Edge Davao Volume 14 Issue 303 | Tuesday, March 15, 2022

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An elementary student holds the hand of his younger brother on their way to their classrooms during the first day of face-to-face classes at Kabacan Elementary School in Ecoland, Davao City on Monday. Edge Davao

REOPENING

Roxas Night Market to be reopened on March 24 STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 303 • TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte responds to the queries of Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name, Inc. founder and leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy during a pre-recorded TV interview of the Sonshine Media Network International in Davao City aired on March 12, 2022. The President is set to meet the officials from the Department of Energy (DOF) and the Department of Finance (DOF) today, March 15, 2022, to discuss the call to suspend the fuel excise tax amid the increasing oil prices. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

REOPENING Roxas Night Market to be reopened on March 24

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he popular streetfood capital Roxas Night Market will reopen on March 24. 2022.

This was confirmed by Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday.

“Preparations need to be made niani sama sa raffling sa slot. Mag-set up ang atoang Roxas Night Market

team. Mura ta ug nagsugod sa uno ani because it’s been two years but we already set the date nga March 24 ang atoang Roxas Night Market,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara reminded

Dabawenyos to wear their face masks when they are not eating or drinking.

Earlier this month, Dr. Michelle Schlosser, spokesperson of the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force, announced that the city government of Davao was mulling of establishing proper regulations and guidelines

that will be properly observed to ensure the safety of the vendors and night market goers.

Roxas Night Market is the city’s popular destination for street food, “ukayukay” (used clothes), and massage services.

In November 2020,

led by Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim, was able to “somehow calm” the situation in the region, Duterte said.

“I think we have relatively a peaceful Mindanao,” he said. “We have a good rapport with the Moro of Mindanao. And I think that just allow them in the governance of our country and give them enough elbowroom to, you know, just govern without interference of armed groups.”

Duterte also hoped that

the peace and development in Mindanao would be sustained even after his term ends.

“I think that we have achieved militarily the objectives of keeping the peace in Mindanao. God willing, if the equilibrium nami-maintain (will be maintained), we are trouble-free. I hope and I pray of course,” he said.

Duterte has decided to maintain the status quo on the current composition of the Bangsamoro Transition

Authority (BTA), the interim government with executive and legislative power over the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

The BTA was tasked to oversee the three-year transition period from 2019, followed by an election of BARMM officials.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. in February said over 10.3 million euro (PHP601.9 million) worth of project grants

FREOPENING, P10

Sinovac allowed for pediatric vax in PH

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inovac’s CoronaVac, a Chinese vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), can now be used for pediatric vaccination after getting an approval from Philippine authorities.

“We thank the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and our vaccine experts for approving Sinovac’s CoronaVac for ages 6 and above,” IP Biotech Group chairman Enrique Gonzales said in a statement Saturday.

IP Biotech Group is a pharmaceutical consortium that facilitated the initial arrival of Sinovac procured by the private sector.

In IP Biotech’s statement, it said that FDA released on Saturday the approved emergency use authorization (EUA) for Sinovac, allowing the Chinese vaccine to be used for

the vaccination of minors.

The eight-page document was signed by FDA officer-in-charge director general Dr. Oscar Gutierrez Jr. “Making this vaccine available to the younger age segment is a game changer protecting the country’s youth and preserving recent gains in controlling the pandemic. This will also ensure greater access and vaccine equity for the Philippines,” Gonzales added.

Citing the study in Chile, Sinovac’s efficacy among 1.9 million children aged 6 to 17 years old is at 74 percent.

It also prevented hospitalization of 90 percent of children that got vaccinated by Sinovac but still had breakthrough infection, and 100 percent of them avoided intensive care unit hospitalization and death.

are set to be implemented in support of the normalization process in the Bangsamoro government.

Meantime, officials of the BARMM and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vowed Friday to help ensure a peaceful, clean, and orderly elections on May 9 this year.

BARMM police director Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona earlier reported that the Police Regional Office-BARMM has listed 102 areas of concern in this year’s na-

tional and local elections in BARMM. Of the 102 election hotspots, 99 are municipalities and the three others are the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, and Lamitan, Cabalona said.

On March 7, OPAPRU said some 19,345 former MILF combatants have already been through the three phases of decommissioning process and another 14,000 MILF members are scheduled to be decommissioned this year. (PNA)

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PRRD: ‘I fulfilled my promise to bring peace to Mindanao’

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ith his term ending in over three months, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte believes that he has been able to deliver his promise to bring peace to Mindanao.

In a prerecorded interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy aired Saturday on SMNI, Duterte also gave credit to Bangsamoro leaders for the end of decades-old conflict in Mindanao.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),

NEWS

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Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) general manager Aisa Usop announces that the number of bus trips at DCOTT has increased since March this year. Edge Davao

City finding ways to help Dabawenyos through massive fuel price hike More bus trips allowed at Davao City terminal

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n official of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) announced that the number of bus trips from and to Davao City has increased to more than 600 bus trips a day since March this year.

DCOTT Manager Aisa Usop said in a media forum on Monday that this is expected as Davao City is now at Alert Level 1 status.

“We are very happy na nasa Alert Level 1 na po tayo. The good news bumabalik na ang number of bus trips in DCOTT. Based on our monitoring we have more than 600 bus trips a day na since March,” she said.

The current number of bus trips was far from the 200 bus trips a day during the height of the pandemic.

Usop said before the pandemic there were a total of 800 bus trips a day at DCOTT. “If we are going to compare, before the pandemic we have 800 bus trips a day ito yung normal. During the pandemic bumaba tayo to 200 bus trips, a day or 300 at ang pinaka mataas natin ay more or less 400 bus trips a day. Since nasa Alert Level 1 na tayo makikita

natin ang pag increase ng bus trips a day,” she said.

Usop is optimistic that the number of trips will return to normalcy, especially with the incoming Holy Week and Kadayawan sa Dabaw in August this year.

“I am hoping na bumalik na tayo sa normal. Step by step. Especially this coming Holy Week in April and May also elections. I am really expecting na dadami na ang mga pasahero. We have our peak months, the month of August for the Kadayawan and December,” she said.

Usop said that buses are now allowed up to 80 percent seating capacity.

“Before we were only allowing 40 to 50 percent capacity sa bus. Medyo nitaas na karon. 80 percent na ka pasahero ang puwede na musakay sa bus,” she said.

Based on the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) under Alert Level 1, all public transportation in areas under Alert Level 1 shall be at full seating capacity. For intrazonal and interzonal travels involving public land transportation between an area with a higher alert level

FMORE, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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price increases on Diesel by P13.15 per liter; gasoline by P7.10 per liter; and Kerosene by P10.50 per liter.

“On the part of the city government of Davao, we are on continuous discussion with all the offices kung

unsay puwede na mabuhat nato as a city government para sa mga Dabawenyos na makatabang sa ilaha sa effect nianing oil price increase because of the war between Russia and Ukraine,” the mayor said.

Mayor Sara added that Dabawenyos may avail, if they are qualified, to the assistance to be given to farmers and fisherfolks by the national government.

The mayor is referring to the fuel subsidy to be distributed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to the farmers and fisherfolks.

Agriculture Assistant Secretary Noel Reyes reported that farmers and fishers will benefit from the ₱500-million subsidy and each beneficiary will receive ₱3,000 and it will be distributed via debit card.

The farmers and fishermen will be receiving also fuel discount cards.

“For the part of the national government and I am sure Dabawenyos can avail of it as well if they are qualified, katong ayuda for the farmers and fisherfolks,” the mayor said.

improve people’s lives in Barira, a former war-torn municipality in Maguindanao.

“This is to boost the local economy and improve government services of Barira,” said Sinarimbo, who led the groundbreaking ceremonies for the project in the municipality on Sunday.

Barira is one of the conflict-affected towns in the province that is being converted into a bustling agricultural center.

The public market project is funded under the Bangsamoro Local Economic Support Services (BLESS) program that targets to provide and ameliorate local economic enterprise infrastructure and support facilities of the local government units (LGUs) across the region.

Sinarimbo said the Barira LGU expected to operate and maintain income-generating enterprise support to spur lo-

cal economic growth and activities and offer opportunities to constituents in the area.

He said the BARMM government is building more infrastructure projects in Barira to showcase economic development in former war-torn areas across the region.

“This is just the beginning. We are also looking at improving the water system for tourism potential,” Sinarimbo added.

ayor Sara Duterte-Carpio assured that the city government of Davao is continuously discussing with all the local government offices how to help the Dabawenyos on the impact of the bigtime fuel price hike effective today, March 15, 2022.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Monday that diesel prices could increase by more than P13 per liter on March 15, 2022 based on the advisory sent by Pilipinas Shell wherein it would impose

Maguindanao town recipient of P25-M modern public market

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he Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is building a PHP25 million modern public market that will serve as an “economic engine” to spur the economy of an upland town in Maguindanao.

In a statement Monday, Minister Naguib Sinarimbo of the BARMM’s Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) has expressed hope that the project will

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

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Ara Castillo, DavNor Modenization Movement convenor, says during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday that her group is proposing measures against the continuous rising of oil prices to help the people of Davao del Norte. Edge Davao

Diokno: Inflation seen to rise amid Russia-Ukraine crisis

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al growth will be revised, inflation will rise and of course, it will affect the price of oil and other commodities,” Diokno said.

“Now with the surge in world oil prices, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, things

have changed of course, the forecast will vary, of course and the appropriate thing to do, because we don’t know exactly where it would end up, is to do a sensitivity analysis,” he added.

Diokno said the BSP’s “sensitivity analysis” showed that if the Dubai crude averaged at $120 per barrel for the year, inflation could be revised to 4.4 percent from 4 percent.

But if it would average at $140 per barrel, inflation could also reach 4.7

percent for the year, he added.

Dubai crude, which is being used as the country’s benchmark oil price, is currently hovering around $110 per barrel.

When asked if the skyrocketing crude oil price, which is felt in local pump prices, could prompt the BSP to hike interest rate sooner, Diokno said the monetary board needs to analyze all available data and not just the current prices.

“We evaluate what

the deferment or the suspension of the excise tax,” Cusi added.

Earlier, the DOF has expressed opposition to calls for the suspension of excise taxes on petroleum products, saying that this may result in a revenue loss amounting to P131.4 billion for 2022 alone.

The agency said this may affect the government’s budget for COVID-19 recovery measures.

The DOE, for its part, had previously asked Congress’ help to grant

the agency an authority to suspend excise tax on fuel in the face of the continued rise in pump prices.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar has said it is Duterte who will decide on recommendations to suspend the fuel excise tax.

Meanwhile, Cusi said the government is also considering increasing the assistance that will be given to the transport and agriculture sector as well as expanding the coverage of those receiving aid.

Cusi said this means they will check how the government will help other sectors, including households, which are affected by the hike on prices.

“So ngayon sinasabi natin, pinagaaralan natin (We are studying) na maybe we can increase that and then we will expand the coverage not only for transport or agriculture but other sectors that are really vulnerable...” Cusi said.

he inflation outlook for the country this year could be revised upwards as oil and other commodity prices soared due to the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Monday.

Inflation settled at 3 percent in January and February this year, but estimates showed it could even reach 4.7 percent if global crude oil price averages at $140 per barrel for the year, Diokno said.

“As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, glob-

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Cusi: PRRD to meet with DOE, DOF execs to discuss proposal to suspend fuel excise tax

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fficials from the Department of Energy (DOF) and the Department of Finance (DOF) will meet with President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, March 15, to discuss the call to suspend the fuel excise tax amid the increasing oil prices, according to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on Monday.

“The President is calling (for) a meeting tomorrow,” Cusi said.

“We’re going to discuss with DOF, asking for

FCUSI, P10

BCDA makes highest contribution to AFP during PRRD administration

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he Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) under the Duterte administration has contributed PHP25.01 billion to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the highest made by a single administration.

BCDA’s remittance for the AFP modernization between 2017 and 2021 is higher than the PHP13.01 billion contribution made by the previous administration from 2011 to 2016 and the PHP18.38 billion from 1993 to 2010.

Signed on March 13, 1992, Republic Act 7227 authorizes the BCDA to create income from the sale, lease or joint venture agreements with the private sector in developing former military camps.

Proceeds are remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury. The funds are then allocated and distributed by the Department of Budget and Management to the AFP and other beneficiary agencies.

AFP uses the proceeds in its modernization program and replication of military facilities.

“We assure our stakeholders, including the AFP, that their share from our asset disposition proceeds are remitted to the national government every year, without fail, in compliance with laws and regulations,” BCDA officer-in-charge president and chief executive officer Aristotle Batuhan said.

Total asset disposition proceeds of BCDA from 1993 to 2021 reached PHP127.55 billion — PHP56.4 billion of which were contribution to the AFP. “Despite challenges brought about by the pandemic, the BCDA continued to perform well and generate much-needed income from its asset disposition efforts. Aggressive policies taken to resolve long-standing disputes over properties or with business partners also played part in the BCDA’s excellent collection efforts during the Duterte administration. This, in turn, translated to higher contributions to our beneficiary agencies and stakeholders, especially our military forces,” Batuhan added. (PNA)

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ECONOMY

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Students wash their hands at the washing station of Kabacan Elementary School in Ecoland, Davao City before they are allowed to enter their classrooms during the first day of face-to-face classes on Monday. Edge Davao

DOE asks oil firms to implement price hikes on staggered basis ‘No urgency’ in using T CBDCs, Diokno says

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angko Sentral ng PIlipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno on Monday said there is no urgency in using central bank digital (CBDCs) since the current payment system is “working very well.”

CBDCs are digital versions of legal currencies and are being explored by central banks globally.

“We’ve been studying this and we’re currently studying the outcome in other countries and we also

and we’re also talking with our regional counterparts,” Diokno said.

“It depends on the outcome of further study.

There’s no urgency for this, our settlement and payment systems are working very well. I think we’ll maximize the benefit of our existing payment system,” he added.

If in case the BSP decides to use CBDCs, it will be for wholesale transactions and not for retail, the central

FURGENCY, P10

PH seen benefiting from soaring nickel prices, says Fitch Solutions

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itch Solutions on Monday said soaring prices of nickel could be beneficial for other producers such as the Philippines and Indonesia as the tension between Russia and Ukraine drags on.

The ongoing war has disrupted the production of nickel from Russia, which propelled prices to new highs. Russia is among the biggest producers of the metal globally.

Nickel soared to as much as $101,365 per ton on March 8, before easing back

to $82,195.

“Soaring global nickel prices will be highly beneficial to other major producers, such as Indonesia and the Philippines. In those countries, exports may be even more profitable if the ongoing crisis has further impact on EM currencies,” Fitch Solutions said in a statement.

Nickel mine production is also likely to pick up as prices rise, it said.

Fitch Solutions said the disruption in Russian

FPH, P10

mga consumers,” she said on Sunday.

(The appeal of the Department of Energy continues for oil companies to look into ways to lessen the impact on our consumers.)

This comes as local oil firms last Tuesday hiked prices per liter of gasoline

by P3.60, diesel by P5.85, and kerosene by P4.10, marking the 10th straight

week of upward movement.

The latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE) indicate that year-to-date adjustments stand at a total net increase of P8.75 per liter for gasoline, P10.85 per liter for diesel, and P9.55 per liter for kerosene as of February 22, 2022.

An industry source said that a big-time pump price hike could be implemented next week — gasoline to possibly be hiked by P8.28 per liter, and diesel by P12.72 per liter.

“Kung ikukumpara mo ‘yung trading nitong nakaraang linggo versus the two weeks before, ‘yung

comparison natin week-onweek talagang malaki iyong sinipa nitong linggo na ito,” Romero said.

(If you compare the trading this week versus the trading two weeks before, the comparison is on a week-on-week basis, the movement was really big this week.)

The government allocated some P2.5 billion for public utility driver fuel subsidies, while the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has a service contracting program that pays drivers in exchange for providing services to commuters for free.

sion there this year.

The war and the sanctions would also have significant spillover effects on neighboring countries that depended on Russian energy supplies, and had already resulted in a wave of refugees compared to that seen during World War Two, she said.

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a “special operation.”

The sanctions were also limiting Russia’s ability to access its resources and service its debts, which

meant a default was no longer viewed as “improbable,” Georgieva said.

Asked if such a default could trigger a financial crisis around the world, she said, “For now, no.”

The total exposure of banks to Russia amounted to around $120 billion, an amount that while not insignificant, was “not systemically relevant,” she said.

Asked if Russia could access the $1.4 billion in emergency IMF funding approved for Ukraine last week if Moscow won the

war and installed a new government, Georgieva said the funds were in a special account accessible only by the Ukrainian government.

An IMF official said that referred to the “internationally recognized government of Ukraine.”

The IMF last year blocked access to Afghanistan’s funds by the Taliban after they seized control of the government, citing lack of clarity over recognition of the Taliban rulers within the international community.

he Department of Energy (DOE) reiterated its call for local oil firms to look into measures that would ease the successive increases of domestic pump prices in a bid to relieve the impact on consumers.

According to DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau Assistant Director Rodela Romero, the department called on firms to look into implementing the increases on a staggered basis.

“Patuloy ‘yung panawagan ng Department of Energy sa ating mga oil companies kung gumawa ng paraan para hindi naman matindi ang tama sa ating

IMF: Russian default no longer improbable, but no trigger for global financial crisis

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ussia may default on its debts in the wake of unprecedented sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, but that would not trigger a global financial crisis, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Sunday.

Georgieva told CBS’s “Face the Nation” program that sanctions imposed by the United States and other democracies were already having a “severe” impact on the Russian economy and would trigger a deep reces-

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6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.14 ISSUE 303 • TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2022

On the reopening of popular streetfood capital Roxas Night Market on March 24. 2022:

Preparations need to be made niani sama sa raffling sa slot. Mag-set up ang atoang Roxas Night Market team. Mura ta ug nagsugod sa uno ani because it’s been two years but we already set the date nga March 24 ang atoang Roxas Night Market.”

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio

EDITORIAL A summit on rules As a result of the unsettled dispute between ace pole-vaulter Ernest John (EJ) Uy-Obiena and the Philippine Track and Field Association, (Patafa), his national sports association (NSA), the country missed the chance to join the World Indoor Championship in Belgrade, Serbia next week and lost an opportunity to win honors for the Philippines.

Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports, could only lament on the sad event. He said that because of the conflict, “we have lost a chance to win another honor for the country in the field of sports.” “What has now happened to our battle cry, ‘We win as one?”

The Dabawenyo legislator has urged the Patafa and Obiena to talk and agree to join in the mediation of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) which was tasked to lead it.

Knowing the disunity and other problems that bedeviled the country’s sports community for the longest time, we strongly sug-

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If our recollection is accurate, the raging controversy between Patafa and Obiena started from an investigation by Patafa of Obiena’s alleged failure to pay in time the allowances of his foreign coach. To begin with, Patafa could not have legally assigned Obiena to do a cashiering job if it was only prohibited in the first place. Similar incidents in the future could be avoided if only there are rules that prohibit the same. We also need rules that would prevent Obiena from accepting a cashiering assignment. This and other restrictions could be imposed across all national sports associations to prevent NSAs from committing abuses. These could preclude a repeat of an Obiena-Patafa dispute in the future.

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

gest that the authorities and stakeholders in this country, including incoming officials in the legislative and executive branches of the government, to call for a summit to review the rules and regulations of sports with the end in review of instituting reforms to correct the injusticies, favoritism, corruption and other evils, much ballyhooed in the past, among NSAs.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

CAGAYAN DE ORO MARKETING OFFICE MANILA MARKETING OFFICE RICHARD C. EBONA LEIZEL A. DELOSO | Marketing Manager Unit 6, Southbank Plaza Velez-YacapinProduct Sts. Development officer Cagayan de Oro City Address: No. 18 Purok 4B, Madelo Street, Lower Bicutan, Taguig City Tel: (088) 852-4894 Mobile number: +63 947 265 2969(smart); +63 916 955 8559(globe)

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VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

WHAT’S YOUR LIFE’S PASSION? I read a story before (below) but I couldn’t recall the source.

But allow me to share it since it talks about the subject matter I am trying to expound.

General Billy Mitchell, an American career army officer, was assigned to an aviation section in 1916. That’s where he learned to fly, and it became the passion of his life. Though aircraft played a minor role in World War I, he could see the military potential of air power.

After the war, he began a campaign to convince the military to create an air force. He provided demonstration after demonstration of what airplanes could do, but he met strong resistance.

Frustrated, he forced the army to court-martial him in 1925. A year later, he resigned. Only after World War II was Mitchell exonerated – and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. He was willing to pay any price to do what he knew was right.

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire,” said Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch. And that is what passion is all about. “Passion is universal humanity,” observed Honore de Balzac. “Without it, religion, history, romance and art would be useless.”

“Passion is the element in which we live; without it, we hardly vegetate,” said English

romantic poet and satirist Lord Byron. To which Alfred Lord Tennyson added, “The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions.”

“All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion and desire,” pointed out Greek philosopher Aristotle.

Of these seven, I think passion is the first step in achieving success in life. “You have one life to live: do your work with passion and give your best,” said Alia Bhatt. “Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.”

Think of great leaders and you will be struck by their passion: Mahatma Gandhi for human rights, Sir Winston Churchill for freedom, Martin Luther King Jr. for equality, and Bill Gates for technology.

“There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it’s the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent, or a businessperson,” Anthony Robbins once said. “People’s passion and dedication can conquer anything,” Brie Bella also said.

“One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested,” said E.M. Forster.

Millionaire Donald Trump, who became American president, also

said, “Without passion you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.”

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion,” said George Wilhelm in an interview with O Magazine in 2003. The brothers Joel and Ethan Coen know this well. Their bleak drama, No Country for Old Men won four Oscars; more than any other film, including best movie, director, and adapted screenplay for them.

Their passion for doing offbeat films really paid off. Accepting his golden statuette, Joel Coen talked about how he and Ethan had made films since they were kids and said his brother had taken a camera to the airport as a boy in the 1960s to make a movie about shuttle diplomacy called Henry Kissinger, Man on the Go. “Honestly, what we do now doesn’t feel that much different from what we did then,” he was quoted as saying.

Denis Waitley advises, “Chase your passion, not your pension.”

Inspirational author Dale Carnegie reminds, “You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.”

If you already know what your life’s passion is, do something. Just don’t sit there and wait for some miracles to happen. It may happen in movies but not in real life. God helps those who

help themselves, remember?

Canadian Bruno Cote is a successful painter in his country.

At one time, a journalist visited him in his studio to conduct an exclusive interview. “The first thing you notice on entering his studio is the cleanliness and lack of clutter,” the journalist wrote in his article.

The studio is on two levels, one an afterthought of the other. The lower area contains the workstation and easel. In the middle of the easel and rising up behind it is a brightly painted board with the cryptic letters EMTD. When asked what those four letters stand for, Cote said it was actually an acronym for “Enthusiasm Makes the Difference.” He said he took it from a book written by Norman Vincent Peale, which he used to read when he was still a teenager.

“It changed my life,” he said, adding that EMTD is more than his motto; it is his primal force and method of living. When asked by the journalist how he gets enthusiastic when he isn’t feeling it.

“It builds up,” he replied. “If you don’t work for a while, then you need to and you do it. I come in here and go for it. I work myself up. I work very, very fast and get a lot done for every blast. If you’re not enthusiastic, it’s no good.”

What Cote actually was doing is passion at work. And that was what Filipino millionaire John Gokongwei did too when he decided to start an airline in 1996.

“At the time, the dominant airline in the country was Philippine Air Lines,” he told the participants of the Ad Congress some years back.

If Filipinos want to travel cheaply, they travel either by sea or by land. “However, my son Lance and I had a vision for Cebu Pacific: We wanted every Filipino to fly,” he said. “Inspired by the low-cost carrier models in the United States, we believed that an airline based on the no-frills concept would work here. No hot meals, no newspaper, mono-class seating, and operating with a single aircraft type. Faster turnaround time.”

It all worked, thus enabling Cebu Pacific to pass on savings to the consumer. How did they do this? By sticking to their philosophy, which is “low cost, great value.” “We stick to that philosophy to this day,” Gokongwei added.

By the way, if you have found your life’s passion, don’t be afraid to fail. As American television host Oprah Winfrey said, “Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

RABAT’S ASSASSINATION PLOTS The supposed assassination plot against the late Davao Oriental governor Francisco G. Rabat first hogged the headlines after a bomb was detonated at Mati Gym on February 23, 1980.

Critically wounded in the explosion was Edith Nakpil-Rabat, his assemblyman-wife. It was on-ly after over two years that the first suspects were arrest-ed.

Also linked to this plot were Davao Oriental vice-governor Emilio Dayanghirang and nephew Antero Da-yanghirang (thereafter elected mayor of the municipality of Manay).

Later, in 1985, in yet another alleged plan to kill Rabat, Emilio Dayanghirang, ex-Davao Oriental governor Leo-poldo N. Lopez, a correspondent of the Davao City-based People’s Daily Forum, and two Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police [PC-INP] officers, namely Lt. Col.

Salvador Sayson and Captain Gil Taojo were accused of involvement.

This assertion was contained in a letter dispatched by Rabat to Brig. Gen. Dionisio S. Tan-Gatue, Jr., then re-gional commander of the PC-INP command in southern Mindanao, who, earlier on, had already refuted the in-volvement of military officers in the plot.

Oddly, Rabat claimed, the new slay plot was hatched to connect him with self-claimed Bangsa Moro Army ((BMA) leader Abubakar Bautista Karsolo, who was pur-portedly hunting communist insurgents in Mandug, Da-vao City, and to the killing of Alex Orcullo, a militant la-bor leader and journalist, on October 18, 1984, also in the same place.

The governor also made other claims in his letter, such as

conditioning the public about his supposed support for the New People’s Army (NPA) and propagating his link to the rebels through negative news reports and radio broadcasts under the handle of the vice governor.

The police officers’ participation in the assassination, according to a dispatch published in the People’s Daily Fo-rum on January 19, 1985, issue was to execute the liquida-tion by hiring “the services of members of the lost com-mand and some members of the military who have re-mained members of the disbanded ‘El Diablo’ who now call themselves as ‘guardians.’”

Rabat wrote: “Since the plot has some political color in view of the existence of an apparent motive on the part of my political enemies more particularly vice-governor Da-yanghirang, whose case [in relation to the

first slay plot] is still pending in court, his automatic assumption of office as governor [if the plan prospers]. I appeal to the good General that immediate steps be made by the command to relieve members of the El Diablo assigned in Davao Ori-ental PC command.”

Additionally, he sought clarification on the status of the military officers linked to the plot, particularly Lt. Col. Sayson whom he accused of “brandishing his high-powered weapons with his armed companions in the town of Mati, more particularly at barangay Don Enrique Lopez where people are threatened, physically harmed, thus sowing fear among the people.”

In response, Brig. Gen. Tan-Gatue disputed Rabat’s claims, saying there are no ‘lost command’ members in the province of Davao Oriental and that

the two military officers had already separated from the service. The gen-eral, in response, wrote Rabat saying Capt. Taojo was at the time already in the employ of Flordeliz Lopez Iñigo as farm manager and security officer.

Reacting to the assassination plot, the former service-men called the governor’s overtures, as cited in a news report, as “repugnant and obtrusively silly.”

Dayanghirang, meanwhile, criticized Rabat as a “vin-dictive mudslinger who does not stop making razzle-dazzle against all persons” whom he viewed as preven-tions to his “questionable operations in the province” with an intent to totally crush those who are hurdles of his po-litical agenda.

For his part, Lopez, now retired from poli-tics, assailed Rabat for unjustly linking him.

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COMPETITIVE EDGE

P20-M bamboo processing hub to rise in Davao del Sur

To provide more market-centered and environment-sensitive projects among farming communities in the Davao region, the Department of Agriculture-XI (DA-XI) has partnered with the Davao del Sur State College (DSSC) for the establishment of a P20-million bamboo processing facility in the province.

The said facility under the Upscaling of Bamboo Rural Enterprise and Development (BREAD)

Project of DA includes the establishment of a processing center for the production and commercialization of pressed bamboo or engineered bamboo that has high market demand as substitute for wood.

In an interview, DA-XI Technical Director for Operations Dr. Marila Corpuz said that the project is part of the key strategies of DA to establish Agri Industrial Business Corridors (ABCs) and

provide farmers access to resources, including state-of-the-art production technology, capital, and value-adding facilities.

“In partnership with DSSC, we will soon have a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Local Government Units (LGUs) and farmer-growers for the establishment of bamboo plantation to ensure supply of bamboo varieties for processing such as Kawayang tinik,

Giant bamboo, Bolo, Botong, and Bayog. Farmer-beneficiaries will receive free seedlings and fertilizers,” Corpuz said.

She added that the project, which will be operational in September this year, targets to organize 500 farmers into clusters with 20,000 hectares of consolidated bamboo farms.

DSSC on its part will also establish a two-hectare bamboo setum and nursery that will collect

and showcase different varieties of bamboo and serve as a source of good quality planting material for field planting and distribution to interested growers.

The said facility will also serve as a venue for farmers and other stakeholders’ skills training on Good Agricultural Practices for Bamboo Production, seedling production and processing. The initial beneficiaries for the training on engineered

bamboo are the 200 outof-school youth from various municipalities in Davao del Sur. “We thank our partners in the DSSC, the LGUs, DENR and other government line agencies for the full support in the implementation of this project and we hope this partnership will further be strengthened for the project to serve more farming communities,” said Corpuz. (Celso C. Vergara, DA-RAFIS11)

LANDBANK backs 365 LGUs with P101.1-B in loans to ramp-up recovery The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) has approved more than P100 billion in loans for 365 local government units (LGUs) nationwide as of end-January 2022. The substantial financial assistance to LGUs is in line with the Bank’s commitment to hasten the revival of local economies and communities affected by the pandem-

ic.

Under its RISE-UP LGUs (Restoration and Invigoration package for a Self-Sufficient Economy towards UPgrowth for LGUs) Lending Program, LANDBANK extends loans to provincial, city, and municipal governments to finance COVID-19 response and recovery intervention projects.

Eligible projects al-

lowed under the RISE UP LGUs include the purchase of agricultural produce, acquisition of equipment and construction of facilities to link products to the market, including other programs and projects of the LGU that provide basic and support services, social welfare, healthcare, and other infrastructure activities.

Since its launch in July

2020, the Program has gained wide acceptance

by LGUs that the staterun bank has increased its fund allocation to P150 billion—15 times more than the P10-billion initial fund—to accommodate the needs of more LGUs. “Together with our local government partners, LANDBANK remains at the forefront of delivering essential

services for the Filipino people and the nation at large. LANDBANK is the biggest development partner of the LGU sector, with all provinces, cities, and municipalities now maintaining deposit accounts with LANDBANK,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia C. Borromeo.

LANDBANK is encouraging LGUs to

promptly draw on their approved and enrolled loans under the RISE UP LGUs Lending Program and take advantage of the interest subsidy.

Interested LGUs may contact the nearest LANDBANK Lending Center or Branch nationwide, or call LANDBANK’s customer service at (02) 8-405-7000 or at PLDT Domestic Toll Free 1-800-10-405-7000.

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AGRITRENDS

9

SEAWEEDS: POSSIBLE HOPE FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

B

y culturing seaweeds, people living near the coastal areas can have another source of income. Instead of relying mostly from the catch in the open seas, women and children of fishermen can grow the “multicellular” forms of algae near the seashores.

Filipinos are familiar with seaweeds as the lead or supporting ingredients of some forms of salad. Unknowingly, the underwater goldmine, as they are called, can also be converted into organic fertilizer which would

help address food shortage as farmers can no longer afford the prohibitive cost of commercial fertilizer.

Emmanuel Piñol, former agriculture secretary who is running for the senate this coming May

election, said the country imports 2.82-million metric tons of chemical fertilizer every year. At the current market prices, that “would be worth P300-billion.”

“The option is to rediscover natural plant nutrition formulation,” Piñol suggested, “and seaweeds become urgent in the face of a worldwide fertilizer shortage which could result in low agricultural production and widespread famine.”

As such, he urged the

government to boost the organic seaweeds fertilizer program. “We have a distinct advantage with a total coastline of 36,298 kilometers and seaweeds are now produced mainly in Mindanao, Bicol, Palawan and Mindoro making the Philippines the third biggest producer of seaweeds after China and Indonesia,” said Piñol who was also the former head of Mindanao Development Authority.

Piñol reported that there are already commercially available seaweed-based fertilizers “but these are mostly processed by small groups of organic farmers who barely receive support from the government.”

He cited the case of the Southern Philippines Agribusiness and Marine and Aquatic School of Technology (SPAMAST) which has developed a natural fertilizer derived from the drippings of a particular seaweed called Kappaphycus alvarezil.

The natural fertilizer which SPAMAST developed is commercially available as Kappaphycus Drippings or KD Foliar Fertilizer, which could in-

crease yield of rice, baby corn, soybean, mung bean, sweet pepper, cauliflower, mango, pechay, and orchid.

“A kilo of Kappaphycus seaweed can yield up to 650ml liquid fertilizer,” SPAMAST said in a report.

“It contains nutrients that contribute to soil fertility,” particularly NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) but also magnesium, copper, zinc, iron and manganese.

“Most of these accounts are merely anecdotal with very little attempt to establish accurate nutrient measurements like in commercial inorganic complete fertilizer which carries 16-1616 of NPK,” Piñol admitted.

The former agriculture secretary believed the biggest challenge in exploiting the potential billion-peso industry, which could also address poverty levels in the coastal communities, is the lack of cohesive effort on the part of the government.

“The research, for example is done either by the Department of Science and Technology or

institutions like SPAMAST, the regulation is handled by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority while the Department of Agriculture hardly promotes the use of locally-formulated natural fertilizers,” Piñol deplored.

As such, he suggested a legislated national program focusing on coordinated and well-funded research and development, financing for production and promotion of seaweed-based natural fertilizers.

Indeed, there is so much potential for seaweed-based natural fertilizers. This is particularly true in the case of rice production. This is good news as rice is the staple food of Filipinos, consuming 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year on average.

Scientists from the National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños conducted a thorough research on the ordinary seaweed (carrageenan) and employed innovative technology and the result was simply amazing – boosting rice

FSEAWEEDS, P10

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SEAWEEDS...

FROM 9 Robert Borje named new Climate

Change Commission vice chair President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has named Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Robert Borje as the new vice chairperson and commissioner of the Climate Change Commission.

He will serve for a term of six years.

In November 2021, Borje was conferred with the Gawad Mabini with the Rank of Dakilang Kamanong (Grand Cross) which is given to Filipinos who have rendered distinguished foreign service or helped promote the interests and prestige of the Philippines abroad.

Borje, a foreign ser-

REOPENING... FROM2

Mayor Sara ordered the closure of the popular Roxas Night Market for the second time after Davao City was reverted to general community quarantine (GCQ) due to

the surge of Covid-19.

It was first closed on March 12, 2020, and reopened on Sept. 12, 2020, from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. from Mondays to Sundays at 25 percent capacity.

“The data will show that Sinovac is indeed a very safe choice for children and teenagers. This supports the notion on the safety and reliability of inactivated virus vaccines, much like the flu vaccine,” Gonzales said.

Neighboring countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and China are using Sinovac

for pediatric vaccination.

He added that adding Sinovac as part of the pediatric vaccination program will help the country to achieve its goal of inoculating 39 million children.

The government has been using vaccine brands Pfizer and Moderna for pediatric vaccination. (PNA)

“We’re going to take that up with our economic managers, DOF, how it will affect if we increase again the ayuda,” he added.

The DOE has called on local oil firms to look into measures that would ease the successive increases of domestic pump prices in a bid to relieve its impact on consumers.

The agency said oil

companies could consider implementing the increases on a staggered basis.

The government has allocated some P2.5 billion for public utility driver fuel subsidies, while the Department of Transportation has a service contracting program that pays drivers in exchange for providing services to commuters for free.

bank chief said.

Wholesale transactions involve government agencies or banks but not individuals, he said.

South Korea and China are among those whose central banks are currently

piloting the use of CBDCs. The BSP, meanwhile, is pushing for other digitalization efforts to boost financial inclusion, such as the use of online payments InstaPay and PESONet as well as the use of digital banks.

Georgieva last week said the IMF would downgrade its previous forecast for 4.4% global economic growth in 2022 as a result of the war, but said the overall trajectory remained positive. Read full story Growth remained robust in countries like the

United States that had been fast to recover from COVID-19 pandemic, she told CBS. The impact would be most severe in terms of driving up commodity prices and inflation, potentially leading to hunger and food insecurity in parts of Africa, she said.

the game’s first 11 points, it held a 62-60 lead by halftime and took an 8883 lead into the fourth.

Durant hit a pair of jumpers and a layup to push Brooklyn’s lead to 101-94 with 4:54 remaining. New

York scored the next nine points and grabbed a 103101 lead on Barrett’s layup with 2:52 remaining.

A basket by Drummond forged a 103-103 tie with 2:12 left until Durant’s clutch 3.

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URGENCY... FROM5 IMF... FROM5

DURANT... FROM11

vice officer, previously served at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Before his appointment as Chief of Presidential Protocol, he has been serving as Assistant Chief of Presidential Protocol since 2016.

Borje also worked at

the Office of the President’s Mindanao Economic Development Council, now the Mindanao Development Authority.

He was formerly a news desk editor and anchor for ABS-CBN Davao and live correspondent and producer for TV Patrol Manila and ABS-CBN News Channel. (PNA)

classification and an area under Alert Level 1, the passenger capacity shall be that which has the lower passenger capacity rate between the point of origin and point of desti-

nation.

Usop also said that DCOTT is still implementing the health protocols such as hand washing and wearing of face masks. By Maya M. Padillo

In a separate statement Monday, Barira Vice Mayor Bahrain Dagalangit expressed his gratitude for the continuous support of the BARMM government to them.

“The project provided

by MILG-BARMM, together with all the road projects and other infrastructure, has helped a lot the

people of Barira, one of the most affected towns during the war,” Dagalangit said.

Simultaneous with the groundbreaking was the inspection by the BARMM officials on the ongoing road construction that would connect Barira in Maguindanao to Butig in Lanao del Sur. (PNA)

happened in the past, we also have our own forecast, and nowcast (or present situation,) and then make a decision on that basis, we don’t decide on the basis of 1 or 2 weeks movement,” Diokno said.

“The Philippines is somehow insulated from the ongoing crisis between Russia and Ukraine due to its limited trade relations to either of the 2 countries as well as its strong macroeconomic fundamentals, he said.

Interest rate was kept at 2 percent since November 2020 to support economic recovery. But analysts expect BSP to hike the benchmark borrowing rate this year to rein in inflation.

A monetary policy-setting meeting will

be conducted on March 24.

With the astronomical prices of oil, the rate hike is now a “must” in the second quarter, an economist earlier said.

Diokno said the oil deregulation law was a “no go” for him since it could be subject to corruption.

Suspending the fuel excise tax meanwhile would result in a significant loss to the government.

Targeted assistance, as well as the fuel discount for farmers and fisherfolks, are a “good move,” Diokno said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier approved a P3-billion fund for fuel subsidy and discounts for farmers affected by the rising oil prices due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

production could prolong, which could impact the export of nickel and aluminum in the coming months.

“Prices for each metal are subject to considerable uncertainty, but we are

expecting them to remain above pre-invasion levels for both metals in the short term at least,” it said.

Nickel is mainly used to make stainless steel and batteries for electric vehicle.

18 points, Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk 13 apiece, and Austin Reaves 10 for the Lakers, who lost despite outscoring the Suns 48-36 on 3-pointers.

James (five) and Anthony (four) combined

for nine of the Lakers’ 16 3-pointers.

The 140 points allowed were one fewer than the Lakers’ season-high of 141 in a three-overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings in November.

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yield by more than 65%.

“Carrageenan is an indigestible carbohydrate (polysaccharide) extracted from edible seaweeds,” said the Philippine Council for Agriculture Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), which funded the study.

“To those unfamiliar with its many uses, seaweed is commonly used as a thickener or stabilizer by the food industry and also used as a binding agent for domestic products such as toothpaste and shampoo and are found in selected pharmaceutical products.

Some studies showed that when polysaccharide or carbohydrate is degraded or reduced to tiny sizes by a safe technology process called irradiation, it can be an effective growth promoter and makes rice resistant to major pests. In fact, at very small doses, it is an effective organic fertilizer.

“Carrageenan as a growth enhancer offers an array of benefits that result in improved productivity,” the PCAARRD said. “Used properly as prescribed, it makes the rice stem stronger thus improving rice resistance to lodging. It also promotes resistance to rice tungro virus and bacterial leaf blight therefore giving farmers increased harvest.”

What is good in this seaweed additive is that it is compatible with the traditional practice of fertilizer application, thereby allowing easy acceptance and less resistance from farmers. It also promotes sustainable agriculture since it is environment-friendly and enhances the presence of natural enemies that fight major pests in rice fields.

More importantly, it promotes more efficient absorption of plant nutrients that enables improved growth.

In a field trial conducted in Bulacan by the research team using carrageenan, rice yield was significantly increased by 63.6 to 65.4%. This treatment provided higher grain weight (of 450 grams and 455 grams, respectively) compared to traditional farmers’ practice of applying nine (9) bags of fertilizer per hectare that yielded only 275 grams.

Application of six bags of fertilizer per hectare plus 200 parts per million (or 20 milliliters) of carrageenan is more or less comparable with the application of just three bags of fertilizer per hectare with the same mixture.

But it’s not food production that will benefit much from seaweeds.

Commercially, seaweeds are valued for their col-

loids or gluey substance, particularly agar, carrageenan, and algin. Both agar and carrageenan are extracted from red seaweeds, while algin is extracted from brown seaweeds.

Agar, which derived its name from the Malay word for seaweed, “agaragar,” is used in making jellied desserts, as stabilizer in pie fillings, piping gels, icings, cookies, cream shells, and as thickening and gelling agent in poultry, fish and meat canning.

In the medical and pharmaceutical industries, agar serves as a laxative, suspending agent for barium sulfate in radiology, ingredient for slow-release capsules and in suppositories and surgical lubricants, and as a disintegrating agent in tablets. It is also used as impression materials to make accurate casts in prosthetic dentistry, criminology and tool manufacturing.

Carrageenan, on the other hand, is used in making ointments, as a stabilizing agent in frozen dairy products, as emulsifying agent in water-insoluble drugs and herbicides, and as texturing agent in toothpaste and powder. The Philippines is the world’s top carrageenan exporter.

Algin or alginic acid, meanwhile, is used as another stabilizing agent for several food products, as a sizing agent in paper manufacture, and as thickening agent in print pastes and painting coatings.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), commercial production of seaweeds through farming is at present limited to a few countries in East Asia making it a high value crop with a high demand in the world market. The Philippines is noted for the culture of seaweeds along with Japan, China, Korea, and Taiwan.

The Philippines is home to various kinds of seaweeds of which 390 species have been identified as having economic value as food, animal feeds, fertilizers, diet supplement, medicines, and raw materials for industrial products.

Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, former head of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development, is hopeful that the country could develop a sustainable production of seaweeds and a viable industry.

“Seaweeds require low inputs with high returns on investment,” he pointed out. “It is labor intensive and offers good opportunities for the employment of the otherwise labor force in the coastal areas.”

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11

World-class pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena (Obiena’s FB page photo)

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns dunks the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 13, 2022 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Barry Gossage, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

Strong first quarter helps Suns rout Lakers

D

evin Booker poured 12 of his teamhigh 30 points into a 48-point, first-quarter explosion Sunday night that sent the host Phoenix Suns to a 140111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in a matchup of possible first-round playoff opponents.

Deandre Ayton also contributed 10 points to the first-quarter flurry that put the Lakers in a 26-point hole and paved

the way to a seventh loss in their last nine games despite a game-high 31 points from LeBron James.

Ayton finished with 23 points for the Suns, who successfully rebounded from a 117-112 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday.

In beating the Lakers for the third straight time this season by a total of 57 points, the Suns went from a 6-2 deficit to a 16-6 lead behind a pair of Booker 3-pointers.

He added a third three later in the period,

turning it into a fourpoint play when fouled on a 30-footer by Stanley Johnson.

On a night when they shot 56.9 percent from the field, the Suns went on to lead by as many as 28 points in the second quarter and 35 in the fourth minute of the final period before both teams emptied the bench.

Booker’s 30-point game was his 21st of the

for Phoenix, which rolled up its largest point total of the season.

Cameron Payne aided the cause with a gamehigh 11 assists to complement nine points.

James went for 31 points and team-highs in rebounds with seven and assists with six. The 30-point game was his 28th of the season.

Carmelo Anthony had

the next possession. Jericho Sims secured the defensive rebound, giving the Knicks a chance at regaining the lead.

After New York called a timeout, Evan Fournier’s pass was intercepted by Bruce Brown with 9.2 seconds left. Durant hit two free throws with 6.6 seconds left after landing on the first row while being fouled by Alec Burks.

Two free throws by Barrett brought the Knicks within 108-107 with 2.6 seconds left. Durant hit two more at the line with 1.8 ticks left and the game ended when Randle fumbled a pass by Barrett at the buzzer.

Durant finished one shy of his career high and also added nine assists. He also

broke the franchise record held by John Williamson (1978) for points in a game against the Knicks.

Andre Drummond added 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Nets won their third straight game while unvaccinated Kyrie Irving watched from courtside seats opposite the Brooklyn bench. Brown contributed 15 points and the Nets shot 49.4 percent.

Randle scored 26 points to lead the Knicks, who lost their sixth straight to Brooklyn and fell to 4-13 in their past 17 contests. Fournier added 25 and Barrett finished with 24 as New York shot 47 percent.

After Brooklyn scored

FSTRONG, P10

Durant drops 53 points, clutch 3-pointer as Nets top Knicks

K Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant shoots (C) shoots over New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier during the first half of the NBA basketball game between the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA, 13 March 2022. Peter Foley, EPA-EFE.

season. He shot 4-for-10 on 3-pointers and also found time for 10 assists, completing his fourth double-double of the year.

Ayton made 11 of his 14 shots and also led all rebounders with 16 for his 22nd double-double.

Mikal Bridges (18 points), Aaron Holiday (12), Jae Crowder (11), Torrey Craig (11) and JaVale McGee (10) also scored in double figures

evin Durant highlighted a season-high 53-point performance by hitting the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 56.3 seconds remaining as the host Brooklyn Nets edged the New York Knicks 110-107 Sunday afternoon in New York.

Durant made 19 of 37 shots and his biggest hoop snapped a 103-103 tie. After Goran Dragic’s defense forced New York’s Julius Randle into a turnover, Durant spotted up from the left wing opposite New York’s bench and cleanly hit a 3-pointer over RJ Barrett.

Following a timeout, Randle converted a dunk to make it 106-105 with 48.4 seconds left and Durant missed a 3-pointer on

FDURANT, P10

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Alex Eala of Philippines trains during the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 24, 2021 in Miami Gardens, Florida. File photo. Matthew Stockman, Getty Images/AFP.

MIAMI SWING Pinay netter Alex Eala gets wild card to Miami Open main draw

T

he Philippines’ Alex Eala is in the main draw of a WTA 1000 tournament for the first time, after receiving a wild card from the Miami Open slated from March 21 to April 3.

The 16-year old Pinay phenom is among the eight women’s main draw wild card recipients headlined by 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States and former World No. 1 and four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan.

Completing the roster of the Miami women’s main draw wildcards are Australian Astra Sharma, Czech Linda Fruhvirtova, and Americans Hailey Baptiste, Ashlyn Krueger, and Robin Montgomery.

The 2021 W15 Manacor champion and Rafa Nadal Academy scholar, currently the WTA World No. 571, shared on a Facebook post, “I am excited to be playing the Miami Open!”

This will be the second time that Eala will compete as a wildcard in the WTA 1000 tilt at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, following her qualifying draw stint in 2021.

The then 15-year-old fell to Viktoria Kuzmova of Slovakia, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, in the opening round of qualifiers.

This time around, Eala will be competing among the world’s best as the Miami Open announced that 71 out of the WTA Top 75 are entered to compete in the tournament.

Other slam winners in the acceptance list as of February 22, 2022 are Garbine Muguruza of Spain, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, Angelique Kerber of Germany, Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic, Simona Halep of Romania, Barbora Krejcikova of Czech Republic, Iga Swiatek of Poland, Jelena Ostapenko of Lat-

via, Sloane Stephens of the United States, and Emma Raducanu of Great Britain.

Also in the Miami acceptance list are Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, Paula Badosa of Spain, Maria Sakkari of Greece, Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, Karolina Pliskova of Czech Republic, Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, Coco Gauff of the United States, and Leylah Fernandez of Canada.

Defending champion and World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty of Australia, has withdrawn from the event, citing that her body has not recovered the way she had hoped after winning the Australian Open in January.

The qualifying rounds will take place from March 21 to 22 while the women’s main draw will kick off on March 22.

As the Miami Open is a joint ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 event, the men’s main draw will begin on March 23.

The ATP acceptance list is bannered by World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev of Russia, Alexander Zverev of Germany, Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, Matteo Berrettini of Italy, Andrey Rublev of Russia, Casper Ruud of Norway, Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, Jannik Sinner of Italy, and defending champion Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.

The men’s main draw has five wildcards: former World No. 1 and three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray of Great Britain, Nick Kyrgios of Australia, Jack Draper of Great Britain, Jordan Thompson of Australia, and Juncheng Shang of China.