Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 216 | Thursday, November 25, 2021

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

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TF dismisses alleged spike of Covid-19 cases among children at SPMC STORY ON PAGE 2

Honorary Consul Jorge Marquez (left) of the Consulate of Israel in Mindanao introduces Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss to guests and some members of local media during a breakfast meeting at Seda Abreeza Hotel in Davao City on Wednesday.

Ambassador Fluss said that it is his vision to see Israel and the Philippines including Davao City partnering in innovation and working together in the field of technology. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 216 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021

NO SPIKE

President Rodrigo Duterte discusses matters with Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Palace on Tuesday evening. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

TF dismisses alleged spike of Covid-19 cases among city’s children at SPMC

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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r. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, dismissed online post saying there is a rising number of Covid-19 cases among minors at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

However, she said infection is possible if parents continue to bring or allow their kids outside their homes.

A barrage of social me-

dia posts warning parents to keep their children inside their homes because of the alleged spike of infection among pediatrics at SPMC forced the TF to make a

clarification.

“As of the moment wala pa ta’y datus ana but it can happen. It can happen na puwede ma-infect ang mga bata kung magpadayon ang pagka lenient sa mga parents labi na sa mga minors na 11 years old pababa,” Schlosser said on Wednesday.

She said even though there is no record that the cases among children have increased, however, there

are significant numbers of Covid-19 cases among the children.

Schlosser called on parents especially those who have children 11 years old and below to keep their children at home if the purpose of going out is not essential.

“Maskin pa naka-achieve nata ug herd immunity, dili puwede labi na ang 11-years-old pababa

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Davao Region targets to vaccinate 753,294 during 3-day national drive

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he Department of Health (DOH) in Davao Region has targeted to vaccinate 251,098 individuals daily or a total of 753,294 during the three-day National Vaccination Days from November 29 to December 1.

Dr. Janis Olivades, vaccination team leader for DOH-Davao, told “Usapang Pangkalusugan” streamed live over the agency’s Facebook page Monday that individuals should have their family members vaccinated to help the region attain its target of 3,759,878 or 70% of the total population.

“This three-day activity is for all Filipinos to unite and come together to join the vaccination and to have yourselves protected against COVID-19,” she said.

The target of Davao City is 147,313 for the three-day event, 139,540 for Davao de Oro, 168,704 for Davao del Norte, 134,886 for Davao del Sur, 66,106 for Davao Occidental, and 96,744 for Davao Oriental.

Alex Roldan, regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Davao, said preparations are being undertaken by the local government units to fully support the three-day vaccination efforts.

He added that barangay officials have been directed to identify who among their constituents are unvaccinated.

DOH-Davao reported a total of 1,925,617 individuals in the region jabbed with first dose and 1,653,321 fully vaccinated.

Davao City, considered the epicenter of COVID-19 pandemic in Mindanao, reported a total of 1,010,811 individuals jabbed with the first dose or 84.23% of the target of 1.2 million as of November 19.

According to the data released by the Davao City Vaccination Cluster of the local COVID-19 Task Force, the city government has also reached 908,101 inoc-

avao City has launched an online platform for requesting medical assistance under the Lingap Para sa Mahirap program making it accessible and contactless for Dabawenyos.

Those who want to avail of the Lingap assistance can now search for Lingap Para sa Mahirap on Facebook. https://www.facebook. com/Lingap-Para-sa-Mahirap-106759601799006 Vincent Plarisan, the Officer-in-Charge of the Lingap Para sa Mahirap Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), in an inter-

view with Byaheng DO30, said that all applications are submitted through the new platform, which opened last week, and will be received by social workers on standby.

“Dako kaayong nga bintaha sa atong kaigsuunan nga Dabawenyo kay dili na sila ma-hassle nga muadto dri sa office pwede na sila sa ilang balay or sa ilahang hospital as or kung asa man sila as long as kumpleto lang ilang documents.

Pwede rapud nila i-upload lang sa ilang phone ang ilang documents and i-send

PRRD hopes next admin will D improve Davao Int’l airport P resident Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed hope that the next elected chief executive will also improve his hometown’s Davao International Airport.

In his prerecorded Talk to the People aired Tuesday night, Duterte described Davao International Airport as “not as beautiful” as the “most-scenic airport” in Bicol and not even half of

the newly rehabilitated and expanded General Santos Airport.

Duterte recalled his order to put Davao City last on the priority list for government infrastructure projects.

“Noong unang meeting dito sa Cabinet, sinabi ko naman talaga sa kanila na unahin ninyo yung ibang lugar, ipahuli ninyo ang Davao kasi taga riyan ako (During

our first cabinet meeting, I really told them to work first on other areas, make Davao City last because I’m a resident there),” he said, acknowledging that some Dabawenyos were hurt of his decision.

He added: “Kayong mga taga-Davao alam kong masakit ang loob ninyo na walang feasible na infrastructure dyan (I know you’re upset to me because

there’s no feasible infrastructure there).”

Duterte, who led the inauguration of various airports and seaports under his administration’s “Build, Build, Build” initiative, apologized to his fellow Dabawenyos for having lesser infrastructure projects in the area.

“Sabi ko (I said) that is the price that we have to

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Davao City opens online platform for ‘Lingap’ assistance request

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NEWS

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A resident receives anti-Covid-19 vaccine at a vaccination hub in Bo. Obrero, Davao City. The Department of Health 11 (DOH 11) said the agency is targeting to inoculate 753,294 individuals during the three-day National Vaccination Days from November 29 to December 1. Edge Davao

Davao City restaurants may reject unvaccinated diners Israeli envoy admires Davao City Central 911

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ne facility that caught the attention of Ambassador Ilan Fluss of the Embassy of Israel in Manila during his visit to Davao City is the Central 911 emergency response center.

The ambassador got a chance to visit Central 911 and its adjacent facility, the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) on Tuesday and said it was impressive.

“I visited the Davao City Central 911, which I think is very impressive. I went to PSSCC. It is impressive because you can coordinate with relevant emergencies, this is the same with Israel. In case of emergencies or natural disasters, there is coordination between different agencies, which is very important,” Fluss said in an interview on Wednesday.

Launched on September 27, 2002, the Davao City Central Communications and Emergency Response Center or the Central 911 is at the forefront of providing primary emergency response services which include medical assistance,

search and rescue, fire auxiliary, and k-9 services for the residents of Davao City.

“I was impressed, number one, that you have such center which has the authority and is cooperating with other agencies. It’s not a question on technology but the approach and you have the right approach,” Fluss said.

Israel is a hub of innovation and technology and it is the vision of Fluss to bring more Israeli innovation and technology to the Philippines and to Davao City as well and share Israelis know-how with the Dabawenyos to help unleash their potential and to work together in maximizing that potential while using smart and innovative technology.

During Fluss and his delegation’s three-day visit to Davao City which started on November 23, 2021, he also met with Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and the members of the City Council.

“I talked about the Israel-Philippines relationship, about my visit in Davao, and

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

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“Wala pa ta nag-abot sa punto nga naa’y limitations and restrictions sa mga dili bakunado pero dili na layo na mahitabo given na suportado siya sa atoang President,” Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said.

Speaking during the recorded “Talk to the People” public briefing evening of Tuesday, President Duterte has defended the right of restaurants to turn away

unvaccinated customers as they are potential spreaders of Covid-19. The President also explained that it was justified for restaurants to reject people who have yet to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Kailangan talaga lahat mabakunahan. Ang mga ayaw, they should not be allowed inside public restaurants or resorts because they are a threat to public health and the safety of the general public. Threat to

public health,” the President said.

The President also said that some people don’t wear masks, while the others don’t observe the minimum public health standards the reason they won’t be allowed inside the restaurant.

“Every time you open your mouth pagtapos, you chew something, invariably you spew out, nag-i-spread ka ng moisture diyan sa kainan, which may eventually include itong mga Covid-19 virus,” he said.

“They are really germs.

So ‘yan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ka na makapa-

s the 3-day Bayanihan Bakunahan slowly approaches, the City of Mati Incident Management Team is also slowly but surely inching to its target of vaccinating 107,442 Matinians before the end of the year.

As of November 23 data from the City Health Office, the total number of

vaccinated Matinians have already reached 66,810 of which 23,685 are partially vaccinated while 41,125 are fully vaccinated.

This brings to 62.18% the Mati IMT’s target to achieve the herd immunity.

Province-wide, the town of Boston has the highest percentage of vac-

cination rate compared to 10 other municipalities and city with only 10,304 target population.

The City of Mati comes in second while Manay town has the least with 61.8% of its target population still unvaccinated.

The target population to be vaccinated in the entire Davao Oriental is

estaurants in Davao City are still accepting unvaccinated diners but may soon issue the ban.

sok. And I understand, and I support itong mga restaurants and all na delikado sa contamination sa public.

You have my support. Huwag mo silang pakainin,” the President added.

Business establishments like restaurants in Davao City are now accepting more diners as the city is now placed under alert level 2.

Schlosser said each establishment even though the city has issued guidelines, restaurants can set their guidelines whatever is necessary for them to be able to protect their employees and clients.

425,494 with with 71,980 having received their 1st dose and 149,405 having been fully vaccinated.

Come Bayanihan Bakunahan, the province aims to vaccinate 96,744 individuals during the 3-day activity with a little over 27,000 from Mati City.

Mati reaches 62% of target population for vaccination A

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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A street vendor braves the heat of the sun as he peddles cell phone casings and other accessory items along Chavez Street in Davao City on Wednesday. Edge Davao

Korean bizmen, tourists poised to return to PH amid new normal K orean Chamber of Commerce Philippines (KCCP) president Hoik Lee on Tuesday confirmed that businessmen and tourists from South Korea are expected to return to the Philippines under the new normal.

“But now that we have the vaccine, business will go back to normal and (the) economy will be recovering very soon, and it is time to prepare after the pandemic. We need to prepare, (the) Philippines need to prepare for the new normal economy,” Lee said in a virtual investment forum.

Lee said with around 88,000 work visa holders

from South Korea, about 22,000 to 24,000 are left here in the Philippines since the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) outbreak.

“Many Korean businesses and tourists will be back to the Philippines again,” he added.

But to attract more Korean investors in the country, the KCCP executive urged the government to

pass legislations that could ease restrictions on foreign ownership.

These bills include Retail Trade Liberalization Act, Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act. “When I talk to Korean investors about the image of the Philippines, most of them told me that the image of the country is the country of 60-40. Everything is 60-40,” Lee said.

Lee was pertaining to the 60-40 rule on ownership in the country, wherein foreigners are only allowed to own up to 40 percent of business here.

“But think about oth-

er countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, (and) Thailand, there’s no limitation about this,” he added.

On the other hand, foreign companies are allowed to hold 100 percent ownership as long as they invest in economic zones like the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

PEZA director general Charito Plaza said locating in ecozones also assures investors access to low-cost and high-quality power supply, which is critical in businesses’ day-to-day operations.

(PNA)

derserved and unserved lower-income Filipino families feel safe and empowered in accessing financial services,” he added.

Diokno said regulators have teamed up with the Bankers Institute of the Philippines and the Bank Marketing Association of the Philippines, among others, to conduct capacity building sessions for bank employees and executives.

He said ensuring the banking public’s trust and confidence in the sector is “a fundamental aspect of

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Mindanao coops get P160-M farm machinery from RCEF

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armers and stakeholders have been slowly reaping the benefits under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

Recently, the Department of Agriculture- Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) turned over some PHP159.5 million worth of farm machinery to members of farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) in Agusan del Norte

and Zamboanga Sibugay.

On Tuesday, a total of PHP81.4 million worth of machinery grants were distributed to 25 qualified FCAs in the province of Agusan Del Norte during the machinery turnover held in Butuan City.

The DA said some 2,750 farmer-members will benefit from the distributed machines which were procured under this year’s RCEF. Around 5,460 farmer

on investment opportunities in the Philippines as the Philippines-Korea FTA will enter into force in 2022.

“As early as now, we would like to encourage the Korean companies to explore opportunities in the Philippines, so by the time that the FTA will be effective, they will immediately benefit from all the features that the FTA can offer,” Dinsay said.

He added Korean firms may look into investing in manufacturing of vehicle parts and semiconductors,

food processing and food production, renewable energy, smart cities, real estate, software and game development, and tourism.

“In fact, we are working with one company right now for a possible establishment of (a) food-related facility in the country somewhere in Mindanao,” he said.

Just last month, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and his Korean counterpart Minister Yeo Han-Koo concluded talks on the Philip-

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Customer centricity for accessing SoKor firms told to position biz financial services being pushed in PH ahead of PH-Korea FTA

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angko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno has urged financial services sector advocates to further push for a customer centricity campaign (C3) to ensure that all Filipinos will be confident in accessing financial services.

“As leaders in the banking, insurance, capital markets, securities, and fintech industries, we recognize your role and influence in advocating the importance of developing a customer-centric culture in your industry,” Diokno said in his

speech during the second day of the five-day virtual FinEd Expo 2021 on Tuesday.

He said the central bank has teamed up the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Insurance Commission, and the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as banking industry groups to push for the consumer centricity agenda.

“Customer centricity is a culture that seeks to foster positive, satisfying customer experiences. It helps ensure that the un-

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ompanies from South Korea are urged to explore investment opportunities in the Philippines as Manila and Seoul are expected to implement their free trade agreement (FTA) early next year.

In a virtual investment forum of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) with Korean firms Tuesday, Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Seoul commercial counselor Jose Ma. Dinsay said his office has received inquiries from Korean firms

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Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Carlos Dominguez III thumbs down the proposed measure seeking to impose tax on the wealthiest individuals in the country, warning that it would scare away investors and encourage tax avoidance schemes. Presidential Photo

NorMin rice yie ld to improve with P1.8-B irrigation project DOF chief bucks proposed ‘super rich tax,’ warns of capital flight

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inance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is thumbing down the proposed measure seeking to impose tax on the wealthiest individuals in the country, warning that it would scare away investors and encourage tax avoidance schemes.

In a statement, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Dominguez III wrote a letter to Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco saying that the proposed House Bill (HB) No. 10253 would defeat its purpose of generating more revenues.

The HB 10253 seeks to mandate the collection of individual wealth taxes of 1% to 3% from billionaires with taxable assets of P1 billion or more.

Under the bill, the tax shall be computed based on and at the rates established in the tax schedule that would become effective January 1, 2022 onwards: Wealth Above P1 billion - 1% Wealth Above P2 billion - 2% Wealth Above P3 billion - 3% “There is a risk of capital flight if the wealth tax is

passed in the Philippines.

Currently, only four countries continue to implement the wealth tax—Belgium, Norway, Spain, and Switzerland. Many countries that had wealth taxes before ended up repealing the said measures particularly because of the increased capital mobility and access to tax havens in other countries,” Dominguez said in his letter to Velasco.

The Finance chief said he acknowledges the intent of the measure to improve the progressivity of the country’s taxation and generate more revenues for medical assistance and social programs, especially at this time of pandemic.

However, he cannot support the bill because it would likely scare away investors.

Dominguez noted that the bill is not consistent with the current thrust of the administration to attract more investments in the country, as evidenced in the passage of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law, which reduced the corporate income

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ice production in Northern Mindanao is expected to improve after the PHP1.8-billion irrigation projects were turned over to their organizations during ceremonies here on Tuesday.

The turnover ceremony was at the conference room of the Chali Beach Resort in Barangay Cugman.

Dimatimpos Tomarompong, the president of the Lindongan Farmers Irrigators Association (FIA),

Inc. from Tangkal, Lanao del Sur, said in his speech with the irrigation projects of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA), he hopes that local farmers can better contribute to the country’s food security with less dependence on imports.

“Let us bring back the liveliness of our farmers so that we can give back to the country instead of importing from other foreign countries,” he said in the vernacular.

Tomarompong said he appreciated the efforts made by the NIA’s local management office to supervise the irrigation projects in their area all year round.

Aiding the economy by boosting agricultural production throughout the

region, the NIA-10 (Norther Mindanao) turned over 51 projects to three irrigation management offices (IMOs) with the PHP1.8 billion project allocation.

A breakdown of the total allocation included the Bukidnon IMO with a total of PHP1.4 billion for its 29 projects; Lanao del Norte-Misamis Occidental-Misamis Oriental-Camiguin (LAMISCA) IMO with PHP326 million for its 19 projects; and Lanao del Sur

The private sector has been active in buying coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines since last year to help the government in its vaccination efforts.

“We fully understand the need to prioritize certain sectors when vaccines are scarce, but the government has announced that its stockpile of vaccines has now reached close to 60 million and continues to increase as the vaccines are arriving faster than

they can be dispensed,” the groups said.

They said the country no longer has a vaccine shortage and now has a large inventory, thus the vaccines that they have purchased could now be used as booster shots for their employees and dependents.

The private groups have also recognized that the high vaccination rate in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, and the increasing inoculation rate across

the country has resulted in a dramatic decline in cases after the surge due to threats of Delta variant last August.

The boost in vaccination drive has also allowed the safe reopening of the economy.

“But studies show that Covid vaccine efficacy wanes beyond six months and without boosters, we increase the risk of another surge which could again shut down the economy,”

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Private sector urges gov’t to allow vaccine orders as booster dose

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ome 26 groups from the private sector are appealing to the government to allow them to use the vaccines they purchased to be given as booster shots for their employees and household members.

In a joint statement Tuesday, the private sector said “vaccines are arriving faster than they can be dispensed” and the private sector cannot take the risk of having their purchased vaccines expire and go to waste.

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

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On the possible spike of Covid-19 cases among minors if parents continue to be lenient in bringing their kids outside of their homes.

As of the moment wala pa ta’y datus ana but it can happen.

It can happen na puwede mainfect ang mga bata kung magpadayon ang pagka lenient sa mga parents labi na sa mga minors na 11 years old pababa.”

Dr. Michelle Schlosser

Spokesperson of Davao City Covid-19 Task Force

EDITORIAL Safety first Unvaccinated individuals should not complain if they are treated differently from the vaccinated ones. It’s their choice to make, it’s the consequence they face.

As we slowly open up businesses and places of convergence, it becomes apparent that the rule on customer safety and security from infection be treated as priority concern. Hence, it is academic that establishments allow only the vaccinated to enter its premises.

Nothing personal against individuals who remain unvaccinated by choice or circumstances, but with

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This leads us to the question of whether or not the unvaccinated should be denied entry to restaurants or places of convergence as a legal and moral question.

The risks of spreading the virus is high where people who have not been vaccinated yet are allowed to be in the same room with those who had their shots.

Again, it is a matter of choice.

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

the demands of safety, there is no compromise for one’s health.

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)

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VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

SAVE OUR WATERSHEDS Davao City, the country’s biggest urbanite in terms of land area, is booming despite the ongoing pandemic. Construction of several establishments is sprouting just like mushrooms.

As the economy is booming, so is the population. From 124,034 people in 1950, Davao City is now home to almost two million – 1,886,401 to be exact, according to the World Population Review.

Booming economy and population explosion are enough to make the water demand to skyrocket. The sad news is: Davao City is running out of water.

The Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), an environmental group, estimates that by 2025, the city will experience a deficit of 69 million cubic meters (45% of the demand).

“This will likely happen considering the growing population and economic activities in the city,” IDIS warns. A person needs 4-5 gallons of water per day to survive, the United Nations Environment Program reminds.

It must be recalled that Davao was one of the cities that was identified as one of the nine major cities as “water critical areas” in a study done by the Japan

International Cooperation Agency (JICA). These eight others were Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao, Baguio, Angeles, Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

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

Contributing to the forthcoming water crisis is the destruction of the city’s watersheds. There are eight of them, including the Talomo-Lipadas watershed located in Toril District. “These watersheds are natural reservoirs for the pristine potable water that has been certified as one of the world’s cleanest drinking water,” IDIS says.

The sad thing is that these watersheds are facing some threats like rampant quarrying, wastes from livestock and poultry farms, and leachate, according to Lemuel Lloyd Manalo IDIS environmental research specialist.

The Talomo-Lipadas watershed – the city’s current source

of drinking water – “continues to face threats of increasing livestock and poultry farms along its vicinity” EDGE Davao roving reporter Maya Padillo reported quoting Manalo.

Barangays traversed by the Davao River Basin – Mandug, Dalagdag, Callawa and Lampianao – “are the most dredged and extracted without replenishment intervals and threshold assessment due to illegal quarrying.”

The Matina Pangi watershed – which has 18 barangays – is not spared from environmental woes. It is “facing threats to leachate and effluents from the sanitary landfill in New Carmen (Davao del Norte) that pollutes the river quality,” Padillo wrote.

But the biggest threat still comes deforestation. In 2010, Davao City had 88,200 hectares, extending over 65% of its land area. In 2020, it lost 398 hectares of natural forest cover, the Global Forest Watch reported.

“Banana and pineapple plantations have assaulted the slopes of Davao City’s mountains, cutting down trees and converting forest land into monocrop plantations,” IDIS deplores. “Their non-compliance of a 50-meter buffer zone has re-

sulted in further soil erosion and flooding in the lowlands.”

Not only that. “Rampant use of pesticides through aerial or boom spraying has also further heightened the risk of contaminating local aquifers and water tables,” IDIS adds.

But it seems only very few are listening to the warning. The only time people complain is when there is no running water in their faucet. What they don’t know is that the water crisis is related to the destruction of watersheds, those areas of land that drain rainwater into one location such as a stream, lake or wetland – and all the underlying groundwater.

Larger watersheds contain many smaller watersheds. It all depends on the outflow point; all of the land that drains water to the outflow point is the watershed for all that outflow location.

Watersheds constitute about 75% of the total land area of the country. Our country has a total of 119 proclaimed and 154 priority watersheds with a total land area of 1,376,455.10 hectares and 11,690,695.00 hectares, respectively.

“The areas of proclaimed watersheds range from 20 to

180,460 hectares while the area of priority watersheds range from 365 to 837,149 hectares,” said Leila C. America, a research specialist of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

“Watersheds provide vital resources, which include soil, water, forest range, wildlife, and minerals. Water is a key watershed resource that can be used for power generation, agriculture, industry, domestic, drinking and others,” America said.

There lies the reason why we need to protect and save our watersheds.

Many of our watersheds, however, have been devoid of their forest cover. “As a result, accelerated soil erosion, flash flooding, and drought have become more prevalent causing much destruction,” America said.

Thus, one of the culprits why the city proper is almost always flooded when there’s heavy rain is because of the denudation of the watershed areas in the upper portion of the city.

Now, remember the words of the late Environment Secretary Paz L. Lopez? “A watershed is a watershed is a watershed,” she said.

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

RISE OF A HISTORICAL INSTITUTE Appreciating History per se has almost always been an exclsuive interest in academia. In Davao region, except for some leading Davao institutions, the only other strong historical interest comes from journalists (print, broadcast, and online) who have embraced the significance that the past to the present and, likely, the future.

Recently, an important development has sprung up. Holy Cross of Davao College, the only school to offer AB History today as a degree, has commenced building an in-stitute to specifically focus research on Davao, with strong emphasis on Church history in the region.

Unlike other academic institutions dealing on multi-disciplinary engagements, the Institute of Davao Studies (IDS) has an initial 21-point agenda that hopes to ignite and revive

dynamic interest in the value of History in understanding past events. Among the objectives are: To develop the institute into a center of ecclesial re-search, mainly focused on Catholicism and Christianity, become repository of indigenous dictionaries, and devel-oped into a library of history books authored by local and non-Davao writers. It also envisions to create a mini-archive cum museum that brings together newly collected historical artifacts.

As a research hub, IDS intends to print in book form original research works contributed to or done by the in-stitute, conduct quarterly lecture series on local History with experts as resource speakers, stock up on a definitive encyclopedia of biographies of persons and institutions of Davao, and publish a compre-

hensive almanac titled ‘To-day in Davao’s History’.

Moreover, it aims to conduct weekly campus displays aimed at generating student interest on History, institu-tionalizing links with local government units in the prepa-ration of their own town histories, organizing an historical association or society with exclusive student membership, creating scholarship opportunities in accord with LGUs, corporations, and foundations, holding monthly campus lectures for students to boost and inspire awareness in History and promoting a heritage walk with the HCDC as historical vortex.

On the side, it plans to transform the entire HCDC campus into a corridor of historical displays and exhibits, promote History as a subject of masteral and doctoral dis-sertations, engage the LGUs in using the insti-

tute as part-ner in tourism and history lectures, and create an archive of oral history generated from interviews made with the involvement of important personages.

Moreover, the IDS also plans to establish a professional History chair through corporate sponsors, promote histor-ical academic linkages with various campuses in Davao Region, and launch an institute-led school and annual in-ter-school historical quiz.

Opening the IDS answers an otherwise neglected fact that local history, which provides the brass tacks that shape the development of national history, has always been an inferior field of study. Instead of depending sole-ly on wiseacres who formulate their own understanding on how settlements are organized, a more systematic ap-proach will

afford towns, cities, and provinces clearer ap-preciation of the events that have shaped its growth.

A least appreciated aspect of the IDS thrust is the effort it will invest in introducing historical awareness in local government units which, hopefully, will result with towns opening their own public libraries that double as archive, museum, reading center, and depository of rec-ords donated by well-known and important individuals, families and institutions.

Unlike in other countries, local history research outside the academia has been not zealously pursued under the aegis of public and private institutions. In fact, there is a dearth of documents available to researchers that has made historical study more difficult and at times discour-aging.

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EVENT

FOUR SEASONS OF CELEBRATIONS AT THE WATERFRONT DAVAO TIME passes by fast, so fast that it feels like it was just recently when we celebrated Christmas virtually on our computer or smartphone.

While last year’s celebrations were more somber due to many uncertainties, this year’s Christmas launches seem to be filled with hopes, with happiness and joy.

With restrictions down, it’s time for real festivity.

Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao celebrated its Christmas Tree Lighting festivity with a simple but heartwarming ceremony last November 14, 2021. Most of the party were held online, airing its yearly tradition live on Facebook and allowing more people to join the celebration.

With the theme “Four Seasons of Christmas at the Waterfront”, the lavish styling of Davao’s most iconic hotel was made possible through the creativity of four of

Davao City’s top event stylists namely, Noel Tanza of Golden Touch, Wendell Gartes of Floral Pink Designs, Million Jesus Lumbay Jr. of Pachadas Event Styling and Veejay Salonga of Decoratives by Jannah and Hers. Each stylist was assigned one season and freely interpreted the theme.

Far from the usual, single gigantic tree displayed at the lobby, the hotel opted to welcome the most wonderful time of the year with four smaller trees, glittering lights, vibrant hues and festive decor inspired by the seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall.

During the night, Waterfront Davao also launched its timely campaign, “Momentous Events: Celebrate Re-

sponsibly.” The hotel teamed up with some of Davao’s top events suppliers in championing one cause -- to encourage everyone to craft safe yet memorable celebrations by following the mandated health and safety guidelines.

The campaign was also supported by Davao City Tourism Office OIC Generose Tecson.

Staying true to Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao’s tradition of sharing and caring during the Christmas season, Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao’s OIC for hotel operations, Ms. Jennifer Ricardo Romero, thanked everyone’s support and announced that the hotel will once again partner with the House of Hope Foundation for cancer-stricken kids by launching a room promo where part of the proceeds from each room stay for the whole month of December will go towards the foundation.

Congratulations to the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao on a fabulous launch and sharing the message of hope, that light is indeed forthcoming at the end of the tunnel, and that we can see better times ahead.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Gifts of Beauty

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ive yourself and your loved ones with a gift of beauty from SM. With things opening up as Christmas approaches, it’s a good time to look good and feel great with gift sets from SM Beauty.

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A bounty of beauty from Estee Lauder: Gentle Eye Make-Up Remover, Pure Color Envy palettes, and lipsticks. sor called it a leap of faith when she decided to open The Hive in October 2019 at the age of 24. Unfortunately, the pandemic hampered her operations, and she was soon having trouble financing her business and was thinking of closing down.

It wasn’t until someone recommended Foodpanda- and with the help of the app, Bulakenyos have since become familiar with her brand. From there she has since expanded operations to three outlets with one location in Bacoor, Cavite.

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Bite-sized Convenience: Foodpanda Helps Entrepreneurs Grow their Food Business are aware that we exist, because of Foodpanda,” she shares.

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Dimsum Break The food brand was founded to serve a need for late-night Cebuano mallers who would go to watch movies or play at a bowling alley. Harbour City Dimsum House Co., Inc. (which already operated Ding How, Ding Qua Qua, and Harbour City at the time) came up with another dim sum restaurant brand with a fast-food idea as a solution. It was appropriately named Dimsum Break, a nod to the actual bowling term and the act of “taking a break,”, and of

course- dim sum, for the kind of food they serve.

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kasi again these are kids na wala’y added layer of protection. Wala sila’y bakuna.

They can be very vulnerable sa pag-abot sa panahon. Katong mga parents na naa’y 11 years old pababa kung dili lang man gyud essential ang pagpagawas sa inyong mga anak, ayaw na lang sa ninyo ipagawas. Kung igawas man ninyo, i-make sure na protektado sila by following the minimum public health standards. Pero hunahunaon ninyo ang mga infants, those are kids na dili

nimo matagaan ug responsibilidad na mag mask kanunay,” she added.

It can be recalled that the Davao City Covid-19 task Force was discussing a plan to provide guidelines regulating 11 years old and below from entering malls and all other areas of convergence.

It was also clarified by Schlosser that currently, the city is following the IATF guidelines on alert level 2 that include allowing kids to go out as more activities and establishments will be allowed to operate.

ulated with the second dose or 75.7% of the target to attain “herd immunity.”

New infections in the city have significantly dropped compared with previous months’ data, attributed to the high vaccination rate.

The city has been directed by the national government to achieve the target by December 31 to achieve herd immunity.

But Mayor Sara Duterte told Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR 87.5) on Monday that whether the city could still hit the target by end of this year remains uncertain.

“We can’t say. Let’s not promise. We can’t say that we are truly confident. Let us strive to achieve the demand of our national government to hit the target of 100 percent herd immunity in Davao City,” the mayor said.

As of November 22, the Department of Health (DOH)Davao reported 1 new case in the city, bringing the total cases to 53,716 with 265 active, 51,674 recovered, and 1,777 dead.

For those who received the first dose among priority groups, the city recorded 62,269 for A1 or healthcare workers; 100,634 for A2 or senior citizens; 182,184 for A3

or persons with comorbidities and 2,456 minors aged 12 to 17 belonging to A3; 493,711 for priority A4 or essential workers; 14,210 for the rest of adult population; and 37,049 for the rest of pediatric population.

Essential workers comprised more than half of the city’s fully vaccinated population as of November 19 at 500,120. The city also recorded 93,671 fully vaccinated individuals belonging to priority group A2 or senior citizens, 93,671 A3 or persons with comorbidities, 91,733 A5 or indigent population, 1,024 rest of the adult population, and 70 minors aged 12 to 17 belonging to A3 population.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for COVID-19 Task Force of Davao City, said the government-run Southern Philippines Medical Center has started administering booster shots for healthcare workers while private hospitals, particularly those admitting COVID-19 patients, have also been given the go-signal to rollout booster doses.

She said private hospitals need to arrange their own schedule as the city government will only provide for the supply of vaccines. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

understand the situation in Davao City. I’m here to share, to listen, and see in what way we can work together,” he said.

Fluss was expecting to meet Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and talk about the relationship between Israel and the Philippines and Davao City as well.

He also attended a business forum with the officials and members of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., (DCCCII) and the Tourism Destination Stakeholders/Investor’s Forum.

Included in his itinerary were inspection tours at the Southern Philippines Medical

Center SPMC), TESDA Wangan National Agricultural School, Malagos Garden Resort Chocolate Factory and Cacao Farm, and the Philippine Eagle Foundation facility.

On October 6, 2020, the Honorary Consulate of Israel for Mindanao in Davao City was opened and conferred Jorge Narciso Marquez as Honorary Consul.

“Davao City is important and secondly, the embassy is trying to reach out to the community. We are not only focusing on Manila but Cebu and Davao also as these places are important to us,” Fluss said. By Maya M. Padillo

tax (CIT) to bring in more foreign capital, encourage innovation and expansion of domestic enterprises, and generate more jobs.

The proposed wealth tax will also discourage businesses from undertaking less profitable and riskier ventures that are beneficial to the public, Dominguez claimed.

“Even when they generate low or even negative profits during the start of their operations, they will still be subject to tax liabilities because of the high capital value of their assets,” he said.

The Finance chief said that a study in Germany suggests that wealth taxes can have a

significant adverse impact on economic activity by stunting economic growth, investment, and employment.

He said that wealth taxes reduce income from wealth and savings, so potential taxpayers will tend to invest or save less.

The tax reforms pursued by the Duterte administration, such as the now-enacted Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, as well as the proposed real property valuation and assessment reform and the proposed Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA) are already addressing the inequities in the

the groups added.

The government has now allowed booster shots to priority groups A1 to A3, or the

health workers, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities. (PNA)

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system, Dominguez said.

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pay. You know, if you happen to be in a place where there are some public works going on, you do not want to be criticized as one na inuuna mo yung iyo, yung iba huli na lang (that prioritizing your own over the others),” Duterte said.

The Davao International Airport has a single 3,000-meter precision runway mainly serving passengers from the entire Davao region.

It is currently serving seven airlines and is handling around 3 to 4 million passengers annually.

“Baka ang sunod na pres-

idente maawa sa atin, bigyan tayo ng bagong airport. ‘Wag masyado ninyong dibdibin kasi that’s part of a human trait na may iba may gustong unahin. Yung iba naman ipahuli kasi gustong unahin yun iba (Maybe the next president will be pity on us and will give us a new airport. Don’t worry too much because that’s part of a human trait that some people wanted to be prioritized. Some want to prioritize others),” Duterte said.

Duterte believes that the next administration will also make some improvements in his hometown. (PNA)

lang pud nila sa Messenger (This is a big advantage to our fellow Dabawenyos and more convenient because they can do the transaction in their houses or in the hospitals or anywhere as long as they have complete documents. They can also upload their documents on their cellphones and send this through messenger),” Plarisan said This online service is applicable for all types of Lingap assistance applications including hospital bills, funeral bills, dialysis treatment, medical and laboratory procedures, maintenance medication assistance, allotment assistance

for prosthetics sensory and visual aids, and subsidies for reconstructive surgery for those with an orofacial cleft.

Eliza Dali-on, 57 years old, resident of Calinan District and a Lingap beneficiary said that she is thankful for the online Lingap for faster processing of the papers.

“Karon dako kaayo ko’g pasalamat kay naa nay online nga Lingap kay mas madali na ang pag-process sa mga papel (I am really thankful for this online Lingap because I can easily process the documents),” she said.

Applicants may also call 233-4961 for Lingap assistance. CIO

Mati IMT commander Dr. Ben Hur Catbagan Jr. meanwhile congratulated the people of Mati along with all purok and barangay leaders, the barangay health emergency response teams, the vaccination teams, the Department of Education and the Davao Oriental State University and the business sector for their utmost cooperation in the aggressive vaccination campaign launched by the Mati IMT since the start of November.

Catbagan continually urged the public to avail of the free vaccination against Covid-19 for the City of Mati to achieve herd immunity and return to normalcy.

Mati IMT hopes to

achieve Alert Level 1 status

by December so that more businesses would open and more people would come out and enjoy the incoming holiday.

Under Alert Level 1 status, establishments can increase their seating capacity from 50-70% to as much as 100%.

Authorities however reminded the public that despite the easing of restrictions, the observance of the minimum public health standards like the washing of hands, wearing of face mask, physical distancing, and avoidance of mass gathering will still be strictly implemented and observed at all times. (CIO MATI)

pines-Korea FTA. Both parties target to sign the deal before February 2022.

PEZA deputy director general Tereso Panga has encouraged Korean investors eyeing to establish their businesses in the Philippines to locate inside PEZA economic zones to enjoy full ownership of their operation.

Panga also cited the in-

centives under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Law when investing in PEZA and other investment promotion agencies in the country.

Under the CREATE Law, companies can enjoy an income tax holiday (ITH) of four to seven years and special corporate income tax or enhanced deductions for five years. (PNA)

a digitally inclusive financial

economy.”

“A responsive, responsible, and customer-centric culture

across the financial services industry begins with making customer centricity a top priority,” he added. (PNA)

IMO for three projects with a PHP54 million project allocation.

Abdullah Abdulkahar, President Tongantongan Farmers Association in Madalum, Lanao del Sur, said the irrigation projects were a great help especially in their locality where his fellow farmers had problems with water supply every planting season.

He also said the NIA provided additional training and seminar to the organization’s members which were able to provide updated techniques in farming.

Cleto Mediante, president of Kalabugao Farmers in Impasugong, Bukidnon, also said the projects could alleviate poverty and hunger.

He said the irrigation project in their community is also part of the development program by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

Meanwhile, NIA Deputy Administrator for Engineering and Operations Czar Sulaik stressed the need to speed up the projects to boost production and ensure food security in the region. (PNA)

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to compete.”

Zamboanga, who is the ONE atomweight division’s #1-ranked contender, is looking forward to a fruitful 2022.

Reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee is expected to make her long-awaited return to the Circle next year, and a highly-sought Lee vs. Zamboanga bout could be in the cards.

Meanwhile, ONE Championship returns with ONE: NextGen III, a previously-recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium which broadcasts via tape delay this Friday, 26 November. In the main event, #5-ranked strawweight contender Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang of the Philippines takes on promotional newcomer Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks of the United States.

ties,” Tolentino said. “A bountiful career is now in peril.”

Obiena, together with his legendary Ukranian coach Vitaly Petrov, sought a retraction and public apology from the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) after the federation accused Obiena of falsifying liquidation documents on his coach’s salaries and that he be made to answer the accusation.

Obiena, 25, competed in the Tokyo Olympics and holds the Asian record in the sport.

He is now ranked No. 5 in the world.

“Needless to say, we, Filipinos, will be deprived of two gold medals in the Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in 2022 and in Cambodia 2023, not to mention another one in the Asian Games also next year and most importantly, a representation in the Paris Olympics come 2024, due to the fiasco in the

leadership of his organization,” Tolentino said. “We could have easily propagated this achievement to the youth by proper guidance and genuine attitude.”

The Obiena-PATAFA mess did not escape the Senate’s attention and late Monday evening, senators recalled the 2023 budget of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) after expressing dismay over the agency’s apparent hands-off stance from the controversial rift.

The POC’s Ethics Committee will investigate the controversy.

“We in the POC will be steadfast and for the sake of Olympism and impartiality, will go into the details and investigate the matter,” Tolentino said The POC statement was read in the Senate on Tuesday

by Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino. (PR)

Thompson said for now, he plays in four-minute bursts and will increase that volume to five minutes, then six and seven over the coming weeks — and “hopefully in a month I’m playing 12-minute quarters and that’s when I’m approaching game play.”

The patience will be worth it, Thompson knows, for him to return to top form.

“I don’t want to come back and be a shell of myself, I want to come back like I was last time I was playing, and I was one of the best players in the world,” Thompson said.

The 31-year-old Thompson didn’t play at all during the coronavirus-shortened season as he worked back from knee surgery in July 2019 after he was hurt in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.

Then in November 2020, he injured the Achilles tendon

playing in a pickup game in Southern California.

Now, he insists, “it’s championship or bust” for the 15-2 Warriors.

“And I’m not even out there yet, think about that, really think about that,” he said, emphatically putting his left hand to the podium to make his point.

“I’m more motivated than ever as well. I want a championship so bad, more than anything.”

Kerr realizes how much it means to Thompson, saying, “Klay is just so happy to be out there playing and competing.”

“It’s truly a blessing and it makes coming to work so easy.

The boring stuff’s behind me,” Thompson said, “Now I’m just getting back in game shape.

It’s really exciting and I’ve got to stay patient because I can be an over eager person to get out there and play. But I’m just incredibly grateful to be out there.”

members who belong to 35 qualified FCAs in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay also received PHP78.1 worth of machinery grants under the RCEF Mechanization Program in early November.

A total of 50 units of agri-machinery were distributed including Four-Wheel Tractor, Hand Tractor, Floating Tiller, PTO-Driven Disc Plow/Harrow, Walk-behind Rice Transplanter, Riding Type Rice Transplanter, Rice Combine Harvester, Rice Threshers, Recirculating Dryer, Single Pass Rice Mill, MultiStage Rice Mill, and Impeller Rice Mill.

The distribution covers the 12 rice-producing municipalities of the province which includes Diplahan, Buug, Ipil, Siay, Roseller T. Lim, Tungawan, Alicia, Payao, Imelda, Malangas,Kabasalan, and Titay.

According to DA-PhilMech, around 1,200 to 1,600 farm machinery will be distributed to FCAs every year.

The FCAs with good performance can be selected again for the distribution of their lacking farm machinery.

The allocation of machinery is based on the urgency and needs of the FCAs. The DA also prioritizes provinces and municipalities that are considered rice-producing based on the Philippine Rice Industry Road Map. They are also considering FCAs that are lacking with farm machinery.

The goal of the RCEF Mechanization Program is to reduce the cost of rice production from PHP2 - PHP3 per kilogram through the use of accurate, effective, and complete set of machinery to reduce postharvest losses by 3-5 percent through the use of appropriate and efficient postharvest machinery.

The program is part of the annual PHP10-billion RCEF created under the Rice Tariffication Law to enhance the competitiveness of Filipino rice farmers in a liberalized rice industry. The other three RCEF components, with their corresponding budget for six years that started in 2019, include seeds distribution (PHP3 billion), credit (PHP1 billion), and extension and training (PHP1 billion). (PNA)

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Denice Zamboanga will soon be home to the Philippines.

Denice, Drex Zamboanga home for the first time after pandemic POC deeply regrets F EJ-PATAFA mess

T

he Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on Tuesday expressed deep regret over Ernest John “EJ” Obiena’s predicament in his own federation and vowed to look into the issue that has put the Olympian pole vaulter in an ugly situation.

“We are in deepest regret to realize that one of our Olympians, multi-medalist and great inspiration Ernest John Obiena of athletics, to be

involved in this squabble with his home federation,” POC president Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said.

Tolentino said Obiena’s declaration to retire at this stage of his globally budding career would be a great loss for Philippine Sports.

“I am very disappointed. They could have handled the situation internally absent of any misfires from both par-

FPOC, P10

ilipina ONE Championship atomweight Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga is finally coming home to the Philippines.

Zamboanga flew to Thailand before the COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020, and decided to remain there with older brother Drex and their friend Fritz Biagtan to make sure her training went uninterrupted. She has not been on Philippine soil since.

Now, after nearly two years of being based overseas, Zamboanga is coming home to celebrate the Christmas holidays with family.

“Actually, I’m going home on December 1st.

Klay eyes title run with Warriors

S

AN FRANCISCO — In due time, Klay Thompson is counting on more 37-point quarters and other scoring outbursts from himself, like the time he made 14 3-pointers in a game.

Not that the Golden State Warriors star is “a numbers guy” the way he used to be, before a pair of devastating injuries.

“I plan on doing that again, but who knows when? It’s tough to say,” Thompson said.

He has resumed five-onfive, full-court scrimmaging in a key step as he makes his comeback from surgery last November for a torn

right Achilles tendon following a season sidelined after having the ACL in his left knee repaired.

“It’s hard to put into words how grateful I am to be playing basketball again,” Thompson said after practicing at full speed Tuesday. “I feel like myself.

I feel great. I’m knocking shots down, I’m playing great D ... I’m playing defense. The hardest part is just simulating a game and that conditioning that goes with being a great NBA player. It’s hard, and it’s definitely a thing that takes time.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team will

have a better idea in a few weeks as to when Thompson might be ready to play again, and Stephen Curry’s Splash Brother is still hopeful that will be in the season’s first half. He realizes there will be a minutes restriction initially.

“He’s in a great frame of mind,” Kerr said. “The biggest thing is he hasn’t played in 2 1/2 years. While the Achilles is structurally sound, everything is strong, there’s been on ill effects, it’s just a matter of building his strength and endurance, especially the endurance part. It just takes time, it takes a while.”

FKLAY, P10

I’ll be home in December.

All three of us, kuya Drex, Fritz [Biagtan], we’ll be flying back to the Philippines to spend Christmas there. I think it’s time,” Zamboanga told ONE Championship in a recent interview.

“I just want to reset and re-energize myself.

It’s been so long and I miss my family back home. I miss my mom’s home-cooked meals, all the street food, and all my friends. My older sister is going home too, so it’s going to be a family re-

union.”

During her time in Thailand, Zamboanga trained with Thai atomweight sensation and close friendStamp Fairtex at the Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya, before switching gym affiliations and moving to Bangkok to train at Marrok Force.

“Lycan Queen” also figured in three exciting martial arts contests, notching victories against veteran Mei Yamaguchi and Thai local Watsapinya Kaewkhong, however most recently falling to South Korean Seo Hee Ham via controversial split decision.

Zamboanga also revealed that she was scheduled to fight one

Klay Thompson is hoping to reach top form soon.

more time in December, but believes her wouldbe opponent declined the showdown.

“Actually I was offered a fight against Alyona Rassohyna on the December 3 card. I agreed to that fight and was getting ready for it, even if I only had a couple of weeks to really prepare for it,” Zamboanga said.

“Honestly, I just wanted to fight again, so that I could get another one in before Christmas. Another win would have been great. But I think Rassohyna turned the fight down. I’m fully recovered from the injuries I incurred during the Seo Hee Ham fight, so I’m cleared

FDENICE, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 216 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021

SHINING SILVER Skye Dionela with partner Ariel Rey Betonio receiving their silver medals for Intermediate level. Awarded by Power Shuttlers admin Francis Chang and Brian Sabial. (Masks were removed for photo op).

Dionela-Betonio pair wins silver in Panabo badminton tourney

P

ower Shuttlers Badminton Group celebrated its 8th year anniversary last November 21, 2021 with a mini tournament at JB Smashville in nearby Panabo City.

Badminton doubles Level F, Level G and intermediate pairs contested for gold, silver and bronze medals.

To assure safety, participants are all fully vaccinated.

Masks were also made mandatory.

Skye Dionela partnered with Ariel Rey Betonio to pocket the silver medal for Intermediate level. The medals were awarded by Power Shuttlers admin Francis Chang and Brian Sabial.

Koy Jadan And Abe Silva

emerged champions in the division.

Denver Birches and Marc Rojas won the Men’s G title, Maxwel Cabreros and Sherwin Sagun finished 1st Runner Up with Arnold Acosta and Patrick Salado winding up 2nd Runner Up. Joemar Libertad and Vince Diez won Men’s F title over Von Apostol and Michael Layson who finished 1st Runner Up, Arnold Acosta and Marc Alicando, 2nd Runner Up and Jiku Tabugon and Ogie Pardillo third runner-up.