Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 177 | Saturday, October 9, 2021

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Sara keeps decision not to file COC for president

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Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa files his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president under the ruling party, PDP Laban, during the last day of filing at Sofitel on Manila on Friday. Dabawenyos are anticipating and hoping that Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio will substitute Sen. Dela Rosa on or before November 15.

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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Local media practitioners gather outside the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Magsaysay Park compound in Davao City anticipating the arrival of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, who according to rumors will withdraw her mayoralty bid and file her certificate of candidacy (COC) for president, on Friday. Edge Davao

Sara keeps decision not to file COC for president

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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national and local elections during the last day of filing yesterday did not happen.

Pictures of Mayor Sara we’re circulating online while meeting her support-

he work of the review panel on cases of deaths in the anti-illegal drugs operations is in full swing.

The Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva made the statement on October 7 during the oral updates by the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Philippines at the 48th Regular Session of the Human Rights

Council.

The foreign service post said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is also closely monitoring the preliminary investigation and prosecution of 87 criminal cases lodged against over a hundred law enforcement personnel.

“Our authorities are further strengthening disciplinary and accountability mechanisms with a human

o the dismay of her supporters, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio did not give in to thecall for her to run for president.

The anticipation for the withdrawal of Mayor Sara’s certificate of candidacy (COC) as mayor of Davao City and her filing to run for president in the 2022

ers in Manila. The pictures, however, were verified by Davao City Information Officer Jefry Tupas through his Facebook account that the photos circulating were not of Mayor Sara’s.

This was affirmed

by Mayor Sara’s political spokesperson Liloan May-

PH to UN: Work of drug war review panel in ‘full swing’

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rights information system on violations and compliances by the 200,000-strong police force nationwide,” it said.

“Post-operation reports for all drugs-related operations and the mandatory use of body-worn cameras in police operations are strictly enforced,” it added.

Since 2016, sanctions were meted out against

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or Christine Garcia-Frasco, who affirmed to Edge Davao that the mayor was in Davao City yesterday.

“As I am aware, Mayor Sara is in Davao,” Frasco said in a text message.

Meanwhile, various organizations calling for May-

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Media exec files COC for mayor of GenSan

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radio reporter-turned owner of a rising media network and several other businesses filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for mayor here on Thursday.

Elmer Catulpos, founder and chief executive officer of the homegrown Brigada Group of Companies, formally joined the mayoral race as the standard-bearer of local party Achievement with Integrity Movement (AIM), completing a highly anticipated three-way fight in the May 2022 elections.

The party’s complete slate attended a mass at the house of former mayor Adelbert and wife South Cotabato representative Lualhati Antonino along the national highway, which serves as their campaign headquarters, before trooping to the Commission on Elections here around 8:30 a.m. to file their COCs. The Antoninos, who founded AIM in the 90s

and remained influential in the local political scene, endorsed Catulpos’ mayoralty bid early this year “for embodying the party’s brand of integrity in public service.”

“I offer myself and the use of my experiences for the progress of the city. It’s up to the people to judge us come election time,” Catulpos told reporters after filing his COC. Carrying the battlecry “Barug (stand up) GenSan,” he said his priority will be to usher the city’s recovery from the economic slump brought about by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

To enable the local economy to “bounce back,” he said the city should give more focus on the health and wellness aspects.

This includes providing enough support to local hospitals and medical front-liners, and ensuring

22.19%,” DOH XI head of the Surveillance and Epidemiology Unit Dr. Rachel Pasion announced in the latest DOH Virtual Presser.

The DOH XI attributed the decrease on transmission of COVID-19 cases to the implementation of quick granular lockdown done by the local government units.

An improved and better information dissemination was also observed which led to the change in

people’s behavior who are now more conscious in following the minimum public health standards. More people have also translated behavior change by submitting themselves for vaccination.

In the DOH daily bulletin as of October 6, the region recorded 526 new cases out of the total 18,582 active cases. About 77.6% or 74,930 of these cases are considered total recoveries

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DOH 11 cites commendable anti-COVID interventions with reduced positivity rate

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ith an all-time high positivity rate of 34.5% in September 2021 now down to 22.19%, the Department of Health XI cited commendable interventions done in the previous weeks to control the COVID-19 surge in Davao Region.

“We have recorded the highest positivity rate of 34.5% sometime in September and now we have recorded a decreasing positivity rate which is at

FDOH, P10

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NEWS

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Senator Christopher“Bong”Go leads the launch of the country’s 142nd Malasakit Center at Valenzuela Medical Center in Valenzuela City as part of his many efforts to improve health services and reduce health disparities in the country.

‘Mati allows 5 years and older to go outside homes’ City to open ‘Bakuna Nights’ in Toril

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he city government of Davao is intensifying vaccination drive by expanding “Bakuna Nights” to Toril, Davao City.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said this is due to the positive reception of the public on Bakuna Nights, an evening vaccination drive of the city, which is currently available at San Roque Elementary School in Barrio Obrero, Davao City.

“I suggested it also sa COVID-19 Task Force last Monday and napag-usapan nga there might be another site of Bakuna Nights sa Toril. Hopefully, it will address sa south side napod nga trabahante,” Schlosser said on Wednesday.

With the vaccination site in Toril, the city hopes to speed up the inoculation activity and address the backlog on vaccination to achieve herd immunity.

Schlosser said that she will announce the dates of the opening of the Bakuna Nights in Toril once the details have been finalized.

“In the days to come, I’ll be the one to update on this one apart from the vaccination cluster. Hopefully, mahi-

tabo siya,” she added.

The evening inoculation at San Roque Elem. School is open from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The setting up of “Bakuna Nights” aims to address the clamor of workers who cannot visit the vaccination hubs during the day.

Based on the the latest report of the Davao City Vaccination Cluster as of October 2, Davao City has recorded a total of 742,371 fully vaccinated residents while a total of 620,178 Dabawenyos have received their first dose of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine.

On the other hand, the city has also started giving away “incentives” to vaccinees in the form of raffle prizes such as gift certificates, among others. This is a strategy to encourage more Dabawenyos to avail the free vaccination program of the government.

The raffle promo is open to all walk-in clients who are 18 years old and above. Vaccinees are advised to bring their DQR card, valid ID, and a pen.

“Actually, the plan of the vaccination cluster is to continue it very Friday pero

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he City of Mati LGU has now relaxed its restrictions on minors going outside of their homes.

In Executive Order No. 100 series of 2021 issued

by City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat on October 8, children ages 5 years old and above are now allowed to go to outdoor areas for activities permitted by IATF Resolution No. 125, series of 2021.

Children must however be supervised by adults who are fully vaccinated.

Senior citizens are also now allowed to move within the city, enter the city as tourists and returning residents, provided they are fully vaccinated.

Senior citizens will be required to present their Covid-19 vaccination card.

Outdoor areas allowed are parks, playgrounds, beaches, biking and hik-

ing trails, outdoor tourist sites and attractions as may be defined by the Department of Tourism, outdoor non-contact sports courts and venues, al fresco dining establishments, and places of worships.

Mixed-use indoor/ outdoor buildings, facilities, such as malls and similar establishments are however still off-limits to children and senior citizens.

EO 100 also stated that its guidelines effectivity is still subject how-

ever to Covid-19 situation update.

“In case of spike and increase in cases, the IMT shall immediately withdraw the modifications provided in this Order,” the EO stated.

Strict observance of the minimum public health standards like the wearing of face mask, social distancing, avoid mass gathering, frequent washing of hands will still be implemented at all times in all areas within the city. (CIO MATI)

Other areas in the region being monitored are the Island Garden City of Samal, Panabo City, Tagum City, Digos City, Sta. Cruz, Monkayo, Nabunturan, and Malita.

Monkayo closely follows Mati with 22.86% of its target population already fully vaccinated; Nabunturan 22.74%; Igacos 19.91%; Digos 19.75%; Tagum 18.43%; Panabo 14.71%; Sta. Cruz 13.29%; and Malita 9.62%.

The 9 towns and cities in the Davao Region were recently included in the national dashboard to ensure

that more supply of vaccines will be deployed to the areas so that more people will get vaccinated in the region.

The City of Mati Incident Management Team meanwhile started its walk-in vaccination for 18 years old and above at the Davao Oriental State University on October 4.

Aside from DORSU, the Mati IMT has also conducted series of vaccination in the barangays. On Thursday, October 7, record shows that DORSU has vaccinated 132 individuals (1st dose); Barangay Buso has 216 vaccinees

(2nd dose); Tagbinonga has 128 (1st dose); and Don Salvador Lopez has 370 vaccinees (1st and 2nd doses).

Mati IMT commander Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. welcomed the increase in allocation of vaccines in the Davao Region saying that this would help them achieve their target of fully vaccinating 40% of their target population by December this year.

He also acknowledged the separate efforts made by the Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center and the

Mati has highest vax rate among most populated towns, cities in the region

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he City of Mati has the highest number of vaccinated individuals among the most populated towns and cities in the Davao Region except for Davao City.

Based on the National Covid-19 Vaccination dashboard for October 6, among nine municipalities and cities in the region considered as most populated in the region, not including Davao City, the City of Mati has 27.51% of its target population with complete Covid-19 vaccination and 34.5% with at least one dose of vaccine.

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 177 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2021

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas says the volume of digital payments in 2020 reached 20 percent, hitting the institution’s target for the year. Edge Davao

AMRO slashes PH economic outlook, inflation forecast revised higher

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he ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research (AMRO) on slashed its Philippine economic growth outlook for this year and the next, while upgrading its 2021 inflation forecast above the government target range.

Based on the latest ASEAN+3 Regional Economic Outlook (AREO), AMRO now expects the Philippine economy to grow by 4.3% this year, slower than the 6.9% it predicted in the March AREO, and the 6.4% in June.

It also downgraded its economic outlook for 2022 to 6.7% from the 7.8% in March.

“The realization of downside risks foreshadowed in March—mainly in the form

of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 delta variant— has resulted in downward revisions to AMRO staff’s ASEAN+3 growth forecasts for this year,” AMRO said in the latest report.

The Philippines earlier recorded a surge in the number of daily COVID-19 cases due to the delta variant, but officials are optimistic that the latest figures are indicating a downtrend.

The health department on Wednesday, October 6, reported 9,868 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the country’s active cases to 112,807. The total caseload stands at 2,622,917 which includes 2,471,282 recoveries and 38,828 deaths.

Regional economic growth is now predicted at 6.1% this year, lower than the 6.7% forecasted earlier, and the flat growth in 2020.“The region is adapting and learning to function within the more uncertain environment,” AMRO said.

“The pandemic has altered the way businesses and consumers transact, accelerated digitalization, and

led the emergence of new business models and types of firms. Rising protection and immunity are also allowing some resumption of travel,” it added.

In the latest report, AMRO also revised its inflation outlook for the year to 4.3% from 3.3% in March.

This is higher than the central bank’s 2% to 4% target range, but lower than its 4.4% forecast for the year.

Inflation clocked in at 4.8% in September, the second straight month that the target range was breached.

So far this year, July was the only month when inflation fell within the target range, at 4.0%.

Ramped up vax drive to spur PH economy

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n economist of Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) forecasts a recovery of the Philippine economy starting this year given the stepping up of the government’s vaccination program.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, AMRO chief economist Dr. Hoe Ee Khor said they slashed their 2021 growth forecast for the Philippines to 4.3 percent from 6.9 percent set last March

due partly to the rise in the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) infections.

The AMRO also reduced its 2022 growth forecast for the domestic economy from 7.8 percent to 6.7 percent.

Amidst the lower growth projections for the two-year period, Khor said what is important is that the government has ramped up its vaccination drive against

he Australian government has decided to lift the 15-year anti-dumping measure it imposed on Philippine canned pineapples, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.

An anti-dumping duty refers to a tariff imposed by a country on imports that it deemed below the fair market value of similar goods in its domestic market to protect local manufacturers.

In a statement, the DA said the Philippines can export canned pineapples to Australia duty-free once the

anti-dumping measure is lifted on October 17, 2021 for consumer canned pineapples and on November 13, 2021 for Food Service Industrial (FSI) canned pineapples.

The duty-free exportation of Philippine-made canned pineapples is under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

The Australian government first imposed the anti-dumping measure in

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lifts ‘anti-dumping’ duty Public-private trademark program Australia on PH canned pineapples —DA to help MSMEs go global launched T

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he Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) launched on Thursday the Juan for the World (JFTW) Program, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and private-sector backed initiative that will enable 100 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to protect their trademarks and be competitive in global markets.

“We hope to make them realize the opportunities in

the global markets and how early protection of trademarks can help them grow their business with ease,” IPOPHL Director General Rowel Barba said at the launch of the program.

From 2012 --when the Philippines acceded to the Madrid Protocol-- to 2020, IPOPHL recorded some 399 resident registrations under the international filing system. Of this, only 154 or 39 percent are small entities.

“This low rate is attributable to the lack of financing and know-how on the international trademark application process.

Our newest Juan for the World Program will take down all these barriers,” Barba said.

Through the program, IPOPHL aims to assist 100 MSMEs to achieve successful registrations under the Madrid Protocol by end2024.

Global trademark in-

centive package Bureau of Trademark (BOT) director Jesus Antonio Ros said IPOPHL will provide assistance throughout the registration process of a JFTW beneficiary and waive the PHP2,618 handling fee.

Meanwhile, private sector partners will cover at least the basic fee --about PHP49,627 for a colored mark and about PHP35,888 for a black and white mark.

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Phoenix Petroleum announces that vaccinated customers, whether partial or full, can now get discounts on its fuel and lubricant products, and car care and maintenance services from Autoworx Plus, and get additional points when they use LIMITLESS on their fuel transactions. PR

DBP OK’d P39.5B worth of infra loans from Jan to June

Sustained growth in bank lending expected as economy recovers

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xpectations for an economic recovery starting this year can boost demand for loans, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno said.

In a briefing streamed through the central bank’s Facebook page on Thursday, Diokno said credit growth registered an expansion last August after eight consecutive months of decline.

“We’re cautiously optimistic that with the gradual easing of lockdown measures, combined with the implementation of localized lockdowns and the acceleration of the vaccination rollout, business activity will pick-up which will then spur credit growth in the country,” he said.

BSP data show that universal and commercial banks’ (U/KBs) lending activities, excluding placements in the central bank’s reverse repurchase (RRP) facility, grew by 1.3 percent year-on-year last August.

On a month-on-month basis, bank lending expanded by 1.1 percent last August, partly due to higher

loans extended for production activities.

The BSP has been encouraging banks to increase their lending program to ensure that economic activities remain robust amidst the pandemic.

Its policy-making Monetary Board (MB) slashed the central bank’s key policy rates by a total of 200 basis points last year as part of this bid.

The BSP has also reduced banks’ reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by as much as 200 basis points, and allowed for a certain period lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the agri-agra sector as RRR compliance.

It also raised the single borrowers’ limit (SBL) of banks from 25 percent to 30 percent effective until Dec. 31, 2021 to allow banks to further increase their lending capacity.

Diokno said they are willing to extend this particular relief measure depending on their assessment of economic developments and financial conditions.

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tate-owned infrastructure lender Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) said Thursday it has approved P39.5-billion in loans under its flagship credit program aimed at addressing funding gaps in infrastructure development in the country.

The amount was availed by a total of 440 borrowers from January to June this year under the bank’s Infrastructure Contractors Support (ICONS) program, which was first rolled-out in 2017, DBP president and chief executive officer Emmanuel Herbosa said in a statement.

“DBP has sharpened its focus on the infrastructure build-up program of

the national government to provide further impetus to the country’s economic rebound,” Herbosa said.“As the country’s premiere development financing institution, DBP continues to assist contractors in meeting the growing demand for meaningful public infrastructure projects,” he added.

DBP’s ICONS program extends direct financing to construction contractors to

fund various types of infrastructure activities such as transportation; water supply, wastewater and sanitation; communications; and social, power, and energy sectors.

Herbosa said that as of the first half of 2021, the DBP’s ICONS program has provided funding assistance to 151 borrowers in Luzon, 134 in the Visayas, and 145 in Mindanao.

He added that the stateowned lender would continue to support the national government’s initiatives this year under the “Build Build Build” program, which has a total allocation of P1.18-trillion for public works and transportation programs

under the 2022 National Expenditure Program.

“Infrastructure development is indispensable to propel economic growth as well as to enhance quality of life,” Herbosa said.

“DBP will remain at the forefront of providing the needed assistance to boost economic recovery, sustain gains, and ramp-up growth,” he said.

DBP is the fifth largest bank in the country in terms of assets and provides credit support to four strategic sectors of the economy — infrastructure and logistics; micro, small and medium enterprises; environment; social services and community development.

over the Arctic region, the carrier said in a statement.

PAL said the following long-haul flights will serve the US and Canadian East and West Coast as well as Europe and Hawaii: • Manila - Los Angeles - Manila: 10 to 12 weekly flights • Manila - San Francisco - Manila: daily flights • Manila - New York Manila: two to three weekly flights

• Manila - London - Manila: twice monthly special flights • Manila - Honolulu Manila: two to three weekly flights • Manila - Vancouver Manila: three to four weekly flights • Manila - Toronto - Manila: once weekly flights The flag carrier said its special flights between Manila and London (Heathrow) are set for the follow-

ing dates: October 5 and 26, 2021; November 9 and 23, 2021; December 7 and 14, 2021; as well as January 4 and 11, 2022.

“We are heeding the call for more flights to and from the US Mainland, Canada, and the UK to serve many of our fellow Filipinos who want to rejoin their families in time for the Christmas holidays. As travel restrictions ease in coming months,

PAL announces long-haul routes for peak season

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lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Friday announced its longhaul routes and flight offerings for the upcoming holiday peak season beginning late October.

PAL is the only Filipino airline operating long-haul routes beyond 10 hours flying time to key global destinations, including ultralong-range nonstop services to New York and Toronto that use transpolar routes

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EDITORIAL More anti-vaccine celebrities die of COVID-19 so far in update Many celebrities have died after mocking vaccines against COVID-19.

As of the month of September, at least 14 anti-vax personalities in several countries, many of them media persons, broadcasters specially, got sick of COVID-19 and died hours after.

The celebrities and the circumstances of their demise are as follows:

KRISTEN LOWERY: She left behind four children. Lowery, 40, was a figurehead on social media, proclaiming her anti-mask and vaccine views that garnered high praise.

STEPHEN HARMON: Harmon, 34, who lived in Los Angeles, mocked Covid-19 vaccines. He died of the virus on July 21, 2021, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department told local media.

HAI SHAULIAN: The well-known Israeli anti-vaxx leader Hai Shaulian died of COVID-19 on Monday (September 13, 2021) morning at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel. The anti-vaccine activist said ‘there’s no epidemic- the vaccine is unnecessary and dangerous’.

DANIEL TRUJILLIO: Daniel ‘Duke’ Trujillo, 33, died in May from “COVID-19 complications”. Trujillo, an ex-Marine and the Denver Sheriff’s deputy, had shared a string of anti-vax posts on social media, according to The Daily Mail.

MARC BERNIER: Bernier, a Daytona, Florida, talk radio host dubbed himself “Mr. Anti-Vax” in December while assuring his listeners “I’m not taking it.” Bernier contracted COVID-19 and his death was announced by his radio station –– WNDB — which had awkwardly acknowledged his on-air “anti-vaccine” commentary just before his passing.

DICK FARREL: Farrel Austin Levitt, 65, known professionally as Dick Farrel, was an American conservative media personality and anti-vaccine activist. The Newsmax radio host spent the last weeks of his life claiming that the vaccine is “Bogus B*** s**t],” referring to the pandemic as a “SCAM DEMIC,” and suggesting that the delta variant is an elaborate ruse orchestrated by Dr Anthony Fauci, whom he

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TOD TUCKER: On August 11, 2021 Tod Tucker, a pro-Trump radio programmer, died “following the onset of viral pneumonia as the result of COVID-19,” according to his employer.

JIMMY DEYOUNG SR.: DeYoung, 80, a religious radio host, was hospitalised August 7, 2021 for COVID-19 and died not long after.

PHIL VALENTINE: Valentine, 61, a talk radio host and vaccine skeptic, in a blog post, advised those who are not in the “high-risk” demography to not get the vaccine, and bet that his odds of dying from COVID-19 were “way less than one percent.”

BOB ENYART: Enyart, 62, pastor of the Denver Bible Church, died Monday (September 13, 2021), according to a Facebook post by his co-host, Fred Williams. Enyart’s Real Science Radio Show website lambasted what he described as the “imagined” burden of COVID-19 cases on hospitals, offered advice on treating the virus from the Bible, and accused “fake news” outlets of exaggerating the severity of the virus. He had opted against getting the vaccine, citing the nonsensical claim that COVID-19 vaccines rely on “cells of aborted babies

SAMMIE-JO FORDE & HEATHER MADDERN: The anti-vaxxer mother-and-daughter team died just days apart in a Belfast hospital after they contracted Covid-19, leaving their family “devastated”. The BBC reported that Sammie-Jo Forde, 32, died in the Ulster hospital on Saturday (September 11, 2021), where she had been treated on the same ward as her mother, Heather Maddern, 55, who died on 31 August.

KALI COOK: The Texas girl, 4, died in her sleep after contracting COVID-19, likely off her vehemently anti-vax mother, Karra Harwood.

“I was one of the people that was anti, I was against it,” the mother was quoted as saying. “Now, I wish I never was.”

ALEXANDRA BLANKENBILLER. Tiktok creator and artist Alexandra Blankenbiller posted her last video on August 15 from her hospital bed. Voice raspy, breathing with the help of a machine, she pleaded with her followers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Need say more?

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

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LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. Consultant Correspondent Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

SAVING PHILIPPINE EAGLE It used to be called the Philippine monkey-eating eagle. In fact, its scientific name tells us so. The generic name, Pithecophaga, comes from the two Greek words: phitekos or “monkey” and phagein meaning “eater.”

But in 1978, through a Presidential Decree No. 1732, the old name was dropped and the Philippine eagle came into existence. It was found out that monkeys actually comprised an insignificant portion of its diet.

It also preys on a whole host of animals, both large and small.

It has been known to hunt bats, civets, flying squirrels, rats, snakes, small deer, and bats.

A magnificent bird endemic to the Philippines, the Philippine eagle is larger than the American bald eagle. In fact, it is the second world’s largest eagle species, next to South America’s Harpy eagle.

The Philippine eagle stands a meter high, weighs anything from four to seven kilograms and has a grip three times the strength of the strongest man on earth. With a wing span nearly seven feet and a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, it can gracefully swoop down on an unsuspecting monkey and carry it off without breaking flight.

In the past, maya was the country’s bird icon. But in July

1995, the President Fidel V. Ramos signed Proclamation No. 615 naming the Philippine eagle as the national bird. Aside from being found only in the Philippines, it should also be a source of national pride.

“The bird is chosen as a national symbol as it represents the strength, uniqueness, a love for freedom, and power of the Filipino people,” someone commented.

The Philippine eagle is on the brink of extinction. In 1994, the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International listed this bird of prey as critically endangered.

In a race against time, conservationists are working double time to save the Philippine eagle from oblivion. It is one of the world’s rarest eagles with an estimated 400 nesting pairs left in the wild.

While the Philippines is composed of more than 7,000 islands, the Philippine eagle is found only on three of them, all within the northern and eastern regions of the country. In the past, Philippine eagles abound in the forests of Mount Apo and other parts of Mindanao. They can also be seen flying over in the forests of Sierra Madre in Luzon and Samar and Leyte in the Visayas.

The Philippine eagle is second only to the Madagascar sea eagle in rarity. In size, it beats the American bald eagle; it is the world’s second largest – after the Harpy eagle of Central and South America.

Philippine eagles have no natural predators, except humans. They are threatened by habitat destruction and hunting.

“The forest is the only home for the Philippine eagle,” says the Philippine Eagle Foundation, Inc. (PEFI), a non-governmental body which deals with the conservation and protection of the endangered bird.

“It is where they obtain food, reproduce, and nourish their offspring.”

Unfortunately, the Philippines is fast losing its forest resources. Between 2000 and 2005, the country lost about 270,000 hectares of forest a year, according to a study made by the regional office of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

A pair of Philippine eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as a nesting territory. Their preferred habits include primary forests in the lowlands and at mid-elevation.

Hunting also threatens them to death. “At least one

Philippine eagle every year because of shooting,” PEFI states. “As more of our forests are lost, Philippine eagles go farther and farther from their usual hunting grounds in search of prey to hunt. This usually brings them towards human settlements and their livestock, which often results in conflict with the Philippine eagle on the losing end.”

“The Philippine eagle is the largest predator we have,” says Dr. Dennis Joseph I. Salvador, PEFI executive director. “By using the Philippine eagle as the focal point of conservation, we are, in the process, saving wildlife and their habitat.”

It was in 1896 when the bird of prey was first discovered by English naturalist John Whitehead in Samar.

The PEFI said Philippine eagles are solitary and territorial creatures. They can live up to 40-plus years in captivity but probably much less in the wild.

They take 5-7 years to sexually mature.

The female Philippine eagle lays a single egg every two years. Around 8-10 days before laying an egg, the female eagle does not eat, drinks lots of water, and holds her wings drooping.

The eagle parents wait for their offspring to make it on

their own (usually within two years) before producing another offspring, according to the prime mover in eagle conservation.

Here’s an interesting item about this bird: The egg is incubated alternately by both eagle parents for about 58-60 days, with the male eagle doing most of the hunting during the first 40 days of the eaglet’s life while the female stays with the young.

Efforts to save the Philippine eagle was started way back 1965 by Dioscoro S. Rabor, the founding father of Philippine conservation effort. But he was ignored by most of his compatriots. Fortunately, he was able to elicit the support of the famous aviator, Charles A. Lindbergh.

From 1969 to 1972, Lindbergh spearheaded a drive to save the bird, which he called the “noblest flier.” When he died, the conservation effort was sustained through the initiatives of Peace Corps volunteers in cooperation with the Parks and Wildlife Office.

We need to save our very own Philippine eagle. As former President Ramos puts it: If the national bird dies, so will all the country’s efforts at conserving its natural resources and treasures.

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

SENATORS OVER-ACTING AGAIN “We need more light about each other. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience and patience creates unity.” - MALCOLM X *******

Is the Senate over-doing its job, conducting numerous but fruitless probes in aid of legislation or merely going through the motions because the May 2022 presidential balloting is just around the corner?

I am referring to the condescending manner the Blue Ribbon Committee is (mis)handling the investigation of Pharmally officials and executives allegedly accused of irregularities and “over-pricing” of medical paraphernalia purchased by the government vis-a-viz the Covid19 pandemic.

They even threatened to commit a resource person to jail if he did not spill the beans.

This redounds to a grave

abuse of authority because the Senate is not a court of law.

One thing for sure is that all of them - specifically those running for higher positions and those for re-election - are grandstanding because they need extra “pogi” points, media mileage and socmed exposure to ensure they are ever present in the public consciousness.

So far, nothing negative has been concretely established to link Malacanang to the perceived irregularity as the supplier was able to deliver the goods and only received payment after the items were fully accounted for.

Meaning, the government was not short-changed which the senators vainly attempted to picture before the Filipino people.

The hypocrisy in the Senate is reflected by ambitious men and women who befriend the Malacanang tenant during his first five years in office and then make a complete betrayal (ala Judas Iscariot) by creating a

“storm” a few months preceding the filing of presidential COCS. The Senate is a law-making body and its principal task is to legislate meaningful edicts that create impactul reforms and uplift the general well-being of the people.

Measured against this, can you now evaluate who among them lived up to their task and should deserve your support?

Listen, the Senate is a “Boys (and Girls) Club,” if you know what I mean. Scratch my back and I will scratch yours.

This is the problem in a multi-party system where the allegiance and loyalty of party members are flitting - like the proverbial political butterflies.

Filipinos should realize that the Senate has been a stumbling block and a thorn on the side of any administration especially if the latter does not have the numbers to proceed unhampered with its national development agenda.

(Hey, did not most of the

senators who voted to impeach the late Chief Justice Renato Corona receive millions in pork barrel?)

It is high time we changed our political structure because the present system, though democratic in nature, has not effectively worked for the benefit of the people and this nation.

The Senate has outlived its usefulness.

It has failed our expectations. The senators are blind to the sufferings and struggles of a people from whom they seek their mandate.

The Senate has even gifted itself with a new expensive and modern edifice to spoil and house only 24 members at a cost of more than 10B of taxpayers’ money now very quietly undergoing construction at the expensive Bonifacio Global City!

This is nothing but an extravagant expenditure, a big waste of government funds.

I find this outrageous and scandalously unwarranted.

We need new faces in the Senate.

Senators seeking reelection have hibernated, feeling “securely ensconced” in the thought that they have performed accordingly.

On the contrary, the poor conditions of the country and the people reflect on the Senate’s inability or inutile effort to enact much-needed reform measures that could have cushioned the country’s socio-economic struggles.

Yes, the senators are O-A again.

Because they are ambitious. They are self-seeking men and women whose hearts do not bleed even if they see and witness the unmitigated poor living and health conditions of their countrymen.

Vote wisely, please. Let us not commit the same sorry mistakes of the past. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

8

EDGEDAVAO EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 177 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2021

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Attacks surge in 1H 2021 as Trend Micro blocks 41 billion cyber threats

G

lobal cybersecurity leader Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704) announced in early September that it blocked 40.9 billion email threats, malicious files, and malicious URLs for customers in the first half of 2021, a 47% yearon-year increase.

Ransomware remained the standout threat in the first half of the year as cybercriminals continued to target big-name victims and used Advanced Persistent Threat tools and techniques to steal and encrypt victims’ data.

Ransomware was a major threat to global organizations in the first half of 2021, but it was not the only one. Trend Micro’s report also reveals: • Business email compromise (BEC) attacks increased by 4%, potentially as a result of new COVID-19 opportunities for threat actors.

The Philippines ranked

fourth among Southeast Asian countries that encountered BEC threats at 8.4%, with Singapore ranking first at 55.8%.

• Cryptocurrency miners became the most detected malware, having surged ahead of WannaCry and web shells in recent months.

• The Zero Day Initiative reported 770 vulnerabilities, a slight (2%) drop from 1H 2020.

• A total of 164 malicious apps related to COVID-19 scams were detected, 54% of which impersonated TikTok. • Healthcare is the top industry affected by ransomware in the

Philippines, followed by food and beverage, then banking.

According to a report

by Hootsuite, the Philippines ranks the highest in internet and social media usage in the world. A Pew Research study conducted in 2020 also revealed that 60% of Filipinos own a smartphone. Given this, Filipinos are more likely to be exposed to malicious links and Android malware, especially if not equipped with proper internet security knowledge. The Philippines ranked first among Southeast Asian countries and third globally after the US and Japan in terms of users accessing malicious URLs, and second among Southeast Asian countries in terms of Android malware detected.

“Mitigating cyber risk effectively necessitates the thorough un-

derstanding of the scale, complexity, and specific characteristics of the threat landscape.” said Alma Alvarez, Trend Micro Threat Hunting Director.

“Alongside the comprehensive protection Trend Micro provides against fast-evolving threats and our biannual roundup reports, our annual cyber security conference DECODE brings together industry professionals and presents the latest in local cybersecurity to empower and inform the continuous transformation of organizations’ digital infrastructures.”

The report’s overall findings highlight the effectiveness of – and increasing need for – a holistic and scalable cybersecurity solution at the enterprise level.

As threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, en-

terprise SOC teams will require a platform that can streamline security processes without sacrificing reliability.

About DECODE: DECODE is the premier cyber security conference in the Philippines hosted by Trend Micro. It aims to decode to local technology professionals the up-to-date information about the threat landscape, industry trends, and new technologies in order to empower them to secure the digital infrastructures of their organizations, as well as to inspire them to embark on a continuous learning journey.

This year’s theme: IT professionals who are equipped with cybersecurity know-how are more likely to rise above a crisis, make informed decisions, and win the war against cyber threats. Understand-

ing new threats comes with the acceptance that all systems and processes need to transform.

DEC1DE. DEC0DE. DECIDE to act with certainty. Timing matters when it comes to making security decisions amidst a threat.

What’s in your toolbox and your ability to deploy solutions quickly and seamlessly will make all the difference.

DECODE will equip you with the cybersecurity expertise to recognize and isolate real security threats. This expertise sets you apart from those without it -and the contrast is like night and day, black and white, 1’s and 0’s.

Let DECODE push you towards a commitment to win the war against digital threats no matter what the situation is. Transcend the ordinary and become a cybersecurity expert!

make Filipino lives better every day. With this partnership, we are giving broader access to quality, affordable medicine to more Filipinos, which is vital during these trying times,” said Martha Sazon, GCash President and Chief Executive Officer.

Through this partnership, GCash Scan to Pay will now be made available in 435 Generika Drugstores nationwide, so customers can easily pay through scanning Generika’s GCash QR code. GCash Cashin acceptance will also be rolled out in select branches nationwide.

GCash users can look forward to shopping for over-the-counter medicines and other essential items via GLife, the e-commerce feature on the GCash app, soon.

There’s also a GCash payment option on the Generika Drugstore App, which can be downloaded on Google Play for Android and App Store for iPhone and iPad us-

ers.

“This partnership is even more timely and meaningful as Generika Drugstore celebrates its 18th Anniversary. This year, we are working towards the digitization of our stores to ensure that we continue to expand access to quality and affordable medicines and healthcare essentials that the Filipino family deservesOur partnership with GCash enhances our ability to deliver this mission,” said Atty.

Yet Abarca, Generika Drugstore President and CEO. Other than the safety of its customers, part of Generika’s priority is the health and safety of its employees. GCash serves as a safe and fast facility for the reimbursements of the Generika employees.

Not yet on GCash?

Simply download the GCash app for free on Google Play for Android, Apple Store for iPhone and iPad users, or Huawei Gallery.

GCash and Generika Drugstore offer cashless payment for medicine

D

rugstores have become increasingly vital for public health amid the pandemic. As an essential service, they must pivot to continue to supply the growing medical needs of the consumers in a safe manner.

To help meet this need during the pandemic, GCash, the country’s leading mobile wallet app, has partnered with Generika Drugstore, one of the most innovative drugstores in the country, and a member of the AC Health Group, to provide safer and more convenient ways to pay and process transactions.

Now, customers and frontliners can safely pay in Generika Drugstore branches using the GCash QR or cash-in to their GCash wallets.

They can also transact conveniently on Generika’s e-store using GCash Online Payment.

“GCash and Generika Drugstore both aim to provide solutions to

9 HEALTH EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 177 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 09, 2021

TB STILL KILLING 74 FILIPINOS DAILY

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

T

by Wikipedia

hese days, nobody talks about tuberculosis (TB). But in the distant past, it was one of the most dreaded diseases – just like the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). One of the famous victims was President Manuel L. Quezon, who died of the disease in the United States in 1944.

In 1938, the Quezon Institute, a sanatorium for TB under the Philippine Tuberculosis Society, was inaugurated with the President himself gracing the occasion.

“Six years ago, when I was in the United States on an important mission on behalf of the Philippines, I started to feel chest oppression and back pain, and became easily fatigued,” Quezon said in his speech.

“As my work needed all my strength and I could ill afford to be sick at the time, I took the first opportunity to consult a famous lung specialist in New York City. After subjecting me to a rigorous physical and fluoroscopic examination, the doctor diagnosed my case as tuberculosis of the lungs.”

Many Filipinos thought TB is already vanquished as it is a disease of antiquity. Unfortunately, it is very much around.

“With the development of new TB drugs and improved living conditions, TB

disappeared from the lives and minds of many… But today, we are faced with a global epidemic that is killing more people than at any point in its history,” said then Director-General Gro Harlem Brundtland of World Health Organization (WHO) in a TB conference convened in Amsterdam in 2000.

Public health monster Twenty years later, in 2020, Dr. Rafael Castillo, a widely-read columnist of Philippine Daily Inquirer, called TB as “the biggest public health monster” in the country.

The reason: “Approximately, 74 Filipinos die of TB every day and is among the top 10 causes of death in the country,” says the Department of Health (DOH) in its website.

About one million Filipinos have active TB disease, according to the United Nations health agency. “This is the third highest prevalence rate in the world, after South Africa and Lesotho,” said Dr. Gundo Aurel Weiler, director

of the WHO Western Pacific.

This is very alarming.

“Each person with active TB can spread the disease to 10 other people,” warns Dr. Lawrence Domingo, in a feature he wrote for pharexmedics.com. “Once active TB is treated, the person is no longer contagious after 3 weeks.”

According to Dr. Domingo, about 80% of Filipinos have latent TB. “This means that Filipinos have a TB infection, but are still in the inactive stage,” he explained.

“That is why they have no symptoms and are not contagious to other people.”

In Davao Region, TB remains a health problem.

The DOH regional office said that in 2016, a total of 100 people died of TB, with most of those who perished came from Davao City. “The cases of TB in Davao region are increasing but it shouldn’t be feared since there is a cure for TB,” Evelyn Gelito, the DOH manager of TB Control Program, was quoted as saying.

The WHO envisions to end TB from the world by 2030. “Yet, the Philippines is among the few countries where the number of people with TB continues to increase every year,” Dr. Weiler lamented.

COVID-19 pandemic The current pandemic is fueling the disease.

Today, many TB-affected

individuals in the country dismiss getting checked due to the fear of contracting COVID-19. There is also a lack of education towards treatment.

In addition, many Filipinos perceive TB as a low-risk disease.

Last year, the health department recorded a decline in TB cases. “We see this as a direct effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on a critical disease prevention and control program like TB,” said Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III. “The quarantine has extremely affected and limited the health seeking behaviors of our fellow Filipinos.”

Dr. Duque said that unlike other health programs, having fewer cases is not an indicator of success for the country’s TB program. “Our goal for our TB program is to find and treat as many TB cases as possible,” he said.

“Only by finding and treating these cases can we limit its spread and achieve our dream of a TB-free Philippines.”

But he cautioned. “Over 100,000 Filipinos may die of TB in the next five years or 20,000 TB deaths per year if TB services continue to be disrupted because of mobility restrictions brought about by COVID-19,” the health official said.

Among those who are more prone to becoming ill with TB are people with

weakened systems, including those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), diabetes, malnutrition, and smokers.

The top three groups most vulnerable to TB, according to the health department, are males and smokers, elderly, and those who were previously treated.

Ancient disease The tenacious TB bacillus has preyed on people since antiquity. TB-induced skeletal deformities point to the disease’s existence as early as 8000 BC. Unmistakable signs of tubercular bone decay were found in the skeletons of Egyptian mummies as long ago as 2400 BC. In 1882, German pathologist Dr. Robert Koch finally unearthed the mystery of TB’s origin when he discovered the TB bacillus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis on March 24. Koch’s colleague, Dr. Paul Ehrlich recalled, “Koch appeared before the public with an announcement which marked a turning point in the story of a virulent human infectious disease. In clear, simple words, Koch explained the aetiology of tuberculosis with convincing force, presenting many of his microscope slides and other pieces of evidence.” He was awarded the Nobel Prize of Medicine in 1905 for his discovery.

Despite the discovery, TB continued to take its toll.

“Year after year, century after century, TB tightened its relentless grip, worsening with wars and famines that reduced people’s resistance, infecting virtually everyone but inexplicably sparing some while destroying others,” wrote Dr. Frank Ryan, author of Tuberculosis: The Greatest Story Never Told.

Like the COVID-19 virus, TB is spread from person to person through the air.

“When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air,” the WHO explains. “A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.”

A less common route of transmission is through the skin. Pathologists and laboratory technicians who handle TB specimens may contract the disease through skin wounds. TB has also been reported in people who have received tattoos and people who have been circumcised. A person may become infected with TB bacteria and not develop the disease. His or her immune system may destroy the bacteria completely.

“People infected with TB bacteria have a 5-15% lifetime risk of falling ill with TB,” the WHO says. “Those with compromised immune systems, such as people liv-

ing with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, or people who use tobacco, have a higher risk of falling ill.”

Familiar signs of TB The four most familiar signs of TB, according to health experts, are chronic cough, mild fever in the afternoon and sweating at night, chest and back pain, and progressive weight loss. In more serious or advanced cases, the symptoms are spitting blood, pale and waxy skin, and a hoarse voice.

The disease can occur in two stages: primary and secondary. “In primary TB,” explains Maria Luisa Padilla in Encarta Encyclopedia, “a person has become infected with the TB bacteria but often is not aware of it, since this stage of the disease does not produce noticeable symptoms. Macrophages, immune cells that detect and destroy foreign matter, ingest the TB bacteria and transport them to the lymph nodes where they may be destroyed or inhibited.”

In the early stage, TB is not contagious. “About three weeks after initial infection,” Padilla continues, “bacteria may be inhibited, destroyed, or allowed to multiply. If the bacteria multiply, active primary TB will develop.”

Symptoms of carriers include coughing, night sweats, weight loss, and fever. A chest X-ray may show shadows or fluid collection between the lung and its lining.

If the bacteria are inhibited, rather than destroyed, the immune cells form a mass known as granuloma or tubercle. In effect, the immune cells form a wall around inactive bacteria.

“As long as the immune system remains strong, the TB bacteria remain walled off and inactive,” Padilla maintains. “The tubercle gradually collects calcium deposits to form what is known as a Ghon focus.

These initial tubercles in the lung usually heal, leaving permanent scars that appear as shadows in chest X-rays.”

At the primary stage of TB, the disease does not progress, but bacteria may remain dormant in the body for many years. If the immune system becomes weakened, the tubercle opens, releasing the bacteria, and the infection may develop into active disease, known as secondary TB. In the secondary TB, the formerly dormant bacteria multiply and destroy tissue in the lungs. They also may spread to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. Fluid or air may collect between the lungs and the lining of the lungs, while tubercles

FTB, P10

10

EDGEDAVAO

NO... FROM 2

or Sara to run for president were converging at the Sofitel waiting for the mayor to file her COC as president.

In Davao City various organizations mounted a motorcade urging the mayor to run.

Mayor Sara’s supporters suddenly felt sad when the mayor issued a statement through her Facebook Page around noon yesterday stating that she will not run for president in the 2022 national and local elections.

“I have been honored with the gift of trust and respect of many of our fellow Filipinos. A gift that is one in a million. Thank you to everyone who have expressed their support. Many of you do not know me and yet you carry me over your shoulders. Like the other millions of Filipinos, I share with you the same goal of living a peaceful and prosperous life in our country, today and in the many years to come. I am presenting myself to the Dabawenyos as Mayor for the third and last time in my life as a politician. I call on everyone to work together for an honest, orderly, and credible elections in May 2022,” the mayor posted.

The waiting lasted until 5pm but Mayor Sara was no-show.

On the other hand, Davao media was expecting that President Rodrigo Duterte will file through his lawyer his COC for mayor of Davao City at the Comission on Elections (Comelec)Davao yesterday.

However, his lawyer did not arrive.

The final list of candidates for local positions are the following: for the

DOH... FROM 2

Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) member for the first district: Nilo Abellera Jr, Melchor Quitain Jr, Ismael Veloso Jr, Jessica Mendoza Bonguyan, Luna Maria Dominique Sunga Acosta, Edgar Ibuyan Jr, Temujin Ocampo, Richard Duterte, Pamela Librado, Pilar Braga, Bonz Andre Militar, Reolsyl Caingles, Rover to dare as, Bernard Al-ag, Lyndon Banzon, and Alan Halog.

For the 2nd district: Danilo Dayanghirang II, Dante Apostol, Augusto Javier Campos III, Richlyn Justol- Baguilod, Jonard Dayap, Reyvan Abad, Al Ryan Alejandre, Louie John Bonguyan, Marissa Abella, Diosdado Angelo Junior Mahipus, Edgardo Franco Batenga, Roseller Bantugan, Crispin Galang, Paola Isabelle Salvador, Joel Bustamante, Jovanie Mantawel.

For the 3rd District: wilberto Al-ag, Jesus Joseph Zozobrado III, Conrado Baluran, Bai Hundra Cassandra Dominique Advincula, Lorenzo Benjamin Villafuerte, Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, Trisha Ann Jasmin Villafuerte, Alberto Ungab, Melba Principe, and Carmelo Clarion.

For the House of Representatives: first district: Paolo Duterte, Jamal Ranon Kamal, Maria Victoria Maglana For the Second district: Danilo Dayanghirang, Vincent Garcia For the third district: Isidro Ungab and Abundio Indonilla For the Mayor namely Sara Duterte, Joseph Hannibal Elzalde, Teodoro Mantilla, and Ruy Elias Lopez; and for Vice Mayor- Sebastian Duterte.

while 1,034 are recently declared recovered.

In the previous weeks, daily cases would reach as high as 1,000 or more. Morbidities due to COVID-19 have also reduced with only 19 new deaths.

The DOH data also showed that majority or 94.8% of the active cases are mild and asymptomatic; only 4.8% or 901 cases are tagged as severe while 0.4% or 67 cases are critical.

In terms of hospital bed utilization, the DOH XI data also showed better numbers on available beds as compared to the previous weeks when the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) announced full occupancy of the said facility.

Regionwide, there are still 57 available ICU beds; 315 available isolation beds; 453 available ward beds; and 58 available ventilators.

Among the Davao Region provinces, Davao City still has the most number of active cases with 6,669 and 194 new cases. Davao del Sur followed in terms of highest active cases with a total of 5,082.

However, recording an increased number of new cases recently is Davao del Norte with 127.

The DOH XI identified 16 barangays in Davao del Norte which have been found to be source of case clustering; ten of these 16 barangays are all in Tagum City.

Dr. Pasion reiterated that while the region is now seeing a downward movement of the COVID-19 surge, the agency continues to remind the people to strictly follow and live by the principles of the minimum health protocols and to proactively submit themselves for vaccination.

(PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

Covid-19.

He cited authorities’ target to inoculate around 80 percent of the population by the first quarter of next year.

“And that, I think, is going to be very important and good for the Philippines because the Philippines, unlike

many of the countries in the region, is very much a service-oriented economy. And that’s the reason why they’ve been hit harder than some of the countries in the region,” he added.

Khor said the economy should be able to “bounce

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the availability of basic health services to the people such as free medicine and Covid-19 testing, he said.

Catulpos, currently the president of General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., said the expansion of the vaccination against COVID-19 will also be a top priority to allow the city’s economy to move forward even amidst the pandemic.

AIM, which controlled the city hall from the late 90s until the 2013 elections, fielded businessman Jay Omila for the city’s lone congressional district and former city councilor, lawyer Arturo Cloma for vice mayor.

Omila lost to outgoing mayor Ronnel Rivera, who is also running for con-

gressman, in the 2019 elections.

The party’s city council slate is led by media personalities lawyer Kan Balleque and Dyll Bartolaba, radio and television anchors of the Brigada News FM and TV here.

The other aspirants are former city councilors Virginia Llido and Minardo Avila, Dr. Ben Pagarigan, Bebe-i Gonzales, Dino Barrientos, George Anas, Mike Tanzo, Alfredo Santander, Abel Sosobrado, and Jay Berame.

Reports earlier came out that former city mayor Darlene Antonino-Custodio could make a comeback in the 2022 polls and Catulpos said he is willing to give way if it materializes before Nov. 15, the deadline for the substitution of candidates.

18,664 police personnel for various offenses, with 5,151 dismissed from the service.

In September 2021 alone, seven policemen were charged by the Justice department with unlawful detention and murder of six victims in a fabricated operation early this year, it reported.

“Our institutions and accountability mechanisms are well-established and functioning. President Duterte at the UN General Assembly reiterated his unequivocal instruction for the DOJ and PNP (Philippine National Police) to ensure accountability for all found to have acted beyond bounds during operations,” the Philippine Permanent Mission said.

‘Model of constructive

cooperation’ Meanwhile, it underlined the country’s commitment to engage the UN and the international community on human rights issues, citing the continuation into Phase II of the European Union Governance in Justice Program and the newly launched UN Joint Program (UNJP) that serves as a “model for constructive engagement” between a sovereign member state and the UN. The UNJP on Human Rights is a technical cooperation framework that brings together the government, UN agencies, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and stakeholders around projects on accountability and the rule of law.

ubay-ubay gyud mi ug nadawat nga positive review na kung pwede i-every day nila

kay murag nalipay ang mga tao,” she said. By Maya M. Padillo

St. Camillus Hospital for also conducting their own vaccination programs in the City of Mati.

It was learned that aside

from increased allocation, the brand of vaccine being allocated is also more acceptable to the community.

(CIO MATI)

our nonstop global links can help the Philippines stage a comeback in tourism,” said PAL senior vice president and chief strategy and planning officer Dexter Lee. To increase connectivity to other cities in the western US mainland, PAL said it has launched services between Manila and Seattle (Washington), Las Vegas (Nevada) and Portland (Oregon) via Honolulu, in a tie-up with interline partner Hawaiian Airlines.

Regular flights to various points in the Middle East— Dubai, Dammam, Doha and Riyadh—and Asia—Singa-

pore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul and several cities in Japan—are also slated for increases as travel demand recovers in line with easing of restrictions, PAL said.

The airline said it is also set to mount special flights to Australian points such as Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney as well as Auckland, New Zealand, averaging the flights every month.

The flag carrier is betting on the plans of the Australian government to reopen regular international travel to and from Australia.

back quite sharply” once the economy opens up.

He said the country still has available policy space that can support the business community during the recovery phase.

“We have actually encouraged the authorities to use the policy space that they have to avoid the scarring of the economy and allow the businesses to bounce back faster,” he added.

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TB... FROM 9

continue to develop in the lung, progressively destroying lung tissue. Coughing of blood or phlegm may occur.

At this secondary stage, carriers of TB can infect others.

Drugs vs TB In the past, TB was considered the world’s deadliest disease. Then, in 1944, 21-year-old “Patricia” with progressive, far-advanced pulmonary TB received the first injection of streptomycin. She improved dramatically during the ensuing five months and was discharged in 1947. She was evaluated in 1954 and found to be healthy and the happy mother of three children.

“This injection began the age of modern anti-TB treatment and led - until recently to dramatic reductions in TB in industrialized countries,” the WHO says.

Other anti-TB drugs are thiacetazone (first introduced in 1946), isoniazid and pyrazinamide (both first tried in 1952), and ethambutol (used for the first time in 1961). The most recent one, rifampicin, was released in 1966.

The success of drug therapy and the declining rates of disease incidence in the middle part of the 19th century instilled a sense of confidence in public health officials that TB could be conquered.

But like a phoenix that rises from ashes, TB has staged a comeback - in a deadlier and more complicated form.

In 1993, the UN health agency declared TB a “global emergency” and created a framework for effective TB control.

In 1994, the name DOTS – for Directly Observed Therapy: Short-Course – was born.

The World Bank rated DOTS as “one of the most cost-effective health interventions.”

Under the program, which was strongly supported by WHO, each patient was assigned an observer. The task of the observer was to help patients take their medicines regularly and continue with the treatment until they are proven free of the disease.

But it was easier said than done.

“The current TB epidemic is expected to grow worse, especially in developing countries, because of the evolution of MDR (multidrug-resistant) strains and the emergence of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), which comprises human immune system and makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases,” notes Anne Platt of the Washington-based Worldwatch Institute.

Multidrug resistant TB The Philippines has one of the highest rates of MDRTB in the world. In 2017,

27,000 Filipinos were diagnosed with MDR-TB; it costs up to P160,000 to treat MDRTB. The MDR-TB is any strain of the bacteria that is resistant to anti-TB drugs. It generally develops through improper use of TB medication. People being treated for TB normally must take a mixture of drugs over an extended period of time.

If the patients don’t complete their full course of medication, the strongest bacilli surviving in the lungs are given the opportunity to reproduce. Those bacilli will likely be drug-resistant and, if the patient continues to suffer from active TB, can be spread by coughing to other people.

Causes Poverty has been cited as the major reason for the resurgence of TB. “Overcrowded, impoverished dwellings are its breeding ground, and TB thrives on immune systems weakened by other chronic infections and by malnutrition,” said The Stop TB Initiative 2000 Report.

“Even before the cause of TB was discovered in 1822, thus paving the way to effective drug treatments, the rates of disease were falling in many developed countries because of an improvement in peoples’ standard of living,” the report added.

A significant cause of the dramatic rise in TB cases from the mid-1980s onwards is HIV, the microorganism that causes AIDS. Today, TB is the single biggest killer of people infected with HIV. “HIV and TB form a lethal combination, each speeding the other’s progress,” the WHO says.

HIV weakens the immune system. Health experts say someone who is HIV-positive and infected with TB is 30 times more likely to become sick with TB than someone infected with TB who is HIV-negative.

“There is nothing a person can do to not get TB,” laments the WHO. “You can change your behavior to lower the risk of AIDS, but you cannot stop breathing.”

The international community wants to end TB from this planet by 2030. After all, TB is preventable and curable. But in the Philippines, the number of people with TB continues to increase every year.

“Ending TB requires concerted action by all sectors and all care providers,” the WHO points out. “Everyone has a role to play in ending TB – individuals, communities, businesses, governments, societies. Everyone must join the race to end TB by 2030.”

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. It’s time to ensure that no one dies of TB anymore!

2006 for a period of five years after Golden Circle Limited, the sole producer of canned pineapples in Australia, lodged an application requesting for the imposition of the measure on canned pineapples imported from the Philippines.

The measure was extended for another five years in 2011, and subsequently for another five years in 2016, according to the DA.

However, in its two reports issued on October 6, 2021, Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) decided to discontinue the anti-dumping measure on canned pineapples from the Philippines, “following findings that its expiration will neither lead to the dumping of the products concerned nor cause material injury to the domestic industry.”

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Australian cage star Ben Simmons is likely to holdout until he finds a new team.

Pacers keen on Simmons

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he Indiana Pacers are reportedly in talks with the 76ers to snatch Ben Simmons out of Philadelphia.

Sixers team officials, including coach Doc Rivers and basketball operations boss Daryl Morey, have been publicly holding out hope the Aussie superstar will stay with the team despite the bad blood.But the relationship deteriorated further in recent days with revelations Simmons has listed his 3000 square foot home at the Ritz-Carlton Residence for sale for $AUD4.3 million. That suggests he’s already committed to shipping out.

While a bonanza of teams have been linked with expressions of interest in Simmons, reports on Wednesday claim the Pacers are now serious players in the trade game and are talking about a deal that would see Indiana send

shooting guard Caris LeVert to Philadelphia.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst last week reported the Pacers were a “sleeper” in the market surrounding Simmons’ future.

Now SNY NBA reporter Ian Begley reports the Pacers are a very real contender for Simmons.

Simmons is refusing to suit up for the Sixers and is boycotting pre-season camp, not turning up to Philadelphia’s first practice match against Toronto on Tuesday.

It was revealed yesterday just how much his holdout will cost him.

ESPN reports he was fined approximately $AUD494,000 for missing the clash. That same penalty will

be extended for every game Simmons misses from here on out — both in the pre-season and when the campaign proper gets underway later this month.

Despite the messy situation, teams are lining up for Simmons.

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey reported last week the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana have all inquired about Simmons’ availability.

Simmons was earlier also linked with Portland and Golden State.

Simmons and the 76ers remain at an impasse because the franchise hasn’t been able to agree to a trade package with any other teams it believes compensates it fairly for the loss of a three-time NBA All-Star.

ny Allen, Shannon Brown, William Bynum, Ronald Glen Davis, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Melvin Ely, Jamario Moon, Darius Miles, Milton Palacio, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Charles Watson Jr., Antoine Wright, and Anthony Wroten.

Desiree Allen, the wife of Anthony Allen, was also indicted.

Details of the alleged scheme According to Dienst, who reviewed the grand jury

indictment, the three-year scheme allegedly involved the former players submitting fake reimbursement claims for exams and procedures that were never done.

The indictment alleges that they took in around $2.5 million from a total of nearly $4 million in fake claims.

Terrence Williams, the 11th overall pick in the 2009 draft, was allegedly the ringleader and is accused of having impersonated an insurance plan employee as part of the scheme.

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sets. Im not in the gym to take and waste my time, I’m constantly there to battle the irons and to make a progress,” she said.

It didn’t end when she achieved her target. She wanted more.

She wanted to compete and win the IFBB. “And I think my passion from back when that time I found it, decided and made a commitment and I stuck with it until now, made me successful

18 ex-NBA players indicted in $4M health plan fraud

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n alleged scheme to defraud the NBA health plan of millions of dollars has led to the arrest and indictment of nearly 20 former NBA players.

Jonathan Dienst of NBC New York reported on Thursday that 18 NBA veterans were named in the indictment, and all are facing a count of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud. These are the names reportedly in the indictment, which was unsealed Thursday: Alan Anderson, Antho-

Juaban at Arcadia Fitness Gym.

in this attempt (IFBB),” the Arcadia coach said.

Now, Juaban continues her mission of transforming people to the good side of life. She is one of the most sought after fitness coaches in Davao City.

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TRANSFORMATION Arcadia coach Juaban places third in OFBB women’s tilt

BY NEIL BRAVO

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here’s another product launch from the lockdown factory. Her name is Janice Juaban, fitness coach at Davao’s premier lifestyle hub Arcadia Fitness Gym.

Arcadia Fitness gym coach Janice Juaban in her winning pose. IFBB photo

Juaban recently placed third in the tough IFBB Philippines Nationals 2021 Women’s Bikini (Tall) division held in San Fernando Pampanga last Sept 27, 2021.

But that’s only the highlight of a glorious lockdown journey.

The fitness guru and parttime PE teacher toned her physique during the lockdown at the comfort of her home.

“I started preparing last year, trained harder during the lockdown, fortunate to have my home gym. Then we were back at work mid of last year, I heard of the IFBB event decided to prepare for it,” Juaban told this writer in an online interview.

At her age, she took the challenge of joining the competition and achieve something she never thought she could.

“Always have this thinking Im past 40 and always have this question to myself, If not now, when?,” said the 41-year old single mother.

Then the transformation process went by at home until she was all set for the IFBB

competition.

Looking at how muscle-bound she is now, who would have thought this was the lumbering overweight lady in college sitting next to you in class?

“Rewinding back, I was super overweight after college, was not physically active and it was when fast foods became famous. Finished college and the hot fudge sundae l devoured nearly overnight in college took its toll so I spent my early 20s miserably overweight and surrounded by people who judged me for the fat girl I was,” Juaban recalled.

One day she decided the laughing stock version of herself is over and it’s time to flip the switch to a healthy lifestyle.

“And fast forward to now I think that experience brought me into fitness. I decided to change my life,” she said.

Juaban instantly fell in love with irons and the smell of sweaty gym bodies.

“My love for lifting, my love for the irons, the gym, the workout, the repetitions, the

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Juaban (left) during the IFBB Nationals 2021. IFBB