHVSU Gym in Bacolor, Pampanga Sunday.

Averaging merely 5.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in their previous outings, Williams asserted himself a lot harder in this game and came through with 15 boards and 13 markers, including two big three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Jayson Castro and Poy Erram joined Williams in a spree from the arc in the

payoff period as the Tropang Giga warded off the Hotshots to notch a sixth straight win.

“We know they’re a hard-pressing team with a lot of active guards who are aggressive and skilled. We know we have our hands full coming in and we want to be sure to focus on being smart with the ball,” said

Williams.

They did just that, outsmarting and outplaying the Hotshots whom they dealt a second loss in three outings in the Bacolor play.

Overall, Magnolia dropped to joint second with Meralco at 5-2.

Williams, a one-time league MVP awardee, went 3-of-3 from the arc to highlight his best game in his return from retirement.

“It feels good feeling like myself again. It’s been a while. It’s been a while that I’ve been so excited to play,” said Williams, also lacing his superb game with three blocks and two steals.

Castro, Mikey Williams,

RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario had their significant contributions as the Tropang Giga kept the lead in the race for the top two spots that reward a twice-tobeat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Castro fired 17 points, including two triples in the clutch while Williams, Pogoy and Rosario added at least 11 points apiece.

Erram chipped in nine markers, including his own conversion from afar making it 81-72 entering the final minute of the game.

“We did a good job in playing our positions.

Coach (Chot Reyes) put

consistently plays the whole year, the next tournaments like this, the next rounds, I think she has a great future,” Kerber told reporters.

“She has a lot of power in her forehand and she’s going for her winners. I think she’s always also enjoying her tennis out there, it was a tough match. I think she can go really far in the next few years.”

Kerber, who won the 2016 title at Flushing Meadows, said Fernandez’s tactics reminded her of herself, especially

her approach on serve and the next ball.

“I have been through a long career with a lot of up-and-downs,” the 33-year-old added. “It’s just experience you have to go through.

“Of course when you reach your first quarter-finals in a Grand Slam, it’s always a lot of emotions. She had nothing to lose today and I think she’s enjoying her tennis ... it’s just a start of a great career.”

Fernandez faces fifth seed Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals.

FTNT, P10

FGLOBAL, P10

N Fil-Canadian Leylah Fernandez beat Angelique Kerber of Germany on day seven of the 2021 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie King National Tennis Center.

EW YORK - Leylah Fernandez has had a great start to her career and the teenager has a big future ahead of her, former champion Angelique Kerber said on Sunday after losing 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 to the Canadian at the U.S Open.

Fernandez, who turns 19 on Monday, knocked out defending champion Naomi Osaka in the third round and then reached a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time with her win over the German.

“If she plays like this,

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Dabawenyo Ernie Gawilan in the 400-meer freestyle event.

EXCEPTIONAL PSC lauds PH Tokyo Paralympians

P

hilippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and the PSC Commissioners thanked all of the six Filipino Paralympians, coaches, officials, and support staff after the delegation wrapped up its Tokyo Paralympic Games campaign Sunday.

“They were exceptional and dedicated Paralympians caught in a pandemic. Despite this, they carried the flag with pride and honor,” said PSC Chairman Ramirez adding “they were playing against the best Paralympians in the world. To qualify and participate in the Paralympics is a great honor in itself.”

Days before the departure of Team Philippines, some officials and athletes tested positive to COVID-19, including three of the country’s bets in the Games - para powerlifter Achelle Guion, para taekwondo jin Allain Ganapin, and para discus thrower Jeanette Aceveda who all pulled out from their events after testing positive for COVID. Despite the unending challenges and obstacles faced by our delegation, the three remaining Paralympians in Jerrold Mangliwan of para athletics, and para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Gary Bejino stood proud and fought well against champions from their respective sports.

Mangliwan advanced into the finals of his three events. He placed fifth and made his new personal

best in the men’s 400m T52 race finals and also broke his own best time in the men’s 1500m T52 competition.

Gawilan placed sixth in the men’s 400m freestyle S7 event and became the first Filipino para swimmer to advance in the Paralympics finals. Bejino, on the other hand, also showed great potential come the 2024 Paris Games despite being a first-timer in the quadrennial meet.

“In spite of what happened, we take pride in these rare Filipino Paralympians. They inspire the country with their achievement.

They are our new heroes today who in spite of their conditions fought well,” said Ramirez.

The sports agency chief also noted that in the face of the pandemic, the PSC managed to respond to the concerns of our para athletes. On August 12, Ramirez announced that each of the para athletes, coaches, and officials will be receiving P100,000 additional travel allowance for the Games.

With the advancement of para sports, Ramirez is calling for transformaFEXCEPTIONAL, P10