Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 99 | Wednesday, August 5, 2020

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VOL.13 ISSUE 99 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

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Lack of beds in holding capacity limits DIA from adding more flights

By MAYA M. PADILLO

STORY ON PAGE 2

A mobile police patrol is stationed along a very quiet and traffic-free San Pedro Street in Davao City on Monday evening. The city government of Davao has lifted the implementation of curfew effective on August 3. Edge Davao

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VOL.13 ISSUE 99 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

DOLE 11 continues to aid unemployed workers

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The city government of Davao represented by lawyer Francis Mark Layog, chief of staff to the Vice Mayor, receives the first batch of Huna-Hunaw Art Sink on Monday afternoon.

The project is through the efforts of Team Backliners, Architects

he Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE XI) is sustaining its efforts in assisting the labor sector of Region XI who has recently lost its source of employment because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Based on termination reports submitted to DOLE XI, as of July 15 there are currently 10,651 workers who were terminated from their respective jobs from 510 establishPlumbers Engineers Inc. (APE Inc), Department of Public Works and ments in Region 11.

Highways 11 (DPWH 11), and artist Kublai Millan. It aims to promote With the given data, the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 virus through frequent DOLE XI has observed handwashing. CIO that there is a significant increase in unemployment compared to June. Majority of unemployed workers come from the administrative and support service companies which includes business processing outsourcing, manpower agencies and security agencies.

Because of this, the Regional Director for DOLE XI Ofelia Domingo discussed the efforts that they are unnegative from Covid-19. beds because we also dertaking to assist the

LIMITED Lack of beds in holding capacity

limits DIA from adding more flights

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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ith not enough beds in the holding area of the Davao International Airport (DIA), Davao City cannot have additional international flights at the moment.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said that while the city government of Davao wants more international flights to DIA, the lack of beds in the holding facility for arriving plane passengers make it impossible to happen.

“We want nga masabtan sa mga airlines nga gusto gyud nato nga dungagan ang atoang mga flights going to DIA, unfortunately sa pagka-karon short ta sa target nato nga 1,000 beds sa holding facility for plane passengers because diri

sa atoa we want to catch the positive (passengers) pag-abot dayon para dili na sila ma-immerse sa atoang mga communities and send all the rest to home quarantine,” she said.

Starting July 22, 2020, the city government of Davao has required all arriving passengers in Davao City to undergo RTPCR (Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing before exit from the Davao Airport to ensure that travelers who enter the city are

Without the negative RT-PCR test results, passengers undergo tests and wait inside the holding facility for at least 24 hours until their results come out. If they test positive, they will be referred to the Southern Philippines Medical Center. If negative, they will be allowed to go home and be quarantined for 14 days.

The city government has designated six quarantine facilities in the city to cater to Covid-19 cases with a total of 285-bed capacity.

“As I said last time, ang gusto nato is that our city remains open and people live as close to normal as possible despite the pandemic. Mao ng nag-target ta ug 1,000

round 90 volunteers attended the briefing for the creation of an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) medical reserve pool here in Davao City.

These volunteers are composed of doctors, nurses, dentists, medical technologist and other graduates in the medical field. They attended the Joint Reserve Task Force briefing which plans for the creation of a medical reserve pool in the city.

The medical reserve pool aims to enlist medical practitioners and graduates in the medical field as AFP reservists to help

the government fight the spread of COVID-19.

According to Davao City Third District Representative and current brigade commander of the 2202nd Ready Reserve Brigade Col. Isidro T. Ungab, the medical reserve pool was the brainchild of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

The medical reserve pool is eyed to augment health care workers and frontliners in hospitals, COVID facilities, airports and testing centers.

About 65 volunteers physically attended the briefing held on August 1 at the headquarters of the 2202nd Ready Reserve

Brigade while 25 volunteers participated online, among those who attended via Zoom was Mayor Sara Duterte, who is also a Colonel in the reserve force of the Philippine Army.

One of the volunteers who attended the briefing was Meg Bama, an occupational health nurse and part of a COVID duty team of a private hospital. She volunteered to apply for the reserve pool as based on her experience there is a need to augment the medical frontliners with rising COVID-19 cases.

“We are all tired and diminishing in number, morale is low and many of my

want to allow more flights in Davao City,” Mayor Sara said adding that there are some airlines who already expressed interest to resume their flights to DIA. “Daghan nag-padayag ug interest nga ibalik na ang ilang flights sa Davao pero kita ang gasulti nga dili becasue of our limits and policy of catching the positives,” she said.

Presently, some international flights that extended their suspension of flights to DIA include: SilkAir with flight cancellations extended until August 2020; Qatar Airways extended their cancelation until October 31, 2020; Cathay Pacific extended their cancelations

fellow health care workers have contacted the virus due to a weakened immune system due to exhaustion, the remaining frontliners could only do so much. Without augmentation and if this situation continues our healthcare system will surely collapse,” Bama said.

During the briefing the administrators of the different Reserve Commands of the AFP alongside health officials of Davao City discussed possible areas of collaboration once the AFP Medical Reserve Pool is formally established. (PIA/RG Alama)

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Proposed medical reserve pool in Davao City attracts 90 volunteers

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labor sector who has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As of now we still have a regular program which is the TUPAD [Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers] regular … and the DOLE integrated livelihood program,” Domingo said.

Under the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP) of DOLE XI there are already 32,726 workers from 3,197 companies in Region XI who have received a total of P163 million in financial assistance.

Domingo also discussed that DOLE XI has submitted proposals to help further their efforts in assisting unemployed workers in the Region.

“We requested for funding from Manila since we have proposals that will benefit those who were affected … we are currently waiting for funding for the proposals to push through,” Domingo added. (PIA XI/ KPLCaro)

Mati City’s CVSO opens Livestock Auction Market

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he City Veterinary Services Office initiated the soft launching of the Livestock Auction Market at the Farmers Bagsakan Center in Sitio Tagawisan, Barangay Badas.

The August 1 soft opening was attended

by Councilor Eric N. Rabat, City veterinarian Dr. Marites B. Linsag-Erispe, Representative from Provincial Veterinary Dr. Eusebia P. Apique, City Agriculture Officer Eleonor E. Sambas, Public Market OIC Alejandro A. Uyanguren, Slaughterhouse OIC Virgilio G. Dacillo, Kilos-Barangay head Dennis Tolentino, Rosendo B. Linsag and Cesar De Erio.

The Livestock Auction Market will serve as the center of livestock activities here in the City of Mati.

This is to promote fast trading by raising the farmers margin

of profit through improved marketing opportunities.

This will also raise the quality of livestock offered to Matinians in support of the livestock production and food security program.

There were 46 attendees in the soft opening from 6 different barangays -- Badas, Mamali, Macambol, Matiao, Central and Danao.

All in all, there were 75 livestocks displayed during the soft opening, 33 of them were native chicken, 20 culled chicken, 16 swine, 3 goats and 3 ducks.

The Livestock Auction Market is open to all farmers that would like to display and sell their livestock and poultry animals.

The market is open from 4:00 to 7:00 in the morning.

(CIO MATI)

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TOP COPS to ensure safety of tourists in Mati City, DavOr

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s the province reopens its borders and resumes tourism activities, the Philippine National Police in partnership with the Department of Tourism has launched the Tourism-Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOP COP) to ensure the safety of tourists coming in the province, particularly in the City of Mati.

On Wednesday, July 29, 20 TOP COPs completed their 10-day Tourism Police Course. These police personnel received their certificates in a simple graduation ceremony graced by the top officials of the two agencies in the region.

The graduation ceremony was highlighted by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between the PNP, DOT, and the provincial and city

government, signifying their cooperation and support for the Establishment of Tourist Police Unit in Davao Oriental.

Following the signing of the MOA, the said stakeholders have led the groundbreaking of the Tourist Police Center at the Government Center, Dahican in the City of Mati.

PNP Regional Director Brigadier General Filmore Escobal said that the series of activities cements the agencies’ efforts to ensure public order and safety amidst the expected influx of visitors and tourists.

He added that the 20 new graduates are only the initial personnel that will be deployed as TOP COPS as the agency aims to deploy a total of 60 personnel for the City of Mati alone.

“Our tourist police will focus on providing security

FTOP, P10

Doctors: 15-day MECQ is PH’s last ‘time out’ in Covid-19 fight

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he 15-day ‘time out’ starting August 4 to 18 — a period when modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) will be implemented in Metro Manila and other nearby highly urbanized areas to slow down COVID-19 cases — will be the nation’s last time out amid the COVID-19 threat, doctors said Tuesday.

Doctors from the Philippine College of Physicians and other organizations made this clear after President Rodrigo Duterte recognized their distress call to shore up the healthcare system and its workforce, timely grant health workers their benefits, improve contact tracing, among others, as COVID-19 cases breached 100,000 over the weekend.

“Consider this as the last time out. Wala na tay-

ong ibang time out. We really have to maximize the last days of our MECQ and do teamwork,” Dr. Jose Santiago of the Philippine Medical Association said in a webinar.

“We are singing the same tune, the same song.

Hindi revolutionary song.

What we have is a song for unity. We have to learn from the mistakes [in the government’s COVID-19 response]. Those weaknesses, we have to look for ways to strengthen them,” Santiago added in an apparent response to the President’s comment where he accused health professionals of making a spectacle of their agony and calling for a “revolution” in asking for a timeout.

Under the MECQ, mass transport and non-essen-

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Hatid Tulong program chief eyes travel ban exception for LSIs

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he leader of a government program to bring home to their provinces locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Metro Manila is seeking to have them exempted from a travel ban during the region’s return to stricter lockdown measures.

Metro Manila returned Tuesday under MECQ or modified enhanced community quarantine, the second strictest lockdown level that bans non-essential travel and public transport.

“Humihingi po kami ng exemption sa IATF para mapabilis iyong pagproseso sa kanila at makikipag-ugnayan din kami sa mga respective LGUs,” said Hatid Tulong lead convener Presidential Management Staff Assistant Secretary Joseph Encabo.

(We are asking for exemption from the inter-agency task force to fast-track the processing of

LSIs and we will also coordinate with the respective local governments of the provinces where they are headed.)

“Kung mai-grant po iyong exemption, agad-agad gagawan po namin ng schedule at ipa-facilitate natin iyong transportation na gagamitin sa kanila,” he said.

(If the exemption is granted, we will immediately give them a schedule and facilitate the transportation they will use.)

The Hatid Tulong program last week drew flak after rains forced authorities to cram nearly 8,000 LSIs into a stadium in Manila, where they were supposed to process documents before their trips to the province.

Some LSIs have yet to go home and were transferred to a facility of the National Housing Authority because their provinces

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Mati City Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat, Davao Oriental Gov. Nelson Dayanhirang represented by his chief of staff Ednar Carlos Dayanghirang, Department of Tourism 11 (DOT 11), Police Regional Office 11 (PRO

11) director Brigadier General Filmore Escobal and other stakeholders lead the groundbreaking of the Tourist Police Center at the Government Center, Dahican in Mati City. Photo courtesy of Eden Jhan Licayan

Dabawenyos feel safer wearing face shield when commuting

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he latest Memorandum Circular (MC) issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) requiring the wearing of face shield or eye protector when boarding public utility vehicles (PUVs) received positive response among Dabawenyos most of whom say they feel safer from Covid-19 exposure.

On Monday night (August 3, 2020), LTFRB issued MC No. 2020-031 entitled “Requirements for drivers, conductors, and passengers inside PUVs’ with the emphasis on the following guidelines: strictly require all drivers, conductors and passengers of PUVs to wear face masks and face shield/ eye protector inside PUVs; failrure to wear face mask and face shield/eye protectors shall be reasonable ground to refuse/ deny boarding in any PUV; and to refrain from unnecessary talking or making/ taking calls while inside PUVs. Eliza Lizardo said the new measure has guaran-

ELIZA LIZARDO

teed more protection for commuters like her.

“Okay kaayo na (MC), kay ako bisag dili mosakay ug jeep, gusto ko mag face shield. Makadungag na sa proteksyon. Kay ang uban baya ang ginagamit na face mask kato rang cloth ug dili garantisado na maka-protect jud,” she said.

Lizardo said wearing of face shield inside the jeepneys should have been implemented from the start as to ensure safety.

“Ang kapait lang ana kay katong mga poorest of the poor kay kailangan pa mopalit ug face shield, makuhaan na pud ilang budget na dapat pang pagkaon na unta to,” she add-

ed.

Mary Rose Liguid Libarios said wearing face shield when riding a jeepney is an assurance that a passenger will not get infected with Covid-19.

“Mas maayo kung naka-face shield ang tanang tao nga mosakay sa jeep kay una mas taas ug chance nga dili ka mahawaan ky tungod naay protection since nga makatakod ni nga virus pinaagi sa pag-ubo ug pag-hatsing.

Daghan man gud kaau mga tao nga gahi ug ulo maskin face mask dili pa kabalo mogamit. Makatabang pud ni siya sa akong pang-lantaw nga dili kaayo mo-spread ang virus. Unta kung ma-implement na ni dakpon jud ug multahan ang mga malapason ani bag-ong balaod. Maskin hasol unta ni nga sistema pero para sa akoa. Okay ni siya basta masunod lng,” she said.

Meanwhile, young professionals find the addititional ‘accessory’ as one with a good purpose.

“For me, okay man for safety purposes. Pero has-

GOLDA MEIR VELOSO

sle jud siya unya igang.

Plus, gasto kay need na sad mupalit ug face shield/ eyeprotector,” said Golda Meir Veloso, online seller.

“Okay siya for protection sa tao kaso lang hasol siya labaw na sa mga tao na naga-eye glasses. Unya dungag gasto sa mga pobre na sakto ra ang kwarta,” said Fatima Garcia.

“Para sa akoa okay lang jud siya kay based sa studies 82 percent lang ta protected sa surgical masks.

But if naay masks plus face shield kay 99 percent protected. Basta unsay maka-gamay sa positive cases diri sa Davao, mas maayo sundon,” said Genafe Napoles.

The new MC also requires drivers, conductors, and passengers inside the PUVs to observe social distancing, strictly comply with the standard health procedures laid down in the previous issuances of the Board in line with public health protocols as required by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID).

MARY ROSE LIBARIOS

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IT-BPM industry drives expansion of PH office sector in H1 of 2020

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A pedestrian buys fruit juice from a sidewalk vendor along Monteverde Avenue in Davao City on Tuesday. Edge Davao

PH coco fiber can tap potential in Switzerland

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he Philippine coconut fiber has a potential market in Switzerland, Swiss Ambassador to the Philippines Alain Gaschen said on Monday.

In a virtual meeting with reporters, Gaschen said Switzerland is looking at importing more products from the Philippines, particularly agricultural products.

“And one I have been following is the coco fiber,” he noted.

The Swiss envoy mentioned that the University of Applied Science in Bern has developed a kind of organic plywood made from coconut husks. “[T]hey use them to develop a kind of plywood which is as good as any of the alternative for wood

but with no chemicals, no glue, no chemicals.

It’s purely organic,” said Gaschen.

Coconut is one of the Philippines’ top agricultural commodities.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the country’s area planted to coconut is around 26 percent of the agricultural land or around 3.6 million hectares hosting about 339 million coconut trees and 3.4 million coconut farmers. Sixty-eight provinces in the country are also coconut-growing areas.

“Now we are in the process to tap in the potential.

We sense that there is potential both ways for more export from the Philippines towards Switzerland and we have a study ongo-

ing,” the Swiss ambassador here said.

Among the products that Switzerland is looking into sourcing from the Philippine are textile, food and processed food, and other sustainable products like the coconut husks.

Gaschen added that Switzerland, as a leader of innovation, can cooperate more with the Philippines in the field of medical technology, agritech, and biotech, among others.

With the Covid-19 pandemic, Gaschen said the Swiss embassy is strengthening its partnership with the Department of Health.

He mentioned that a Swiss pharmaceutical company is also eyeing to invest in the Philippines in the near future.

On the other hand, the Swiss envoy urges Filipino enterprises to utilize the Philippines-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) free trade deal in exporting to Switzerland.

Gaschen said trade between Bern and Manila increased around 9 percent in 2019, a year after the Philippines-EFTA free trade agreement (FTA) took effect.

The FTA between the Philippines and EFTA was signed in Bern, Switzerland in 2016 and became effective in June 2018.

The agreement provides duty-free entry of local exports to EFTA countries, which include Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

(PNA)

SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim said.

SM Prime’s Philippine malls’ rent income dropped by 44 percent to PHP13.1 billion in the first half of 2020 from last year’s PHP23.3 billion on the back of lower mall revenue of PHP14.4 billion from PHP28.1 billion.

This is driven primarily by waived rent and rental discounts granted to tenants since the start of the quarantine measures in March, which amounted to PHP11 billion as of the end of June.

The company said it has intensified its online strategy with the introduction of an e-commerce platform that allows its tenants to complement physical stores inside SM malls with an online interface for its customers, as well as providing pick-up points within the mall for online sales of its tenants.

Driven by concern for the safety of the customers, the company also promotes cashless transactions through digi-

tal payment options, provides extended dining areas around the mall with regular sanitation and disinfection, and partners with local farmers and public transportation services to supply fresh produce and transport people and goods safely and conveniently.

SM Prime’s residential business, led by SM Development Corp. (SMDC), recorded PHP23.7 billion revenue in the first half of 2020, 11 percent higher from PHP21.4 billion in the same period last year.

This accounts for 54 percent of the consolidated revenue of the company. SMDC generated PHP42.4 billion reservation sales in the first six months of 2020, amidst the quarantine measures.

Construction works on SM Prime’s new and latest residential projects have resumed, pursuant to the national government’s safety protocols.

SM Prime cushions the effect of safety protocols on con-

struction completion with its available inventory of 12,000 units as of June 2020.

SM Prime’s commercial properties business’ revenue has grown 16 percent to PHP2.5 billion in the first half of 2020.

The office business of SM Prime has business process outsourcing (BPO) offices as primary tenants, which were allowed by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) to continue its operations throughout the quarantine period.

The hotels and convention centers business segment contributed PHP1 billion to the first half of 2020 consolidated revenues despite limited operations.

The company’s biggest events center, the Mall of Asia Arena, was converted into a mega swabbing facility in partnership with various government agencies to help front-liners as well as returning overseas workers. (PR)

SM Prime’s net income down 46% in H1 of 2020

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M Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, on Monday reported a 46-percent decline in consolidated net income in the first half of 2020 to PHP10.4 billion, from PHP19.3 billion during the same period last year.

In a statement, the company said its consolidated revenue for the first six months of the year registered PHP43.7 billion, 23 percent lower from PHP57 billion in the first six months of 2019.

“The first half of 2020 has been one of the most challenging periods we’ve faced as a company. With the government maintaining the implementation of quarantine protocols in most key areas in the Philippines where our businesses are, SM Prime is committed to sustaining its operations while adhering to the strict safety measures implemented by the government and continue providing convenience to our customers,”

he Philippine office market has continued to grow “making it unique in the world,” according to leading real estate firm Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) in a recent study on the performance of the office, residential, and tourism sectors in the first half of 2020.

From the first to the second quarter of 2020, new leases increased by about 50 percent or 77,000 square meters (sqm) with 42,000 sqm. absorbed by the information technology-business process manufacturing (IT-BPM) sector.

Cebu was the single biggest recipient of demand at 40 percent.

Meanwhile, Philippine Online Gaming Operators (POGOs) and other companies have cut back resulting in a higher 8-percent vacancy rate.

A total of 89,000 sqm. were vacated, with POGOs accounting for 54 percent; and IT-BPM, 12 percent.

“Tax regulations and movement restrictions curtailed POGO growth and, in some instances, led to contraction,” LPC said.

LPC reports a total of 234,000 sqm. of new leases, and 89,000 sqm of vacated spaces, resulting in a net absorption of 145,000 sqm.

LPC chief executive officer David Leechiu said “the Philippine office segment has not yet entered a point of contraction” and observed that the IT-BPM and

POGO sectors will continue to be two major pillars of growth.

Of the 482,000 sqm. live requirements covering the second half of the year, 68 percent are from the IT-BPM and POGO sectors.

Compared to the first half 2019, take up decreased by 74 percent.

LPC further recalibrated its total office demand forecast to hover at 600,000 to 800,000 sqm. by year end.

Leechiu recommended more support for IT-BPM and POGO sectors as these are the fastest growing job generators.

“The sustained growth of these sectors will allow us to bounce back from this pandemic swiftly. We need as many employers as possible to help our economy,” he said.

In the residential sector, the Metro Manila condominium market remained active despite the pandemic.

The upscale PHP7 million to PHP12 million segment registered sales, partially making up for declining revenues from the middle-income bracket PHP1.4 million to PHP12 million, which had been affected by OFW displacements and local job losses.

Domestic tourism is expected to facilitate the recovery of the industry in the coming months, as various surveys showing top destinations will be in Luzon, those accessible by land travel. (PR)

Microsoft talks to buy TikTok’s US operations spark ire in China

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potential shotgun wedding to Microsoft Corporation for TikTok’s US operations provoked an outcry on Chinese social media as well as criticism from a prominent Chinese investor in TikTok owner ByteDance.

The US tech giant formally declared its interest on Sunday after President Donald Trump, who has cited national security risks posed by the Chinese-owned short video app, reversed course on a planned ban and gave the two firms 45 days to come to a deal.

The proposed acquisition of parts of TikTok, which boasts 100 million US users, would offer Microsoft a rare opportunity to become a major competitor to social media giants such as Facebook Inc and Snap Inc. Microsoft which owns the social media network LinkedIn for professional workers, is also seeking to buy TikTok’s Canadian, Australian and New Zealand interests.

ByteDance has not publicly confirmed the sale talks. But in an internal letter to staff on Monday seen

by Reuters, the company’s founder and CEO Zhang Yiming said the firm had started talks with a tech company it did not identify to clear the way “for us to continue offering the TikTok app in the US”.

But clinching a deal— potentially worth billions of dollars and a lightning rod for crumbling US-China relations—that will satisfy all parties will be a tall order.

“A forced deal under Washington’s shotgun could open up for endless litigations if it should result [in] an unfavorable outcome to existing private shareholders,” said Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera Capital Group, an investor in ByteDance and one of China’s best known private equity groups.

Hu said Microsoft was a credible buyer but questioned how selling large parts of TikTok’s operations at such an early stage of its growth could ever be a good deal for ByteDance.

“It absolutely makes no sense. Bytedance is an innocent victim of the mad politics and mad geopolitics. It is a sad outcome for Bytedance, for entrepreneurial capitalism, and for the future of global commerce,” he said.

Tech bankers in Asia said investment banks working on the deal would have to be careful not to antagonize Trump.

“This is not a standard M&A situation...this is hard to predict,” said one senior banker with a US bank in Hong Kong, saying that it would be a question of how to structure a deal in a way

FMICROSOFT, P10

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ECONOMY

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MECQ for NCR, 4 other provinces to have negative, positive effects

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lacing anew the National Capital Region (NCR) and four other provinces under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) for the next 15 days will not generally hit domestic growth, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

In a message to journalists Monday, Dominguez said that “in the short run, the return to MECQ may negatively affect livelihoods, consumer demand, and production”.

“However, if the time is used to boost all our medical resources and to prevent further spread of the virus., then the MECQ will be positive for the long haul. The whole world is learning how to dance with this virus: two steps forward and one step back,” he added.

NCR, Bulacan, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal will be under MECQ starting the midnight of August 4 following medical practitioners’ request for a timeout, citing the need to rest and “recalibrate strategies” to fight the disease.

This, as the number of infections in the country continues to rise.

The Department of Health (DOH) said the total number of confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases as of 4 p.m. Mon-

day reached 106,330.

Confirmed cases reported by 66 of the 94 current operational laboratories around the country showed a total of 3,226 cases.

Recovered cases to date reached 65,821, with the figure for Monday alone at 275 recoveries while total death has reached 106,330.

The DOH said NCR is the region with the highest number of cases in the last two weeks with 1,267 or 50 percent followed by Region 4-A, 445 or 17 percent, and Region 7, 353 cases, or 14 percent.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has resulted to the 0.2-percent contraction of domestic growth in the first quarter this year as a result of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) implemented in Luzon from March 17 until May 15, with the implementation of the said quarantine level extended for NCR until end-May. Economic managers have revised their 6.5 to 7.5-percent growth target for the domestic economy this year to a contraction of between 2-3 to 4 percent, but they forecast growth to recover and post an expansion of between 8 to 9 percent in 2021.

(PNA)

An aircraft flies over Brgy. Sasa, Davao City. Local carriers Cebu Pacific (CEB) and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have announced the cancellation of their flights to and from Manila from August 4 to 18, in line with the

government’s decision to revert the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces to the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status during this period. Edge Davao

CebPac, PAL cancel domestic flights via Manila Aug. 4-18

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ocal carriers Cebu Pacific (CEB) and Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Monday night announced the cancellation of their flights to and from Manila from August 4-18, in line with the government’s

decision to revert the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces to the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status during this period.

CEB, however, said that

flights between Clark and Cebu, and Cebu and Davao, will both push through every Tuesday.

Affected passengers may opt for a full refund, or rebook their tickets to a new schedule within three

months from the original flight, with rebooking fee and fare difference waved.

They may also opt to place the ticket value to a travel fund.

PAL spokesperson Cie-

FCEBPAC, P10

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On why the city government wants to add more international flights to and from Davao City:

So ngano gusto nato mag-dungag ug mga flights to Davao City? Because we want to go back to full operation of the Davao airport as before and subject also sa travel restrictions nga i-impose sa atoang national government and other countries around the world. As I said last time, ang gusto nato is that our city remains open and people live as close to normal as possible despite the pandemic. Mao ng nag-target ta ug 1,000 beds because we also want to allow more flights in Davao City. Daghan nag-padayag ug interest nga ibalik na ang ilang flights sa Davao pero kita ang gasulti nga dili becasue of our limits and policy of catching the positives.”

MAYOR SARA DUTERTE-CARPIO

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ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHA MONFORTE Cartoonist Correspondent Consultant 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. EBONA JASPER V. BACSAL OLIVIA D. VELASCO General ManagerPresident Advertising Specialist General Manager/Finance VP-Operations JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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VOL.13 ISSUE 99 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

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DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

SERVING WITH A HEART; DRIVEN TO CHALLENGE CHANGE! The forty four years of existence of Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan (SVBB) law offices, during which it witnessed episodes of political turmoil and economic crisis, are a testament to the sterling character and resilience of the partners, lawyers and staff of the firm.

Established on August 1, 1976, the heart and soul of SVBB was forged by the vision and leadership of its founders, classmates Eugene A. Tan and Ignacio S. Sapalo, both of the Ateneo School of Law batch 1967.

SVBB became one of the front-running law firms in the country engaged in intellectual property prosecution, maintenance, licensing, and enforcement.

Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds such as copyright, trademark, patent, utility model, and industrial design.

IP rights give the creator an exclusive right over the use of one’s creation for a certain period of time, ensuring that he is

given due recognition or remuneration for his effort.

The governing local law is Republic Act No. 8942, otherwise known as the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.

SVBB later evolved into is a full service law firm with diversified practice areas in Philippine law, including corporation/taxation, litigation and labor (specifically seafarers’ claims) with branch offices in Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro. Given the important role of Filipino seafarers, SVBB remains to be one of the leading movers advocating seafarers’ rights through initiatives showcasing its commitment to the principle of social justice.

The life of a seafarer is not a walk in the park as they are physically, mentally and emotionally stressed being away from their families and working on board vessels sailing nonstop for months the world’s oceans.

The risks of getting killed, injured or ill are high as seafar-

ers are constantly exposed to several perils and fluctuating temperatures as the ships cross ocean boundaries.

The SVBB cooperates with various stakeholders in ensuring better protection and more benefits for seafarers, including the church-based Apostleship of the Seas (AoS) Philippines.

SVBB also believes that the best way to afford legal protection to seafarers is for them to be informed of their legal rights through nationwide paralegal lectures and through legal publications and radio programs.

“Serving with a heart”, in essence, is an adaptation of the dictum ‘No master but law. No guide but conscience. No aim but justice’ immortalized by the well-revered jurist, nationalist and former Supreme Court Justice Jose Benedicto Luis Reyes.

In some aspect, lawyering is intertwined with “politics” in the classical sense of Plato and Aristotle, viewing it “as the art concerned with what it means to be a human being; what is the best life for a human being; and..,

the ways in which we can order our living together so that good human lives will emerge.”

Notwithstanding Shakespeare’s derogatory remarks about lawyers, Atty. Sapalo underscored that lawyering is very much a noble profession. Lawyers apply their knowledge of the law to sort out, settle and resolve the countless conflicts among individuals, families and communities.

He was referring to the famous line “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers” from William Shakespeare’s Henry VI. The line has been interpreted in different ways: criticism of how lawyers maintain the privilege of the wealthy and powerful; implicit praise of how lawyers stand in the way of violent mobs; and criticism of bureaucracy and perversions of the rule of law.

Atty. Sapalo stressed that on the lawyer’s shoulders fall the challenging task of ferreting out the truth in every case they handle, carefully balancing contending interests to reach fair and just results, and always

staying within the bounds of the rule of law.

“Serving with a heart; driven to challenge change!” is SVBB’s motto that captures succinctly what the firm is, its culture and values in the protection of the clients’ interests with sensitivity, care, and attention.

“Change, indeed, is the rule of the day, but our basic commitment and obligation to protect the interests of our clients remain constant. As good lawyers, we will carefully balance contending interests to reach fair and just results, and always staying within the bounds of the rule of law,” Atty. Sapalo said.

SVBB is committed to perform the noble task of upholding justice with excellence and professionalism, for the good and interest of society, especially the poor and underprivileged.

(Atty. Dennis Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

YES, THERE ARE ANGELS WHEN I was still a kid, my mother used to tell me some stories. One of those that I couldn’t forget was this story: Jim and Ellen and their five children were a picture of a happy family. They were known in the community as loving, kind, and accommodating. Until one day, Jim lost his job.

But despite all the hardships, Jim still managed to feed his family. He did some odd jobs in the town like fixing cars. And to make both ends meet, Ellen accepted doing laundry from her neighbors.

Some of the kids - there were eight of them - had to stop schooling.

One day, three friends of Ellen came to visit her.

She prepared something for them. They were laughing and talking when suddenly the eldest daughter of Ellen came and told her there was someone outside their house wanting to talk to her.

Immediately her friends warned Ellen: “Be careful.

Don’t have anything to do with a man’s coming begging!

Now hear!”

But still Ellen went to see the man. At the door, she saw an old man with graying hair and soft, warm eyes. “I’m sorry to bother you,” he said, “but my car broke down and I’m walking to town. I would appreciate it if you could give me

some water and just a bit of food if you could spare it.”

Ellen was dumbfounded - she was hesitant to do the right thing. Her friends had influenced her. Instead of getting the water and food, she stood there. Eyes met and the old man waited a few seconds and then silently he turned away. Ellen felt ashamed as she went back to the table, but worse was the condemning look from her daughter.

Quickly, she grabbed a pitcher of orange juice, some bread, and ran out of the house look for the old man.

She found him under the mango tree, standing and telling a story to her children. Ellen offered him the juice and the bread and told him to wait as she went to prepare a pack lunch for the old man. She returned and said, “I’m sorry about the way I acted.”

The old man replied, “That’s all right… too many people are influenced by others. But unlike some, you have overcome it and this speaks well for you.”

That very night, Jim had wonderful news to his wife.

The car he had repaired belonged to a man whose brother ran a repair shop and was looking for a mechanic. He hired Jim on the spot!

Later, Ellen told Jim about the events of the afternoon.

When finished, he asked, “Did

you say this was an elderly man with grey hair and soft, warm eyes?” He jumped out of bed and went through his wallet until he found a piece of folder paper which he handed to Ellen and said, “I met that man walking down the road when I came from town. He waved me over and gave this to me. When I finished reading it, I looked up and he was gone, just disappeared!”

See what kindness can do? “Kindness is more than deeds,” C. Neil Strait said. “It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.”

Lao-Tzu assures: “Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

But what struck me most about the story above was the old man. Was he an angel?

The Bible states: “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).

Are angels for real? My research shows that belief in angels can be found in the history of all nations. The ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Greeks, and others all expressed their belief in angels. A.S. Joppie, author of ‘All About Angels,’ writes: “The Mohammedans believe in angels. They believe that two

angels are assigned to each person. The angel on the right hand records all your good deeds. The angel on your left records all your evil deeds.”

The Hebrews taught there were four great angels. Most noted is Gabriel, who reveals the secrets of God to men.

Michael, on the other hand, fights and avenges God’s foes.

Raphael receives the departing spirits from the dead while Uriel will summon everybody to judgment.

The earliest archaeological evidence of angels to date appears on the stela of Ur-Nammus (2250 B.C.), and shows angels flying over the head of this king while he is in prayer.

Angels are mentioned in thirty-four books of the Bible for a total of some 273 times (108 times in the Old Testament and 165 in the New Testament). Psalm 68:17 states: “The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels.”

Now, let’s go back to the subject of kindness. A couple of years ago, a group of salesmen attended a national conference in Cebu. Delegates from Davao assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for supper on Friday night.

One thing led to another and the conference ran overtime. The men had to race to

the airport, tickets in hand. As they barged through the terminal, one man inadvertently kicked over a table supporting a basket of mangoes. Without stopping, they all reached the plane in time and boarded it with a sigh of relief.

All but one. He paused, got in touch with his feelings, and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose mangoes stand had been overturned. He waved goodbye to his companions and returned to the terminal. He was glad he did. The ten-year-old girl was blind.

The salesman gathered up the mangoes and noticed that several of the mangoes were battered and bruised.

He reached into his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take this five hundred pesos for the damage we did. I hope it didn’t spoil your day.”

As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered girl called out to him, “Are you an angel?”

He stopped in midstride… and he wondered.

What did William Penn once say about kindness? “I expect to pass through life but once,” he penned. “If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”

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IT’S BEEN ALMOST THREE DAYS of me feeling like there’s nothing to be excited about.

What kept me going was the hope of traveling and surfing places I’ve never seen before. Now, with almost an 80% cut on my monthly income and no definite way to augment the income I lost, I feel like a caged animal.

I am a born optimist, but there are just days where I can’t deny feeling hopeless and disillusioned.

Maybe this is me finally accepting that my way of life has been disrupted, and nobody can give me an answer if life ever returns back to the way it was.

I miss the ease of traveling domestically. It used to be as easy as jumping in a car and driving to a destination a few hours away.

Now, going to a different city feels like visiting a different country, even if you’re on the same island.

Grocery shopping and going to the vegetable market is a favorite pastime of mine. Others see it as a chore that needs to be accomplished as quickly as possible.

Still, I see it as a way to relax— like a kid in window-shopping in a candy shop and thinking about what I could buy next time I’m here. Today, it’s totally different.

It seems as if each decision to step out of your house is not something to take so lightly.

The risk of contaminating yourself or your loved ones is one of the biggest worries about heading outside. Gone are the days where I could head out to my favorite local cafe to work in peace if working at home feels distracting. I can’t even strike up the usual friendly conversations with vendors or drivers on my usual grocery runs.

Meeting friends in my favorite beachside restaurant and bar is out of the question, and so is seeing people crowd it up on the lineup at my local surf spots. I know I’ll regret saying that I miss

DEAR CORONA

PART 1

Top: Working in bed is a new thing and this I liked about this shift in work routines worldwide. Photo by Allie.

the crowds once they are back, but it feels almost foreign to be surfing in a once-crowded place with barely half a dozen people out.

It used to be so easy deciding to visit a friend in another island in the Philippines. I was chatting with a good friend in Manila when we were talking about how we’d like to have each other try out some dishes we’ve been cooking. “I’ll let you try this once you’re here!” she says. I was about to reply, “Soon!” because that’s what I usually would say until I’ve booked a ticket. Still, I replied with the sad reality that I don’t know when I can fly again. I can’t believe I don’t know when I’ll get to see you again. It sucks.

Some positive quaranthings There are good things that have come out of this global health crisis. Personally, I’ve found ways to be more productive than I was pre-pandemic. I made sure to keep a flexible routine to keep me organized throughout the week. Daily exercise also kept me sane. It was to my ultimate surprise that I was able to build a habit of doing it every day.

More often than not, there

Left: Sometimes working from home, which isn’t new to me, can be super intimidating to those who have yet to try.

Photo by Dayne Topkin. would be a few consecutive days in a month that I’d feel down, and this is one of them. The past three weeks have been a blur of reignited passion towards my craft—writing. I’ve worked almost nonstop from redesigning my monthly newsletter, doing almost an overhaul of my website, and writing new content. I was excited to finally have the fuel and inspiration to move things that were delegated to my waiting list.

After a 20-hour workathon a couple of weekends ago, I saw that I achieved what I had always wanted: to keep my website updated by turning out fresh content. In a span of a weekend and a workday, I was able to create a workflow that would use all my unpublished and unfinished material. Now, I could finally be consistent and not get lost in the everyday detail that is consuming.

I would always think that I would need a team. That I would need to hire people, but I realized

Right: Now we have to always keep our distance and avoid touching too many items. Photo by Kelly Sikkema. (which many of you probably do now) that there’s so much one person can do, if you’re patient and have a plan. Perhaps, I just grew up and was tired of waiting for people, but then again, I achieved a long-overdue milestone.

Now that I’ve accomplished that and now, just need to bide my time according to plan, I’ve let in some idle hours of contemplation, and it worries me. I wonder if all that I’m doing is worth it. Is working more hours than usual

worth it? I need to make ends meet, and I’m wondering how to keep up the good work when you’re creatively exhausted but even need to churn out something creative—is it really worth it?

If there’s anything I’ve learned, is that as a creative, I need a sanity break more often if I’m doing great work. When I get pumped, I work nonstop until I’ve exhausted all there is to do, and there’s none left but waiting on the results.

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Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REGION 11

PAUNAWA Ipinagbibigay-alam na ang PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSES INC. ay naghain sa Tanggapang ito ng sinumpaang aplikasyon para sa pagbebenta ng mga BAHAY AT LOTE sa LUMINA TAGUM ( SOCIALIZED & ECONOMIC HOUSING) na matatagpuan sa Purok Maharlika, Brgy. Cuambugan, Tagum City at sinakop ng LOTS 2 & 3 PCS-112319-006182; LOTS LOT 435-A to E, PSD-11-145141 sa ilalim ng TITULO BLG. TCT Nos. 142-2019020380, 142-2019020381,142-2020001828, 142-2020001833,142,2020002118, 1422020001914,142-2019010146.

Ang nasabing proyekto ay ginagamit ang LUMINA TAGUM SOCIALIZED HOUSING na matatagpuan sa Purok Maharlika Brgy .Cuambugan, Tagum City bilang pagtupad sa Seksyon 18 ng Batas Republika Blg. 7279 na sinusugan ng RA 10884.

Lahat ng mga kasulatan kaugnay nito ay maaring suriin ng sinuman na nagtataglay ng legal na interes ditto matapos humiling ng pagsusuri at magbayad ng kauukulang halaga sa tanggapang ito.

Kapag walang sagabalna legal, ang proyektong nabanggit ay ituturing na rehistrado at maari nang bigyan ng sertipiko bilang katibayan nito, pagkalipas ng limang (5) araw mula sa huling paglalathala.

Lungsod ng Dabaw, Pilipinas, ika-27 ng Hulyo 2020

ATTY. ROBERTO MAURO MIGUEL T. PALMA GIL OIC, Office of the Regional Director

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SETTLEMENTS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT REGION 11

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that PRIMA CASA LAND & HOUSE INC. has filed with this office a sworn registration statement for the sale of HOUSE AND LOTS in LUMINA TAGUM(SOCIALIZED & ECONOMIC HOUSING) located at Purok Maharlika, Brgy. Cuambugan,Tagum City and more particularly described as LOTS 2 & 3 PCS-112319-006182; LOTS LOT 435-A to E, PSD-11-145141 containing an area of 218,619 sq.m. and covered by TCT Nos. 142-2019020380, 142-2019020381,142-2020001828, 1422020001833,142,2020002118, 142-2020001914,142-2019010146.

The foregoing project is utilizing LUMINA TAGUM (SOCIALIZED HOUSING) located at Purok Maharlika, Brgy. Cuambugan, Tagum City as its compliance ursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended by RA 10884.

All papers relative thereto shall,upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereon.

Absent any legal impediment,the above-cited project is deemed registered and a certificate, in evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after (5) days from the last days of application Issued this 27th day of July 2020, Davao city.

7/29,8/05

ATTY ROBERTO MAURO MIGUEL T. PALMA GIL OIC Office of the Regional Director

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATEWITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SPOUSES JULIAN C. ALBIOLA and MARTA O. ALBIOLA has beenthe subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE leaving the following real and personal properties described as follows: ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. P-7601 executed among their Heirs-Vendor, per Doc. No 441; PageNo.90; Book No.11 Series of 2020, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FERDINAND M. TAGLUCOP

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATEWITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late SPOUSES JULIAN C. ALBIOLA and MARTA O. ALBIOLA has beenthe subject of EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT WITH DEED OF ABSOLUTE SALE leaving the following real and personal properties described as follows: ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. P-7412 executed among their Heirs-Vendor, per Doc. No 442; PageNo.90; Book No.11 Series of 2020, of the NOTARY PUBLIC FERDINAND M. TAGLUCOP 7/29,8/5,12/2020

9

LIMITED... FROM2 until October 23, 2020; and Garuda Airlines with probable resumption of flights will be on October to December.

Mayor Sara added that Cebu Pacific and Xiamen Airlines will decide as soon as international flights restrictions in DIA are lifted per active notice to airmen.

“So ngano gusto nato mag-dungag ug mga flights to Davao City? Because we want to go back to full operation of the Davao airport as before and subject also sa travel restrictions nga i-impose sa atoang national government and other countries around the world,” she said.

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tial work is prohibited to restrict the movement of people.

Dr. Maricar Limpin of Philippine College of Physicians agreed, saying that such time out is crucial because the Philippines cannot lose the fight against COVID-19.

“This is the last time out. Hindi na tayo puede magtawag ng time out ulit, kaya dapat magawa na dapat natin ang lahat sa loob ng [15] days,” Limpin said.

“Ang assurance po namin sa publiko, hindi ho kami matatalo ng COVID-19 because that would be a loss to the nation. Kaya hindi po kami puede matalo,” Limpin added.

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Construction laborers work on the purlins of a building’s roof along Jacinto Extension in Davao City on Tuesday. Edge Davao

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HATID... FROM3 had temporarily stopped accepting returning residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Around 20 other LSIs on Monday went to the stadium on Monday and had to be accommodated at a police station or by the social welfare department, said Encabo.

Authorities are still disinfecting the vehicles used by the previous batch of LSIs brought home to their provinces. Drivers and other personnel involved in the program are still on quarantine to make sure they did not catch the virus, he said.

“Sa mga kababayan

kong LSIs, sana habaan n’yo iyong pasensya n’yo at pang-unawa dahil unang-una, limitado po ang mga transportation asset ng ating government,” Encabo said.

“Ginagawa po namin lahat ng makakaya at sa mabilis na panahon kayo ay maiuwi sa inyong

probinsya,” he added.

(To our LSIs, I hope you could have more patients and understanding because the transportation assets of our government are limited. We are doing everything we can to bring you home to your province at the soonest.)

to our visitors, to tourists, as a way to ensure general safety. Understandably so, because the top concern of our tourists is their safety,” he said.

At the ceremony, the graduates received mountain bikes courtesy of the City of Mati LGU. These bikes will aid the police in patrolling the tourism sites around the City.

Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat is beaming with high hopes for the tourist police here. “We started this before, in 2011, but maybe because of the lack of time, we were able to put up only one tourist police center in Brgy.

Dahican. But today is the right time to fast track our efforts in tourism as Mati is already ripe for tourism

boost. I am only asking our tourist police to please have a heart for our tourist and the general community as well,” she added.

Department of Tourism Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan expressed her gratitude to the PNP and the city and provincial LGUs for being an enormous part of the realization of the project.

“The pandemic has greatly affected our tourism industry, with 50 to 100 percent impact on the establishments’ operation. That is why we, at the agency, are happy that you already opened your borders. Being one of the top tourist destinations in the region, we expect the influx again of our tourists. As such, the organization and

re-activation of the tourist police is very timely. And absolutely, we have to assure them of their safety,” she said.

Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, who was represented by his office’s Chief of Staff Mr. Ednar Carlos Dayanghirang, lauded the convergence of efforts of the government agencies “for makes things better for everyone.”

“This effort exemplifies unity in actions, unity in vision, and most importantly the continuity of our endeavors. Today, the visions of our leaders are slowly being realized.

We are now reaping the benefits of the vision and efforts of our leaders,” he said.

Gracing the activities also were Second District Representative Cong. Joel Mayo Almario, Provincial Tourism Officer Miguel Trocio, City of Mati Tourism Officer Dashiel Indelible, Jr., City Councilors Kobe Capina and Roger Pabio, Department of the Interior and Local Government Provincial Director Orle Cabaobao, City Health Officer Dr. Onjie Catbagan, and DOPPO personnel led by Provincial Director Police Colonel Joselito Loriza.

While the City Government of Mati is the first Local Government Unit in the province who launched the TOP COPS, other LGUs in the province are expected to follow suit. Neela Duallo/PIO

has also moved to defer its supposed start of training due to the new quarantine classification.

“PFF has already notified the PFL clubs on this latest development,” the national sports association said in a statement.

In a press conference

on Wednesday, PFF president Nonong Araneta said the PFL is looking to start by early September, but it is now expected to be pushed later in the month or in October.

The PFL is set to hold its season in a bubble at the PFF National Train-

ing Centre in Carmona.

Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 teams are in a way affected too as their scheduled return to practice, assuming the league eyes a mid-September start, will coincide with the final days of the MECQ period, which

could mean the league may need to move its season start a little later.

Like the PFL, the Chooks 3x3 league is looking to play its season in a bubble too with the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba as its venue.

(PNA)

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that would keep Washington happy.

Zhang’s letter to staff also said ByteDance did not agree with the stance taken by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinizes deals for national security risks, that it must fully divest TikTok’s US operations.

“We disagree with this CFIUS conclusion,” the letter said but added: “...we understand the decision in the current macro environment.”

ByteDance did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The Chinese government declined to comment specifically on the Washington’s move to force a sale of TikTok’s US operations.

The United States has been “stretching the concept of national security”, presuming that companies are guilty without evidence, China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a briefing after

being asked about US actions against Chinese software companies.

The topic “ByteDance has agreed to divest TikTok’s US operations” was one of the most discussed subjects on China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform on Monday, with over 920 million views.

Some commentators criticized ByteDance, saying it has not shown as much backbone as Huawei Technologies, also in the crosshairs of US-China tensions and now on a US trade blacklist. “[ByteDance] kneeled down so fast that it didn’t even wait for the Chinese government to retaliate,” said one comment that was ‘liked’ over 5,000 times.

While TikTok is ByteDance’s most well known app globally, the company makes the bulk of its revenue from advertising on Chinese apps including Douyin—a Chinese version of TikTok—and news aggregator app Jinri Toutiao.

lo Villaluna, on the other hand, said domestic flights between Clark, Cebu and Davao, as well as other areas not affected by the MECQ, will continue.

Affected passengers may also rebook, refund, or convert their tickets to a travel voucher, she added.

As of posting, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has

not issued an official announcement on whether domestic flights will be allowed or not in areas under MECQ, similar to when the MECQ was first imposed.

CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio said a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) was scheduled Monday afternoon and does not have any information yet. (PNA)

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Fil-Am Arizona star Martin withdraws from NBA Draft

A

The Lakers were coming off a 107-102 loss to Toronto in which Anthony Davis shot just 2 of 7 and scored 14 points. Davis was much more active

Monday right from the start, as he scored 13 points and shot 6 of 14 in the first quarter alone.

Lakers clinch top spot

A

nthony Davis had 42 points and 12 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by beating the Utah Jazz, 116-108, on Monday night (Tuesday, Manila time).

The Lakers (51-15) own a six-game lead over the second-place Los Angeles Clippers and have five seeding games let before starting their first playoff run since 2013. Utah (4225) has clinched a playoff berth and is fifth in the West, a half-game behind Houston and a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City.

Davis’ final basket resulted in a 4-point play

with 42 seconds left, as he sank a 3-pointer while getting fouled by Rudy Gobert and made the ensuing free throw to give the Lakers a 114-104 lead.

Utah’s Donovan Mitchell answered with a 4-point play of his own that cut the margin to 114-106 with 36 seconds remaining, but the Jazz couldn’t get any closer. Davis made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to wrap up the scoring.

LeBron James scored 22 points, Dwight Howard had 11 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 10 for the Lakers.

Mitchell scored 33 and Mike Conley had 24 for

Utah. Gobert added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz.

The Lakers were coming off a 107-102 loss to Toronto in which Davis shot just 2 of 7 and scored 14 points. Davis was much more active Monday right from the start, as he scored 13 points and shot 6 of 14 in the first quarter alone.

Davis had 24 points by halftime, marking the 20th time this season he’s scored at least 20 points in a half.

Utah stayed close and only trailed 58-56 at halftime because it got its own stellar start from Mitchell, who scored 21 points in the first two periods.

Mitchell then connected on a 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run by Utah to open the second half.

But the Jazz got increasingly careless with the basketball as the third quarter progressed, enabling the Lakers to seize control of the game. The Lakers scored 14 straight points and went on a 19-2 run late in the third quarter.

Even after Utah’s Emmanuel Mudiay snapped that run by hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Jazz still trailed 86-76 heading into the final period.

The Lakers stayed in front the rest of the way.

rizona State guard Remy Martin is withdrawing from the NBA draft and will return for his senior season in the desert.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity to coach Remy Martin for one more season,” Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley said in a statement Sunday. “Remy will be one of the best players in college basketball this year and will be on a mission to lead Arizona State basketball in its pursuit of championships.”

A 6-foot guard, Martin is the Pac-12’s leading returning scorer after averaging 19.1 points in 2019-20. He also averaged 4.1 assists per game and

The 6-foot Remy Martin is the Pac-12’s leading returning scorer after averaging 19.1 points in 2019-20.

GAB: MECQ lull gives ample time to prepare stakeholders

Pelicans get big win over Grizzlies T B randon Ingram scored 24 points and the New Orleans Pelicans got a much-needed 109-99 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) despite another Zion Williamson shoe incident.

Williamson had 23 points, seven rebounds and tied a career high with five assists in his most extensive playing time since returning to the NBA bubble.

Williamson drove the lane in the third quarter and landed awkwardly, losing his left shoe. However, the big man quickly put the shoe back on and remained in the game. It brought back memories of when the then-Duke freshman sensation injured his knee in February 2019 when his foot ripped through the side of his shoe as he attempted to plant his foot.

After being limited to a combined 29 minutes in his first two games since the restart, Williamson played 25 minutes, although he appeared to get fatigued when he didn’t hustle back on defense

Zion Williamson had 23 points, seven rebounds and tied a career high with five assists in his most extensive playing time since returning to the NBA bubble. and was taken out with 6 minutes to play. But he returned a short time later and helped the Pelicans close on a 12-6 run.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had 22 points for the Grizzlies, who fell to 0-3 since the NBA restart. Ja Morant struggled from the field,

finishing with 11 points on 5-of-21 shooting.

Lonzo Ball had called it a “must-win game” after the Pelicans lost their first two games since the restart, dropping them to 11th place in the Western Conference standings.

Now they’re 2 1/2

games behind the eighthplace Grizzlies. The ninthplace team can qualify for a play-in matchup against the eighth-place team as long as it is within four games. The Pelicans still need to move past the Spurs and Trail Blazers to get to ninth place.

helped put the Sun Devils in position to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Martin’s return should put Arizona State among the favorites to win the Pac-12 next season.

Martin joins fellow guard Alonzo Verge Jr. in returning to the Sun Devils after testing the NBA waters. Big man Romello White declared for the draft and later entered the transfer portal.

Hurley has signed one of the program’s best recruiting classes for next season, headed by five-star guard Josh Christopher.

he Games and Amusements Board (GAB) will devote the two-week return to the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) of Metro Manila and other areas to better prepare its partners for the professional teams’ return to practice.

With the resumption of training among Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), Philippines Football League (PFL), and Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 teams getting “a slight delay,” GAB chairman Baham Mitra on Monday said: “rest assured that the GAB will take advantage of this temporary halt to prepare our stakeholders in order to ensure the safe return of activities related to professional sports.”

The PBA and the PFL are already aching to have their member clubs resume their practices.

In fact, the PBA has already scheduled all its 12 teams to undergo swab testing for the

coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) later in the week.

But with the reverting of NCR as well as Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Rizal to MECQ, Commissioner Willie Marcial said the scheduled testing has to “be pushed back.”

“We have no recourse but to adjust the schedule of our activities,” he added. “I look at it (MECQ return) as a short detour that we’ll pursue in the hope of getting our teams back in the gym at the right time.”

He, however, vowed that the PBA will still adhere with the government ruling about the Covid-19 pandemic.

The PBA board of governors is set to decide on whether it will resume its postponed season by September, but the latest development could factor in its final verdict.

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF), which operates the PFL,

FGAB, P10

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Co-hosts Philippines, Japan assured of slots to ‘23 FIBA World Cup

G

ilas Pilipinas Men and Japan are assured of slots in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the first time that multiple nations will collaborate as hosts, as announced by FIBA on Monday night.

The world’s basketball governing body said both squads, which participated in last year’s edition of the quadrennial event, are now seeded into the main tournament as direct qualifiers.

The Philippines last hosted the FIBA World Cup in 1978 with all games taking place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Japan, on the other hand, had the more recent FIBA World Cup hosting among the two, getting its turn to host in 2006.

However, the same cannot be said in the case of the other co-host, Indonesia.

The situation of Indonesia, which has never played in the FIBA World Cup before, was actually the main topic of the FIBA executive committee’s meeting on Monday.

The committee resolved that Indonesia may need to earn its place in the 2023 FIBA World Cup through next year’s FIBA Asia

Dabawenyo cager Allyn Bulanadi, picked in the recent PBA Gilas Special Draft, is one of the probable members of the Gilas pool to the 2023 World Cup. PBA Images photo

Cup. In the ruling, Indonesia, if they get past the qualifiers, which was stalled due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, must need to make the Top 8 of

the FIBA Asia Cup to get a FIBA World Cup spot.

Meaning, Indonesia needs to make at least the quarterfinals of the FIBA Asia Cup to clinch its first ever appearance in

the FIBA World Cup. Should Indonesia succeed, the number of spots reserved for Asia-Pacific teams in the FIBA World Cup will be reduced by one.

Otherwise, the

original number of Asia-Pacific qualifiers will stand, which means Indonesia must undergo the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers if it fails to make the Top 8 in the FIBA Asia Cup. (PNA)