Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 269 | Thursday, February 3, 2022

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

WETLANDS NEED TO BE PROTECTED ENVIRONMENT P 9

BIG TURNOUT

VOL.14 ISSUE 269 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022

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Sara thanks the thousands who joined, greeted on the first day of MNAP ride

STORY ON PAGE 2

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte chats with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) during the sendoff ceremony for the Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas ride at the King Dome in Buhangin, Davao City on Tuesday. Mayor Sara expressed her gratitude to Pastor Quiboloy and to the members of KJC for the support and prayers. The mayor also thanked the thousands of people who greeted and joined her during the first leg of the nationwide ride. Edge Davao

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

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Forty-five families and boarders affected by a fire incident in SIR Phase 1, Barangay 76-A Bucana near Bolton Bridge receive relief and cash assistance from the Office of the First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte.

Handout photo

BIG TURNOUT

Sara thanks the thousands who joined, greeted on the first day of MNAP ride

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio thanked well wishers and participants who joined the first day of her Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas (MNAP) ride on February 1, 2022.

Based on a post on Mayor Inday Sara Duterte Facebook Page, thousands of people lined up along the highway from

Davao City to Bislig City as they waited for Mayor Sara to arrive. The mayor also granted the people’s request to take pictures

with her.

“Pinapaabot po ni Mayor Inday Sara Duterte ang kanyang lubos na pasasalamat sa libo-libo sa ating mga kababayan na bumati, kumaway, lumahok at nakiisa sa unang araw ng Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride,” said Liloan Mayor Christina

Garcia Frasco, political spokesperson of Mayor Sara in a statement.

Mayor Sara will travel to different provinces for the MNAP ride with Davao City to Bislig, Surigao del Sur as the first leg. The ride intends to advocate patriotism and

FBIG, P10

Pulong distributes relief, cash aid to Brgy. 76-A fire victims

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total of 45 families and boarders affected by fire two weeks ago at SIR Phase 1 in Barangay 76-A Bucana near Bolton Bridge received other relief and cash aid from the Office of the First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte.

Each of the recipients - 26 house owners (one absentee owner), six renters, eight sharers, and five

boarders - received a 10kilo pack of rice, cooking pots, plates and glasses, and other utensils, whistling kettle, and cash assistance from the lawmaker’s office.

Rep. Duterte’s office said the support is part of the government’s wholesome approach to relieving the plight of the families affected by the incident. The office immedi-

FPULONG, P10

DA-12 orders stricter biosecurity measures vs. African swine fever

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epartment of Agriculture – Soccsksargen (DA-12) Director Dennis R. Arpia on Tuesday ordered the stricter implementation of the “17-10 protocol” biosecurity and quarantine measure to contain and prevent the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in this city and the rest of the region.

In a statement, Arpia called on all local government unit (LGU) officials and swine industry stakeholders to “continuously sustain efforts to manage, contain and control ASF, through the 1-7-10 protocol.”

This came after the city veterinary office (CVO) confirmed on January 24 an ASF case in Purok San Lorenzo, Barangay Apopong here.

The ASF case has been managed and controlled,

the CVO declared Monday.

Under the 1-7-10 protocol, the local government units (LGUs) will cull all pigs within the 1-kilometer radius of the affected farm, while the movement of pork and pork products within 7 kilometers will be limited.

“The DA and LGUs will also work together to conduct surveillance and monitoring within the 10-kilometer radius of the ASF affected area,” Arpia said.

He said the DA has ordered to get blood samples for further laboratory testing on the other hogs in the city and all turned out negative from the hog disease.

Meanwhile, Dr. Antonio Ephrem Marin, the CVO chief, said he requested the city government for

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EDGEDAVAO

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NEWS

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A resident in Pilar town in Siargao Island soaks coconut lumber with sea water on Monday (31 January 2022) to treat the wood against termites before using them to build a house. Majority of the houses of this town were destroyed during the onslaught of super typhoon “Odette.”MindaNews photo by ROEL N. CATOTO

City eyeing to start inoculation of children aged 5 to 11 on Monday Authorities foil terror plot in SoCot, 2 DI members slain

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wo Dawlah Islamiya (DI) terrorists were killed during an armed encounter with government forces in Polomolok, South Cotabato on Monday.

Major General Juvymax Uy, Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, said the clash occurred in Barangay Lapu, Polomolok between the Army-led Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) operating troops and the terrorists under the DI-Maguid Group.

The five-minute encounter left DI members Zypol Nilong and Salahudin Usman dead. The two belonged to the group of Zaiden Jade Nilong, alias Aliboy of the DI Maguid group.

Lt. Col. Raymond Rapi, commanding officer of 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, said government troops recovered two M16 rifles from the slain gunmen.

Their companions hurriedly fled, leaving behind the slain terrorist group members.

“Through the intensi-

fied military operations conducted by the JTFC troops, coupled with the cooperation of the local government units and the community, the series of successes of these operations indicate that the DI is nearing its end,” said Brig.

Gen. Pedro Balisi Jr., 1st Mechanized Brigade commander, in a statement.

Despite the military’s advantage over terrorist groups, the Army remains open to the peaceful surrender of DI members.

“As much as possible, we don’t want to take away the lives of these people for they have families as well.

Surrender now as the government will help you build and start your lives peacefully,” Uy said.

Private armed groups, the DI, and the communist New People’s Army (NPA) remains to be the leading threat groups in the 6ID’s area of responsibility (AOR).

The 6ID’s AOR covers the provinces of Maguin-

FAUTHORITIES, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he city government of Davao plans to begin roll out of vaccination for 5 to 11 years old children on Monday, February 7, 2022, Davao City Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said on Monday.

Schlosser said the city’s vaccination cluster already met with the hospitals in Davao City for the roll out of pediatric vaccination.

“Naga plano na ang Davao City na mag rollout ug vaccination sa atoang

5 to 11 years old pediatric population. As of today, I believe that our vaccination cluster is having a meeting with the different hospitals in Davao City kasi ang una natong buhaton is i-roll out nato sa hospital. Pag okay

na ang tanan i-cascade nato sa atong typical vaccination hubs,” Schlosser said on Wednesday via Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).

She also said that this age group will be vaccinated with a 0.2 ml dosage of Pfizer vaccine. She added that a different syringe will be used in administering the vaccine for the said group.

“For this age group ang atoang dosage is lower compared to those other

age group which is 0.3 ml dosage but for 5 to 11 years old is 0.2 ml dosage. We will only be using Pfizer vaccine for this age group. We are also waiting for the logistics kasi since ibang age group ito iba pud ang ilahang syringes compared sa adult,” she said.

Schlosser said the vaccination team is also planning to set up just one vaccination hub for the pediatric population.

Recreational Activities within Watershed Areas” to protect its pristine source of drinking water.

This is in line with the large amount of different kinds of non-biodegradable wastes recently collected in Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, which is considered Davao City’s next source of drinking

water, wherein most were single-use plastics in river clean-up and brand audit activity conducted by the Bantay Bukid volunteers which is composed of the staff of IDIS and few students from Holy Cross College of Calinan.

In a statement, IDIS stated that most of the accumulated wastes were

single-use plastics. They also collected herbicide bottles, face masks, soiled diapers, bottles, and several sachets.

“Despite our persistent call, the number of collected wastes is not decreasing. Last year of the same month, volunteers collected six sacks

FCITY, P10

Gov’t should take a firm stand on environment policies: Group

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nvironmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) urged the city government of Davao to take a firm stand on various policies it passed last year.

The group is referring to the “No to Single-Use Plastics Ordinance and Ordinance Regulating

FGOV’T, P10

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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A street vendor selling boiled corn picks her nose as she bides time waiting for customers at Bankerohan Public Market in Davao City on Wednesday. Edge Davao

PH debt hits P11.73T in 2021 T

he Philippine national government ended 2021 with a total outstanding debt of P11.73 trillion, pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio slightly higher for the year, data from the Bureau of Treasury released Tuesday showed.

For the month of December, total debt decreased 1.7 percent due to net redemption of domestic securities, the BTr said in a statement.

Debt-to-GDP ratio was at 60.5 percent, higher compared to the 54.6 percent in 2020 “but still within accepted sustainable threshold as the economy continues to recover from

the effects of the pandemic,” the BTr said.

Domestic debt in December was at P8.17 trillion, lower by 3.2 percent compared to the previous month as the repayment of the P540 billion provisional advance from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas outpaced the net issuance of government securities, data showed.

For the full year, domestic debt grew 22 percent in line with the borrowing program that favors domestic issuance to mitigate foreign exchange risks and support local capital market development, Treasury said.

External debt, meanwhile, rose 1.9 percent at P67.81 billion in December compared to the previous month, data showed.

The Bureau said the increase in external borrowing for the month was due to the impact of peso depreciation against the US dollar amounting to P40.87 billion and the net availment of ex-

ternal obligations worth P33.83 billion.

The government increased borrowing in the past few years to fund its COVID-19 war chest. Despite the borrowing uptick, economic managers have said the country’s debt-toGDP ratio remains sustainable.

In 5 and a half years, the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has nearly doubled the country’s debt from P5.95 trillion at the end of June 2016.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has said the next administration will

Service, the Customs said 14 out of the 17 collection districts hit the targets, namely the Ports of San Fernando, POM, MICP, Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, Cebu, Surigao, Zamboanga, Davao, Subic, Clark, Aparri, and Limay.

Last year, the agency said it surpassed its annual revenue collection target by 4.7% or P29.036 billion, collecting

a total of P645.785 billion against its P616.749 billion target.

The BOC attributed the positive revenue collection performance to improved valuation, intensified enforcement against illegal importations, improved compliance by traders to customs laws, the gradual improvement of importation volume, and the government’s effort in en-

suring unhampered movement of goods domestically and internationally.

The Customs is the second largest revenue-generating government agency next to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

For the past two years, the BOC said it was able to surpass its annual target collection by 6.23% and 4.70% respectively even during a global health crisis.

FPH, P10

BOC exceeds collection target in January 2022

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he Bureau of Customs (BOC) said Wednesday it has surpassed its collection target in January this year by P6.035 billion.

In a statement, the BOC said it collected a total of P58.158 billion last month, 11.58% higher than its goal of P52.123 billion for the period.

Citing preliminary report from the its Financial

ECCP exec cites reforms needed to be prioritized by next admin

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olicy reforms of the next administration should focus on curbing corruption and human capital development, an executive of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said.

ECCP president Lars Wittig said a transparent government that upholds public trust is important in attracting investors.

“Denmark has the least corruption in the world, and I’ve seen first-hand how it benefits business. Because when there is a very high trust level and transparency, that really makes business very adaptable and very willing to make investments,” he said in a briefing Monday.

The Philippines will lure more investors if the government increases its spending on human capital development through allocating a higher budget for education and nutrition, Wittig said.

“We are spending less money of our GDP

(gross domestic product) on education,” he added.

Wittig said the country’s spending on education based on the percentage of the economy is relatively low compared to other developing countries.

“And finally, nutrition. It sounds very basic, but nutrition is one of the biggest hurdles in this country to ensure higher likelihood of a productive life from your 50 to 65 (years),” he said.

The ECCP executive said the next administration should bat for inclusive growth and address poverty to enable Filipinos to afford better nutrition.

“It’s the ability to pay money for the right food, not just food, for your children and yourself,” Wittig said.

He also supports new reforms that will improve the country’s agriculture sector as a large population of the poor is working in this sector. (PNA)

EDGEDAVAO

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ECONOMY 5

European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) president Lars Wittig says the next administration’s policy reforms should focus on curbing corruption and human capital development. Edge Davao

DTI-DavNor continues stakeholders’ engagement in program fullfilment T DAR chief highlights importance of teamwork to ensure CARP success

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epartment of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Bernie F. Cruz emphasized the importance of teamwork to ensure the success of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

This was the gist of Cruz’s message during the three-day DAR year-end summative assessment and 2022 direction-setting conference for the Mindanao group which started yesterday February 1, 2022, held in Davao City.

“Let us follow the directives of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Let us also continue what was started by former Secretary John R. Castriciones and finish the acquisition and distribution of lands for the agrarian reform beneficiaries of CARP. When we work together and help each other, we surely can succeed,” Cruz said.

Cruz said the activity is focused on ensuring that the development thrusts of the administration of President Duterte are integrated into the programs and services of DAR. “After the distribution of land, we should focus on how we can provide support services to our farmer-beneficiaries. Let us discuss and find ways on how we can

mobilize resources by coordinating closely with other agencies and field offices,” Cruz said.

The CARP assessment is an annual activity of the DAR to ensure the transparency and accountability of the agrarian reform program.

Cruz said that there is a need to continuously assess the program performance and set the program directions of the Department for 2022. It is also being undertaken to analyze the previous year’s sectorial performances of the DAR on land tenure security, agrarian justice delivery, agrarian reform beneficiaries development and sustainability, foreign-assisted and special projects office (FASPO), and support to parcelization of lands for individual titling (SPLIT) project vis-à-vis its approved targets and fund utilization.

“This assessment would help us evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of CARP implementation in the country,” he said.

The blended assessment and direction-setting conference will be conducted in three separate batches for the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao groups, via face to face and online streaming.

he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office in Davao del Norte has continued to engage various local stakeholders in the implementation of its programs, projects, and activities.

The office has been active in in consumer education and business development initiatives throughout the province even during the pandemic. These are all geared towards providing the much-needed services to its clients.

DTI-Davao del Norte

Provincial Director Romeo L. Castañaga said that his office recognizes the fact that the involvement of stakeholders is crucial when implementing initiatives.

“This is the very reason why we always get out and meet with them. We need to reach out to let them know

what we have in store for them. However, with the health crisis, we need to make sure that we strictly follow the minimum public health standards every time we have a consultation with the business sector and the consuming public,” he said.

To promote and boost the local economy further, the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte, partner agencies, and other stakeholders have continued to strengthen the annual conduct of the Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS) im-

plementation in its 11 local government units (LGUs), which include the three cities and eight municipalities, from January to February this year.

The BOSS is a mandated inter-agency collaboration in each LGU. It is aimed at simplifying the process of registering a business and reporting employees to government social service agencies under the Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018, which the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) leads.

“It is a real fact that the Philippines is a net importer of fertilizer, even if we have the PhilPhos (Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corporation) and Atlas (Fertilizer Corporation), but they are importing their raw materials,” he said.

To date, the price of the commonly imported fertilizer urea is USD900 per ton, which will retail for PHP2,400 to PHP3,000 per bag.

In February and

March 2021, it only cost about USD300.

The price increase is caused by high demand in India, Australia, United States, and Brazil, while big suppliers, like China and Russia, are withholding their exports to ensure their domestic requirements are met, according to Roldan.

Urea is a low-cost nitrogen fertilizer form that promotes green leafy growth and make the plants look lush.

When China asked for a firm offer, Roldan said the DA set the price at USD500 USD. “If they will agree on that, that will help us largely,” he said.

DA Secretary William Dar previously urged farm cooperatives to import fertilizers directly from international producers and suppliers.

He also ordered Roldan to look into a balanced strategy which will utilize non-traditional fertilizer. (PNA)

FDTI, P10

DA-China negotiations on for lower-priced fertilizer

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n an attempt to meet the fertilizer requirement for the first planting season this year, the Department of Agriculture’s Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (DA-FPA) is negotiating with China to lower prices.

The country needs 600,000 metric tons (MT) of fertilizer for the first planting season, according to FPA chief Wilfredo Roldan during a virtual briefer on Tuesday.

The DA inventory currently holds 200 MT.

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 269 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022

On the rollout of vaccination for children aged 5-11 years old:

For this age group ang atoang dosage is lower compared to those other age group which is 0.3 ml dosage but for 5 to 11 years old is 0.2 ml dosage. We will only be using Pfizer vaccine for this age group. We are also waiting for the logistics kasi since ibang age group ito iba pud ang ilahang syringes compared sa adult.”

Dr. Michelle Schlosser

Spokesperson, Davao City Covid-19 Task Force

EDITORIAL Roadmap to face to face learning As we roll out the vaccination program for children in Davao City, hopes are high that pretty soon, face to face classes could resume.

It has been nearly two years since children were in classrooms and meeting their teachers and classmates. When the pandemic kicked in in early 2020, schools have been temporarily closed and school children and students alike were introduced to a new mode of learning outside school rooms and into their own bedrooms and living rooms in front of a screen. It has been that way until now except for some select schools in areas considered as low-risk.

In the coming weeks, more children shall have been vaccinated with their first jabs. It is worth asking what the Department of Education is preparing as a road map to return to physical instruction.

In the words of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, she will

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The Mayor’s statement may have in effect put the debate on the return to physical classes a matter of chicken and egg question.

It looks at this point that while the city government, along with other local governments across the country, has laid out its Covid-19 vaccination road map, the DepEd appears not about ready to come up with its own although it has said many times the return to physical teaching is forthcoming.

The children and their families are looking for not just solutions but more importantly, a concrete plan and roadmap from the Department of Education which could be attuned with the vaccination timeline of the city government.

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

not get her kids vaccinated unless the DepEd bare its plans when to resume classroom learning.

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)

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 269 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

7

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

WRONG MISTEAK “To err is human; to forgive, divine,” wrote Alexander Pope some centuries ago. It was true then, and it is even true today.

Yes, we always make mistakes whether we like it or not, sapagka’t tayo ay tao lamang, to use the Pilipino cliché.

“Error is not a fault of your knowledge,” John Locke once said, “but a mistake of our judgment giving assent to that which is not true.” Charles Caleb Colton also said, “It is almost as difficult to make a man unlearn his errors as his knowledge.”

Some years ago, President Rodrigo R. Duterte made a blunder when he mistook Gabby Concepcion, the handsome actor who is known as the ex-husband of Sharon Cuneta, for the ABS-CBN honcho Gabby Lopez.

Duterte wasn’t the first famous person to commit a blunder nor he will be the last. Carl Sandburg, considered as “one of the greatest American poets and biographers,” had committed a mistake despite the fact he won prizes and awards for poetry and was also well-known as a singer and reciter of American folk songs.

In his famous biography,

“Abraham Lincoln – The Prairie Years,” he wrote: “Lincoln’s mother was standing at the door of their cabin singing Greenland’s Icy Mountain.” The faux pas: the song was not written until twenty-two years after Lincoln’s death!

Who hasn’t heard of Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective created by Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle. His sidekick was Dr. John Watson.

According to the author, Dr. Watson once suffered a bullet wound during a military action.

In the novel, “A Study in Scarlet,” Dr. Watson’s wound is in the shoulder. While in another novel, “The Sign of Four,” Dr. Watson’s wound is in the leg. Now, Sherlock Holmes should figure that one out.

Daniel Defoe also committed an error in his famous novel, “Robinson Crusoe.” In it, the author had his shipwrecked castaway try to salvage some goods: “I resolved, if possible, to get to the ship; so I PULLED OFF MY CLOTHES, for the weather was not to extremity, and took to the water.”

After the naked Crusoe climbed aboard the ship: “I found that all the ship’s provi-

sions were dry; and being well disposed to eat, I went to the bread room and FILLED MY POCKET WITH BISCUITS.” So, suddenly, he had clothes on?

Writers are not the only people who make mistakes.

Painters do, too. When Emanuel (with one M, please!) Leutze painted “Washington Crossing the Delaware,” depicting the Stars and Stripes being carried in the boat. So, where’s the error?

Well, for the uninformed, the Stars and Stripes was not adopted as the American flag until June 14, 1777 – half a year after Washington’s crossing.

In his renowned oil painting, “Israelites Gathering Manna in the Wilderness,” the painter Tintoretto armed Moses’ men with shotguns. But history tells us that the earliest known gun did not appear until 1326, definitely after the Exodus.

Here’s another boner in the world of art. In a portrait of his patron, Charles I of England, Anthony van Dyke painted the king in full armor with two gauntlets (commonly known as medieval gloves) – both for the right hand.

Here’s something to laugh

about. After completing construction of the Howard Hotel in Baltimore, the contractors installed boilers and started fires – before discovering they had forgotten to build a chimney.

Here’s another. Dan O’Leary of the Port Hurton baseball team came to bat against Peioria with the score tied. O’Leary hit what may have been the first home run of his career. After rounding the bases, he was declared out. Why? He had run around the bases the wrong way!

By the way, most of the boners mentioned above were taken from the best-selling “The Book of Lists.”

We learn our lessons from our mistakes. American inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison held a world record of 1093 patents for inventions.

Perhaps, the greatest challenge was the development of a practical incandescent, electric light.

Contrary to popular belief, he didn’t “invent” the lightbulb but rather he improved upon a 50-year-old idea.

In 1879, using lower current electricity, a small carbonized filament, and an improved

vacuum inside the globe, he was able to produce a reliable, long-lasting source of light.

The idea of electric lighting was not new, and a number of people had worked on, and even developed forms of electric lighting. But up to that time, nothing had been developed that was remotely practical for home use.

After experimenting more than 200 different substances, a colleague told him: “You have failed more than 200 times; why don’t you give up?” Edison replied, “Not at all. I have discovered more than 200 things that will not work. I will soon find one that will.”

After one and a half years of work, success was achieved when an incandescent lamp with a filament of carbonized sewing thread burned for thirteen and a half hours. “All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes,” commented British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“There are no mistakes in life; there are only lessons to learn,” sang multi-awarded singer and actress Barbra Streisand in one of her movies.

Apt!

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

BAYAN INTRAMURALS IN 1985 No different from today’s partisan squabbles, Bagong Alyan-sang Makabayan-Mindanao (BAYAN-Mindanao), in 1985 in Da-vao region was wracked with dissent. Central to the discord was the line-up of probable candidates for Davao City’s mayoral slate in the next local elections.

BAYAN-Mindanao, a militant group, met on July 14, 1985, in Cagayan de Oro for a consultation assembly attended by opposi-tion representatives from all over Mindanao.

Five names from allied political parties were chosen as likely of-ficial opposition bets, namely: Zafiro L. Respicio, then a PDP-Laban assemblyman; former Davao City mayor Luis T. Santos; Silvestre Bello III, a Mindanao Alliance (MA) member and son-in-law of Santos; Proculo Fuentes, a labor leader

with the MA; and former 1971 Constitutional Convention delegate Dominador Car-rillo, also an MA stalwart. Except for Santos, the four prospects were lawyers.

The United Nationalist Democratic Organization was part of the alliance but failed to land a slot in the list because Fuentes op-posed the inclusion of former Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Davao chapter president Prospero C. Nograles, a nominee of Bello.

In a statement, Fuentes disowned Nograles as a real opposition, saying he was a “Trojan horse planted in the opposition camp by the KBL (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan).” The reason for the defiance was unclear. What was publicly known then was the link of long-time Davao City councilor Antonio S. Castillo, uncle of Nograles, to the Co-

juangco bloc, a known Marcos clique.

The consultation took up three important agendas, namely: (i) a recommendation for a united elector strategy; (ii) a precampaign strategy that focuses on propaganda, village meetings, formation of slates, dialogue with political parties, and use of tri-media; (iii) and creation of a committee to handle logistics accumulation and disbursement.

Oddly enough, during December 29, 1984, meeting of the oppo-sition’s Convenor’s Group, with Respicio as a mouthpiece, Nograles was invited. Among the attendees of the gathering were Soledad Duterte, mother of President Rodrigo R. Duterte; Davao City councilor Dominador B. Zuño, Jr; activist-lawyer Newton Sancho, brother of 1971 Queen

of the Pacific Nelia Sancho; Nograles, Bello, and Carrillo.

During the get-together, the group also agreed to visit the polit-ical prisoners at the Philippine Constabulary barracks (now Camp Domingo Leonor), in the city which at the time included activist Karl Gaspar, now a Redemptorist religious; Joel Maglungsod, later Anakpawis party-list representative; Juliet de Vera, wife of New People’s Army (NPA) commander Benjamin de Vera; Fr. Eduardo Tizon, a Catholic priest; and labor leader Dominador Montera.

In the same meeting, Respicio issued a statement, which ap-peared in the December 30, 1994, edition of People’s Daily Forum, saying the unabated killing of civilians and military servicemen has remained unchecked as manifested by the “several headless bodies of ci-

vilians… found along the highways and streets… felled down with bullets [from] unknown assassins.”

He predicted that sooner or later “Davao City will be a micro-cosm of (violence in) the country five years from now,” adding the prevalent peace and order conundrum has forced the city residents to “living dangerously.”

In the end, the multi-party opposition bloc backed Respicio as an official mayoral bet against OIC-vice-mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was endorsed by the local Nacionalista Party faction led by Davao City mayor Elias B. Lopez. Duterte was the replacement of his mother Soledad, wife of former Davao governor Vicente G. Duterte, who turned down the offers to run for mayor due to her advanced age and personal disinterest.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

Live. Love. Local: Usher in the Year of the Tiger at Go Hotels

Jumpstart the year with a relaxing staycation with your family and friends at Go Hotels. Celebrate the festive month of February with a Lunar New Year reunion or a Valentine family sojourn.

Under the hospitality arm of Robinsons Land Corporation, the following hotels re-introduce its “Live Love Local” promo for only P1,400nett (room-only) : Go Hotels Iloilo, Go Hotels Iligan, Go Hotels Butuan, Go Hotels Bacolod, and Go Hotels Lanang- Davao.

Local heritage, cultural, adventure and food offerings abound in each of these destinations to provide visitors, from near and afar, an unforgettable experience to

start the new year right.

One could witness the stunning Gigantes Island in Iloilo, visit the city of majestic waterfalls in Iligan, feast on Bacolod’s lip-smacking chicken inasal, reconnect with the historical culture of Butuan with its deep-rooted museums and churches and experience the home of countless wonderful adventures at Lanang-Davao!. Most Go Hotels are conveniently located just a few steps away from a Robinsons Place mall complex for your shopping, dining, and even for your government documents processing needs.

Go Hotels, with modern day designed rooms and amenities, are also

equipped with elevated standard of hygiene and cleanliness protocols based on the requirements of World Health Organization and Department of Health and Sanitation. This ensures a worry-free stay experience for guests from pre-arrival to post-departure touch points im-

plemented in all Go Hotels nationwide.

The special offer is valid until February 28, 2022. All guests must present travel requirements as mandated by the local government unit. Visit www.gohotels. ph for the list of operational hotels prior to booking.

For inquiries and reservations, contact +63 917 888 7788 +63 998 888 7788/+63 (2) 8 397 0111 or email reservations@gohotels.ph from

Monday to Friday (8am to 5pm only). or, check out Go Hotels on Facebook and gohotels_ph on Twitter and Instagram for more updates on Go Hotels.

More than half of organizations face gaps in their zerotrust implementations according to a fortinet survey

John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet “With the evolving threat landscape, transition to work-from-anywhere, and the need to securely manage applications in the cloud, the shift from implicit trust to zero trust is top of mind for organizations. Our survey shows while most organizations have some form of a zero-trust strategy in place, they fall short of a holistic strategy and struggle to implement some core zero-trust security basics. An effective solution requires a cybersecurity mesh platform approach to address all zero-trust fundamentals across the infrastructure, including endpoint, cloud,

and on-premises, otherwise the result is a partial, non-integrated solution that lacks broad visibility.”

News Summary Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled the Global State of Zero Trust Report. The survey reveals that while most organizations have a vision of zero trust or are in the process of implementing zero-trust initiatives, more than half of organizations cannot translate this vision into the solutions they are implementing because they lack some basic core fundamentals of zero trust.

For a detailed view of the findings and some important takeaways read the

blog. Highlights of the report follow: A FortiGuard Labs Threat Landscape Report demonstrated an increase in the volume and sophistication of attacks targeting individuals, organizations, and increasingly critical infrastructure. Organizations are looking for solutions to protect against these evolving threats and zero trust is top of mind, but for multiple reasons. Additionally, the shift to workfrom-anywhere has put a spotlight on zero-trust network access (ZTNA) in particular, as organizations need to protect important assets from workers connecting from poorly protected home networks.

Confusion Over Defining Zero-Trust Strategies

The report illustrates some confusion about what comprises a complete zero-trust strategy.

Respondents indicated they understand zero trust (77%) and ZTNA (75%) concepts and over 80% reported already having a zero-trust and/or ZTNA strategy in place or development. Yet, over 50% indicated being unable to implement core zero-trust capabilities. Nearly 60% indicated they do not have the ability to authenticate users and devices on an ongoing basis and 54% struggle to monitor users post-authentication.

This gap is concerning because these functions are critical tenets of zero-trust and it brings into question what the actual

reality of these implementations is across organizations. Adding to the confusion are the terms “Zero Trust Access” and “Zero Trust Network Access,” which are used sometimes interchangeably.

Zero Trust Is Top of Mind and Priorities Are Varied Priorities for zero trust are “minimizing the impact of breaches and intrusions” followed closely by “securing remote access” and “ensuring business or mission continuity.” “Improving user experiences” and “gaining flexibility to provide security anywhere” were also top priorities.

“Security across the entire digital attack surface” was the single most important benefit cited by

respondents, followed by a “better user experience for remote work (VPN).”

A vast majority of the survey respondents believe that it is vital for zero-trust security solutions to be integrated with their existing infrastructure, work across cloud and on-premises environments, and be secure at the application layer.

However, more than 80% of respondents indicated that it is challenging to implement a zero-trust strategy across an extended network. For organizations without a strategy in place or development, obstacles included a lack of skilled resources with 35% of organizations using other IT strategies to address zero trust.

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ENVIRONMENT

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Agusan Marsh

M

ost people think wetlands are wastelands. But they are not.

“Wetlands matter in the fight against climate change,” the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), points out.

“When they are burned or drained, they go from being a carbon sink to a carbon source.”

But that’s getting ahead of the story.

Every February 2, the international community observes the World Wetlands Day to raise awareness about wetlands. This year’s theme is: “Wetlands Action for People and Nature.”

“This underscores the significance of our concerted actions in conserving our natural resources like wetlands,” the Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB). “It’s an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing and to

Puerto Princesa Underground River

restore those we have degraded.

“Wetlands play important roles like storing clean water for our use, providing a home for nature, keeping us safe from flood and storms,” adds ERDB, a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Therefore, we should do our part to conserve and protect our wetlands.”

Paul A. Keddy, author of Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation, defines wetland as “an ecosystem that arises when inundation by water produces soil

WETLANDS NEED TO BE PROTECTED Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

dominated by anaerobic processes which, in turn, forces the biota, particularly rooted plants, to adapt to flooding.”

A patch of land that develops pools of water after a rain storm would not be considered a “wetland,” even though the land is wet. Specifically, wetlands are characterized as having a water table that stands at or near the land surface for a long period each year to sup-

River trail

port aquatic plants.

Under the Ramsar International Wetland Conservation Treaty, wetlands are defined as follows: Article 1.1: “… wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide

does not exceed six meters.”

Article 2.2: “(Wetlands) may incorporate riparian and coastal zones adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than six meters at low tide lying within the wetlands.”

In simpler terms, wetlands occur where water meets land. They include mangroves, peatlands and marshes, rivers and lakes, deltas, floodplains and flooded forests, ricefields, and even coral reefs.

The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise of wetlands and their resources.

The Philippines enforced the Ramsar Convention throughout the country on November 8, 1994. Since then, Ramsar has designated eight

wetlands of international importance: Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in Agusan del Sur, Naujan Lake National Park in Oriental Mindoro, Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Cebu, Negros Occidental Coastal Wetlands Conservation Area in Negros Occidental, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan, the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Sulu Sea, the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area of Metro Manila, and Sasmuan Pampanga Coastal Wetlands in Pampanga.

Two Ramsar sites have been declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as world heritage sites, namely Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park.

Peatlands, also known as mires, have been con-

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for the Filipinos to unite.

“Pagkakaisa at pagmahal sa ating bayan ang panawagan ni Mayor Inday Sara kasama si former Sen. Bongbong Marcos, at ito ang diwa at hangarin ng Uniteam. Ang tagumpay ng Uniteam ay tagumpay nating lahat,” it said.

Frasco also stated that Mayor Sara thanked Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy and all the members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ for their support and prayers.

“Pinapasalamatan din po ni Mayor Inday Sara si Pastor Apollo Quiboloy at lahat ng miyembro ng Kingdom of Jesus Christ sa kanilang suporta at panalangin para sa tagumpay ng Uniteam BBM-Sara,” it said.

Quiboloy, who led the

prayer for the sendoff ceremony of MNAP, announced that KJC is supporting the BBM-Sara Uniteam of Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and his running mate vice presidential candidate Mayor Sara for the upcoming May elections.

“Marami ang nagtatanong kung sino ang susuportahan ng The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, ang sabi ko sa tamang panahon, ito na siguro ang panahon para sabihin ko sa inyo kung sino, 100 percent ako po ay sumusuporta sa Uniteam na kinabibilangnan ng pinakamamahal, pinalanggang mayor sa Davao City na karon mudagan bilang vice president ug si Marcos ug ilahang senatorial slate,” Quiboloy said.

ately extended its support to the fire victims following the incident last January 15.

In a report obtained from the Davao City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the fire gutted down 24 houses and partially damaged two houses leaving 40 families and five borders,

for 149 individuals homeless.

The fire started at around 9:20 a.m. and was able to be controlled by the firefighters about 10:49 a.m. The authorities then had to fix the cracks on the bridge following the incident, which left more than P2 million amount of damage.

additional manpower to man their animal quarantine checkpoints as they plan to expand it to ba-

rangay roads to properly monitor the possible entry of pork products from AF-affected areas. (PNA)

of mixed wastes. And while the policies protecting the watershed area are in place, strict implementation is still a challenge,” it said.

IDIS is also urging the barangay local government units in Panigan-Tamugan Watershed to rigorously manage and monitor recreational and agri-business activities within their jurisdiction as these contribute to the pollution of our water supply by abandoning and discarding their garbage into the river indiscriminately.

In June last year, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio signed the ordinance “No to Single-Use Plastics Ordinance of 2021” banning the use of single-use plastics in Davao City.

Among the provision states that single-use plastics such as drinking cups, ice cream cups, condiments or gravy containers, cup lids,

stirrers, cutleries, straws, meal boxes, pastry or cake boxes, egg containers or clamshells, balloon sticks, and hand gloves are no longer allowed to be sold, used, or distributed for free without a special permit to distribute and/or use single-use plastic products.

Meanwhile, the Watershed Management Council (WMC) passed two separate resolutions last year following the collected waste materials in the city’s watershed, especially in the Panigan-Tamugan River.

These are Resolution No. 3 - A Resolution Declaring that Trekking Activities are Prohibited in the Watershed Areas of Davao City; and Resolution No. 4 - A Resolution Adopting the Proposed Guidelines on the Conduct of Recreational Activities Within the Watershed Areas of Davao City. By Maya M. Padillo

see the country’s debt rise to around 63 percent to 64 percent of its GDP, from just 29 percent in 2019.

To bring the debt level to around 40 percent of GDP, the Philippines will need to grow 6 to 6.5 percent per year, he said.

ana Pacers), Herbert Jones (New Orleans Pelicans), Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls), and his Rockets teammate Alperen Sengun.

Charlotte Hornets guard and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball spearheads the sophomores in the field as he is joined by Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), Isaac Okoro (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings), Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic), Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey (Detroit Pistons), Precious Achiuwa (Toronto Raptors), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers),

Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), and Jae’Sean Tate (Houston Rockets).

The four players from the NBA G League Ignite team which will be distributed to the four squads are Jaden Hardy, Dyson Daniels, Scoot Henderson, and MarJon Beauchamp.

Legends Rick Barry, Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas, and James Worthy will select their teams of seven as they compete in a “race to 75” mini-tournament, with the first two games being the first to 50 and the winners of those games being the first to score 25 to commemorate the league’s 75th anniversary.

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“Naga plano pa pud ang vaccination team kung mag put up pa ta ug usa lang ka vaccination hub for pediatric population. The team is still planning for that but one thing is definite its either early next week we will be able to roll out vaccination for 5 to 11 years old. Ang isa pa na ginapaabot nato karon is the vaccine itself kasi naa siya difference from the other age group na atoang ginabakunahan,” she said.

For the parents who wish their children 5 to 11 years old to be vaccinated, just present parental consent and for children with comorbidities a medical certificate is required.

Schlosser said the Department of Health (DOH) provided a template for the medical certificate that would be filled up by pediatricians for uniformity that would be avail in the different vaccination hubs.

“For those kids nga naay comorbidities kinahanglan i-present ang medical certificate pero this time we wanted

a uniform medical certificate so naa ta’y template sa medical certificate which will be distributed sa atoang vaccination hubs para mao to inyong ipa fill up sa mga pediatricians.

Kasi iba iba ang na receive na mga medical certificates and to validate the medical certificate, nag create na ug template ang Department of Health.

Makuha nila ang ilahang copy of medical certificate template sa atoang different vaccination hubs, all they have to do is ask for it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Schlosser shared that the city has recorded a good turnout in inoculating children aged 12 to 17.

She said as of January 28, 2022 a total of 135,138 individuals received the first dose and 116,181 for the second dose.

“And we continue to give vaccines to this age (12 to 17) group,” Schlosser said.

The city government of Davao commenced the vaccination of children aged 12 to 17 in October last year.

danao, Sultan Kudarat, South

Cotabato, and parts of North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Sarangani.

NPA batch surrender Meanwhile, Army officials in Sultan Kudarat province are convinced that the communist movement in the province continues to weaken with the surrender of two field commanders and six of their followers in Lebak town recently.

On Monday, Brig. Gen. Eduardo Gubat, commander of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, said the surrenderers returned to the folds of the law in two batches at the 37th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Barangay Tibpuan, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat on January 24 and 26.

“Their surrender is a huge setback to the mainstream communist terrorist group and is an indication that their group is continuously weakening,” Gubat said.

Lt. Colonel Allen Van Estrera, commander of the 37th Infantry Battalion, said the surrenderers belonged to the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Daguma, Far-South Mindanao Region (FSMR) oper-

ating in the tri-boundaries of Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani provinces.

Representatives from the military, police and local government units witnessed the surrender rites, he said.

The former NPAs turned over an M16 rifle, two .45-caliber pistols, and a fragmentation grenade.

Uy said the surrender of the NPA leaders can be attributed to the concerted efforts of the different government agencies under the Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict of Sultan Kudarat.

“Eventually, the communist movement will become irrelevant as their members and the communities they have threatened already came into the realization of the importance of having a peaceful and sustainable community,” he said.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the governments of the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)

“The province of Davao del Norte has been implementing this program every year, giving appropriate information and services via one stop shop facility to guarantee that business owners will enjoy convenience and speedy completion of their documents. We want to seek and enact improvements in government systems and procedures to increase our efficiency, transparency, and accountability; that’s why we’re doing this consistently. As a result, BOSS helps the province achieve its goal of promoting economic growth and development,” the provincial trade official shared.

During the implementation of BOSS 2022, DTI-Davao del Norte convened the representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs). Dubbed as the CSO Consultation and Partners’ Forum, the activity served as the avenue to gather valuable inputs from them. On January 12, it was conducted using a hybrid setup of Zoom teleconferencing and face-toface meetings with the selected LGUs province-wide.

“The purpose of the consultation was to involve the civil society, such as the non-government organizations or NGOs, academe, business groups and other private and business sector partners in assessing the effectivity of

our programs and services for the past year. At the same time, get recommendations from them relative to the initiatives and projects that we’ll have in 2022,” Castañaga said, adding that with the one-day convergence, they were able to evaluate the acquired data through stakeholder analysis.

As a result, it helps in improving the agency’s planning and implementation activities.

These inputs and suggestions are then assessed if they are aligned with DTI’s mandate and how they can be integrated into their regular functions.

The provincial director further noted that the strong ties and harmonious relationship they have built with their partners through the years have been a great help. ”The MSMEs and other stakeholders have become more resilient and empowered as a result of this cooperation, especially with the diverse mix of institutional partners who truly support DTI’s programs and services incessantly,” Castañaga concluded.

In 2021, DTI-Davao del Norte assisted a total of 5,509 MSMEs through trainings, product development, business consultancy, provision of business starter kits, marketing assistance, and other services. DTI11

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firmed in Sab-a basin in Leyte and Agusan March in Mindanao. There are also some reports that peatlands also exist in Ligawasan Marsh in Mindanao, Dolongan area in Basey, Samar, Southern Leyte, Mount Pulag in Northern Luzon, Surigao del Norte, Northeastern Mindanao, and Naujan Lake Marshland.

According to BMB, the first basic function of wetlands is that they ensure fresh water. “Wetlands provide us with drinking water,” it explains. “Only 0.75% of the world’s fresh water is accessible for direct human uses. The United Nations estimates that 2 billion people will not have access to safe drinking water by 2025.”

Wetlands also filter harmful waste from water.

“Eighty percent of wastewater is discharged into the natural environment without any form of treatment,” BMB says. “The abundant plant life in wetlands absorbs waste, which helps purify water.”

Unknown to many, wetlands are nature’s shock absorbers. “Wetlands are a natural buffer during extreme weather.

They store heavy rainfall during storms, which reduces flooding and delays the onset of droughts,” BMB states.

Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former head of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, agrees. “Mangroves serve as coastal buffers and reduce coastal erosion,” he says.

The wetlands are also very important when it comes to biodiversity. “Wetlands are home to more than 100,000 freshwater species,” BMB says. “They are essential for many amphibians, reptiles and migratory birds.”

Ornithologist Arne Jensen, who heads the records committee of Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP), told Philippine Daily Inquirer: “Birds that live in wetlands, or spend some time of their life in wetlands, are about 150 species or 22 percent of the Philippine avifauna. Most waterbird species have adapted to the drastically changing conditions of wetlands through their migratory behavior.”

Wetlands also guarantee food supply. “Wetlands provide important food products like fish and rice,” BMB says. Fish and rice are the country’s staple food.

Each day, Filipinos consume about 31,450 metric tons of rice, according to former agriculture secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol.

In addition, wetlands sustain livelihoods.

The BMB says wetlands support 61.8 million people that earn their living directly from fishing and aquaculture.

The role of wetlands when it comes to the problem of climate change cannot be ignored as they store carbon. “Peatlands alone hold 30% of all carbon stored on land,” it says.

“This is twice the amount stored in the world’s forests, providing resilience against climate change.”

In fact, wetlands “play a significant role in climate

change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation,” to quote the words of Loren Legarda, a staunch environmentalist.

Take the case of mangroves. “Mangroves act as natural barriers in coastal areas, protecting communities from storm surges, waves, tidal currents, and typhoons,” said Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, a professor of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines in Miag-ao, Iloilo.

Some scientific studies have shown that “a barrier of mangroves over 100 meters wide can reduce wave height by between 13% and 66%.” In addition, “a per kilometer width of mangroves can weaken storm surge by 5-50 centimeters and surface wind waves by more than 75%.”

Some years back, a powerful storm surges brought by typhoon Gener caused flooding in Manila’s Bay area, forcing the Senate to shut down for a second time in a week and the US Embassy to cancel work at its chancery and suspend consular services.

Concrete seawalls that supposed to shield Roxas Boulevard were destroyed causing flood waters to submerge the area.

Concrete seawalls are not permanent solutions; they are expensive and will ultimately breakdown,” says Dr. Elmer S. Mercado, former undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Dr. Mercado cites the case of the tsunami that hit Japan some years back. “The 10-meter-high seawalls did not save them,” he says.

“What was worst was they got complacent that they continued building infrastructures along the coastal areas.”

If it happened in Japan, he says it will also happen in the Philippines. “We are worst here,” he reminds.

“So, the best solution is to remove all settlements further back from main coastal areas and shorelines.”

Wetlands, particularly mangroves, can serve as a natural safeguard against disasters and calamities.

“Mangroves serve as coastal buffers and reduce coastal erosion,” points out Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, an academician with the National Academy of Science and Technology. “The coastline of Manila Bay used to be full of mangroves. But with overexploitation and human settlements, they were denuded.”

Yes, despite their myriad uses, wetlands are not given much prominence. They are neglected and not given importance. “Encroachment on, or loss of, wetlands can cause serious environmental damage to the ecosystem, so they should be restored and rehabilitated when possible,” the DENR suggested.

Wetlands should be conserved through “wise use,” which Ramsar Convention defines as “the maintenance of their ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development.”

of Stone” Lineker.

Fortunately for him, Sangiao has already walked this path before with former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, and though that

ride turned out to be short, what’s more important were the lessons that the Baguio-based stable got along the way -- one that they aim to utilize with the next generation now in tow.

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Jordan Poole goes 9 for 24 in 34 minutes of action. PHOTO: AP

Warriors rally to beat Spurs Sangiao expects big things

F

rom the early beginnings of Team Lakay, legendary coach Mark Sangiao knew he had a gem in Stephen “The Sniper” Loman.

It was only a matter of time for everyone to see how capable his debuting ward would be in the world’s largest martial arts organization, ONE Championship..

Yet Sangiao’s wait didn’t really need to be that long as Loman was seemingly shot like a cannon in his first fight inside the ONE Circle. He wasted no time showing his pedigree, stopping erstwhile no. 3-ranked contender Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev for the first round technical knockout victory at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II last December.

Relying on his heavy hands, Loman battered Saadulaev with powerful punches that forced the referee to call for the bell at the 4:09 mark of the first round, a resounding victory for his first fight in ONE Championship.

As much as Loman turned heads in his promotional debut, it was something that Sangiao expected.

“I was not surprised knowing the fight record

and experiences of Stephen and that he was a long reigning champion for some years in another promotion,” he said. “What I was surprised of was Yusup’s game plan of exchanging strikes with The Sniper.

Striking is the bread and butter of Team Lakay as we all know and we were expecting a ground game from Yusup, but he didn’t try to take the fight to the ground.”

Another thing that Sangiao anticipated was Loman shooting up the official rankings at ONE, going up as high as taking Saadulaev’s spot at the top three, noting, “He pulled a clean win over Yusup who was holding the third rank, so to me, this should automatically put Stephen into the top five in the division.”

There’s one thing clear to Sangiao, though: Loman’s honeymoon period is now over.

With a performance like that, Loman certainly put everyone on notice that he could be considered as a potential opponent for those listed over him, especially the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and the next challenger John “Hands

FSANGIAO, P10

S

AN ANTONIO — Jordan Poole had 31 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 17.9 seconds remaining, and the short-handed Golden State Warriors beat the San Antonio Spurs, 124-120, on Tuesday night (Wednesday, Manila time) for their seventh straight victory.

Golden State rallied from a 17-point deficit despite being without Stephen Curry, Klay Thomp-

son, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins on the second night of a back-toback.

Damion Lee had 21 points for the Warriors and Moses Moody added 20.

Dejounte Murray led San Antonio with 27 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Murray had a pair of baskets in the final minute, including a 15-footer that gave the Spurs a 120-119 lead with 40 seconds remaining.

Poole put Golden State back ahead from the left corner after several players

dove on the floor for a loose ball in a wild scramble following a Warriors miss.

San Antonio led by as many as 17 points in the second half, but Golden State’s depleted roster fought back. Lee’s 3-pointer with 2 minutes to go gave the Warriors a 117-1114 lead, their first since the game’s opening minute.

Lee’s previous 3-pointer cut the Spurs’ lead to 114112.

Green to vie for slam dunk title

F

ilipino-American cager Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, will compete in the Slam Dunk Contest in the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland.

Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the story as the Houston Rockets rookie will showcase his athleticism and showmanship against Orlando Magic’s Cole Anthony, Golden State Warriors’ Juan Toscano-Anderson, and New York Knicks’ Obi Toppin.

Green, of Filipino descent, averages 14.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists this year for Houston.

He is looking to become the 15th rookie to win the Slam Dunk title, last done by Hamidou Diallo in 2019.

Last year’s winner Anfernee Simons was not brought back for this

Jalen Green hopes to join 14 players who won the dunk contest in their rookie year. AP

year’s contest.

Aside from the Saturday festivities, Green will also be part of Friday’s Clorox Rising Stars event.

Joining him in the play-

er pool are fellow rookies Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers), Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors), Jalen Suggs and

Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder), Davion Mitchell (Sacramento Kings), Chris Duarte (Indi-

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Pinoy alpine skier Asa Miller is the lone Filipino entry in the Beijing Winter Olympics.

LONE ENTRY

Pinoy skier vows to do best in Winter Olympics

Y

ANQING, China – Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino met face-to-face with alpine skier Asa Miller on Wednesday and encouraged the country’s lone representative in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to give it his best shot.

With a world-class field who’s much more veteran than the 21-year-old Miller, Tolentino said the Filipino-American could pull off an improbable task and join the ranks of Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz and company.

“Remember what I gave our Olympic medalists—the gold, the silver and the bronze? I gave them a house and lot each in Tagaytay. Get one,” Tolentino told Miller during a meeting among the members of Team Philippines at the National Alpine Skiing Centre atop Xiaohaituo Mountain.

“The gold medalist [Diaz] got more than a million dollars,” said Tolentino, the first POC president in memory to attend the Winter Olympics since the country started qualifying athletes to the Games in Sapporo, Japan, in 1972.

The Portland (Oregon)-based Miller humbly responded to Tolentino’s challenge.

“I’ll do my best … there are lots of best skiers out there. It takes time, I have to build and take the process,” said Miller, who thanked Tolentino and the POC and the Philippine Sports Commission for supporting his campaign.

POC chief legal counsel Billy Sumagui accompanied Tolentino on the trip to the Winter Olympics. The duo was then joined

by Chef de Mission Bones Floro,

Athletes Welfare Officer Joebert Yu and Philippine Snowboarding and Ski Federation President Jim Apelar in meeting Miller.

The Winter Olympics commence on Friday with Miller hitting the slopes for the men’s giant slalom on February 13 and the slalom three days later.

Tolentino, meanwhile, said he will explore the development of winter sports in years to come.

“It’s really an honor to have Asa here to represent our country, this is a very expensive sport, you have to pay for everything— the gear, including the gondola,” Tolentino said. “We will explore the Winter Games sports and we will try to find more Filipino talents.”

The Philippines has been consistent in qualifying athletes at least in the last three Winter Olympics although figure skater Michael Martinez missed the Beijing edition after Sochi 2014 where he was the first Southeast Asian to vie in the event and Pyeongchang 2018.

In the Summer Games, the Philippines booked its first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with Diaz’s victory in women’s -55 kgs of weightlifting and its best finish yet in the biggest sports competition in the world with boxers Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio clinching silver medals and Eumir Felix Marcial bagging a bronze. (PR)