Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 159 | Friday-Saturday, October 18-19, 2019

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VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

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AT A GLANCE: • • • • • •

Davao City: No reports of casualty Davao del Sur: 3 dead, 15 injured; Magsaysay town hall, Cor Jesu building damaged Kidapawan City: Tremor registered intensity 7 according to Phivolcs

Mayor Sara recalls tremor experience

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t was swaying and bouncing.

No, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is not describing a dance party. It was her mental illustration of Wednesday's 6.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Davao

A resident shows the damage left by Wednesday night's 6.3 magnitude earthquake on the Municipal Hall of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur on Thursday. The municipality is one of areas in the province that sustained heavy damage from the quake. Lean Daval Jr

City and several parts of the region and Mindanao.

Mayor Sara recounted that she was at home with her children on Wednesday night when the temblor happened. She considers it the most intense she has experi-

enced by far.

Dabawenyo netizens �looded social media minutes after the quake. Most of them agreed with the Mayor.

It was Davao's most powerful quake experience in recent memory.

"First time ko, sa buong buhay ko naka-experience ng ganoon. Nagse-sway, and nagba-bounce. Sway and bounce," Mayor Duterte was quoted in a report posted on ABS CBN.

SWAYING, P8

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

Strongest quake in years: CDRRMO

By ADAM B. MORRELL

T President Rodrigo Duterte meets 49th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Gold Medalist Carlos Yulo at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Wednesday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

he 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao at exactly 7:37pm on Wednesday, October 16 is considered as the strongest tremor to ever hit Davao City in recent years, according to Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO).

CDRRMO chief of operations and warning Rodrigo Bustillo, during the I-Speak media forum held at the City Hall of Davao on Thursday, October 17, said the tremor on Wednesday evening was an intensity 5 and was capable of damaging infrastructures.

"So far, mao ni ang pinaka kusog na niabot sa Davao City. Kasagaran sa mga linog diri kay intensity 4 lang," said Bustillo.

Based on the consolidated report of CDRRMO, four establishments in Davao City were recorded to have signi�icant damages caused by the powerful quake.

That includes SM Lanang, SM Ecoland and Abreeza Ayala Mall of Davao which were left with

cracked walls while a �ire hit a house in Farland, Dacoville.

Apart from Davao City, the tremor also shook a wide area in General Santos City, North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental, among others.

A Facebook post courtesy of Ruby Quilban and Vincent Anthony Sungcog, showed a photo of a partially damaged building of Cor Jesu College in Digos City.

The photos shown visible debris which horribly fell off from the pillars and walls of the school.

Meantime, a �ire broke out at Gaisano Mall of General Santos after the deadly earthquake.

Bustillo, however, said the City Government of Davao City deployed two teams from the �ire auxiliary unit of Central 911 that were set to respond �ire �ighters of General Santos City on Thursday morning to help put out the blaze.

He said it is the mandate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to respond neighboring provinces in any disaster.

Quake leaves 3 dead, 15 injured in DavSur T No tsunami alert in Davao

By MAYA M. PADILLO

hree persons were declared dead and 15 others were injured in Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur in the wake of Wednesday’s magnitude 6.7 earthquake.

Magsaysay Municipal Mayor Arthur Davin con�irmed the casualties in an interview with Edge Davao.

Davin said that based on their records the casualties were a 5 year old child from Barangay San Isidro who was hit by debris in the head and was declared dead on arrival in a local hospital, and a mother and her one year old child who reportedly died due to landslide in Barangay Lawanit.

“Yung bahay nila ay nasa gilid ng bundok natabunan Yung bahay nila nang mag landslide.

Yung husband at kapatid

ay ni-retrieve at may mga injuries,” he said.

As of 2 a.m the reported injured persons were placed at 15.

The quake also left the town’s Municipal Hall damaged. The building’s parapet fell and its concrete walls were �lattened. Some portions of the roof were also damaged.

Davin said that more structures, infrastructures, and properties could be severely damaged by the earthquake. As of this writing they are still consolidating the �igures of the damages including infrastructure. He said assessment

Almost half of GaisanoGenSan gutted by fire

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�ire that broke out at the Gaisano Mall here after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake Wednesday evening has so far razed almost half of the entire compound, and �iremen are still �ighting the blaze the morning after, reports said.

The �ire erupted following a strong aftershock past 8 p.m., according to Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO).

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) reported a magnitude 5.5 quake at 8:09 p.m., or 32 minutes after the main quake.

“As of now, the �ire in several sections of the mall was already contained but the operations are still ongoing,” he said in a ra-

dio interview around 8:30 a.m., adding that �ire�ighters coming from as far as Davao City were still battling the �ire.

Dacera, who is leading the emergency and support operations at the scene, said that as far as he could see, almost half of the mall was already affected by the �ire.

He said there were no reported casualties as of Thursday morning as mall goers and employees were immediately evacuated when the �ire started.

Dacera, quoting mall personnel, said the �ire originated at the kitchenware, furniture and plastic ware sections at the ground level.

It eventually reached the second level and rapidly spread to the other

ALMOST, P8

of data and monitoring are still ongoing in their command center which is situated beside the Municipal hall.

“We conducted an assessment for those properties or structures situated in critical areas are being cordoned,” he said.

Davin said residents are now afraid to return to their homes for fear of aftershocks while others are also hesitant to stay in the evacuation center.

“Ang mga tao ron hadlok pa mubalik sa ilang mga balay. Nangita sila lugar in low level kay dili na sila muadto evacuation center because of fear,” he said.

He added that some of the residents were also being transferred to a safer neighboring areas to keep them safe from aftershocks.

“We transferred some of them in a safer neighbor-

ing puroks to keep them safe from aftershocks. Continues ang atong monitoring with Barangay of�icials for them to get attention and be brought to a safe place,” he said.

He said they will only advised them to return to their homes until such time that their safety is assured.

This is not the �irst time that the municipality was hit by an earthquake. Last July 9 an earthquake occurred in the said area but the recent was the strongest according to Davin.

He said they are not the epicenter of the earthquake. He said the Philvocs cited that 22 kilometers west of Tulunan as epicenter.

As of this writing, movement of the ground can be felt every now and then.

Cor Jesu rubble

QUAKE, P8

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he Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO) clari�ied on Thursday that there was no "tsunami alert" as there were no tsunami manifestations in the coastal areas of Davao City right after the powerful 6.3 magnitude tremor on Wednesday evening.

CDRRMO chief of operations and warnings Rodrigo Bustillo said based on their physical observation on the sea areas around the city, there were no signs of tsunami.

"Naa tay high de�inition coastal cameras na nakatutuko sa coastal areas and based sa monitoring walay tsunami," Bustillo, during

the I-Speak media forum held at the City Hall of Davao on Thursday, October 17, said.

He said the people may have "over-reacted" after experiencing the strong tremor, forcing them to voluntarily evacuate to higher grounds in fear of sudden tsunami.

Based on the reports of CDRRMO, 16 coastal barangays voluntarily evacuated to higher grounds due to misleading information of tsunami.

It includes barangays Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing, Matina Pangi, Talomo, Binugao, Sirawan, Lizada, Daliao, Toril, Crossing Bayabas, Lubugan, Bu-

NO TSUNAMI, P9

A personnel of the local government unit of the municipality of Magsaysay loads sacks of relief goods in front of the Municipal Hall of Magsaysay on Thursday which will be distributed to the residents affected by Wednesday night’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Lean Daval Jr

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

Chona Mae and other ‘linog’ talks Following is a compilation of some accounts of incidents, at least one of them hilarious, related to the Magnitude 6.3 earthquake which hit a wide area of Davao and Cotabato cities and provinces at 7:37 p.m.

Wednesday. (The epicenter was estimated to be 55 kilometers from Polomolok, South Cotabato, according to the earthquake.usgs.gov and seven kilometers east-northeast of Columbio, Sultan Kudarat).

1. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio announced the suspension of classes in all levels in public and private schools and directed her men to check on possible damages on the school buildings and other structures in the city.

All school owners, teachers and non-teaching personnel are instructed to conduct a safety inspection check with a quali�ied engineer in and around their structures on Thursday.

However, it is only classes that are suspended, not work.

2. Fire of still undetermined origin raged Gaisano Mall in General Santos City but it was certain if the earthquake has something to do with the blaze.

3. The Philippine Information Agency in Davao del Sur quoting Nilo Cobrado of Bombo Radyo reported that as of 10 p.m. last Wednesday night, some 20 residents of Digos City, and the towns of Hagonoy and Magsaysay were brought to the provincial hospital with quake-related injuries.

4. In barangay Matina Aplaya, the residents panicked and ran to upper ground as a mother was shouting “tsunami, tsunami!” only to realize later that she was calling

out her missing daughter whose name was “Chona Mae.” 5. The Department of Energy (DOE) Task Force Energy Resiliency (TFER) provides its update as of 10:00 PM, 16 October 2019 in relation to the 6.3 magnitude in Tulunan (North Cotabato) On Power Sector: On generation, Mindanao Geothermal Power Project (MGPP) 1&2 in Mt. Apo with a total net generation of 91MW tripped at 1937H. On transmission, a total of six (6) line feeder trippings were reported due to line ground fault, to wit: three (3) NGCP 69kV lines (Matanao – Malita, Matanao – Digos, Tacuron – Suralla) and three (3) customer side feeders from DLPC, DANECO and DORECO. On distribution, Electric Cooperatives with reported power interruptions were SOCOTECO-1, SOCOTECO-2, and DASURECO. Affected areas are parts of Davao Del Sur (Digos City, Hogonoy, Padada, Kiblawan, Sulop, Malalag, Sta. Cruz) and portions of Kidapawan City, Cotabato. Restoration is on-going. On Oil Sector: No reported damage to oil facilities both upstream and downstream as of the reporting period. DOE will continue its monitoring.

6. In a video posted on social media, patients at Kidapawan Doctors Hospital in Mindanao were seen being taken outside after the tremor.

Another clip showed a church in Kidapawan City start to shake from the intensity of the quake, leaving the congregation screaming in terror.

7. No destructive Paci�ic-wide tsunami was expected after the earthquake, initially measured at 6.7, the Hawaii-based Paci�ic Tsunami Warning Center reported.

City deploys men to check buildings after earthquake

By ADAM B. MORRELL

T

he Davao City Engineer's Of�ice (CEO), on Thursday, October 17, promptly conducted building inspections in both public and private establishments to check if there were signi�icant damages following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake which struck parts of Mindanao including Davao City.

This was disclosed by CEO representative Engr.

Arjean Jumamoy during the I-Speak media forum held at the City Hall of Davao on Thursday.

Jumamoy said CEO instructed its personnel to conduct inspections particularly in schools the �irst hour of Thursday following the mandate of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who suspended the classes in all levels the same day.

Mayor Duterte advised

all school owners, teachers, and other school personnel to check school structures to a safety inspection with a quali�ied engineer on Thursday. She added that if they �ind building defects that are dangerous and need repair, they should immediately condemn the area and not allow students ti use the same.

Jumamoy said there were no visible cracks found in the structure of City Hall of Davao and Sangguniang Panglungsod.

Other establishments, said Jumamoy, were already inspected and there were no serious damage recorded so far.

She also said that volunteers from the private sectors assisted the Local Government Unit (LGU) in inspecting areas and buildings.

EDGEDAVAO

NEWS 3

A school worker walks by the damaged building at Cor Jesu College in Digos City, Davao del Sur on Thursday. Lean Daval Jr

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

DOE assesses energy facilities in Mindanao after earthquake

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embers of Task Force on Energy Members of Task Force on Energy Resiliency (TFER) are now checking energy infrastructure in several areas in Mindanao hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake at around 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.

In a statement, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the TFER “is now gathering data on the status of energy facilities.”

“The Department of Energy assures the public of updates on the matter,” it added.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake, which is tectonic in origin, was felt the most in North Cotabato,

EARTHQUAKE FIRE. Fire rages at the Gaisano Mall in General Santos City following the magnitude 6.3 earthquake Wednesday evening that hit the south-central portion of Mindanao. It was felt as Intensity 5 in GenSan. MindaNews/Photo courtesy of EDWIN ESPEJO

Vehicle sales grow 7.5% in September

GenSan mall fire put out after T 16 hours, leaves P2-B damage

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n estimated PHP2 billion worth of properties and commercial goods were destroyed in the huge �ire that gutted the Gaisano Mall here following a magnitude 6.3 earthquake on Wednesday night.

Fire�ighters declared “�ire out” at the establishment at about 1 p.m. Thursday, more than 16 hours after it broke out past 8 p.m.

Wednesday.

Fire Chief Insp. Reginald Legaste, chief of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) sta-

tion here, said about 75 percent of the 2.3-hectare mall was razed based on their initial assessment.

Legaste said an investigation is underway as to the origin and possible cause of the �ire, which reached the general alarm by midnight

PayMaya named Most Innovative Company of the Year at the Asia CEO Awards 2019

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ayMaya Philippines was recognized at the Asia CEO Awards 2019 as the Most Innovative Company of the Year for its relentless drive to spread �inancial inclusion in the country through it game-changing platforms.

“Innovation is at the heart of everything that we do at PayMaya. We are honored by this recognition as we continue to build relevant technologies that can make the lives of Filipinos better,” said PayMaya CEO Orlando B. Vea. PayMaya is the company behind the pioneering PayMaya e-wallet and mobile app for consumers as well as PayMaya Enterprise, the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions for enterprise payments covering online and of�line. PayMaya is the only �inancial technology company in the Philippines offering integrated consumer and merchant payment solutions with the widest on-ground branch network. It is the �inancial technology arm of Voyager Innovations, the leading technology company in the country backed by PLDT, KKR, Tencent, World Bank’s IFC and the IFC Emerging Asia Fund.

The Most Innova-

tive Company of the Year award is given to organizations that introduced an innovation that have led to the growth of the company and the development of the industry. They are usually the pioneers in their own �ields and have introduced changes in their company to gain measurable competitive advantage over its competitors.

PayMaya was also named as one of the �inalists for the Technology Company of the Year category. This award is given to corporate organizations, academe and startup companies that focuses on Information and Communications Technology, Biotechnology and Material Science, and Sciences and Math Engineering.

Now on its 10th year, the Asia CEO Awards recognize individuals and companies that have demonstrated excellence in their respective industry sectors and have contributed signi�icantly to nation building. It is one of the largest business awards event in the Philippines and Asia Paci�ic region. It also brings the Philippines to the spotlight, as one of the region's premier center of economic growth and business destination.

Wednesday.

“The next phase of the investigation will be handled by our central of�ice,” he told reporters.

Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO), said city government personnel were assisting the BFP in clearing operations.

Dacera said there were no reported casualties in the incident as mall-goers and employees were earlier evacuated due to the earthquake when the �ire started.

Citing accounts of mall personnel, he said the �ire reportedly originated at the kitchenware, furniture and plastic ware sections at the ground level. It eventually reached the second level and rapidly spread to the other sections of the establishment.

Dacera said almost all BFP, private volunteer �ire�ighting and rescue units in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) and some from Region 11 (Davao region) responded to the incident.

GENSAN, P8

MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANY. The most innovative company of the year at the Asia CEO Awards 2019 were received by PayMaya executives (from left): Head of Enterprise IT Ulysses Naguit; Chief Product Officer Mitch Padua; Head of Growth and Brand Marketing Raymund

with Intensity VII recorded in Kidapawan City. (PNA) (TFER) are now checking energy infrastructure in several areas in Mindanao hit by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake at around 7:37 p.m. Wednesday.

In a statement, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the TFER “is now gathering data on the status of energy facilities.”

“The Department of Energy assures the public of updates on the matter,” it added.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the earthquake, which is tectonic in origin, was felt the most in North Cotabato, with Intensity VII recorded in Kidapawan City. (PNA)

he Philippine automotive industry saw a 7.5% increase in sales volume in September as buying activities pickup in time for the holiday season, according to an industry report.

In a joint report on Wednesday, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) said total vehicle sales reached 31,820 units last month, up 7.5% from 29,599 units sold in August.

The September sales �igures also grew 2.3% from 31,116 units sold in the same period last year.

With the continuing demand for commercial and passenger vehicle sales propping up the indus-

try, CAMPI said it remains bullish that the automotive sector will post continuous positive growth until the end of the year.

“CAMPI has expected this recovery coming into the last quarter of the year,” CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez said.

“September is traditionally the start of an upward trend in sales as the public begin to spend for the upcoming holiday season," Gutierrez said.

The industry group chief said the positive growth in September is a good indicator of the increasing and widening demand for vehicles.

"We are optimistic that the industry is well-positioned and prepared to

VEHICLE, P8

Villanueva; Business Head for Government Sector Marvin Santos; Head of Enterprise Business Mar Lazaro; Head of Wallets Business Kenneth Palacios; Enterprise Sales Head Rhea Matute.

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

RCEF funds not enough to cover farmers’ losses from RTL - NGO

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on-government organization Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IRDF) called on the government to earmark more funds for �inancial assistance to farmers who are bearing the brunt of the Rice Tarif�ication Act. IRDF executive director Arze Glipo on Wednesday said the P10 billion allotted to the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) is not enough.

“RCEF is not enough to offset the huge losses to farmers estimated at a high of P118 billion and a low of P60 billion,” Glipo said during a roundtable discussion in Quezon City.

Established in 1989, the IRDF was mandated to implement development programs that will contribute to social and economic empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable sectors such as farmers, �isherfolk, indigenous peoples, women, and youth.

The Rice Tarif�ication Law removed the quantitative restrictions on rice imports and imposed a 35% tariff on imports from Southeast Asia. It also mandated the creation of RCEF to help rice farmers in the face of unrestricted �low of imported rice into the country.

The P10-billion RCEF fund includes P5 billion allotted to farm mechanization, and P3 billion to procure seedlings.

The fund intends to ensure that rice imports won’t drown out the agriculture sector and rob farmers of their livelihood.

Should this be divided equally among local farmers, they will only receive a �inancial assistance of P4,000 each, Glipo noted.

“That’s P4,000. Ang losses ng ating farmer sa isang cropping is umaabot ng mga P25,000 to P30,000,” she said.

“May ibibigay na P15,000 na emergency loan, but that’s only for 100,000 farmers to 150,000 farmers. So where is the justice in this?” she emphasized.

The government last month increased the price in buying palay or unmilled rice from local farmers, but removed incentives local farmers were enjoying.

Starting September, the National Food Authority (NFA) started to procure palay from local farmers at P19 per kilogram.

While the NFA’s buying price was set at P20.70, as the NFA Council decided to remove the P3.70 of incentives given to farmers.

The P3.70 incentive covers P3 buffer stocking fee, 20 centavos delivery fee, 20 centavos drying fee, and 30 centavos cooperative incentive fee.

NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal said the incentives were removed due to limited funds.

IRDF’s Glipo said the government must increase the budget for the NFA to procure more palay from local farmers at a higher price, and for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide additional �inancial assistance.

“Ang panawagan ngayon, dapat dagdagan ‘yung pondo nila para mabili nila ‘yung mas maraming bilang, volume. Kailangan lakihan ang budget,” she told GMA News Online on the sidelines of the roundtable discussions.

“Nasa P20 dapat minimum ‘yung presyo ng pa-

RCEF, P8

A supermarket is temporarily closed to conduct minor repair due to the damages sustained from Wednesday night’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Digos City, Davao del Sur on Thursday. Lean Daval Jr

Duterte reminds DOE, DENR to keep an eye on power firms

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resident Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday ordered government agencies to be vigilant in ensuring that power �irms comply with all regulations.

Duterte speci�ically tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as the Department of Energy (DOE) to keep an eye on power-generating companies.

“I am thus directing

our relevant government agencies, especially the [DENR] and the DOE, to remain vigilant in monitoring the compliance of power generation companies with existing laws and regulations,” the President said in a speech

Klintworth said in a press brie�ing in Makati City.

The UN refers to SDGs as the "blueprint" to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030.

The goals address the global challenges such as poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.

The 17 SDGS of the UN are the following: • No poverty • Zero hunger • Good health and well-being • Quality education • Gender equality • Clean water and sanitation • Affordable clean energy • Decent work and eco-

during the launching of a coal power plant in Taguig City.

The President also assured energy companies of the government’s commitment in pursuing clean energy.

“As we look forward to the future of power generation in the Philippines with much optimism, let me assure our partners in the private sector that this administration remains committed in harnessing the potential of

sustainable [and] renewable energy in driving the growth of our economy,” he said.

“With substantial reforms that this administration has instituted in the past three years, I can assure you that you’ll be able to pursue more effective and ef�icient business strategies as long as you give utmost importance for the protection of our environment and the welfare of your host communities,” he added.

nomic growth Industry, innovation, and infrastructure Reduced inequalities Sustainable cities and communities Climate action Life below water Life on land Peace, justice, and strong institutions Partnerships for the goals

To realize economic bene�its and investment opportunities of the SDGs, the UNDP aligned the goals into four key areas of the Philippine economy, namely cities and mobility; energy and materials; food and agriculture; and health and well-being.

Of the four key areas the UNDP has identi�ied

on-year growth in net interest income which reached P48.66 billion.

Total loans as of end-September stood at P1.37 trillion, up 8.2% on the back of consumer and corporate loan growth of 12.5% and 7.4%, respectively.

Within the consumer segment, credit card loan growth continued its upward trajectory, climbing 24.6% year-on-year.

Total deposits amounted to P1.62 trillion, up 5.0% year-on-year.

The Bank’s current account, savings account deposit ratio stood at 69.1% while the loan-to-deposit ratio was at 84.7%.

Non-interest income reached P22.34 billion in

the nine-month period, up 37.5% driven by higher securities trading gains and fee-based income.

Fees, commissions, and other income increased by 19.1%, primarily from higher fee revenues from credit cards, transaction banking, electronic channels, deposit products, and insurance.

Operating expenses stood at P37.09 billion in the nine-month period, up 15.6%.

Provision for losses, including speci�ic reserves for Hanjin, was at P4.58 billion, bringing the bank’s loss coverage ratio to 102.7%.

Non-performing loans ratio was �lat at 1.81%.

Sustainable dev't goals present $82B in investment opportunities for PH by 2030

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he United Nations' (UN) sustainable development goals (SDGs) could create investment opportunities for the Philippines amounting to $82 billion by 2030, a report by the UN Development Program (UNDP) said Wednesday.

The report "Better Business, Better World: Philippines" report was done by

the UNDP in collaboration with London-based sustainable business advisory �irm Systemiq.

"Investment opportunities linked to the SDGs are predicted to grow exponentially ahead of other sectors. In the Philippines, the size of the prize is at least $82 billion and 4.4 million jobs by 2030," Systemiq senior advisor Gail

Geovia Academic License Mining Software , a software that incorporate industry-standard technology into the academic institution’s programs, give the students the skills they need for internships and today’s workforce and enable the students to find work faster by gaining experience with the industry’s most widely used software.

• • • • • • •

SUSTAINABLE, P8

BPI posts P8.29-B net income in Q3, up 38.6%

B MOA signed by (L-R) Mines and Geosciences Bureau RXI Regional Director Atty. Jasper Alberto H. Lascano, University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) Vice Pres. For Academic Affairs, Shirley S. Villanueva, APEX Mining Co., Inc. President and CEO Luis R. Sarmiento and Alliance of Responsible Miners of Region XI (ARMOR) Roulfo A. Palma on the grant of

•

ank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) posted a net income of P8.29 billion in the third quarter of 2019, up 38.6% year-on-year on the back strong performance across its business.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Ayala-led lender said the P8.29-billion net income during the July to September period resulted in a bottom line of P22.03 billion in the �irst nine months of the year.

The nine-month net income grew 29.5% from P17.01 billion a year earlier.

Total revenues for the Jan. to Sept. period grew 24.8% to P71.00 billion, driven by a 19.8% year-

BPI, P8

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

EDITORIAL Of tsunami and Chona Mae Dabawenyos can still be calm and funny even in times of earthquakes.

Wednesday’s powerful temblor experience was no different.

Moments after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that hit the city, netizens went to social media to share their experience. These days, �irst-hand narratives are even faster than breaking news reports. That’s the power of the internet at work.

However, despite the digital age, people still fall prey miserably to misinformation. That night, many of Dabawenyos living along coastal areas panicked in fear of a tsunami. Hundreds of families immediately evacuated to higher ground as the tsunami scare gripped the communities.

Although uncon�irmed, Dabawenyos still manage to poke some laughter out of the tense situation as stories of a girl named “Chona Mae” (pronounced in stiff Cebuano tongue) being called by her hysterical mother was said to have triggered the mass evacuation.

But seriously, in this day and age of social media and Google, it is best to understand what tsunami is.

It begins with knowing the warning signs of tsunami.

Tsunamis are caused by an underwater disturbance - usually an

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KENNETH IRVING K. ONG NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN MEGHANN STA. INES FERINA SANTOS Lifestyle

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CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL DR. MAURO L. PUYOD LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. Layout/Cartoons Cartoonist Photography 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 D. MARATAS RICHARD C. EBONA OLIVIA D. VELASCO JASPERSOLANI V. BACSAL General Manager Finance Advertising Specialist VP Operations General Manager JOCELYN S. PANES Director of Sales

undersea earthquake. Hence, if ground shaking near the coast is felt, it’s time to evacuate at once to higher ground. People who are near the seashore during a strong earthquake are at the highest risk.

Rapid changes in the water level are an indication of an approaching tsunami. Any unusual disturbance of the ocean, such as the water withdrawing far from shore, it is important to move to high ground. As the waves approach the shallow coastal waters, they may appear normal and the speed decreases. In some cases, the water level may remain low for quite some time, due to the longer period of tsunami waves. However, as the tsunami nears the coastline, it may grow to great height and smash into the shore, causing much destruction. The �irst wave of a tsunami is generally not the largest. It is important to stay away from the coast until wave activity has subsided, which is commonly several hours or up to days until local authority declares that it is safe.

In the light of the horrible experience of Wednesday’s temblor, it is important to heed all the natural warning signs, as well as the of�icial warnings and advisories issued by local authority.

And not just shouts of a hysterical mom.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

VANTAGE POINTS

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ANTONIO V. FIGUEROA FAST BACKWARD

PLAN OF MATI CITY, CIRCA 1888 Mati, the capital town of Davao Oriental, according to an obscure assertion, was founded in 1861 by Don Prudencio Garcia in late 1880s. He was, at this time, head of the military-police forces of Baganga, which was under the comandancia of Mati.

Garcia, a Spanish mestizo, was originally from Albay; he was “born not long before 1850… when the Spaniards were strengthening their military presence [in Surigao]” where he was also installed as governor (1901-03). This would cancel out the claim he founded Mati because he was still a teenager when the establishment supposedly took place.

Fr. Peter Schreurs, MSC, in his book ‘Angry Days of Mindanao’ (1987), wrote that Garcia was �irst assigned as lieutenant of the tercio civil in the town of Surigao, was later married to the daughter of the Pareja family from Placer, and had a daughter who married Benito Corvera, a member of the principalia or the elite.A photo taken on June 11, 1888 taken by Fr. Martin Juan, S.J. of the Manila Observatory, who was on a scienti�ic mission

in Mindanao, showed that Garcia was still head of the Baganga command during this period.

Under Spanish colonial rule, the creation of an organized community, alternately known as pueblo, reduccion, or dataria, was a role given to missionaries.

Inside the settlement, the administrative control belonged to the priest while the issue of security fell on the lap of the tercio civil commander, who was under the ecclesiastical authority.

Garcia, therefore, did not have the clout to establish villages but only led the armed forces in the area.

In his ‘Kasaysayan: An Introduction, Davao Oriental History, Culture and Arts,’ Fr. Roland Sayman wrote that Mati, then a visita (mission station) under Caraga, was supposedly founded in 1891 by Prudencio Garcia and Juan Nazareno, who also helped build the pueblos of Baganga and Cateel. This is in contrast to priest-organized settlements.

By 1891, with sixty-one families composed of 260 converts, Mati was dubbed as the “�irst Christian town” in Davao Oriental, though its founding

could have occurred much earlier. To protect the Christians residents from Mandaya incursions, the Spaniards set up a small detachment in town. Four years later, the �irst church in town was constructed by the Jesuits.

Other accounts point to 1864 as the year for the town’s establishment but available records are inconclusive in supporting this claim. The evangelization of the eastern coast did not occur until 1873 after the Jesuits took over the Recollect missions in northeastern Mindanao. During this period, the place was already known by its present name.

Etymologically, Mati got its name from a river with the same name, a tributary that is nearly parched all-year round except during rainy season. In turn, the river got its name from maa-ti, a local idiom for a ‘dry river.’ But the place-name could have been derived also from mati, Moro for ‘to kill,’ in reference to historical nuggets claiming the place was once an important Moro enclave that was subdued after engaging the natives in a gory takeover.

Going by the Jesuit mis-

sionary chronicles, Fr. Domingo Bove, S.J., in a letter to Fr. Francisco Baranera, S.J. dated July 12, 1883 and datelined Kuabu, wrote of the proposal to name Kuabu, a settlement on Pujada Bay, as Mati because it was where Jesuit priest Santiago Puntas nearly died from sickness. Mati, incidentally, is a play of words for matay, native for ‘to die.’

As a town, Mati, towards the end of 1880s, was home to a derelict chapel. Following the November 16-18, 1888 duty call of Col. Luis Prats, the governor-general of Mindanao, and Davao’s district administrator, Fr. Juan B. Llopart, SJ, had a talk with the visiting of�icials who apprised him of the ongoing construction of the Panama Canal in the central American isthmus.

Col. Prats broached the idea of declaring Mati an open port after the canal project was completed and expressed hope the town, given its run-down church, be given the needed attention by the national government with a proposal to transform it into a boom town or city.

Fr. Llopart, in his December 13, 1888, letter to the Mission Superior written while in Mai, put in writing the colonel’s urban plan for Mati, stating: “[A] decent church is built [in town], but farther behind the present one, with a good front plaza, with the convent, the town hall, and the schools around.

Once we build the convent, the lot it occupies will be set aside for a commercial center. The site of the plaza should be the parade ground, around which would be the military command, barracks, and the trading center, which will be on the site now occupied by the convent.”

Under the scheme, detainees would be assigned to conduct the “duties of cleaning and improving the new city” based on the proposed plan.

When the American colonists arrived, Mati was declared a town in 1903 by virtue of Act No. 21 and reaf�irmed as such four years later under Act No. 189. A century later, Republic Act No. 9408, enacted on March 24, 2007, converted the municipality into a component city known as the City of Mati.

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

PREPARING FOR “THE BIG ONE” With the recent earthquake that hit Mindanao, the big question now is: Are we prepared for the coming of “The Big One”?

Some experts believe Southern Mindanao, or Davao Region for that matter, is not spared from the destruction of a big earthquake that may be triggered by the Surigao-Mati fault.

If you are not aware of what “The Big One” is, then it is high time to know because it can spell a big difference in your life – of being safe or not when the ground snakes and the earthquake comes at the least expected time.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), The Big One is “an earthquake with a magnitude of no less than 7.2 in the Richter scale.”

The DOST-specialized agency has come up with the Valley Fault System (VFS) Atlas, a collection of maps based on studies and researches on the country’s faults. Faults are breaks or zones of weaknesses in rocks along which displacements had occurred or can occur again. They may extend for hundreds of kilometers downward, even down

to the base of the lithosphere.

Faults showing signs or documented history of recent displacements are called active faults.

“The key to people’s awareness and preparedness for earthquakes, appropriate land use, contingency planning for disaster response, and design of houses, buildings and infrastructures, is the location of active faults,” says Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr., Philvolcs director.

The VFS Atlas serves as the guide in making the communities safe and secure from the possible negative effects of an earthquake. “By making our people aware of the hazards they can plan and implement preparedness programs like earthquake drills and retro�itting their houses,” the DOST says in a statement.

According to the Grolier Encyclopedia, about 6,000 earthquakes are detected throughout the world each year. Of this, 5,500 are either too small or too far from populated areas to be felt directly.

Another 450 are felt but cause no damage while 35 cause only minor damage.

The remaining 15, however, can exact great toll sin death and suffering, besides heavily damaging houses, buildings,

and other structures.

“The only way to avoid disasters caused by earthquakes is top repare for them,” wrote Maria Elena Paterno in her book Earthquake!

This must be the reason why Philvolcs urged every Filipino to evaluate the structural soundness of home, of�ice, and building they frequent.

“Determine the safest areas both inside and outside,” said a Philvolcs primer.

The primer also recommends that every home must be prepared for the eventuality. “Secure heavy furniture to prevent sliding or toppling over by af�ixing them to walls or �loors with brackets or tying to grillwork. Keep heavy objects on lowest shelves.

Check hanging objects (like ceiling fans, mirrors, heavy picture frames). Af�ix bolts or hooks on cabinet doors especially those in the kitchen to prevent them from �lying open and allowing breakable items to spill out. Keep only very necessary chemicals and �lammable liquids in unbreakable containers. Store them on low shelves.”

The Philvolcs primer also suggests setting up an earthquake readiness plan at home.

“Make sure your children, elderly members and house

helpers are properly instructed on what to do. Practice drills with them. Familiarize yourself with First Aid procedures. Keep a manual handy in case you forget. Make sure everyone knows the locations of and how to switch off the electrical and water mains. At home (and at work), master the quickest, safest way out,” it says.

The primer also recommends preparing a small bag –no more than 5-6 kilograms – for each member of the family. Among those that should be packed inside the bag are two changes of clothes, a blanket, a towel, basic toiletries, sturdy shoes, �lashlight, batteries, a bottle of water, biscuits candy, a small radio, any medications for chronic ailment suffers, �irst aid kit, contact phone numbers and addresses. Important papers (passport, recent medical records, bank books, insurance papers, etc.) must also be included.

What should a family do during an earthquake? The primer says: “Stay calm. Call out instructions to children or others who seem to be in panic.”

If you happen to be inside a building that is structurally sound during an earthquake, you must stay there. However,

if you have doubts about the building, leave immediately by the safest, quickest route.

Once you are outside the building, look for an open area where you can stay. But you must stay away from power lines, telephone poles, and trees. If objects are falling, brace yourself in the doorway of a building.

If driving, pull over and stop. You should not cross bridges, over or underpasses.

If on a mountain road, pull over and stay clear of ridges.

If by the sea, move inland to higher ground.

After an earthquake, check yourself and other members of the family. In addition, check for �ire, chemical spills and act on them right away. In case of doubt about leaks or damage, switch off all electric main fuse and turn off gas tanks.

If you must evacuate, take your small bag with you and leave message with a contact person as to where you are headed. Do not go sightseeing.

Be prepared for aftershocks.

Do not enter damaged buildings because aftershocks can �inish them off.

It is said, and you should heed this, that natural calamities like earthquake happen when you have forgotten about them.

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Tsunami panic, Chona Mae There were no reports of casualties and damage in the city, but some people panicked after the earthquake due to rumors of a possible tsunami. In barangay Matina Aplaya, the residents panicked and ran to upper ground as a mother was shouting “tsunami, tsunami!” only to realize later that she was calling out her missing daughter whose name was “Chona Mae.” No destructive Paci�ic-wide tsunami was expected after the earthquake, initially measured at 6.7, the Hawaii-based Paci�ic Tsunami Warning Center reported.

Under control Mayor Duterte disclosed that she told President Rodrigo Duterte the situation in Davao is under control. "So far, OK naman ang Davao City. He can rest assured na OK kami dito.

Even if may problema, OK lang kami. He (the President) can focus on the other areas na may mas malaking damage," she said.

As precautionary measure, Mayor Sara has announced the suspension of classes in all levels in public and private schools and directed her men to check on possible damages on the school buildings and other structures in the city.

All school owners, teachers and non-teaching personnel are instructed to conduct a safety inspection check with a quali�ied engineer in and around their structures on Thursday. However, it is only classes that are suspended, not work.

The 6.3-magnitude quake, which was tectonic in origin, occurred at 7:37 p.m. approximately 22 kilometers southeast of Tulunan town and had a depth of 15 km. The tremor registered Intensity 7 in Kidapawan City, according to Phivolcs.

Instrumental intensities were recorded in Kidapawan City (Intensity 7); Tupi, South Cotabato (Intensity 5); Kiamba, Maitum, and General Santos City (Intensity 4); Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental (Intensity 3); Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental (Intensity 2); and Dipolog City (Intensity 1).

The same Phivolcs bulletin said they are expecting aftershocks and damages to properties.

The temblor sent thousands of people out of malls and high-rise buildings, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice.

The CDRRMO assured Dabawenyos that no tsunami alert has been raised following the earthquake.

Digos City In Magsaysay town, three persons were reported killed and 15 others injured (Please see separate story on page 2).

In Digos City, a number of people were rushed to the Davao del Sur Provincial Hospital for various injuries from fallen objects.

Some patients were also reported to have suffered from hypertension, while others simply panicked and fainted.

General Santos In General Santos, an aftershock at around 8 p.m. caused a �ire at Gaisano Mall in General Santos City, according to Dr. Agripino Dacera Jr., the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Of�ice (CDRRMO) chief.

Citing information from mall personnel, Dacera said the �ire originated at the furniture and plastic wares section.

Fire�ighters are still trying to put out the con�lagration as of posting time, he added.

North Cotabato In North Cotabato, Acting Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza called on local government units to suspend classes so that authorities can proper assessment on the extent of damages in their respective areas.

In the North Cotabato town of Mlang, classes have been suspended by Mayor Russel Abonado, according to Vice Mayor Joselito Piñol in a Facebook post.

Piñol said public school teachers have been ordered to report to help assess the damage in their classrooms.

Samal Island In the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte, Mayor Al David Uy suspend classes at all levels for both private and public schools.

Uy said their own CDRRMO and the City Engineerings Of�ice have been directed to conduct ocular inspections on all school buildings. (With reports from Allen Estabilo, Allan Nawal, and Alexander Lopez/PNA)

sections.

Chief Supt. Louie Puracan, director of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Region 12, declared a general alarm before midnight Wednesday.

Chief Insp. Reginald Legaste, city �ire marshal, said the �ire is currently at the �ifth alarm, with �ire�ighters from Region 12 and the neighboring regions assisting the operations.

He said the investigation is still ongoing as the origin and possible cause of the �ire.

Dacera said almost all BFP, private volunteer �ire�ighting and rescue units in the region are helping out in putting the �ire.

“We have �ire�ighters now from Davao City. They brought their assets here, which is really a big help,” he said. (MindaNews)

progressively get back on track towards strong pos-

itive growth in the coming months," Gutierrez said.

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In Digos City, the earthquake reduced the ground �loor of the 5th story Coindre building of Cor Jesu College to rubble.

The concrete walls of the building suffered big cracks, fallen concrete walls, and fractured column posts.

The Coindre building was used by students in Business Administration, Engineering, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Accountancy Business and Entrepreneurship, Educa-

tion, Information Technology, and Law. “Kusog Kaayo ug derecho ang linog. Nag panic ang mga estudyante. Dagan ug nagtapok sila sa may gate sa Eskwelahan,” said Jona Dizon, a graduate of Cor Jesu whose family owns a restaurant beside the said school.

Kevin John Espino, school guard, said apart from the Coindre Building, the six-storey senior high school building was also damaged.

“Some �ire�ighters came from Davao City. They brought their assets here, which was really a big help,” he said.

The city government expressed gratefulness to the �ire�ighters and other volunteers who continuously battled the �ire until it was totally extinguished on Thursday afternoon.

“The local government unit (LGU) of General Santos City, headed by Mayor Ronnel C. Rivera, salutes our �ire�ighters, all government employees, other LGUs and the private sector for all the help extended

during the blaze at Gaisano Mall,” it said in a Facebook post.

The BFP and the local government placed the number of mall workers affected by the incident at about 1,500.

On orders from Rivera, personnel from the City Social Welfare and Development Of�ice’s quick response team would set up help desks at their of�ice for the affected mall workers.

The team will assess the “economically displaced Gaisano mall employees and locators’ staff for possible intervention.” (PNA)

of contending for a title.

But if it only takes a pair of All-Star players, that opens the door for teams who already have two, or have one and the assets to get another.

The Big Three model kept some of those teams from going all in, but that era appears over.

“I think that’s the way the league just went,” Davis said. “I’m not sure if it was done purposefully, but I think this is maybe the most exciting the league ever has been in a while. It’s going to be fun.”

James won rings with two versions of a Big Three, teaming with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for back-to-back titles in Miami, and then rallying Cleveland to the 2016 championship along with Irving and Kevin Love. Now he’ll try to do it with one fewer, which might be enough if the Lakers put the right pieces around him and Davis, who are two of the top players in the league.

So are Leonard and George. Doc Rivers coached a Big Three to the 2008 title in Boston with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, and the Celtics might’ve won another if not for the Heat building a younger one two years later.

Now he’ll try to win with two, with a Clippers team that George thinks looks like many other teams in today’s NBA. “I think what Boston did was special. I think what Miami did was special,” he said. “But I think it goes back to you have two guys that are the guys and then you have a group around them that supports them to the highest level, and that foundation is around a lot of guys in this league.”

Though the focus has been on the tandem of twos, George said a number of teams could point to a

complementary player and say they have a Big Three.

Houston is one of them, coach Mike D’Antoni said when asked the reason for the trend.

“A lot of it is media-driven in the sense of we’ve got Eric Gordon. He’s a superstar,” D’Antoni said. “Eric Gordon’s as good as anybody in the league. So you focus on, ‘Oh, we’ve only got two,’ because that’s the named two. But probably money and cap does create an equal system for everybody.”

Trying to afford three top players and keep them for long became even more challenging only a year after James and Bosh went to Miami, with the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement implementing severe penalties for teams who exceed the luxury tax. Short of players sacri�icing salary, as Tim Duncan repeatedly did in San Antonio when the Spurs kept him, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili together long enough to win four titles, it’s almost impossible to get three stars and a competent cast around them.

Even if the salaries work, the personalities might not. It’s hard to keep three alpha dogs happy, as Irving showed by asking out of Cleveland, especially because one of them usually has to give up so much of his game so three isn’t a crowd.

“You have a guy that’s used to being a focal point of the offense — take Bron’s teams in Miami,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

“There’s more sacri�ice I think probably to be had if it’s a Big Three versus a Big Two, but that would be my two cents on it.”

And his two cents on the two-man trend?

“I think we’ve got the best of them, of all the duos,” he said.

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16 "priority hot spots" that could create about $66 billion or 80% of the total $82-billion value of investment opportunities to be realized by 2030 if the SDGs are achieved.

The 16 prioritized opportunities identi�ied by the UNDP are the following: • Affordable housing • Risk pooling • Circular economy • Reducing food waste in value chain • Low-income food markets • Energy access • Energy ef�iciency-buildings • Energy smart agriculture• Forest ecosystem services • Technology in large-scale farms • Non-energy intensive industries • Disaster management services • Sustainable aquaculture • Remote patient monitoring • Food safety • Public transport in urban areas For her part, UNDP Philippines Outcome lead of Institutions and SDG Partnerships Maria Luisa Jolongbayan said the UNDP and Systemiq organized a meeting with of�icials of the four of the country's largest conglomerates Ayala Corp., San Miguel Corp., First Philippine Holdings, and SM Investments Corp. to "drive further commitment and further actions."

Jolongbayan said the goal of the UNDP report is to "in�luence businesses and investors embed the sustainable development goals in their decision making, core business model, and drive capital for the SDGs." While the UNDP Philippines of�icial declined to disclose the outcome of the meeting with the four conglomerates, she said the �irms will present their commitments during the of�icial launch of the UNDP report on November 18.

RCEF funds not enough to cover farmers’ losses from RTL - NGO Non-government organization Integrated Rural

Development Foundation (IRDF) called on the government to earmark more funds for �inancial assistance to farmers who are bearing the brunt of the Rice Tarif�ication Act. IRDF executive director Arze Glipo on Wednesday said the P10 billion allotted to the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) is not enough.

“RCEF is not enough to offset the huge losses to farmers estimated at a high of P118 billion and a low of P60 billion,” Glipo said during a roundtable discussion in Quezon City.

Established in 1989, the IRDF was mandated to implement development programs that will contribute to social and economic empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable sectors such as farmers, �isherfolk, indigenous peoples, women, and youth.

The Rice Tarif�ication Law removed the quantitative restrictions on rice imports and imposed a 35% tariff on imports from Southeast Asia. It also mandated the creation of RCEF to help rice farmers in the face of unrestricted �low of imported rice into the country.

The P10-billion RCEF fund includes P5 billion allotted to farm mechanization, and P3 billion to procure seedlings.

The fund intends to ensure that rice imports won’t drown out the agriculture sector and rob farmers of their livelihood.

Should this be divided equally among local farmers, they will only receive a �inancial assistance of P4,000 each, Glipo noted.

“That’s P4,000. Ang losses ng ating farmer sa isang cropping is umaabot ng mga P25,000 to P30,000,” she said.

“May ibibigay na P15,000 na emergency loan, but that’s only for 100,000 farmers to 150,000 farmers. So where is the justice in this?” she emphasized.

The government last month increased the price in buying palay or unmilled rice from local farmers, but removed incentives local farmers were enjoying.

lay, kaya ‘yung nakuha (ng farmers) nung nakaraan na P20, dahil andun din ‘yung NFA bumili ng P20, sinundan ng mga traders ‘yung presyo, doon may

mga naitabi sila para sa mga pangangailangan nila, pambayad sa mga pangungutang nila, at meron din silang panggastos,” she added.

Total assets stood at P2.12 trillion, up 8.4% year-on-year, with return on assets at 1.4%.

Total equity reached P267.85 billion, providing

a strong capital position to support future growth, with an indicative Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio of 15.87% and Capital Adequacy Ratio of 16.76%.

Philipppine Sports Commission, I would like to thank Otsuka Solar Philippines Inc. for the generosity to support our athletes,” he noted.

Also present in the ceremony are PSC Commissioner Charles Maxey, PSC

Executive Director Merlita Ibay Executive Assistant of the Of�ice of the Chairman Marc Edward Velasco, PSC Acting Chief, Accounting Division Erik Jean Mayores, and President of Federated Distributors Inc. Ronald Tieng.

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VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

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TRAVEL

Ms. Nelia Partoza sharing her knowledge on jackfruit trees.

A DURIAN FARM EXPERIENCE

The Partoza Durian Farm’s farmhouse.

DABAWENYOS love durian, a mere whiff of the King of Fruit’s distinctive smell is sure to have connoisseurs out in droves looking for a taste of its rich custardy pulp.

But not many city denizens know of the process of growing Durianburg’s iconic fruit. Yes, many know that it comes from a tree but to actually see and experience what life is like at a durian farm is a unique and learning experience.

Established in 1987, the Partoza Durian Farm is known in Davao for its high quality durian fruits, bagging the Best Introduced Cultivar and Best Native Variety for two consecutive years during the Kadayawan Festival.

Eventually, the Partoza Durian Farm opened its doors to guests in August of 2012, hosting educational tours, seminars and small parties for durian lovers as well as curious visitors alike.

Last October 10, I was part of a group of lifestyle writers and bloggers who were fortunate

Green curry chicken.

Ms. Nelia Partoza giving tidbits on the life of a Durian tree.

Finding adorable goats at the farm’s goat pen.

enough to experience what the Partoza Durian Farm had to offer.

Just a mere 50-minute drive from downtown Davao, the Partoza Durian Farm is located in Biao at the foothills of Mt. Talomo. Entering the farm’s main gate, we were greeted by a massive durian sculpture, and a few meters beyond the sculpture, we arrived at the Partoza farmhouse.

Originally a rest house for owner and businessman Antonio B. Partoza Jr. and his wife Nelia, the farmhouse is the heart of the durian farm.

Inside, guests can get information on the different varieties of durian grown on the farm.

“It is our mission to provide a great experience on anything

about Durian,” shared Mr. Partoza “We want to give out guests the opportunity to enjoy and learn more about agriculture and farm life.”

Beyond durian While many may regard the month of October as still part of Durian season, differ-

ent durian farms have different harvesting times based on their own micro climate and durian variety. At the time of my tour of the farm, all the durian fruit has already been harvested but that does not mean that there is nothing to experience at the Partoza Durian Farm.

Ms. Nelia Partoza toured us around the 9-hectare farm pointing out the other different crops the farms produce during the durian “off season”.

“Here at the farm, we grow out own herbs at our organic herb garden which grows rosemary, holy basil, sweet basil, tarragon, mint, and stevia,” shared Ms. Partoza. “We also grow cacao which we intercrop with durian and jackfruit.”

Walking around the farm we chanced upon the farm’s

URBANISSIMO A4

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EVENT

HEADS & SHOULDERS LEADS BEACH CLEANUP ACTIVITY IN SUBIC, ZAMBALES IN LINE with the #HeadsTogether campaign, Head & Shoulders joined P&G employees, key digital influencers, and people from the media industry as they put their #HeadsTogetherForTheBetter to clean up 245 kg of waste spread across the shores of Subic, Zambales. The event highlights the brand’s #HeadsTogether campaign, a reminder to eliminate barriers between people and instead celebrate closeness in building stronger relationships with others. With #HeadsTogetherForTheBetter, the campaign takes a new angle in celebrating collective action to help reduce plastic pollution and raise awareness about recycling these plastics.

The world’s #1 shampoo brand showed its strong local support in committing to P&G’s global effort to address issues to reduce plastic flow in the oceans. Attendees combed the shoreline of Subic at sunset, working together to collect various kinds

of beach waste and strengthening relationships with one another in the process.

The beach clean-up was supplemented with a Sustainability Workshop that educated the volunteers on segregation, recycling and eco-bricks.

Volunteers learned more about how they could control their environmental footprint, one less plastic at a time. The activity inspired a commitment to a more sustainable lifestyle as they practiced 0 single-use plastics throughout the day and committed to reducing their personal usage of single-use plastics.

The day’s activities were culminated with the advanced screening of “ACTIVATE: Ending Plastic Pollution,” a product of the partnership between Procter & Gamble, Global Citizen and National Geographic to create a docuseries raising awareness for various global issues. Through the episode, attendees were exposed to plastic’s

In 2018, P&G mitted to using recycled plastic i a billion shampo equivalent in we 747 jumbo jets.

This is the wo and it is the first a more sustainab and packaging i industry.

impact along marginal communities in the Philippines, and how Head & Shoulders is changing the game behind its global bottle innovation on recycling beach plastic.

Head & Shoulders: the world’s first in hair care with recyclable shampoo bottles made from beach plastics In France during the summer of 2017, Head & Shoulders’ launched

limited-edition bottles made of recycled beach plastic. To do this, the brand partnered with recycling experts, SUEZ and TerraCycle. While TerraCycle led hundreds of volunteers in collecting and sorting plastic from European beaches, SUEZ took charge of cleaning these plastics and turning them into pellets. These pellets were then sent to P&G and turned into a part of its shampoo bottle packaging.

National Geogra Procter & Ga and National Ge ACTIVATE – a docuseries to sp sues through po in-depth storyte to mobilize glob meaningful and The fifth episo TIVATE: Endin zooms into the t creasing problem

UP AND ABOUT

MARCO POLO DAVAO GETS EARTH CHECK SILVER CERTIFICATION

MARCO POLO DAVAO continuous to lead in environmental initiatives as it receives Silver Certification from EarthCheck.

Last year, the hotel acquired its Bronze Certification which implies that the practices and the business is benchmarked according to standards. The annual audit involves rigorous evaluation on energy efficiency and conservation; social and cultural management; waste

water management and environmentally harmful substance.

On its second year, Marco Polo Davao has been awarded Silver rank which implies that the benchmarked practices have now been certified.

EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism, helps businesses and communities promote business sustain-

ability and practices that do not only protect the environment but create a community lifestyle beneficial for everyone in the long run.

In 2017, Marco Polo Davao has eliminated the use of singleuse plastic straw and stirrer in the hotel and partnered with local social enterprise to provide sustainable alternatives.

The hotel has also been known for its commitment and support

to the Philippine E tion in its efforts t save the endanger bird, likewise to e community about in the ecosystem.

Other Marco P China and Hong K supported green i have been certifie Check such as Ma Wuhan which lik its Silver certificat

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G haircare brands com2,600 metric tons of in order to make half oo bottles. This is the eight to 8 fully loaded

orld’s first in hair care, t step on the road to ble future for plastic in the global hair care

aphic’s ACTIVATE mble, Global Citizen, eographic launched compelling six-part potlight global isowerful imagery and elling that intends bal citizens to drive d lasting change. ode, entitled “ACng Plastic Pollution” truth about the inm in ocean plastic

Eagle Foundato protect and red national educate the t the balance

Polo hotels in Kong have initiatives and ed by Eartharco Polo kewise received tion. PR

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VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

‘FOOD PRINTS’ WITH CHEF SANDY DAZA STARTS A NEW SEASON ON METRO CHANNEL

pollution. Pharrell Williams joins Global Citizen’s push to get governments, companies, and individuals to solve the ocean plastic pollution crisis.

Meanwhile, Darren Criss travels to the Philippines to witness how plastic waste impacts people living in extreme poverty and calls on global citizens to urge their mayors to commit their cities to zero-waste futures. Experts describe the disproportionate impact of plastic pollution on people in developing countries and the ways people and brands are solving the problem around the world.

P&G’s Ambition 2030 Ambition 2030 aims to enable and inspire positive impact on the environment and society while creating value for the company and consumers. Ambition 2030 goals span P&G’s brands, supply chain, society and its employees. Included in Ambition 2030 is a commitment that 100% of its leadership brands will enable and inspire responsible consumption; for the packaging to be 100% recyclable or reusable; and for the society to benefit so that no P&G packaging will find its way to the ocean.

As a brand that continuously improves in consumer goods performance while decreasing negative environmental impact, may this be a call to take urgent actions and participate in recycling, effective waste segregation, and keep our #HeadsTogether for a better environment for the future generations to live in.

Know more about the true condition of our environment, particularly our country by streaming ACTIVATE: Ending Plastic Pollution now: https:// nationalgeographic.com/activate/ ending-plastic-pollution/. PR

VETERAN chef and restaurateur Sandy Daza brings foodies to an appetizing trip as he revisits some good old classics and tries out exciting new eats in the seventh season of “Food Prints” on Metro Channel.

Chef Sandy kicks off his travels in Pampanga where he experiences surefire Kapampangan fare and explores fresh places offering good food like DenLim’s private dining. He also goes back to Cagayan de Oro and indulges in seafood kamayan style, and tries out goat and ostrich meat.

Meanwhile, 27 hungry foodies go on a delicious food trip with Chef Sandy in the land of the rising sun, Japan. They feast over Hokkaido’s miso ramen, fresh sashimi, and Japanese whisky, and Sapporo’s premium beer, hokke mackerel, and grad A5 wagyu beef.

The culinary master then heads back to Southeast Asia and takes his kids Franco,

Ali, Turs, and Danielle on their first ever cruise as they head to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh city. There, they eat their fill of Vietnamese halohalo, banh mi, and pho. The Daza foodies then move on to Nha Trang, where they discover really interesting street eats.

After the insanely delectable cuisine of Vietnam, Chef Sandy further explores Southeast Asia by step-

ping foot on Myanmar for the first time. Join him as he makes the most out of his trip in the Land of the Golden Pagodas, where he treats himself not only to exquisite meals, but also with glittering pagodas—among others.

For his last stop, he returns to Canada for the world’s largest shellfish festival in Prince Edward Island, where he encounters celebri-

ty chef, Chef Michael Smith, and learns a thing or two on PEI’s famous produce.

Go along with Chef Sandy as he tours and tastes the best of Pampanga, Cagayan De Oro, Japan, Myanmar, and Canada in the seventh season of “Food Prints,” every Wednesday at 8pm on Metro Channel, the home of chic living from the country’s authority in style, Metro.

KAPUSO MILYONATION KRISMASAYA AWAITS NEW LUCKY MILLIONAIRES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON GMA Network ushers in the holiday season with over P10 million worth of prizes to be given away via Kapuso Milyonation KrisMasaya 2019!

Now on its 15th season, the Network’s longest-running and successful promo has enabled its previous winners from various parts of the country to set up their own small businesses, invest and grow their first million, and even help their family with their immediate needs.

This year’s Kapuso Milyonation KrisMasaya will draw five grand winners of P1 million cash each from the participating sponsors, weekly appliance prizes, and weekly cash prizes which are all tax-free.

Participants must simply enclose a proof-of-purchase in a plain white envelope from any of the participating brands for this season’s Kapuso Milyonation

KrisMasaya: MILO, BEAR BRAND® Fortified Powdered Milk Drink, BEAR BRAND Adult Plus®, NESCAFÉ Creamy White, and AJI-NO-MOTO Umami Seasoning.

On a piece of paper, participants must write their complete name, age, address, contact number, and handwritten signature.

At the back of the envelope, participants must write “Kapuso Milyonation KrisMasaya”, the brand of the enclosed proof-ofpurchase, and their region of residence.

For a merrier Christmas, participants can get a chance to win additional prizes if they include a sari-sari store partner in their entry, where the store owners can receive special prizes too! Participants must simply include the store details by writing the name and complete address of a valid sari-sari store, as

well as the contact details of the store owner.

Entries can be submitted at designated drop boxes in GMA TV and Radio stations, and select Mercury Drug and Cebuana Lhuillier branches nationwide.

Sending of entries is from

October 12, 2019 to January 3, 2020.

The lucky winners will be announced on-air within GMA-7 and will be posted at www.gmanetwork.com/GMAPromos and www.facebook.com/ GMAPromos.

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URBANSSIMO A1 goat pens. “We use the goat droppings to produce organic fertiliser. We also have a fish pond, but the fish are not necessarily for eating but more to add nutrients to the water which we use to water the crops” she pointed out.

The farm also has a citrus grove which produces calamansi, kefir lime, and a native lime called ‘biasong’.

A delicious farmhouse meal After the quick tour, we all returned to the Partoza farmhouse to enjoy a meal with dishes prepared with some of the farm’s produce. On the menu was Thai-style green curry chicken with curry leaves from the farm’s gardens, crispy fried catfish, and fresh pomelo mango salad with mint and vinegar produced by the farm.

To make farm lunch an extra special affair, the Partoza Durian Farm teamed up with Pollo Porco who introduced new innovative flavours to a traditional Filipino favourite, lechon.

Originating in Cebu and eventually transplanting its operations to Davao, Pollo Porco’s lechon is what you expect from Cebu lechon. Crunchy red skin and tender flavoursome meat that is perfect on its own or paired with vinegar.

Aside from the original Lechon Cebu, and their famous chicken stuffed lechon,

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Crispy and tasty, the earmarks of great lechon can be found with Pollo Porco.

Pollo Porco launched their new Lechon with Truffle Rice, Lechon with Allegue and Lechon in a Box at the Partoza Durian Farm.

Pollo Porco introduced their new Lechon with Truffle Rice, Lechon with Allegue Rice and “Lechon sa Kariton.” You can just imagine the reaction on everyone’s faces when the Lechon with Truffle Rice was cut and served. The smell of truffle permeated the air while the sound of crunchy lechon skin can be heard across the table.

“We wanted to create a next

level experience of enjoying lechon which is why we developed the Lechon with Truffle Rice and Lechon with Allegue,” shared Pollo Porco’s Ann Lorraine Domingo-Yap. “We can also customise flavours upon request such as spicy and non-spicy lechon which can be delivered within Davao City.

As lunch winded down and the time for siesta came along,

Mr. Antonio Partoza together with daughter Pia and Department of Tourism - XI director Tanya Rabat-Tan.

it felt good to just lie back, take in the mountain breeze, and enjoy the farm’s green beauty and bounty.

A Day Tour Lunch Package at the Partoza Durian Farm is at Php400.00 per person and Php250.00 per child. The Day Tour Snack Package Php200.00 per person and Php150.00 per child. Bookings should be arranged at least 3 days before

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

your scheduled trip.

For more information on the Partoza Durian Farms, you may visit their Facebook page at @PartozaDurianFarms or email them at partozadurianfarms@gmail.com To order lechon from Pollo Porco, you may contact the on Facebook at @polloporcolechon or call (82) 2410277. Please order at least one day in advance.

VOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE 9484 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY JULY 19-20, 5-6, 2019

UP AND FURNITURE A1 ABOUTa silly method but for EJ and

VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

NO TSUNAMI... FROM2

cana, Barangay 21-C, Barangay 22-C, Dumoy, and Bago Aplaya.

Although the agency lauded the people's awareness and alertness, Bustillo said the public should always wait for the of�icial advisory coming from the government before taking actions to avoid causing panic or worse, stampede.

"Ayaw mo ug tuo anang

gina post sa Facebook or syagit-syagit sa mga tao kay mao na maka cause ug stampede. Hulaton sa ang advisory sa CDRRMO kay kami mag hatag sa mga barangay para sila ang mag advise sa mga tao," he said.

The CDRRMO chief also warned the public that they will �ile legal charges against individuals who spreads misleading information as

it is a criminal case.

Bustillo, on the other hand, emphasized not to use vehicles during massive evacuation.

"Never use your car during massive evacuation. Instead, walk faster than normal and just bring your go bag kay kung mag sakyanan ka maulahi lang ka," Bustillo advised the public. By Adam B. Morrell

are too expensive. Instead of looking for a costly place and spending lots of money on food and beverages, why not hold your cozy Christmas party at a nearby RedDoorz? You’ll get a different vibe, lots of time to chill, and while you’re on a low budget theme, you can ditch the fancy foods and just party on chips, �inger foods, and drinks.

4. You can have a happy, cost ef�icient Holidays.

So for the Christmas season, don’t be afraid to pursue your dream holiday staycation. Celebrate Paskong Pilipino with family and friends anytime, anywhere in the Philippines.

RedDoorz’s affordable hotel rates – even those not included in the 499 Promo -- lets you experience and enjoy travel as much as you want, near or far. RedDoorz now has 200 partner hotels all over the Philippines

from way up north in Baguio, to Pampanga, Metro Manila, Tagaytay and Palawan all the way down south to Cebu, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Tacloban, Bohol, Davao, Cagayan De Oro and Boracay. Your best Christmas celebration yet could be just a RedDoorz away.

Download the RedDoorz app on Google Play Store and App Store to �ind your perfect location this Holiday season.

pany believes that by enhancing the coffee-growing practices of local farmers, they can command higher prices for their coffee and thereby improve their living conditions.

As a national winner, Coffee for Peace, Inc. re-

ceived a P100,000.00 cash award, a plaque of recognition, the right to use the Productivity Olympics logo for three (3) years and priority endorsement to training programs and services of NWPC/RTWPBs and DOLE.

The last time that a �inalist from Davao Region won in the Productivity Olympics was in 2013.

This win of Coffee for Peace, Inc. heralds the revitalization of productivity champions in the Davao Region (RTWPB XI)

the �irst Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after winning in the Men's Pole Vault competition of the Salto Con L'asta

In Piazza Chiari 2019 in Italy.

Weightlifter Diaz bagged the gold in 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia

while Marcial won silver in the middleweight division of the 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Russia last Saturday.

BEAT... FROM10

COFFEE... FROM10

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EDGEDAVAO 9

EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

is in need of

Accounting Clerks Qualifications: • BS Accountancy / Accounting Technology Graduate or any business related courses • Male/Female • Can work with minimum supervision • With or without experience

Account Executives Qualifications: • BS Marketing Graduate or any related courses • Male/Female • With pleasing personality • With or without experience and willing to be trained

Social Media Lead Qualifications: • Candidate must be creative and enjoys social media • Experience in creating social media post for news, business and organization • Good command of English • Experience in graphic design is a plus Send your application letter and resume to: Ella P. Tingzon HR/Admin Supervisor Edge Davao Review Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Bldg., E. Quirino Avenue, Davao City or email at edgedavao@gmail.com or ella_tingzon@yahoo.com

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VOL.12 ISSUE 159 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18-19, 2019

Beat holiday stress with RedDoorz 499 promo

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WINNER! Chief Executive Officer of Coffee for Peace Inc., Joji Pantoja, receiving the cash award and plaque of recognition together with RTWPB-XI board members and staff.

Coffee for Peace, Inc. a big winner in the 2019 productivity olympics

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inners of the 2019 Productivity Olympics were announced during the Awarding Ceremony held at The Sheraton Manila Bay on 04 October 2019.

Coffee for Peace, Inc., one of the two �inalists representing Davao Region, was declared a National Winner in the Service Category for micro-enterprises.

The Productivity Olympics is a nationwide competition organized by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) and held every two years wherein the best productivity practices of micro, small and medium enterprise are showcased.

For this year’s Productivity Olympics, two were chosen as �inalists to represent

the Davao Region, from the twelve candidates pre-selected by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-XI, and they were MS3 Agri-Ventures and Coffee For Peace, Inc. Coffee for Peace Inc. operates the Coffee for Peace Café which is located in Unit 6105, One Oasis Ecowest Drive, Ecoland, Davao City Philippines.

The coffee served in its café are from coffee beans roasted by a CQI Licensed Q Arabica Grader and which they source from their local coffee farmer partners in Mindanao at fair prices.

Coffee for Peace Inc. provides training on the planting, growing and harvesting of coffee. The com-

COFFEE, P9

he holiday fever is on! Mall sales, Christmas tiangges and bazaars are up and Chtistmas shopping is on everyone’s mind.

It’s easy to get stressed even just by thinking of how to navigate through the hustle and bustle of the days ahead, how to survive the horrendous traf�ic and get all one’s Christmas errands done.

RedDoorz, the Philippines’ No. 1 affordable hotel chain and Southeast Asia’s largest, fastest-growing, technology-driven hotel management company, may just have a good solution. For the month of October, RedDoorz is offering rooms at Php 499 for overnight stay at selected RedDoorz hotels nationwide.

This means.

1. You can rent a room to serve as “battle station” while you shop till you drop.

Shopping and walking with all those bags and packages in your arms can be really uncomfortable, plus the chances of you dropping or missing a package or two increases with each new purchase.

You wish you could have a place to leave your bags so you can free your hands and do more “battles” at store counters and tiangge queues.

Why not check into a nearby RedDoorz hotel with a 499 Promo? You can

deposit all your stuff while you go out and “shop pa more”, maybe even grab a bite or drink in between.

You can rest assured that all your belongings will be safe. You can even grab some snooze time if you want.

2. You can beat the traf�ic with an overnight stay at an affordable but clean and comfy hotel.

The MMDA says traf�ic is going to get even worse, thanks to Holiday mall sales, night markets and tiangges. A lot of people decide to let the traf�ic subside by staying at restos or roaming around malls a little bit longer. Only to �ind out that a thousand other mall-goers are thinking the same thing. The result?

You all get caught in the jam, and the traf�ic is still heavy even up to midnight.

Bypass the stress and the traf�ic. Check your RedDoorz app and look for the nearest RedDoorz hotel.

Book a room and let the thought of the traf�ic melt away as you enjoy a warm shower, savor the clean sheets and treat yourself – yes, the family too! -- to a relaxing overnight stay. At very affordable rates.

3. You can cook up a quick, low-budget Barkada Party and save big bucks.

It’s hard to �ind a get-together place this time of year. Restaurants are fully booked, bars are crowded and event places

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READY, SET, GO. Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go shares a light moment with Filipino athletes who will participate in this year's South East Asian (SEA) Games at the New Clark City Sports Center in Capas, Tarlac on Wednesday (October 16, 2019). Go and other legislators conducted an ocular inspection of the facility.

(PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

PSC, Pocari Sweat ink sponsorship deal

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he Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) sealed the deal with Otsuka-Solar Philippines Inc., the pharmaceuticals company behind Pocari Sweat, as the of�icial sports drink of the agency at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

With the goal of promoting the health of Filipino athletes, the PSC has partnered with the Japanese pharmaceutical company to provide the beverage for our sportsmen.

PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram, representing PSC Chairman William Ramirez, delivered her welcoming remarks giving praise to the initiative taken by Pocari Sweat in service of Filipino athletes, more importantly, the upcoming 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games. “ I am really so �lattered to welcome you this morning for the signing ceremony of our collaboration with Pocari Sweat.

We in the Philippine Sports Commission, on behalf of the Chairman, would like to thank you so much for your trust given to us, for sponsoring our athletes, our coaches, especially for this coming Southeast Asian Games. We do hope that this collaboration will be prolonged for our athletes.

And with that, we hope we can also collaborate with you, in terms of whatever aspect we can give you. So for the athletes, this will be our of�icial drink,” she said.

Mr. Kohei Oyamada, President and Managing Director of Otsuka-Solar

Philippines Inc., shared his delight about the partnership and the company’s motivation propelling the tie-in with PSC. “We want the opportunity to collaborate with the PSC for the better health of the Filipino people, not only the athletes, but also people who love sports,” he remarked.

Pocari Sweat, an ion drink launched in Japan in 1980, made its way in the Philippines in 2007. It is an electrolyte beverage formulated to prevent dehydration especially for physically-active individuals.

PSC Commissioner Kiram has noted the beverage’s safety for the athletes making it the ideal sports drink of the national athletes.

“For most health drinks any medicine had to pass through PHINADO. This was already approved and recommended by them to be used by the athletes without any components of prohibited drugs. We in the PSC really would like to partner with other private organizations that can support our athletes because government cannot do it alone,” she said.

PHINADO or Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization, is the sole entity responsible for the implementation of anti-doping policies for the Southeast Asian Games. PHINADO Head Dr. Alejandro Pineda also joined the contract signing.

“On behalf of the Philippine National Anti-Doping Organization (PHINADO) working with the

PSC, P8

SEA Games venues get ‘Class 1’ certification

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he International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) and the International Swimming Federation (FINA) have certi�ied the New Clark City (NCC) Athletics Stadium and Aquatic Center in Capas, Tarlac as “Class 1” facilities for the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games from November 30 to December 11 this year.

The certi�ication of the NCC sports facilities was announced on Wednesday in a press conference attended by House of Representatives Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano; Senator Bong Go; Bases Conversion Development Authority CEO and president Vince Dizon; Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Bambol Tolentino; and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) commissioners Ramon Fernandez and Arnold Agustin.

I

“It was just a dream before. But because of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte, natupad po ang dating pangarap lamang (of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, what was once a dream turned into reality),” Dizon said.

The world-class sports facilities, where athletics and aquatics in the SEA Games will be held, were constructed in 18 months.

With the construction of the Class 1 venues, Go said the Philippines is ready to produce more world-class talents who can follow the footsteps of world champions Carlos Yulo of gymnastics, Nesthy Petecio of boxing, and Olympic quali�ier EJ Obiena of athletics.

“Magiging masaya po ang ating Pangulo sa pagkakagawa ng nasabing sports facilities dito po sa Pampanga (Our Presi-

dent will surely appreciate the construction of these sports facilities here in Pampanga),” he said.

“Ngayon ay masisiguro na po natin na makakapag-hubog po ang Pilipinas ng mga (Now we can surely produce) world-class athletes like Caloy Yulo, Nesthy Petecio, and Ej Obiena now that we have access to the world-class facilities dito sa ating bansa (here in our country),” he added.

The senator, along with the other guests, also witnessed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Philippine National High School for Sports that is expected to be completed by 2021.

The school will be open to students who aspire to develop their skills as athletes.

“It will be just like the regular high schools. But here, the students will undergo training to determine what sports they

(would) �it in. It will eventually have an entrance examination before the students can enroll,” Cayetano explained.

The country’s hosting of the 30th SEA Games is supported by Platinum sponsors -- Ajinomoto, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., MG Cars, Philippine Airlines, Skyworth and CooCaa; Gold Sponsors -- MasterCard, Milo, Pocari Sweat, NLEX, Pinco and Razer; Preferred sponsors -- Asics, SM Lifestyle, Inc. and BMW; Prestige sponsors -- Molten and Mikasa; and Banking Partners -- Chinabank and PNB. The biennial meet’s media partners are Bombo Radyo, Star FM and the Inquirer Group, CNN, United Neon and DOOH. Host broadcaster – NEP, while of�icial broadcasters include Sports and Action, TV-5, Cignal, ESPN, and PTV-4. (PR)

this summer, it sure seems less is more.

That’s certainly the thinking in Los Angeles, where LeBron James and Anthony Davis will try to power the Lakers back to the playoffs, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George attempt to carry the Clippers further than they’ve ever gone before.

Houston is putting

James Harden and Russell Westbrook together in a backcourt of recent MVPs, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant made the Nets the talk of not only New York but also the entire NBA on the opening day of free agency when they decided to partner up in Brooklyn.

“Everybody was looking for a Big Three,” George said. “It didn’t work for a

lot of teams, so now this is a new dynamic for the new generation of this league.”

One that could make the NBA more balanced and exciting this season. If one team hoards too many good players, as Golden State did while reaching the last �ive NBA Finals, it leaves a lengthy list of clubs who have no realistic hope

A powerful pair can beat any Big 3 in NBA

n today’s high-stakes NBA, a powerful pair beats three of a kind.

Teams who longed to build a Big Three are now striving for a dynamic duo, hoping two premier players are good enough to win a championship when the belief used to be that it required a trio.

And with some of the combinations assembled

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PRRD bumps up P1M more for Yulo, Petecio, Obiena

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orld champion gymnast Carlos Yulo will get P1 million more for his gold-medal �inish in a recent top competition, an additional reward courtesy of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, the �irst Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Olympics, and world champion boxer Nesthy Petecio will receive the same amount each, while Eumir Marcial and Hidilyn Diaz stands to get P500,000, all from Duterte.

Marcial won a silver in the world boxing championship in September, while Diaz bagged bronze in the weightlifting worlds also last month.

Yulo, who earlier booked a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, beat seven other �inalists to claim the men’s �loor exercise crown FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Hans Schleyer Halle in Stuttgart, Germany last Saturday.

On the other hand, the 27-year old Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur native Petecio ruled the featherweight division in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships after beating hometown bet Liudmila VoVOL.11 VOL.12 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6VOL.12 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MARCH 24-25, 17-18, 2019 ISSUE 51 TUESDAY, MAY 21,Pete2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 45 • SUNDAYMONDAY, MAY 12 -13, rontsova of•FEBRUARY Russia on Sunday.

VOL.12 ISSUE 21 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAYof26-27, cio has been a recipient the PresSEE STORY ON P11 Manny Pacquiao says even at 40, he is not finished yet. ident's support since 2009 when he was still Mayor of Davao City. It was at this time when Petecio �irst comBOXING CHAMP. Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte is hugged by 2019 AIBA Women's World Liudmila Vorontsova via a 3-2 split decision in the featherweight division final in peted in Manila.

In September, Obiena became Boxing Championships gold medalist Nesthy Petecio during their meeting at the Ulan-Ude, Russia over the weekend. (Presidential Photo) Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on October 16, 2019. Petecio beat her opponent, DOUBLED, P9

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