Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 163 : Thursday, September 23, 2021

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

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A motorcycle rider uses the designated bike lane to go past other vehicles along Quimpo Blvd. in Davao City on Wednesday. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has reminded motorists not to use the bike lanes specially when trying to overtake other vehicles after receiving complaints and reports from cyclists that the bike lanes are being used mostly by motorists.

Edge Davao

NO JAB NO JOB Aggrieved city gov’t employees affected

by E.O. 45-A told to see City Legal Office

STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in his speech during the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level General Debate on 22 September 2021, conveys how governments could reconcile their obligation to their own citizens with their responsibility to the rest of humanity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, worsening inequality and geopolitical instability. Presidential Photo

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PH arbitral win against China a ‘win-win solution for all’: PRRD

Aggrieved city gov’t employees affected

by E.O. 45-A told to see City Legal Office

By MAYA M. PADILLO

M

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio told City Hall employees who feel aggrieved

by Executive Order (E.O.) 45-A, which mandates the hiring of fully vaccinated individuals starting January 1, 2022, to see the City Legal Office.

“If you are a person who feels aggrieved by the EO because you are a city government personnel then you go to our City Legal Office so that the legal office can talk to you,” the mayor

said.

The mayor signed E.O. 45-A, on September 20, 2021, is the new version of E.O. 45, also known as “An Order Mandating The Vaccination Of All City Gov-

ernment of Davao Plantilla, Job Order, Contract of Service, and Volunteers For COVID-19 and Stipulating Sanctions For The Refusal of Such,” that was signed by the mayor on September 15, 2021.

The E.O. 45 version did not state when the hiring of fully vaccinated only city government workers will take effect.

However, both EOs ordered the mandatory vac-

cination of all city government of Davao employees on or before November 30, 2021, and failure to do so will be meted with sanctions.

Based on the new version of EO, a plantilla personnel who refuses to undergo vaccination shall be held administratively for insubordination and shall be penalized with a one month and one-day suspension to

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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday stressed the importance of the Philippines’ historic arbitral victory against China’s sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea (SCS).

During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Duterte said the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) 2016 ruling on the SCS disputes, as well as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), provides a “clear path towards a just, fair, and winwin solution for all.”

“The award must be seen for what it is – a benefit across the board to all who subscribe to the majesty of law,” he said in his keynote speech.

Duterte made the remarks as he emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to keeping the SCS “a sea of

peace, security, and prosperity.”

He said no country can undermine the sea ruling that favors the Philippines.

“No amount of willful disregard by any country, however big and powerful, can diminish the arbitral award’s importance,” the President added.

On July 12, 2016, the PCA in The Hague, Netherlands ruled in favor of the Philippines after it invalidated China’s supposedly historic rights over nearly the entire SCS. China has repeatedly ignored the 2016 PCA ruling.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has sought to resolve the sea disputes through peaceful and diplomatic negotiations, as it intends to keep its mended ties with Beijing.

Duterte, in his latest speech, reiterated his stance

professor Daud Kadon, sustained a gunshot wound on the left side of his abdomen after engaging in a brief shootout with his assailants along the highway in Barangay Kurintem at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

“The victim was hit but was able to draw his firearm and fired back at the suspects, also hitting them in the process,” de la Vega said

in a statement.

Through their recovered identification cards, the slain suspects were identified as Montanao Silungan Usman and Abdul Ambel Mama of the towns of Talitay and DOS, respectively.

Initial investigation showed that Kadon was driving his Toyota Fortuner on his way home when

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Nat’l ID registration ongoing MSU faculty member wounded, 2 attackers killed in ambush try in Tagum, Cotabato malls

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he Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) registration is ongoing at the CityMall of Tagum City in Davao del Norte and in Cotabato City until Sept. 30.

CityMall Tagum City’s registration started on Sept.

16 while the Cotabato City branch began the sign-up on June 21.

Even those who are not from Tagum or Cotabato can register as long as they have valid identification cards or other documents.

In continuing posts, PhilSys said those aged 5 to 14 years old must be accompanied by parents or guardians and must present the child’s birth certificate.

PhilSys emphasized the Philippine ID (PhilID) is free and warned against individuals or groups offering registration assistance for a fee.

The Step 1 demographic registration can be done online, after which an appointment will be given for the Step 2 biometrics

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faculty member of the Mindanao State University (MSU) escaped death after a botched ambush try but his two attackers got killed in the encounter in Datu Odin Sinsuat (DOS) town, police said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Rommel de la Vega, DOS police chief, said the wounded victim, identified as MSU-Maguindanao

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

NEWS

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Incident Management Team (IMT) and CDRRMO conducted ocular inspection on the ongoing construction of barangay isolation Unit (BIU) in Brgy. Cabuaya that is already at its 60 percent completion. The team also supervised the repair of roads affected by LPA/ITCZ last Sunday evening. Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat readily ordered the dispatch of a team from the City Motorpool composed of 1 payloader, 2 dumptrucks, and 1 excavator for the road repair. (CIO MATI)

6 rebels die in Bukidnon, Agusan del Norte clashes

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ix suspected members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes with government troops in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte on Monday (September 20).

Maj. Francisco Garello, chief of the Division of Public Affairs Office of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Brigade based in Cagayan de Oro City, said the first encounter occurred when joint forces of the 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn) and the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) swooped down on a suspected rebel encampment at Sitio Cogon Cogon in Barangay Manalog in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon at 6:45 a.m.

Five rebels died in the clash, with government troops also recovering six AK-47 rifles, two M16 rifles, three M653 rifles, and one caliber .45 pistol.

Garello said the second clash transpired around 3 p.m. that same day in Barangay Bugsukan, Butuan City, where a suspected rebel identified as one Alias Jim-

boy, was killed.

The troops were able to recover two M16 rifles with magazines and an M203 40mm grenade launcher.

No reported casualty on the government side in both encounters.

Maj. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr, commander of the 4ID, lauded his troops and the police for the conduct of an intensified focused security operations against the NPA rebels to help end the insurgency in the area.

“The communist terrorist group (CTG) will never win in this fight. With the PNP making their presence felt in the anti-insurgency campaign, we expect more and more CTG members and leaders to heed our call for peace after the series of setbacks they suffered in the past days in Bukidnon,” he said.

Brawner further said that voluntary surrender is imminent and choosing to return to the peaceful path to avail the Enhance Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP)

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City to open ‘Bakuna Nights’

By MAYA M. PADILLO

M

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced that the city will be rolling out vaccination activities at night to accelerate the inoculation program in Davao City.

“Naa tay Bakuna Nights. Naa tay duha ka vax sites nato which will roll out vaccines in the evening.

This is a strategy nga mapapaspas ta magdungag og vaccination sites,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara said “Bakuna Nights” aims to cater to individuals who want to be vaccinated but are only available in the evening.

The mayor said this is an additional strategy of the city for vaccination

rollout as the city is still below its target number of vaccinees for the first dose.

“We are approximately 210,000 first doses of our target. Meaning 200,010 ta kulang sa atong target for first doses lang na,” she said.

Based on the report of the city’s vaccination cluster as of September 15, 2021, there are more than 420,000 fully vaccinated individuals in Davao City.

Also based on its re-

cord, there are a total of 421,852 individuals inoculated with the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sara also clarified that there will be no early registration for those aged 12 to 17 when they are allowed to be vaccinated.

“Early registration wala na po tay registration ana, it was discussed earlier once mogawas ang guide sa DOH with regard to 12-17 y.o., then we immediately roll it out sa atong vaccination centers and sa atong mobile vaccination teams,” she said.

On the other hand, Mayor Sara announced

del Sur Provincial Hospital.

LTFRB 11 has tapped seven bus operators as partners in Phase 2 of the program, which eventually benefited 238 drivers.

In a statement, LTFRB 11 stated that the free ride initiative is just one of the two types of activities under the Public Utility Vehicles (PUV) Service Contracting Program, which

is the government’s other program in response to the crisis experienced by the transportation sector due to the pandemic.

Initiated by the Department of Transportation (DoTr), the service contracting program allows public utility drivers to earn based on the kilometers traveled instead of the number of passengers

while the free ride program aims to help essential workers get to their destinations safely and efficiently by providing much-needed free transportation during the pandemic.

According to Nonito Llanos III, regional director of LTFRB, at the start of the free ride service in Davao Region last week, this is

that the city is now working hand-in-hand with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to iron out the Covid-19 Vaccination Certificate or VaxCertPH program, an online portal, before it can be made available to the general public.

The national government has launched the VaxCertPH program in Metro Manila and Baguio City, which was initially available only to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign travelers, and is set to launch it in other areas, including Davao City.

not only a program of the DOTR and the LTFRB but a program of the people.

“The importance of this program is that this involves a lot of people.

This involves a lot of beneficiaries. We need to touch the lives of other people, because these times of the pandemic, we need the support of each other,” the statement said.

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45,968 health workers, APORs benefit from ‘Libreng Sakay’

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orty-five thousand and nine hundred sixty-eight healthcare workers and authorized persons outside residence (APORs) have benefited from the “Libreng Sakay” service of the regional office of the Land Transportation and Franchising Service (LTFRB 11).

Launched on September 1, 2021, the Phase 2

of “Libreng Sakay”, which tapped 88 bus units covering 20 routes in Davao Region, runs in Davao City, Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte and Davao Occidental with destinations including major hospitals such as the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC-Davao City), Davao Regional Medical Center (DRMC-Tagum) and Davao

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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Over two years since the construction started, the new Agdao Market building in Davao City is almost complete. Photo taken on 21 September 2021. Mindanews Photo

House approves taxes D on digital transactions T

PH to continue innovations to spur new growth: DTI

he House of Representatives on Tuesday night approved on final reading a proposal imposing a 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on digital transactions in the country to generate new funding sources for the country’s Covid-19 response efforts.

With 167 affirmative votes, six negative votes, and one abstention, the Chamber passed on third reading House Bill 7425 seeking to amend Section 105 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) by taxing digital service providers that operate through online platforms.

The bill seeks to clarify the imposition of VAT

on online advertisement services, digital services in exchange for a regular subscription fee, and supply of other electronic and online services that can be delivered through the Internet.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, a principal author of the bill, said foreign corporations selling digital services, such as Netflix, Spotify, and others, will have to pay for

and impose VAT on their services.

“We have now clarified that digital services and the goods and services traded through digital service providers should generally be subject to VAT. This is just a matter of common tax sense,” he said. “If brick and mortar establishments, which are the hardest-hit by the pandemic, have to pay VAT, the giants of e-commerce shouldn’t be exempt.”

Digital services include online licensing or software, updates and add-ons, website filters and firewalls, mobile applications, video games and online games, and webcasts and

webinars, Salceda said.

It also includes the provision of digital content, such as music, files, images, text, and information; online advertising spaces; electronic marketplaces; search engine services; social networks; database and hosting; and online training.

Salceda said no new taxes would be imposed, as he guaranteed exemptions for small businesses.

“If your sales are below PHP3 million, you are exempt from paying or filing VAT. If your net income as a sole proprietor is below PHP250,000, you are exempt from paying and filing income taxes. So, the small

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epartment of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said on Tuesday the government will continue its programs and introduce policies to drive innovation in the country.

In a virtual presser on the Philippines’ ranking in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 202, Lopez said the country has strengthened its national and regional innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems through government-industry-academe collaboration while enabling a strong business and policy environment, as well as upskilling the creative talent pool.

He added innovation opened huge potential for the country by attracting high-value investments and upgrading industrial competitiveness that

would create more jobs in the market.

“We have seen that with the right collaborators, our country’s entrepreneurial and innovative people can boost and optimize their discovery potential and serve as a primary engine of economic development especially amidst the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” Lopez said.

In the GII 2021, the country slipped a notch to 51st spot from 50th last year.

The Philippines ranks 4th among lower middle-income countries in the latest GII, behind Vietnam, India, and Ukraine, but ahead of Mongolia, Moldova, Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, and Tanzania.

The GII 2021 measures innovation performance of

nline money-lending platforms that use clients’ data for harassment or other forms of intimidation are still prevalent as digital commerce flourishes.

The Fintech Alliance PH on Tuesday reminded users to be wary of lending applications (apps) that violate the right to privacy.

“We are one with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and various industry players in condemning the insidious practice of illegal and irresponsible data harvesting of some online lending applications,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 protects and secures the privacy of every personal

information in the communications system while ensuring the free flow of information.

“We call on the non-compliant online lending platforms to remember our obligation to our clients to uphold their right to safe and secure transactions, as well (as) our obligation to follow the rule of law when it comes to data storage and management. There is no room for these deceptive tactics when it comes to the use of our customer’s data, especially during this pandemic.

We continue to advocate for legal, responsible, and reasonable data management.

The customer’s trust is paramount in our operations,”

196K SSS members get P2.6-Billion unemployment insurance benefits O

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he Social Security System (SSS) has so far provided about 196,000 members of its pension fund a total of PHP2.62 billion in unemployment insurance benefits, most of it released during the pandemic.

Finance Secretary and Social Security Commission (SSC) chairman Carlos Dominguez III said PHP2.35 billion or 90 percent of the cash grants under the SSS unemployment insurance benefit (UIB) program were released during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic period from March 2020 to June

2021.

In his letter to the Senate, Dominguez said 173,791 out of the total of 196,021 SSS members who availed of the UIB received them during the pandemic period as of June this year.

“Implemented effective March 2019, the UIB program is among the key institutional responses of the SSS to the Covid-19 pandemic for its affected members since March 2020.

From March 2020 until June 2021, the SSS has paid out PHP2,354.33 million in UIB, and this has benefitted 173,791 members,” Dominguez said in his letter ad-

dressed to Senate President Vicente Sotto III. His letter was in response to the query of Senator Grace Poe Llamanzares, one of the vice chairpersons of the Senate finance committee, regarding the provision of financial assistance to unemployed workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The inquiry was made during the Sept. 9 briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on the proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2022 to the Senate finance committee chaired

by Sen. Sonny Angara.

Angara and Poe were furnished copies of Dominguez’s letter.

Under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2018, Dominguez said the UIB shall be granted provided that the separation or involuntary unemployment of the members was a result of any of, but not limited to, authorized causes of termination of employee, including redundancy, retrenchment/ downsizing, and closure/ cessation of operation; just causes for ending employment relationship; econom-

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Borrowers warned anew vs. online lending platforms’ abusive practices

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ECONOMY

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Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro, deputy executive director of Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), says during a virtual presser that it is noted that Mindanao fair better in terms of unemployment versus the national average. Edge Davao

Demand for Filipino healthcare workers abroad still high: POEA

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ilipino health care workers (HCWs) are still in high demand abroad, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) said on Tuesday.

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are in the health care sector are very much needed in countries in Europe and the Middle East.

“When we talk about the demand of our OFWs, the HCWs or health care workers come first. In Europe, as in the UK and Germany, the need for HCWs, particularly nurses, is high because they are also their front-liners, just like us, this pandemic,” Olalia said during the Laging Handa

Peso seen to weaken until next year amid pandemic

briefing.

“In the Middle East, it is the same. The demand for our nurses is also high in countries such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Kuwait,” he added.

Aside from HCWs, he said employers abroad are looking for Filipino skilled workers and seafarers.

“Technologically based OFWs or those we call skilled is also in demand in these times. In the seafaring industry, the in-demand are the usual cargo vessels, transport vessels, petroleum vessels that deliver supplies over the world using the seafaring or the maritime sector. The cruise ship is also slowly opening,” Olalia said.

He also said the deploy-

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is a lesson the National Innovation Council (NIC) can learn from the Department of Trade and Industry’s previous work on the World Bank’s Doing Business (DB) Survey.

“As a member of the NIC, IPOPHL is urging for the creation of task forces to address areas that weigh us down in our GII performance, namely Institutions, Human Capital and Research, Infrastructure and

Market Sophistication,” Barba said at an inter-agency virtual presser on the Philippine GII 2021 held Tuesday.

Barba said a task force helped in the drastic 29-notch improvement in the Philippine ranking in 2020 to 95th out of 190 economies -- the highest rank ever attained by the country in the DB. “The NIC can consider emulating this, and we

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he peso is expected to trade within a wide range this and next year given the pandemic-related developments, as policy responses impact on investors’ confidence on the economy in general, Fitch Solutions said.

In a report dated Sept.

20, Fitch Solutions Country Risk and Industry Research forecasts the peso to trade between PHP49 to PHP52 against a US dollar for the next three to six months.

The local currency is projected to average at PHP40.20 to a greenback this year, and at PHP51 next year.

These are weaker than the research firm’s earlier forecast of PHP48.10 average for the peso this year and PHP49.00 average for 2022.

“We at Fitch Solutions expect the Philippine peso to weaken within a wide range over the near term, as uncertainty around the pandemic and its policy re-

sponse weigh on investor confidence,” the report said.

On Monday, the local unit closed at 50.24 against the US dollar, weaker than its 49-level finishes last week.

The report said its forecast range for the local currency was based on the continued uncertainty on government measures against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the loose monetary policy stance, and the weakening fundamentals, with the latter due to the pandemic.

“Asian currencies have remained under pressure

in Q321 (third quarter of 2021) due to the region’s slow pace of vaccinations, Delta variant outbreaks and renewed restrictions, signs of slower growth in China and limited hawkish guidance by central banks,” it said.

It said central banks in other regions have turned hawkish, with the US Federal Reserve signaling a possible asset purchase tapering in the next few quarters.

“While we expect the US dollar to trade neutral providing a favourable backdrop for EM (emerging mar-

General Motors, steel producer ArcelorMittal, investment management firm BlackRock, and management company Boston Consulting Group.

In a statement, Breakthrough Energy said the Catalyst program provides “a new model for public-private sector partnership to help build the foundation of the net-zero economy.”

The program brings together businesses, governments, philanthropies, and individuals to invest in critical climate technologies, initially focusing on four key areas --direct air capture, green hydrogen, long-duration energy storage, and sustainable aviation fuel, the statement read.

Through direct investments, the program

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Multi-sectoral TFs eyed to deal Bill Gates’ nonprofit group ties with innovation index laggards up with 7 firms for clean energy

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ollowing the Philippines’ one-notch slide in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) has called for stronger collaboration among government, industry and the academe, and urged for the formation of multi-sectoral task forces to address the country’s weak spots in the GII. IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said this

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merican business magnate Bill Gates’ nonprofit organization, Breakthrough Energy, announced on Monday it partnered with seven corporations for its program to accelerate development of climate-smart technologies to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The partners include American Airlines, Bank of America, Microsoft,

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

On the vaccination rollout being yet below target as to the number of people who received first dose:

We are approximately 210,000 first doses of our target. Meaning 200,010 ta kulang sa atong target for first doses lang na.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL Feel the pulse, Manny Unlike the announcements for his next boxing fight, Senator Manny Pacquiao’s announcement to run for President was met with cold air as if it’s winter in tropical Philippines.

Immediately after declaring he is throwing away his boxing gloves for a run for the presidency, cyberspace was abuzz with lonely comments pleading for the legendary eight-division world champion to preserve his greatness in the boxing ring and leave his grandest ambitions in politics.

Most of the comments point to the boxer turned lawmaker unfit for the job. As running for the presidency is like applying for a job, Senator Pacquiao miserably failed in the submission of CV without even reaching the interview stage, so to speak.

Most netizens dismissed Senator Pacquiao’s ambition to rule the country is not worth supporting this time, unlike his

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By now, it should have sunk in. The Senator, had he read the response of the people, would have thrown his ambitions aside the very next day. But it appears, he is already hell bent on running.

That’s understandable, when you have so many people with diverse interests in life behind you, you would be intoxicated in hallucinating belief of impending good fortune. Senator Pacquiao, at this very moment, thinks he is the ‘chosen one’.

Senator Pacquiao has spent time in politics enough for him to understand its dynamics. But the complexities of a demanding executive office, far from the legislative experience he has logged rather unimpressively, is something he has not been to.

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

journey in the ring.

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 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

EDGEDAVAO

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO IN SEARCH OF A GOOD LEADER I was browsing my social media account when I came across a story that really caught my attention. The heading said: “How do you lead?” Instead of answering the question, it shared a story: A young man saw his primary school teacher at a wedding reception. He went to greet him with all respect and admiration. “Can you still recognize me, sir?” he asked.

The teacher looked at the young man and replied: “I don’t think so. Could you please remind me how we met?”

The young man recounted: “I was your pupil in the third grade. I stole a wrist watch belonging to my then classmate because it was unique and fascinating.

My classmate came to you crying that his wrist watch had been stolen and you ordered all pupils in the class to stand in a straight line, facing the wall with our hands up and our eyes closed so you could check our pockets.

At this point, I became jittery and terrified of the outcome of the search. The same I will face after the other pupils discover that I stole the watch, the opinions of my teachers will form about me, the thought of

being named a ‘thief’ till I leave the school and my parents’ reaction when they get to know about my action.

All these thoughts flowing across my heart, when suddenly it was my turn to be checked.

I felt your hand slip into my pocket and you brought out the watch. I was gripped with fear, expecting the worst to be announced. I was surprised I didn’t hear anything, but Sir, you continued searching other pupils’ pockets till you got to the last pupil.

When the search was over, you asked us to open our eyes and sit on our chairs. I was afraid to sit because I was thinking you would come out soon after everyone was seated.

But to my amazement, you showed the watch to the class, gave it to the owner and you never mentioned the name of the one who stole the watch.

You didn’t say a word to me, and you never mentioned the story to anyone.

Throughout my stay in the school, no teacher or pupil knew what happened. This incident naturally taught me a great lesson and I resolved in my heart never to get myself involved in taking whatever is not mine. I thought to myself, you

saved my dignity.

Do you remember the story now, Sir? You can’t simply forget this story Sir!” The teacher looked at the young man and said: “I vividly remember the story. I found the watch in a pocket but didn’t know in whose pocket the stolen watch was found that day because I searched your pockets while I also had my eyes closed.”

In life, the author (sorry, I don’t know who!) said, “we need wisdom for everything we do. As parents, teachers, leaders, etc., we should be able to close our eyes to some things.

Not all misbehavior require punishment. Some will need encouragement, some mentoring, and some monitoring. Be a leader who impacts not one who shatters.”

American president Harry S Truman once said: “Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.”

Remember Alexander the Great? He was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon and a member of the Arge-

ad dynasty. He succeeded his father Philip II to the throne at the age of 20.

He conquered most of the known world of his day. As a leader, he was feared and yet admired by his soldiers. And so, it came to pass that Alexander the Great and his army were dying of thirst after marching eleven days.

Suddenly, they came upon some local farmers who were fetching skins full of water from a hidden river. Seeing the famous general choked with thirst, they offered him a helmet filled with water. He asked them to whom they were carrying the water. They told him, “To our children. But your life is more important than theirs.

Even if they all perish, we can raise a new generation.”

Then Alexander took the helmet into his hands and looked around to see all his soldiers eyeing the water and licking their dry lips. He didn’t have the courage to drink, but gave back the water untouched to the farmers. “If only I would drink,” he explained, “the rest of the soldiers would be out of heart.”

At that, the soldiers rallied around him as never before and defied their fatigue and their

thirst. “To follow such a leader is a great privilege,” they chorused.

Lao Tzu, a Chinese philosopher, said it well: “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie has the same opinion. “No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.” American businessman Arnold H. Glasow said it, too: “A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

To end this piece, allow me to quote the words of American-Korean physician Jim Yong Kim. “No matter how good you think you are as a leader,” said the man who served as the 12th president of the World Bank, “the people around you will have all kinds of ideas for how you can get better. So for me, the most fundamental thing about leadership is to have the humility to continue to get feedback and to try to get better – because your job is to try to help everybody else get better.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DAVAO’S FIRST RECOLLECTS Before the Jesuits took over the proselytization efforts in Davao following its conquest from Moro rule, the Recollects were the first to organize the new town into an ecclesial territory. Rev. Fr. Angel Martinez Cuesta, OAR, placed the year the San Pedro parish was founded in 1848.1 Over a twenty-year period, six Augustinian Recollects served in Davao, later renamed as Nueva Bergara and the district of Davao given the new appellation of Nueva Guipuzco by virtue of a superior decree issued by the colonial government on Jan. 29, 18492.

Based on a revised list dated July 1, 2021, furnished us by Fr. Emilio Edgardo A. Quilatan, OAR, Augustinian Recollect archivist and historian, citing Francisco Sadaba del Carmen’s ‘Catalogo de los Religiosos Agustinos Recolectos de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas desde el año 1606, en que llego la primera mission a Manila, hasta nuestros dias’3 (1906), the list of Recollect priests assigned in Davao is as follows: Fray Francisco Lopez de San Antonio de Padua4 (1848-49);

Fray Miguel Magallon de San Crispin5 (1849-53); Fray Nicolas Gonzales de San Vicente Ferrer6 (1854-55); Fray Toribio Sanchez de San Nicolas de Tolentino7 (1857-58); Fray Celedonio Pardo de San Nicolas8 (1858-60); and Fray Francisco Lenguas de la Reina de los Angeles9 (1864-68).

Fray Magallon, who stayed three years in Davao. was 35 years old when he became the second Recollect priest to administer San Pedro Parish, then known as Yglesia Mision de Bergara dela Nueva Guipuzcoa; he was assisted by Fray Isidro Hernando de la Vigen de las Misericordias, who was then only 28 years old.

By virtue of a royal decree issued by Queen Isabel III on July 30, 1860, Mindanao was entrusted to the Jesuits, who took over all parishes vacated10 by the Recollects due to the statute. The assignment of a missionary in Davao was first requested by the townspeople in March 1848.

According to the General Pastoral Plan of the Diocese of Cebu dated June 17, 1850, Davao, during this period, was home to only ‘139 individuals of all classes and both sexes,’11 notably

the families of exiles that joined the 1848 Oyanguren expedition.

Meanwhile, the town’s population when the Jesuits assumed had grown to 1,064.12 The start of missionary work by the Augustinian Recollects in Davao region, particularly Cateel and Caraga, Davao Oriental, dates to March 1, 1621, after Bishop de Arce of Cebu, after acceding to the Recollects’ request to open new doctrinas (mission fields) in Mindanao.13 Initially, there were eight priests assigned to evangelize southern Philippines in 1622-23, two of these, Fray Juan de San Nicolas and Fray Jacinto de San Fulgencio, ‘worked in Caraga and in the extensive area near Butuan Bay.’14 Three years later, on Feb. 2, 1624, Spanish governor general Alonso Fajardo divided Mindanao into two. As a result, imaginary lines were delineated. The northeastern and eastern regions from Punta Sulauan down to Cape San Agustín were resolved in favor of the Recollects while the Jesuits took charge of the southwest territory. The split was later confirmed by Juan Niño de Tabora, Fajardo’s successor, on July 12, 1628. In 1637, the Cebu prelate

declared a decree he issued on March 3, 1625, null and void in favor of the Recollects.

The Augustinian Recollects’ ecclesial engagements were subjected to Moro piratical raids; capture, kidnap and slay of priests; robbery, captivity, slavery, and carnage; and the difficulties of maintaining the missions they formed. Some of the Recollects, however, left behind indelible feats of courage in the repulse of marauders. Two of them were Fray Benito de Sn Jose, curate of Cateel, and Fray Valero de San Agustin of Caraga.

(Endnotes) 1 . Historia de los Agustinos Recolectos, Volume II: El Siglo XIX (Madrid: Editorial Agustinos, 2015), 840.

2 . Statistics of the Province of S. Nicolás de Tolentino of PP. Agustinos Recoletos of the Philippines, 1851, 156.

3 . Francisco Sadaba del Carmen. Catalogo d los Religiosos Agustinos Recolectos de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas desde el año 1606, en que llego la primera mission a Manila, hasta nuestros dias. (Madrid: Imprinta

del Asilo de Huerfanos del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, 1906), 248.

4 . Ibid.

5 . Ibid., 440.

6 . Ibid., 444.

7 . Ibid., 463.

8 . Ibid., 484.

9 . Ibid., 510.

10 . Angel Marinez Cuesta, OAR. Historia de los Agustino Recoletos, II, 841-42, 851.

11 . Juan Felix de la Encarnacion. Estadistica de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de PP. Agustino Recoletos de Filipinas. (Manila: Imprinta de los Amigos de Pais, 1851), 160.

12 . Licinio Ruiz. Sinopsis Historica de la Provincia de San Nicolas de Tolentino de las Islas Filipinas dela Orden de los Agustinos Descalzos (Manila: Tip. Pont. de la Univ. de Sto. Tomas, 1925), 266.

13 . Emmanuel Luis A. Romanillos. The Augustinian Recollects in Mindanao 1622-1919. n.d., 3. www.agustinosrecoletos. org, accessed 02 July 2021.

14 . José Ma. Echeverría.

Orígines de las misiones de la Provincia de S. Nicolás de Tolentino de Agustinos Recoletos en el Extremo Oriente. (Madrid: 1953), 96.

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EDGEDAVAO EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

1000 delivery riders receive #WelcomeHome safe experience from new Ariel Hygiene Pro

W

ith the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Filipinos continue to battle the threat of staying outdoors and the risks that come with it. Frontliners have went above and beyond with their public service, making sure that our lives continue, despite the lack of movement outside our homes.

Edison Awa, a 31-yearold J&T delivery rider continues to work outside for his family, despite the risks that he might encounter. “Ako ay kumakayod para sa aking pamilya. Kahit mahirap ang buhay, lalo na ngayon na may banta ng COVID-19 sa ating kapaligiran, pilit ako lumalaban para sa aking pamilya. Sila ang inspirasyon ko para mabuhay at sila din ang aking sandigan. Kaya naman itong pagsisikap ko ay inaalay ko sa kanila.” #WelcomeHomeSafe Deliveries As one of the biggest courier services in the country, serving thousands of Filipino homes, Ariel partnered with J&T Express to provide one thousand riders with #WelcomeHomeSafe packages containing the new Ariel Hygiene Pro. "Despite the challenges that delivery riders faced during this COVID-19 crisis, they have shown resilience and dedication to fulfil their job without any hesitation. Thus, they tru-

ly deserve to be protected and safeguarded from viruses especially as they get home from work,” shared Zoe Chi, Vice President of J&T Express.

Since the start of lockdown, J&T rider, Edison washes his daily uniform with Ariel, 3-4 times a week to protect himself and his family. He shared, “Ngayon na mayroon silang bagong produkto na handog, ang Ariel Hygiene Pro, masasabi ko na kampante ako sa linis na bigay nito dahil sa subok na magaling sa pagtanggal ng dumi at germs ang Ariel. Masaya ako sa partnership na ito dahil kami ay nabigyan ng libreng produkto ng Ariel. Ito ay lubos na makakatulong sa aking pamilya hindi lang sa paglalaba, pati na din sa pagiging malinis at protektado.”

With Ariel Hygiene Pro’s triple deep clean technology, every rider’s uniform gets the ultimate clean experience delivered via Antibac Booster Formula that removes tough

stains, 99.9% of germs and viruses.

Zoe Chi expressed, “We are grateful that J&T Express is a part of this collaboration with Ariel Philippines in recognizing the hard work of our delivery riders.”

Celebrating Everyday Heroes with a #WelcomeHomeSafe Treat And just like our hardworking J&T Express riders, there are thousands more everyday heroes that Ariel wants to give the #WelcomeHomeSafe experience to. Ariel celebrates these warriors and advocates for #WelcomeHomeSafe for them and their families.

Atom Araullo, Ariel’s newest brand ambassador, recently celebrated and gave recognition to a hundred essential workers who shared their heartwarming stories in a Facebook livestream, in line with the #WelcomeHomeSafe campaign.

Joemari Bayaua Molina is a TNVS driver who puts himself at risk to germs and viruses, so he could provide for his family. “Maliban po doon sa gamit niyang [Joemari] alcohol sa loob ng sasakyan, bago po siya pumasok ng bahay, kailangan po siya maghugas. So, alcohol po talaga.

Tapos bago po siya pumasok, may plangana at Ariel na,” shared Joemari’s wife when asked about how their current #WelcomeHomeSafe routine.

Rowena Estacio expresses her support towards the many delivery riders who put themselves at risk every day.

“Bumagyo man o tindi ng init ng araw tuloy pa din ang kanilang serbisyo!

Hindi alintana ang ulan, init, pagud, gutom at risk sa kalsada maihatid lang ang inyong pangangailangan sa tamang oras.”

Melvin Oroceo, works an 8-5 shift as a delivery rider, sending two hundred and more packages in a week. “As a father who always work for our family whos always on the road, because he is a micro finance collector, we are aware that he is prone to many floating molds, bacteria and viruses specially handling money from different clients.” Realyn Quiozon, Melvin’s wife shared her concern regarding her husband’s job.

“We make sure that before he enter[s] our home he completely, did sanitation by hand washing, sanitizing, soaking his clothes with Ariel because we have kids that [we] need to protect and it would be my best auxiliary before going

inside our home.” Realyn shared in her #WelcomeHomeSafe post.

“Safety first during pandemic!” Mary Rose Amazon shares her priority for her partner, Ariel Cruzada, who works as a security guard for 12 hours, from 8 AM. “Pagdating niya po naghuhugas, kasi meron pong gripo sa labas. Doon na rin po siya nagpapalit, kasi may baby po eh.”

In her #WelcomeHomeSafe post, Mary shared the risks her husband takes while on the job, “Dahil ang partner ko ay isang frontliner, kailangan lagi maliging malinis kaya naman lagi talaga ko nag didisinfect ng bahay at sa tuwing dumadating sya pero pati pala mga damit ay kailangan din malinis.”

“Since non nag-aaral pa po ako, ang ginagamit po talaga ni mama sa mga uniform namin, Ariel po talaga.

Hanggang sa mga anak ko — uniform ng anak ko, uniform [ni Ariel] po. Kasi puti [ang uniform], Ariel po talaga.”

“Ito ang aking husband.

Bilang isang essential worker na nag- tatrabaho sa isang mall at nakakahalubilo sa maraming tao.

Paano nga ba ang pag-iingat na ginagawa namin upang maging safe

lalo ngayong panahon ng pandemya?” Roxanne Gozum Reyes proudly shares his husband, Raffael Reyes, a mall worker, and their daily routine in keeping their family safe.

She continues, “Hindi man namin siya sinasalubong pag-uwi, sinisigurado ko naman na handa na ang isang baldeng tubig na may Ariel detergent upang doon na kaagad maibabad at malabhan ang kanyang uniporme… Mahirap man kalaban ang virus, may mga ilang paraan naman upang maging safe.”

After a long day of working outside despite the risks, essential workers look forward to arriving home safely to their families. Ariel aims to protect Filipino delivery riders and all other essential workers so they can be #WelcomeHomeSafe everyday as they go home to their families from outside exposure.

You and your family deserve the #WelcomeHomeSafe experience, too. Protect the people you love most from stains, germs and viruses that may stick on their clothes with Ariel Hygiene Pro today. Shop Ariel products through Lazada or Shopee.

For more updates, follow Ariel Philippines on Facebook.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

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hen coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hit the country in the early 2000, health experts urged Filipinos to boost their immune systems to fight the virus by eating fruits and vegetables. Infected individuals were advised to eat meat in order for them to regain their immediate health One of the healthy sources of protein are fish.

But unfortunately, most Filipinos can no longer afford to buy fish as they become expensive. In the past, people could buy a kilo of “galunggong” (round scad), “matang baka” (big eye scad), and “karabalyas” (yellow stripe scad) at P30.

These days, the price has gone up: from P100 to P150 per kilo. What is even more alarming is that the supply is becoming scarce. This is particularly true in Davao City, which is located in the Davao Gulf area.

Overfishing is cited as one of the primary culprits on why fishery resources in the 308,000-hectare fishing ground are declining. To solve this problem, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) imposed the ban on commercial fishing at the Davao Gulf for three months – from June 1 to August 31.

Those three months are known to be the spawning season of pelagic fishes and tuna in the Davao Gulf, which spans about 30 coastal municipalities in the region – from Malita in Davao Occidental in the south to Boston in the eastern coast.

Under the terms of the closed season, fisherfolk or fishing companies are now allowed to catch pelagic fishes using ring net and bag net. The ban also applies to small-scale to large-scale commercial fishing with vessels from 3.1 gross tons

to more than 150 gross tons.

Fish, along with rice, is the staple food of Filipinos.

On average, every Filipino consumes about 98.6 grams of fish and fish products, according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI).

The Philippines is located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine diversity. “Being an archipelagic that is made up of 7.107 islands, the Philippines enjoys the vastness of the oceans and seas that surround its peripheral territories,” the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reports. “Suffice to say that the country is truly blessed with its bounty of natural resources thriving in these water bodies.”

With one of the longest coastlines in the world, much of the Filipino population lives along the coast.

In 1998, the fishing industry provided employment to about one million Filipinos or around 3% of the country’s labor force. Today, about two million people are engaged in the fishing industry.

“During the past decades, the people have enjoyed the abundance of the Philippine marine fishery resource,” the PSA states.

“Ask the old fisherfolk how they culled their harvests.

Many of them would say that fish sized with less than a foot rule will automatically be thrown back to the water. Back then, they even

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WHERE HAVE ALL OUR FISH GONE? Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

had the luxury to choose the most palatable fish among the wide variety of species thriving in a particular fishing ground.”

Those days are gone.

Ask 63-year-old Ronnie Herrera and his son, Dondon, 18. Bago Aplaya, where they used to fish, was once the haven of fish in Davao City. But in one particular noon recently, the older Estrera already docked his banca (outrigger), but with no catch even as he started out at dawn. “It’s not only now, several times, we went home without fish,” he complained.

His son was fortunate, having one icebox of fish catch. But he said the fish were getting smaller and fewer and they were forced to fish farther south into the waters of Sta. Cruz in Davao del Sur. “Fishers are already scarce in Bago Aplaya,” Dondon sighed.

Currently, the Philippines is home to more than 111 million people, based on the latest United Nations data. With this increasing number of people, the demand for basic commodities also increased.

“The demand for fish, both for food consump-

tion and other uses, has increased correspondingly,” the PSA notes. “Consequently, many of the households from the coastal villages have made fishing as their source of livelihood.”

The upsurge in the population coupled with the improved fishing technology brought stress to the country’s marine and coastal ecosystem, thereby affecting the fishery resource.

Majority of the fishing grounds in the country are now overfished. Recent reports said that ten out of 13 fishing grounds are under intense fishing pressure.

“Overfishing is the main issue, with today’s fishers ranging farther and trying harder to catch more – but there are more fishers and too few fish,” observes Gregg Yan, director for Communications for Ocean Philippines.

The Sogod Bay in Southern Leyte is a case in point.

Home to a variety of fishes, it is a major fishing ground for the 11 municipalities that surround it. Mangko or frigate tuna (scientific name: Euthynnus affinis) is its major fishery resource.

Seasonal influx of this shallow-water tuna species has

provided food and livelihood to the people of Sogod and nearby towns.

“Frigate tuna used to abound in Sogod Bay and was a major source of income in the 70’s until the 90’s,” Dr. Salome Bulayog, an associate professor of the department of economics at the Visayas State University, told EDGE Davao. “But today, fishermen could hardly catch fish. Fishermen have to spend longer to catch a kilogram of fish; some even have to be farther from the shore.”

A World Bank report said that if increased demand is met solely by marine capture fisheries, such increased pressure on the fisheries sector could lead to an eventual collapse of fisheries and the fishing industry.

“All fisheries are showing decline in total catch and per unit effort (total number of fish caught per unit of time) despite increasing effort,” the World Bank report said. “Fish are harvested at a level 30 to 50 percent higher than the natural production capacity.”

The BFAR, a line agency of the Department of Agriculture, also attributes the

decline in fish catch to the employment of destructive fishing methods like the use of cyanide and dynamite.

The practice of cyanide fishing has been rampant among Filipino fishermen for more than 25 years already. On the other hand, about 70,000 fishers – that’s 12% of the total number of captured fishers in the country - are suspected to engage in blast fishing.

The destruction of the coastal ecosystem has also taken its toll on the country’s marine resources.

Mangrove swamps, marshy areas, and coral reefs make up the coastal ecosystem and most of them are in bad conditions.

In 1918, mangroves covered 450,000 hectares as opposed to 138,000 hectares today. “All over the country, whatever coastal province you visit, you see the same plight – desolate stretches of shoreline completely stripped of mangrove cover and now totally exposed to the pounding of the ocean’s waves,” commented one environmentalist.

Mangroves are important feeding sites for many commercially important

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six months for the first offense; and dismissal from the service for the second offense, under Section 50 (d) of the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (2018 RACCS).

The EO exempt employees from the mandatory Covid-19 vaccination if it is due to medical reasons, such as contraindications of available vaccines to a person’s comorbidity.

The Vaccine Cluster of the Davao COVID-19 Task Force will have to endorse the exemption to the Human Resource Management Office (HRMO).

“The unreasonable refusal of some personnel to get vaccinated should not be allowed to bring to naught the cooperation of

the majority, their effort to achieve herd immunity and their right to a healthy disease-free environment,” the mayor said.

The mayor also said that while the local government unit (LGU) recognizes the right to health of government personnel, including the right to refuse vaccination, this should bow to the superior right of the majority consisting of other city government personnel and the public at large.

The new directive was issued amid the continuing surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City.

Based on the data of the city vaccination cluster, out of the 20,000 city government employees, 12,000 have already been vaccinated.

to avoid provocative acts that could only trigger hostilities among the sea claimants.

“We must resolve disputes peacefully, as we manifested in the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes,” he said.

Duterte was referring to the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes approved by the UNGA in 1982, which provides for the obligation of all states to settle their international disputes by peaceful means.

Apart from the Philippines and China, the other SCS claimants are Brunei,

Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Negotiations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China are still underway for the crafting of a final and binding Code of Conduct in the SCS, which aims to promote peace and stability in the highly-contested waters.

The Asean and China, nevertheless, remain committed to the full implementation of the non-binding Declaration on the Code (DOC) of Parties in the SCS inked on Nov. 4, 2002.

The DOC aims to exercise self-restraint and promote non-militarization within the SCS. (PNA)

process that will record iris scans, fingerprints, and photographs.

The Philippine Post will deliver the PhilID that contains the PhilSys Number.

As of Sept. 15, a total of 30,043,249 are done with Step 2 while over a million PhilID cards have been delivered.

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.

tailed and fired upon at close range by the suspects who were on board a motorcycle.

Police brought Kadon and his assailants to the hospital but the attackers were declared dead on arrival.

De la Vega said investigation on the incident is ongoing.

“We have yet to determine the motive behind the attack but the victim is still undergoing medication at the hospital,” he said. (PNA)

ment of Filipino workers overseas is slowly improving this year despite the pandemic.

“If we compare our figures with the deployment last year which was the height of the pandemic and our deployment now

in 2021, on a month-tomonth basis we can see the increase in our deployment today. If we had almost 74 percent decrease in deployment last year, now it is gradually increasing,” Olalia said.

might not only reverse our GII ranking but also push the country further into an innovation frontier,” he added.

IPOPHL is also backing the faster formation of “innovation alliances” as pushed for under the Philippine Innovation Act of 2019.

Under the law, these alliances are seen to encour-

age collaborative research between companies and the academe.

“Our agency, with our program to capacitate the patent search, analysis and drafting capabilities of many universities, colleges and research centers, is ready to help improve this area,” Barba said.

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“Naay second pilot ang Vax Certificate, and apil ang Davao City. Ang atong City Information Technology Center (CITC) is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for this,” she said.

The vaccination cer-

tificate is purposely for those who are planning to travel abroad as countries are now requiring people entering their country to be fully vaccinated. The certificate will serve as proof that an individual has completed the required doses.

would be the better option for the CTG. A total of 11 government-initiated encounters have transpired only this month which resulted in the neutralization of 34 NPA members and seizure of 60 firearms.

There were also 7 CTG hideouts that were overrun by the troops during the period.

Brawner has called on all remnants of the communist group particularly in

Bukidnon province to stop the senseless fight, and save their lives.

“I am appealing to the CPP-NPA-NDF leaders to give peace a chance. Can they not find a little space in their hearts that desires for peace and ends this futile armed struggle that cost so many lives? Is it not clear that our people want peace and not chaos? People want development not senseless deaths”, Brawner said.

Facebook online seller will not be taxed. I guarantee you,” he said.

The bill would also

exempt books and other printed materials that are sold electronically or online from VAT. (PNA)

132 economies using seven pillars --institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge

and technology outputs, and creative outputs.

The DTI chief underscored the country’s innovation ecosystem strengths in the GII report.

ic downturn; natural or human-induced calamities/ disasters; and other analogous cases.

Amid the pandemic, the SSS has made it easier and

more convenient for members to apply for UIB claims by allowing applications online through the My.SSS member portal in the SSS website, Dominguez said.

Lito Villanueva, founding chair of Fintech Alliance.PH, stated.

In August 2021 alone, four online lending platforms were taken down by the NPC due to excessive and illegal data mining.

The lending apps used personal information to harass and shame borrowers who are unable to pay for

their loans.

The group said there are better and legal ways of doing a background check and holding a client accountable.

“Rather than storing a client’s private information and using it to force the client to pay his dues, there are many ways to make the loan payment terms more suitable to the borrower,” it said.

ket) assets in the near term, we note that uncertainty around the Covid-19 situation and global inflationary pressures could result in bouts of volatility,” the report added.

It said that with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) still on an accommodative policy stance, domestic nominal and real policy rates are “relatively less at-

tractive.”

“The risks in the near term are that the Philippines faces another surge in cases which sets the economy back further and requires policy to remain accommodative for longer, weakening the investors’ appetite for the peso further and seeing the unit test support at PHP52.00/ US dollar,” it said.

and its partners will help reduce the costs of clean energy technologies to compete with and replace their greenhouse gas emitting counterparts, it added.

“Avoiding a climate disaster will require a new industrial revolution. Half the technology needed to get to zero emissions either doesn’t exist yet or is too expensive for much of

the world to afford,” Gates said in the statement.

“Catalyst is designed to change that ... (it) will take a global view of the energy innovation landscape -- the key technologies, leading-edge companies, financing partners, and pivotal policies– and fund the projects that will have the greatest positive impact for our planet,” he said.

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fish species (mullet, tilapia, eel, and especially milkfish), shrimps, prawns, mollusks, crabs, and sea cucumbers.

Fry that gather in mangrove areas are very important for aquaculture.

In the Philippines, an estimated 10%-15% of the total fisheries come from coral reefs. About 80-90 per cent of the income of small island communities come from fisheries. “Coral reef fish yields range from 20 to 25 metric tons per square kilometer per year for healthy reefs,” says Dr. Angel C. Alcala, former environment secretary.

But today, only 4.3 percent (1,161 square kilometers) of its once-sprawling 27,000 square kilometers of coral reefs are in good condition. “Nowhere else in the world are coral reefs abused as much as the reefs in the Philippines,” says marine scientist Don McAllister. Apart from bleaching, the reefs face infestation by coral-eating crown of thorn starfish.

In inland waters, pollution has contributed to plunging fish harvest. “The increasing use of feed and chemicals in milkfish, tilapia, and shrimp culture is not only polluting inland waters, but also reduces fish catch and endangers public health,” said a fishery official.

The introduction of carnivorous species in inland water has also been blamed for the plummet of fish harvests in recent years. This has happened to Lake Lanao, where stocking of white goby and other predatory fishes has caused the decrease in fish stocks and extinction of some of its 18 endemic species.

“A fish crisis is in the making in this country,” warned Dr. Alcala. Before we know it, the crisis “could come anytime.”

The Philippines is one of the top fish-producing countries in the world yet, the tragic irony is that fishermen – particularly municipal fishermen are among the poorest labor groups in the country.

Robert Ballon – fondly called “Ka” Dodoy – is a 53-year-old fisherman who has broken the mold by leading his community in preserving the coastal environment that has been the life-source for generations of fishing families.

Seeing how rampant fishpond conversion was, and how the abandonment of these fishponds when the business collapsed had destroyed the mangrove forests. Ka Dodoy and thirty other fishermen started Kapunungan sa Gamay nga Mangingisda sa Concepcion in 1986 to focus on mangrove reforestation.

Fish catch has improved dramatically from 1.6 kilogram per fishing trip to eight hours to as much as 7 kilograms in three-to-five hours of fishing. The improvement in the fisherfolk’s quality of life has been evident in their ability to buy a boat engine or simple household appliances and send their children to school.

Because of what he has done, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation named him as one this year’s recip-

ient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for “his inspiring determination in leading his fellow fisherfolk to revive a dying fishing industry by creating a sustainable marine environment for this generation and generations to come, and his shining example of how everyday acts of heroism can truly be extraordinary and transformative.”

In the Philippines, there are four main laws governing the policy framework for the management of fisheries. These include the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 (Republic Act 8550) and its amendment (RA 10654); Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160); Agriculture Fisheries Modernization Act of 1998 (RA 8435); and National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992 (RA 7856).

“The Philippine Fisheries Code is the primary legislation that sets out the overarching policies and objectives to be pursued in the management of fisheries,” Ebora explained. “It also sets the power to regulate municipal and commercial fisheries, aquaculture and postharvest activity, create fisheries reserve, protect fisheries habitats, and to impose sanctions.”

In support of fishery management policies, the Fisheries Code also “provides for the establishment of regulations addressing access to fishery resources and declaration of closed fishing seasons and catch ceilings for conservation and ecological purposes – based on available evidence.”

Meanwhile, fishery experts from all over the world contend that one possible solution to the dwindling fish catch in the open seas is by adopting the so-called “blue revolution.”

The Economist explained it in this manner: “On land, the green revolution allowed dramatic increases in crop production, with increased mechanization, and improved pest control and soil fertility through the addition of herbicides, pesticides and nitrogen-based fertilizers.”

If the color green is for crops, then the color blue is for fisheries. “The blue revolution has seen companies breeding fish to improve traits such as their growth rate, conversion of feed into flesh, resistance to disease, tolerance of cold and poor water, and fertility,” the London-based magazine said.

Blue revolution actually refers to aquaculture, the farming of marine animals. Actually, it’s not a new thing. The Philippines has been practicing it. The Philippine Fisheries Profile of 2015 showed aquaculture fisheries produced a greater proportion of the catch at 50.5%; municipal followed (with contribution of 26.2%) and then commercial fisheries (23.3%).

Actually, the matter of diminishing fish catch is not unique to the Philippines.

Newsweek, in a cover story some years ago, declares: “The oceans are awash with too many fishing vessels, and the result is big trouble for fish – and the fishermen.”

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VOL.14 ISSUE 163 • THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

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The unbeaten Mark Magsayo has been named the mandatory challenger to reigning champion Gary Russell.

Magsayo to fight for title Northport wants Taha for Alaska game

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orthport hopes to bring back valuable guard Paolo Taha in time for its crucial game against Alaska at the end of the PBA Philippine Cup elimination round.

The Batang Pier missed the services of Taha in their 91-88 overtime win over Rain or Shine due to back spasm.

Taha went down with the injury in the team’s outing against TnT Tropang Giga, and then aggravated it the following game against Magnolia.

“Hindi siya makalakad kasi nagkaroon siya ng back spasm. So masakit,” said NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio.

The 30-year-old Taha has been a worthy starter for the Batang Pier during the resumption of the conference and averaged 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the their last two outings prior to skipping the Rain or Shine match.

Those numbers were certainly missed despite the Batang Pier escaping with an overtime win against the Elasto Painters.

But Jarencio said the team certainly needs Taha’s presence and contributions in its final game in the elims against Alaska on Thursday at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym es-

pecially with the outcome of the match playing a crucial role in NorthPort’s quarterfinals bid.

“I hope he can play,” said the NorthPort coach.

“Sana naman he can recover fast so he can help us.

NorthPort is currently tied for sixth to seventh spots with NLEX at 5-5.

(PBA)

T

he World Boxing Council (WBC) has made the unbeaten Filipino featherweight as the mandatory challenger to reigning champion Gary Russell.

Rising Pinoy fighter Mark Magsayo is getting a crack at a world title.

The order was made by the boxing body along with the same mandatory fight between Filipinos Nonito Donaire Jr. and Reymart Gaballo, with the bantamweight crown of the ‘Filipino Flash’ at stake.

Magsayo has a perfect record of 23-0 with

16 KOs and is fresh from an impressive 10th round knockout win over Mexican Julio Ceja in a fight where the Filipino found himself down on his knee in the fifth round. The bout was an undercard in the Manny Pacquiao-Yordenis Ugas welterweight title match.

He is currently ranked No. 3 by the WBC.

“Let’s fight on,” he said in a IG video posted by MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons.

Magsayo has been based in Los Angeles since last year together with wife Frances.

“God is good. I will always work hard for my dreams, my family, and my country,” he said on IG upon receiving the WBC order for a mandatory fight against Russell.

The 33-year-old Russell has held the WBC featherweight belt since 2015 after scoring a fourth round stoppage of Mexican

Simmons not keen on reporting to camp

P Palo Taha has been a worthy starter for the Batang Pier during the resumption of the conference and averaged 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the their last two outings prior to skipping the Rain or Shine match.

Jhonny Gonzalez in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The southpaw fighter from Washington DC defended his crown five times, but hasn’t fought since Feb. 2020 after winning a 12-round unanimous decision against Tugstsoqt Nyambayar of Mongolia.

Russel sports a ring record of 31-1, with 18 KOs, his lone loss coming against Vasyl Lomachenko via majority decision for the vacant WBO featherweight title in June 2014 at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.

HILADELPHIA — Ben Simmons may have missed his last playoff free throw with the Sixers.

Simmons will not report to Philadelphia 76ers’ training camp next week and prefers to continue his NBA career with another team, a person with direct knowledge of the player’s plans told The Associated Press on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because discussions of Simmons’ plans with the franchise have been private.

Simmons said after the season, “I love being in Philly.”

Not anymore.

Simmons, the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft, is a threetime All-Star who had been

paired with Joel Embiid as the franchise cornerstones as the Sixers chase their first NBA championship since 1983.

Simmons, though, took the brunt of the blame for the top-seeded Sixers’ second-round exit in last season’s playoffs.

He shot 34 percent from the free-throw line in the postseason and was reluctant to attempt a shot from anywhere on the floor late in games. That led to him spending critical minutes on the bench.

Simmons missed a stunning 10 free throws in Game Five against the Atlanta Hawks and helped blow a 26-point lead in a loss. His defining moment, though, was in the Game Seven loss at home.

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TOP PICKS PH Azkals, Thailand headline Group A in AFF Suzuki Cup

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he Philippine Azkals have been grouped with Thailand during the group stage draw for the AFF Suzuki Cup at the AFF headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

The Azkals and the Thais are expected to cruise through Group A, which also includes Myanmar, Singapore, and the winner of the qualifying match

between Brunei and Timor Leste.

Although they ended up with Thailand, which has ruled the event five times already, the Az-

kals dodged defending champion Vietnam as the latter joins Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos in Group B. Supposed to be played last year but was postponed to Dec. 5, 2021 to Jan. 1, 2022 due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the Suzuki Cup will begin with the home-and-away group stages.

The top two teams per group will enter the crossover semifinals, which will be played in a couple of two-match home-andaway series.

The winning semifinalists will slug it out in the two-legged championship series to decide the champion.

2018 all over again With the Azkals, Thailand, and Singapore being grouped again and the possibility of Timor Leste repeating over Brunei, it was almost like the scene in the 2018 group stages.

“Ironically the last time we played in the Suzuki Cup, we had Singapore, Timor-Leste, who could be there, and Thailand with the only difference is Indonesia, which is in the other group. It’s almost like a replay of 2018,” Head Coach Scott Cooper said upon reacting to the group draw results.

The Azkals and Indonesia have been placed in Pot 3 of the group draw, assuring that both teams will go separate ways in the group stage play.

Further looking at the draw results, Cooper added, “I think as far as the draw goes, it’s an interesting one. I never want to say I’m pleased with the draw but I’m not disappointed with the draw.”

He, however, conceded that Thailand, which has won the championship five times already, will likely top Group A. “For sure Thailand will be the top team in the group you can expect that from them. It’s interesting for me because I know Thailand so well and the players too,” added Cooper, who previously managed Thai League 1 sides Buriram, Muangthong, and Police Tero as well as Ubon, which at the time he was appointed coach in 2015 was playing in the third division.

The Azkals have been grouped with Thailand during the group stage draw for the 2021 AFF Suzuki Cup.

Meanwhile, despite the Azkals being tipped to take the other semifinal spot for Group A, Cooper believes Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and Timor Leste will give them a fight.

“Singapore are always well organized and Myanmar always has talent, and you have both Brunei and Timor-Leste, two teams that will fight,” he further said.

He then took the case of Timor Leste, which the Azkals narrowly escaped in the 2018 Suzuki Cup. “We learned that against Timor-Leste in the last Suzuki Cup, they were really wellcoached, they pressed us and we narrowly escaped that game with a 3-2 win. I don’t think you can treat any team lightly,” Cooper added.

Meanwhile, Team Manager Dan Palami expressed hope that the Azkals would still get its best players for the Suzuki Cup. The tournament has been known for playing outside of the FIFA international window.

Professional football clubs are not required to temporarily send off their players for national team duty if the footballers will play in an event outside of the FIFA window, that is, the teams can opt to keep their international stars from joining their national teams that are scheduled to compete outside of the window.

“Hopefully, we get the best players available even though the tournament is outside the FIFA international window,” Palami said.

He added that even if they are placed in a light group, the end goal of beating the traditional title contenders remains.

“The draw doesn’t really matter as we still need to beat the best teams to win the Suzuki Cup,” Palami said. (PNA)