Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 261 | Tuesday, January 25, 2022

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

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HOUSE LOCKDOWN 822 houses in Davao City placed under lockdown

STORY ON PAGE 2

Healthcare workers administer swab tests at Sta. Ana Health Center in Davao City.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio bared on Monday that based on a local Task Force Covid-19 doctor’s forecast, the Covid-19 surge in Davao City will last until mid-March 2022. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

Bicycle enthusiasts and children living near Bolton Bridge make the close portion of the bridge as their cycling place and playground every afternoon. Edge Davao

HOUSE LOCKDOWN T

DepEd urges personnel, learners to participate in vaccination drive

822 houses in Davao City placed under lockdown

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ome 822 houses in Davao City have been placed under lockdown, the highest number so far since the city government of Davao started implementing house lockdown last year due to high cases of Covid-19.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Monday apart from the 822 houses, one building and one compound were also placed under lockdown due to Covid-19.

Last year, the city government of Davao has imposed a hard lockdown on the entire barangay and street because of the increasing number of persons infected by the virus.

The lockdown was intended to stop the spread of the virus.

However, this year no street or barangay lockdown is being implemented despite there being barangays currently classified as critical or high risk due to high cases of Covid-19.

“Dugay nata wala ga street lockdown and barangay lockdown,” the mayor said.

On Monday, the city government of Davao has released the list of the 74 barangays in Davao City classified as critical risk

barangays for Covid-19 from January 24, 2022 to January 29, 2022.

Meanwhile, Mayor Sara cited factors wherein the city government of Davao faces challenges in battling Covid-19.

The mayor said as testing in the city is still limited to the whole of Davao City because the city relies on the memory and the honesty of the patients.

“Duna ta’y DQR pero dili man consistent ang paggamit sa atong record and ang uban Mmakita nimo empty ang ilahang record,” she said.

The mayor also said that on treatment, hos-

he bigger challenge in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is how to sustain the momentum of the peace process and let its gains be felt by every Bangsamoro people during the extended transition period until June 30, 2025, interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim said.

Addressing the region’s

third founding anniversary on Friday, January 21, in Cotabato City, Ebrahim, still popularly known by his nom de guerre in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, highlighted the major achievements of the different BARMM agencies, saying the “spirit of that momentous event three years ago still lives on today.”

Ebrahim, who continues to chair the MILF which is also transitioning from an armed group to a social movement, stressed the need to continue uplifting the plight of the Bangsamoro people, especially during the extended transition period, “in honor of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the Bangsamoro struggle.”

“Let us not take things

pitals in the city already announced that they reached the full capacity of their Covid-19 beds and the health care workers who have already been infected with Covid-19.

In terms of quarantining and isolation, Mayor Sara said Davao City is quite flexible because the city already has the home isolation option provided that it follows the criteria of the Department of Health (DOH).

“Kani na surge, kung atong ikompara sa Omicron surge sa NCR wala man tay nakita na mga ingon ato na infected pero daghan na health

for granted. Remember that every peso we spend, and the resources that we use are from the blood, sweat, and tears of the mujahideen and the people who went through so much pain and suffering for the sake of the struggle. We must, by all means, give justice to these sacrifices,” he said.

Ebrahim noted that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the BARMM’s

FHOUSE, P10

he Department of Education (DepEd) has encouraged personnel and learners to participate in the national government’s vaccination drive which has expanded to the pediatric population.

“Vaccination is one of the essential keys towards protecting our communities and our children against the threats of Covid-19. With additional protection for our stakeholders, we can further implement our safe-return-to-schools initiatives while helping our economy recover,” DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones said. “Together with our teachers and learners, DepEd will continue to be a part of our government’s whole-ofnation approach against Covid-19.”

The department has urged its field offices and schools to cooperate with their respective local government units about the

continuous vaccination drive for young children and education front-liners.

Starting the last quarter of 2021, minors aged 12-17 years old have been allowed to receive their coronavirus shots.

Briones also encouraged teachers and non-teaching personnel to take their booster shots once eligible.

“We are reminding our personnel and offices to not wait since local government units are already vaccinating and giving Covid-19 jabs to their constituents,” she said.

Meanwhile, the department said existing arrangements on the use of schools as vaccination sites will be maximized.

Schools that were previously used as vaccination sites are highly encouraged to reopen for pediatric vaccination.

(PR)

interim governing body, is fortunate to have three more years to continue “the very important and crucial transition period.”

Last October 28, President Rodrigo Duterte enacted Republic Act 11593, which reset the first election in the BARMM to May 2025, effectively extending the Bangsamoro transition period from June 30, 2022 to June 30, 2025, when the

first set of elected officials shall have taken their oaths of office.

“Like all of us here in the Bangsamoro, they too want the BARMM to succeed and continue its momentum to sustainable peace and development. Some might think that the additional time rightly afforded to the transition period would mean that we can be com-

BARMM’s Chief Minister: Bigger challenge is how to sustain gains of the peace process T

FBARMM’S, P10

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

3

NO BUILD ZONE. The Department of Enviroment and Natural Resources has placed billboards by the beach all over Siargao Island warning residents not to build houses and other structures within 20 meters (40 meters if the area is considered timberland) from the coastline. This sign was spotted at the municipality of Burgos on Saturday (22 January 2022). MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

Surge of Covid-19 cases to last until mid-March 2022

By MAYA M. PADILLO

M

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that based on a doctor’s forecast, the surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City will last until the middle of March this year.

“One of the doctors said we will be in the surge until mid-March.

Ingon ana. Hopefully not, pero kung forecasting lang ang istoryahan ingon ana,” the mayor said on Monday during the Special Hours with Mayor Inday Sara Duterte through Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).

The mayor shared that Davao City has a total of

6,899 active cases and the number is expected to continue to climb.

“This is our second week of the surge already and ang atoang active cases is 6,899 and it is expected to climb. Layo layo pa gyud ta sa peak ani nga Omicron variant,” the mayor said.

In terms of the utilization rate of Covid-19 facilities, as of January 23,

2022 there are a total of 899 beds available from 2,606 bed capacity of quarantine and isolation facilities.

The city has activated already the home isolation program on January 20, 2022. The mayor said Covid-19 confirmed patients are allowed to home isolate after they are properly assessed based on the criteria set on home isolation by the Department of Health (DOH).

“Ang mga naka-home isolation gihatagan na sila instructions sa atoang mga doctors sa response

cluster sama sa kung ikaw dunay sakit ginapasuot ka ug masks ug uban tao pud ug ikaw dapat naa ka kaugalingon kuwarto ug CR and you can only leave your food outside your door,” Mayor Sara explained.

Mayor Sara said the city government continues with its Prevent, Detect, Isolation, Treat, Reintegration (PDITR) strategy in addressing the surge as well as enforcement and detection which is testing, isolation, and quarantining as well as treatment inside the hospitals.

“Remind ta sa mga

Dabawenyo nga mag-extra careful when going out and make sure to continue to wear masks,” the mayor said.

Meanwhile, based on the Regional Situation Update on Covid-19 in Davao Region as of January 23, 2022, DOH Davao Center for Health Development reported 1,906 new cases of Covid-19 in the region bringing the total number of active cases to 10,877.

Of these 1,906 cases, 1,395 were from Davao City; 81 were from Davao de Oro; 171 from Davao del Norte; 162 from Davao del Sur; 24 from Davao

Occidental; and 73 from Davao Oriental.

There were 301 recoveries reported wherein 252 were from Davao City; 21 from Davao de Oro; 15 from Davao del Norte; and 13 from Davao Oriental while four new death cases were reported wherein three were from Davao City and one from Davao del Norte.

With these cases, the region has 41.9 percent available ICU beds, 43 percent available isolation beds, 38.7 percent available ward beds, and 80.4 percent available mechanical ventilators.

and 40-D; A. Angliongto, Sr., Bago Aplaya, Bago Gallera, Baliok, Bato (Toril), Bucana, Buhangin Proper, Bunawan Proper, Cabantian. Cadalian, Calinan Proper, Catalunan Grande, Catalunan Pequeño, Centro (San Juan, Agdao), Communal, Dacudao (Calinan), Daliao, Dumoy, Gov. Paciano Bangoy, Gov. Vicente Duterte, Ilang, Indangan, Kapt. Tomas Monteverde, Sr. (Agdao), Langub, Lapu-lapu (Agdao), Lasang, Leon Garcia, Sr., Lizada (Toril), Maa, Magtu-

od, Mahayag, Malagos, Mandug, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi, Mintal, Mulig, Pampanga, Panacan, Rafael Castillo, Sasa, Sto. Niño (Tugbok), Tacunan, Talomo Proper, Tibungco, Tigatto, Toril Proper, Tugbok Proper, Ula, and V. Hizon, Sr. High risk barangays are Brgy. 16-B, Talomo River (Calinan), and Tamugan while high risk barangays (in close proximity to critical risk barangays) are Baguio Proper, Bayabas (Toril),

Biao Guianga, Callawa, Carmen (Baguio), Gatungan, Kilate, Lacson (Calinan), Manambulan, Marapangi, New Carmen, Pangyan, San Isidro (Licanan), Tagluno, Tawantawan, and Waan.

Moderate risk barangays are Brgys. 2-A, 3-A, 6-A, 12-B, 13-B, 14-B, 17-B, 22-C, 27-C, 29-C, 30-C, 31-D, 33-D, 35-D, 36-D and 39-D; Acacia (Buhangin), Agdao Proper, Alambre (Toril), Angalan, Bago Oshiro, Bangkas Heights, Bantol, Biao Escuela, Binugao,

Buda, Camansi, Cawayan, Crossing Bayabas, Eden, Gumalang, Inayangan, Los Amigos, Lubogan, Manuel Guianga, Matina Biao, Mudiang, Paquibato Proper, Riverside (Calinan), San Antonio (Agdao), Sirawan, Tagakpan, Tagurano, Talandang, Tamayong, Tungkalan, Ubalde, Wangan, Wilfredo Aquino, and Wines while moderate risk barangays (in close proximity to high risk barangays) are Biao Joaquin, Suawan (Tuli), and Tambubong.

All barangays not mentioned are classified as low and minimal risk barangays.

“We have been releasing this list since about a year and a half ago para ma guide ang mga tao kung asa naga concentrate ang Covid-19 cases and for people to properly plan kung mubisita ba sila ni na mga barangay and because we are on the surge expectedly tanan na barangays naa sa critical risk ug high risk,” Mayor Sara said. By Maya M. Padillo

74 barangays declared critical risk for Covid-19

S

eventy-four barangays in Davao City were classified as critical risk for Covid-19 from January 24, 2022 to January 29, 2022.

The city government of Davao has been releasing the list of barangays which has the most cases of Covid-19 to guide Dabawenyos.

The critical risk barangays are Barangays 1-A, 4-A, 5-A, 7-A, 8-A, 9-A, 10-A, 11-B, 15-B, 18B, 19-B, 20-B, 21-C, 23-C, 24-C, 25-C, 26-C, 28-C, 32-D, 34-D, 37-D, 38-D,

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

Fishermen try to catch fish along Pakiputan Strait with the high-rise buildings of Davao City as their background. Edge Davao

DAR ensures food security in NorCot thru distribution of farming starter kit

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o ensure food sufficiency in the countryside, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in the province of North Cotabato recently provided a vegetable farming starter kit with a combined amount of Php53,890.00 to Amazion Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Rodolfo Alburo said the farming kit received by the DAR-assisted organization was provided under the Buhay sa Gulay project.

“The Buhay sa Gulay

project is designed as a self-help start-up livelihood project. It also aims to reduce poverty and eradicate hunger, particularly in marginalized urban barangays,” Alburo said.

Alburo said the or-

ganization was provided with a starter kit consisting of vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and gardening equipment.

Felix Ajoc, Jr., President of Amazion ARB Association is grateful for the various vegetable seeds they received from the DAR including the cans of eggplant, bitter gourd, and cucumber, and pouches of string beans and okra.

The kit also includes six sacks of 16-20-0 and seven sacks of 18-46-0

fertilizers.

“The two units of battery-operated sprayer, seven units of hand sprayer, eight rolls of vegetable twine, two pieces of asarol (hoe), seven rolls of atlas tie given to us will be a big help in improving our crops,” Ajoc said.

The members of Amazion ARB Association will be planting various vegetables to at least half of a hectare of land to ensure a sufficient and continuous supply of food in the local market.

On Saturday, the DOLE said it will start accepting applications this Monday, January 24, for the cash assistance.

The DOLE allotted P1 billion for the financial assistance under the COVID Adjustment Measure Program (CAMP) 2022.

must be submitted: Clear photo of himself/ herself holding a valid government-issued ID Duly notarized proof of unemployment (i.e. Certificate of Employment, Notice of Termination, Notarized Affidavit of Termination of Employment, or Notice of Temporary Lay-off) covering the period of Alert Level 3 in their areas.

Applications with complete documentary requirements shall be submitted online through https://reports.dole.gov.ph.

Metro Manila and several other provinces have been placed under Alert Level 3 until January 31

DOLE says all workers affected by Alert Level 3 eligible for cash aid

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he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday clarified that all workers, regardless of their employment status, who lost their jobs or whose work was suspended due to the implementation of Alert Level 3 are qualified to apply for a one-time P5,000 cash aid.

DOLE Undersecretary Dominique Tutay said all types of employees whether regular, contractual, probationary, or casual are covered.

“Lahat po ng uri ng manggagawa regardless of employment status, puwede po ‘yung permanent, contractual, casual, on probation po, or kahit ‘yung

agency-hired po na employed din po sa principal,” she said.

(All types of employees who are affected by the Alert Level 3, regardless of employment status, can apply for the cash aid including permanent, contractual, casual, on probation, or even those agency-hired who are also employed in a principal company) According to Tutay, the DOLE is expecting around 200,000 employees who will apply for the P5,000 cash aid in Metro Manila and other areas.

She said affected workers will receive the amount within two weeks upon submitting the application.

Qualified for the cash aid are workers who lost their jobs due to the permanent closure of their companies, as well as employees whose work was suspended due to the temporary closure of their employers’ businesses under Alert Level 3.

For affected workers/ individuals, the following

FDOLE, P10

Fintech startup NextPay targets cryptocurrency services offering

I

n a bid to sustain growth after recording P1-billion worth of transactions last year, financial technology startup NextPay is looking to expand its offerings to include cryptocurrency services.

According to NextPay Chief Experience Officer and Co-Founder Aldrich Tan, NextPay is optimistic for 2022 as it explores several key initiatives to drive growth moving forward.

“We aim to introduce more flexible disbursement options, as well as explore high-growth areas of trade financing, corporate cards, and cryptocurrency services,” he said in an emailed statement.

The company breached the P1-billion mark in terms of transactions volume and raised some $1.9 million in 2021, nearly doubling its $1-million investment target for the year.

The investment includes pre-seed backing from Silicon Valley’s Y Combinator, which has also backed local companies Kalibrr, PayMongo, Avion School, and Dashlabs.ai. Investors also include Singaporean venture capitalist Golden

Gate, and the Su family’s private investment vehicle Gentree Fund.

“We expect to persist on a growth path this 2022, as we continue to introduce more innovative financial services that empower growing businesses with big banking solutions,” said Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Don Pansacola.

“We will continue to innovate this year and introduce more digital financial services to serve the ever-evolving needs of our customers,” he added.

NextPay said it planned to launch fundraising activities within the first half of the year, but did not elaborate on what types of financing it is looking to tap.

Launched in 2020, the company provides democratized access to financial services such as digital invoicing, cash management, and batch payments to local banks and e-wallets.

It rolled out its reusable payment links service last year, enabling firms to collect customer payments through a link that allows payment settlement through several methods.

EDGEDAVAO

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ECONOMY 5

An aerial view of an oil depot in Brgy. Pampanga, Davao City. Oil firms are set to implement a big-time price hike of their petroleum products starting today, January 25, 2022. Edge Davao

7 Eleven ‘broadens’ essentials, eyes residential areas during pandemic

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hilippine Seven Corp said on Monday it is widening its line of essential items and opening more stores in residential areas to boost foot traffic and sales during the pandemic.

People staying at home usually means smaller sales for convenience stores which are focused on people on the go, but that’s not entirely true for 7-Eleven, Victor Paterno, president and CEO of Philippine Seven Corp, the operator of 7-Eleven stores in the country.

Mobility restrictions imposed since March 2020 have limited the movement of Filipinos, including their shopping behavior as well as the size of their purchase

basket.

“We are broadening our range of goods to cater to to more essentials. It’s a new line of business for us, hopefully it results to more traffic,” Paterno said.

In-store automated teller machines (ATMs) are the “largest contributor to traffic,” Paterno said, adding that sales were better in December.

The company earlier partnered with Seven Bank Ltd of Japan to rollout cash-recycling ATMs, which enabled consumers to withdraw and deposit cash.

Philippine Seven is also monitoring further employment trends with several consensus groups pointing out a hybrid work arrange-

Big-time fuel price hike starting today

M

otorists will have to pay even more for petroleum products starting today, January 25, as oil firms announced another big-time price hike to mark the fourth straight week of hikes.

In separate advisories, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Seaoil Philippines Inc. said they will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P1.45, diesel by P1.90, and kerosene by P1.70.

Cleanfuel and Petro

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

This is the fourth straight week of increases, with oil firms only implementing upward price

movements so far this year.

It is also the fourth consecutive week that the price of at least one petroleum product was hiked by over P1 per liter.

The changes will take effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, January 25, for all the firms except for Cleanfuel which will implement the adjustments at 4:01 p.m. the same day. Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week.

boilers, pressure vessels, internal combustion engines, elevators, hoisting equipment, electrical wirings, and other mechanical equipment installation.

In addition, technical safety inspectors were directed to conduct initial review and evaluation of mechanical and electrical plans for the issuance of permit to operate for mechanical equipment and certifi-

cate of electrical inspection for electrical wiring installations.

Technical safety inspectors are registered mechanical and electrical engineers who have undergone training.

The order likewise states that only designated hearing officers shall conduct mandatory conferences for inspections with noted violations.

A total of 485 hearing officers may conduct

mandatory conferences after the lapse of the correction period for violations of general labor standards, occupational safety and health standards, and contracting or subcontracting rules.

Another 115 regional office personnel were designated as sheriffs who will take charge of the enforcement of issued writs of execution, implementation of decisions, and performance

Latest data from the Department of Energy indicate that year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P2.60 per liter for gasoline, P3.50 per liter for diesel, and P2.74 per liter for kerosene as of January 11, 2022.

This follows a net increase of P17.65 per liter for gasoline, P14.30 per liter for diesel, and P11.54 per liter for kerosene in 2021.

of final decisions and orders.

In December, Bello directed all regional directors to temporarily cease labor inspection activities to enable the Department to dispose of all pending labor standards cases and prepare the inspection program for 2022.

A total of 90,327 establishments covering 3.7 million workers were inspected in 2021. (PR)

DOLE says it resumes inspection of workplaces’ compliance with laws

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he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has resumed inspections to ensure establishments’ compliance with the laws after a temporary suspension in December.

In Administrative Order No. 11, series of 2022, issued on January 19, Secretary Silvestre Bello III authorized routine and complaint inspections, occupational safety and health stan-

dards investigations, and special inspections until Dec. 31, 2022, unless revoked at an earlier date.

According to a news release on Sunday, Bello also tasked the regional directors to issue the corresponding authority to inspect and investigate specific establishments or workplaces.

Meanwhile, 126 technical safety inspectors were also authorized to conduct inspection of

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

On her assessment of the current surge of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant:

Kani na surge, kung atong ikompara sa Omicron surge sa NCR wala man tay nakita na mga ingon ato na infected pero daghan na health care workers ang naga positive and it came to a point na dili na mudawat ang mga hospitals ug mild cases and they only focused on the severe and critical cases. Kung kato atong basehan most likely kana pud mahitabo assuming that this is an Omicron surge.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL The small, simple things We are again under severe threat of Covid-19 infection and worse, it only just began.

Yesterday, a doctor intimated to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio that they have made a forecast for the surge of Covid-19 cases in Davao City that will last until the middle of March this year.

As at this moment, Davao City has a total of 6,899 active cases and the number is expected to rise in the coming days. After two weeks of the most recent surge, Davao City has total active cases numbering at 6,899 occupying a total of 899 beds from the 2,606bed capacity of quarantine and isolation facilities.

That’s very concerning.

Omicron is a variant that is said to infect faster which could re-

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It starts from the most basic, simple and small things that people tend to either inadvertently forget or voluntarily ignore. Things like wearing masks, hand sanitizing and social distancing. The most glaring one discovered by the city government is ignoring the DQR code scanning which is the contact tracing system of the city. No less than Mayor Sara noted that the DQR code is no longer religiously followed and people just go past scanning stations. Without an effective tracing system, the city cannot efficiently reveal exposure sites and clusters thereby compounding the situation. Instead of averting further infection, we are helpless in stopping the spread.

It’s the simple things people ignore. Small things with big impact.

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

sult to more people getting infected. The most vulnerable are the non-vaccinated and those who ignore health protocols.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DAVAO’S FIRST CHINESE SCHOOL On June 2, 2023, the first seed of an idea to erect a Chinese school in Davao would be exactly a century old. This commemo-rates the organization of the 12-man Davao Chinese Educational Association on June 2, 1923, when Chuan Chin San was chosen as the first board chairman.

The idea is actually an offshoot of the suggestion four days ear-lier of Chinese (Taiwanese) consul-general Chou Kuo Shian who was in Davao to conduct an inspection tour. At the time, the Chi-nese population in Davao already breached the one-thousand mark.

A year later, Te Chiu Im, one of the group’s directors, sailed to Manila to recruit mentors and to appeal for government permis-sion for them to conduct a fund drive and receive donations to match the money

so far collected from donors as part of putting on track a provisional school.

The opening of Davao Chinese High School (now Davao Chong Hua High School) was launched on June 3, 1924. Originally, it was housed in a rented space along San Pedro Street with two class-rooms and 30 pupils. Lee Leng Tee served as principal while Ho Leng Ortega and Te Lun Tek were employed as teachers.

Tee, between 1926 and 1931, was succeeded as principal by Ko Chi Gan, Lee Kimtong, Sy Siu Pek, and Liat Ku Khiam.

During the same period, the student population trebled to 108. Sy served as principal until 1939 when he was replaced by Go Bun Ping.

Through the generosity of Lim Chuan Hun, a Chinese trader who assumed the Christian name Francisco Juna

Lim Villa Abrille who donated a one-hectare land for use as a school site, the pro-jected school building was started in October 1924; the structure was over in just two months.

So, by January 1925, the classes had to be moved to the schools’ permanent home.

It was in October 1930 that the institute was given recognition by the Chinese Department of Education and Overseas Chinese Affairs Commission. It was not until August 9, 1938, that the school was accorded recognition by the Philippine government.

During the war, which cost the lives of three school board members. the school was turned into a Japanese hospital. After the conflict, what was left was only a solitary standing structure. Still, only months after the liberation of the city, the school reopened in November

1945 with 345 students; Liat Lu Kim assumed as the new principal.

To address the fast-growing student population, a two-story building was built in 1946 with a social hall on the second floor which the Board named Chuan Hun Memorial Hall, after the do-nor of the school site. It was in 1949 that the first batch of Chinse junior high school graduates numbering 15 was feted.

That same year, an executive committee was formed to manage the institu-tion.

A year later, under principal Liang Shi Chief, the school pub-lished its first gazette, Nan Tan Qiao Jia Zhi Jeng (The Mindanao Oversea Chinese Education News), and with it the introduction of the institute’s first-ever intramurals.

The student population during this period rose to 1,027.

Davao City High School’s

progress was so impressive that by 1956 a branch was opened in Tagum City. Two years later, anoth-er branch was inaugurated in Digos City.

The institute’s history has its highs and lows. In 1966, as part of road expansion, the government expropriated 3,000 square meters from the school site. This resulted in the separation of the high school department from the elementary. Fortunately, Wee Siu Yen, chairman of the Board, donated a basketball court in a vacant lot within the elementary department premises.

On April 23, 1973, under Presidential Decree 175, which Filipi-nized all foreign schools, the institution was renamed Davao Cen-tral High School and, decades later, as Davao Chong Hua High School. The school symbol is Mei Huan, the national flower of China.

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

MORE PROFOUND QUESTIONS, PLEASE “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

- MARK TWAIN *******

I thought the presidential interviews aired by GMA7 were not that impressive and worth watching.

The questions propounded by host Jessica Soho were - as netizens themselves observed sophomoric and elementary.

A neighbor quipped: “Maski kindergarten kayang sagutin yung mga tanong.”

GMA7 had bruited about the non-attendance of leading contender BBM whose camp did not look with favor the notso neutral stance of Soho who was a known anti-Marcos journalist during the martial law years.

As it turned out, the ratings for the particular “political promotion” did not garner enough support from televiewers that GMA7 expected, considering

that rival station ABS CBN no longer operates..

But I would not take that against JS. She can be what she wants provided that she is able to ask the most thought provoking questions that would have set clearly apart one candidate from the others.

Unfortunately, she failed in this regard.

I was waiting for her to ask tough questions against the four who willingly submitted themselves to the “grilling.”

Her previous interviews with BBM were direct and taunting, almost ala gestapo-style where the former could not find space to breathe.

She mimicked Boy Abunda’s one-word description of pictures shown separately to the contenders which to many appeared so kindergarten-like.

I was hoping she would ask them about the brewing confrontation at the border between Russia and Ukraine and how - if the war erupted - would it affect the Philippines militari-

ly, economically, etc.

The EU and NATO led by the US, UK and Canada have responded on Ukraine’s side, warning Russia’s Vladimir Putin to exercise caution and diplomacy because the “consequences” could be regretful.

Canada has already sent a Special Forces regiment while the US and UK have flown in military equipment, munitions and intelligence personnel.

JS should have also inquired from all presidential rivals (Lacson, Robredo, Moreno & Pacquiao) about their individual assessment of the on-going Middle East conflict, particularly the shadow war between Israel and Iran.

I wanted to discover how all four would have responded if in case of a war erupted between Iran and Israel and no oil would flow into the country (as in the 1967 Six-Day War), how each would run the government if such an emergency existed.

Lebanon today is bankrupt.

They have no electricity, fami-

lies are hungry, millions are jobless and the government has no money to make ‘ayuda’ to the Lebanese.

We have not yet reached this stage of suffering but it appears that a pandemic not as lethal as cholera of yesteryears has rendered chaotic the conditions in the metropolises.

Without passing judgment on the individual executive capability of Ping Lacson, Leni Robredo, Manny Pacquiao and Isko Moreno, I honestly thought they were “hoodwinked” into taking part in a media interview that each assumed would have helped promote their individual presidential campaign strategies.

Besides, the program was not aired live but was pre-recorded so that the producers would have adequate time to splice or edit unwanted “bytes” to conform with time constraints and limitations.

Robredo’s attempt to impress the Filipinos that by working 18 hours straight, and

hitting the sack for just 6 hours, she was making them believe she is a hardworking public servant is misleading.

What about the time she spends grooming and dressing up, eating meals and taking a warm bath?

For me, an independent apolitical and neutral group should organize a formal debate among all FIVE contenders to be covered live by radio and television.

A renowned moderator (preferably a legal luminary or retired SC justice) acceptable to all parties can be appointed to preside. No media personality from any of the radio/tv stations should be allowed to take part except in the coverage itself.

This way, no one can say somebody was partial to somebody.

Oh, oh. More profound questions please. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo. com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Aeon Luxe roars with massive discounts in the Year of the Tiger

Aeon Luxe Properties Inc. ushers in the Chinese New Year with a massive discounts promo on February 1.

The one-day-only promo takes down as much as P2.9 million off a one bedroom standard unit at Aeon Towers and as much as P1.3 million off a 2-bedroom pool view unit at Aeon Bleu.

The discounts will be offered during the Year of the Tiger Open House on February 1 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

In addition to the mas-

sive discounts, Aeon Luxe is also offering raffle prizes for all buyers with payment and complete documents by playing the box of fortune game. The prizes include an Indulgence Kit, P3,000 worth of gift voucher at Marks and Spencer and P2,000 worth of gift certificate at Club Aeon.

Guests at the Open House will be treated to the traditional Chinese Lion and Dragon Dance starting at 11:00 am at the Aeon Towers lobby and free card reading on limited slots

only. Guests may RSVP at 09460506652.

Aeon Towers is an iconic landmark towering in the heart of Metro Davao’s business district along J.P. Laurel Avenue. It is a mixeduse development with residential, commercial and

soon a hotel component to be operated by a 5-star international hotelier making Aeon Towers the next big destination in the city. Some of its condo units are now turned over to homeowners who are enjoying a luxurious and smart lifestyle

Cebu Pacific provides added protection through CEB Travelsure, now with COVID insurance Available for as low as PHP 492 round-trip

The Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) upgrades its CEB Travelsure “Basic Protect” insurance product to now include “COVID Protect”, to inspire travel confidence amidst the current situation. CEB is the first local carrier to offer this type of enhanced coverage in one product.

Starting January 13, 2022, CEB Travelsure “Basic Protect” becomes even more comprehensive as it now covers COVID-related hospitalization and treatments, on top of up to PHP

2,500,000 medical expenses benefit, in case of an injury or other illnesses, and up to PHP 2,500,000 personal accident coverage during the trip.

CEB Travelsure “Basic Protect” may be availed by passengers with domestic and international itineraries, as long as their trip starts in the Philippines, for as low as PHP 492 round-trip.

“As we continue to weather this pandemic, we see to it that everyJuan’s health and safety are prioritized above all else. We

know peace of mind is needed now more than ever and we want to provide this to our passengers so they can always fly safe and easy with us,” said Candice Iyog, CEB Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

CEB Travelsure is underwritten by Insurance Company of North America (a Chubb Company). Chubb is the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company.

“We are happy to further strengthen our ties with Cebu Pacific as we continue to face this challenging situation together. Chubb aims to provide CEB customers with affordable, relevant and comprehensive products that are made conveniently within their reach,” said Mari Rachelle [Cielo] Canta, Chubb Philippines’ Country President.

Passengers can conveniently avail themselves of CEB Travelsure when booking flights on the CEB website or select as an addon up to two hours prior to their flight via the ‘Manage Booking’ portal on the Cebu Pacific website. Insured passengers will receive their group policy Confirmation of Cover with the details of the travel insurance benefits via email. Customers should contact Chubb directly if they have specific questions about their insurance coverage.

Chubb also offers a 24/7 Emergency Medical and

Travel Assistance Hotline.

Claims may also be filed online at https://www.chubbclaims.com/ace/ph-en/ welcome.aspx .

CEB TravelSure is the airline’s comprehensive travel insurance plan which provides extensive trip protection with coverage for costs related to having injuries, illnesses, loss of personal belongings, trip cancellations, emergency assistance, and other unforeseen travel circumstances (subject to the full terms & conditions of the Group Policy). For more information, passengers may visit: https:// www.cebupacificair.com/ pages/plan-trip/add-ons/ travelsure .

CEB has attained 100% vaccination rate for its active flying crew through its very own employee vaccination program, JG Summit COVID Protect, and various partnerships with local government units in the country.

The airline has been rated 7/7 stars by airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance as it continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, in accordance with global aviation standards. These include daily extensive cleaning and disinfection protocols for all aircraft and facilities, on top of its contactless flight procedures. Its jet fleet are equipped with hospital-grade HEPA filters, known to eradicate viruses with 99.9% efficiency.

experience they invested in.

Aeon Towers is an iconic landmark towering in the heart of Metro Davao’s business district along J.P. Laurel Avenue. It is a mixeduse development with residential, commercial and soon a hotel component to

be operated by a 5-star international hotelier making Aeon Towers the next big destination in the city. Some of its condo units are now turned over to homeowners who are enjoying a luxurious and smart lifestyle experience they invested in.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is celebrating its 71st year founding anniversary this January with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification affirming its quality standards in the delivery of social welfare and development programs and services.

Over the years, the DSWD has endeavored to ensure the delivery of appropriate and quality services to the poor, vulnerable, marginalized, and disadvantaged sectors by constantly improving its systems and processess.

Pursuing improvements and world class quality service Despite the challenges in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DSWD continued to perform its mandate towards achieving world class quality service that is fully compliant with ISO standards and requirements. This year, the Department is expected to officially receive its Department-wide ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System (QMS) Compliance Certificate - another milestone in DSWD’s history of dedicated commitment to public service excellence.

The ISO certification covers two of the Department’s frontline services on Securing Travel Clearance for Minors Traveling Abroad and Disaster Data Request Processing, as well as all the essential

support services of the Department, delivered by the General Administration and Support Services Group (GASSG) and the Information and Communications Technology Management Service (ICTMS). The scope shall then be expanded further by the first quarter of this year to include all of the DSWD’s frontline and non-frontline programs, in line with the Department’s efforts to standardize, streamline, and digitize its services.

Recognizing quality public service The Department is celebrating its 71st year anniversary with a simple recognition of its employees, the Angels in Red Vest, through the awarding of the 2021 Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence (PRAISE) winners.

PRAISE is the Department’s program on rewards and incentives for service excellence, and its way of thanking exemplary staff for their dedication and hard work.

The PRAISE recognition is especially significant in giving importance to the services provided by the DSWD employees, despite the health hazards posed by the pandemic. Many of the employees were infected with COVID-19 for being at the frontline service delivery.

Meanwhile, as the country’s need for more SWD services was magni-

DSWD celebrates 71st year in service with ISO certification

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ENVIRONMENT

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2021 SIGNIFICANT

ENVIRONMENTAL STORIES Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO So many things have been written about the environment. But still, people are still wondering what the environment really is. Dictionary defines it as “the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.”

Environment also refers to “the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, especially as affected by human activity.” It may also mean “milieu, ambiance, setting, surroundings all refer to what makes up the atmosphere or background against which someone or something is seen.”

“How can we be so arrogant?” asked Paulo Coelho in his novel, The Winner Stands Alone.

“The planet is, was, and always will be stronger than us. We can’t destroy it; if we overstep the

mark, the planet will simply erase us from its surface and carry on existing. Why don’t they start talking about not letting the planet destroy us?”

Now, here are some of the most significant environmental stories I have written in the past year: Let’s start with our forests (November 7).

“By destroying forests, we are harming biodiversity and our lives. Forests provide fresh water, clean the air we breathe, inspire spiritual value, and provide us with food,” said British broadcaster, natural historian and author Sir David Attenborough.

But Filipinos continue to denude its forests. To think, more than 90 years ago, the country was almost totally covered with forest resources distributed throughout its 30 million hectares. Now, the Philippines ranks

fourth in the world’s top 10 most threatened forest hotspots. (“Where have all our forests gone?”, November 7) Denudation should be stopped. This must be the reason why when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a Private Land Timber Permit, some environmental groups protested (December 14). They didn’t want the 121 native trees growing in Mounts Macabol-Alikoson Conservation Area (MMACA) to be cut. (“Please, don’t cut the trees,” December 14).

For one, there’s the issue of watersheds (“Saving the county’s vanishing watersheds,” July 7).

Father Pedro Walpole, of the Environment Science for Social Change, Inc., said that in a watershed, there is the interrelation of many resources.

“There are (also) ecolog-

ical services that a watershed provides such as delivery of water as part of the water cycle, stable land-water dynamics, nutrient cycles, and a diversity of life forms,” he explained.

As such, “watershed management is not just a matter of managing water but of managing the land that delivers the water and coordinating the

people in that management,” Fr. Walpole urged.

No wonder, the problem of water crisis is at hand (“Water crisis is for real,” July 6 and “When the wells run dry,” September 9). “Water is the most precious asset on Earth,” points out Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project. “It is the basis of life.”

“As water is an absolutely vital resource, at the center of life itself, it is a key integrating factor in the environment.

Without sustainable water management to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of clean, safe water, the health of ecosystems and those who depend on them, especially people, suffer,” said Dr. Klaus Toepfer, during his term as executive director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Program.

Perhaps it is for this reason why the Depart-

ment of Science and Technology pays attention to the problem (“Science department puts water as major priority program,” August 7). “Water can be easily thought of as an abundant resource, however, according to the World Wildlife Organization, only 3% of countries’ water is freshwater that is suited for human use and consumption,” said Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, who is the undersecretary for research and development.

According to the DOST undersecretary, it is imperative to maximize the use of water and consider its accessibility for everyone. In the Philippines, Filipinos used only 6% of the available water, almost 4.5 times lower in terms of utilization compared to other countries like Chinese-Taipei and Japan. Recognizing this urgent need, the science department initiated

FSIGNIFICANT, P10

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care workers ang naga positive and it came to a point na dili na mudawat ang mga hospitals ug mild cases and they only focused on the severe

and critical cases. Kung kato atong basehan most likely kana pud mahitabo assuming that this is an Omicron surge,” the mayor said.

placent,” Ebrahim said in his speech at the celebration last Firday. “(O)n the contrary, I would say that the proper mindset is that we need to be even more steadfast in our work. It is incumbent upon us to make the most out of this opportunity, not for ourselves, but for our beloved Bangsamoro…

Bangsamoro as a region, as a government, and as a people,” he added.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr. lauded the Bangsamoro government for “the outstanding and inspiring work” in the past three years.

He assured that the Duterte administration, whose term will end on June 30, 2022, will remain steadfast in its commitment to help the BARMM government realize its vision of unleashing the full economic potential of the region, as it improves the socio-economic well-being of its people.

“The Philippine government will continue to support the Bangsamoro government especially during this extended transition period. President Duterte believes in the vast potential of the BARMM to become a showcase of genuine peace and sustainable development not only in Mindanao but throughout the country,” Galvez said in a statement.

Three years ago The BARMM reckons its foundation day to January 21, 2019, the day residents in the areas that would comprise BARMM, cast their votes to ratify or reject Republic Act 11054, the Organic Law for the BARMM. Majority of the voters in the then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) voted yes to inclusion in the BARMM, along with Cotabato City.

The Commission on Election proclaimed the ratification of RA 11054 on January 25, 2019.

Another plebiscite was held on February 6, 2019, to determine if residents in the six towns in Lanao del Norte and 67 villages in six North Cotabato towns which voted for inclusion in the ARMM in 2001 would vote for inclusion the BARMM. Voters in the Lanao del Norte towns rejected inclusion while 63 of 67 villages in North Cotabato voted for inclusion and are now

referred to as the Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro.

The BARMM comprises the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Lanao del Norte and Maguindanao and the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato, and 63 villages in North Cotabato.

Sulu voted “no” but still became part of the BARMM because the law provides that the ARMM votes as “one geographical area.” Sulu questioned the provision, among others, in its petition before the Supreme Court.

The ARMM was deemed abolished upon the ratification of RA 11054.

The creation of the Bangsamoro region was the key feature of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the government and the MILF signed in March 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.

Ebrahim earlier pushed for the extension of the transition period, noting the need for more time to fully implement the provisions of the CAB, including the normalization process. The delays triggered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic were also among the reasons cited in asking for an extension.

Under the Annex on Normalization, MILF combatants will be decommissioned along with their weapons as major milestones of the CAB are achieved. Recognized MILF camps will also be transformed into productive economic zones.

The first phase of the decommissioning of 40,000 combatants and thousands of weapons under the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces was held in June 2015 under the Aquino administration with 145 combatants and 75 weapons decommissioned.

The second phase was under the Duterte administration, with a total of 12,000 combatants and 2,100 weapons decommissioned between September 2019 and mid2020.

The third phase started in November 2021.

This phase involves decommissioning 14,000 combatants and 2,500 weapons.

(Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Under Alert Level 3, several establishments are allowed to operate at 30% indoor venue capacity but exclusively for fully vaccinated people, and 50% outdoor venue capacity as

long as employees are fully vaccinated.

In-person classes, contact sports, fun fairs/ perya, and casinos are among the activities and establishments that are prohibited under Alert Level 3.

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fied by the pandemic and other disasters, the presence of DSWD partners and stakeholders greatly helped in fulfilling the Department’s mandate.

To show gratitude, the DSWD will be conducting a simple online awarding activity for its partners through the Pagkilala sa Natatanging Kontribusyon sa Bayan or the PaNaTa Ko sa Bayan Awards.

The PaNaTA ko sa Bayan Awards is given to groups and individuals who have provided their services or shared their resources to further the SWD endeav-

ors to assist the Department.

Moreover, as a symbolic commemoration of the growth of DSWD over more than seven decades now, the Department is conducting an adopt-and-grow-aplant activity among its participating employees.

The activity encourages all Angels in Red Vest to be a significant example and advocate of environmental protection, as the Department aims to be an exemplar of its “Maagap at Mapagkalingang Serbisyo”.

the fourth consecutive missed game for Lowry, the third for Herro.

The Lakers were without Anthony Davis for a 17th consecutive game while he continues recovery from a sprained left knee ligament. Davis was listed as questionable for Sunday, raising the chance he could have finally returned, but the Lakers decided he needed at least a couple more days.

“He’s getting closer ... but not quite there yet,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

The loss sent the Lakers to 23-24 — the first time since James’ rookie season that he’s been on a team with a losing record this deep into a season.

Miami came out flying, opening a double-digit lead just 5:12 into the game, going up 32-14 on a 3-pointer by PJ Tucker with 3:36 left in the opening quarter and taking a 39-25 lead into the second after Max Strus beat the clock with a corner 3-pointer over James’ outstretched arm.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 26 in the first half, their biggest

pre-halftime deficit of the season, before James flexed some muscle just before the break. He scored the Lakers’ last six points of the second quarter, posing after powering through a double-team for one of those baskets, and got Los Angeles within 69-52 by the break.

“We just had a few too many breakdowns and they made us pay for everything,” Vogel said.

The Lakers got within five twice in the final 2:34 — and both times, the Heat answered with 3-pointers. Robinson got the first, Tucker got the second, but the Lakers kept chipping away.

James grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 1:07 left to get the Lakers within 111-107, then got a stop on the next Heat possession — but Bradley fouled Tucker on a moving screen with 37.7 seconds remaining for a costly turnover.

Talen Horton-Tucker had another turnover on an inbounds pass with the Lakers down four with 7 seconds left, and Miami would survive.

faith; PATAFA was in bad faith this whole time as they signed the mediation with their true intention to still pursue the filing of a baseless criminal case of estafa against me,” Obiena said.

Obiena also accused PATAFA of lying about its true intent to enter mediation with him, bringing up the case of World Athletics vice president Sergey Bubka’s affidavit regarding Obiena’s liquidation matters.

“PATAFA has said they want a peaceful resolution, but their actions prove this as a lie. You cannot have peace while pointing a gun at the other guys’ head, and say ‘let’s have a peaceful resolution.’ This is the exact opposite of good faith mediation. They have been telling the public that Sergey Bubka voluntarily executed his affidavit. They omitted the fact that it was Mr. [Philip Ella] Juico who prepared the affidavit of Sergey Bubka, instructed him to get it apostilled, paid all associated costs, and cajoled him to sign,” Obiena claimed.

Regarding the liquida-

tion itself, Obiena said he already completed it last week.

“As of January 21, 2022 all my pending liquidation with the PSC is done. It’s closed,” he added while thanking PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez for his efforts as the peacemaker.

Obiena also lashed out at PATAFA for not completing the information it released during its press conference on January 4 where the body ruled to have him removed from the national team and slapped with an estafa complaint.

“They deliberately excluded the fact that as early as 2020, I have already emailed them Coach Vitaliy [Petrov]’s bank details.

Again, this is irrefutably misleading. I never wanted the money to go thru me, but it still did while PATAFA had Coach Vitaliy’s bank details. Isiniit niyo ako dito tapos ngayon idedemanda ako at sisisihin niyo dahil di ko nagampanan yung trabaho ninyo (You included me here then you’ll charge me and blame me because I

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some programs and projects related to water resources management.

For another, the MMACA, the area is a reported nesting site of the endangered Philippine eagle. A pair of the Philippine eagles needs at least 7,000 to 13,000 hectares of forest as nesting territory, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Philippine eagles and other endemic flora and fauna are the country’s natural heritage. In “Saving the country’s natural heritage” (December 11), three of the country’s endemic animals were spotted at the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary in Davao Oriental.

Personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources discovered the following: Philippine warty pigs (Sus philippensis), Philippine deer (Cevus mariannus), and Philippine macaques (Macaca fascicularis philippensis).

Marine turtles are also endangered. And they are worth more when alive than dead (“Marine turtles: Worth more alive than dead,” October 26).

Such was the finding of a study conducted by the DENR under the Asian Development Bank/Global Environment Facility (ADB/GEF) project on Combating Environmental Organized Crime in the Philippines.

If only a marine turtle is allowed to live up to 57 years, an estimated whooping P4.80 million can be derived from the endangered species, said the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), a DENR line agency which conducted the study.

Giant clams are also endangered species. To raise awareness, the people of barangay Adecor in Kaputian District in Island Garden City of Samal are promoting the Giant Clam Sanctuary through

its Taklobo Tours. (“Saving ‘white gold of the sea,’” October 29).

Almost 3,000 giant clams of four species are spreading all over the 14-hectare sea. Most notable of these species is the biggest among the giant clams, the Tridacna gigas. Other species found in the area are T. deresa (smooth giant clam), T. squamosa (fluted giant clam), and T. hippopus (strawberry clam or bear claw clam).

Samal is also known for its bats as it is home to millions of them. “Bats should not be feared, instead they must be protected,” October 28).

The colony of bats can be found in a 23-hectare protected area on a property owned by Norma Monfort in barangay Tambo, Babak District.

When it was first discovered, about 1.8 million bats reside in the five caves – to a density of 645 bats per square meter. The huge number made it to the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 as the biggest colony of Geoffrey’s Rousette Fruit Bat in the world.

Sharks are not spared from being threatened (“Where have all our sharks gone?,” July 29).

Sharks, however, are unfairly viewed as dangerous to human beings.

What most people don’t know is that sharks play a functional and important role in the marine ecosystem.

“Their presence is an indicator of a healthy ocean with abundance of prey, including fisheries,” said Dr. Theresa Mundita S. Lim, executive director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in an exclusive interview.

“Without them, there will be no early warning signs of impending impacts that could ultimately affect human survival.”

What’s the future for us in the coming year?

No one knows yet!

little bit,” Kerr said. “Really proud of the team.”

Poole earned another start, taking the place of Klay Thompson, who was a late scratch with soreness in his surgically repaired left knee that sidelined him all of the 2019-20 season.

Poole, who went 7 of 13, tells Curry to “just keep shooting.”

“His shot today looked good,” Poole said. “We know how good of a shooter he is.”

Bogdanovic — who has recently nursed an injured left ring finger — scored 21 points while Rudy Gobert grabbed 18 rebounds to go with 12 points for the Jazz, who lost their fourth straight to the Warriors.

That streak dates back to exactly a year ago, when the

Jazz won 127-108 in Utah on Jan. 23, 2021.

Rudy Gay’s 3 with 11:37 left pulled the Jazz within 83-78 then Gobert dunked two possessions later to make it 83-80 before another slam off an offensive rebound at 9:46. Gay finished with 16 points and four 3s.

Golden State’s Kevon Looney had his career-best streak of five straight games with double-digit rebounds end as he grabbed six boards. But his three-point play on a putback with 1:48 left meant plenty and he finished with 10 points.

Kerr called the basket the “key offensive possession of the game.”

“It was big for me, I showed a lot of emotion,” Looney said.

failed to do your job),” Obiena said.

While he clarified that he is not here to ruin the Philippine sports scene,

Obiena vowed that he is fighting for the Filipino athletes who might be embroiled in a similar situation in the future.

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SPORTS

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11

Miami’s Duncan Robinson goes for a loose ball against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers slump continues as they melt to Heat M

IAMI — The Miami Heat knew the run was coming. Even early in the fourth quarter, with a 23-point lead, Heat players were telling each other that the game wasn’t over.

They were right. And they handled the moment.

Jimmy Butler broke James’ record for triple-doubles in a Miami uniform, Duncan Robinson scored 25 points and the Heat held off a furious comeback attempt from the Los Angeles Lakers on the way to a 113-107 win on Sunday night (Monday,

Manila time).

“I think those are important experiences to go through together,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Butler finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists for Miami, his 10th regular-season triple-double for the Heat — one more than James had in his four Miami sea-

sons.

Miami led 89-70 going into the fourth, pushed the lead out to 23 with 8:38 left, then had to stave off what became a 32-13 Los Angeles run that got the Lakers within four in the final moments.

“To have those kind of pivotal moments down the stretch, you can never have enough of those,” Robinson said. “They’re invaluable.”

Caleb Martin scored 15, Bam Adebayo scored 14 and Gabe Vincent had 11 for Miami, which wast-

ed most of a 26-point first-half lead.

James carried the Lakers yet again, finishing with 33 points — his 17th consecutive game with at least 26 — and 11 rebounds. Russell Westbrook scored 24 for the Lakers, former Heat guard Avery Bradley added 15 and Carmelo Anthony scored 11.

The Heat were still without Kyle Lowry (personal matter) and Tyler Herro (health and safety protocols). It was

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ole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena announced on Monday that he is not anymore joining the mediation to be conducted by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) that would have resolved his issues with the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA).

According to the world number six pole vaulter, he was “forced to officially withdraw” from the mediation process to be led by the PSC “due to the bad faith” of his mother national sports association.

“It is a recipe for failure to enter into mediation when one party is in bad

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The shooting is off but Curry does many other things

S Reigning scoring champion Steph Curry is 35 for 117 from 3-point range this month. PHOTO: AP

Obiena withdraws from mediation

AN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry’s shot is a little off — for now.

It hasn’t stopped Steve Kerr from praising his star point guard’s ballhandling, how he’s dishing off and defending and all the other intangibles, like 34 assists to six turnovers the past four games.

But with Curry in a shooting funk, other Warriors are stepping up, including Jordan Poole, who scored 20 points to lead a balanced Golden State scoring attack on Sunday night (Monday, Manila time) and helped hold off a late rally by the Utah Jazz for a 94-92 win.

Curry added 13 points, but struggled again with his

3-point stroke a month after becoming the all-time NBA 3s leader, going 1 for 13 from deep and 5 of 20 overall.

“Steph looks great physically. The last few games he’s playing some of his basketball in terms of handling the point guard duties,” Kerr said. “He’s taking care of the basketball, he’s playing great defense, shots just aren’t going. ... He’s seemed inhuman for so long. I think everybody just expects him to be in a groove all season long and it’s just not the way it works.”

Curry’s brother-in-law Damion Lee did his part, coming off the bench to hit four big 3-pointers and score 12 points for a War-

riors team that was looking to build some momentum off Curry’s buzzer-beater in a 105-103 win over Houston on Friday night.

The final minutes were close on Sunday, though. Joe Ingles tied the game at 89 with 4:09 to play.

The Warriors held on despite an 11-point fourth quarter by holding the Jazz to 17 in the period and 38.3% shooting. Royce O’Neale rebounded Bojan Bogdanovic’s missed 3-pointer with a hand in his face and O’Neale couldn’t convert a tip-in as the final buzzer sounded.

“That’s how you’ve got to win when you’re scuffling a

FSHOOTING, P10

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 261 • TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2022

HE CHASED A DREAM World title dream now a reality for undefeated Magsayo

M

ark Magsayo became the first world champion of the Philippines for 2022 after beating Gary Russell for the WBC featherweight championship on Sunday at the Borgata Hotel Casino in Atlantic City.

In his biggest victory so far, Magsayo, a native of Tagbilaran, flashed his brilliance for most part of the bout.

Russell, however, showed heart despite hurting his right shoulder and kept the fight too close that it ended up in a majority decision favoring Magsayo.

Magsayo began the match aggressive, quickly tagging Russell with power shots especially to the torso to get a head start three rounds in.

Russell appeared to have bounced back early into Round 4, but after landing a punch, he apparently injured his right shoulder.

Despite the injury and even the weight issues he had late into training camp, the 33-year-old Russell proved why he has been a

champion in the 126-pound division for nearly seven years, eventually slowing Magsayo down midway through the bout.

But come the second half, Russell’s injury took a toll on him as Magsayo put on a clinic, forcing the former to just go on dodging mode with his right arm feeling the pain already.

Lynne Carter had it 114-114, but fellow judges Mark Consentino and Henry Grant both scored the bout 115-113 for the now 24-0 Magsayo, who was successful in only his first world title shot.

Russell, on the other hand, fell to 31-2, losing for the first time since also dropping a majority decision loss to Vasyl Lomachenko in 2014.

Malacañang joined the na-

Mark Magsayo is the Philippines’newe world champion after beating Gary Russell for theWBC featherweight championship on Sunday. tion in celebrating the victory of Magsayo, now the country’s fifth world reigning professional boxing champion.

“We are one with the Filipino people in celebrating the victory of Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo when he dethroned Gary Russell Jr. to become the new WBC featherweight champion,” Cabinet

Secretary Karlo Nograles, acting presidential spokesperson, said in a statement.

Other reigning Filipino world titleholders include Jerwin Ancajas (IBF super flyweight), Rene Mark Cuarto (IBF world minimumweight), John Riel Casimero (WBO bantamweight), and Nonito Donaire (WBC bantamweight).

“We thank Mark for giving pride and honor to the country and demonstrating to the world the courage, determination and perseverance of the Filipino boxer,” Nograles said. “Mabuhay ang new world champion! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas! (Long live to the new world champion! Long live Philippines!).” (PNA)