Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 162 | Wednesday, September 22, 2021

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

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FACE TO FACE One school per barangay allowed to conduct face-to-face classes STORY ON PAGE 2

Militant groups stage an anti-Martial Law protest rally at the Freedom Park along Roxas Avenue in Davao City pre-Covid pandemic. On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, the country has remembered the 49th annoversary of the declaration of Martial Law, considered by Filipinos as a dark chapter of the nation’s history. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Presidential Adviser on Peace Process and National Task Force against Coronavirus Disease-2019 (NTF COVID-19) chief implementer, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., gives an update to President Rodrigo Duterte during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Matina, Davao City on Monday evening. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

FACE TO FACE T

28.2M enrollees surpass last year’s turnout: DepEd

One school per barangay allowed to conduct face-to-face classes

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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nly one school per barangay will be allowed to conduct face-to-face classes.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio disclosed this after the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force has agreed to follow one school each out of the 182 barangays in Davao City.

The mayor said the planned restart of face-

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ore than 30 international and local experts are presenting fresh ideas that will help the local franchising industry rise from the lingering effects of the pandemic at the three-day Franchise Asia Philippines (FAPHL) 2021 Virtual Conference starting yesterday September 21 uo to September 23.

Themed “Igniting Re-

to-face classes for select schools was discussed during the Covid-19 Task Force meeting after the regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd 11) reached out to the mayor requesting a list of pilot schools in Davao City for

covery: The Future of Franchising”, the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) seeks to spark the passion and drive of the Philippine franchising sector rather than merely wait on the sidelines and let the pandemic deal more crippling blows to the industry.

“We put together more than 30 of the most sought-after industry ex-

the face-to-face classes.

“The Department of Education reached out to my office with regards to the pilot face-to-face classes in public schools, so we were asked to submit a list of public schools where faceto-face classes will be rolled out. This was discussed in our Covid-19 TF meeting, the agreement is, out of the 182 barangays, they will be

perts and renowned leaders who will be featured in over 20 highly dynamic and curated sessions compressed in three full days from September 21 to 23,” PFA Chairman Richard V. Sanz shared.

“We fully believe that the Philippine franchising sector is still headed to more opportunities... That is why we have pushed through the holding of Franchise Asia

ranked according to risk assessment, and the last three barangays in terms of risk assessment will be selected for pilot face to face. Dili tanan schools didto sa ilang barangay ang mag-open, our initial submission is one school per barangay,” Mayor Sara said.

Mayor Sara said the city government of Davao and

FFACE, P10

Philippines 2021.”

PFA President Sherill R. Quintana said the PFA leadership decided to adapt to the situation and find ways to serve the members, opting not to cower in fear and merely wait for “normalcy“.

“We added new and exciting session formats to make sure the FAPHL 2021 Virtual Conference

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he Department of Education (DepEd) said the number of learners enrolled in private and public schools for school year 2020-2021 hit 28.2 million, surpassing the previous school year’s enrollment turnout.

“We are happy with the turnout of enrollment this year, noting that we have surpassed last year’s enrollment levels, overall and in nearly all regions as of September 18,” Education Undersecretary Nepomuceno Malaluan said.

Based on the latest data from DepEd’s Learner Information System Quick Count, the 28,219,623 enrollees for next year school year already exceeded 27,790,124 learners who enrolled last school year.

The DepEd would continue accepting late enrollees until September 30.

Meanwhile, the DepEd also said some 202,603 learners have enrolled in the Alternative Learning System.

“We are ending our release of the enrollment quick-count today with the above data generated as of Saturday, September 18, as we shift to the beginning of school year updating of student profiles today,” Malaluan said.

The updated student profiles will be the basis for the official enrollment for SY2021-2022, which we will release by end October.

It will also provide information on the migration of learners from public to private or vice versa, balikaral (those that skipped last school year and returned this school year), and other important indicators.

Classes nationwide officially opened on September 13. (PNA)

Request for audit over PRC has legal basis, PRRD says

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resident Rodrigo Roa Duterte said there is a “legal basis” to request the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into the financial records of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

“When I asked for an audit of Philippine Red Cross by COA, it is with legal basis,” Duterte said during his prerecorded Talk to the People on Monday night.

Duterte said it was clearly stated in the Consti-

tution and under Republic Act 10072 or the Philippine Red Cross Act of 2009.

“Kailangan kong ipaimbestiga ang Red Cross for a host of reasons, pero una niyan pera (I need to order an investigation of Red Cross for a host of reasons, the first thing is about the money),” he said.

Citing the mandated law, Duterte said the PRC is required to submit its an-

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

NEWS

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A worker of a medical supply store in Davao City prepares oxygen cylinders, mostly for their household clients, for delivery on Monday (20 September 2021). Suppliers say demand for medical oxygen continue to rise amid the surge of COVID-19 cases in the city. Mindanews photo

Construction of City College of Davao expected to start this year C A Big time real estate company coming to Visayas, Mindanao

nother Luzon-based real estate company, Ovialand Inc., is planning to expand in the Visayas and Mindanao because of the growth potential of the two island groups in the industry.

Fatima “Pammy” Olivares-Vital, company president and chief executive officer, said the company believes the Visayas and Mindanao and Visayas markets “are very much interested in high quality real estate.”

Although she did not mention any specific project in the press statement, Olivares-Vital added the two markets “represent great potential for growth as these consumers buy real estate that provides them the value for their money.

This is something we have consistently provided in our existing housing developments, and we look forward to bringing it to other areas in the Philippines.”

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

ouncilor Pilar Braga announced that the construction of the City College of Davao (CCD) in a 5-hectare property in Bago Oshiro, Mintal is expected to start this year.

Braga, who is the proponent of the resolution, disclosed in a virtual presser on Monday that the school will rise in a 5-hectare property of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) near the University of the Philippines-Mindanao (UP-Mindanao).

She said the construction of the school is expect-

ed to start within the year.

Braga also said the city has already prepared the Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) and the usufruct agreement between the city government of Davao and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

“Hopefully, pag naayos na yan, we can start building already our CCD. It’s a

big campus,” she added.

Last year, the City Council approved through a resolution, which was certified by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio as urgent, for the establishment of the CCD to cater to the less privileged.

Meanwhile, Braga said the city will open the City College next year in a temporary site at the Alternative Learning System (ALS) building near People’s Park.

“Yun na muna ang gawin natin sa temporary ALS habang inaayos pa at koni-construct pa ang building natin for the City

College,” she said.

CCD will offer five courses: Bachelor of Special Needs Education (BSNEd), Bachelor of Technical-Vocational Teacher Education (BTVTEd), Bachelor of Physical Education (BPEd), Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (BS Entrep), and Bachelor of Arts in English or Filipino.

It is also targeting 1,000 working students in four senior high schools such as the Davao City National High School, Sta. Ana National High School, Cross-

for all healthcare workers working inside the hospitals. It was discussed and that was the action of the Covid-19 TF nagpasa ta ug resolution seeking permission and requesting that approval from DOH 11,” the mayor said.

The mayor added that outbreaks inside the hospitals have been a perennial problem since last year.

Meanwhile, the vaccine cluster of the task force also passed a resolution informing the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to deliver Pfizer and Moderna vaccines as these are

“We have a moral responsibility to let the IATF know what is happening on the ground. So we passed a resolution coming from the vaccine cluster informing IATF that there is low acceptability, without offense sa Sinopharm and Sinovac, to stop buying and stop sending Sinopharm and Sinovac to vaccination sites, and instead focus on buying Pfizer and Moderna since there is high interest in Pfizer and Moderna,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara said it is one of the observations of the vaccine cluster in the

Moderna or Pfizer vaccines, there were lots of vaccinees but when Sinovac or Sinopharm vaccines were rolled out, there was no interest or low acceptability among Dabawenyos.

“The most na mabuhat nato because we only receive the vaccines from the national government.

So, I said that we have a moral responsibility to let the IATF know what is happening on the ground.

So we passed a resolution coming from the vaccine cluster. Informing IATF

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Mati conducts first dry run City requests booster shots for healthcare workers ayor Sara Duter- requesting the DOH 11 to the preferred vaccines of vaccination centers that for traffic signalization te-Carpio said on roll out the booster shots Dabawenyos. when the city rolled out

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he City of Mati has started its test run on the P20-million traffic signalization system that will soon be operational.

The dry run was held on September 17 in the four junctions where the traffic lights are installed.

The test was led by the City Traffic Management Office, City Public Safety Office, and the Traffic Supplies and Construction Corporation which was the same company that managed the traffic signalization system in Tagum City.

The morning before the dry run, personnel of the

Mati Traffic Management Office were orientated on the traffic system at the Pelaez Activity Center.

Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat was represented by Allan Andrada at the orientation which was facilitated by the Project Engineer John Bernard Infante.

Several days before the actual orientation, flyers were handed out to the drivers for them to learn basic information about the traffic lights.

The traffic lights were turned on individually by Project Engineer Bernard

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Tuesday the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force passed a resolution requesting the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH 11) to roll out booster shots for all healthcare workers in the hospitals of Davao City.

The resolution came out as private hospitals are now facing limited personnel because health care workers got infected with Covid-19.

“Sa positive na healthcare workers there was a discussion of that sa Covid-19 TF nato and we already passed a resolution

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) excise tax collections from cigarettes increases by 31 percent to P83 billion in the first seven months of this year compared with the P63 billion collected during the same period last year. Edge Davao

Tobacco excise tax collections grow 31% to P83B in Jan-July

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xcise tax collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from cigarettes rose by 31 percent to PHP83 billion in the first seven months of 2021 compared with the PHP63 billion collected during the same period last year.

An analysis done by the Department of Finance (DOF) based on data from the BIR shows that Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co. Inc. (PMFTC) remained the top cigarette manufacturer with excise tax payments amounting to PHP42.04 billion from Jan. 1 to July 31, which is 6.9 percent more

than the PHP39.3 billion it paid during the same period last year.

In her report to Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, DOF Assistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Habitan said that despite Japan Tobacco International (Philippines) Inc. (JTI) registering the highest year-on-year (YOY)

excise tax increase of 73.1 percent for the same period, it remained at the second spot in terms of market share with PHP38.8 billion in excise taxes paid.

JTI paid PHP22.4 billion in excise taxes from January to July of 2020, which means JTI’s tax payments grew by PHP16.4 billion in the same period this year.

“Based on the actual volume as of July 2021, cigarette excise tax collections reached PHP82.97 billion or a 31-percent increase than last year’s collections of PHP63.3 billion,” Habitan

Uptrend in energy demand seen as economy recovers

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ower demand is now showing signs of improvement, an indication of the country’s continued economic recovery amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, a top official of Aboitiz Power Corp. said on Monday.

“Power is picking up this year coming from a lean demand last year due to the pandemic,” company executive vice president and chief operating officer Jaime Jose

Aboitiz said during a virtual briefing with the Cebu press.

Aboitiz attributed the increasing energy demand to the easing of quarantine restrictions, which he hopes would be sustained moving forward as the country’s economy continues to recover.

In particular, he projected that the upcoming 2022 elections would significantly drive power consumption in the country.

Election season like in

the past, Aboitiz said, has always been a “banner year for electricity consumption,” and this should further be driven this time as economic recovery efforts are underway.

The growth of the Philippine economy has always been directly proportional to energy consumption, and thus entails a rising demand for reliable power if the country expects sustained economic expansion

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said during a recent DOF executive committee (Execom) meeting.

The remaining PHP2.13 billion of the total PHP82.97 billion in excise tax collections for the January-July 2021 period was paid by other cigarette manufacturers, such as the Associated Anglo American Tobacco Corp. (AAATC) and Kenstand Philippines Inc. (KPI).

Habitan said that based on tax data, PMFTC’s market share of 50.7 percent remained higher than JTI’s share of 46.8 percent for

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oody’s Analytics forecasts steady policy rates for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) during the rate setting meeting of the Monetary Board (MB) on Thursday.

In its Asia Pacific economic preview released on Monday, the financial and economic research and non-credit activity-focused subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation said its no rate change expectations for the

McDonald’s PH warns vs fake delivery websites

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cDonald’s Philippines warned customers on Monday against ordering from fraudulent websites that use its logo, offering promos and discounts.

McDonald’s said its only delivery website is mcdelivery.com.ph.

On its official Facebook page, McDonald’s

posted screenshots of two such websites: “https://ph-mcdonalds. online” and “https:// ph-mcdelivery.online” which also featured food items from the fast-food chain.

As of this posting, the websites have yet to be taken down.

The checkout section

BSP is similar to its forecasts for the Bank of Japan (BOC) and the Bank Indonesia rate decisions this week.

“Each central bank is expected to keep settings on hold for the remainder of 2022, with policy settings firmly in accommodative territory in all cases,” it said.

For one, the BSP’s policy-making MB slashed the central bank’s key policy rates by a total of 200 basis points in 2020 to help buoy

the domestic economy from the impact of the pandemic.

It also cut banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by as much as 200 basis points, and allowed banks’ lending to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as RRR compliance for a certain period.

Both measures are aimed at ensuring that financial institutions will have additional liquidity to be extended to

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

ECONOMY

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A female food delivery rider pedals her way in the early afternoon sun to earn a living in General Santos City. MindaNews photo by BONG S. SARMIENTO / 19 September 2021

DOT looking at Thai ‘sandbox’ model for reopening travel

Education sector to lose over P11T due to COVID-19: NEDA

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he education sector could lose trillions over the next 40 years due to the present and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to face-to-face schooling, school closures and teachers’ job losses, data from the National Economic and Development Authority released Monday showed.

Losses for the school year 2020 to 2021 are estimated to be at P230 billion and P10.8 trillion in the next 10 to 40 years or a total estimated cost of COVID-19 on education at P11.025 trillion over the next 40 years, NEDA data showed.

NEDA said the computation is based on at least one full year of school closure and a less effective online and module-based learning and its impact for over 40 years or the average working life of a person.

Since the pandemic began, at least 865 private schools have reportedly

closed down, NEDA said.

Almost 60 percent of families have one parent who skips work to teach their children which resulted in 25 percent foregone wages, a NEDA survey showed.

A US study showed that online learning is only about 52 percent as effective as face-to-face while module learning is even less effective at 37 percent, the agency said.

Schools in the country closed in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the government to impose a total lockdown that debilitated not just the education sector but the economy in its entirety.

Online and module-based learning have been in effect in the Philippines since October 2020.

The Philippines is one of the few countries globally which are yet to resume face-to-face classes.

But according to NEDA there is evidence to support the reopening of faceto-face classes.

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he Department of Tourism is looking at Thailand’s model for reopening to foreign travelers, as the Philippines seeks to restart its tourism sector which was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are closely watching Phuket, and their sandbox approach,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat during the 2021 Philippine Tourism Expo in Subic, Zambales.

Thailand launched its “sandbox” scheme on July 1, allowing vaccinated travelers to visit Phuket island.

Tourists do not have to quarantine in a hotel but can not

leave Phuket for 2 weeks.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat also said the DOT is trying to vaccinate the entire tourism sector, so that the quarantine period for international travelers can be reduced, if not eliminated entirely.

“We feel that there should be, as long as we are accepting vaccinated, fully-vaccinated, that we

should reduce quarantine days,” Puyat said.

Puyat said the DOT has made progress in vaccinating members of the tourism sector, with 99 percent of hotel staff in Metro Manila already vaccinated. If other tourism operators are included in NCR, the vaccination rate was at 95 percent, Puyat said.

In Boracay meanwhile, 73 percent of tourism workers are already vaccinated, she said. The DOT has also already started vaccinating tourism workers in other destinations like Bohol, Baguio and Palawan.

“The preferences are

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ers, and fishers.

The Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP) aims to nurture and sustain agribusiness through coaching and mentoring.

It is implemented through collaboration with government entities, including the DA-Agricultural

Training Institute.

“Agripreneurship unleashes the potential of Philippine agriculture to make it more resilient, and continue to be a dependable contributor to the economy. We need to promote more agripreneurship under the new normal environment,” said

really outdoor adventures,” said Tonette Velasco-Allones, Chief Operating Officer of the Tourism Promotions Board.

Allones said they are optimistic business will pick up in spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, because the tourism sector is working hard to address the safety concerns of travelers.

Cesar Cruz, President of the Philippine Tour Operators Association, said they have developed tour packages focused on encouraging road trips in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao amid the complications of current

DA Secretary William Dar during the virtual signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Monday.

The MOA states that DA, Go Negosyo, and LBP shall commit to support and provide innovations for micro, small, and medium enter-

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DA, Go Negosyo, LandBank launch agri-entrep mentorship program nticipating the gradual easing up of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) restrictions, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with Go Negosyo and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) for a mentoring program for agri-entrepreneurs, farm-

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

On the construction of the City College of Davao:

Hopefully, pag naayos na yan, we can start building already our CCD. It’s a big campus.”

Councilor Pilar Braga

EDITORIAL Tale of 2 cities in cadence The City of Mati has started its test run on a P20-million traffic signalization system that will soon be operational. The dry run was held on September 17 in the four intersections of the city where the traffic lights are installed.

The test was conducted by the City Traffic Management Office, City Public Safety Office, and the Traffic Supplies and Construction Corporation, the same company that managed the traffic signalization system in Tagum City.

In that morning, personnel of the Mati Traffic Management Office were orientated on the traffic system wherein Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat was represented by Allan Andrada at the event facilitated by project engineer John Bernard Infante.

Flyers were earlier handed out to the drivers for them to learn basic information about the traffic lights.

According to City Councilor Eric Rabat, officer-in-charge of the city traffic signalization system, this is a milestone for the city, whose populace expects more similar projects in the future.

The dry run heralds Mati’s march to progress and journey to be-

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Of course, Tagum, capital city of the agro-industrial province of Davao del Norte, arrived in that junction earlier.

With the favorable mindset of its leaders, Mati City is not far behind.

It will not be surprising if one day, these two small cities will reach the iconic status of Davao as the most livable city in the country.

Size that does not matter in this pleasant rivalry. We are reminded one week sometime in the early 2000, the defunct Asiaweek came out with a cover story enumerating the 40 most livable cities in Asia assessing several aspects. While Davao City came out No. 18, Cebu No. 19 and Manila No. 20, or thereabouts, no other Philippine city made it to the list. It was a proud moment for Davao City as in effect it became the most livable city in the Philippines.

There was however a tiny city in the Bicol Region – Naga, then headed by the late Mayor Jessie Robredo, which was adjudged separately by the magazine as the “most improved city.” Its story occupied an entire page in the magazine, while the cities of Davao, Cebu and Manila appeared only in one single line in succession and nothing more.

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

coming a fast-growing city with state-of-the-art amenities.

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)

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH “Truth is always strong, no matter how weak it looks, and falsehood is always weak, no matter how strong it looks.” – Phillips Brooks ***

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde commented, “The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” To which Alexander Solzhenitsyn contends, “We do not err because truth is difficult to see. It is visible at a glance. We err because this is more comfortable.”

“Truth is tough,” pointed out Oliver Wendell Holmes in The Professor at the Breakfast Table. “It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch, nay, you may kick it all about all day like a football, and it will be round and full in the evening.”

In his book, Reminiscences, General Douglas MacArthur – known in the Philippines for his famous quote, “I shall return!”

– recalled a classroom experience he had as a West Point cadet. His class was studying the time-space relationship, which the great genius Albert Einstein later called his “Theory of Relativity.”

The text was very complicated and Cadet MacArthur could not figure out what it

was all about. So, he just memorized the pages concerned.

When he was called upon to recite, he dutifully reeled off almost word for word what the book said. The instructor looked at him in a puzzled sort of way and inquired, “Do you understand his theory?”

It was a bad moment for the young cadet, but he stood up straight and answered bravely, “No, sir.”

Hearing his answer, everyone in the class seemed to stop breathing. You could have heard a pin drop. The young MacArthur braced himself and waited. Then, the instructor said very slowly, “Neither do I, Cadet MacArthur. The class is dismissed.”

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander,” wrote American president Abraham in a letter to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. To which one sage added, “Truth is not always popular, but it is always right.”

There is also truth to this statement by Arthur Schopenhauer: “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”

“So, what was it then exactly this truth-telling?” asked

Graham Swift in Mothering Sunday. “It was about being true to the very stuff of life, it was about trying to capture, though you never could, the very feel of being alive. It was about finding a language.

And it was about being true to the fact, the one thing only followed from the other, that many things in life – of so many more than we think – can never be explained at all.”

“Truth exists,” someone once said, “only falsehood has to be invented.” After all, “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened,” dismissed Sir Winston Churchill.

And Filipinos should listen to the words of Edith Sitwell: “The public will believe anything, so long as it is not founded on truth.” According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.”

“Telling the truth isn’t always easy; that’s one of the reasons people lie – it’s easier at that moment than telling the truth,” wrote Bill Vossler in his article, “12 Reasons to Tell the Truth.”

I am sure you have not heard of it and so allow me to share some passages from

Vossler’s article: 1. Truth is always right.

“Lying is wrong,” he said. “It’s that simple. Every culture and religious system recognizes and teaches this moral truth.”

2. Lies will come back to haunt you. “You can’t hide from your lies; you can sweep them under the rug for a while, but in an hour, a day, a month or a year, they will wiggle back out on the floor into daylight for everyone to see.”

3. Lies weigh you down. If you lie to someone, you feel bad.

You wonder what he knows and whether he’ll confront you or not. “In a way, you become a fugitive, running from the lie you told.”

4. Lies prevent you from developing as a person. “You might easily spend time, energy and worry on lies instead of concentrating on friendship, learning, joy and having fun.”

5. Truth enhances your reputation. “If you work hard at telling the truth, other people will notice. They will also respect you for it, because they know how difficult telling the truth can sometimes be.”

6. Truth will make true friends for you. “Friendship is built in shared interests caring for each other, and honesty, or telling the truth, among other

things.”

7. In truth, you will feel better about yourself. “Truth is a gentle, healing sponge that keeps your conscience clean and spotless, and you happy.”

8. Truth makes you a better person. “If you choose to tell lies, then you will probably begin to choose other wrong directions in life.”

9. One truth-telling makes the next one easier. “Telling the truth requires practice. Each truth-telling strengthens you for doing the right and truthful thing the next time.”

10. Your truth makes it easier for others to tell the truth. “Your being truthful makes it easier for others to be truthful with you, and it is through knowing these truths that you can make changes to accomplish many of the things you want to accomplish in life.”

11. You’ll be different.

“Truth-tellers are few and far between.”

12. You have to live with yourself. “Because of being human, everyone falls short of always telling the truth. But if you try hard, and are gentle and kind and caring when telling the truth, you’ll gain friends, fame, and riches in your personal life that you can’t now imagine.”

DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

FAITH AS A SEAFARER’S WEAPON A seafarer’s faith is his most powerful weapon in overcoming difficult emotional, or even dangerous, shipboard conditions and in making life at sea bearable in many ways.

During the guesting of past winners of the Ten Outstanding Maritime Students of the Philippines (TOMSP) in our online show Amigos Marinos, I asked them again the question I posed during their interview on what personal item will they bring with them if the boat is in danger of sinking.

Some of the answers given include rosary, bible, family pictures, and notebook with prayers.

This is a reflection of the practice of most Filipino seafarers of bringing with them on board the vessel their religious beliefs, ideas and tradition.

Dr. Nelson Turgo of the Seafarers International Research Center (SIRC) discussed during his earlier guesting at Amigos Marino a study that revealed how religious practice may serve to mitigate negative aspects of work such as loneliness, isola-

tion, and institutional living, as well as fear of the dangers that can be encountered at sea.

Religion assists seafarers in coping with dangerous and emotionally challenging workplaces.

It offers for the ordinary Filipino seafarers strength, hope and peace in relation with their daily work and social relationships on board the vessel.

Turgo noted that seafarers find strength in their God as they commonly experience fear for his life during emergencies at sea often associated with storms, mechanical failure, collisions and groundings.

Turgo stressed that God was being drawn upon by seafarers to increase their resilience in dealing with stressful and dangerous workplace situations.

Seafarers are more likely to draw on their belief in a God to help them at times when they are powerless to help themselves.

It was relatively common for seafarers to engage in faithbased routines which they hoped would offer them some protection from ill-fate.

A work of a seafarer is not exactly a walk in the park.

The shipping industry and seafaring profession are not without incident or peril where some may go missing or die in maritime disasters, while others may suffer Illnesses or injury due increased work-related stress and exposure to variant weather The European Maritime Safety Agency declared in a report that, between 2011 and 2020, there were 745 work-related fatalities among maritime workers and nearly 9,000 persons injured.

There are still 36 Filipino seafarers still missing due to the capsizing of the Panama-flagged livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 in southwest Japan on September 2, 2020 during the typhoon Maysak.

Masses and prayers for the safe voyage of seafarers is traditionally part of the annual National Seafarers Day (NSD) which is celebrated by virtue of Proclamation No. 828 issued by former president Fidel V. Ramos on July 9, 1996 declaring August

18 as NSD. The purpose of the proclamation is to give due recognition to the vital role of Filipino seafarers towards the development of the Philippines as a maritime country. Later, Proclamation No.1094 was issued in 1997 by President Ramos which moved NSD to every last Sunday of September every year.

The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) / Stella Maris Philippines is tasked to coordinate with the public and private sectors in activities related to the celebration of said event.

The Philippines is considered as the major supplier of maritime labor globally as it is estimated that there is one Filipino seafarer for every four to five complements on board a vessel at any time.

It coincides with the celebration of the National Maritime Week (NMW).

This year’s 26th NSD theme is “Marinong Filipino: Nasa Kaibuturan ka ng Hinaharap ng Industriya.”

The TOMSP is an annual

search as part of the NSD celebration that gave recognition to students for being academically excellent, highly competent in practice, in good moral standing and active in their respective communities The chosen TOMSP are seen as the embodiment of the “ideal seafarer,” displaying “integrity, passion, assertiveness, dependability and camaraderie” that will allow them to become globally competitive Filipino seafarer.

From 2011 to 2019, 90 students have received the TOMSP award.

Maritime schools annually produce some 40,000 graduates while a 2018 study by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) showed that an average of about 18 percent of enrollees manages to complete the full academic three years.

(Lawyer Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

VOL.14 ISSUE 162 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2021

Health is bliss with Watsons

D

iscover innovative ways and exciting ways to wellness and good health with Nutrabliss by Watsons. Perfect for the busy urbanite, it has a wide range of beauty and wellness products for immunity building, anti-aging, and skin health to keep your body fit and healthy, and yes, blissful.

• Beauty and bliss. Watsons shows us the many ways to younger looking skin through its collagen products. There are chewables and tablets: Nutrabliss Collagen + Vitamin C which helps increase collagen production and Nutrabliss Collagen Tablets, which improve skin elasticity and firmness. These also come in sachet form like the Nutrabliss Daily Collagen Sachets, which you can add to your smoothie of choice; and low-calorie and high-absorption nighttime drink, Nutrabliss Hyaluronic Acid + Collagen, which helps keep your skin hydrated and moisturized.

• Health is bliss. Incorporating vitamins and supplements into your daily routine is also a must to help boost your immune system. Try the Nutrabliss Mixed Berries + Vitamin C ideal for daily skin and eye protection; and Nutrabliss Iron + Folic Acid which helps generate new red blood cells and carry oxygen to vital organs and muscles.

• Chewables are cool, and yes, blissful. Chewable tablets have recently become a preferred way of taking meds.

That’s because these break down easily in your mouth to become a solution that’s absorbed faster in the stomach.

They’re a good choice for adults who don’t want to swallow pills and for school age kids. Nu-

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Ascorbic Acid Effervescent Tabs in passion fruit flavor packed with 1000 mg of vitamin C essential for the growth, development, and repair of all your body tissues; Nutrabliss Vitamin B-Complex + Vitamin E Effervescent Tabs; and Nutrabliss Sodium Ascorbate + Collagen + COQ10 Effervescent Tabs with sodium ascorbate for immunity, collagen for skin health, and coenzyme Q10 as an antioxidant.

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Rent-to-Own Easy scheme, discounts from Aeon Towers

n these times of Covid-19 surges and restrictive protocols, families are waking up to appreciate life inside their homes.

Whilst family lunch or dinner or going to malls for shopping was the way to go for a usual weekend, families are making weekends a daily routine under their own roof.

Indeed, families are thinking more about how to keep their families safe and secured now that coronavirus health stats spiked once more. Most people would now prefer to stay at home and go out only for essential needs like grocery shopping. This is why those who have already lived in an integrated community enjoyed the convenience rather than stressing in commuting from one place to the other.

An integrated community like this would be Aeon Towers, which has very easy access to day-to-day needs for every family. And since everything now can be done online, parents can just order groceries via delivery apps and have it dropped off to the condo lobby. Not only have they kept themselves safe from close contacts but also saved some of their money allocated for car fuel and more.

This is why Aeon Luxe Properties Inc. introduced the Rent-to-Own program for those aspiring clients who are eyeing the luxurious and convenient living experience in an integrated community like Aeon Towers.

Clients can now avail of the promo with no reservation fee and pay rental terms for 15 years.

On top of that, they can also avail 12% discount upon purchase.

Living at Aeon Towers becomes more exciting each year with more homeowners moving in to their units, restaurants, spas and other businesses that have already opened at the Commercial Arcade and the much-awaited infinity pool to be operated by a 5-star hotelier are now in the works.

Know more about Aeon Towers at www.aeonluxe.com.ph.

EDGEDAVAO

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“R

ice is the principal food for over 60% of mankind,” pointed out the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). It is particularly important to Asia where over half of the world’s population lives.

In the Philippines, rice is the staple food, together with fish. “If we did not have rice, our deepest comfort food, we would probably feel less Filipino,” the late food columnist Doreen Fernandez once said.

“One more rice, please!”

This call, which rings at dinner time in all restaurants and small eateries, best sums up the eating habits of the typical Filipino to whom eating is a matter of filling up. Studies show one-half cup of rice can furnish 82 calories of energy, enough to give someone energy to walk 26 minutes.

On average, Filipinos consume 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year. That’s almost double of the world average of 65 kilograms per capita per year, according to Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., former director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice).

For thousands of years, rice (known in the science world as Oryza sativa) has been part of the human diet.

Historical evidence suggests that rice may have been produced and consumed up to 10,000 years ago.

“This, alongside its current global status as the world’s most important human food, makes rice production responsible for feeding more people over a longer period than any other crop,” IRRI said in a statement.

Rice production is among the most valuable source of income of Filipino farmers. In fact, one-third of the arable land – 10 million

hectares – is planted to rice, Dr. Rasco said. About 2.5 million families – that’s 40% of the country’s labor force – depend on rice farming and related activities for their livelihood.

Not all rice produced, however, are eaten by Filipinos. Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, PhilRice program leader for Impact Assessment Policy Research and Advocacy reported that every Filipino wastes 14 grams of milled rice per day, which is equivalent to about 3 tablespoons per person per day.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics reports that Filipinos spend more on rice than any other food. A survey conducted by the line agency of the Department of Agriculture showed that Filipinos, especially those from low-income households, are depending solely on rice more than ever for their daily dietary energy supply and dietary protein because it remains the most affordable food in the country.

Unknowingly, rice does not only help solve hunger but also “hidden hunger,” the colloquial term for micronutrient deficiency. It happens when people get enough macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat), but not enough micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) for optimum health.

In rice-consuming countries like the Philippines, lack of iron, zinc, and vitamin A are prevalent micronutrient deficiencies. “The cost of these deficiencies in terms of lives and qual-

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RICE: THE STAPLE

FOOD OF FILIPINOS Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

ity of life lost is enormous, and women and children are most at risk,” the Romebased UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) said in a report.

The FAO report considered the vitamin A status in the Philippines as “severe subclinical deficiency” which affected children 6 months - 5 years (8.2%) and pregnant women (7.1%).

Iron deficiency anemia is the most alarming of the micronutrient deficiencies affecting a considerable proportion of infants (56.6%), pregnant women (50.7%), lactating women (45.7%) and male older persons (49.1%).

“While reports indicate that there is enough food to feed the country, many Filipinos continue to go hungry and become malnourished due to inadequate intake of food and nutrients,” FAO noticed in its report.

In its fight against hidden hunger, IRRI and PhilRice collaborated in conducting more studies on golden rice, which has a potential way to reduce vitamin A deficiency.

Golden rice is a new type of rice that contains beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A when eaten. Rigorous research has shown

that just one cup of golden rice a day could be enough to provide an adult with half their daily needs of vitamin A. “Golden rice field trials are part of our work to see if golden rice can be a safe and effective way to reduce vitamin A deficiency in the country – to reduce malnutrition,” said Dr. Bruce Tolentino, when he was still the IRRI deputy director general of communications. “Vitamin A deficiency is horrible and unnecessary, and we want to do our part to help to reduce it.”

Almost always, diabetics are advised to eat less rice. The reason: the starchrich staple can potentially release high amounts of sugar into the blood when digested. The Department of Health listed diabetes as the ninth leading cause of death among Filipinos today. The country is home to four million diabetics, with more than three million not knowing they have the disease.

But Filipino diabetics may now worry less. IRRI researchers have already identified the key gene that determines the glycemic index (GI) of rice. “The GI

is a measure of how a carbohydrate like starch affects blood sugar (glucose) levels,” explains Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero, an academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology. “The higher the GI, the more glucose is released by food.”

The findings of a study, which analyzed 235 types of rice from around the world, is good news because it not only means rice can be part of a healthy diet for the average consumer. It also means people with diabetes, or at risk of diabetes, can select the right rice to help maintain a healthy, low-GI diet.

“It is an important achievement that offers rice breeders the opportunity to develop varieties with different GI levels to meet consumer needs,” IRRI said in a statement. “Future development of low-GI rice would also enable food manufacturers to develop new, lowGI food products based on rice.”

Rice with low GI is, indeed, good news for Filipinos. “Low-GI rice will have a particularly important role in the diets of people who derive the bulk of their calories from rice and who cannot afford to eat rice with

other foods to help keep the GI of their diet low,” IRRI said. “Low-GI rice could help to keep diabetes at bay in these communities.”

While IRRI is still trying to find the type of rice that can help those with diabetes, eating brown rice may be the best solution. A Harvard University study found out that brown rice can lower the risk of developing diabetes. Researchers drew on data from over 200,000 subjects and found that those who ate five or more servings of white rice a week had a 17 percent increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with those who rarely ate white rice.

What’s more, they found that those who ate brown rice regularly were overall less likely to develop diabetes.

“When we refine rice, we strip away the majority of many of the nutrients,” says Dr. Walter Willet, a co-author on the study, “including magnesium, chromium and other minerals and vitamins. You’re left with a form of starch that is rapidly broken down, leads to greater spikes in blood sugar, and increases the de-

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DepEd 11 are consulting each other over the restart of face-to-face classes in select schools in areas with low Covid-19 risk in Davao City.

She added that not all schools in the areas that will be identified as low-risk barangays will be included.

On Monday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced that President Rodrigo Duterte approved the pilot testing of limited face-to-face classes in selected public and private schools in the country in areas with minimal

risk for Covid-19.

Mayor Sara said the city is not aware if there are colleges and universities in Davao City ready for faceto-face classes.

“Wala pud mi coordination with CHED kung i-allow sila beyond medical and allied medical courses.

If there is an announcement from CHED na they will allow it for medical and allied medical courses and then there is an expectation sa atoa na mag-open na sila dinha sa atoang mga school who offer those courses,” she said.

will unravel the roadblocks and complexities of the unending disruptions in the business landscape. Through empowering contents and thought-provoking discussions, the conference will be able to unlock opportunities and provide exceptional learnings,” Quintana stressed.

The sessions and topics are specially curated to help in the creation of a roadmap for the future of the Philippine franchising sector. It will feature: Highly-dynamic and curated sessions through: o Keynote presentations o Plenary sessions o Franchise panel sessions o Concurrent C-Suite forum o A special session on the Next Gen in Franchising Keynote presentations and plenary sessions The Keynote Presentations to be spearheaded by

Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat will discuss relevant and timely contents about the future of business, economy, industry updates that could help everyone in this world of disruption.

The plenary sessions feature influential speakers and renowned leaders such as Al Panlilio of the PLDT Group, Jos Ortega of Havas Ortega and international speakers from Canada and USA - Matthew Haller from International Franchise Association (IFA USA), Brad Sugars from ActionCOACH (USA), Robert Locascio from LivePerson (USA), Dr. Ben Litalien, CFE from Franchise Well Consulting (USA), Dr. Rajagopal Raghunathan the Author of the Award Winning Book “If you’re So Smart, Why Aren’t you Happy” and Ira Bernard Teich of The Teich Group (Canada).

that there is low acceptability [without offense] sa Sinopharm and Sinovac. So stop buying and stop sending Sinovac and Sinopharm to vaccination

sites. Instead, focus on buying Pfizer and Moderna since there is high interest in these vaccines,” she said. By Maya M. Padillo

the first seven months of 2021.

“However, it should be noted that JTI’s share for (this) period increased by 11.4 percentage points when compared to last year. This was due to JTI’s increased volume of 55.8 percent year-on-year while

PMFTC’s reported volume declined by 3.8 percent,” she said.

Based on the tax collections, JTI’s volume of removals was 498 million packs and 777 million packs for the first seven months of 2020 and 2021, respectively.

of the fraudulent sites asks customers to enter their personal information, as well as their credit card details.

“We encourage you to warn your family and

friends and report to writeus@ph.mcd.com if you come across these sites,” McDonald’s said.

The company said it is taking action against the fraudulent sites.

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borrowers and help ensure that economic activities remain robust.

Monetary authorities vowed to keep the BSP’s policy stance accommodative to support the domestic economy’s recovery.

The Philippine economy registered an 11.8-percent expansion in the second quarter of 2021, ending a five-quarter contraction since the first quarter of last

year.

Economic authorities are optimistic about sustained recovery of the domestic economy, citing green shoots in several areas like exports and imports.

The Moody’s Analytics report, however, said that both “the Philippines and Indonesia continue to battle domestic infection waves that have disrupted their respective recoveries.”

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nual financial report to the Office of the President.

“The Constitution itself requires bidding for every centavo that goes into the private hands for the purpose of charity,” he said.

Duterte said the PRC is a “very laudable entity.”

“We are not attacking the Philippine Red Cross.

We just would like to know if the resources of the government have given to it -is well manage,” he said.

Duterte has already instructed the Solicitor General to write to COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo requesting to conduct an audit over PRC’s financial status.

Duterte said he also

wants to see transparency from Senator Richard Gordon’s handling of the PRC. “Gusto mo transparency sa mga transaction kaya (You want transparency in the transactions that’s why) you’re dwelling on Pharmally? In the same manner, we get also to see if there is transparency in the Red Cross under you and you yourself in connection with the Red Cross functions,” he said.

Gordon chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that is looking into the alleged overpriced contracts of the government’s procurement of Covid-19 supplies at the onset of the pandemic last year. (PNA)

ing Bayabas National High School, and Bangoy National High School.

The feasibility study of

the project has been completed, including learning manuals and the required human resources.

She said the company is still exploring areas in the two main islands of the country for its flagship projects.

The COVID-19 pandemic, she added, has also resulted in the taste of the homebuyer to change as the company has “come to realize that a home is more than just four walls and a roof over your head.”

“The pandemic has reminded us that the home we live in creates the setting

for the life we wish for,” she said, adding that this situation has played well into the housing concept of the company, which has projects in Southern Luzon.

She said Ovialand as a developer, sets up projects suited for the discerning market as it believes that Filipinos deserve “a chance at premier real estate” as its project has units that are as low as P2.5 million that can satisfy the dream of its owners.

Infante and Jeysie Agdan.

The dry run started 2 pm at the Martinez junction, followed by the Daticor junction in Matiao, then at the St. Camillus Crossing, and lastly at the Rizal junction.

According to City Councilor Eric Rabat, officer-in-charge of the city traffic signalization system, this is a milestone for the city, which expects more similar projects in the future.

During the trial, local drivers and pedestrians apparently have yet to adjust to the traffic lights in the city.

Infante said they will be making adjustments to the traffic lights’ system due to

some observation during the dry run such as making the go-signal for pedestrians a little longer especially at the Rizal street during the rush hour to make a smoother flow for the vehicles and pedestrians.

The multi-million peso project started last April 8, 2021, and is part of the infrastructure agenda under the administration of Mayor Michelle Rabat.

The local government of the City of Mati urged Matinians to follow all traffic laws because it is for their benefit, safety, and also for the smooth flow of traffic in the city. (CIO/Alab Maldo)

post-pandemic.

Aboitiz said the power firm is further transitioning to more renewable energy sources in response to climate-related risks and in support of the government’s efforts to build the renewable energy market in the country.

AboitizPower is now the country’s largest owner and

operator of renewable energy based on installed capacity.

Over the next decade, the company is set to expand its Cleanergy portfolio in support of the government’s efforts to promote renewable energy in the country and to serve as the organization’s contribution to the global renewable energy targets.

air travel.

“With land travel, we can come out with a lot of packages already. Heritage tourism, farm tourism, nature-based tourism,” Cruz said.

The National Economic and Development Authority said Tourism GDP fell 61 percent year-on-year in 2020, reducing its share of

Philippine GDP to 5.4 percent from 12.8 percent in 2019.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said foreign exchange inflows from travel receipts dropped 82 percent in 2020, and will drop another 80 percent this year, before seeing a growth of 25 percent by 202

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mand for insulin. Over time this exhausts the pancreas and leads to diabetes.”

Filipinos eating rice is as old as rice cultivation itself.

“The history of rice cultivation in the country dates back at least 3,000 years,” wrote Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, an academician and national scientist. “The building of rice terraces came a bit later.”

However, it was in 1576 that an account of rice cultivation was recorded. By 1668, someone wrote that “rice usually does not last longer than the time it takes to harvest, since the rest they pay in tribute or sell to get the cash to pay the tribute.”

But rice is not originally from the Philippines. Until now, it is still being debated where rice originally comes from. D.H. Grist, in his book Rice, pointed this out: “We do not know the country of origin of rice, but the weight of evidence points out to the conclusion that the center of origin of rice is southeast Asia, particularly India and Indo-China, where the richest diversity of cultivated forms has been recorded.”

Cultivation of rice dates to the earliest age of man.

Carbonized paddy grains and husks, estimated to date 1000 to 800 B.C. have been found in excavations at Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, India. Specimens of rice have been discovered in China dating from the third millennium B.C. and the Chinese term for rice appears in inscriptions from the second millennium B.C. Paddy cultivation is of great antiquity in the Philippines. It is thought that immigrant people from south China in the second millennium B.C. constructed the wonderful system of terraces on the mountainsides of Banaue and its neighboring areas. These people were reportedly driven into the hills by subsequent inva-

sions of Malays.

Although the Philippines is basically an agricultural country, it has not been self-sufficient in rice. In fact, the country is currently the world’s major importer of rice. There are several reasons for this. Yield growth and production for the last two decades have been minimal, and at times even stagnated or declined resulting in increased importation.

Unknowingly, studies have shown that there is a 75% return on investment in rice production in the country. But the fact is, there is very little room for expansion in new areas for rice.

“Most of the increase in production will have to come from increased yields/ productivity,” said Simeon A. Cuyson, the executive director of CropLife Philippines, Inc. “The average rice landholding of slightly more than one hectare is uneconomic, so obviously some interventions are needed to improve efficiency, provide access to credit and marketing, and provide opportunities and the means to diversify the small farmers’ source of livelihood.”

No one knows when the world will be inhabited by 10, 15, or 20 billion people.

What is clear, however, is that new technologies will be needed to produce much more rice on less land, with less labor, less water, and less pesticides. Rice production must be made sustainable as well as profitable for farmers so that they do not leave the land and join rapidly expanding, highly explosive communities of the urban poor.

As former IRRI director general Klaus Lampe puts it: “We cannot protect the environment, we cannot promote biodiversity, and we cannot provide sustainability without ensuring sufficient income earning opportunities and an adequate food supply.”

but that they expect him to participate this season at some point. He will begin full jumping in mid-October, and is expected to participate in individual drills at training camp before he

can join practices fully.

Wiseman, who the Warriors took with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 draft, averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 39 games last season.

60 million followers on social media — via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube and the Chinese site Weibo — the most of any NBA team, and more than the population of South Korea. Kyeong said that social media base was

critical to the company’s plans to expand the Bibigo brand beyond Asia and North America.

“Our vision,” he said, “is to cover the entire globe.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

prises (MSMEs), and improve the lives of Filipinos amid the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Go Negosyo, an advocacy of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, promotes programs that will address poverty through entrepreneurship and developing an “optimistic, passionate, creative and innovative, resourceful, diligent, and persevering character”.

KAMMP will promote inclusive growth by pro-

moting financial accessibility and focusing on the “three M” principles of Go Negosyo: Money, Market, and Mentor.

Dar pledged the agency’s full support, stressing the need to multiply and promulgate MSMEs in the agriculture sector.

He said the DA will continue to seek better ways and innovate to transform food producers into agripreneurs and populate the agribusiness ecosystem.

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Warriors expect Clay back this season Klay Thompson is expected to be back in this season.

T

he Golden State Warriors still expect that Klay Thompson will finally be able to rejoin the team this season after missing two years with back-to-back brutal injuries.

Thompson, the team said in a statement on Monday, “has made good progress during his reha-

bilitation over the course of the summer” and should return this season.

Thompson tore his

left ACL during the 2019 NBA Finals with the Warriors, and spent the entire offseason recovering.

Thompson then tore his Achilles last November while rehabbing his ACL, and missed the entire season.

The team hasn’t said specifically when Thomp-

son will be able to play again, but rather that a specific date would be determined based off his recovery. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said that the team is currently targeting a date on or around Christmas. He will start participating in controlled drills at training camp, but isn’t

T The Lakers unveiled a new sponsor for their jersey patches Monday: Bibigo, a South Korean line of dumplings, sauces and frozen meals.

he five-year agreement is worth more than $100 million, according to people familiar with the deal but not authorized to disclose its terms publicly. NBA jersey patch deals have sold for an average range of $7 million to $10 million per year, according to The Athletic.

“The Lakers are the No. 1 team in sports,” said Wookho Kyeong, chief marketing officer of CJ CheilJedang, the parent company of Bibigo. “The Lakers are more than just a basketball

quite ready to join practices fully, the team said.

Thompson averaged 21.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game during the 2018-19 season, his eighth in the league. The 31-year-old is set to enter the third year of his fiveyear, $189.9 million deal with the team this fall.

The Warriors also said that center James Wiseman is making “good progress” after he underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in April.

In similar fashion, the Warriors didn’t say specifically when Wiseman would be able to return

team. The Lakers, globally, are a cultural icon, especially for young people.”

That the Lakers are the team of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and LeBron James helps. Tim Harris, the Lakers’ president of business operations, said the Bibigo deal was amplified by a recent change in NBA rules that allow teams to include their logos in overseas business deals. Before the change, Harris said, an English Premier League team could sell the rights to use its logo in a gym in Los

Angeles, but an NBA team could not sell the rights to use its logo in a gym in London.

“Now you can use Lakers logos worldwide to enhance and explain and promote your association,” Harris said.

Kyeong said his company has sponsored a PGA tour event and several national teams competing in the Olympics, but this deal marks its first with a North American sports team.

The Lakers have about

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“We are happy to finally recognize and pay tribute to remarkable achievements in sports of women and of outstanding initiatives for women in the communities throughout the country:” PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

WOMEN SPORTS PSC calls for Gintong Gawad Award nominations

T

he Philippine Sports Commission Women in Sports presents the Gintong Gawad Award 2021 as a national search for ground-breaking, inspiring, notable, timeless, outstanding contributions to grassroots women in sports.

“We are happy to finally recognize and pay tribute to remarkable achievements in sports of women and of outstanding initiatives for women in the communities throughout the country,” says PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

He further said, “Through the years, we have witnessed the continuing recognition of excellent performances in elite sports, but none so far yet for those in the grassroots, particularly women.

We have Republic Act 10699 (National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act) which provides benefits and incentives for national athletes and those winning in international sports competitions. There is also the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame established through Republic Act No. 8757 which aims to immortalize the Filipino Sports heritage and to honour remarkable performances of Filipino athletes, trainers, and coaches.”

Gintong Gawad is a milestone initiative that will inspire community-based athletes, coaches, sports leaders, benefactors, sports scientists, and innovators to continue helping in the development of women in sports.

For this year, Gintong Gawad invites The Provincial Government Units and Metro Manila Mayors to send their best entry (nominee) from October 1 to November 30, 2021, for each of the eight (8) categories. Anyone that can help provide valuable information is advised to connect with their respective Provincial Government offices. Categories for this year are: Babaeng Atleta; Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Atleta, ng Kabataan (PWD); Babaeng Tagasanay ng Isport; Ina ng Isport; Lider ng Isport sa Komunidad; Kaagapay ng Isport sa Komunidad (Benefactor/Sponsor, Natatangi at Makabagong Produktong Pang-Isport; and, Proyektong Isport Pang Kababaihan.

Concerns and clarifications may be coordinated with the Gintong Gawad National Screening, Technical, Evaluation and Validation (STEV) Secretariat: Email psc.gintonggawad@gmail.com; General Concerns 09493695717; 09451755464; - 09668663793; 09395988088; MM & South Luzon - 09560654003; North Luzon 09094590303; Visayas - 09053537169; Mindanao 09178980979.