Edge Davao Volume 13 Issue 1 | Tuesday, March 10, 2020

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ONE MORE PUI SUPPLEMENT S1

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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President Rodrigo Duterte officially signs Proclamation No. 922 declaring a state of public health emergency in the country after the Department of Health (DOH) reported the first known local transmission of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Lean Daval Jr

SPMC patient in close watch for COVID-19

By MAYA M. PADILLO patient who is currently confined at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is being monitored for showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The said patient is the 25th person under investigation (PUI) case in Davao since the new coronavirus outbreak.

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To date, DOH-Davao Center for Health and

Development has recorded a total of 24 PUIs, all

cleared and in good conditions.

SPMC chief of hospital Dr. Leopoldo “Bong” Vega told media during a press conference of the Department of Health-Davao Region on Covid-19 on Monday that the person under investigation (PUI) travelled overseas and is exhibiting Covid-like symptoms of cough and fever.

“We took a swab and he will be discharged anytime if the results will be negative,” Vega said.

He assured that the PUI is admitted and cannot get out from the isolation facility of SPMC. “He is okay but he is fighting with us because he does not want to be confined. Currently he is doing alright and he is not running around,” he said.

Department of Health (DOH) ‪11 regional director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said the patient arrived in Davao City on March 2 and developed the symptoms on March 5 and sought consultation in a hospital. She said they still did not do the contact-tracing since the patient is still awaiting result of the test.

“But once we get the results and its positive we

will do the contact-tracing,” she said.

Last Saturday, Vega disclosed that there were two PUIs being tested at SPMC, but one patient was already discharged after testing negative.

“We only have one PUI admitted right now,” he said.

Vega maintained that there is still no confirmed

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2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Pulong files bill against bulk-cash smuggling

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Senator Christopher Lawrence Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, says he will continue to prioritize the welfare of the nurses, particularly their “long overdue” salary increase. Go made the promise

during the Malasakit Center monitoring visit at Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City over the weekend. Lean Daval Jr

avao City 1st District Representative has filed a bill that would penalize bulk-cash smuggling in the country this amidst the controversy surrounding the hundreds of millions of dollars brought in by Chinese nationals into the country.

House Bill 6421, or the “Anti-Bulk Cash Smuggling Act of 2020, mandates that any person shall declare through proper reporting the amount of cash or monetary instruments worth P500,000 or more that will be transported within the Philippines and outside of the Philippines.

Under the bill, those planning to transport huge amount of money will also have to secure from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas a clearance prior to travel.

The bill states that

a person who intently evades proper reporting requirement and knowingly conceals cash amounting to 500,000 or more shall be penalized with imprisonment of not less than one year but not exceeding five years.

He or she will also have to pay a fine not less than P100,000 but not exceeding P500,000.

Smuggled bulk cash shall be forfeited immediately by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) upon inspection, according to the bill.

Government officials or employees who conspire with others to violate provisions of the proposed measure shall be punished with a fine not less than P50,000 but not more than P200,000 and will suffer imprisonment of six months to not more than one year.

he Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) has recovered more explosives in areas where the military and the Daesh-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) clashed the past week, an Army official said Monday.

Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, the 6ID commander, said four improvised explosive devices, bomb-making components, and mobile phones were seized during continuing combat clearing operations on Sunday in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Soldiers under the 601st Infantry Brigade (601st IBde) also recovered at the clash site war materiel such as fatigue

uniforms, empty shells for M16 rifles, face masks, medicine, and mobile phones.

Four soldiers were killed and 11 others were wounded in the surgical air and ground assaults in the borders of Ampatuan and Shariff Aguak, both in Maguindanao that started March 1 and is still ongoing although sporadic.

The Army here said 14 BIFF were killed and a dozen other radicals were injured in the intermittent clashes.

“We continue to hunt them, there’s no letup," said Col. Jose Narciso, commander of the 601st IBde. He said no civilians were affected since the

Army seizes explosives in Maguindanao town

When in doubt, get quarantined: SPMC chief T

By MAYA M. PADILLO outhern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief of hospital Dr. Leopoldo Vega said on Monday that during a state of public health emergency, a mandatory quarantine is in effect.

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“Whether you like it or not if you are a threat to the society, you are a threat to public health, you have to be quarantined,” Vega said.

He cited example of a patient currently being monitored at SPMC with symptoms of cough and fe-

ver and who refused to be quarantined.

“He is okay but he is fighting with us because he does not want to be confined. Currently he is doing alright and he is not running around,” he said.

Meantime, the Depart-

ment of Health-Davao has identified area for possible quarantine facility in the region in case the quarantine facility in New Clark City will be filled up with repatriates.

DOH regional director Dr. Annabelle Yumang said they are looking at a government-owned facility in the region to be used as quarantine facility. Unused rehabilitation centers fit the requirement, according to Yumang.

“At least least andam ang atong region,” Yumang

March 13, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM affecting some areas served by Tugbok WSS, specifically, Mahayahay Street (from corner Davao-Bukidnon Road to Sitio Mahayahay), Sitio Mahayahay, and Immaculada Village.

DCWD needs to temporarily shut off water supply in the affected areas to give way to the installation of a pressure-sustaining valve for DCWD’s Tugbok Reservoir No. 6. The installation of the pressure sustaining valve is part of the development of Tugbok Reservoir No. 6 which, upon completion, will improve the water supply in the affected areas.

On behalf of the DCWD management, General Manager Edwin V. Regalado asks for the understanding and cooperation of would-be affected customers and advises them to store enough water prior to the schedules. Water supply may be restored

earlier if DCWD’s works go smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

DCWD conducts flushing after service works are completed. However, once water is restored, customers are advised to open all faucets and allow water to run for at least two minutes. Do not drink tap water immediately but if needed, boil water beforehand as safety precaution.

The general public may visit DCWD website (www. davao-water.gov.ph) and official Facebook page (www. facebook.com/davaowater) for the latest water service updates. They may also call the Central Information Unit / Call Center through the 24-hour hotline 235DCWD (3293) and press “4” on their phone dial for the latest daily water updates or contact 09277988966, 0925-5113293, and 0908-4410653 for any matters pertaining to DCWD services. (Jason J. Demonteverde)

Water service interruptions in some Tugbok, Lubogan areas

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avao City Water District advises the public of two separate sets of water service interruptions.

The first set of no water is scheduled Friday, March 13, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM affecting some areas served by Lubogan Water Supply System (WSS), particularly, Ramonena Relocation Baliok, Sitio Bagahai, Purok 6, Purok 2 Tisa, Apo Gulf Relocation, and road going to Purok 6 (from corner Baliok Nalum Road to Purok 6).

DCWD needs to temporarily shut off water supply in the affected areas to give way to the tapping of the newly installed pipeline to DCWD’s existing pipeline for the mainline improvement at Purok 2, Tisa in Brgy. Baliok. Upon completion, this project will allow for the accommodation of additional service connections.

Second set of no water is scheduled on Friday,

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said.

She said the facility can house 30 patients.

An ideal quarantine facility has a ratio of one patient/one room. The DOHDavao is also considering of deploying doctors and nurses trained to handle COVID-19 cases.

“Dako-dako ang panginahanglon labi na kung mangabot ang mga repatriates that is why we need other agencies na mutabang bisan government agencies,” she said.

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Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) chief of hospital Dr. Leopoldo Vega bares during a news conference that a patient currently confined at SPMC is being monitored for showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) but will be discharged anytime if test results will be negative. Lean Daval Jr

NEWS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Gov’t exerts all efforts as Covid-19 cases rise to 10

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he Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases have intensified efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), as four new cases were confirmed Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 10.

“I call on the public to continue to be vigilant and practice personal preventive measures such as proper hand hygiene, social distancing, and cough etiquette. In the meantime, let us refrain from visiting public places and/ or attending mass gatherings. DOH is exhausting all its efforts to contain the spread COVID-19,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said in a press release.

The DOH said while samples from all the new confirmed cases were

tested on Saturday and all results were released Sunday, the department is currently investigating all the cases and gathering patients’ information from respective hospitals.

The DOH said it is also currently in coordination with concerned local government units and the Centers for Health Development for localized response and implementation of infection prevention and control measures.

The seventh case is a 38-year-old Taiwanese male, with a history of contact with a Taiwanese foreign national who visited the Philippines and tested positive for COVID-19 in Taiwan.

The patient, the DOH said, has no history of travel outside of the country and his symptoms started last March 3.

He is currently admitted to a private hospital.

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Sec. Duque warns hospitals against refusing patients linked to COVID-19

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ealth Secretary Francisco Duque III on Monday warned hospitals against refusing patients linked to 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

“All Levels 2 and 3 hospitals are reminded to not refuse patients suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19,” Duque said in a press briefing.

“Refusal to provide care to said patients shall be considered a violation of the signed Performance Commitment and shall be dealt with by the PhilHealth accordingly,” he added.

In line with this, Duque recommended these hospitals to designate triage area for screening of suspected COVID-19 patients Levels 2 and 3 hospitals can accommodate COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms.

COVID-19 patients

will only be transferred to DOH’s referral hospitals when their condition turns severe and critical, according to Duque.

The referral hospitals are Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Lung Center of the Philippines, and San Lazaro Hospital.

Duque reminded the public not to avoid hospitals attending to COVID-19 patients given that certain measures are being observed.

“We assure the public that our hospitals have infectious prevention and control practice in place so there is no need to avoid going to these hospitals especially if you feel unwell,” he said.

The DOH will disclose the names of the hospitals with COVID-19 patient only after coordination with the health facility to avoid fake news, Duque added.

Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) highlights the equal opportunity for women in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their major role in defending the flag and country during the Flag Rais-

ing Ceremony on Monday at Naval Station Felix Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City. EastMinCom photo

PRRD declares State of public health emergency

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resident Rodrigo Duterte has issued a proclamation formally declaring a state of public health emergency throughout the Philippines after the health department reported the first known local transmission of the new coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Duterte signed Proclamation 922 on March 8 to “capacitate government agencies and LGUs (local government units) to immediately act to prevent loss of life, utilize appropriate resources to implement urgent and critical measures to contain or prevent the spread of Covid-19, mitigate its effects and im-

pact to the community, and prevent serious disruption of the functioning of the government and the community.”

The proclamation would also facilitate the implementation of mandatory reporting, intensify government response and measures, and enforce quarantine and disease control

prevention measures.

Duterte recognizes that the outbreak of Covid-19 constitutes an emergency that threatens national security which requires a “whole-of-government.”

Under the proclamation, all government agencies and LGUs are tasked to give full assistance and cooperation and mobilize the necessary resources to undertake critical, urgent and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the Covid-19 threat.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III may seek the help of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement

held in Davao City on the controversies and irregularities during the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) national officers polls last February 27 resulting to a failure of elections. Lean Daval Jr

agencies to provide assistance in addressing the Covid-19 threat, the proclamation read.

All citizens, residents, tourists, and establishment owners are urged to comply with these directives to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

The state of public health emergency will remain in force and effect until lifted by Duterte.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte will be releasing an executive order to strengthen public health response versus Covid-19.

However, he clarified in a radio interview that in-

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Sen. Go vows to prioritize ‘long overdue’ salary hike of nurses

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Davao City Councilor and interim Philippine Councilors League (PCL) chairman Danilo Dayanghirang, together with his legal counsel, lawyer Israelito Torreon, provides updates in a news conference last Sunday

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enator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go said he will continue to prioritize the welfare of the nurses, particularly their “long overdue” salary increase.

Go, chair of the Senate committee on health, made this promise in front of the medical personnel of the new four-story Malasakit Building inside the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City on Saturday.

“Sang-ayon po ako sa pagpapataas ng sahod ng ating mga nurses kaya naman sinuportahan ko sa Senado ang panukalang magsusulong nito (I am in favor of the salary increase for our nurses and that’s why I’m supporting a bill in the Senate for this proposal),” Go told the nurses.

Go was referring to his efforts in the Senate to push for the implementation of the Supreme Court decision upholding the

validity of Section 32 of the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002. It provides that the “minimum base pay of nurses working in the public health institutions shall not be lower than Salary Grade 15.”

“This is a long overdue compensation denied to them. Hindi na natin sila paghihintayin pa. Magkakaroon na sila ng increase sa kanilang sweldo (We should not let them wait any no longer. They will now have salary increase),” Go said in his previous statement.

“We allotted PHP3.173 billion to upgrade the salaries of Nurses 1 and 2, in accordance with the recent Supreme Court decision,” he added.

Go visited the Malasakit Center inside the SPMC as he also witnessed the turnover of assistance to replenish the fund of the center.

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4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Lego's colorful plastic bricks to go green

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A man enjoys a cone of charcoal-flavored ice cream at Roxas Night Market along Roxas Avenue in Davao City over the weekend. Dabawenyos continue to frequent the night market despite the city government of

Davao’s pronouncement to avoid public gathering and crowded places.

Lean Daval Jr

Covid-19 outbreak will slash global investment flows: UN

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he rapid spread of the deadly new coronavirus is expected to take a serious toll on foreign direct investments worldwide, with UN economists forecasting a drop of up to 15 percent.

A fresh report from the UN Conference on Trade, Investment and Development (UNCTAD) warned that regardless of how quickly the COVID-19 outbreak lasted it would significantly drag down global FDI, which is a measure of cross-border private sector investment.

Efforts to halt the spread of the virus, which has killed more than 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 people around the world, have wreaked havoc on international business.

The UN agency pointed to estimates that growth

in the global economy will slow between 0.5 and 1.5 percent this year, depending on whether the outbreak is reined in during the first half of this year or if it rages through the end of 2020.

The corresponding "downward pressure on FDI will be 5-15 percent," the report said.

That is compared to UNCTAD's January projection that global FDI inflows this year and next would be stable, with a potential increase of up to five percent, it said.

The report pointed out that more than two thirds

of the world's top 100 multinational enterprises have issued statements on the impact the outbreak is having on their business, with many warning they are slowing down capital expenditures in affected areas.

A full 41 of those companies have also issued profit alerts, which UNCTAD said would translate into lower reinvested earnings, which are a major component of FDI. On average, the top 5,000 multinational companies have seen a downward revision of their 2020 earnings estimates of nine percent due to the outbreak, UNCTAD said, adding that the automotive industry and the airlines have been hardest hit.

The report stressed that the impact would be "uneven," with the greatest effects of course felt in the

countries worst affected by the outbreak.

But it cautioned that "negative demand shocks and the economic impact on supply chain disruptions will affect investment prospects in other countries."

UNCTAD stressed that China, which has been hardest hit by the outbreak so far, is feeling the most serious "demand shock", pointing for instance to Toyota, which reported a 70-precent drop in sales in the country in February.

But the report stressed that China's role as a central manufacturing hub for many global businesses meant there was a clear ripple-on effect through global value chains.

"The economic impact of supply chain disruptions will affect investment prospects in other countries," it said.

certainty over coronavirus in the United States.

Marito Ueda, senior trader at FX Prime, told AFP: "Fears over the virus's impact on the global economy and a plummet in US yields had investors seeking the safe-haven yen."

"It is essentially flight from the dollar," he added.

almost five percent.

Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at AxiCo, said the markets were suffering from a perfect storm of factors.

"The yen surged... at the market open this week as investors dove into safe havens on accelerating COVID-19 cases in Europe, and as Saudi Arabia triggers a price war for oil, adding another level of unwanted panic to a market already thick with fear," he said.

The dollar fetched 104.15 yen in early Tokyo time, after dipping to around 103.83 yen in Sydney time, the lowest level since November 2016. That compares with 105.40 yen in New York late Friday.

Markets were not

here may be a global revolt against plastic, but Danish toymaker Lego, famous for its multi-colored plastic building bricks, remains a raging success, even if it, too, aims to go green.

Once revolutionary, then a ubiquitous material, plastic is increasingly being shunned due to the lasting harm its chemical components do to the planet.

As a result, Lego has vowed that its iconic bricks will be 100 percent sustainable by 2030.

With pieces that are virtually unbreakable and reusable for generations, Lego -- whose name is a contraction in Danish for "Leg Godt" or "Play Well" -- has always had sustainability as a leitmotiv, Tim Brooks, head of corporate responsibility, told AFP. Now, the company just has to adapt to environmental and consumer demands.

A study by the NPD market research group showed that 47 percent of Christmas shoppers worldwide chose not to buy a toy due to sustainability concerns.

"Toy manufacturers are really embracing this topic...

There's a lot of innovation in both packaging and material for toys," Frederique Tutt, a toy industry expert at NPD, told AFP. Lego, based in the western Danish town of Billund, has no plans to abandon plastic. Rather, it aims to improve on the materials it uses.

Currently, most of its pieces are made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), a petroleum-based substance also used to make household appliances.

"We want to use plastic in a responsible way, and particularly where it is in a high quality, durable and reusable application. And that's what Lego bricks are," said Brooks.

For now, 2 percent of its plastic pieces, or 80 of the around 3,600 construction pieces, are made of a biosourced material, a sugar-

cane-based polyethylene.

These pieces are mostly trees, leaves and bushes in the kits, which do not have to meet the same durability requirements as bricks, which have to stick together tightly.

It is a technical challenge, as Lego wants to ensure that customers do not notice any difference between the old plastic and any new materials.

"We don't want you to notice it," Brooks insisted.

New pieces must have the same physical properties as the old ones: strength, color fastness and sticking power, in order to remain compatible with older pieces.

PASSING THE TRICK Over the years, the Danish company has evolved from simple brick kits to complex designs, such as its Harry Potter or architecture themed kits, and has made a strong foray into video games, apps, movies, cartoons and amusement parks.

That diversification has helped the group recover from its financial woes in the early 2000s. In 2019, it posted a 6-percent rise in sales.

Lego encourages customers to hand down their bricks to younger generations.

"The brick has been compatible since 1958. You can buy something from the shelves today that works with something from the late 1950s," Brooks said.

The company estimates that 96 percent of consumers either hold on to their Lego kits or pass them on, stressing the distinction between Lego's bricks and single-use plastics.

RECYCLING AND WIND FARMS In addition to developing bioplastics, Lego, which is leading a project in the US providing second-hand kits to disadvantaged children, is making cautious advances in the field of recycled plastic.

"Recycled materials is

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Asia stocks plunge on virus fears, oil prices Rice prices now P10 lower

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tock markets plunged around Asia on Monday, as panic selling set in with traders fretting over the economic impact of the new coronavirus and digesting a free-fall in the oil price.

By mid-morning, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index had dropped 5.10 percent or 1,058.06 points to 19,691.69, while the broader Topix index was off 5.01 percent or 73.69 points to 1,397.77.

Other markets in the region were also suffering with Hong Kong stocks down 3.8 percent at the open, Australia off more than 5 percent and equities in New Zealand and South Korea both down by just under 3 percent.

In China, the benchmark Shanghai Composite

Index dived 1.56 percent while the benchmark Philippine stock exchange index opened down nearly 4 percent.

Driving the declines was a ferocious sell-off in the oil markets sparked by top exporter Saudi Arabia slashing prices -- in some cases to unprecedented levels -- after a bust-up with Russia over oil production.

The two main oil contracts were both down about 20 percent in morning Asian trade, with West Texas Intermediate sliding to around $32 a barrel and Brent crude to $36 a barrel.

The foreign exchange markets were also extremely volatile, with traders snapping up the yen -- seen as a hedge against global instability -- and selling off the dollar amid un-

THICK WITH FEAR A stronger yen tends to push down Japanese stocks, and exporters from the world's third-top economy were especially hardhit, with Nissan and Sony down more than five percent and Toyota down 3.6 percent.

Banks also plunged, with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial trading down nearly four percent and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial off by

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due to RTL: DTI Sec. Lopez

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rices of rice in the country are now P10 lower than average a year after the Rice Tariffication Law took effect, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Sunday.

"Nakita natin 'yung pagbaba, halos mga P10 on the average. Kung dati mga P49 pataas ang presyo ng wellmilled rice, ngayon mga P40 pababa naman, mga P38, P39. In fact, meron pa ngang P36. Sa grocery, may P34, 'yung 10 kilo, P340," Lopez said.

"So marami na. Halos lahat available na 'yung mga ganitong presyong bigas.

Dati bihira, ilan-ilan lang.

Kaya maganda naman," he added.

Signed in February last year, the Rice Tariffication

Law allows unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders secure a phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the 35% tariff for shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia.

The law also provides for a P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to be set up to help local farmers improve their livelihood. The fund will come from the tariff collections from the rice import.

Of this amount, P5 billion will be allotted to farm mechanization, P3 billion to seedlings and P1 billion to expanded rice credit assistance.

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics fails to achieve profits in 2019

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avao-based businessman Dennis Uy’s Chelsea Logistics and Holdings Corp. failed to achieve profitability last year, even as the company hit all-time high revenues during the period.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Chelsea Logistics said its revenues were up 35% to a record P7 billion in 2019, but cash flows were used for the company’s expenses.

“Chelsea was not able to achieve profitability this year due to the full costing of ships deployed during the year but whose full revenue potential has yet to be realized as these revenues ramp up,” the disclosure read.

It was referring to depreciation, financing costs, crew costs, insurance, and other related costs, both fixed and variable.

“Furthermore, there were additional interest

expenses incurred for the acquisition of new vessels and a 2.5-hectare parcel of land and the construction of a warehouse complex for its fast-growing logistics business,” the company said.

Chelsea Logistics last month confirmed that it has sought for a government guarantee for a P700-million loan to be used to buy a vessel.

The company is engaged in the shipping transport business through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Chelsea Shipping Corporation and Trans-Asia Shipping Lines Inc. Chelsea Logistics has yet to file a comprehensive financial report for the full-year 2019. Earlier, it reported a 14.7% drop in its net income for the first half of the year at P308 million from P360 million in the same period in 2018.

DOF to local manufacturers: Look outside China for supply sources

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he Philippine finance department has called on domestic producers to search for alternative supply sources outside China to meet production schedule, and to ensure inflation falls within government targets.

In an economic bulletin released Sunday, the DOF said domestic manufacturers must search for other countries from which to source their raw materials, as imports from China have posted a double-digit drop in February amid the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) threat, affecting the global economy.

"The disruption of global supply chains will tend to push prices up.

Domestic producers will need to look for alternative supply sources to avoid production cuts," the statement read.

Initial data from the Bureau of Customs (BOC)

showed that imports from China, the biggest trading partner of the Philippines, fell by 34.7% in February in terms of volume.

China's Wuhan City is the epicenter of the deadly COVID-19, which has spread across the globe, prompting countries to enforce travel bans.

The latest bulletin comes as the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) last week reported headline inflation at 2.6%in February from 2.9% in January.

For the whole year, the Philippine government has set an inflation target of 2%-4%.

"For inflation to fall within the target range, month-on-month price change should at most [be at] 0.3% per month," the DOF said.

"Benign global oil prices will pull down inflation going forward," it added.

ECONOMY 5

Meat vendors at Agdao Public Market in Brgy. Agdao, Davao City are experiencing quiet days as business became slow since January due to African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in the region. Lean Daval Jr

Tech lifestyles enable ‘safe escape’ from coronavirus

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or people hunkering down due to the coronavirus epidemic, the tech sector has become their new best friend with an array of lifestyle solutions making “social distancing” easier.

Those wanting to avoid crowds can have meals delivered from restaurants, stream blockbuster films, socialize online with friends, and work remotely.

The latest tech-inspired lifestyle solutions are gaining traction as more people are advised to work from home, and many conferences and gatherings are cancelled.

Anyone with an internet connection can use Amazon or e-commerce rivals to deliver provisions from groceries to toilet paper and over-the-counter med-

icine.

“We can have anything and everything delivered to our homes including hard and soft goods, doctor visits, laundry services, and even pet services,” said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.

“The irony is that many of the items criticized about technology have become a ‘safe’ place to escape to in the wake of coronavirus.”

CHECKING ON MOM Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi has

been checking in daily with her mother, who lives close to Milan in a part of Italy hit by coronavirus cases and has kept to her home.

Video calling services like FaceTime have also helped with virtual doctor visits -- or telemedicine -- so patients can consult with physicians online and avoid visits to hospitals, she noted.

Milanesi told of a friend using online shopping tools to find coveted supplies such as sanitizing gel and wipes.

She also shared a news video clip of someone in China using a remote-controlled toy truck mounted with a GoPro camera to fetch supplies.

“When it comes to technology, there are different things that make isolation

Almario introduced Aboitiz InfraCapital’s water portfolio, and shared updates on Apo Agua and DCWD’s Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project (DCBWSP) and environmental efforts.

IN ON NIGHTS OUT Rivals in the increas-

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Aboitiz InfraCapital supports PAWD

A Aboitiz InfraCapital COO for Water Roman Azanza (far right) hosted the convention organizers, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) Board and Officers, during the latter’s visit at the Aboitiz InfraCapital booth. At one of the convention’s learning sessions, Apo Agua General Manager Ones

easier; from streaming video to digital books to gaming,” Milanesi said.

“We have also seen how social media has helped getting coverage from areas where press might have not been allowed.”

In a note to investors, analyst firm Needham said it expected people to grow increasingly uncomfortable going to gyms to work out, in a trend that should benefit the connected cycling maker Peloton.

Peloton has had a hit selling stationary exercise bicycles along with memberships to streaming online workout sessions that people can take part in from home.

boitiz InfraCapital, Inc., together with its water business units Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. and Lima Water Corporation, affirmed its support for water resilience and security at the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) Convention in Davao City last February 4 to 6.

Aboitiz InfraCapital undertakes all infrastructure and infrastructure-related investments of the Aboitiz Group. The company is poised to take advantage of the growth momentum and the government’s commitment to bolster further advancement by building the right infrastructure that will advance business and communities.

Apo Agua, a joint ven-

ture company between Aboitiz InfraCapital and J.V. Angeles Construction Corporation, is currently undertaking the construction of the DCBWSP that aims to supply more than one million Davaoenos with over 300 million liters of water per day by 2021.

Meanwhile, Lima Water provides end-to-end water distribution and wastewater treatment services to the world’s biggest multinational firms based in Lima Technology Center, Batangas.

Aboitiz InfraCapital also has a minority stake in Balibago Waterworks System, Inc., which serves over 200,000 households in its primary franchise areas, primarily within Pampanga.

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

EDITORIAL

A dozen Edgy years

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) during its 50th anniversary back in 2014 awarded Edge Davao as the country’s best edited community newspaper. It was the first of several PPI recognitions for the unassuming Davao news organization.

The PPI’s exact words for Edge Davao went: “As a whole, Edge Davao is a paragon of high quality journalism; a local newspaper that combines, in seamless meld, high quality writing and community value.”

Edge Davao entered the Davao newspaper business in 2008 as a business weekly at a time the country is beset with the Asian crisis. It was quite a risky move considering that it was at this time the country was hit by the Asian crisis and the growth of the internet is beginning to eat the dominance of print media in terms of viability as an advertising platform.

Call it sheer stubbornness or just plain dogged determination.

In 2012, the Edge Davao took it a notch higher when it stepped into the very competitive arena of daily newspapering. The entry into the daily platform also came at a time when advertising is not in its rosiest era. The ride was not easy. Young as it is, the organization operated

EDGEDAVAO

Providing solutions to a seamless global village.

PHILIPPINE PRESS INSTITUTE

the national association of newspapers

Printed by Zion Accuprint Publishing Inc. Door 14 ALCREJ Building, Quirino Avenue, 8000, Davao City, Philippines Tel: (082) 224-1413 301-6235 Telefax: (082) 221-3601 www.edgedavao.net editorial@edgedavao.net marketing@edgedavao.net edgedavao@gmail.com

ANTONIO M. AJERO Editor in Chief

NEILWIN JOSEPH L. BRAVO Managing Editor

MAYA M. PADILLO Senior Reporter

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

LEANDRO S. DAVAL JR. Photography

ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR. CHRISTIAN JAY H. RAFAL DR. MAURO L. PUYOD CHA MONFORTE Layout/Cartoons Cartoonist Correspondent Columnists: MA. TERESA L. UNGSON • EDCER C. ESCUDERO • AURELIO A. PEÑA • ZHAUN ORTEGA • BERNADETTE “ADDIE” B. BORBON • MARY ANN C. QUISIDO • LEANDRO DAVAL SR.,TRIA • NIKKI GOTIANSE-TAN NICASIO ANGELO AGUSTIN • EMILY Columnists: ANTONIO V.“ADI” FIGUEROA • HENRYLITO D. TACIO •B.JOHN CARLO • MUJAHID NAVARRA ••FRED C. LUMBA • DENNIS R. GORECHO ZEN CHUA • CARLOS MUNDA Economic Analyst: ENRICO •“GICO” G. S. DAYANGIRANG • JONALLIER GREGORIO G. DELIGERO VIDA MIA VALVERDE • HAROLD CAVITE M. PEREZ

OLIVIA D. VELASCO 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

with a mix of veterans and the young turks of Davao media. But this unassuming news organization compensated its short-handedness with hardwork and dedication.

“It was never easy. But when you want to excel, you have to work harder, and that’s what we do and will continue doing,” Edge Davao editor Antonio Ajero would say back then.

Edge Davao changed its look from its days as a weekly to a daily newspaper with a design and make-up that’s made to suit reader’s eyes. It splashed bigger photographs, had more color pages and a style that augurs well for the discriminating and fast-paced audience. It’s a style that’s dynamic. The newspaper wanted to get ahead of the trend and yet keep its audience reminded of its trademark and the humble beginnings as a business paper.

From its birthpains to the current challenges, Edge Davao is no stranger to living on the edge. After a dozen years of existence, this paper remains a formidable force in the local print media industry and remains committed to serve the community with the same vigor, dedication and pride.

SOLANI D. MARATAS Finance

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

DENNIS R. GORECHO KUWENTONG KULE

COMFORT WOMEN AND THE INSENSITIVE RED-TAGGING BY THE POLICE FORCE Government officials, specifically members of the police force, must understand that one cannot claim to love the nation and yet promote historical ignorance.

The Manila Police District (MPD) came under fire last week after it reposted in its official Facebook account a meme by an anonymous group called Red Alert red tagging GABRIELA and accusing it of manipulating the Lolas “for show”.

The picture used was that of the rally organized on March 2 by the FlowersforLolas Campaign in front of the Japanese Embassy.

The rally was part of commemoration of women’s month and was meant to reiterate the victims’ long-running demand for justice from the Japanese government.

Red Alert originally posted the meme with the statement “Ano daw? Justice for comfort women? Etong mga makakaliwang grupo naman na ito eh, kahit ano na lang maisip na pakulo. Pati Lola ginagamit ng mga destabilizer. Ang gyera ay naganap 80 taon na ang lumipas. Malamang mga bata pa kayo

nung nangyari iyon. Comfort women na ba kayo noon?”

The FlowersforLolas Campaign, to which this author is a member, is dismayed by the utter disrespect and gross ignorance of history exhibited by the MPD elements.

Led by Lila Filipina, I personally met some of the Lolas, including Lola Rosa Henson who was the first to come out, as a reporter in the late 90s when I covered their brave journey in telling the world about this inhuman practice of the Japanese during the war.

Due to their tender age then , it was a painful experience for them to be subjected to sexual slavery, rape and other forms of sexual violence during World War 2.

The victims have spent their lives in misery, having endured physical injuries, pain and disability, and mental and emotional suffering.

The Lolas are dying without receiving a formal apology and legal compensation from Japan. And yet the MPD has been a conduit in disrespecting their plight.

Artist Monique Wilson also

lambasted the MPD saying that such act is not only completely and utterly imbecilic, but it is a grave affront to the Lolas who have suffered for over 70 years as former sex slaves of WW2, and the continuing neglect and dismissal of their fight for justice over all these long decades.

Issues like violence against women and historical injustices are not matters for trivialization nor excuse for red-tagging, especially not from an institution known for its crude human rights record, she said.

“How gravely insulting to them to even make accusations that they can be ‘used’, and to belittle, diminish and question their experience,” Wilson said . “It is your duty to educate yourselves on the history of the Lolas, and immerse yourself in the continuing and deepening understanding and consciousness on violence against women issues and how to end it.

Not be the continuing perpetrators of all forms of abuse.”

“Take this time to reflect on your blatant fascist misogny. You are mandated to serve and protect the people, not villify and cause harm and insult

with your ignorance.”, Wilson said.

The MPD has taken down the post last Thursday but it did not issue any apology to the Lolas.

Perhaps it is timely that the MPD must watch the ongoing Rody Vera’s NANA ROSA play at the UP Diliman for them to be properly educated of the comfort women issues.

It is a heartwarming Dulaang UP play which seeks to remind the younger generation that Filipina comfort women existed.

It pays homage to the courage they displayed when they went public with their story.

From their original number of more than 200 in the late 1990s, less than fifty survivors are still alive, highlighting a sense of urgency for them to receive a formal apology and legal compensation from Japan while their voices can still be heard.

It has been almost 75 years since the war ended on August 15, 1945, and yet the Japanese government refuses to recognize its official accountability to the victims of sexual slavery.

Justice has not been given to the Lolas as their fight for unequivocal public apology, accurate historical inclusion, and just compensation continues up to this day.

The FlowersforLolas is an alliance of organizations that includes Lila Pilipina, the organization of Filipino Comfort Women; the Malaya Lolas who are victims of rape by invading Japanese soldiers in Candaba, Pampanga; the Association of Descendants of WaChi guerrillas who fought alongside American soldiers and Filipino guerrillas against the Japanese, and MEMORARE Foundation, composed of descendants of American victims of WW2. Also among its members are prominent individuals who have long been involved in the issue and other patriotic causes.

Kule is the monicker of Philippine Collegian, the official student publication of UP Diliman. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE P50 billion a year – or roughly equivalent to $1 billion. That’s how much is estimated value of illegal wildlife trade (IWT) in the Philippines, according to the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The huge amount includes the market value of wildlife and its resources, their ecological role and value, damage to habitats incurred during poaching, and loss in potential ecotourism revenues.

The ADB report considers wildlife crime as the fourth most lucrative illegal business in the Philippines – after narcotics, human trafficking, and arms.

“The Philippines is a consumer, source, and transit point for IWT, threatening endemic species populations, economic development, and biodiversity,” said the ADB report, Addressing Illegal Wildlife Trade in the Philippines.

Among those that have been confiscated and seized items in the country include the following: 5 tons of elephant ivory tusks, 1,522 mynas, 652 blue-naped parrots, 354 marine turtles, 70 hawksbill turtles, 58 Goffins cockatoos, 106 sulfur-crested cockatoos, and 2,870 pangolins.

According to the report,

which has inputs from the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippines is touted to be second-largest archipelago in the world. It is composed of 7,641 islands.

The current population is about 100 million but projected to reach 125 million by 2030.

Most Filipinos, particularly the poor, depend on biodiversity – short term for biological diversity – for their livelihoods.

The Philippines is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries as it harbors wildlife species found nowhere else in the world. It is home to more than 52,177 species, half of which are endemic.

In addition, 342 species of reptiles can be found in the country, 68% of which are endemic. It has 114 species of amphibians.

In terms of bird endemism, the country is ranked fourth with 695 species (195 endemic and 126 restricted range). It is also ranked fifth in the world in terms of total plant species, half of which are endemic.

Philippines is also home to 5 of 7 known marine turtle species in the world: green, hawksbill, olive ridley, loggerhead, and leatherback. All of these species, however, are on the verge

of extinction.

The Geneva-based Worldwide Fund for Nature estimates there are on Earth at least 30 million species, of which “all but a few thousand are at risk.” Less than two million species have been studied by man. Yet, over a thousand, maybe 10,000 more, are being lost each year, mostly unseen and unrecorded.

Plant species number only a quarter of a million, and vertebrates less than 50,000 species.

Mammals and birds, however, are principal concerns of conservation efforts more than with invertebrates. In Davao City, the Philippine Eagle Center is trying to save the country’s bird icon from vanishing in this part of the world.

It doesn’t mean that invertebrates, mostly millions of insects such as bees, are not equally important. They are also essential for their ecological services like pollination.

Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson estimates that, at a minimum, 50,000 species of invertebrates per year – nearly 140 species each day – are condemned to extinction.

One million of the planet’s eight million species are threatened with extinction by humans, according to a report released

by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services last year. The global rate of species extinction “is already tens to thousands of times higher than it has been, on average, over the last 10 million years.”

Sandra Diaz, co-author of the report and professor of ecology at the University of Cordoba, told CNN: “(There is) very little of the planet left that has not been significantly altered by us.

We need to act as stewards for life on Earth.”

“Of all the global problems that confront us, species extinction is one that is moving the most rapidly and the one that will have the most serious consequences,” contends Dr. Peter Raven, a noted American biologist.

Unlike other global ecological problems, Dr. Raven stressed, the crisis is completely irreversible. “Extinction is forever,” deplores the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Davao City has been included by the ADB report in its list of major confiscation sites of wild fauna in Mindanao. Other cities in the same list were Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian, Surigao, and Zamboanga.

Mati, Davao Oriental has been listed as one of the transhipment points of wildlife in the country.

The ADB report listed the following as most traded species from the Philippines: Philippine forest turtle, Hawksbill turtle, Southeast Asian box turtle, Asian leaf turtle, Palawan pangolin, Blue-naped parrot, Palawan hill mynah, Tokay Gecko, Philippine slow loris, Philippine cockatoo, Giant golden-crowned flying fox, and Mindanao water monitor.

Other most traded flora and fauna are Visayan Tarictic hornbill, Philippine serpent eagle, Brahminy kite, Luzon lowland scops owl, Philippine hanging parrot, Visayan spotted dear, Calamian deer, Philippine deer, Pitcher plants, Leopard cat, Rufous hornbill, Philippine tarsier, Philippine sailfin dragon, Philippine pit viper, Luzon red-tailed rat snake, Luzon bronzeback snake, Philippine flying dragon, and orchid.

The government has recognized the threats of IWT to the country’s biodiversity and economy that it has passed legislation and created inter-agency groups to combat IWT. It has also built capacity across the law enforcement chain.

8 EDGEDAVAO

ONE MORE PUI... FROM1

Covid-19 case in Davao City.

He also assured that SPMC is prepared and has contingency plans in terms of addressing and containment of the virus. He said the hospital is procuring a lot of disinfectants and is also waiting for the arrival of the reagent kits from the central office for the diagnosis of the virus.

SPMC has pressurized isolation facilities equipped for emerging and re-emerging infections and can accommodate eight to 10 patients or PUIs. “The facility is wellequipped and therefore ready to accommodate the number of patients that has to be investigated,” he said.

The SPMC chief also assured that SPMC personnel and the nurses covering the infectious disease are equipped and its medical technicians are well-trained and able to diagnose the coronavirus with the proper reagent.

Meantime, Yumang said DOH-Davao is ramping up its local preparedness by closely coordinating with the right authorities to intensify surveillance especially at the region's points of entry. She also urged the public to be calm and be vigilant.

“We should be very clear that there is a risk that people might be incubated the virus the reason why we isolate and monitor them to protect the rest of the public. That is why PUIs are being admit-

ted and stringent precautions are being taken. This is no time for complacency,” Yumang said.

Yumang urged the public to avoid crowded places, continue to practice proper hygiene and frequently wash hands with soap and water, practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette and proper disposal of used tissues.

“These measures are being taken as we are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” she said.

“We also appealed to the public to refrain from sharing unverified and unofficial information that may only cause unnecessary panic,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Quarantine-Davao has taken measures to ensure “maximum prevention” against the spread of Covid-19 by conducting screening of all passengers at the city’s port and airport.

“We do screening of all passengers including the vessel. In the airport, we have trained medical nurses and officers. At the port, I personally supervise the screening of all the vessels,” said Dr. Shane Ludovice, medical officer of the Bureau of Quarantine-Davao.

Ludovice said as precautionary measure they advised the shipping lines to submit their ports of call ahead of the arrival of the vessel as there is also restrictions on the embarkation of the crew.

The eighth case is a 32-year-old Filipino male with history of travel to Japan within the past 14 days.

The DOH said the onset of symptoms began on March 5 and the patient is currently admitted to a private hospital.

The ninth case, meanwhile, is an 86-year-old American male with pre-existing hypertension and history of travel to USA and South Korea.

His symptoms began on March 1 and the patient is currently admitted to a private hospital.

The tenth case is a 57-year-old Filipino male with no history of travel outside of the country.

While he was reported to have had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, the DOH is currently investigating details of his exposure.

The patient is currently admitted in a private

hospital.

The DOH Epidemiology Bureau is gathering more information and validating available data on the reported cases.

The DOH said it will release all pertinent information to the public once it is available.

“The DOH is committed to accurate and timely reporting of verified information on the COVID-19 health situation. We have been preparing for the possibility of localized transmission in the country. Now that there are confirmed cases of localized transmission, DOH and the Inter-agency Task Force are now implementing pre-planned measures to respond to the situation,” Duque said.

“Upon confirmation of new cases, we immediately deployed additional surveillance teams and commenced contact tracing,” he added. (PNA)

instead of an executive order, Duterte will be issuing a proclamation.

There are 10 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country and 41 patients under investigation (PUI) who are currently admitted to hospitals.

Of these confirmed cases, the first known local transmission of the virus is an elderly man who frequented an Islamic prayer hall at the Green-

hills Mall.

As of March 8, 2020, there are a total of 105,586 cases of Covid-19 that has spread to 101 countries.

DOH has placed the country under Covid-19 Alert System to Code Red sublevel 1 to prepare national and local governments and the country’s health care providers for possible increases in suspected and confirmed cases of the disease. (PNA)

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She said the Inter-agency Task Force with members coming from different agencies conducts meeting every now and then to address issues and concerns.

“Kung naay i - repatriate na karon at least dili lng DOH ang mu trabaho but also other government agencies bisan DSWD puede nato patabangon,” she said.

Yumang said there are members of the task force who are task to monitor the spread of fake news on social media. She said the task force will meet again to file proper complaint against those who are spreading

wrong information online.

The task force will also help address concerns for those patients who refuse to undergo quarantine.

In a related development, the Department of Health-Davao Center for Health and Development is also calling out to the public to refrain from spreading “fake news” and wrong information about the disease on social media as it causes unnecessary panic among the people.

“If you cannot provide the solution, don’t be a part of the problem because we are now in a mess,” Vega said.

The bill also provides that the individuals instrumental in the discovery and seizure of smuggled cash shall receive a cash reward equivalent to one percent of the total amount of the cash smuggled or P200,000, whichever is lower.

House Committee on Appropriations chairman and ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Yap is also a co-author of HB 6412.

The presidential son and House Deputy Speaker lamented how travelers to other countries are required to undergo security questioning when they

bring more than $10,0000 cash, while travelers entering the Philippines only have to declare it through the Declaration Form upon arrival and nothing else.

“Since it would be difficult to trace and document cash transactions, the money brought in into the country may be used for illegal activities. Thus, there is a significant need to increase our vigilance over money laundering,” the young Duterte said.

Authorities say that Chinese nationals brought in a total of US$368 million to the country since mid2019.

area of conflict was far from communities.

A total of 16 IEDs have been recovered since the operations were conducted in the mountains of Shariff

Aguak and Ampatuan and in the marshland near the towns of Mamasapano and Shariff Saydona Mustapha, also in Maguindanao.

(PNA)

He also announced that a check was already turned over for the Pharmacy Fund which aims to provide free medicine to indigent patients not only in Davao City but throughout Mindanao.

Go, main author of the Malasakit Center Act of 2019, also explained that the Malasakit Center gives Filipino patients easier access to financial and medical assistances as it brought together in one office representatives from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

“Noong unang panahon po, hihingi kayo ng tulong sa apat na ahensiya ng gobyerno. Ubos ‘yung panahon ninyo sa kakapila para humingi ng tulong na, sa totoo lang, sa inyo

naman ‘yan. Pera ninyo ‘yan (Before, you have to ask for help from four government agencies. So much time was spent queuing just to ask for financial assistance when in fact that money belongs to you),” Go said.

The Malasakit Center Act, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed in December, mandates the establishment of a Malasakit Center in each of the 73 DOH-run hospitals in the country and at the Philippine General Hospital.

So far, 71 Malasakit Centers have been opened throughout the country, with the latest one launched at the Lapu-Lapu City District Hospital on March 6.

Go reminded his audience to avoid illegal drugs, promising that he will continue to give back to the Filipino people the quality of government service they deserve. (PR)

Lopez reported that farmers are already benefiting from the RCEF. "'Yung proceed ng taripa ng import na rice, nagagamit na ngayon sa mga magsasaka. Naibibigay na 'yung suporta sa kanila para 'yung kanilang cost to produce ay bumaba, maging competitive din sila. Nakakatulong na," he said.

In addition, Lopez said the Department of Agri-

culture is encouraging a slowing down of imports in the country now that the intended effects of the Rice Tariffication Law are already showing.

"I think meron namang parang pakiusap diyan ang DA na bagalan naman 'yung pag-import ngayon.

Kasi kung marami namang supply dito at bumababa na ang presyo, hindi na kailangan," he said.

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a very interesting area but you need to understand where that material comes from," Brooks said.

The company refuses to divulge its production secrets, but insists it reuses its own plastic waste products in its production.

In 2014, Lego vowed to reduce its carbon footprint, partnering with the environmental group WWF. It says it has relied solely on renewable energy sources since 2017.

"They made climate savings and shifted to more windcraft, now they're looking into alternatives to their plastic," said the head of WWF Denmark, Bo Oksnebjerg, of the company's efforts.

Kirkby, Lego's parent company, has meanwhile

invested almost $1 billion in wind farms.

Lego is also working to improve its packaging, reducing the amount of plastic bags separating pieces and slashing the size of its boxes to reduce transport volumes.

It aims to use only recycled or renewable materials by 2025.

Antidia Citores, spokeswoman of the environmental group Surfrider Europe, stressed meanwhile that Lego needed to also look at the production end, as replacing one plastic with another would not reduce emissions.

"Changing one plastic for another is not a revolution, not in terms of pollution or carbon emissions," she said.

helped by data showing that the Japanese economy had declined more than initially thought -- even before the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The country's gross domestic product during the October-December quarter was revised down to a

contraction of 1.8 percent, compared to an earlier estimate of 1.6 percent.

"Unfortunately, any recovery in Q1 has been nipped in the bud by the global spread of the coronavirus," said Tom Learnmouth, Japan economist at Capital Economics.

ingly competitive streaming television market also stand to benefit as people opt for home entertainment instead of risking contagion in public spaces, according to analysts.

More people could also start getting restaurant meals delivered from services such as Uber Eats and DoorDash instead of going out to restaurants.

“None of this undermines the horror of the virus but for those who want to stay home and not venture outside it works,” Moorhead said.

Software, services and the infrastructure needed to support them are in the best position ever to allow people to feel less deprived while distancing themselves socially, according to Consumer Technology Association research senior vice president Brian Markwalter.

Internet speeds have climbed in the past decades, and smartphones are ubiquitous, Markwalter noted.

Telemedicine has made gains in recent years, and health monitoring is getting an added boost from smartwatches and fitness bands that can detect irregular heartbeats or whether some has taken a hard fall, he added.

Digital health innovation has been among the fastest growing sections of the association’s annual Consumer Electronics Show gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas.

3-pointers, helping run up the highest point total allowed by the Bucks this season.

Eric Bledsoe had 28

points, Brook Lopez 18 and Donte DiVincenzo 16 for the Bucks, who lost despite shooting 53.7 percent from the field.

Marcial joins gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole-vaulter EJ Obiena as the three Filipinos so far who have booked a ticket to the Tokyo Games.

Carlo Paalam, and women’s fighters Irish

Magno, Riza Pasuit and Nesthy Petecio could follow Marcial to Tokyo should they win their respective bouts Monday.

Countrymen Ian Clark Bautista and James Palicte have bowed out.

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WORKING SMART People in China, Silicon Valley, Japan and Italy are all adopting remote working at various degrees to limit the spreading of the virus, according to Milanesi, pointing to services like the teleconferencing app Zoom.

“There is such excitement around remote work that brands like Zoom have seen their stock value climb up,” Milanesi said in an online post.

“On paper, now is the time!”

She wondered, though, whether the promise of working remotely will run into a wall due to a need to update employment regulations as well as “trust issues of managers who need to feel they are in control.”

“One would think that in 2020, productivity should be measured in output and not in hours,” Milanesi said.

“Ultimately, remote working should be seen as a business asset at any time, not just when we are under the threat of a pandemic.”

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ANNIVERSARYSpecial

EDGEDAVAO

9

Amazing milestones of Dabawenyos in the last 12 years

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO DGE Davao was born at a time when Davao Region – Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao Occidental, and Davao de Oro – and some of its citizens were beginning to etch a name for themselves in the national amd international fronts.

E

For the first time in Philippine history, a man from Mindanao became the president of the Philippines. When Rodrigo R. Duterte was proclaimed winner of the 2016 presidential election, he became the first lawyer to become the country’s highest official in more than two decades. The last time the country had a lawyer president was from 1965 to 1986. That was the time of the administration of Ferdinand E. Marcos. His term ended when he called for a snap election that was followed by a peaceful revolution called the 1986 EDSA Revolt.

Duterte obtained his law degree from San Beda College of Law and passed the bar exam in 1972, the year when Marcos declared Martial Law. A member of

Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa

Lex Talionis Fraternitas, Mr. Duterte started his professional career as a Special Counsel at the City Prosecution Office in Davao City from 1977 to 1979. From 1979 to 1981, he was Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor. His ranking went up to Third Assistant City Prosecutor (from 1981 to 1983) and finally Second Assistant City Prosecutor from 1983 to 1986.

Ramon Magsaysay Winner

In 1985, Rev. Harold Ray Watson – an American agricultural missionary working in barangay Kinuskusan in Bansalan, Davao as director of Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center – was named by Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as recipient of the

peace and international understanding category.

He was recognized for international utilization of farming technologies which he and his Filipino counterparts developed.

It was not until 29 years later, in 2014, that another one from the Davao Region was named a Ramon Magsaysay laureate. Randy Halasan, a teacher who was assigned at Pegalongan Elementary School, was chosen as recipient of the Emergent Leadership award for “his purposeful dedication in nurturing his Matigsalug students and their community to transform their lives through quality education and sustainable livelihoods, doing so in many ways that respect their uniqueness and preserve their integrity as indigenous peoples in a modernizing Philippines.” After having been informed of his award, Halasan met with then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte at a downtown hotel and informed him of his desire to help the community of Pegalongan realize its bridge project. When

Mayor Duterte became President, Halasan was appointed as one of the Commissioners of the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor.

Two Senators

For the first time in more than 5 decades, two Dabawenyos made it to the top in winning the senatorial derby during the May election last year. Davao City’s Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, former Special Assistant to the President, placed third in the race. Davao del Sur’s Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police Director General, also made it in that phenominal midterm election wherein none of the opposition candidate won. Both Go and dela Rosa will serve until 2025.

Actually, the first senator produced by Davao was Alejandro Durano-Almendras, a distant cousin of Vicente G. Duterte, father of the incumbent President, who served as provincial governor of the undivided Davao Province.

A predecessor of Vicente Duterte as undivided Davao governor, Almendras was elected senator during the time of President Carlos P. Garcia and served until President Marcos proclaimed Martial Law and abolished Congress in 1972.

The second Davao senator was Gaudencio Antonino, a civil engineer who became one of Davao’s top players during the logging boom in Davao. He made a name in the Senate by exposing the fat allowances received by members of the Lower House. His explosive expose earned for him a lot of political enemies such that he was not a member of political party when he ran for re-election as an independent.

On the day of the election, Antonino died in a helicopter crash, prompting his wife Magnolia Welborn-Antonino to run in his stead. Mrs. Antonino won and became the third senator to come from Davao. Mrs. Antonino lost her Senate post like Almendras when Marcos abolished both Houses of Congress.

Before then, the Antoni-

President Rodrigo Duterte

nos had established a political base in nearby South Cotabato, particularly General Santos City, where Antonino;s son, Adelbert, Lualhati, his wife and daughter Darlene A, Custodio later served almost in succession as mayor and House representative. Rodolfo, another son of Gaudencio and Magnolia, became congressman of a district in Nueva Ecija,

Alejandro Durano-Almendras

Sports Arena In sports, two boxers made Philippine history. Jerwin Ancajas, who was born and raised in Panabo City, won several national championships, including a gold medal at the Palarong Pambansa. At age 17, he turned pro. When he defeated McJoe Arroyo in 2016, he became the IBF

junior bantamweight.

Last year, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board ranked him as the world’s fifth-best junior bantamweight while The Ring magazine and BoxRec listed him sixth.

Nesthy Petecio, who learned boxing from her father when they were still living in Tuban, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, has competed at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon,

South Korea. This year, she will compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Last year, she defeated Brazil’s Jucielen Romeu, Bulgaria’s Stanimiera Petrova, China’s Qiao Jieru, Japan’s Sena Irie, England’s Karriss Artingstall, and Russia’s Liudmila Vorontsova.

Ernie Gawilan, who learned swimming when he worked as a house-

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ANNIVERSARYSpecial

AMAZING MILESTONE... FROM9

KZ Tandingan

tor Philippines. Kristine Zhenie Lobrigas Tandigan – or KZ Tandigan for short – also won Aliw Award for Best New Artist that year.

Internationally, KZ became famous when she joined Singer 2018, a popular singing competition aired on HBS. In 2014, Davao and Mindanao’s only representative Neil Rey Garcia Llanes was chosen as the grand winner of TV’s Talentadong Pinoy.

Aside from the title, the “Beatbox King” took home also the one million pesos cash prize. He also made it as semi-finals qualifier of the First Asia’s Got Talent.

Plastic Initiative Award

Ruben Gonzaga

keeper in the Island Garden City of Samal, is a star in his own right.

Despite being handicapped, it didn’t stop him to become a winner.

He has competed in numerous tournaments in India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand and Singapore. He is the first athlete with disabilities to have competed in the Rio Olympics in 2016; he will be again in competition in Tokyo Olympics this year.

Reality Shows Big Winners

Three talented personalities from Davao Region emerged winners in national reality television shows.

Darrell Dean Blatchley

Ruben Gonzaga, who was once a member of ABS-CBN Davao’s Joke Squad, made a record as the winner of Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Edition 2 in 2008.

He amassed a total of 506,402 text votes (that’s 32.17% of the total votes). For the feat, the talent from Agdao and now a bigtime agriculture program producer online, reportedly received a Sony Bravia, a Goodah business franchise package, a condominium unit at Chateau Valenzuela, and P2 million.

Four years later, a lass winner from Davao – this time from Digos City, Davao del Sur – was named winner in the first season of the X Fac-

Darrell Dean Blatchley – an American who calls Davao City his second home and chief executive officer of the D’Bone Collector Museum – was awarded first prize in the region’s Plastic Initiative Award given by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

“The award in itself is an affirmation that we are doing the right thing and that other countries are taking notice (of our endeavors),” he told EDGE Davao. “This is our first international award.

With every award for us, it’s like a key on a keychain that keeps getting bigger. We are looking forward for more doors to open so we can make our work better.”

VOL.13 ISSUE 1 • TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2020

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11

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Commissioners Charles Maxey, Cecilia Kiram and Ramon Fernandez receive the PSA Athlete of the Year award for Southeast Asian Games overall champion Team Philippines last Friday. Right photo shows Dabawenyo Sambo athlete Chino Tancontian receiving his PSA individual award after winning a gold medal in the recent SEA Games.

Davis, LeBron lead Lakers past Clippers

A

nthony Davis had 30 points and 8 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the host Los Angeles Clippers’ 6-game winning streak with a 112-103 victory on Sunday.

Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) passes the ball against LA Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. (31) in the first half at Staples Center on Monday (PH Time). Reuters

LeBron James added 28 points, 9 assists and 7 boards for the Lakers, who won their fourth straight and 11th in 12 games. Avery Bradley scored a season-high 24 points, hitting 6-of-12 3-point attempts.

Kyle Kuzma finished with a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with 8 points.

Paul George led the Clippers with 31 points and Kawhi Leonard had 27. Montrezl Harrell added 20 points for the Clippers, who lost for the first time to the Lakers in 3 contests this season.

The Lakers went up

Ateneo beats San Beda to pocket PCCL title

A

teneo Blue Eagles continued to reign supreme in the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) as the team remained the national champion with a 57-46 win against old rival

San Beda Red Lions in the national final on Sunday at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Blue Eagles stifled the Red Lions in the final frame, holding them to just five points to walk

away with the win.

Ange Kouame led Ateneo, which won backto-back titles and fifth overall, with 17 points, 17 rebounds, one assist, one block, and one steal.

Troy Mallillin added 11

points and five rebounds.

Calvin Oftana paced San Beda, which settled for runner-up honors for the second straight season, with 14 markers, six boards, one dime, and two steals. (PNA)

lost two in a row for the first time this season and three of their past four. Milwaukee, which had gone 9-0 after its previous nine losses -- winning by an average of 17.0 points -- completes a three-game trip with a visit to Denver on Monday.

The absence was Antetokounmpo's seventh of the season. Milwaukee fell to 5-2 in those games after winning their first five without last year's MVP. Booker, Aron Baynes and Ricky Rubio made 3-pointers on Phoenix's first three shots, giving the Suns, who had lost four of their previous five games, a 9-0 lead just 1:42 into the

game.

Phoenix never trailed, leading by as many as 25 points in the second quarter and 21 in the third.

Led by Khris Middleton's game-high 39 points, the Bucks closed to 100-91 on a three-point play by Pat Connaughton with 1:32 remaining in the third period.

Milwaukee got as close as 107-100 on a dunk by Brook Lopez with 10:01 to play, but Mikal Bridges had a 3-pointer in an 11-1 Suns counter that created a 17-point gap and led to a relatively comfortable finish.

Rubio finished with 25 points as part of a tri-

ple-double with game highs of 13 rebounds and 13 assists, while Baynes had 24 points and Bridges sported a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double for Phoenix, which was beaten 129-108 on its trip to Milwaukee last month.

Jevon Carter added 12 points and Dario Saric 11 for the Suns, who shot 55.3 percent from the field, the highest accuracy rate recorded by a Milwaukee opponent this season. It marked only the fifth time this season a Bucks opponent has shot 50 percent or higher.

The Suns also hit 19

Giannis-less Bucks drop second straight in loss

D

evin Booker scored 20 of his teamhigh 36 points in a 47-point first quarter for Phoenix on Sunday as the host Suns took advantage of the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo to thump the Milwaukee Bucks 140131.

The Bucks announced before the game that an MRI taken on Antetokounmpo's left knee, injured in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, showed no significant damage, but that the Most Valuable Player candidate would be held out of at least two games nonetheless.

The Bucks (53-11) have

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by as much as 12 midway through the fourth quarter before the Clippers pulled to within 107-100 after a foul shot by Marcus Morris with 1:35 remaining. James converted a pair of free throws 22 seconds later for a 9-point Lakers’ cushion and added a 3-point play with 40.8 seconds left to seal it.

The Lakers took a 6458 edge after Bradley’s 3-pointer with 6:45 left in the third quarter before the Clippers came back with a 10-1 surge for 6665 lead after a 3-pointer

by George at 5:31. How-

ever, the Lakers seized an 85-81 lead heading into the fourth quarter. They never trailed again.

The Lakers led 27-25 after one quarter before the Clippers went up by as much as 9 in the second.

They used a 12-3 run for a 45-36 advantage after 2 free throws by Ivica Zubac with 5:15 remaining in the second quarter. However, the Lakers rallied and sliced the margin to 53-49 at the break.

Defense dictated for much of the first half. The Clippers managed just 38.8 percent shooting from the field to 37.2 percent for the Lakers. Both clubs made only 2 of 14 3-pointers (14.3 percent).

For the game, the Lakers made 44.8 percent of their shots to 39.5 percent for the Clippers.

Fajardo wins 6th PBA MVP award

J

une Mar Fajardo remains the best player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the previous season as he won his sixth consecutive Most Valuable Player award during the Leo Awards that was held during the opening of the new season at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday night.

The San Miguel center amassed a total of 3,140 points, enough to beat Columbian's CJ Perez, NorthPort's Chris Standhardinger and TNT's Jayson Castro for the league's top individual prize.

The said players led the Mythical First Team with Stand-

hardinger's fellow Batang Pier Sean Anthony being the other member.

Anthony, Fajardo, and Perez also made the All-Defensive Team alongside Fajardo's fellow Beerman Chris Ross and Barangay Ginebra's Japeth Aguilar.

Aguilar also made the Mythical Second Team, and he was joined by Ginebra teammate Stanley Pringle, TNT's RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario, and Magnolia's Ian Sangalang.

On the other hand, Perez was named the Rookie of the Year, while Gabe Norwood was once again awarded with the Sportsmanship Award. (PNA)

12 SPORTS EDGEDAVAO

SPORTS BRACE FOR BATTLE EDGE EDGE DAVAO DAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 164VOL.12 VOL.13 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, ISSUE ISSUE78 1 • •TUESDAY, THURSDAY, OCTOBER MARCH JUNE 25-26, 27, 10,2019 2020

TOKYO TICKET 4 games up as Escandor Cup Collegiate Sponsors League resumes E Saturday umir Marcial clinched a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by beating Byamba-Erdene Otgonbaatar of Mongolia in the Asia/Oceania qualifying tournament in Jordan on Sunday.

Marcial drilled a series of lefts and a powerful right hook at Byamba-Erdene Otgonbaatar of Mongolia to close the final minute of the third round, before the referee stopped the contest with about 45 seconds left.

By ADAM B. MORRELL

A

heavy four-game bill Royal Mandaya Hotel, Dais on its way as ac- vies Paints, Mandarin SPC tion in the Collegiate Branch, Max's Fried ChickSponsors League (CSL) en and PTT Lubricants.

Escandor Cup resumes on Meantime, the Saturday, October 26, at Agro-Industrial Foundathe Davao City Recreation tion College of the PhilipCenter. pines (AIFCP) Sailors and The curtain raiser will the UM Wildcats shared feature a "David versus the top spot in bracket A Goliath" match up as odds- with a 2-0 record each, on favorite Jose Maria Col- followed by the CJC Red lege (JMC) Kings takes on Lions with 1-0. The MCT the struggling Brokenshire Navigators landed on College of Davao (BCD) the fourth spot with 1-1, dribblers at 3:00pm. trailed by the defending The clash between the champion Holy Cross of San Pedro College (SPC) Davao College (HCDC) Stallions and the visiting Crusaders with 1-2, DMCor Jesu College (CJC) MACSP Mariners 0-1, of Digos City Red Lions SPCD Saints 0-1, and SPC will go after at 4:30 pm, Stallions with 0-2. followed by the exciting The bracket B, meanbattle between tradition- while, is currently led by al powerhouse teams St. the Holy Cross College John Paul II College of of Sasa (HCCS) Spartans Davao (SPCD) Saints and with 3-0 card, followed Mats College of Technol- by JMC Kings (2-0), Asian ogy (MCT) Navigators at International School of 6:00 pm.

Aeronautics and TechnolAt 7:00pm, the un- ogy (AISAT) (1-1), Atebeaten University of Min- neo de Davao University danao (UM) Wildcats Knights (1-2), Mannywill Pacquiao(Addu) says evenBlue at 40, he is not finished yet. stake its clean slate against BCD (0-1), UM Penaplata DMMA College of South- (0-1), and Rizal Memoern Philippines (DMMAC- rial Colleges (RMC) SP) Mariners to wrap up Bulldogs (0-2).

Saturday's quadruple header sponsored by The

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EDGEDAVAO DAVAO 14 12 EDGE

He opened the second round with a jab, cross combination to the body and stayed the course using his explosive punches. He even grinned and stopped at one point to wait for his opponent to punch.

When Otgonbaatar launched his attack, Marcial easily dodged the punches. He won the second as well, 4-1.

In the third, Marcial landed a hard left that bloodied his Otgonbaatar's nose. However, he was given a points deduction after hitting his opponent twice in the head.

Marcial then landed a right hook that staggered his opponent and was counted by the referee for the second time.

The Filipino middleweight, the top seed of his weight class, will face the winner of the Michael Roberrd Muskita-Ashish Kumar matchup.

Marcial, 24, won the gold in the Mar2019 SEA Games by knocking out of Mindanao will cial then knelt on the his opponentUniversity in 71 seconds, and to make three2019 in a row floor as he celebrated also notchedtryo silver in itthe Saturday Championas action in the his win.

AIBA World onBoxing League The Filipino boxer ships, whereCollegiate he lostSponsors to Russian started off on the of- Gleb Bakshi. (CSL) This Escandor will beCup hisresumes first at the Davao City Recreation fensive, attacking his Olympic game.

Center.

Escandor Cup/CSL opponent with a flurAssociation of Boxing Alliances photo VOL.11 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6VOL.12 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MARCH 24-25, 17-18, 2019 ISSUE •FEBRUARY TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 ryVOL.12 of powerful lefts of the 51 Philippines (ABAP) secreVOL.12 ISSUE 45 • SUNDAYMONDAY, MAY 12 -13, and various counttary-general Ed Picson confirmed VOL.12 ISSUE 21 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 7-8, VOL.12 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 26-27, 2019 er-punches. He the development early Monday. claimed the He became the third Filipino to first three earn an Olympic berth after gymminutes, nast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter 5-0.

Ernest Obiena.

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