Edge Davao Volume 15 Issue 38 | Saturday, May 28, 2022

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VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

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A self-charging hybrid electric car is on display in the ongoing Mindanao Leg of the ‘Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Information Campaign: #EnerhiyangAtin at SM City Davao. The information campaign, which is initiated by the Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), aims to educate the public on how to make energy conservation a way of life and increase the citizen’s awareness on the importance of efficient utilization of energy resources to minimize environmental impacts. Edge Davao

PRIVATE PACT Sara: Me and BBM made an agreement before we became UniTeam

STORY ON PAGE 2

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

President Rodrigo Duterte interacts with the invited ambassadors during the Reception for the Ambassadors at the Malacañang Palace on May 25, 2022. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

PRIVATE PACT P

Duterte asks Marcos to continue anti-drug campaign his ‘own way’

Sara: Me and BBM made an agreement before we became UniTeam

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio shared that she and President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had an agreement before they became UniTeam.

“Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa mga bumoto sa akin. At ako din ay nagpapasalamat sa ating President-Elect Bongbong Marcos. Meron kami napagkasunduan

bago pa man kami naging Uniteam at hindi niya nakalimutan iyon, nung pinaalala ko sa kanya ng proclamation night, sagot niya, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care

of it,” Duterte-Carpio posted on her Facebook Page.

However, she did not share in her post what their agreement was.

She also shared that Marcos was very patient with her desire to create her campaign strategy besides the Uniteam during the campaign.

“Pinagbibigyan niya yung laging pag-excuse

ko para kumain. At higit sa lahat kahit na dapat ay mauna umalis ang Pangulo, kapag nagpapa-alam ako na mauna umuwi lagi niya sagot ay mag-ingat. Good vibes lang. We shall always and forever be the Uniteam,” Duterte-Carpio said.

It can be recalled that during the campaign period, Marcos and Duter-

Operations Center (RVOC) XI that the country now implements a strengthened four-door strategy: through continuous global scanning for emerging variants; through strict implementation of border protocols; prioritizing the use of RTPCR in testing and in symptomatics and their close contacts; and religiously

sending positive samples for sequencing as soon as possible.

The current protocol does not require close contact with mild and moderate symptoms to be tested.

But the enhanced response put in place is requiring RTPCR testing for symptomatic individuals and their close contacts in the con-

duct of active surveillance.

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Heightened protocols vs Omicron subvariant cascaded by DOH 11

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ith reported local transmission of the Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 in the National Capital Region, Western Visayas, and Puerto Princesa, the Department of Health XI cascaded heightened protocols.

DOH XI Dr. Rachel Pasion briefed the members of the Regional Vaccination

Another enhanced response is by prioritizing the submission of whole genome sequencing samples from visitors from tourism zones or areas; individuals with international travel history; hospitalized severe and critical cases; and rep-

FHEIGHTENED, P10

resident-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte asked him to continue the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Marcos revealed that during the meetings he had with Duterte prior to the May 9 polls, the outgoing president asked him to prioritize addressing the country’s drug problem in his “own way”.

“One thing that he was very assertive about was ‘Ituloy mo ‘yong anti-drug syndicate na sinimulan ko(Just continue the anti-drug syndicate [program] that I started). Do it your own way.’,” he said in a Facebook live interview with select media.

The next president said Duterte wants his successor to sustain his fight against illegal drugs to protect the youth.

“Do it your own way, palitan mo, pero huwag mo iiwanan dahil kawawa ang kabataan natin. Masisira ang buhay nila’ (You could change it, but don’t abandon it because our youth would be miserable. Their lives would be destroyed),” Marcos quoted Duterte as saying.

Marcos said he fully appreciates what Duterte had said as the drug problem still exists, and the government must deal with it accordingly.

Acting presidential spokesperson and Commu-

nications Secretary Martin Andanar earlier pointed out the success of the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign, which saw over PHP75 billion worth of seized drugs, over a million surrendered drug personalities, and the more accredited Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehab Centers across the country.

“Pagdating sa number of drug user surrenderees na nagpa-rehabilitate, the amount of hard drugs na nahuli ng ating (When it comes to the number of drug user surrenderees who are undergoing rehabilitation, the amount of hard drugs seized by our) Philippine National Police, ng ating (by our) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency,” he added.

The war against illegal drugs has been criticized even by the international community but Duterte was adamant that it is a social menace that must be stopped.

On Tuesday, Duterte warned drug smugglers that he would always consider them his enemies even as his six-year term ends on June 30.

“Galit talaga ako. ‘Pag ginawa mo ‘yan sa bayan ko, para na ring tinatapos mo ang buhay namin. So gusto kong dapat malaman ‘yan ng mga durugista (I am really mad. If you destroy my country, it is as if you ended our lives. So I want

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

NEWS

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Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte leads the Kasalan sa Barangay in Brgy. Sumimao, Paquibato District where he administered the wedding of 24 couples on Thursday afternoon. CIO

DCOTT records over P1M monthly revenue increase for Q1 of 2022 Tighter curbs for unvaxxed residents in Agusan town

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ocal officials here are enforcing stringent measures to residents who are not yet fully vaccinated in an effort to achieve the 80 percent threshold herd population immunity against COVID-19.

Mayor William Calvez has issued Executive Order No. 008 Series of 2022 dubbed “No Vaccine, No Benefits” to unvaccinated residents of this town, which consequently barred them from transacting business at the municipal hall.

At the same time, the Sangguniang Bayan also passed Municipal Ordinance No. 0157 Series of 2022, regulating the mobility of unvaccinated persons in their town.

Allen Joe Lumanta, municipal information officer, said the mayor’s directive would deprive indigent unvaccinated residents benefits from financial, medical and burial assistance from the municipal hall unless they would signify their willingness to get vaccinated.

The unvaccinated are also deprived of support from the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Dis-

placed Workers or TUPAD program of the Department of Labor and Employment, a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced, underemployed and seasonal workers, for a minimum period of 10 days but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days.

Calvez said that while his town has passed the 72 percent threshold to residents who were jabbed with anti-COVID-19 vaccines, there is a need to achieve an 80 percent total vaccination goal to be downgraded to Alert Level 1 status by the provincial Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

“I would really like to have our local economy return to normal but we could never be lowered down to Alert Level 1 if we cannot achieve the 80 percent herd immunity population,” Calvez said in a local media interview.

The 80 percent full vaccination target of the province was agreed upon by the Provincial Health Office and the Rural Health Units

FTIGHTER, P10

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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n official of the Davao City Overland Transport Terminal (DCOTT) reported that the facility recorded an increase of over P1 million in monthly revenue for the first quarter of 2022.

DCOTT manager Aisa Usop said the figure signifies a substantial recovery for the DCOTT’s income after it plummeted during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

Usop reported that DCOTT recorded an income of P3,532,742 for January 2022, which is over a million pesos more than the P2,493,427 recorded for

the same month in 2021.

The same trend was observed in the succeeding months of the first quarter of 2022.

“Comparing 2021 mas taas ta karon. Makita nato na dunay pag increase bisan sa month of April. Naay pag increase when it comes to figures na more than 1 million every month,” she said over the Davao City Disas-

ter Radio (DCDR) on Friday.

Usop added that the 24 -hour operation helped increase DCOTT’s income.

However, comparing the figures pre-pandemic these figures remain short.

“Kung i-compare pud nato sa atong pre-pandemic pa, mas taas pa gyud, wala pa gyud na na-reach,” she said.

She said in 2019 DCOTT recorded its highest revenue of over P70 million comparing the revenue from 2021 at over 32 million pesos, which is considerably more than the recorded

hildren in conflict with the law (CICL) will no longer be left behind when it comes to technology because they will soon be using laptops for their studies.

Fifty laptops were turned over on Thursday to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) through its Help and Educate A Child Program that will be used

by CICL. The laptops were donated by various stake-

holders supporting the said program of the DCPO. “Malaking tulong ito kasi for all you know halos lahat ngayon laptop na. Itong mga bata na ito kailangan magkaroon sila ng basic knowledge sa operation sa laptop,” said Col. Alberto Lupaz, DCPO director.

Richard Gendoy, asset manager of Awesome OS, said the company is hoping that these laptops will serve as one of the tools

for reaching the goals and dreams of CICL. “May this event will serve as an inspiration for everyone,” he said.

EMAR/TVP president and CEO Maria Lita Montalban, an advisory council of DCPO, is also hoping that all the CICL could avail the laptop to help them in their studies.

The turnover ceremony was also highlighted with the signing of the Memorandum of Agree-

P23 million in 2020.

“Hopefully for this year, year 2022, kung dili man nato mareach ang 70 million, mutaas pa gyud siya no more than 32 million, the income that we had last year,” she said.

The DCOTT has resumed regular bus terminal operations with more than 600 bus trips a day.

“Karon na anaa nata sa last week of May makita nako makabalik nata sa normal operation based on the number of bus trips nato. Na maintain nato ang 600 pataas na bus trips a day,” she said

ment (MOA) between DCPO and the stakeholders/supporters of the program.

Currently, there are more than 90 CICL scholars under the said program.

The DCPO also has a School of Hope for the CICL located within the DCPO compound and is planning to hold face-toface classes in the next school opening this August.

DCPO receives laptops for CICL C

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

Vendors sell street food near the entrance of Davao Coastal Road in Bago Aplaya, Davao City. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is hoping that the incoming 19th Congress would finally pass the measure addressing the plight and concerns of the country’s self-employed workers such as ambulant vendors, small transport workers, as well as unpaid family workers and workers from the agriculture sector. Edge Davao

PRRD OKs 2022 strategic investment priority plan

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2020 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) were retained and included under Tier I of the newly formulated SIPP. Duterte signed the 2020 IPP on Nov. 18, 2020. It took effect on Dec. 6, 2020.

The IPP is the government’s blueprint of priority economic activities that qualify for fiscal incentives.

It covers the production or

manufacture of medicines, medical equipment, and devices, personal protective equipment (PPE), surgical equipment, and supplies, among others.

Tier II was defined as activities “envisioned to promote a competitive and resilient economy and fill in gaps in the Philippines’ industrial value chains, and are deemed critical in promoting green ecosystems, ensuring a dependable health system, achieving robust self-reliance in defense systems, and realizing modern, competitive, and resilient industrial and agricultural sectors.”

Tier III will include activities that are “projected to accelerate the transformation of the economy primarily through the application of research and development and attracting technology investments. It also includes activities involving the production of equipment, parts, and services that embed new technologies, and the commercialization of research and development output.”

The Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives endorsed the newly formulated SIPP on Feb. 7, 2022.

are already “outdated.”

Marcos, however, did not specify which provisions of the EPIRA he wants to amend.

For years, several attempts have been made to amend the power industry reform law amid criticisms of its ineffectiveness to bring down power cost, but nothing progressed.

Enacted in 2001, EPIRA, a landmark pro-market re-

form, aims to ensure reliable and competitively priced electricity in the country.

Among its salient features is the division of the electric power industry into four sub-sectors — generation, transmission, distribution, and supply — to ensure a level-playing field among players in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, Marcos said he has formed a team to look into which items in the elec-

tricity bills can be brought down further to ease the burden of consumers.

“In general, we have begun to see the areas kung saan tayo kukuha kung paano pababain ang singil sa kuryente [where we can bring down the cost of electricity],” he said.

On the proposal to scrap the value added tax on power generation, Marcos said,

resident Rodrigo R. Duterte has approved the 2022 Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) which aims to identify industries to which the government hopes to attract investment by offering tax incentives.

The 2022 SIPP, which will be a companion document to the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) law, is contained in Memorandum Order No. 61 signed

by Duterte on Tuesday but released to reporters on Thursday.

Under the memorandum, activities listed in the

FPRRD, P10

Marcos mulls amending EPIRA to bring down electricity prices

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resident-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he is looking at amending the Arroyo-era Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to bring down the cost of electricity.

“We have to be very strict in enforcing EPIRA but beyond that we also have to look at possible amendments to EPIRA”, he said at a press briefing, noting that some provisions of the law

FMARCOS, P10

SEC welcomes enactment of FCPA

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he Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 11765, or the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act (FCPA) as reinforcement to its mandate of protecting the investing public.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on May 6 signed the FCPA, which seeks to ensure that mechanisms in line with global best practices are in place to protect consumers of financial products and services.

“Protecting the investing public is at the heart of what the SEC does. This new measure will provide greater deterrence against fraud, and will serve as another tool for the SEC to hold investment scammers accountable for the harm they perpetuate in society,” SEC Chairperson Emilio B. Aquino said.

“We applaud our legislators and our president, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, for sharing the SEC’s vision of a developed financial sector through a protected and financially literate public.”

The FCPA allows the Commission to impose administrative sanctions on persons responsible of in-

vestment fraud, including a fine of P50,000 up to P10 million on each instance of investment fraud, plus up to P10,000 for each day of continuing violation.

This is on top of the penalties provided under Section 73 of Republic Act No. 8799, or the Securities Regulation Code, which includes a fine of P50,000 up to P5 million, or imprisonment of not less than seven years nor more than 21 years, or both in the discretion of the court.

The measure further reiterates the SEC’s authority to impose enforcement actions on its supervised entities for noncompliance with existing laws under its jurisdiction. This includes the disqualification and/ or suspension of directors, trustees, officers, or employees of a supervised entity, the issuance of cease and desist orders, and the suspension of operation of any supervised financial service provider, among others.

The SEC, as well as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Insurance Commission, shall have the authority to issue its own standard and rules for the application of the provisions of the new law within its jurisdiction.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

ECONOMY

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Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss announces that the initial batch of Filipino workers in the tourism sector in Israel is set to leave next week after being legally allowed to work in the hotel industry. Edge Davao

Diokno to retain most DOF undersecretaries, treasurer Filipinos may now work in Israel’s hotels: envoy

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srael will officially open its hotel sector to Filipino workers, Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss said Thursday.

In an interview with reporters, the envoy said the first batch of the 500 Filipino tourism workers will fly to Israel next week under a labor agreement between the two nations.

“Actually, it is the first time that Israel is opening the hotel industry to foreign labor. The foreign labor is very regulated,” he said.

“For the hotel sector, until now, there were no foreign workers, now it’s opening

for Filipinos and Jordan,” he added.

Fluss said around 500 Filipino hotel workers were hired for the initial phase, but the total quota for the Philippines is 2,000. The hiring, however, would depend on the demand for hospitality-related jobs in the country.

“We have to monitor the needs of the industry, I remind you Israel is not such a big country,” he said.

Fluss clarified that the workers are hired directly by the hotels and the two governments merely serve

FFILIPINOS, P10

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pandemic that goal was disrupted. So, we’ll focus on that,” he said.

Economic managers earlier aimed to elevate the domestic economy to the upper-middle income status by this year given its sustained expansion.

The pandemic delayed this goal but authorities said this remains feasible since the economy has started to recover from the virus-induced crisis.

Another focus of the Department of Finance (DOF)

under Diokno’s watch will be to further bring down the level of poverty in the country, he said.

Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data show that as of the first semester of 2021, poverty incidence in the country, or the share of poor Filipinos whose per capita income is not enough to meet their basic food and non-food needs, is placed at 23.7 percent of the population or about 26.14 million Filipinos.

Meanwhile, in terms of the accelerating rate of price increases, Diokno said there should be a coordinated action between the fiscal and monetary authorities but because the current acceleration of inflation rate is caused by supply-side factors, he said

this should be handled primarily by the fiscal side.

Diokno has repeatedly said that acceleration of domestic inflation rate, which surpassed the government’s 2-4 percent annual target band until 2024 last April when it rose to 4.9 percent, should be addressed by focused measures such as the fuel subsidies for drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and farmers and fisherfolk.

He, however, said another hike in the central bank’s key rates is up for the June 23 rate setting meet of the BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board (MB) following the 25 basis points increase last May 19, which is the first since 2018.

under the 18th Congress.

“Mayroon po tayong Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy, ito po ay tinalakay sa 18th Congress kaso nga lang hindi ho tayo pinalad,” said Trayvilla in a televised briefing.

(We have a Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy tackled by the 18th Congress but it wasn’t passed.)

“Ito na sana iyong bill para sa kabuuan. Integrated na ito, holistic approach

on addressing the concerns of the workers in the informal economy. Particularly ay nakalagay na doon ang basic labor rights, maayos na working conditions or working environment, and access to resources like access to credit resources, credit facility, capacity-building trainings, and of course mataas na kita,” she added.

(This is a bill that covers everything. This is holistic and integrated in terms of

the approach in addressing the concerns of workers in the informal economy.

Among the issues covered are basic labor rights, proper working conditions, working environment... and high wages.)

The official noted that the government’s different livelihood assistance programs were already integrated in the measure, which includes the emergency employment assis-

here will be no major changes in the line-up of undersecretaries for the next administration, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor and incoming finance chief Benjamin Diokno said on Thursday.

“I intend to retain most of the Undersecretaries and also (National) Treasurer Lea (De Leon),” he said in a virtual briefing on Thursday.

Diokno considers the financial chief position as equally challenging as heading the central bank “because we’re shooting for the same (goal) for the country, which is to make the country an upper-middle income economy soon.”

“I think we’re almost there but because of the

FDIOKNO, P10

PAL to open 1st-ever DOLE hopes Congress will pass Magna BARMM route in June Carta of workers in informal economy

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lag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced it will inaugurate the first-ever air travel route within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) next month.

In a statement, PAL said it will commence on June 9, 2022 regular jet flights between Cotabato City and Tawi-Tawi.

The new Cotabato–Tawi-Tawi–Cotabato service will operate twice weekly, every Monday and Thurs-

day: PR 2487 Cotabato to Tawi-Tawi – every Monday and Thursday departing at 7:30 a.m.

PR 2488 Tawi-Tawi to Cotabato – every Monday and Thursday departing at 9:40 a.m.

PAL said it will deploy Airbus A320 aircraft on the pioneer route, offering a choice of Business Class and Economy seating on the nonstop flights across the Sulu Sea.

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he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) hoped that the incoming 19th Congress would finally pass the measure addressing the plight and concerns of the country’s informal economy.

Lawyer Karina Perida-Trayvilla of DOLE’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns said the Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy failed to get the green light

FDOLE, P10

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

In revealing that she and President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had an agreement before they became UniTeam:

Ako ay nagpapasalamat sa mga bumoto sa akin. At ako din ay nagpapasalamat sa ating President-Elect Bongbong Marcos. Meron kami napagkasunduan bago pa man kami naging Uniteam at hindi niya nakalimutan iyon, nung pinaalala ko sa kanya ng proclamation night, sagot niya, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

Sara Duterte-Carpio Vice President-elect

EDGEDAVAO

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

VANTAGE POINTS

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HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

PAWIKAN SWIMMING INTO EXTINCTION Marine turtles – locally known as pawikan – are among the gentlest creatures ever to exist. They have roamed the tropical seas, including our waters, without much change in appearance, thus earning them the moniker, “the living fossils.”

They may have existed along with the extinct dinosaurs.

“Some 200 million years ago, marine turtles developed as the earth throbbed with dramatic geophysical changes - surviving as their living conditions changed, adapting to the natural rhythms of prehistoric life,” wrote Marizal Calpito and Lourdes P. Calacal in an in-depth feature published in Canopy International. “Down through the ages, they thrived, remaining much the same as their hardy ancestors.”

There are only eight species of marine turtles known.

But what most Filipinos don’t know is that five of these species can be in our waters, mostly in the Turtle Islands. These are the Green Sea (known in the science world as Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and Leatherback (Dermocheyls coriacea).

The three other species, which cannot be found in our waters, are the Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempi), Flatback (Chelonia depressa), and Black Sea (Chelonia agassizi).

Unfortunately, all eight species are listed under the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which means the trade of these species and subspecies is strictly “prohibited except for educational, scientific or research and study purposes.”

The Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has also classified the eight species as endangered. This is so because “their populations are in danger of extinction and whose survival is unlikely if the causal factors continue to operate.”

Just like in the past, marine turtles are still hunted for their meat and leather.

Rural fisherfolk have been using marine turtle blood, hatchlings, and liver as a cure for asthma. Others gather the turtle’s tail for its aphrodisiac properties. The bone gives an excellent soup, which the Chinese consider as a delicacy.

Marine turtles are also hunt-

ed to make different products.

The Hawksbill’s carapace is used to make combs, brush handles, eyeglass frames, buttons, hairclips, and jewelry.

Immature Hawksbill and Green Sea turtles are killed and stuffed for ornamental purposes like home decor.

Marine turtles are used as come-ons for tourism purposes.

But instead of helping these endangered species, tourism even helps them to be decimated.

“Tourism in natural places that does not take into account the effect they have on the environment is the threat,” explained Dr. Arnel “AA” Yaptinchay, founder and director of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.

In the country where every inch of its beaches will soon be developed for tourism, this will become a big threat for marine turtles.

According to Dr. Yaptinchay, development of the coast where buildings are to be constructed will displace marine turtles from one of their most important life cycle habitats, referring to the nesting beach.

“Lights, infrastructure, noise, domestic animals, and pollution will not only disturb those nesting females but also

their hatchlings,” he said. “Marine turtles will not nest when disturbed.”

As if those are enough, marine turtles are ground up by dredges, run over by pleasure boats, poisoned by pollution, strangled by trash, and drowned by fishline and net.

Since 2001, hunting, sale and killing of marine turtles have been banned in the Philippines. The Wildlife Conservation Act, or Republic Act No. 9147, penalizes violators with a fine of up to P100,000 and one year in jail.

Despite sincere efforts by the government and some environmentalist groups to save marine turtles from extinction, the decimation of the endangered species continues unabated.

“All of the species found in our country are endangered except for the Hawksbill which is critically endangered,” Dr. Yaptinchay said. “The only sure thing is that marine turtle populations are under tremendous threats and if these are not stopped, extinction is imminent.”

Once these marine turtles are extinct, they can never be seen again. Because of this, environmentalists urged Filipinos to stop their disappearance from our waters. We need them

alive more than dead. If they can live up to 57 years, do you know how much is its economic use value?

An estimated whooping P4.80 million, according to a study done by the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), a line agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The estimation was based on the animal’s ecological role in coastal and marine ecosystems (P900,000) and on the tourism value it generates (P3.90 million).

“The annual use value of the entire population of the Philippine marine turtle, which is conservatively estimated at 7,294 individuals, ranged between P2.89 billion and P3.19 billion (US$57.88-63.85 million) per year,” the study said.

“Marine turtles serve as a barometer of our planet’s health,” says the DENR’s Pawikan Conservation Project. “It is possible that in a world in which marine turtles cannot survive may soon become a world in which humans struggle to survive.”

It added that in “saving one of the earth’s most mysterious and time-honored creatures, we might just be saving ourselves, too.”

ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

DAVAO, A MINOR ABACA PLAYER Just recently, Republic Act 11700, a measure declaring Catanduanes as the country’s aba-ca capital, lapsed into law on April 15, 2022, without executive approval.

In part, the statute declares the province as ‘the country’s biggest producer of abaca and making the Philippines world-renowned as “Manila Hemp” in the fiber industry.’ As of 2020, the province contributed roughly thirty-five percent of the islands’ abaca production.

Contrary to some claims, Davao, during the American occupation, never became the center of abaca production in the country. It was classified as one of the numerous provinces that collectively comprised a fourth of the archipelago’s total hemp output.

During the fiscal year 191213, the total land area plant-

ed with abacá in the islands reached 909,849 acres, distributed as follows: Albay, 219,155; Camarines, 171,018; Sorsogon, 157,815; Leyte, 110,948; Samar, 68,143; Moro [Mindanao], 48,254; Misamis, 35,167; Surigao, 14,376; and other provinces, 84,973. (An acre is equal to .40 of hectare.)

Three years later, in the 1918 ‘Compilados de los Partes de Presidentes Municipales,’ a com-pendium of reports from municipal officials, Davao was not even cited in the compilation. At the time, the leading abaca producers were Leyte, with 23.5 percent, followed by Albay with 16.0 percent; Sorsogon, with 15.1 percent; Ambos Camarines, with 11.7 percent; and Samar, 10.3 percent. The remainder, classified as ‘all other provinces,’ contributed 23.0 percent.

Collectively, the Bicol region contributed 42.8 percent of the country’s abaca production for that year alone. Davao region was categorized only as one of those areas contributing an-nually anywhere from one million to 7.5 million kilos of hemp.

In 1920, due to expanding American interest, the fertile lands of Davao were turned into plantations, tilled chiefly with abaca. During this period, the province had 6,646 haciendas, with an average area of seven to 208 hectares, covering 110,628 hectares in fifteen towns and municipal districts, 30.8 percent of these were cultivated, and the remaining, undeveloped. The largest concentration of farms, mainly homesteads, was in Cateel (2,337 hectares), Cara-ga (825 hectares), and Baganga (705 hectares), which were part of the sprawling encomienda of

old Caraga Province.

But why the strong interest in the prewar Davao abaca industry? Several factors may be cited as having played significant influences in the region’s abaca history, foremost among these was the foreign ownership of most plantations. Historically, five nationalities, excluding Filipinos, made a mark in the local hemp industry, namely Syrians, Americans, Japanese, Spaniards, and British. This racial combination was unheard of in other provinces.

Another factor was the huge Japanese population in Davao, then the largest outside Ja-pan.

Especially in the 1910s when the selling of American estates to Japanese investors was the trend, the growing influx of Japanese migrants to the region, in part due to the demand for manpower in plantations, raised fear Japan’s

expansionist plan was being introduced into the country.

Decades later, the Japanese juggernaut would become a bigger issue. The issue of foreign land ownership that was defined in the Public Land Act would become an inflammatory is-sue after it became a primary focus of debate in the 1934 Constitutional Convention. As a result, aliens were not allowed to own lands under the 1935 Constitution.

Even more compelling was the diplomatic row created by the issue of prohibiting foreign-ers from owning lands. To appease Japan, which reacted strongly, Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon visited Japan to assuage its leaders, guaranteeing that the contentious agrarian problem, which now had to address under the 1935 Constitution, could be resolved.

8

EDGE EDGE DAVAO DAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

COMPETITIVE EDGE

AEON TOWERS TURNS OVER KEY TO NEW CONDO OWNERS

Riding the crest on a massive jumpstart for the year, Aeon Luxe Properties marked a continued increased occupancy at Aeon Towers residential wing.

Most of these condo owners have availed the Early Move In Promo where they can transition smoothly to their units for as low as P500,000 as their move-in fee and through the Rentto-Own program.

“Our goal is to provide options for our current clients the fastest way for them to move-in and easiest way for new condo buyers to acquire a unit through our existing promos. We are excited as much as them to settle in here at Aeon Towers,” Mr. Ian Cruz, President and CEO said.

Assisting this month’s turnover ceremonies is Sales Admin Manager Luis Dollesin Jr. with the Prop-

erty Management team who spearheaded the orientation for the clients regarding the house rules and move-in guidelines.

Meantime, Aeon Towers is extending its Rentto-Own Program option for homebuyers.

The program was launched by Aeon Towers to give chance for aspiring clients who wish to acquire a prized unit at the property through monthly rental and it comes with as much as 10% discount on their purchase. The previous promotions and activities that took place last year have contributed in making Aeon Towers a desirable mixed-use development home seekers would love to invest or live in.

For inquiries on how to avail a unit at Aeon Towers thru www.facebook.com/ AeonLuxeOfficial

MINING COMMUNITY IN PALAWAN GETS A P6.4M ADVANCED AIR MONITORING STATION

Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corporation (RTN), Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (CBNC), and Graymont (Philippines), Inc., (GPI) – the big three firms with operations based in the Rio Tuba Export Processing Zone – are partnering with DENR in subsidizing the procurement of a P6.4M Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) to be established in the mining community of Bataraza in Southern Palawan.

Monitoring air quality especially in a mining community is crucial for an effective air quality management system in order to take necessary corrective actions to reduce air pollution and maintain the health of the air that people breathe.

DENR-EMB MIMAROPA

Director Joe Amil M. Salino says, “The Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station is capable of monitoring particulate matter of 10 and 2.5 micron particle size. It will also be equipped with data acquisition system and will display real-time results of air quality that will be visible to the public.”

RTN, as a matter of policy, conducts monthly in-house air quality monitoring but the CAAQMS will further strengthen the quality of the mining company’s monitoring system to ensure that the environment and public health are protected from the dangers of air pollution. It is the advanced version of DENR’s Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (AAQMS), an automatic monitoring system that provides re-

A FIRSTY in the MINING INDUSTRY in – the P6.4M Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) is to be established in the mining community of Bataraza in Southern Palawan. Photo shows the signatories (L to R) : Engr. Remmy Collado-Camo, NAC AVP for Safety and Envi; Jose Bayani Baylon, NAC VP for Corp. Comm.; DENR-EMB MIMAROPA Director, Joe Amil M. Salino; Masahiro Kamiya, CBNC President; Rommel A. Ibuna, GPI President; Engr.

Pablito Estorque, Chief, Environmental and Enforcement Division - EMB MIMAROPA.

al-time data transmitted to DENR’s air quality network operating center (AQNOC) and is synced into the global real-time air quality index.

Expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2022, the funding support

and other relevant technical assistance for the CAAQMS in Rio Tuba, such as the procurement, maintenance, and operational expenses, will be provided by RTN, CBNC, and GPI. The establishment of the

state-of-the-art air monitoring stations in strategic locations across the country is a project of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the line bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that sets air quality standards and monitors ambient and point-source pollutants. The initiative is under the DENR Adopt-aCAAQMS Program launched in October 2020 is an effort to expand the Agency’s ambient air quality network and step up the country’s capacity to monitor ambient air quality.

The collaboration with RTN, CBNC, and GPI brings the second CAAQMS to Palawan – the first of which is located in Puerto Princesa – to be situated in the Municipality of Bataraza to monitor ambient air quality in the

designated Rio Tuba Special Airshed.

RTN, CBNC, and GPI believe that the new system will modernize the assessment of current state of ambient air quality in order for the companies to determine suitable programs to achieve total clean and healthy air to breathe for the communities, in the present and the generations to come.

“The Government has been strictly enforcing measures on the mining industry to ensure that it continuously adapt environmentally-sustainable and responsible practices by adhering to environmental laws in the country. Private companies in the country prove that responsible mining can happen and this should be commended” says Director Salino.

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

ENVIRONMENT

9

Mangroves were devoid of its leaves after the Super Typhoon hit Banganga.

MANGROVES CAN PROTECT COASTAL COMMUNITIES FROM NATURAL DISASTERS Text and photos by HENRYLITO D. TACIO

P

eople may consider mangroves – those communities of trees in the tidal flats in coastal waters, extending inland along rivers where the water is tidal, saline, or brackish – as somewhat eerie. After all, they are oftentimes featured in horror films. In some instances, mangroves are areas where murders are done since they are secluded.

But instead of dismissing them as sinister-looking, mangroves can actually save the lives of people living near the coastal areas. Such was the findings of a study by the Visayas State University (VSU).

“Mangroves provided significant protection to communities,” said Dr. Moises Neil Seriño, assistant professor of economics at the VSU who led the study.

“Coastal communities with substantial mangrove cover suffered fewer or less casualty and less housing damages as compared to coastal communities with reduced mangrove cover.”

The communities he was referring to were those areas where Super Typhoon Yolanda passed through.

Known internationally as Typhoon Haiyan, it was one of the deadliest typhoons on record that hit the Philippines.

“The super typhoon was recorded to first hit land in Guiuan, Eastern Samar

then coursed through the island of Leyte. There was widespread devastation in Tacloban City, Leyte from the storm surge brought by the super typhoon. Many buildings and houses were destroyed,” Seriño and his co-authors wrote in their study.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed 6,300 fatalities across the typhoon path with 5,877 fatalities recorded in Eastern Visayas alone. After hitting Eastern Visayas, the super typhoon passed through the northern part of Cebu then to Panay Island then to Busuanga area before exiting the Philippines.

Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the country in 2013. The study was conducted four years later in 2017. They collected data in these areas: Samar, Leyte, Boho, Cebu, Negros, Panay Island and Palawan.

The study used sec-

Ecologically fragile mangroves have varied uses.

To restore denuded mangrove areas, reforestation is highly recommended.

ondary data collected from municipality offices, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office,

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, Department of Agriculture and engineering offices.

“We focus on mangroves because mangroves have suffered degradation in the past decades and these

mangrove ecosystems have been doing a very important job of protecting coastal communities from damaging effects of typhoons,” said Dr. Seriño.

Records show an average of 20 out of 36 tropical cyclones enter the country’s area of responsibility. “There is no month in the Philippines which is free from typhoons,” said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

More super typhoons like Yolanda will be entering the Philippines as a result of climate change. The Philippines is facing the Pacific Ocean. Due to climate change, the oceans become warmer, getting more energy to form such types of violent storms.

“The Philippines is in the typhoon prone zone and we can use mangroves as a natural defense against typhoons,” Dr. Seriño pointed out.

Based on the study, the estimated average cost of saving a life by retaining the current mangrove vegetation amounts to as much as P15 million.

“Our study finds significant evidence that the remaining mangrove vegetation reduced the number of deaths and damaged houses during the Yolanda incident,” Dr. Seriño said. “This This property and life-saving effects of mangrove is robust. Mangroves can protect us – our lives, livelihood and properties – from damaging effects of typhoons.”

He urged policy makers to “have additional reason to intensity its efforts in conserving mangrove forests as a long-term strategy in providing protection to coastal communities and better adaptability to typhoon-related disasters.”

A similar study will be conducted for those affected by recent Typhoon Odette, Seriño said.

Mangroves help reduce the impacts of waves, storm surges and high winds, according to Mark Spalding, Anna McIvor, Gemke Tonneijck, Susanna Tol and Pieter van Eijk, authors of Mangroves for Coastal Defence: Guidelines for Coastal Managers and Policy Makers.

“Mangroves can rap-

FMANGROVES, P10

10 EDGEDAVAO PRIVATE ... FROM2

te-Carpio were often than not campaigning separately. Duterte-Carpio told the media that it was the UniTeam’s strategy to be able to cover the entire Philippines.

Duterte-Carpio also initiated a month-long “Mahalin Natin Ang Pilipinas

Ride” which commenced on February 1, 2022 and covered 34 provinces nationwide. The ride also made 70 stops.

The ride intends to advocate patriotism and for the Filipinos to unite, which is the battle cry of the UniTeam

resentatives of clusters.

The government is also calling for the strict implementation of the minimum public health standards in tourism spots and travel hubs such as bus stations, domestic airports, and seaports.

Meanwhile, the DOH XI is directed to immediately report any rapid increase in case counts and total bed

utilization, ICU admission or utilization, oxygen utilization due to COVID 19 cases.

Healthcare workers in hospitals and field must also be provided with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment, regular testing for COVID19, and up-to-date vaccination.

(PIA XI/Frances Mae Macapagat)

drug lords to know), I will forever remain your enemy. Iyan ang tandaan ninyo (Remember that),” he said in a prerecorded Talk to the

People.

He reiterated his promise to continue his anti-narcotics campaign even as a civilian.

(RHU) in the municipalities to ensure they can achieve the Alert Level 1 downgrade status.

The ordinance by the town council is even more stringent, as it would regulate the movement of un-

vaccinated workers in both private and public offices and commercial establishments unless they can submit a negative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction result every two weeks, at their own expense

as facilitators to process the papers.

“We’re not choosing, at the end of the day it is according to the needs of the hotels.

And it’s done in partnership with the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) because we have a government-to-government arrangement,” he told reporters.

Under the same labor agreement, signed during the 2018 visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Jerusalem,

the two governments also facilitate the hiring of Filipino caregivers to Israel.

At present, there are around 30,000 Filipinos employed as caregivers there, said Fluss.

“We have specific sectors that are open for specific nationals. Agriculture is Thai workers. Healthcare used to be only for Filipinos, now it’s open for Moldova, Sri Lanka, and Nepal for old age homes and institutions,” he said.

(PNA)

The new service connects BARMM’s mainland areas to its island region, with Cotabato’s Awang Airport and Tawi-Tawi’s Sanga-Sanga airport as travel gateways, the flag carrier said.

The airline said that by taking its non-stop flights, travelers will save several hours, versus the previous choice of traveling via Manila or other domestic gateways outside BARMM that entail a connection between flights or even an overnight stop.

“We are honored to

make history by operating the first flight within the new Bangsamoro region, giving us a new opportunity to serve its 4.9 million people,” said PAL’s president and chief operating officer Captain Stanley Ng. “We look forward to contributing, in our own way, to the development of tourism and commerce in Bangsamoro through regular flights that help promote unity and economic activity in this dynamic region as well for the rest of Mindanao,” said Ng.

tance.

“Hindi nga ho tayo pinalad kaya inaasahan po natin na sa susunod na administrasyon, under President Marcos, ito po ay muling isusulong dahil ito po ay para sa kapakanan ng mga manggagawa sa impormal na sektor.”

(We did not succeed

now. So we are hoping that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will push for this because this is meant to help workers in the informal sector.)

According to DOLE, 36.2 percent of the total 47 million employed Filipinos, or 17 million workers, belong to the informal sector.

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idly diminish the height of wind and swell waves,” they wrote. “Even during relatively large storm surges, the leaves and branches of the forest canopy will help to reduce wave energy providing the trees are tall enough.”

While storm surge depths may only be reduced by 5 to 50 centimeters per kilometer width of mangroves, “nevertheless a small reduction in water level can already greatly reduce the extent of flooding in low-lying areas behind the mangroves.”

In like manner, the dense mangrove forest canopies can “also reduce wind speeds locally,” the authors explained. “This prevents further development of wind and swell waves in and immediately behind the mangroves, potentially reducing damage to nearby infrastructure.”

In most severe storms, the authors reported that mangroves may themselves be damaged or torn up by high winds and waves, “although breakage or uprooting of mangrove trees is relatively rare.”

Mangroves can even help reduce tsunami damage as shown during the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004. “Mangroves reduced tsunami impacts by reducing the destructive energy of water flowing inland,” the authors wrote. “Mangrove belts several hundred meters wide have been shown to reduce tsunami height by between 5% and 30%.”

Sea level rise is another consequence of climate change. Sea levels are rising, experts claim, as a result of the melting of rice sheets and glaciers, and the expansion of the oceans as they warm with climate change.

When there are mangroves, lands are created.

“Mangroves contribute to an increase in soil volume by capturing riverine or coastal sediments that pass through, as well as adding their own organic matter in the form of roots, leaves and woody material. Due to the waterlogged soil, organic matter is not broken down by soil organisms. This allows the organic matter to build up over time, producing the deep peaty soils that underlie mangroves in some areas,” the authors wrote.

The woody roots of mangroves push the soil upward, resulting in a higher soil level. This allows mangroves to keep pace with rising sea

levels. “Some mangroves sit on top of deep layers of mangrove peat that may be 6 meters deep or more, that were built over thousands of years as sea level rose,” the authors wrote.

Studies done from Australia to Belize showed that mangrove soil grew vertically at rates of up to 10 millimeters per year, suggesting that mangroves may be able to keep up with similar rates of sea level rise into the future.

“With the threats of climate change in the Philippines particularly storm surges, tsunamis, and strong typhoons,” says Dr. Elmer Mercado, a former undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), “mangrove is the most appropriate, least expensive climate change adaptation protection for our coastal-based communities.”

Instead of building seawalls, Dr. Mercado suggests planting mangroves in areas susceptible to storm surges. By doing so, the government will save money as it is cheaper than building 100-meter of protected seawalls.

Mangrove forest, also known as the “rainforest of the sea,” grows well in tropical countries, including the Philippines.

“Mangroves are an important part of the coastal and marine ecosystem that includes the seagrasses and the coral reefs,” reports the environment department.

“There are 25 to 30 species of true mangrove trees and an equal number of associated species,” says Dr. Miguel Fortes, a retired professor of Marine Science Institute at the College of Science of University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, former director of the Biodiversity Management Bureau, says the agency has identified 42 species of mangroves in the country. None of them are facing extinction yet. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is considering putting 11 out of 70 mangrove species assessed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

“Mangroves form one of the most important tropical habitats that support many species, and their loss can affect marine and terrestrial biodiversity much more widely,” pointed out Beth Polidoro, who led the first-ever global assessment

on the conservation status of mangroves.

“Despite legislation and programs to protect mangroves, the country has lost 75 percent of its mangroves due largely to fishpond development, charcoal production, industrial conversion, reclamation, and pollution,” deplores Dr. Fortes.

The current rate of mangrove deforestation ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 hectares per year, according to Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, a national scientist and former head of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.

Recent satellite images analyses indicated that Mindanao has the most mangrove areas in the country (29 percent of the country’s total) while Luzon and Mindoro had the least. Oldgrowth mangrove forests are mainly found in Mindanao (4,582 hectares) and Palawan (5,317 hectares).

Mangrove forests grow where saltwater meets the shore in tropical and subtropical regions, thus serving as an interface between terrestrial, fresh-water and marine ecosystems. These forests provide at least US$1.6 billion each year in ecosystem services.

“The loss of mangroves will have devastating economic and environmental consequences,” says Greg Stone, Senior Vice President of Marine Programs at the Washington-based Conservation International. “These ecosystems are not only a vital component in efforts to fight climate change, but they also protect some of the world’s most vulnerable people from extreme weather and provide them with a source of food and income.”

A new study said that mangroves annually reduce property damage by more than US$65 billion and protect more than 15 million people. “If current mangroves were to lose 29% more land, 28% more people and 9% more property would be damaged every year,” said Pelayo Menendez, postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Marine Science at University of California Santa Cruz and lead author of the study.

Despite the economic and ecological benefits they provide, mangroves are on the verge of disappearance.

One environmentalist observes: “All over the country, whatever coastal province

you visit, you see the same plight – desolate stretches of shoreline completely stripped of mangrove cover and now totally exposed to the pounding of the ocean’s waves.”

But can those mangroves destroyed by typhoons and other natural calamities be restored again? Dr. Alice Joan G. Ferrer, a professor at the University of the Philippines Visayas, said it’s possible.

“Yes, as evidenced by mangrove areas that naturally regenerate sometime after Yolanda,” she said.

“Mangrove experts say to wait for 6 months to see life (new leaves) returns in the mangrove area. The best response after calamities is to allow Mother Nature to heal itself.”

Though mangroves are faced with natural dangers like typhoons, pests and diseases, and rising sea levels due to climate change, “their biggest threats are manmade,” the DENR claims.

Among the human treats cited include: conversion of mangroves to fishponds and salt beds; reclamation of mangrove areas for developments such as piers, airports, and housing; pollution and siltation from upland communities; and human disturbances, overexploitation and utilization, such as overcutting for firewood purposes.

“Sometimes, it is the encroachment of humans to plant or clean after calamity that destroys mangrove areas,” Dr. Ferrer deplored.

“Not only we can allow mangroves just before Yolanda to return but also the mangrove areas years before or before their massive destruction in the 1970s to 1980s by focusing on abandoned, underutilized, and underdeveloped fishpond lease areas.”

To prevent further losses of mangroves, lawmakers enacted Republic Act 8550 otherwise known as Philippine Fisheries Code of 1988 whose section 94 stated that the conversion of mangroves into fishponds or any other purpose is prohibited.

But despite this, mangrove areas in the country are still in peril. “Getting worse,” replies one expert who doesn’t want to be named when asked about the current status of the country’s mangroves. “(The mangroves) remain as the most disturbed among the coastal ecosystems in most places in the country.”

BSP’s key rates have been slashed off by a total of 200 basis points in 2020, which brought the overnight reverse repurchase (RRP) rate to record-low 2 percent, as part of the central bank’s pandemic-related measures.

“Right now it (the RRP rate) is 2.25 percent and I have signaled that we are going to have another 25 basis points adjustment on our next monetary board meeting, which is on June 23,” Diokno said.

On the proposed fiscal consolidation program made by the current DOF authori-

ties for the next administration, Diokno said “we will certainly look” at this.

“My own sense is our system right now is much, much better than the system we inherited from the previous administration.

This government has done a lot of reforms. I’m not saying it’s perfect. There are some areas that we can improve upon,” he said.

On the proposal to increase taxes for the government to pay its pandemic-related debt and finance its programs, Diokno considers it “too early” for him to make a position.

pulling within 92-84 as Golden State went scoreless for almost four minutes until managing the final basket of the period.

Doncic scored 15 points in the third quarter

to lift Dallas back into the contest, but Golden State opened the fourth quarter with a 7-1 run for a 10185 advantage and held the Mavs at bay from there.

(Agence France-Presse)

“That’s one of the things we’re looking at.”

He added that there are other areas where prices can be reduced further such as the spot market and transmission charges.

“I’ve been talking to some of the producers, sa

ating energy production side natin, willing naman sila, naintindihan naman nila that this is an emergency situation [in our energy production side, they’re willing and they understand that this is an emergency situation],” he said.

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VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS

11

Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors celebrates during Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference finals at Chase Center in San Francisco, California.

Noah Graham, NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

Warriors advance to Finals

S

AN FRANCISCO -- Klay Thompson scored a game-high 32 points and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons by defeating Dallas, 120-110, on Thursday.

The Warriors, chasing a fourth title in eight campaigns, won the best-ofseven Western Conference finals, 4-1, and secured a place in June’s title showdown against either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat.

The Celtics carry a 3-2 series lead into Friday’s sixth game of the Eastern Conference finals at Boston.

Golden State won NBA crowns in 2015, 2017 and 2018 by defeating the LeBron James-led Cleveland

Cavaliers each time but lost the finals in 2016 to the Cavs and in 2019 to Toronto.

“This is a blessing for us to get back here, to get back where we belong,” said Golden State guard Stephen Curry, who was named the Western Conference playoff Most Valuable Player.

Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Warriors, while Draymond Green added 17 points and nine assists. Jordan Poole scored 16 points

off the bench, Curry added 15 and nine assists, and Kevon Looney added 10 points and 18 rebounds.

The Warriors have not lost a playoff game at home this season, the first post-season run in their new arena in San Francisco after leaving behind their old home in Oakland.

“It’s special to do it in our new building,” Curry said. “This isn’t the ultimate goal but we’ve got to celebrate this for all we went through the past three years.”

After missing the playoffs the past two seasons while rebuilding, the Warriors are playing for the trophy again with champion core stars Curry, Thompson and Green back setting the pace.

“This one is special be-

cause this is a group no one thought would ever be back here,” Green said. “This group put the work in every day and we’re here. We’re back.”

It will be the sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals for Thompson, who missed the entire 2019-20 campaign after left knee surgery and the entire 2020-21 season with a torn Achilles tendon.

“I’m so happy to be back,” Thompson said. “I’m thankful for this team. I can’t believe we’re back.

We’ve still got four more to go.”

Thompson made 12of-25 shots from the floor, including 8-of-16 from 3-point range.

The Mavericks haven’t reached the NBA Finals since winning the crown in

remaining in the second quarter.

Reserve Moses Moody scored seven points in a 9-0 Golden State run to stretch the lead to 56-38 with 4:00 to play in the period on the way to the Warriors taking a 69-52 edge at half-time.

Thompson scored 19 points in the first half on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor with 5-of-8 made from 3-point range, while Dinwiddie led Dallas with 17.

Early in the third quarter, Green delivered a spectacular no-look, behindthe-back bounce pass to Thompson for a wide-open 3-pointer that gave Golden State a 74-53 lead.

But the Mavericks stung the Warriors with a 15-0 run to the final seconds of the third quarter,

There was some hope the 6-foot-6, 284-pound Williamson might be able to return for New Orleans’ first-round playoff series against Phoenix after progressing to playing 5 on 5 games with team staffers in April, but that never materialized.

The Pelicans made the playoffs but lost in six games to the Suns in the first round after winning two games in the play-in

tournament.

Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick out of Duke in 2019, has been limited to 85 games in three seasons due to injuries. He only played 24 games as a rookie due to a torn meniscus in his right knee.

When he’s played, he’s been effective averaging 25.7 points, 7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for his career.

FWARRIORS, P10

Williamson finally cleared for return

N Zion Williamson can finally return to action. PHOTO: AP

2011.

Slovenian star guard Luka Doncic had 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Mavericks, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 26 points off the Dallas bench.

‘Didn’t play our best’ “We didn’t play our best game but we accomplished a lot,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, whose team upset top seed Phoenix in the second round. “We’ve laid a foundation. Now we can start building.”

Dinwiddie’s corner 3-pointer at the buzzer lifted Dallas within 28-23 after the first quarter.

But Thompson scored eight points in a 12-5 Warriors’ run, starting and ending the spurt with 3-pointers to put Golden State ahead, 45-32, with 7:30

EW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans announced that forward Zion Williamson has been cleared to play this offseason without any restrictions after recent imaging on the fifth metatarsal in his right foot showed continued improvement.

Barring any setbacks, that should pave the way for Williamson’s return next season after missing all of 2021-22.

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.15 ISSUE 38 • SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022

Kai Sotto took part in a pre-draft workout with the Orlando Magic.

ON THE RADAR Kai Sotto among prospects to work out with Magic

K

ai Sotto, a 7-foot-2 center from the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League, on Thursday participated in a pre-draft workout with the Orlando Magic.

Sotto, a former fourstar prospect from the Philippines, averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field in 23 games with the 36ers. He produced perhaps his best game of the season on April 10 after recording a career-high 21 points.

The 20-year-old declared for the NBA draft on April 28 and was said to have at least 12 workouts scheduled with teams beginning this week. The workout with the Magic appeared to be his second one after he posted it to his Instagram story, via Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel.

Sotto signed with the

NBA G League Ignite for the 2020-21 season but never suited up due to prior obligations with the Philippines national team.

He was the first international player to sign a contract with the G League but eventually left to play in the NBL. The Magic, who were awarded the No. 1 pick, also have selections 32 and 35 in the second round. They started to ramp up their pre-draft workouts recently with prospects like Colorado State forward David Roddy and NC State guard Dereon Seabron among those to meet with them.

The NBA draft will take place on June 23.