Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 276 | Friday, February 11, 2022

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VOL.14 ISSUE 276 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

A “trisikad” driver waits for passengers next to political campaign posters of Uniteam and vice presidential candidate Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio along Lapu-lapu Street in Davao City on Thursday. Edge Davao

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City optimistic of achieving herd immunity with pedia vaccination STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 276 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan engage in a discussion as they renew their commitment to further strengthen and deepen the Philippines-UAE bilateral relations during a phone conversation at the Malacañang Palace on February 8, 2022. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

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Mati’s candidates pledge HOPE come May 2022

City optimistic of achieving herd immunity with pedia vaccination

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he city government of Davao is optimistic of achieving 100 percent herd immunity with the pilot rollout of pediatric vaccination for children aged 5 to 11, which is slated to kick off on February 14, 2022.

With more vaccinated Dabawenyos now protected against Covid-19, the city government of Davao now wants to vaccinate all Dabawenyos eligible for jabs.

As of February 2, 2022 the city is at 96 percent to 97 percent in achieving

population protection, however, if possible, the city wants to cover the total population eligible for the vaccine.

“Ubay-ubay na sya.

We wanted to hit katong atong gina achieve nga herd immunity kay hapit na to ma 100 percent.

Now we are looking into the total population na 1.8 million. Kung mabakunahan nato ning mga five to 11 years old, dakong chance na ma 100 percent nato ang total population,” said Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force.

The Vaccination Cluster Team of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force is targeting to inoculate at least 269,121 children aged five to 11 years old

with anti-Covid-19 vaccines under the pilot pediatric vaccination rollout.

She also said that the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force and the Vaccination Cluster Team are mulling of establishing non-threatening, friendly, and fun vaccination sites as it is usually a challenge to convince children to get vaccinated.

Schlosser said having a vaccination hub as

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wenty six out of the 27 candidates vying for the mayoral, vice-mayoral and city council positions in the City of Mati are one in pledging for an honest, orderly, and peaceful election come May 2022.

The candidates attended the Interfaith Prayer Rally and Peace Covenant Signing for 2022 National and Local Elections at the Mayor FGR Park and Baywalk on the afternoon of February 9. The event was organized by the Commission on Elections along with the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police.

“We pray for honest, orderly, and peaceful elections,” said Mati City Local Government Operations Officer Joseph Porgatorio as he delivered his remarks to open the forum officially.

Mati City Chief of Police Lt. Col. Ernesto M. Gregore also said that this covenant signing would encourage the conduct for a peaceful election among candidates and their supporters.

COMELEC Mati’s Election Officer III Nelson A. Burnea briefed the candidates about the election laws, particularly the election campaign in the new standard setup.

The forum also provided ample time for candidates’ speech before proceeding with their “integrity pledge” and covenant signing.

The conference organized by the COMELEC aims to have clean elections amidst the pandemic with their current slogan, “Vote S.A.F.E. Pilipinas” which stands for Secure, Accurate, Free & Fair Elections. By Maya M. Padillo

oveless and single this Valentines and wanting to find and go on a date?

The Mayor of the Municipality of Jose Abad Santos, in the province of Davao Occidental is looking to help its local government employees go and find a date during Valentines Day (February 14) by offering a “Leave with Date Allowance on Valentines Day” “I heard of an LGU that will allow employees to go on leave to look for a date for Valentine’s. I thought it was a good idea. But I realized the leave is useless if you do not have the

means for a date,” Mayor Jason John Joyce said of the assistance to singles in the LGU (local government unit).

Usually the employee’s salary has been used for loans or just enough for their needs. I thought of giving an allowance to make their Valentine’s Day happier,” the Mayor said.

Local Government Jose Abad Santos employees who are single nad romantically unattached can apply for a leave during February 14 for a date plus they will receive a P2,000 date allowance where they can spend it during their special day.

Korea gives P15M to rebuild shelters in ‘Odette’-hit areas L T he South Korean government is providing USD300,000 (approximately PHP15 million) to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its efforts to rebuild shelters in provinces affected by Typhoon Odette.

The UNDP Philippines on Wednesday said this partnership with South Korea will focus on providing immediate relief and long-term resil-

ience-building to affected communities in Dinagat Islands.

“To support UNDP’s initiative, the Republic of Korea has provided USD 300,000 to help rebuild shelter in several provinces. The selected beneficiaries will be trained in designing and rebuilding their own houses with typhoon-core shelter designs that can withstand strong winds and floods,” it said in a statement.

The Korean shelter support is part of Seoul’s USD2 million (PHP102.4 million) humanitarian assistance for communities affected by Typhoon Odette.

Of this funding, USD600,000 or approximately PHP31 million will be used to deliver food to around 4,000 vulnerable households in Bohol, Southern Leyte, and other heavily-impacted areas.

About USD700,000

or PHP36 million, on the other hand, will fund water, sanitation, and hygiene services (WASH) in Surigao del Norte, Southern Leyte, and Dinagat Islands.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Korea is working together with the World Food Program for food assistance, UNICEF for the provision of WASH, and the Philippine Red Cross and the

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DavOcc town offers help to loveless LGU employees on Valentines Day

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EDGEDAVAO

NEWS

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City to companies: scan DQR of kids

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ids, aged zero to 11, now need to have Safe Davao QR especially if they are already allowed to go to the malls as all business establishments in Davao City are now mandated to scan their DQR. Davao City Covid-19 Task Force spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said that the scanning of DQR, which has been

mandatory in the city, also covers children aged 0 to 11.

“Definitely when the

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ASF, food supply disruption, high oil prices among drivers of inflation in Davao Region

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igh oil prices, food supply disruption and high meat prices due to the prolonged impact of the African Swine Fever (ASF) propelled inflation in Davao Region in 2021, according to an official of the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

“Among the key drivers of inflation in 2021 was food prices. Prices of food items were on

the uptrend throughout the past year due to supply disruption and the prolonged impact of ASF on meat products. Thus, meat prices remained elevated in 2021 in this region,” said Maria Lourdes Lim, regional director of NEDA-XI. ASF is a viral disease affecting pigs and wild boars with up to 100 percent case fatality rate.

In September last year,

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A motorcade dubbed as“Ronda ng Pagasa”by suppporters of presidential candidate Leni Robredo and running mate Kiko Pangilinan passes by the city hall of Davao on Wednesday (9 February 2022). MindaNews photo by MANMAN DEJETO

TESDAman gets endorsement of VP bet Mayor Sara Duterte

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ice Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor and Presidential daughter Sara Duterte endorsed the candidacy of re-electionist Senator Joel “TESDAman” Villanueva despite not being included in the senatorial slate of Presidential candidate and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. According to Duterte, Villanueva is among her friends running for the Senate whom she knows personally and has seen his impressive track records including the jobs done.

“Pero meron din po akong mga kaibigang na tumatakbong senador, na kahit may politika man o wala, ay magiging kaibigan ko pa rin sila [tulad ni] Joel Villanueva,” Duterte said in her speech at the UniTeam kick-off rally at the Philippine Arena on Tuesday.

Duterte added that Villanueva still deserves to return to the Senate because of what of his performance.

On his end, Villanueva thanked Duterte for the support and trust given to him. Earlier, Vice Presiden-

tial candidate and Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III also expressed support for Villanueva’s candidacy.

Sotto pointed out that Villanueva has a clear program to provide employment and livelihood for every Filipino.

It may be recalled that even before the start of the campaign, Villanueva was in the senatorial lineup in the tandems of Lacson-Sotto, Robredo-Pangilinan, Pacquiao-Atienza and Moreno-Ong. However, Villanueva did not attend even a proclamation rally of the said candidates as a sign of respect.

Villanueva opted to kick off his campaign through social media which was attended by supporters from various parts of the Philippines and around the world.

Villanueva announced his previous job in the Senate and assured the public that he will work hard again as a Senate employee once elected.

It is his goal also that when he returns to the Senate, he will once again provide livelihood, training, and good jobs for all Filipinos.#

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VOL.14 ISSUE 276 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022

On children’s need for DQR:

Definitely when the children are allowed to go out, they will definitely need DQR. Dugay naman mandatory ang DQR that is the reason why we have an executive order that mandates to have DQR. Before kasi wala lang nakuhaan ang mga bata because during those times nga nagkaroon ta og surge dili man allowed mugawas ang bata, therefore, it was not necessary to get the DQR code. But sa atoang executive order mandatory na gyud nga magkaroon og DQR ang tanan,” Schlosser said.

Dr. Michelle Schlosser

Spokesperson Davao City COVID-19 Task Force

EDITORIAL The beauty and the hidden beast One sensational thing that happened very recently in Davao City is the partial opening of the much-vaunted Davao City Coastal Road, particularly the 18.5-kilometer portion of the road.

To be sure, the road is open only to people in jogging and other forms of exercises, and a bit of sight-seeing, not yet to vehicles as the road will be ruined by vehicular traffic.

Still Dabawenyo health experts and concerned citizens are worried about the effect of opening the road to a great number of people. They are afraid that as more people visit the coastal road, the more chances the corona virus of the Omicron variant will spread and infect a great number of

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Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the City’s COVID-19 Task Force, has called on unvaccinated Dabawenyos to get themselves jabbed, warning that 75 cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant was detected in the city very recently.

The good news is that those who got infected of the Omicron variant recovered fast, still Dabawenyos should not be complacent.

What Dr. Schlosser might also meant was that residents of the city must continue to follow health protocols as the virus remains a threat in our thickly-populated city.

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

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people in a surge of new cases.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

NEVER GIVE UP! “If you are going through hell, keep going,” advised British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill. Roy T. Bennet, author of The Light in the Heart, had the same point of view when he wrote: “Never lose hope.

Storms make people stronger and never last forever.”

Thomas Alva Edison was perhaps the greatest inventor in history with over 1,000 patents issued to his name. He changed the lives of millions of people through such inventions as the electric light and phonograph.

His statement, “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration,” is one of the most often-quoted lines.

Perhaps it may come to you as a surprise that this American inventor had only three months of formal schooling. History records showed that he knew more failures than successes.

For more than a year, Edison kept on searching for a filament that would stand the stress of electric current. As he pondered whether he would be able to discover the elusive thing, he got a note from people backing his experiment. He was told that they won’t be giving additional funds for what he was then doing.

News like that may bring a person to quit – but not Edison.

In fact, it did not deter him from continuing his work. He refused

to admit defeat and worked without sleep for two more days and nights. Eventually, he managed to insert one of the crude carbonized threads into a vacuum-sealed bulb. “When we turned on the current,” he recalled, “the sight we had so long desired finally met our eyes!”

Before that, however, Edison had to endure a string of failures. “What a waste! We have tried no less than 700 experiments and nothing has worked.

We are not a bit better off than when we started,” a couple of men who were working alongside him said. He just shrugged this comment, telling them, “Oh yes, we are! We now know 700 things that won’t work. We’re closer than we’ve ever been before.”

Perhaps one person who is very familiar with failure was Milton Snavely Hershey. At age 19, he started his own confectionery business in Philadelphia. For the next six years, he worked so hard but the business did not do well that he had to give it up. He moved to Denver, where he worked for another candy company.

Later on, Milton and his father started a candy company in Chicago – which failed. They went to New Orleans, where another venture failed. New York was next, and it, too, was a failure. But with so many failures behind him, he pressed on.

After all, he said, he learned so many things from his mistakes.

“Failure is not fatal,” he told himself.

Milton, who treated obstacles as stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks, kept on learning about the confectionery trade, picking up many tricks and inventing new ones by constantly experimenting with formulas and processes.

He started again, opening the Lancaster Caramel Company in Pennsylvania in time for the Christmas trade. It was a success!

When he died in 1945, Milton Snavely Hershey was known throughout the world as the man who created Hershey’s Milk Chocolate.

But Milton was just one of the world’s most outstanding failures. There was this American guy who failed in business in 1831. In 1832, he ran for government office but emerged a loser. In 1833, he again failed in business.

In 1834, he was elected to the Legislature. In 1838, he was defeated for Speaker; in 1840 defeated for Elector; in 1843 defeated for Congress; in 1846 elected to Congress; in 1855 defeated for Senate; in 1856 defeated for Vice-President; in 1858 defeated for Senate; in 1860 elected to the highest office in the United States.

His name? Abraham Lin-

coln, who served as the 16th US president from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

An unknown poet says it well: “When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh.”

“Rest if you must, but don’t you quit,” the poet continues.

“Life is queer with is twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about when he might have won had he stuck it out.”

The key word here is persistence, defined as firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. Well, that was what Edison, Hershey, and Lincoln possessed.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence,” declared American president Calvin Coolidge. “Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

American author James Michener believed this, too. He

was told that if he had not published a book by age 35, chances were that he never would.

He was nearing 40, and he kept hearing that for every book published, there were 95 manuscripts collecting dust. His friends advised him to change the plot of his stories since they were not popular and that they were not considered worthy of the top literary prizes. Hollywood would not consider his stories since they held no dramatic possibilities.

But Michener stuck it out.

When Tales of the South Pacific was finally published in 1947, critics raved and literary figures awarded it with a Pulitzer Prize.

When Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammersteind transformed it into a Broadway musical called South Pacific, people queued just to see it.

“Many people fail in life because they believe in the adage: If you don’t succeed, try something else,” American author Don B. Owens, Jr. observed.

“But success eludes those who follow such advice. Virtually everyone has had dreams at one time or another, especially in youth. The dreams that have come true did so because people stuck to their ambitions.

They refused to be discouraged.

They never let disappointment get the upper hand. Challenges only spurred them on to greater effort.”

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

UNDERSTANDING THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT “Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.” - OSCAR WILDE *******

There is an imminent war looming over the horizon.

Russia, news and political analysts observe, might invade Ukraine any day from now.

I guess Pinoys are not so alarmed as they should be considering the geographical location of the conflict.

For everyone’s info, the US and her NATO allies, including the entire European Union, are backing Ukraine, militarily and diplomatically.

Geographically, Ukraine is a border country that once belonged to the strong USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) until its dissolution in 1991 where several nations severed their filial ties and declared themselves independent republics.

To date, Russia has deployed more than 100,000 soldiers in its southern border close to Kiev

(Ukraine’s capital) and in Belarus and Crimea, a territory that was once Ukraine’s but which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

Russian president Vladimir Putin is pissed by Ukraine’s position to join NATO and the European Union because the latter is becoming a show window of democracy to the Russian people.

The economy of Russia needs some restructuring. Putin does not relish the idea of Ukraine progressing as a NATO ally and EU member - politically and economically - because his tenure may be jeopardized

by Ukraine’s success as a democratically run government.

The US has sent more than 3,000 military personnel in Poland and Romania but not inside Kiev but it has transported various military hardware and equipment to arm Ukraine’s arsenal against Russia’s superiority in military technology and numbers.

The UK, Canada and Ger-

many have likewise responded, prompting the entire EU membership to voice its opposition to the Russian attitude.

French president Emmanuel Macron has stepped forward to mediate, visiting Putin personally in Moscow and Ukraine President Volodymir Zelensky in Kiev.

Macron has promised to bring in both Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table to avoid a war that may have very serious global consequences.

US President Joe Biden, for the first time that I have heard him squirm so hard, has warned Russia of stiff sanctions for which NATO allies and the EU have agreed to impose, just in case.

It appears that China is the only Big power that sides with Russia.

Putin attended the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics which was diplomatically boycotted by the US and many other western nations.

Russia is perceived to be

supporting a breakaway rebel group in Ukraine with arms and munitions.

Ukraine’s military readiness includes the enlistment of all able-bodied civilians - women included - who are being trained and armed to protect their homes against the invaders.

It has active military personnel of 215,000; reservists of 250,000 and 40,114 deployed personnel.

Russia has 800,000 active military soldiers.

Ukraine has a defense budget of $11,870,000,000 to Russia’s $154,000,000,000.

Russia has 4,173 aircraft (fighter jets 772) to Ukraine’s 318 (fighter jets 69).

Underground bunkers in Kiev which were used in the fifties have been rehabilitated, complete with amenities - food, beds, air and oxygen supply, etc.

A bunker can accommodate 150 people.

These simple comparisons clearly illustrate the superiority

of the former where Putin seems to be arrogantly positioned to secure something in return for a compromise settlement.

At just 44 years of age, Zelensky is a young leader with a resume that is not as glittering as that of the 68 year old Russian leader.

He is a former actor and comedian and is the sixth president of Ukraine elected two years ago in 2019.

Zelensky prides himself with a degree in law obtained from the Kiev National University, though.

Many Ukrainians speak native Russian due to its long membership in the USSR network.

In my own personal assessment, Macron, who is running for re-election in France in two month’s time, may yet succeed in forging a peace accord between these warring parties. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@ yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

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A hawker sells cellphone cases and other accessories on his mobile stall along Chavez Street in Davao City on Thursday. Edge Davao

DTI to start financing MSMEs affected by ‘Odette’ in Siargao

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he Department of Trade and Industry in Surigao del Norte (DTI-SDN) on Wednesday announced the start of the financing for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by Typhoon Odette in Siargao Island in December last year.

In a statement, the DTISDN said the financing support will be implemented under the Small Business Corporation (SB Corp.), the agency’s financing arm.

“The DTI, through the SB Corp., will be providing an Enterprise Rehabilitation Financing (ERF) support to MSMEs adversely

affected by the typhoon in a form of low interest and collateral-free loans,” the DTI-SDN said.

Under the program, MSMEs that are considered exiting borrowers can avail of loans up to PHP800,000 and the new borrowers for PHP300,000.

“For tourism MSMEs,

the total loan shall not exceed PHP5 million per borrower, inclusive of an existing loan,” the DTISDN said.

The loans will be payable within three to five years with an interest rate of 6 percent per year for existing and new borrowers and 4 to 8 percent for tourism MSMEs. The DTI-SDN said as part of the preparations for the rollout of the loan program, a forum on ERF was conducted in the town of Dapa in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte on Tuesday.

The forum was attended by the top officers of

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ment firm Colliers reported that office transactions last year increased by 18 percent to 422,000 square meters from 357,000 square meters in 2020.

The bulk of the transactions was made in the

last quarter of 2021 when mobility increased as the government eased alert levels.

On the other hand, the third quarter of last year recorded the least transaction volume with around 69,000 sqm amid

the Siargao Chamber of Commerce and Industry and representatives from the local government units of Dapa and General Luna towns.

Top officials of SB Corp., led by Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Santiago Lim and Caroline Macabenta, the OIC-Mindanao Group Head were also present during the activity.

The DTI-SDN also urged MSMEs in the area to visit their provincial office for further inquiry on the financing program and for the submission of their applications. (PNA)

the Delta surge.

In a briefing Wednesday, Colliers Philippines director for Office Services Dom Frederick Andaya said the office market is expected to be better this year.

PH office space market to continue recovery

ransactions in the office space market recovered in 2021, and property market experts projected that the trend will continue this year.

Professional services and investment manage-

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SEC sets deadlines for AFS, GIS submission

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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has set the deadlines for the submission of the audited financial statements (AFS) and general information sheet (GIS) of corporations through the electronic filing and submission tool (eFAST).

The Commission on February 8 issued SEC Memorandum Circular No. 2, series of 2022, which provides the schedules for filing of annual financial statements and general information sheet.

Starting this year, all stock and nonstock corporations are required to submit their annual reports online through eFAST, previously called the online submission tool, at https://cifss-ost. sec.gov.ph.

Previously, only stock corporations were required to submit their annual reports online during the initial launch

of eFAST in March 2021.

Nonstock corporations initially had the option to submit hard copies of their reports.

Deadlines All corporations, including branch offices, representative offices, regional headquarters and regional operating headquarters of foreign corporations whose fiscal year ends on Dec. 31, 2021 shall file their AFS based on the last digit of the SEC registration or license number: 1 and 2 : July 1 to 15 3 and 4 : July 16 to 31 5 and 6 : August 1 to 15 7 and 8 : August 16 to 31 9 and 0 : September 1 to 15 The SEC extension offices will also implement the coding schedule.

Corporations may submit their reports on or before their respective filing dates.

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ECONOMY A2

Israel Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov (right side, 3rd from right) meets Philippine Ambassador in Israel, H.E., Macairog S. Alberto (left side, center) at the Ministry of Tourism in Jerusalem, Israel to discuss matters to boost two-way tourism for both countries. Handout photo

Unemployed Filipinos up to 3.27M in Dec. ‘21: PSA Globe nets P21.2B in 2021, sets P89-B capex for 2022

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lobe Telecom Inc. saw its core earnings last year grow by 9% year-on-year to P21.2 billion.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday, the Ayala-led telco said its core net income increased due to the surge in data use amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, Globe’s data revenues across mobile, broadband, and corporate data accounted for 80% of the total service revenues amounting to P151.5 billion, which grew 4% from P146.4 billion in 2020.

“Globe showed admirable resilience in 2021 despite the pandemic and the devastation of Typhoon Odette in the country. We have emerged to be an outstanding digital services enabler by rapidly adapting our strategies to address both the challenges and the opportunities created by the global health crisis and natural disasters,” said Globe president and CEO

Ernest Cu. “As a result, our financial performance remained stable and posted healthy growth, enabling us to reinvest back into our network as customer data demands grow larger each year,” Cu added.

In 2021, the telco spent P92.8 billion.

For this year, Globe earmarked P89 billion in capital expenditures for the telco’s aggressive network expansion that includes new cell site builds, upgrade more existing sites to 4G/LTE, accelerate rollout of 5G connectivity and fast-track the fiberization of Filipino homes nationwide, and further boost the internet quality and coverage in the Philippines.

“We are optimistic that our strategy to focus on innovation to serve our customers better and to address their needs and concerns through various digital platforms, backed by our strong network, will solidify our leading position in the market,” Cu said.

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3.16 million unemployed individuals or an unemployment rate of 6.5% recorded in November 2021.

Despite the increase in jobless adults, Mapa reported that employed individuals increased to 46.27 million, higher by almost 800,000 from 45.48 million recorded in

the prior month.

The employment rate in December 2021, however, was registered at 93.4%, slightly lower than the 93.5% employment rate posted in November 2021.

This as the labor force participation rate — the percentage of individuals who are actively looking for work in the adult population — increased to 65.1%, the highest for the year 2021, from 64.2% in the previous comparable month.

In terms of magnitude,

the number of labor force participants stood at 49.55 million in December last year, an increase of about 910,000 adult Filipinos who were either employed or unemployed from 48.64 million in November 2021.

The increase in labor force participation was attributed to the easing of mobility restrictions and the rise of seasonal job vacancies in time for the holidays, according to Mapa.

All throughout Decem-

period last year, another indicator of the insurance sector’s continuous and steady expansion under the Duterte presidency.

As for the insurance industry’s contribution to the economy, Funa said the continued improvement can be seen in the last four years.

From 1.64 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017, he said the industry’s contribution to the economy grew to 2.03 percent as of the third quarter of last year.

“We will see that the

highest ever penetration rate was achieved at the end of 2020, and we see bright figures for 2021. I believe that the highest ever penetration rate will even be surpassed in 2021,” Funa said in his report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. The insurance density or the average amount spent by every Filipino for insurance is at PHP2,528 as of the third quarter of 2021, up from PHP1,768 in the same period in 2017, he added.

For 2021, Funa said he

sees a record insurance density figure as people become more conscious of the benefits of insurance, especially after the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020.

“This pandemic has just brought to people’s attention the risks in life and the realization that livelihoods can be wiped out in a flash,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez thanked Funa and the IC’s three deputy commissioners – Erickson Balmes, Ferdi-

he number of jobless Filipinos increased in December 2021 despite the less stringent quarantine restrictions during the period, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

At a virtual press briefing, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the number of unemployed adults, or those aged 15 and above, in December last year stood at 3.27 million, reflecting an unemployment rate of 6.6%.

This is higher by about 110,000 compared to the

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Insurance industry premiums grow 64.3% under Duterte presidency

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he Philippine insurance industry saw robust growth under the Duterte administration, with total gross premiums rising 64.3 percent from PHP169.6 billion in the third quarter of 2016 to PHP278.7 billion in the same period in 2021, according to data from the Insurance Commission (IC).

IC Commissioner Dennis Funa said the industry’s total net income increased 64.1 percent from PHP22.85 billion by end-September 2016 to PHP37.5 billion in the same

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“The vaccination is working. We have learned and continue how to live with this virus. And also, while health concerns brought about by Covid-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) have already been addressed, we

are more confident. That means there’s more focus now in reviving the economy,” Andaya said.

He added that with the economic reopening last year, more office buildings were completed in Metro Manila that

augment the inventory of office space.

A total of 634,000 sqm of office space were completed in the previous year, bringing the Metro Manila office stock to 12.94 million sqm at end-2021.

Andaya said the busi-

ness process outsourcing sector remains the biggest demand driver in the local property market, while the possible return of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) will also take up vacant spaces.

(PNA)

ber, the National Capital Region, the country’s economic center, was under Alert Level 2, wherein establishments are allowed to operate indoors at 50% capacity with additional 10% capacity if they have a safety seal. For outdoors, they will be allowed at 70%.

Explaining the relationship between the higher unemployment, employment, and labor force participation rates, Mapa said that out of the 910,000 increase in labor force participants, 800,000 found jobs while 110,000 were unable to land a job.

“Ang nangyari mas marami ang nag-participate sa labor force at mayroong portion dito na naging unemployed,” Mapa said.

(What happened is that although many participated in the labor force, a portion of it became unemployed.)

Sectors By industry group, the services sector remained as the dominant employment hub absorbing 26.21 million employed persons or 56.6% in December 2021.

Meanwhile, the agriculture and the industry sectors employed 11.83 million or 25.6% and 8.24 million or 17.8%, respectively.

On a month-on-month change, from November 2021 to December 2021, the top five sub-sectors with increase in employed persons were as follows: Agriculture and forestry at 1.07 million Manufacturing at 325,000 Human health and social work activities at 165,000 Transportation and storage at 146,000 Administrative and support service activities at 127,000 On the other hand, the top five sub-sectors with a drop in employment from

November to December were the following: Fishing and aquaculture at -393,000 Other service activities -289,000 Education at -217,000 Public administration and defense, compulsory social security at -80,000 Information and communication at -78,000 Underemployed The underemployment rate — the proportion of employed persons wanting additional work — declined 14.7% from 16.7% in November 2021.

This was the fifth lowest underemployment rate for 2021.

Underemployed persons are employed persons who expressed desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have an additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work.

“Mas maraming industries ang nagkaroon nang pag-increase to full 40 hours [weekly operations],” Mapa said.

(Many industries have increased their weekly operations to a full 40 hours.)

In particular, the average weekly hours worked of an employed person in December 2021 was at 39.7 hours, higher than the 39.6 hours of work per week in November 2021.

Youth employment Youth labor force participation rate in December 2021 was estimated at 36.7%, lower than the youth labor force participation rate reported in November 2021 at 37.5%.

Nonetheless, youth employment rate in December 2021 was estimated at 87.2%, the highest in 2021.

Youth underemployment rate of 11.3% in December was second lowest reported in 2021.

The lowest was in May 2021 at 10.0 percent. Employed youth worked 37.8 hours per week, on average, in December 2021.

nand George Florendo, and Randy Escolango – for guiding the insurance industry towards the path of rapid growth under the Duterte administration.

“We have made progress under this administration and under your leadership,” Dominguez told Funa.

Funa said the industry only saw a slight dip in both premiums earned and net income generated in 2020, the year when the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic hobbled, if not shut down, most economies across the globe.

Gross premiums earned by the industry fell from

PHP224.98 billion in 2019 to PHP216.51 billion in 2020, while net income dropped from PHP31.74 billion in 2019 to PHP28.62 billion in 2020, he said.

Funa said that while the total assets of the insurance industry grew 8.11 percent in 2020 and total investments increased 6.97 percent, its total net worth and the total net income dropped during that year.

“The net worth of the industry decreased by 3.88 percent and the total net income decreased by 8.6 percent. This is due primarily to the life insurance sector, which was impacted more

Meanwhile, a corporation whose fiscal year ends on a date other than Dec. 31, 2021 should file its AFS within 120 calendar days from the end of its fiscal year.

The annual report of a broker dealer whose fiscal year ends on December 31 must be filed depending on the last numerical digit of its registration number as prescribed by the Commission, while those with fiscal years ending on a date other than December 31 must be filed 110 calendar days after the close of such fiscal year.

Corporations whose securities are listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange and are covered under Section 17.2 of Republic Act 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code (SRC), are encouraged to observe the due date of filing for their AFS, which is within 105 calendar days after the end of their fiscal year, as an attachment to their annual reports.

However, such entities will also be given an extension of until May 15, 2022 to file their annual reports due to current circumstances.

Further, corporations whose AFS are being audited by the Commission on Audit (COA) are exempted from such coding schedule provided they attach to their AFS a duly signed affidavit attesting that they timely provided the COA with the financial statements and supporting documents and the COA audit has just been concluded, as well as a letter from the COA confirming such information.

The Commission will accept late filings starting Sept. 16, 2022.

Corporations, which submitted their reports late, will be subject to the prescribed penalties computed from the last date of this filing schedule.

Failure to follow the formal requirements prescribed under revised SRC Rule 68 shall be considered a sufficient ground for the imposition of penalties by

the SEC. The acceptance and receipt by the Commission of the financial statements shall be without prejudice to such penalties.

On the other hand, the GIS must be filed within 30 calendar days from the date of the actual annual stockholders’ meeting for stock corporations, from the date of actual annual members meeting of non-stock corporations, and from the anniversary date of the issuance of the SEC license for foreign corporations.

Online submission All corporations are required to submit their annual reportorial requirements online through eFAST. Hard copies of reports submitted through eFAST will no longer be required.

Corporations and their authorized filers must enroll in the eFAST before they can submit reports to the system.

They have until March 31, 2022 to complete their enrollment, which involves the submission of a board resolution authorizing its representative to file reports on behalf of the corporation, as well as a copy of their accomplished GIS form version 2020 or their submission in compliance with SEC Memorandum Circular No. 28, Series of 2020 (MC 28).

Compliance with MC 28 should be made through the newly launched MC 28 submission portal at https:// apps010.sec.gov.ph/.

The Commission is no longer processing submissions via email and in person.

The submission of reports over the counter and/ or through mail or courier via SEC Express Nationwide Submission (SENS) shall no longer be accepted.

All reports submitted through eFAST must be scanned or digital copies of the manually signed or digitally signed reports. The signatory or authorized signatory of the filer holds the responsibility to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the e-signature in the documents. (PR)

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by the Covid pandemic,” he added.

Funa said 22 out of 31 life insurance companies registered a net investment loss ranging from PHP238,000 to PHP1.5 billion, while 20 out of 31 life insurance companies suffered a decrease in their 2020 net income.

“However, in spite of all these, our third quarter figures for last year show a strong rebound,” he said.

Funa said the insurance industry’s total investments were not affected by the economic shock trig-

gered by the pandemic as seen from its 56.3 percent growth from PHP1.14 trillion in the third quarter of 2016 to PHP1.78 trillion in the same period last year.

The industry’s total investments only fell slightly from PHP1.58 trillion in 2019 to PHP1.56 trillion in 2020, he said.

In terms of total assets, Funa said the industry recorded PHP2.01 trillion in assets as of the third quarter of 2021, up by 52.4 percent from PHP1.32 trillion in the same period in 2016.

(PR)

local “ipil-ipil” and “kakawate” and introduced species such as Flemingia macrophylla, Desmodium rensonii, and Indigofera anil) are planted in double rows, following their natural contour.

“The principle of SALT is the same as that used by the Ifugao tribes in Mountain Province,” Adang explains. “All we are doing is using various nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs instead of rocks.”

When the rows of vegetation are 1.5 to 2 meters tall, they are cut back to about 40 centimeters and the tops are piled in the 3- to 5-meter alleys, where agricultural crops are growing. “The leaves of the shrubs make very good nitrogen-rich fertilizer and also add organic matter to the soil,” Adang points out.

In the SALT scheme, you find a mix of permanent crops, cereals and vegetables. Every third strip of available land is normally devoted to permanent crops like cacao and coffee. A combination of various cereals (corn, upland rice, and sorghum) and vegetables (string beans, cucumber, squash, etc.) are planted on the remaining two strips.

In this kind of farming, crop rotation is recommended. For instance, the strips planted with cereals earlier are to be planted with peanuts or winged beans in the next cropping. “Crop rotation helps to preserve the regenerative properties of the soil and avoid the problems of infertility typical of traditional agricultural practices,” Adang says.

Multistory cropping may also be practiced (planting black pepper, corn, and lanzones together in one hedge). In waterlogged areas, gabi, kangkong and other water-loving crops are planted together. “We all do these to make use of all the available spaces of the farm,” Adang says.

“Some of the crops should be planted to feed the farmer’s family, while other crops are grown for sale, so family income is well spread out over the season,” says Adang. “Every week or every month, there’s always something to harvest. The system can, in fact, raise the family income threefold.”

One foreign consultant who came to see the agricultural component commented: “The system provides great stability (in both economic and ecological terms) and appears to conserve soil very well in the process of growing useful plants.”

The crops are planted only at the lower portion of the two-hectare farm.

This is the area where the farmer can concentrate farming as years go by. He can also build his house in a portion where he can construct a fishpond and his vegetable garden.

Harold R. Watson, the first director of the center and recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for international understanding, admitted that SALT

is not a perfect farming system. “There is not and never will be one system for all farmers,” stressed the American missionary who’s now retired and back in his birthplace in Mississippi. “SALT is not a miracle nor a panacea.

There is no easy way. It takes three to ten years to deplete the soil of nutrients and lose the topsoil; no system can bring depleted, eroded soil back into production in a few short years.”

Meanwhile, the upper portion of the two-hectare SALT 3 farm is planted to different trees; recommended species are those native in the place.

In tree planting, Adang talked about “tree time zones” of 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and 16-20 years, within which progressively more valuable products are harvested. Some very valuable trees could be left longer, and he dubs this “the grandchildren project.”

“Plant trees not for yourself but rather for your grandchildren,” he says.

Among the trees planted in the SALT 3 model farm are Sesbania sesban, “ipil-ipil,” Acacia auriculiformis and A. mangium, Swietenia macrophylla, and Pterocarpus indicus (more popularly known as narra). Some of these are planted basically for fuelwood while others are for furniture purposes.

Samanea saman (raintree or commonly called as “acacia”) falls under the 16- to 20-year time zone.

While waiting, rattan may be planted below the trees.

To segregate the agricultural crops from trees, giant bamboo is planted at the center. “Bamboo helps protect the soil from eroding to agricultural crops,” Adang says.

Although it was launched in 1988, SALT 3 has not caught the attention of farmers and policymakers. “I really don’t know,” Adang says. “It may be because farmers are not interested in planting trees in their farms. Or they really don’t know that such technology already exists.

Or we are not pushing for it enough.”

As for policymakers, Adang says, “I don’t have any idea either. Maybe, they have other more urgent laws to make. Or, just like the farmers, they may not have heard of SALT 3.”

But with the problem of climate change, deforestation, soil erosion, drought, food insecurity, and other catastrophes, there is a need to push SALT 3 in the rural areas.

In 1991, the MBRLC was recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with a World Food Day Silver Medal “in recognition of the contribution to mobilizing people’s participation in tree planting and sustainable forest resources management.”

“Only when the last tree has been cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish caught will we realize we can’t eat money,” so goes a Native American proverb.

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FARMERS CAN HELP F

ilipino farmers can help offset the effects of climate change by planting trees in their farms. Such was the recommendation of a top official of a non-government organization based in barangay Kinuskusan, in Bansalan, Davao del Sur. “Trees play a crucial role in the fight against global heating, which is caused by burning fossil fuels that release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases,” says Jethro P. Adang, director of the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) Foundation, Inc. This is made possible through photosynthesis.

By such a process, trees absorb carbon dioxide then store the carbon and emit pure oxygen. Experts

MITIGATE CLIMATE CHANGE Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

call this phenomenon carbon sequestration.

“Carbon is stored in the leaves, stems, and other parts of plants when they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to grow,” explains the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Trees are very important for carbon sequestration because they live a long time and, therefore, store their carbon for many years.”

Carbon dioxide is an important heat-trapping (greenhouse) gas, which is released through human activities such as deforestation and burning fossil fuels. “Human activities have raised atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide by nearly 49%,” the Global Climate Change of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports.

The World Future Council said agriculture is “directly responsible” for 14% of total greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, deforestation accounts for an additional 18% of emissions.

A study done by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources

(DENR) showed that a single mature tree can absorb carbon dioxide at a rate of 21 kilograms a year and release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two persons.

About 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide are removed and 1.07 tons of life-giving oxygen are produced for every ton of new grown trees.

In that case, then SALT 3 – or Sustainable Agroforest Land Technology – can be a possible solution to the problem. “It’s a small-scale reforestation integrated with food production,” explains Adang.

“Sixty percent of the two-hectare farm is devoted to forestry while the remaining 40% is allotted to

agriculture.”

SALT is a definitive example of agroforestry. In the broadest sense, agroforestry is “trees plus any other crops” or “the combining of trees with food crops.” MBRLC calls it a “wood + food scheme.”

Prof. Napoleon T. Vergara of the East-West Center in Hawaii regarded agroforestry as a form of land use that has a high potential to simultaneously satisfy three important, sometimes conflicting, objectives: protecting and stabilizing the ecosystem, producing high levels of inputs of economic goods (food, fuel, small timber, fodder, organic fertilizer) on a sustainable basis, and providing stable employment, improved income and basic materials to rural populations.

According to Adang, SALT 3 is the center’s answer to the rapid disappearance of the country’s forest cover. “Out of nearly 15 million hectares of classified forest land in the country, more than 5 million hectares are already categorized as badly denuded and much of the remainder is in various stages of denudation,” he says.

In the demonstration SALT 3 farm located at the MBRLC, one-hectare is planted to several agricultural crops. Following the original SALT method, different nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs (like the

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friendly and non-threatening as possible would also make the vaccinators’ jobs easier.

The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC), Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH), DMSF Hospital, and the Seamen’s Hospital committed to participate in the pilot vaccination rollout while the Brokenshire Hospital and the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center (MDMRC) have yet to confirm their participation.

The city government is planning to put up a separate vaccination site solely for the youngest population age group once the twoweek pilot rollout in the hospitals is over.

“Why we need a separate site solely for this age group, first, is for us to secure nga kanang walay mga mistakes og dosage kay iba man gud ang dosage nila ‘no. Although trained ang atoang mga vaccinators, we can’t be too lenient ana

to avoid mistakes sa atoang paghatag og dose sa ilaha,” Schlosser said.

Meanwhile, Schlosser said that the Vaccination Cluster Team is also pushing to rollout the vaccination in designated LGU-managed vaccination hubs for the said pediatric group on February 21, 2022.

The city government of Davao is eyeing Almendras Gym, Vicente Hizon Elementary School, and San Roque Elementary School as initial venues for the rollout.

The 5-11 pediatric population shall be categorized as pediatric A3 with comorbidities and the rest of the pediatric population (without comorbidities).

She reminded parents of children with comorbidities to get a templated medical certificate in the city’s operational vaccination hubs and have them filled up by their pediatricians before bringing their kids to the designated sites for inoculation.

UNDP for housing of resilient resettlement,” the Embassy said in a statement.

Prior to this, the Korean Embassy last December 29 made an initial delivery of 1,500 sacks of rice and 740 hygiene kits valued at USD50,000 (PHP2.5 million) to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Korea hopes that the lives of the Filipino people affected by Typhoon Odette will return to normalcy at the soonest time, and (we’ll) continue to work together with our friends and partners toward this objective,” it said.

Typhoon Odette struck

the country in December 2021, affecting more than 8 million people.

To date, the agriculture sector has incurred an estimated damage worth almost PHP16 billion while the damage to infrastructure has reached over PHP17 billion. The typhoon also left 1.4 million damaged houses and displaced around 339,000 people.

Recognizing the Philippines’ “high vulnerability” to natural disasters, the UNDP has also invested USD650,000 (PHP33 million) in the response and resilience work in Odette-hit areas, particularly for Cebu, Siargao, and Dinagat Islands.

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NOTICE OF AUCTION

The VGM Pawnshop, Inc. will hold a Public Auction Sale to all unredeemed and unrenewed items on the following schedule listed below.

Ang VGM Pawnshop, Inc. magpahigayon ug subasta sa tanang prenda nga wala nalukat sa maong iskedyul nga nakasulat sa ubos.

BRANCHES

DATE PAWNED

DATE & PLACE OF AUCTION

August 1 to 31, 2021

February 23, 2022 (Wednesday) 9 A.M. VGM Pawnshop, Inc. Km. 6 Matina, Davao City

DAVAO: Sasa Maa Sandawa Matina

THE MANAGEMENT

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ASF... FROM3 43 towns consisting of 237 barangays in Davao Region’s five provinces and Davao City have been affected by ASF. The Department of Agriculture-Davao Region reported that ASF has affected more than 10,000 hog raisers of Davao Occidental, Davao del Sur, Davao City, Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao Oriental.

Lim said that the average monthly inflation rate of the Davao Region has an upward trend from January to August in 2021, but lowering in the last part of the year.

She said the average annual rate recorded at 4.6 percent higher than the 1.7 percent inflation rate in 2020.

Lim also said that

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children are allowed to go out, they will definitely need DQR. Dugay naman mandatory ang DQR that is the reason why we have an executive order that mandates to have DQR. Before kasi wala lang nakuhaan ang mga bata because during those times nga nagkaroon ta og surge dili man allowed mugawas ang bata, therefore, it was not necessary to get the DQR code. But sa atoang executive order mandatory na gyud nga magkaroon og DQR ang tanan,” Schlosser said.

She added infants can be registered by their parents for their DQR. SafeDavao QR is Davao City’s official contact tracing system for the detection of Covid-19 cases, especially with new variants such as the Omicron.

Last month, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio reminded Dabawenyos are reminded that the DQR is still being used for tracing individuals in close contact with people positive for Covid-19.

The DQR was used also for the distribution of Christmas “Pahalipay” claims or donations.

the current inflation rate of the region has reached the target set by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) of the NEDA board between 2 percent to 4 percent in 2021.

“There was an acceleration of prices for all major commodities in 2021 driven mostly by higher prices in transport, food, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco.

As well as in housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels,” she said.

She said the higher inflation rate for trans-

port at 7.5 percent as well as on housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels at 4 percent was mainly attributed to the increases in international crude oil prices.

“This was brought about by the production cut of the majority of oil-producing countries which translated to higher local prices of petroleum products throughout 2021.

She said inflation for furnishing, household equipment, and routine maintenance of houses, restaurants, miscellaneous goods, and ser-

vices as well as clothing and footwear generally picked up mainly due to higher demands in consumer spending as more people got vaccinated and more business activities operated in the new normal condition.

“With much optimism, we expect a positive outlook for Davao Region’s economy for 2022 which we believe the region’s economic growth shall be at par or even surpass the economic performance of the country,” Dr. Lim said. By Maya M. Padillo

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Lakers, Nets weigh options before trade deadline

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EW YORK — Kevin Durant still can’t play, Kyrie Irving still can only play part of the time and the Brooklyn Nets have tumbled down the standings.

With the NBA trade deadline looming, James Harden has dominated headlines.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have battled injuries and the Los Angeles Lakers have been inconsistent all season.

In L.A., it’s Russell Westbrook in the news.

Now the expected NBA Finals contenders who instead may be play-in round bound, face a decision before Thursday’s deadline: Stand pat with the belief

that all they need to save them is the rosters they already have, or make a move?

“I’ve always felt like, listen, I don’t really like to play fantasy basketball. So this is the group that we have going into the deadline, then we’ll be ready to take on all challenges that this season has given us,” James said. “If there is an opportunity — I’ve said this every year — if there is an opportunity for you to get better, then you explore those options.”

Russell Westbrook, LeBon James and the Lakers are struggling. So are the James Harden, Kyrie Irving and the Nets. PHOTO: AP

PBA, KBL partnership off to a good start

T

he Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Korean Basketball League (KBL) furthered the communication line toward its partnership as officials of

the two leagues sat down and exchanged ideas in a virtual conference yesterday.

Both sides agreed to meet regularly and continue discussions.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro and league counsel Atty.

Melvin Mendoza represented Asia’s first play-forpay league.

The KBL was represented by President Kimhee Ok, Executive Director Oh-Byungnam, Game Director Park Gwangho, Deputy Executive Director Kim Sungtae and

Marketing Team Manager Kim-Donghyun together with translator Kang Goodong.

Officials of the PBA and KBL expressed high hopes that as cooper-

ation and friendship between leagues are strengthened, their harmonious relationship would further contribute to the development of Asian basketball.

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Fil-Am Spoelstra named to NBA’s 15 greatest coaches in league history

F

ilipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat has been named among the elite NBA 15 greatest coaches on Wednesday as part of celebrations for its 75th anniversary season.

The list was compiled by votes from 43 current and former NBA head coaches along with the National Basketball Coaches Association and Executive Director David Fogel.

Aside from Spoelstra, the list includes four active NBA coaches: Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, and Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers.

Others on the list are: Red

Auerbach, K.C. Jones, Pat Riley, Larry Brown, Chuck Daly, Don Nelson, Jerry Sloan, Red Holzman, Phil Jackson, Jack Ramsay, and Lenny Wilkens.

The 15 honorees have collectively won more than 14,000 regular-season games, guided teams to 45 NBA championships and earned 16 NBA Coach of the Year awards across more than 300 head coaching seasons, according to the NBA. (Anadolu)

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra in flle photo during a basketball clinic in the Philipines.