Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 271 | Saturday, February 5, 2022

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Some bar candidates disallowed after testing positive for Covid-19 STORY ON PAGE 2

Workers conduct a repair of Bolton Bridge 1 along Quimpo Blvd. in Davao City whose structural integrity was affected by a fire that hit the area last month. Edge Davao

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 271 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

Vice presidential aspirant Mayor Sara Duterte is greeted by her supporters upon her arrival in Tacloban, Leyte as part of her Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas Ride. Handout photo

BARRED BARRISTERS Some bar candidates disallowed after testing positive for Covid-19

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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n undisclosed number of examinees has been barred from taking the Bar Examination set this weekend after they tested positive for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR).

The two-day examination is slated at the Ateneo de Davao Senior High School in Bangkal, Davao City.

“I do not have the exact

number but yes we have examinees who supposedly mag-exam pero dili allowed magtest because they tested positive for RTPCR. Unfortunate kaayo ni

kay gipreparahan gyud sa atoang mga future lawyers.

What can we do, we are only following the guidelines pag positive RT-PCR test talaga, we left with no choice but not to let them take the exam,” Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, said.

Schlosser also said that some of those who test-

he Davao City Anti-Scam Unit is tracking establishments previously linked to fake vaccination cards following reports of the proliferation of unauthorized vaccination cards and vaccination exemption cards.

In an interview with Davao City Disaster Radio on Thursday, Anti-Scam

Unit Head Simplicio Sagarino said that after a successful entrapment of fake vaccination cards last year his office continues to monitor these establishments.

“Naay nadakpan ang kapulisan ana, na-entrap sa Diaz Mall. Nag plead guilty last year. Ato napud nga gina-monitor ang maghimo anang vaccination card

diha gihapon sa area nga atong na mention (Our police officers were able to entrap someone from Diaz Mall last year and the person already pleaded guilty.

We are still monitoring if there are people who are making these cards in the same area),” Sagarino said.

Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte during the

ed positive have appealed to the city government of Davao to allow them to take the exam.

“Dili nako ma-approximate ug dili lang ko maghatag ug data na dili ko sure because I do not know how many examinees ang mag take ug bar but we have several cases who have appealed to us na gusto gyud

Special Hour Program over Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday has warned the public against possessing or issuing vaccination exemption cards and unauthorized vaccination cards.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has warned the public that there is no

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Anti-Scam Unit keeps eye on firms linked to fake vax cards T FANTI-SCAM, P10

Advisories issued vs 2 firms operating in SEC Davao’s AOR

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he Enforcement and Investor Protection Department of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued another set of advisories against several entities soliciting investments from the public without the necessary licenses.

The following corporations have operations within SEC-Davao’s Area of Responsibility (Davao Region, Soccsksargen, Cotabato City and Maguindanao Province): 1. WELLCONS UNLIMITED SYSTEMS, INC. (WELLCONS) 2. ASTRAZION INTERNATIONAL, ASTRAZION NOBLE TASK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION and ASTRAZION GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC. For the complete list of advisories, you may visit h t t p s : / / w w w. s e c . gov.ph/investors-education-and-information/ advisories/WELLCONS UNLIMITED SYSTEMS, INC. (WELLCONS), with principal office located at P15A, National Highway, Bagontaas, City of Valencia, Bukidnon and headed by MERARI PAILAGAO, is enticing pro-

spective individuals to join the company through the “binary system” and “pangakabuhayan system”.

Securities and Exchange Commission – Davao Extension Office 2F SDC Bldg., Purok 13 Maa Road, Davao City, 0915-327-4459, 0933455-3547 The “pangkabuhayan system” is actually the “double-your-money ” scheme of the company where the package/s availed of by the member will earn Php3,000.00, Php5,000.00, and Php10,000.00 for Bronze (worth Php1,500.00), Silver (worth Php2,500.00), and Gold (worth Php10,000.00), respectively.

However, the guaranteed income of Php3,000.00, Php5,000.00, and Php10,000.00 shall be given to the investor based on a daily rewards of Php15.00, Php25.00, or Php50.00 depending on the package availed of, which total guaranteed income could be earned within more or less six (6) months.

Investor-members belonging to the company’s Top 20,000 members shall also be entitled to Profit

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 271 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

NEWS

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The tip of the communication tower of the abandoned RPN-DXKS along Capitol Road, which collapsed during typhoon “Odette,”blocks Peñaranda Street in Surigao City. At least 30 media workers were out of jobs due to damages of different radio stations in Surigao del Norte. MindaNews Photo taken February 3, 2022 by ROEL N. CATOTO

3 Davao hospitals signify intent for children’s vaccination rollout Typhoon Odette victims receive free solar lights

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ictims of typhoon Odette in Siargao Island have received free solar lights from various chapters of Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Dubbed “Linawag Sa Dilim” (Light In The Dark), the project aims to bring solar lights to farmers and fisher folk in some remote villages in the island.

“We knew for a fact that electric supply to remote villages will take some time, and with our little help through solar lights, we can help alleviate difficulties of our dear farmers and fisher folk in these tough times of our lives,” said Architect Jupiter Copag of JCI Surigao who chairs the project.

JCI Legazpi Dawani, JCI Manila and JCI Surigao Nickel also contributed their resources to the project.

The distribution of the solar lights started a week after the typhoon hit, and has continued with some

individuals channeling their donations through JCI Surigao Nickel.

JCI Surigao Nickel has been accepting donations of solar lights, other goods and cash for typhoon victims in the whole province.

In its report the group led by its president, Engr.

Thirdie Chua, said it has delivered relief goods to 8,000 families and counting as of Thursday.

Clifford Gonzales, a well-known fisherman in Pilar town received the donations on behalf of his fellow fishermen.

“Gamit karajaw ini (These are very useful) because they have charger gadgets as well,” Gonzales said.

“I was surprised because you (JCI members) came late at night and gave these awesome stuff, the solar lights, our nights are lighted,” Domingo Basul, a farmer-fisherman in Barangay Salvacion, said in the

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By MAYA M. PADILLO

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hree Davao City hospitals have signified to pilot vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, according to an official of the Department of Health-Davao Region.

Dr. Janis Olavides, DOH-11 vaccination team leader, said on Friday that Davao Medical School Foundation (DMSF), Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH), and the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) agreed to pilot the pedi-

atric group inoculation in Davao City.

“There are already initial talks in Davao City spearheaded by the City Health Office together with the hospitals here in the city. Right now, three hospitals signified sila ang musugod ug hatag

vaccination for the 5 to 11. I think some hospitals are still discussing if they will also be part of the vaccination,” Olavides said on Friday.

“Davao City plans to start vaccination in the hospitals. Then they will have special sites and this will proceed down to the district level sites,” Olavides said.

Olavides said DOHDavao is recommending that there should be a separate lane for the

pediatric population to deter giving the wrong vaccine to 5 to 11 years old.

“Kung ang inyuhang implementing units isa lang ka area ang ilang vaccination sites. It will depend also on the LGU kung mao ni ilang strategy. Naa sila’y isa ka special site na didto lang bakunahan ang 5 to 11 years old and a separate vaccination site for the 12 years old and above,” she said.

in the National Capital Region (NCR) was supposed to start.

“Definitely, naa gyud na domino effect kay kung wala sila’y allocated na vaccines definitely ang mga regions and LGUs will also be affected. Mag expect ang taga Davao na instead katong gina-push nato na Monday (February 7) na mahitabo ang roll out sa 5 to 11 years old, dili na

possible because we don’t have vaccines yet,” said Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson for the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force.

She said the good thing about the postponement is the city still has enough time to prepare for the pediatric vaccination roll out.

Schlosser said the city will engage the tertiary hospitals, public and private, in Davao City for the

pilot.

“Kung unsa atong makita na practices sa pilot we will be continuing that.

Kung unsa man ang atong nakita na dili epektibo then we will be enhancing it,” she said.

Schlosser also said that this age group will be vaccinated with a 0.2 ml dosage of Pfizer vaccine. She added that a different syringe

Inoculation of children postponed

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accination for children aged 5 years old to 11 years old slated Monday is not likely to happen.

This after the Department of Health (DOH) deferred the pediatric Covid-19 vaccination due to logistical challenges in obtaining the Pfizer vaccines which are set to arrive on February 4, 2022, the same day the inoculation drive

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 271 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

A vendor on a customized bicycle cart peddles street food despite the moderate to heavy rain being experienced in Davao City on Friday. Edge Davao

Inflation eases F to 3% in January

56% of total complaints filed with BSP in 2020 resolved

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nflation or the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services continued its downtrend in January 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

Inflation clocked in at 3% last month, slow-

er than the 3.6% rate recorded in December

2021.

“Ang dahilan ng pagbagal ng antas ng inflation nitong Enero 2022 ay ang mas mabagal na paggalaw ng presyo ng Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and

Other Fuels na may 4.5% inflation at 77.1% share sa pagbaba ng pangkalahatang inflation sa bansa,” National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said at a virtual press briefing.

Strong competition policy to boost innovation, create more jobs: NEDA

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ocioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said on Thursday that a strong competition policy will help strengthen the Philippines’ foundation to achieve upper-middle-income country status, and to sustain growth towards high-income country status in one generation.

“By fostering a business-friendly environment and a level playing field that welcomes all players, we can promote more innovation, create more and better jobs, and accelerate our growth,” Chua said during the 2022 Manila Forum on Competition in Developing Countries of the Philippine Competition Commission.

In his message, Chua said that prior to the pandemic, the Philippine government had pursued game-changing reforms to improve the country’s global competitiveness ranking.

These include the enactment of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act, the Philippine Innovation Act, and the Rice Tariffication Law, as well as the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, he said.

“As a result, in 2019, our ranking improved to 44th among 141 countries in the most recent Global Competitiveness Index ranking on business dynamism. We

also ranked 52nd –or top 37 percent– on product market efficiency,” he added.

Chua said during the pandemic, the Philippine government has continued to pursue reforms to improve competition which formed part of the country’s economic recovery program.

Among these are the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Act, which lowered the regular corporate income tax and made the grant of fiscal incentives system more performance-based, targeted, time-bound, and transparent.

Chua said the government is also pursuing three

economic liberalization bills. These include the Amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act which has been enacted, the Amendments to the Foreign Investments Act which has been sent to the President for his signature, and the Amendments to the Public Service Act which both Houses of Congress have ratified.

“These landmark reforms will relax restrictions on foreign ownership, bring in more innovation, create more and better jobs, lower prices, improve quality of service, and maximize the benefits of CREATE to attract more investments into the country,” he added.

ifty six percent of the 23,275 total complaints logged with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in 2020 have been resolved in favor of the financial consumers, BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said.

In a virtual briefing on Thursday, Diokno said the favorable resolution of the complaints include reversal of the disputed transactions back to the consumers’ accounts and agreement of BSP-supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) to the requests of their clients.

“Thirty five percent

of these complaints were deemed acted upon by the concerned BSFIs although case resolutions were not shared with the BSP,” he said.

Last year, the central bank received a total of 9,181 financial consumer complaints but Diokno said these are still being assessed.

“The complaints resolution process is constrained by the BSP’s limited legal authority to adjudicate,” he said.

Diokno said this is the

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PCC to bar developers, telcos on exclusive ISP deals with tenants

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he Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is finalizing a memorandum circular seeking to prohibit developers and telecommunications firms from imposing exclusive deals between internet service providers (ISP) and tenants of property development projects.

“We, in the Commission, are working in finalizing a draft memorandum circular hopefully to be jointly issued with other regulatory agencies involved in property development and in information and communications technology, which will essentially lay down the general principle that exclusivity arrangements, in so far as internet service provision or telecommuni-

cations entities or cable TV (television), is sought to be prohibited,” PCC Commissioner Johannes Bernabe said in a briefing Thursday.

Bernabe said the memorandum circular aims to provide a mechanism that will ensure there will be no exclusivity arrangements that disadvantage consumers.

He said the antitrust authority has received around 100 complaints due to anticompetitive conducts of limiting the entry of ISPs through an exclusive internet connectivity deal between developers and tenants.

The Competition Enforcement Office issued advisory letters to 13 prop-

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ECONOMY 5

A pedestrian walks by a Jollibee outlet in Davao City. The fast-food giant has announced the opening of its first restaurant in West Malaysia on February 8. Edge Davao

BOC-Davao exceeds Jan. collection target

Jollibee to open first store in West Malaysia on Feb. 8

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omegrown fast-food giant Jollibee will open its first restaurant in West Malaysia on February 8.

In a statement on Thursday, Jollibee said its

first store in West Malaysia features the brand’s latest restaurant design with bright and bold wall murals that showcase Jollibee’s menu items, long history in the food business, and wide

More Filipino farmers now use hybrid rice seeds: DA

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ore Filipino farmers are now using hybrid rice seeds that produce higher profit compared to traditional rice seeds, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said on Thursday.

“Hybrid [rice seeds] adaptors earn more. They can get as much as 260 bags per hectare. Although the farmers would spend more in purchasing these seeds, the return or profit also is higher,” Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia, program director of the DA Philippine Integrated Rice Program, said

during a bi-weekly presser.

He said as of January 15 this year, areas planted with hybrid rice seeds cover 614,619 hectares, out of 1.52 million hectares used for rice plantation.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar has been urging rice farmers to look into the production of hybrid rice to improve production and earn higher profits.

“This is one opportunity that we offer to rice farmers to elevate their gain, elevate their productivity, and become more competitive...

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store network around the world.

The restaurant, located at Sunway Pyramid, Klang Valley, can accommodate 62 people following govern-

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he Bureau of Customs (BOC) - Port of Davao reported Thursday that it has exceeded its January 2022 revenue collection target.

In a statement, BOCDavao said they have collected PHP3.3 billion or 2.22 percent higher than its assigned target of PHP3.23 billion last month, posting a surplus of PHP71.60 million.

The collection is also higher by 9.49 percent compared to the January

2021 collection performance of PHP2.95 billion.

Lawyer Erastus Sandino Austria, the BOCDavao district collector, attributed the positive revenue collection to the improved valuation, intensified enforcement operations, and the gov-

LPC director for commercial leasing Mikko Barranda said Thursday during the Philippines Real-Estate Outlook for 2022 online event with NordCham Philippines.

With the easing of quarantine restrictions and more mobility, Barranda said he expects these transactions to speed up now that key decision makers based outside the Philippines can travel more freely in the country.

At the end of 2021, live requirements likely to be

concluded within 1H 2022 was a significant 224,000 square meters.

LPC said the workplace and key business districts will remain key economic centers even if work-fromhome (WFH) arrangements were prevalent last year.

Omicron merely pushed back the plans of many firms to ask their employees to gradually return to the workplace, it said.

“Office contractions remain at their lowest. We are

ernment’s efforts in ensuring the unhampered movement of goods amid the pandemic situation.

“Tax collectors have always been unpopular, but there is nothing more satisfying than helping in nation-building through raising revenue. I am most proud to be part of this organization and to have the privilege to lead Collection District XII (Davao, Dadiangas, Mati, Parang),” he said. (PNA)

Growing biz confidence to keep office market strong in 2022

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hilippine office demand will continue to grow driven by information technology-business process management (ITBPM) firms despite challenges posed by coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) variant Omicron, according to a real estate brokerage services firm.

“Omicron has affected only office expansion timelines but not the business confidence of IT-BPMs and other firms in the country,”

seeing tenants renew leases in anticipation of recovery,” Barranda added.

The work disruptions experienced by many in the Visayas in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette in December highlighted the importance of fully-equipped workplaces. Massive power outages left scores of employees working from home unable to function. Thus, IT-BPMs and other firms in Cebu scrambled for the few

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 271 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

On bar candidates disallowed to take the exams after testing positive for Covid-19:

I do not know how many examinees ang mag take ug bar but we have several cases who have appealed to us na gusto gyud nila mag exam even if they tested positive. But we cannot do anything at the moment kay we are only following the guidelines of the city.”

Dr. Michelle Schlosser

Spokesperson, Davao City Covid-19 Task Force

EDITORIAL Dream killer Known as the final hurdle to a career as a lawyer, the Bar Examinations is the last obstacle to many dreamers to the legal profession.

Aside from being the most prestigious, it is also the toughest.

The Bar Exams will be rolled out in a different way this year in many parts of the country including Davao City. It is a departure from the usual examinations held only in Metro Manila. That’s a welcome relief for bar candidates from the province who, in the past, have to endure four Sundays in Manila spending a fortune for the four-weekend examinations. It also meant having to be away from one’s comfort zone. That is why the Bar Exams have been for a longtime dominated by Manila-schooled barristers because of the socalled “homecourt advantage” during the four-Sunday grind, not to mention the review period--a preparation that runs up to one year.

That ‘handicap’ endured by pronvinciano bar candidates has been eliminated with the new system. Lucky for the provincianos,

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With a number of Dabawenyos and hundreds more from provinces around the country, we are cheering behind them in this journey. Their dreams are but a hurdle away. They will be filtered by the tough test. Only those who are lucky to hurdle the Bar will be able to practice law.

While we’re thankful for Covid-19 that the new Bar Exams system was finally implemented, we also rue the fact that because of the infection, some will not be able to chase their dreams this weekend.

That is because those who tested positive in the RTP-CR test won’t be allowed to take the Bar.

In effect, the added challenge these barristers are facing head on make passing this Bar Exam doubly sweet.

To the dream chasers, we’re all behind you.

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

they need not spend that much or be away from their families.

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 271 • SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

THE SUBJECT IS LOVE In the beginning, God created man and his name was Adam.

But the Creator observed that he was alone and lonely. And so, He allowed the first man to fall asleep and took one of his ribs and formed into a woman (“because she was taken out of man”).

When Adam saw Eve for the first time, he was struck with her beauty. The Bible was silent about what happened next but we’re sure Adam courted Eve relentlessly. At the end of the day, he won her heart and so God initiated the first wedding ever recorded. “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

That was love started. These days, love is all over the place, anywhere, everywhere. “Love is such a powerful force,” said Coretta Scott King. “It’s there for everyone to embrace – that kind of unconditional love for all of humankind. That is the kind of love that impels people to go into the community and try to change conditions for others, to take risks for what they believe in.”

True, love has a colossal force.

The Hanging Garden of Babylon, for instance, came to be because of – yes, you’re right! – love. The Taj Mahal in Agra, India was another wonder wrought by love.

In fact, it is known as “the world’s

greatest monument to love.”

In like manner, love has served as the inspiration which has given artists the reach to touch genius. The great Italian Petrarch indicated lines to an unrequited love (for his beloved Laura) and in the process gave the world the sonnet. Two disappointments in love drove the post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh to devote all his time to his painting, in the process creating eloquent portrayals of the tragedy of modern man.

The tender love story of Romeo and Juliet lingers to titillate the imagination of many. The undying and unselfish love of Cyrano de Bergerac for Roxanne makes people, particularly the ladies, misty-eyed. Jane Eyre finding fulfillment at last in the love of brooding Edward Rochester sends tingles up and down our spines. In all these stories, which have been brought to the movie screen, love conquers all.

While replete with happiness, love can also be tragic indeed.

Just how many crimes have been committed in the name of love?

There was that case of a woman who abandoned her mansion and sailed away when she failed to convince her boyfriend to settle down in peace and quiet as a plain and ordinary citizen. She died on a desert rocky isle in the Caribbean Sea.

Police blotters are cluttered with cases of unrequited, ill-fated loves. Perhaps Oscar Wilde was right when he wrote: “Every man kills the thing he loves; the coward does it with a kiss, the brave with a sword.”

In Hollywood, we often hear most marriages end up in divorce. But there are also marriages that were made in heaven, too.

Charles Bronson married English actress Jill Ireland on October 5, 1968 – and they remained a couple until her death in 1990.

The two met in 1962 when she was still married to Scottish actor David McCallum. The two actors were doing a movie entitled The Great Escape. He told David, “I’m going to marry your wife.”

In 1953, Paul Newman met Joanne Woodward. Five years later, he married her. They remained married for fifty years, until his death in 2008. Although one of the most-sought after actors, he was very faithful to his wife. In fact, they starred together in several movies.

At one time, Newman was asked about infidelity, he famously replied, “Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?”

If fifty years is a record, wait till you know the marriage of Charlton Heston (yes, the actor who appeared in Ten Command-

ments and earned an Oscar for Ben-Hur). When he died on April 5, 2008, he was married to Lydia for 64 years.

In the Philippines, perhaps the long-lasting marriage was between the late Fernando Poe, Jr. and Susan Roces. They tied the nuptial knot on Christmas Day in 1968 when he was 31 and she was 27.

“As far as I was concerned, we were able to adjust easily. I belong to a generation where wives were submissive to their husbands,” Roces told Greggy V. Vera Cruz of People Asia. “Since I had already achieved what I wanted in the career before I got married, I was willing to take one step behind him. FPJ ruled the family. He was the King, but the rules of the Queen must stay and must be followed.”

Roces knew that her husband had other flings. “I love and admire him; and, apparently, there were many of us who did so. But I remain his one and only wife,” said the actress who is still appearing in some movies and television series.

Today’s generation may never hear of Barbara Perez and Robert Arevalo but old timers sure do. Their love story started in the 1960s, the time when Hollywood was casting Filipino actors in the movies. Perez was one of those being cast in Man is

an Island (1962) which starred Jeffrey Hunter.

Perez was invited to go to Los Angeles for publicity shots to promote the movie. One of those she met while there was the famous Hollywood actor, Cary Grant. “He had a gray suit and a yellow shirt,” she recalled.

“I was tongue-tied and could not answer questions except with a yes or a no. He concluded by saying that he hoped I would sign up with the studio for a five-year contract.”

Yes, Perez was offered for a five-year contract with Universal Studios. Arevalo learned about it and so he did the unthinkable: he proposed to hear by sending a telegram. “I didn’t want to call her long-distance because overseas calls were expensive even at that time,” he was quoted as saying. “We were both young and selfish and very much in love.”

Perez rejected the Hollywood contract and instead signed the marriage contract. When she arrived at the airport, Arevalo asked her, “Will you marry me?”

To which Perez answered affirmatively. Less than two weeks after that, the two were married in Baguio at the St. Joseph Church.

Ah, love!

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

HOTEL MAGUINDANAO Owned by the Robillo family, Hotel Maguindanao was the tallest landmark in the city’s central business district in the seventies, rising seven stories and bearing idyllic signage reminiscent of the colorful designs associated with the tribe that inspired its name.

Located at 86 Claro M. Recto Avenue, Davao City, the hotel was home to Studio 7 Disco, a ballroom arena fitted with Cerwin Vega speakers, the first in the city. It was not just a preferred lodging for travelers, it also hosted numerous conventions given its accessibility and location.

On July 6, 1985, it was the site of a forum-workshop on the legal medical-legal responses to torture, which the Free Legal Assistance Group and Manananambal Alang sa Hamugaway’ng Nasod supported. And on June 27, 2002, it hosted the

‘Bilis Serbisyo Ng Pabahay Alay Sa Kawani Ng Pamahalaan’ of the Philippine Government Employees Association.

In 1985, the hotel’s Rajah Café became the hot seat of the headline-hogging interview of lawyer Cesar S. Europa, then president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Davao del Sur chapter, who was grilled about the Asia Foundation legal aid grant scandal.

In the March 11-17, 1985 issue of The Mindanao Mirror-Bulletin, Tony Ajero, in ‘A Matter of Propriety,’ said Europa’s submission to intense media roasting was an astute step given that he “was fast becoming the butt of jokes which are not funny among gossipy attorneys and newsmen who are just as given to effeminate tattling. It was a valiant effort to be candid as can be on an issue that could have remained aphotic if he

didn’t decide to face the music.”

In the August 13, 1989, Felipe Pogoy hostage crisis that led to the deaths of five hostages and all 16 inmates, the hotel, given its vantage view of the police camp at the back, was the staging area for snipers targeting hostage-takers. The hotel’s bar, meanwhile, was the crime scene of the killing of city councilor Cesar Robillo, son of the establishment’s founder, on May 18, 1991.

Tragedy struck the hotel on January 23, 2004, when it was hit by a huge fire that broke out in the early evening at Room 204, near the kitchen, which had three guests. The hour-long blaze struck the second and third floors. Damage to the property was placed at P30 million.

The day the fire occurred, Kasan Travel Agency, a new tenant, was slated to open at the hotel’s ground floor. When the business closed, it was tackling several

debt issues. Efforts to revive the hotel failed due to hard economic times, stiff competition, and a reduction in customer influx.

Hotel Maguindanao is the brainchild of Isaac T. Robillo Sr., a Cabanatuan City guy who found a fortune in logging in Davao after leaving the government as an inspector with the agriculture bureau. Prior to this, he was a clerk in Davao in the same office before he was transferred to the eastern seaboard where he met his wife, Socorro Gonzales, a native of Cateel, Davao Oriental.

After the war, he accepted the offer of mayor Pantaleon Pelayo Sr., to become chief of police of Davao City. He held on to the post for three years (1945-48) before venturing into logging after acquiring a commercial forest concession in the area at the boundary of Davao and Bukidnon. He also rebuilt wartime surplus trucks which he

used in his new project. Later, he set up a timber processing factory in Calinan district and, with success, engaged in logging overseas.

Robillo is the first to build a medium-rise city edifice, which he christened Hotel Maguindanao. Most of the money he initially invested in the venture was proceeds from logging savings from Indonesia. Known also for his philanthropic activities, he is best remembered for a hospital in Calinan which was erected by the family in his memory.

Isaac’s marriage to Socorro produced a huge brood of eleven children, namely: Isaac, Jr., a retired judge; Cesar, a former city councilor; Ruben, a medical doctor; Leticia, an entrepreneur; Eduardo, Oscar, Lizabeth, Lourdes, Luningning, Luzminda, and Soledad. He died in 1991 at age 77. He was posthumously given the Datu Bago Award in 2001.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

JobStart produces 100 graduates from Panabo

Some 100 youth from Panabo City successfully completed the series of training and internship under the JobStart Philippines Program on January 28, 2022. The completers, together with their parents, attended the JobStart Wave 3 Graduation Rites conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment XI and the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) at Panabo Multipurpose Cultural Tourism and Sports Center, Panabo City, Davao del Norte.

The JobStarters have undergone three cycles to complete the program, which includes life skills training, technical training

and internship within the required time frame.

During the ceremony, the partner employers, namely Panabo Multipurpose Cooperative, SND Foods International, and Gaisano Grand Mall of Panabo, gave recognition to those who excelled during their training and internship. The recognition for the Most Outstanding JobStart Trainee was awarded to Jessa V. Dolorosa, Kenneth S. Gabatin, and Jeric R. Albos.

The Leadership Award was given to Kate Jean E. Amador, Kenneth S. Gabatin, and Arvin C. Bitang, while the Most Improved JobStart Trainees were Va-

nessa O. Corpuz, Reyshiel D. Tabaranza, and Rey G. Gumba.

DOLE XI OIC-Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy commended the completers and wished them the best of luck in their efforts to move or-

ward. “Remember this milestone, as well as the lessons you’ve learned from this experience. We hope that this will be the start of your wonderful journey to become the better versions of yourselves,” he added.

Meanwhile, Assistant

Secretary for Employment and General Administration Cluster Dominque R. Tutay congratulated the completers through a video message, “I was proud and

thrilled to hear your stories.

Another wave of competency, diligence and integrity has been produced. Congratulations, our JobStarters!”

Of the 100 completers, 66 were hired by various partner and non-partner employers, while the rest opted to continue their studies.

tilapia will soon rise in the Municipality of Malita, Davao Occidental.

This came after the Department of Agriculture-XI (DA-XI) has turned-over

P40-million worth of interventions to the Southern Philippines Agri-Business and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) for the implementa-

tion of the Fish Processing and Innovation Hub under the Sustainable Agriculture and Fisheries Enterprise (SAFE).

The package of interventions include the establishment of the P20-miliion Fish Processing Building and Cold Storage, P8.5-million for agricultural supplies and ICT equipment, P6-million for machinery which include a reefer van, P3.5-million for operating and utility expense and P1-million is allocated for skills training.

In a turnover ceremony held recently at SPAMAST in Malita, Davao Occidental, DA-XI Regional Technical Director for Operations Dr. Marila L. Corpuz said that the initiative is part of the key strategies of the department to level up the agri-fishery sector.

“This project is part of the DA’s goal to establish Agri Industrial Business

Corridors (ABCs) with Fisheries Management Areas and trading posts to provide our smallholder farmers and fisherfolk access to resources, including state-of-the-art production technology, capital, and value-adding facilities. We are so lucky that Davao region is one of the four regions chosen as pilot areas for this project,” Corpuz said.

She added that with the needed facility and equipment, the community will soon produce volume of thermal processed products, dried and smoked bangus and tilapia which could meet the required quality in both local and international standards.

“In partnership with SPAMAST and LGU, we will make sure that our smallholder fishers would really benefit from this project thru agreements with Small and Mid-size Enterprises (SMEs),

The graduation ceremony was also graced by DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office Chief Angelina A. Talingting, DOLE XI Regional Employement Focal Marlito D. Ayala, and representatives from PESO and the Local Government Unit of Panabo.

JobStart Philippines is a program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) that aims to develop the youth’s skills and discover their potentials as they prepare to enter the world of work. The program provides the youth with career coaching, life skills and technical trainings, and internships with employers.

P40-M Fish Processing and Innovation Hub to rise in Davao Occidental town

A service facility that would further improve the agri-fishery enterprise in the Davao region especially in the processing and value-adding of bangus and

fish cages, pens and fish pond owners as cooperators,” she said.

Meanwhile, SPAMAST President Dr. Ruth Lucero said that the institution will also ensure the active involvement of women and youth organizations, alumni associations, and even the balikbayan to provide additional source of income.

“Aside from our goal for this project to promote and market registered fish products from the locale, we will also involve students in its research component for which matured outputs will eventually benefit the farming and fishing community,” said Lucero.

The turnover program was followed by the groundbreaking ceremony for the 512-square meter SAFE building which is expected to operate in October this year.

(Celso C. Vergara, DA-RAFIS11)

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Most likely to dropout (Shutterstock)

TEENAGE PREGNANCY GETS NATIONAL PRIORITY

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

courtesy of World Vision and Shutterstock

I

n June last year, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 141 declaring teenage pregnancies “a national priority” as the number of cases were expected to rise due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Since most people were locked in their homes and there was nothing to do, there was a tendency that these young people may likely commit what couples usually do. In fact, several studies have shown that during the time of pandemic, cases of teenage parenthood “have exponentially escalated.”

Even before the pandemic, teenage pregnancy was already a huge problem. The Philippine Statistics Authority, as cited in the EO, reported that 183,967 live births were recorded among adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old in 2018, and 180,916 for the same group in 2019.

In a survey conducted in 2020 by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), it was found that 59% of Filipinos believed that early teenage pregnancy is “the most important problem women face today.”

Thus, the EO stressed the need to implement measures that address the root causes of the rising

number of adolescent pregnancies.

“The State shall mobilize existing coordinative and legal mechanisms related to the prevention of adolescent pregnancies, and to strengthen the adolescent’s capacity to make autonomous and informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual by ensuring access to comprehensive sexuality education and reproductive health and rights services,” the EO read.

Recent studies have shown that 13% of Filipino girls aged 15-19 are already pregnant. Demographers call this phenomenon teenage pregnancy. It happens when a female, who is less than 19 years old, becomes pregnant.

But what is alarming is that there are now girls below 15 years old who are already expecting a child.

That’s according to The Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum), an advocacy organization that helps educate

communities on reproductive health and rights.

“We work on the ground, and the problem is real and worrisome,” Benjamin de Leon, president of The Forum, said in a press statement. “Our most recent encounter was a 10-year-old pregnant girl.

We come face-to-face with teen girls who have stopped schooling because they have started childbearing, and this scenario worsens in areas with poverty and lack of education.”

Findings of the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted

by PSA in 2017 unveiled gripping statistics: one in 10 girls aged 15-19 have begun childbearing. “About 8% were already mothers and 2% were already pregnant with their first child,” the report said.

What is alarming is that three regions in Mindanao – Davao region, Northern Mindanao and Southwestern Mindanao – recorded the highest rates of teen pregnancies at 18%, 14.7% and 14.5% respectively. All these were above the 8.6% national average.

In a Health and Lifestyle feature, author Ma. Vanessa L. Estinozo quoted Dr. Jean S. Tay, director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Teen pregnancy (World Vision)

at Davao Doctors Hospital, on some factors why teenage girls are most likely to get pregnant: “If they are living together with their boyfriend, they are out of school, their parents are separated or one is overseas, they engage in sex at a young age and/or if they use condoms improperly.”

On the latter, Dr. Tay pointed out that “the risk of teen pregnancy increases 11.6 times with the use of condoms.” As such, she believes “sexual abstinence” as “the more effective and rightful solution.”

In Western countries, teenage pregnancy may not be surprising at all. But in a developing country like the Philippines, it may come as a shock – particularly among religious leaders.

“From time to time, we always emphasized that pre-marital sex is morally wrong!” said a Catholic priest.

Poverty has been cited as one of the primary reasons why teen pregnancy is thriving! Data from the United Nations Population Fund showed that teenage pregnancy has a huge rate in the country, particularly among the poor. Two-thirds of Filipino women who give birth before age 20 belong to the low-class society.

But poverty is just one of the causes. The website of the Youth in the Philippine Society (YPS) cites other reasons: · The immature and irresponsible behavior arising due to complex teenage psychology is another im-

portant cause of teenage pregnancies.

Teenagers often go through several emotions because of their own transition from childhood and peer pressure. · The dearth of sexual education among teenagers causes them to get abortions as they ultimately realize their inability to bear the responsibilities of being a parent at such a young age. · The lack of attention and affection from family resulting in depression forces them to seek love and support from other people, especially members of the opposite sex. · Overprotection gives rise to frustration and a feeling of not being loved and cared for. Thus, bal-

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nila mag exam even if they tested positive. But we cannot do anything at the moment kay we are only following the guidelines of the city,” she said.

Schlosser said the RT-PCR testing requirement for the

examinees is similar to travelers entering Davao City, which the swab result is valid at least 48 hours to 72 hours.

“Nagtest man sila ug positive so pasok pa sila sa active cases from the date of swabbing,” she said.

such thing as “Covid-19 vaccination exemption cards” that are allegedly used by unvaccinated individuals to be exempted from stayat-home orders, ride public transportation, and enjoy other privileges.

DILG clarified that the government will never issue nor recognize such cards because this runs counter to the government’s national vaccination program to inoculate the majority of the populace to achieve population protection.

The city’s Anti-Scam Unit, according to Sagarino, is open to receiving complaints on any transactions involving such unauthorized vaccination cards, investment scams, among others.

“Ato lang pahimang-

nuan ang atoang constituents na kung naa mo’y query and pagduda free man ang atong office alas otso hangtod alas singko, Lunes hangtod Biyernes (We would like to inform our constituents that if you have query or doubts, you are free to visit our office which is open from 8 am to 5 pm, Mondays to Fridays,” Sagarino said.

The office of the Anti-Scam Unit is located at Door 7, Ramon Magsaysay Park Complex Davao City.

The hotline number of the office is 082-225-6044.

More advisories on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on unauthorized investments are posted on their official Facebook Account: https://www. facebook.com/ASU.gov/. CIO

Sharing equivalent to 20% of the company’s earnings to be distributed among them, Loyalty Bonus equivalent to 10% of the company’s earnings shall be distributed among the Top 5,000 members, and Global Pool Reward equivalent to 5% of the company’s earnings shall be distributed among the Top 1,000 members.

WELLCONS lures the public to invest in their scheme mainly through referral system designed to encourage its members to recruit others in order to earn income instead of selling on the merits of its products.

The scheme of WELLCONS is a hybrid of a pyramiding and a ponzi scheme.

The Pyramiding scheme involves securities because for payment of a sum of money, often nominal, the investor participates in a recruitment scheme that promises.

The scheme that requires recruitment in a twopronged structure takes the form of a pyramid, one that grows wider at the bottom, and thrives with the supply of new recruits to the scheme. Here, the recruitment fees collected from new recruits are used to pay the recruiting commissions to earlier recruits.

ASTRAZION INTERNATIONAL, ASTRAZION NOBLE TASK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION and ASTRAZION GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC., on the other hand, is luring the public to invest their hard-earned money by promising them lucrative earnings of 3% daily depending on the amount of the AZNT token package availed of for a period of 100 days.

The minimum amount AZNT token packages range from its “Starter package” amounting to $100.00 or (P5,000.00) up

to “Double Platinum/Titanium” package amounting to $10,000.00 or (P500,000.00).

The income generated

by ASTRAZION does not appear to be derived from viable business sources but solely from the purchases by the public of an unregistered “AZNT Tokens” being paid by its current investors and by the newly- recruited members.

The public is reminded that any offer or promise of ridiculous rates of return with little or no risk similar to the scheme of ASTRAZION is an indication of a possible “Ponzi Scheme” which is defined as an investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by the new investors.

Per record of the Commission, WELLCONS, and ASTRAZION INTERNATIONAL, ASTRAZION NOBLE TASK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION and ASTRAZION GLOBAL HOLDINGS INC. although registered with the Commission, have no secondary license to solicit, accept or take investments/placements from the public nor to issue investment contracts and other forms of securities defined under Section 3 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) since it has not secured prior registration and/or license from the Commission as prescribed under Sections 8 and 28 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC).

Those who act as salesmen, brokers, dealers or agents in selling, convincing or recruiting people to invest in illegal schemes may be prosecuted and held criminally liable under Section 28 of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) and penalized with a maximum fine of five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) or a penalty of twenty-one (21) years of imprisonment or both.

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will be used in administering the vaccine for the said group.

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.

The Department of Health (DOH) provided a template for the medical certificate that would be filled up by pediatricians for uniformity that would be availed in the different vaccination hubs. By Maya M. Padillo

vernacular.

Meanwhile, groups from Lanao del Norte came recently to extend aid to the typhoon victims in the island.

Sittie Aminah Dimaporo led the Inner Wheel Club in distributing several truckloads of construction materials, relief goods, among others to the victims.

Dimaporo brought along different chapters of Eagle Club in Lanao del Norte to distribute their assistance in Burgos, San Isidro and Sta. Monica

towns, the areas worst hit by the typhoon.

“It’s part of our commitment to help people in these trying times, and we thank the people of Lanao del Norte and NGOs who shared their resources and spend sleepless nights in order to bring aid to typhoon-stricken areas of Siargao,” she said.

Her group also gave aid to at least 300 Muslim families in Dapa town whose houses were leveled by Odette. (Roel N. Catoto/ MindaNews)

reason why monetary authorities support the passage of the proposed Financial Consumer Protection Act, which the Senate approved on third and final reading on Wednesday.

“The Financial Consumer Protection Act will ensure that the BSP has the legal authority to conduct hearings or claims for payments or requiring reimbursement to consumers,” he said.

Diokno said the BSP is mandated by Republic Act (RA) No 11211, otherwise known as the New Central Bank Act, to promote a

broad and convenient access to high quality financial services and to consider the interest of the public.

Thus, the issuance of, among others, the Financial Consumer Protection (FCP) Framework in 2019 mandating BSFIs to make consumer protection an integral part of corporate governance, risk management, and culture.

“The FCP Framework requires BSFIs to do no harm” and protect consumer rights by observing customer-centric standards of business conduct,” he added. (PNA)

erty developers regarding this matter, he added.

Bernabe said that of the 13 developers, eight have agreed to comply and correct their anticompetitive practices and five are still undergoing processes to comply.

Those that will not rectify their anticompetitive behavior will be subjected to further investigation by the enforcement office, he

said.

“Both on an enforcement track as well as on an advocacy track —in terms of trying to come up with regulation or regulatory framework to forestall the continued practice of exclusivity arrangements— the Commission is actively involved in ensuring that those practices are sufficiently regulated,” he added. (PNA)

ment physical distancing guidelines.

“West Malaysians can finally get a taste of the brand’s world-famous Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, Yumburger and Spicy Chickenjoy,” Jollibee said.

In July last year, Jollibee announced it formed a joint venture company, through its Singapore-based wholly-owned subsidiary, Golden

Plate Pte. Ltd. (GPPL), with Beeworks Investment Pte. Ltd. (BIPL) that will own and operate Jollibee stores in West Malaysia.

Under the agreement, the parties will establish a company in Malaysia that will be owned 30% by GPPL and 70% by BIPL. The joint venture aims to open at least 120 stores within 10 years, starting in 2022.

having more income that they can use for their basic necessities,” he noted.

Palay production increased from 19.29 million metric tons (MMT) in 2020

to 19.96 MMT last year.

Dar said if not for the typhoons “we would have easily increased our production per annum”.

(PNA)

fitted office spaces available to keep operating.

“Although many firms will continue to adopt a hybrid set-up allowing some

to work from home, (the) majority still recognize that workplaces in business districts offer redundancy,” Barranda said.

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ance is the key to avoid this problem. Lack of affectionate supervision of parents or guardians results in adolescents or teenage girl’s becoming pregnant.

“Sex outside of marriage with multiple partners has consequences,” wrote Dr. Mildred R. Yutuc, an obstetrician-gynecologist, in an article which appeared in Health and Home. “And when the girl is only in her teens, the consequences are truly serious.”

Some experts claim that due to becoming pregnant during adolescence, teen mothers are very likely to drop out of school because of their lost ambitions and dedication to getting an education.

The Annual Poverty Indicators Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed school dropouts have reached more than 2.97 million, 61.9% of whom are girls aged 16 to 24 who are forced into “marriage or family matters.”

“The number showed that the reason for the high dropout rate of girls is marriage and family matters, which can be treated also as teenage pregnancy,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones was quoted as saying by Philippine Star.

Both the young mother and her baby face a life-threatening situation, according to De Leon. “The bodies of adolescent and teen girls are not yet ready for the physical demands of childbearing,” he said.

“Their babies bear the burden of this unhealthy condition that can lead to infant mortality, as babies born to teen mothers have far lower survival rates.”

Again, due to poverty, “many of those involved in teenage pregnancy die off prematurely because of lack of proper medical attention” the YPS website stated.

A study done by the Population Institute of the University of the Philippines said more than

46% of teenage pregnant women resort to induced abortion. In fact, two out of every 5 teenage pregnancies are unwanted ones, the study said.

Aside from death, De Leon said the most common result is stunting, a condition characterized by slow or impeded growth.

Stunting occurs from the time of conception to the first two years of life, also called the “first 1,000 days,” that is caused by the poor nutritional status of mother and child.

Meanwhile, the EO signed by Duterte placed government youth councils or the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) front and center.

SK leaders are encouraged to develop their own anti-teen pregnancy policies and support adolescent mothers.

The responsibilities of SK groups include educating the youth about sexual and reproductive health, even in non-formal education settings, and normalizing respectful dialogue on the topic and providing rights-based measures to help pregnant girls and young mothers continue and finish their education.

Other responsibilities are the following: creating vocational training opportunities; following up on young mothers who dropped out of school; and ensuring functionality of anti-violence against women and children desks in barangays.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) is trying its best to help those who are already mothers at a young age.

“We would like to give teenage mothers a fighting chance in life and be productive citizens after giving birth,” said POPCOM Chair Ernesto M. Pernia. “We are mobilizing local government units to advocate that those who are about to give birth be given access to family planning methods.”

the Olympic Movement and consistently championed the Olympic spirit. China is committed to pursuing the Olympic ideal with concrete actions.

“By preparing for and organizing the Winter Games, we have successfully engaged 300 million Chinese in sport on snow and ice. We have also promoted regional development, ecological conservation, green and innovative solutions and the betterment

of people’s lives in China, and created greater space for the development of winter sport worldwide,” he said.

Noting that the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will open on Friday, Xi said the world is turning its eyes to China, and China is ready.

“China will do its best to deliver to the world a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, and act on the Olympic motto ‘Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together’.” (Xinhua)

rebounds, but he missed a running jumper along the side of the lane at the buzzer that would have given the Lakers the victory.

Malik Monk added 21 points for the Lakers, who saw their injury troubles continue after Carmelo Anthony left the game late in the first half with a right hamstring injury.

The Lakers were playing their fifth consecutive

game without LeBron James, who has a knee injury, while Davis was playing in his fifth game after missing 17 contests with his own knee injury.

The Clippers know injury issues well. They have played without Kawhi Leonard (knee) all season, while Paul George was out for the 27th time over the last 29 games because of a ligament tear in his right elbow.

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11

The Olympic flame arrives in Beijing.

China vows streamlined, safe Winter Olympics

B

EIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday delivered a video address at the opening ceremony of the 139th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), saying that China will do its best to deliver to the world a streamlined, safe and splendid Olympic Winter Games.

Xi extended a warm welcome to IOC President Thomas Bach and IOC members who have gathered in Beijing, the first city to host

both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, during the Spring Festival, and held the 139th IOC Session.

Noting that the world

today, under the combined impact of changes unseen in a hundred years and a once-in-a-century pandemic, is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation and facing multiple challenges to humanity, Xi said the IOC has led the Olympic Movement in forging ahead with courage and fortitude, playing an important and unique role in galvanizing global solidarity and cooperation to tide over this difficult

time.

He thanked the IOC for its active contribution to the development of sport in China over the years and for its strong support and guidance for China’s bid and preparation for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

Xi stressed that from “One World, One Dream” in 2008 to “Together for a Shared Future” in 2022, China has taken an active part in

FCHINA, P10

Clippers turn back Lakers M

Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (8) shoots a ball over Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk (11) at Crypto.com Arena. Kiyoshi Mio, USA TODAY Sports/Reuters

arcus Morris Sr. scored 29 points and Reggie Jackson added 25, including the goahead score with 4.1 seconds remaining, as the Los Angeles Clippers enjoyed their long-awaited return home with a 111-110 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Serge Ibaka added 20 points with eight rebounds as the Clippers won after going 4-4 on a road trip mostly through the Eastern Conference. The victory was the Clippers’ fourth in their last six games, and they extended their winning streak over the Lakers to five games.

Anthony Davis scored 30 points and secured 17

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‘Tagasanay ng Isport’ in PSC’s Rise Up, Shape Up

T

he Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) presents Gintong Gawad 2021 ‘Tagasanay ng Isport’ awardee Amihan Reyes-Fenis in the latest webisode of Rise Up Shape Up this February 5.

Coach Reyes-Fenis served as a FIG Brevet International Judge for rhythmic gymnastics. She also trains winning gymnasts in both national and international competitions and has been recognized as an outstanding coach in 2011 Palarong Pambansa. She rose to the top of the academic ranks, serving as Master Teacher, Department Chair, and eventually DepEd Principal in various public schools in the province of Rizal.

The PSC supports the hard work and effort of sports coaches nationwide as they are partners in training, developing, and nurturing athletes to their full potential.

“The presence of inspiring women in grassroots sports help in PSC’s work with local communities in developing sports

excellence and producing top-performing national athletes.” PSC Women in Sports oversight Commissioner Celia H. Kiram said.

The ‘Tagasanay ng Isport sa Komunidad’ award is conferred to a coach and teacher whose efforts and initiatives open doors of hope and opportunities for every child to excel in sports and life.

GINTONG GAWAD is a national awards platform to celebrate and pay tribute to ground-breaking, inspiring, notable, timeless, outstanding contributions to the promotion and development of women and sports at the grassroots level. Gintong Gawad presented awards for the Ina ng Isport, Babaeng Atleta, Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Atletang may Kapansanan, Modelo ng Kabataan; Babaeng Tagasanay ng Isport; Babaeng Lider ng Isport sa Komunidad; Kaagapay ng Isports sa Komunidad; Produktong Pang-Isport na Natatangi at Makabago; at Proyektong Isport Pang-Kababaihan.

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The Malditas fought hard against the highly touted Koreans.

TOP FOUR

Malditas finish joint third in WAC despite bowing to Koreans 0-2

T

he Philippine women’s football team has settled for a share of third place in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after bowing to South Korea, 0-2, in their semifinal match-up on Thursday at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, India.

Despite the defeat, however, the team also known as the Malditas kept the match closer than what many projected in the pregame through their tough defense on the Koreans.

Cho So-Hyun quickly found a way to breach past the Malditas’ 5-3-2 formation by drilling the opening goal in the fourth minute.

Son Hwa-Yeon then made it 2-0 with a 35th-minute point-blank goal off a short cross.

The Malditas, however, had since kept the Koreans scoreless.

With their third-place performance, the Malditas achieved their best finish in the WAC. But more importantly, the Malditas punched an outright ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year in Australia and New Zealand.

On the other hand, South Korea will play the winner of the other semifinal clash between China and Japan, which is ongoing as of posting, in the championship match on Sunday. (PNA)