Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 258 | Tuesday, March 3, 2020

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INDULGE A1

CLASS A WATER

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

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DCWD affirms Tamugan water quality as class A

By MAYA M. PADILLO avao City Water District (DCWD) has af�irmed the water quality of Panigan-Tamugan River as “always class A.”

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Lawyer Bernard Delima, DCWD spokesperson, made the af�irmation after green advocate Interface

Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) disclosed that the water quality of Panigan-Ta-

mugan watershed dropped from class AA to class A based on the monitoring of Bantayo Aweg.

“To our understanding it will always been class A. Assuming it is A para na sa water public supply,” Delima said.

Based on the list of

classi�ied water bodies in Region 11 of Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau 11 (DENR-EMB 11), Tamugan River is class A. According to Delima, there are two types of DENR classi�ications

of public water supply: public water supply class 1 and public water supply class 2.

The public water supply class 1 is intended primarily for waters having watersheds which are uninhabited and/ or otherwise protected areas and which

require only approved disinfections to meet the latest Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW) while public water supply class 2 is intended as sources of water supply requiring conventional treatment

CLASS A, P9

A personnel of Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) at C.B. Bangoy fire station along Ponciano Street in Davao City conducts a routine inspection of a fire truck on Monday, the second day of “Fire Prevention Month” celebration. The station’s building, which was built in 1947, is now dilapidated and considered as fire hazard. Lean Daval Jr

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

Councilor to push regulation of single-use plastics in Davao City

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Davao City Councilor and interim Philippine Councilors League (PCL) chairman Danilo Dayanghirang announces in this week’s Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao that he ordered an investigation on several

irregularities during the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) national officers polls last February 27 resulting to a failure of elections. Lean Daval Jr

PCL POLL CHAOS

Dayanghirang asks DILG, other agencies to probe vote-buying, other anomalies

By MAYA M. PADILLO and ANTONIO M. AJERO

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eteran Davao City Councilor Danilo C. Dayanghirang has asked the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other concerned agencies to investigate vote-buying and other chaotic incidents that led to the cancellation of the scheduled election of of�icers of the 17,600-strong Philippine Councilors League (PCL) last February 27 during the 11th PCL National Congress in Manila.

Dayanghirang, who has been city councilor for more than 20 years, is the incumbent PCL chairman. However, he said he of�icially inhibited himself from the activities in the preparation of the convention and election because he is a candidate for chairman again.

“I did it (inhibiting himself from the convention preparations) to set a good example and in fairness to the rival group ( headed

by Councilor Jesciel Richard Salceda of Pulangi, Albay, opposing candidate for PCL chairman),” Dr. Dayanghirang said.

Monitoring the PCL events from a nearby hotel, the Davao City lawmaker said the problem started when “surprisingly, a few hours before voting time, (a number of people from) the other camp dictated (and) inserted new features in the computer (voting system).”

“Allegedly, when you vote for Tata Sala, the name of the opponent will

come out, voting for Salceda. Dayanghirang’s name props up so with other positions in the ballots. But what is always highlighted in the social media is my name only, excluding the other candidates in question which were also affected in the trial test,” Dayanghirang said in a written statement he distributed when he guested at the Kapehan sa Dabaw Monday morning He said that “all the mismatch of names resulted only after they introduced the new features.”

The Davao City councilor said that the chaos also compromised the security of the voting site as many unidenti�ied persons entered the restricted area.

For instance, the IT (information technology) guy of the other camp had gained access to the computer site, dictating the features to the of�icial programmer hired by PCL who even cried due to pressures on her.

“Their plan to interfere

resulted to the distraction of the voting system,” he told reporters attending Kapehan, attending that some non-PCL members had entered the voting place.

At around 3:30 p.m., the computer glitch was �ixed and it was now the consensus that the voting will continue.

However, the other camp allegedly opposed the continued use of the �ixed computer system and now demanded that the voting be done manually instead. Dayanghirang said the idea of manual voting was rejected because it was humanly impossible. Many of the councilors already left the area, there was no time to prepare the ballots on top of other reasons. By this time, many unidenti�ied persons have already swamped the area, alarming many PCL members who smelled trouble and chose to leave the place.

The crowd milling around the place became rowdy during the night event and some of them heckled the group of Councilor Jhong Hilario and threw plastic bottles at the entertainers.

When informed of the situation, Dayanghirang said he called PNP Chief Archie Gamboa to request assistance. He said a group of police of�icers came led by at least two police generals.

To save the situation and restore order, he said the PCL board (with Dayanghirang presiding) met to decide to suspend the election and reset the

voting on some other time.

The board also decided to have the chaos investigated with the culprit or culprits charged properly and penalized, if warranted.

Dayanghirang asked DILG and other concerned agencies to investigate alleged vote-buying. He questioned the fact a law �irm in Bicol was allowed to pay P7.3 million in check to PCL for the registration of 583 member councilors from Bicol.

He said the act was not necessary and constituted vote-buying, arguing that DILG has authorized attending councilors to get P15,000 each from their respective local government units to cover registration fee and other authorized expenses.

He also wants DILG and the election committee to investigate why the rival camp was allowed to change some features of the computerized voting system, resulting to the glitch, when the DILG earlier certi�ied that the system was working well after tests made before the PCL national event.

He also said that the suggestion of former PCL president Luis “Chavit” Singson, now president of the mayors league, for the PCL board to resign because of the February 27 fracas, cannot be done because a process has to be followed. He said he prefers that the DILG, PNP and other government bodies be allowed to investigate and come up with a report

PCL POLL, P9

econd District Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, Jr. has vowed to sponsor an ordinance regulating the sale and use of single-used plastic (SUP) products in Davao City.

The chair of the city council’s environment committee said he is just �inishing the consultations with the different stakeholders for his proposed measure.

Mahipus, a son of former Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, Sr. said he wants to encourage the use of re-usable items to reduce the volume of waste in the city.

In discouraging the use of SUPs, the rookie councilor noted that plastic wastes have been polluting the city’s environment.

In the draft proposal, Mahipus described SUPs as either recyclable or non-recyclable plastics, which are “designed or placed in the market to be used only once over a short time span before being disposed or discarded.”

It speci�ically identi�ied SUPs as plastic drinking cups; plastic condiment, sauce or gravy containers, both recyclable and non-recyclable; plastic cup lids or covers; plastic stirrers; plastic cutlery (spoon, knife or fork); plastic straws; plastic meal packaging; plastic hand gloves; plastic materials used as “buntings”; and, plastic materials used as balloon sticks.

Environmental group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) maintained that it would continue to push for a total ban on SUP use in the city.

In its position paper,

the group said that the rapid development in the city has led to “indiscriminate production and use of plastic products,” resulting in “staggering increase in plastic waste generation and environmental pollution.”

It also cited the impact the SUPs would cause to the environment since plastics are non-biodegradable, could stay in the environment for thousands of years, and could produce toxic chemicals that are harmful to human health when incinerated, causing cardiovascular disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions.

“Although they may slowly break down into microplastics, they will not decompose and instead �ind their way to water bodies and can be eaten by marine animals,” the IDIS paper said.

It added that while some plastics are less noticeable such as the oxo-degradable that was designed to degrade quickly, they are still present in the environment and continue to accumulate through time affecting the health of organisms ingesting their debris or by-products.

The city produces an average of 570 to 600 metric tons of daily wastes, according to IDIS. The environmental group said there are several alternatives to SUPs such as reusable drinking bottles, bamboo or metal straws and food utensils, bayong (a bag made of woven dried leaves) and ecobags for groceries, and biodegradable packaging such as banana leaves, among others.

Velasco bikes with Sara as House coup rumors swirl

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s House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano faced an alleged ouster plot, his supposed successor biked on Monday with Davao City Sara Duterte-Carpio, who was reportedly instrumental in the removal of another Congress leader.

Cayetano last week claimed Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco's camp offered several lawmakers budget allocations and chairmanship positions so he could take over the lower chamber's top post.

President Rodrigo Duterte last year brokered a deal for Cayetano to serve as Speaker for 15 months or until 2020, followed by Velasco for 21 months. Duterte-Carpio rejected the deal and backed Velasco for Speaker in the run-up to the May 13 midterm elections.

Velasco, who earlier denied the supposed power grab move against Cayetano, shared on Instagram photos of his bicycle ride with the President's daughter.

"Happy Women’s Month! Shoutout to one of the strongest Women I know.. Mayor Inday

Sara. Thank you for the weekend ride Mayor Inday," Velasco wrote in the caption, peppered with emojis.

Duterte-Carpio in 2018 worked behind the scenes with congressmen to oust then Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez replace him with Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in a dramatic twist during the President's State of the Nation Address.

In the run-up to the 2019 midterm elections, Duterte-Carpio called Velasco the "next speaker" in campaign hustings for her Hugpong ng Pagbabago party, which swept the senatorial race.

Duterte-Carpio was at odds then with Cayetano, who she accused of making a “veiled threat” that the administration coalition might “break up” and affect the 2022 presidential election, if she backed Velasco for speaker.

Cayetano last July said he and the President's daughter had "sorted out" their rift.

Duterte-Carpio is a godmother of Velasco's infant daughter, also named Sara.

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

All quarantined Pinoys with symptoms test negative for coronavirus: Duque

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ll Filipinos quarantined at the New Clark City who showed �lu-like symptoms have tested negative for the coronavirus, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said on Monday.

Three Filipinos evacuated from the coronavirus-hit cruise ship were admitted to the hospital after showing symptoms similar to a coronavirus infection, DOH said on Sunday. Duque said their tests results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) came back negative.

“They (RITM) reported negative for the last three cases so far,” he said.

There are no pending tests for those quarantined at the New Clark City after the 13 Filipinos who showed symptoms that are associated with the coronavirus disease have all tested negative. They were all brought back from the hospital to the New Clark City Athlete’s Village in to complete their 14-day quarantine.

All in all, 445 Filipinos — mostly crew members — were brought home from the Diamond Princess cruise ship last week.

The repatriates, along with

the health and foreign affairs personnel who helped bring them home, were transported to the New Clark City Athletes Village in Tarlac for a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

The repatriation did not include 70 Filipinos who have fallen ill to COVID-19 in Japan. Another 10 have recovered from the disease, eight of them have returned to the Philippines and placed under strict monitoring, Duque said last week.

Some Americans, Britons, and Australians who were previously on the Diamond Princess only tested positive for coronavirus after they returned home from a 14-day quarantine.

Among them is a 78-yearold man from Perth, Australia, who became the country’s �irst reported death due to the virus.

COVID-19 makes people sick, usually with a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illness, similar to a common cold. Its symptoms include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, headache and a fever that can last for a couple of days.

For those with a weakened immune system, the elderly and the very young,

ALL QUARANTINED, P9

Maguindanao blast kills 2 kids

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n explosion believed to be from a fragmentation grenade has left two children dead in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao on Saturday.

Maj. Bangon Mamako, chief of Sultan Mastura municipal police of�ice, said the explosion occurred at 2:30 p.m. Saturday near their house in Sitio Santillano, Barangay Macaviso.

The victims identi�ied as Daniel Amora, 7, and Omar Amilol, 5, both residents of Barangay Macaviso, Sultan Mastura died of multiple shrapnel injuries at the Sanitarium Hospital in nearby Sultan Kudarat town hours after the blast.

“The children were last

seen playing together at the back of a house made of light materials when the explosion occurred,” Mamako said in his report to Col. Arnold Santiago, the police director of Maguindanao.

Witnesses said the children could have been playing with a grenade they found somewhere but police said it is still being veri�ied.

One of the two victims lost his right arm due to the explosion.

The victims were rushed to Sanitarium Hospital in nearby Sultan Kudarat town but died at about 6 p.m. on the same day. (PNA)

Davao City Water District (DCWD) spokesperson lawyer Bernard Delima affirms that the water quality of Panigan-Tamugan River is always class A which means it can be used as sources of water supply requiring conventional treatment. Lean Daval Jr

PH ‘ready’ as coronavirus threat reaches highest level

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fter the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk assessment of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to “very high” at a global level, a Palace of�icial said the government is “ready” to step up efforts to contain the pathogen.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo assured that the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease tasked to prevent the spread of the disease will act in response to the WHO’s recommendations.

“Ready naman tayo dun kasi ang mga protocols naman natin well-placed (We are ready for it because our protocols are well-placed),” Panelo said

in an interview over on Sunday.

He also welcomed the WHO citing nine countries, including the Philippines, which show the spread of the deadly disease “can be contained” after the nations recorded no new cases in the past two weeks.

“Even the World Health Organization has commended the Philippines.

Maganda raw pag-contain natin sa virus kaya walang

dapat alalahanin ang ating mga kababayan (We are containing the virus very well that’s why our fellow Filipinos should not worry),” he said.

Besides the Philippines, countries who have not reported new cases of Covid-19 in the last two weeks are Belgium, Cambodia, Finland, India, Nepal, the Russian Federation, Sri Lanka and Sweden.

“The key message that should give all countries hope, courage and con�idence is that this virus can be contained. Indeed, there are many countries that have done exactly that,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press brie�ing on Wednesday.

Asked if the govern-

PH READY, P9

Manhunt vs. alleged mastermind in news anchor killing launched

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SM City Davao’s sanitation team conducts a routine sanitation on one of the escalators of the mall on Monday as prevention against the spread of viruses. Lean Daval Jr

ment would consider replicating the move of Japan to ask schools to close for about a month to control the virus, Panelo said anything is possible.

“Pag nakikita ni Presidente nanganganib at meron rekomendasyon ang inter-agency gagawin din ‘yun. Sa ngayon, wala. (If President Rodrigo Duterte can see the threat increasing and there is a recommendation from the inter-agency, it may also be done. At present, there’s none),” he said.

The Philippines has temporarily banned the entry of all foreign tourists coming from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and North Gyeongsang province in South Korea as part

olice has launched a province-wide manhunt against the alleged mastermind in the murder of Kidapawan City broadcast journalist Eduardo “Ed” Dizon in July last year.

Col. Maximo Layugan, North Cotabato police provincial director, has ordered all police units in the province to help locate the now wanted Dante Encarnacion Tabosares alias Bong Encarnacion, spokesperson of “Kabus Padatuon” (KAPA) ministry for Kidapawan City.

Judge Henelinda Molina-Diaz of the Kidapawan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 61 issued the warrant against Tabosares.

“The warrant was dated January 15 but only released to the police and local media on Saturday,” Layugan said.

Tabosares was charged along with Junell Gerozaga and Sotelo Jacolbe Jr. for the

murder of Dizon.

Tabosares and Gerozaga questioned the warrant of arrest issued by the local court in October last year, claiming there was no “prima facie” evidence against them.

Jacolbe, for his part, went to the police of�ice here after learning of the arrest warrant. He later posted bail.

Dizon was driving his car heading home from his nightly program at Brigada News FM-Kidapawan when ambushed by two gunmen on a motorbike on July 10, 2019.

Undersecretary Joel Egco, executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) has been helping Dizon’s family in �inding justice for the slain broadcast journalist.

Egco lauded the issuance of arrest orders against Encarnacion and

MANHUNT, P9

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

PAL confirms report on record losses

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hilippine Airlines said Monday a newspaper report saying it lost a record P10.6 billion in 2019 "generally describes" its current condition and that it was addressing the situation.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted a letter to employees from PAL COO Gilbert Santa Maria which said long-term debt was "unsustainable," lease obligations amounted to "billions" of dollars.

The coronavirus outbreak and the Taal eruption last January "aggravated" the airline's �inancial woes, according to the report. The �lag carrier said Friday it laid off 300 employees citing the reasons stated in Santa Maria's memo, as reported by the Inquirer.

"We con�irm that the article generally describes the current condition of the airline and the steps taken by the Management and majority shareholders to address the situation," PAL Holdings told the stock exchange.

Shares of PAL Holdings fell 4.35 percent on Monday. It disclosed the layoffs after trading hours Friday.

According to the Inquirer, PAL incurred a net loss of $208 million (P10.6 billion) in 2019, the largest in its history, It was also the third straight year of losses for the carrier controlled by billionaire Lucio Tan. No 2019 earnings data were included in Monday's disclosure to the stock exchange.

To cushion the economic and social impact of COVID-19, TUCP is in talks with employment agencies to abide by their collective bargaining agreements with their unionized crew and give reasonable retrenchment and separation packages to those who do not have contracts.

The group also called on government to convene the National Tripartite Industrial Peace Council composed of labor, business and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Finance (DOF) to craft mitigating measures.

The tripartite social dialogue practice was institu-

tionalized in 1990 through Executive Order No. 403 and in 2013 through Republic Act 10395, the tripartism law, to promote industrial peace and establish mechanisms to avoid industrial strife among workers and business owners.

The biggest labor federation of unions, the Associated Labor Unions (ALU), als supports the idea of social dialogue between workers and employers.

Among issues commonly raised by employees are the treatment of employees during extraordinary working circumstances, such as whether employers may terminate or suspend employment contracts, suspend some provisions of

collective bargaining agreements between unions and management, and how to pay remuneration to employees who are required or under self-quarantine imposed by management or government.

"We are pushing and advocating for these bilateral conversations so that changes, formulations or COVID-19-in�luenced company policies are acceptable and business decisions are fair to workers," ALU national executive vice president Gerard Seno said.

More than 83,000 people, mostly in its origin China, have been infected with the contagious coronavirus, triggering global travel restrictions that has affected supply chains.

Meeting set in May this year in Incheon City in South Korea, Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in a statement issued on Sunday.

He said contributing to the ADF will prove bene�icial to the Philippines and the rest of the Asia-Paci�ic, given that the growth of least developed countries (LDCs) will provide the Philippines and the rest of the region with new potential markets to further bolster domestic econom-

ic expansion as well as regional growth.

The Philippines' contribution to the ADF comes at a crucial time when assistance from ADB's European partners may be possibly reduced, he said.

Since the Philippines' graduation from ADF assistance in 1999, the Philippines has yet to contribute to the replenishment of the Fund.

"Now, as we move to the upper middle-income

be closed until Sunday evening for disinfection work while the �loor where the infected employee worked will reopen on Tuesday afternoon, a company statement said.

The employee tested positive for the virus on Saturday, Samsung said, adding that it would implement "all necessary

measures" to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Gumi line, which was closed temporarily last month after an earlier case was discovered, makes Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy S20 premium phones, though its production accounts for a small portion of the company's entire smartphone output.

Philippine Airlines confirms report on its record losses due to long-term debt and aggravated by the coronavirus outbreak and the Taal eruption last January which led to the letting go of 300 ground staff. Lean Daval Jr

Workers' group foresees 7K job cuts due to coronavirus outbreak

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he country's largest workers group said Saturday it was anticipating layoffs of up to 7,000 employees in the hospitality industry due to the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This, after �lag carrier Philippine Airlines laid off 300 employees due to revenue losses over travel restrictions and �light suspensions to areas affected by the novel coronavirus.

Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) president and party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza said PAL's retrenchment would trigger more layoffs in its service providers, such as hotels, restaurants, land transport service, lo-

gistics and catering.

"It is now inevitable that other airlines, to cope with the crisis, will also make similar retrenchments of non-essential jobs which will also affect workers down their supply chains" he said.

Due to the adverse economic effect of COVID-19, Filipinos working in passenger cruise and cargo ships could also be affected, Mendoza said.

"Job orders for Filipino

seafarers are zero. Other Filipino crew in other cruise ships are about to be sent home in the next few weeks including those with unexpired contract in case passenger bookings being monitored by ship operators and shipowners [are] unable to meet the number of passengers required for the trip," he said.

Also seen to be affected are land-based overseas Filipino workers, such as teachers, drivers, entertainers, cooks, waiters, receptionists and household service workers.

Some local companies, Mendoza said, are implementing coping measures such as forced leaves and work-from-home arrangements to avoid losses.

PH manufacturing up PH to make 1st-ever grant fund contribution to ADB in Feb. — IHS Markit T

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he Philippine manufacturing sector posted slight gains in February as new orders rose at the fastest pace in four months, results of the monthly survey conducted

by IHS Markit showed.

The IHS Markit Philippines Manufacturing PMI edged up fractionally to 52.3 in February from 52.1 in January.

The PMI is a composite indicator of the manufacturing sector’s performance, with 50.0 as the threshold. A reading above 50 indicates growth, while below 50 is a contraction.

"February survey data signaled a continuation of respectful growth across the Philippines' manufacturing sector," Joe Hayes, economist at IHS Markit, said in a separate commentary.

"Firms are enjoying resilient demand condi-

tions, both domestically and abroad, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that pipeline work remains suf�icient to support the positive production trend in the near term," he elaborated.

According to the results of the survey, new orders rose at the fastest rate since October 2019, indicating a "favorable" Underlying trend in demand for Filipino-manufactured goods.

Orders from foreign markets likewise increased at an accelerated pace in February, re�lecting the strongest since July 2018.

Hayes �lagged, however, that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be a downside risk to growth.

"COVID-19 poses a downside risk, but this seems to have been isolated to the supply-side so far as exports grew at the fast-

PH MANUFACTURING, P9

he Philippines has announced that it is making its �irst-ever contribution to the grant fund of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) intended for the most vulnerable and least developed members of the Manila-based multilateral institution.

The country's contribution to the Asian Development Fund (ADF) will be announced during a pledging session to be held on the sidelines of the ADB's 53rd Annual

status, the country is poised to extend help to the LDCs, including some of our neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Paci�ic," Dominguez said, adding the Philippines is expected this year to rise to upper middle-income status ahead of schedule.

The pledging session for ADF 13 scheduled on May 2 will be the 12th time that the ADF will be

PH TO MAKE, P9

Samsung, LG camera unit close South Korea plants due to virus

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amsung Electronics and LG Innotek have shut their factories in South Korea after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus, the companies said on Sunday.

Samsung's mobile device factory in Gumi, close to Daegu, where most of the South Korean virus cases have been con�irmed, will

Meanwhile, LG Innotek, which supplies camera modules for Apple Inc's iPhones, shut down its factory in Gumi on Sunday after one of its workers was con�irmed to have contracted the virus, a company of�icial said.

The plant will also be closed on Monday for disinfection, the of�icial said.

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

ECONOMY 5

EDGEDAVAO

President and chief operating officer of Davao Light (DLPC) Rodger S. Velasco hands over the financial support to the Village Director of SOS Davao, Leonilo N. Rivero. Davao Light and Power Co., Inc. and the Aboitiz Foundation Inc. support SOS Children's Village Davao and its family care program for orphaned and abandoned children. Photo courtesy of DLPC

PH oil prices down S by over P1 per liter

SMEs urged to comply with quality standards

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otorists will be greeted with cheaper pump prices of petroleum products this week, following the hike implemented by oil �irms last Tuesday. they will cut prices per liter of gasoline by P1.40, diesel by P1.60, and kerosene by P1.65.

Petro Gazz will implement similar changes, excluding kerosene which it does not carry.

The changes will take effect 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.

Cleanfuel over the weekend announced the same changes which took effect 4:01 p.m. on Sunday, March 1. Other �irms

have yet to announce similar adjustments.

According to the latest data available from the Department of Energy (DOE), year-to-date adjustments stand at a net decrease of P2.80 per liter for gasoline, P4.60 for diesel, and P5.94 for kerosene as of February 19.

rade Secretary Ramon Lopez said a company is interested to buy the manufacturing facility of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Lopez told reporters at

the sidelines of National Business One-Stop Shop launching on Friday the company that inquired about HCPI’s property is an existing �irm here but “not necessarily” in the automotive industry.

“That’s our point. If a company left, then some will expand. They would like to locate here, expansion of their operation,” he added.

He, however, declined to name the company that

is interested to take over HCPI’s facility.

HCPI will be closing its car assembly operation this month after announcing its rationalization plan for Asia and Oceania re-

hilippine Airlines announced Sunday discounts of up to 80 percent on its fares for select �lights in celebration of its 80th anniversary.

PAL said it is offering �lights from Manila to

Cebu and Puerto Princesa for P880 one-way, while �lights from Manila to Bohol are at P1280, Caticlan at P1580, Siargao at P1808, and Batanes at P2888.

Those �lying from Clark can enjoy cheaper

fares with �lights to Puerto Princesa at P480, Siargao at P880 and San Vicente, Palawan at P980.

Those �lying between Davao and Zamboanga can enjoy the cheapest fares at P80.

Select Asian destinations Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Singapore are also on offer for $80, while �lights to international destinations like San Francisco, California

In separate advisories, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and SEAOIL Philippines Inc. said

Firm eyes to buy Honda’s facility in Laguna: DTI

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FIRM, P9

PAL, P9

mall and medium enterprises (SMEs) owners and managers in the export industry are encouraged to comply with regulatory requirements and quality standards and adapt to changing market conditions and preferences to boost sales.

A research paper series published by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) identi�ied compliance with regulatory requirements and quality standards, both in the Philippines and potential export market destinations, as among main challenges for SMEs in linking to global value chains (GVCs).

These standards include certi�ications on the use of certain production processes and inputs that improve the product's quality to make it compliant with regulations in export markets.

The paper underscored the need to comply with these standards as it improves the quality of the product, thereby increasing its chances to penetrate the international market.

It said conformity with certain non-regulatory

standards, such as organic production, allows the producer to participate in the higher-value segment of the GVC. "Compliance with these standards allowed them to produce higher-value products that, in turn, helped them earn more revenues," it added.

The paper cited several reasons why many Philippine SMEs �ind it dif�icult to comply with international standards and regulations, including access to �inance, lack of access to skilled labor, and the absence of an entrepreneurial mindset.

"Many SMEs are reluctant to invest and take out loans. This aversion to risk among SMEs is caused by their lack of a fallback and safety nets in case their investments produce negative returns," it said.

To improve credit terms of SME loans, it urged policymakers to improve loan terms, such as longer repayment periods.

The paper said it is also imperative for SMEs to adapt to changing market conditions and consumer preferences in export markets to increase sales. (Philexport)

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

EDITORIAL

Economy vs safety

Here and there, there seems to be a snowballing concern on the economic losses the coronavirus scare is impacting the world. In Davao City, the ipact of the virus scare is already deeply felt. Add to that the woes concerning the African Swine Flu (ASF) outbreak.

Amidst this scenario, it is important to draw the line between health and economy.

Which one bears more weight?

It is no secret that the coronavirus issue has put the world in a lockdown. It’s a no brainer. Safety comes �irst. However, along with it comes the price the world pays in terms of economic impact.

Based on reports, China’s economic growth is expected to slow down to 4.5% in the �irst quarter of 2020 – the slowest pace since the �inancial crisis, according to a Reuters poll of economists. Global oil demand has been hit hard as well. Factory shutdowns are slowing the �low of products and parts from China and as China grapples with the coronavirus, the economic damage is mounting around the world. Businesses are dealing with tremendous losses in revenues and disrupted supply chains due to China’s factory shutdowns, tens of millions of people remaining in lockdown in dozens of cities and other countries extending travel restrictions.

China is the world’s second-largest economy and leading trading nation, so economic fallout from coronavirus also threatens global growth. Economists polled by Reuters during the period between February 7-13, 2020 said they expected China’s economic growth to slump to 4.5% in the �irst quarter of 2020, down from 6% in the previous quarter – the slowest pace since the �inancial crisis. China is also the world’s biggest oil importer. With coronavirus hitting manufacturing and travel, the International Energy

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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

Agency (IEA) has predicted the �irst drop in global oil demand in a decade. Global oil demand has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the widespread shutdown of China’s economy. Demand is expected to fall by 435,000 barrels year-onyear in the �irst quarter of 2020, the �irst quarterly contraction in more than 10 years.

Likewise, the shortage of products and parts from China is affecting companies around the world, as factories delayed opening after the Lunar New Year and workers stayed home to help reduce the spread of the virus.

However, economists are optimistic China’s economy would recover quickly if the virus could be contained.

That eventuality is predicated to the chances of containing the virus.

Even the world’s biggest event happening every four years is threatened by the virus--the 2020 Olympiad in Tokyo. Japan is now battling the spread of the virus and according to reports, the Olympics may be cancelled if the virus is not contained by the end of May. While the world watches what happens next to China as each day goes by, back home the Philippines has to make giant steps to prepare for further economic blows.

Nevertheless, it boils down to the question again on what comes more imperative.

While the economic slump is inevitable, the only hope for the Philippines is to keep itself safe. That means, more than being concerned with economic repercussions, which actually is a global challenge, it must focus on how to keeping itself free from the virus not with standing the death of a Chinese tourist.

The economy will have its time to recover, but the more telling blow this country mist be concerned of is the threat to health of its citizens.

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.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

VANTAGE POINTS

7

DENNIS R. GORECHO PINOY MARINO RIGHTS

“CLEAR AND EXISTING DANGER” RULE IN SEAFARER’S DISMISSAL CASES It is only in the exceptional case of clear and existing danger to the safety of the crew or vessel that the required notices are dispensed with in cases of a seafarer’s dismissal.

The untimely termination of a seafarer’s employment can be declared a case of illegal dismissal if the employer fails to prove that the seafarer was afforded procedural due process.

The POEA Standard Employment Contract (SEC) enumerates in Section 17 the disciplinary procedures, or the “two notice and one hearing rule”, that must be followed in dismissing a seafarer.

The Master shall furnish the seafarer with a written notice containing (a) the grounds for the charges and (b) date, time and place for a formal investigation of the charges against the seafarer concerned.

The Master or his authorized representative then shall conduct the investigation or hearing, giving the seafarer the opportunity to explain or defend himself against the charges.

An entry on the investigation shall be entered into the ship’s logbook.

If, after the investigation or hearing, the Master is convinced that imposition of a penalty is justi�ied, the Master shall issue a written notice of penalty and the reasons for it to the seafarer, with copies furnished to the Philippine agent.

The rules also state that dismissal for just cause may be effected by the Master without furnishing the seafarer with a notice of dismissal if doing so will prejudice the safety of the crew or the vessel. This information shall be entered in the ship’s logbook.

The Master shall send a complete report to the manning agency substantiated by witnesses, testimonies and any other documents in support thereof.

The Supreme Court underscored the “ clear and existing danger” rule in dismissal cases in the case of EVIC Human Resource Management Inc., v. Rogelio Panahon, (G.R. No. 206890, July 31, 2017)

The seafarer in said case admitted that he took a sip from the small �lask of whisky given to him by one of the stevedores he dealt with and went to bed.

The captain had him awakened and ordered him to make a report on some damages in the railings of the ship caused by the stevedores.

When he submitted the report to the captain, the latter allegedly smelled a faint odor of whisky and asked the seafarer if he had been drinking, to which the seafarer truthfully replied that he drank a little whisky and was willing to take an alcohol test.

The seafarer claimed that the captain shrugged off his offer to take an alcohol test but as soon as he left, the captain made a logbook entry recommending his immediate replacement.

The company argued that the dismissal was justi�ied because the seafarer was caught intoxicated, in violation of the company policies, instructions, and stipulations of the POEA contract.

Thus, fearing that the safety of the vessel and/or crew may be at risk with the continued presence of the seafarer , the employers were constrained to ask that the seafarer be relieved.

The Supreme Court ruled that this was a case of illegal dismissal as the records are bereft of any evidence showing that was given a written notice of the charges against him, or that he was given an opportunity to explain or defend himself.

Neither is there proof that the seafarer was furnished with a written notice of the penalty imposed against him and the reasons for its imposition.

The employers admit that these required notices were dispensed with because, according to them, there was a clear and existing danger to the safety of the crew or vessel.

Merchant shipping is known to be an occupation with a high rate of fatal accidents caused by maritime disasters and occupational accidents.

Most accidents happen because of simple mistakes in use of navigational equipment and in-

terpretation of the available information.

Unfortunately for the employers , however, there is no evidence that was presented to prove such was the situation when the seafarer was terminated.

It is a settled rule in labor cases that the employer has the burden of proving that the dismissal of a seafarer was for a just or authorized cause, and failure to show this would necessarily mean that the dismissal was unjusti�ied and, therefore, illegal.

In case of an illegal dismissal, a seafarer is entitled to receive from his employers his salaries for the unexpired portion of his employment contract not merely his salaries for three (3) months for every year of the unexpired term. *** Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law of�ices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez. com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

IN UNION, THERE IS STRENGTH “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” – Phil Jackson *** Just recently, I had an opportunity of watching The Great Escape, a 1963 American World War II epic �ilm produced and directed by John Sturges. It was based on Paul Brickhill’s 1950 book of the same name, a non-�iction �irst-hand account of the mass escape from Stalag Luft III in Sagan (now Żagań, Poland), in the province of Lower Silesia, Nazi Germany.

The United Artists movie starred some of the most sought-after Hollywood actors in those days: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough (who later on direct his own movies), James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, and James Coburn.

The Nazi prisoner-of-war (POW) camp had about 10,000 Allied POWs. Some of them -- 250 to be exact – planned of escaping from the camp in just one night. Indeed, that seemed to be an impossible undertaking.

“Getting men out of a German prison camp was a very complex task,” wrote John C. Maxwell in his book, The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player. “Of course, there was a challenge of digging and hiding

the tunnels that would provide the means of escape. Together, prisoners engineered the tunnels, dug them, shored them up with wooden slats taken from the prisoners’ beds, and disposed of the dirt in amazingly creative ways.

“They pumped air into the tunnels with homemade bellows. They created tracks and trolleys used by men to move through the tunnels. They even wired the narrow passages with electric lights.”

What was unbelievable was the list of supplies needed to accomplish the task: 4,000 bed slats, 1,370 battens, 1,699 blankets, 52 long tables, 1,219 knives, 30 shovels, 600 feet of rope, 1,000 feet of electric wire, and more. “It took an army of prisoners just to �ind and steal all the materials for the tunnels,” Maxwell wrote.

But that’s not all. All those who would join the escape needed civilian clothes, German papers and identity cards, maps, homemade compasses, emergency rations, and other items.

Teams were organized to support the effort. Flight Lieutenant Robert Hendley was “the scrounger” who �inds needed materials, from a camera to clothes and identity cards.

Australian Flying Of�icer Louis Sedgwick, “the manufacturer,”

made tools for digging and bellows for pumping air into the tunnels.

Flight Lieutenants Danny Valinski and William Dickes were “the tunnel kings” in charge of digging the tunnels.

Flight Lieutenant Andrew MacDonald acted as intelligence provider. Lieutenant Commander Eric Ashley-Pitt of the Royal Navy devised a method of spreading soil from the tunnels over the camp, under the guards’ noses. Flight Lieutenant Grif�ith was “the tailor,” creating civilian out�its from scavenged cloth.

Then on the night of March 24, 1944, the great escape happened. “When the �irst prisoner popped out of the tunnel, though, it was discovered that the exit was short of the woods.

Rather than get out a man per minute, they were barely able to get out a dozen per hour,” Maxwell wrote. “In all, eighty-six men escaped before the tunnel was discovered. It created chaos for the Nazis, who ordered a national alert to deal with it.

Eighty-three of the prisoners were captured, and forty-one of them were executed by order of Adolf Hitler. Only three made it to freedom.”

Sturges, the director who adapted the book into a movie, said: “It demanded the concentrated devotion and vigilance of

more than 600 men – every single one of them, every minute, every hour, every day and every night for more than a year. Never has the human capacity been stretched to such incredible lengths or shown with as much determination and courage.”

In union, there is strength, so goes a saying. J.K. Rowling, in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, wrote: “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” Or as the motto of The Three Musketeers: “All for one and one for all.”

That is the reason why people must be united – if they want to become successful in all the endeavors they are undertaking. American President Theodore Roosevelt himself admitted: “I am a strong individualist by personal habit, inheritance, and conviction; but it is a mere matter of common sense to recognize that the State, the community, the citizens acting together, can do a number of things better than if they were left to individual action.”

In order for us to become successful, we have to be united with one cause. “A choir is made up of many voices, including yours and mine,” Vera Nazarian wrote in The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration. “If one by one all go silent then all that will be left are the soloists.

“Don’t let a loud few determine the nature of the sound,” Nazarian pointed out. “It makes for poor harmony and diminishes the song.”

The same is true with life.

Here is a timely advice from Suzy Kassem, author of Rise Up and Salute the Sun: “When brothers are busy �ighting, an evil man can easily attack and rob their poor mother. Mankind should always stay united, standing shoulder to shoulder so evil can never cheat and divide them.”

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ, is an American former professional basketball player. He has played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He knows the value of talent but working together is the key in winning. “Talent wins games,” he said, “but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

Jim Stovall, on the other hand, is an American writer best known for his bestselling novel, The Ultimate Gift, which was made into a movie. He once said, “You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.”

8

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

COMPETITIVE EDGE

Students of Pagkakaisa Elementary School gather in their school basketball court for the awarding ceremony of the Nestle Wellness Campus competition as the Division of Binan City’s National Champion, Best Implementing School under the Grade School Category.

13k public schools taught proper nutrition, healthy habits under Nestle Wellness Campus program in SY 2018-2019

M

etro Manila – Nestle Philippines reported a 15% increase in nutrition knowledge among students in 13,000 schools nationwide following the SY 2018-2019 implementation of the Nestle Wellness Campus program, a continuing joint initiative with the Department of Education (DepEd).

Now on its seventh year, the program so far has reached over 200,000 teachers, 7.8 million students and 4.7 million parents nationwide. Nestle Wellness Campus is a nutrition education activity in Philippine public schools

the inter-school, inter-region competition. Some notable examples include providing more nutritious options in their cafeterias, starting up school gardens, and providing clean drinking water for their student population.

Studies on the program showed 100% application of the program’s expanded nutrition modules among students and parents, following the 2018-2019 schoolyear implementation. These were based on Nestle’s Healthy Habits including: choosing nutritious and varied options, portion management, drinking water, active play, and enjoying meals togeth-

er.

which is embedded in DepEd’s Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health (MAPEH) curriculum.

Currently widely implemented in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, Bicol and Central Visayas regions, the program

imparts to grades 1 to 10 public school students and their parents the importance of choosing healthier food and drink options as well as engaging in physical activities and family mealtimes to promote healthy habits among students.

Apart from nutrition education for students, custom dance exercises became part of the school routine. Expanded nutrition modules were cascaded to parents in the larger school community to ensure that what is being taught to children is also applied at home. Schools are also encouraged to implement their own individual projects through

Students showed a marked improvement in their nutrition behavior choosing to eat healthier food and increasing water intake. Best of all, parents responded that they began preparing healthier meals for their families at home guided by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)’s Pinggang Pinoy.

“Our dream is to encourage more and more Filipino children and their families to lead happier and healthier lives through proper nutrition. Over the last seven years, we are proud of the inroads that the Nestle Wellness Campus program has achieved

in moving the needle in the right direction among students and their parents,” said Nestle’s Corporate Affairs Director Ernie Mascenon.

“We are working with our partners at the Department of Education to expand the program to more areas as we work join forces with other like-minded organizations to help alleviate malnutrition.”

The Nestle Wellness Campus is a banner program under the larger corporate Nestle for Healthier Kids (N4HK) initiative which aims to help 50 million children across the globe lead healthier lives by 2030.

“monitor the health, nutrition, and immunization of every person in every sitio,” and identify people at risk due to exposure or malnutrition.

“But this system would require doctors, nurses, nutritionists, dentists, and pharmacists in every sitio, as well as medical technologists and epidemiologists in every municipality.

The DOH should revise its workforce structure, regularize its existing work, and begin to hire more regular health personnel,” the labor leader argued.

He argued that “while healthcare is technically devolved under the Local Government Code, it is the national government’s mandate to address health problems which cuts across LGUs and which go beyond the manpower and budgetary capacity of local government.”

“We are calling on Congress in turn to quick-

ly close the gap between DOH’s existing capacity and what is needed for 21st century threats, even if it means tripling or quadrupling its current budget,” he said.

Healthcare Job Mismatch The labor leader cited the 4th Graduate Tracer Study (GTS) from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) stating that while 21.6% of students surveyed took up nursing, only 52.8% of the nursing students were eventually matched to appropriate jobs.

Of those unmatched, 11% eventually worked as contact center information clerks, 8% went to retail and wholesale trade, and 9.7% either went on as general of�ice clerks or cashier and ticket clerks.

“This is unacceptable.

We badly need nurses to run our healthcare units, but our nursing graduates

don’t end up in nursing jobs. The waste of tertiary education resources during a time of healthcare crisis is a travesty of epic proportions,” De Guzman said.

The BMP chair also recommended strengthening “return of service” provision for public healthcare teaching schools such as University of the Philippines Manila, in order to “transform public scholars to public servants”.

“Now that we have made tertiary education free, the next step is to ensure that those whose education is �inanced by the state gets to serve the people. But this is, of course, contingent to ensuring decent pay in public hospitals and health centers,” De Guzman clari�ied.

He also noted the urgency of increasing public health personnel, given the “expected economic effects of diseases like COVID-19

which will likely hike unemployment �igures.”

“The solution to the unemployment problem is in our faces the whole time.

There are so many roles to be �illed, and yet too many are unemployed. The state must transform these roles into decent paying public sector jobs, especially in critical services like healthcare,” De Guzman said.

Dismay Pay of Nurses The veteran activist also noted that “dismal pay in public health is certainly an issue”, and the medical personnel gap can be closed by “making public healthcare wages more competitive”.

“Our public nurses, doctors, and healthcare experts do not feel that their employer – the government – does not care for them that much. Especially not with Senators like Bong Go telling them to quit because of low pay,” he insisted.

He added that “many government nurses remained in Salary Grade 10-11, or around P20,000 a month”, even with Supreme Court’s ruling to peg government nurses’ to Salary Grade 15, following Section 32 of Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nurses Act. “The Supreme Court can only interpret the law. The executive must propose an appropriate budget for nurses’ wage increase and Congress should approve it. The problem is that they keep on passing the buck to local government units, which does not have enough funds to pay their nurses,” De Guzman argued.

De Guzman concluded with a call for a “national centralized health service act” that reverses health devolution to LGUs and establishes a “single payer health system run by citizens.”

BMP to DOH: Expand public health employment, raise wages

L

abor group Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) called on the Department of Health (DoH) to “radically expand” the employment and wages of nurses and other healthcare and medical personnel in all public institutions in order to combat the rise of “emerging health issues”, including “infectious and resurgent diseases”.

“Understaf�ing in our public hospitals and local health centers cannot persist in a time of COVID-19, measles and dengue, HIV epidemic, and prevalence of stunting. The DOH should ask Congress to increase in budget for personnel and necessary organizational requirements,” BMP Chairperson Leody de Guzman said.

De Guzman echoed calls from Senator Risa Hontiveros for a “community health surveillance system”, which would

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

EDGEDAVAO TRAVEL

DAHICAN TRAVEL GUIDE 2020

Dahican’s newest tropical bohemian experience, Somewhere in Dahican.

TOP THREE PLACES TO STAY IN DAHICAN

New look and an upgraded chill experience in the heart of Dahican.

THE LINE “Where to stay?” is the most frequent question people ask me since 2016. Four years have passed, and development has been noticeable in Dahican.

I’ve written down my personal choices depending on the type of experience you’re seeking and of course, your budget.

Tropical Kanakbai One of the first few resorts built, Tropical Kanakbai has been a go-to for those who value comfort, privacy and the

Somewhere in Dahican Relatively new, Somewhere in Dahican is every weekend warrior or reclusive hipster’s Instagram dreams come true.

It’s dubbed as a tropical boheThe view in front of Somewhere in Dahican and Kanakbai. mian getaway—a cozy beachfront room with an alfresco uninterrupted view of Dahican villas complete with airdining area and sun lounge Beach. Kanakbai is the Manconditioned rooms, a veranda, with the view of Dahican daya word for ‘my home’, and kitchen and dining area. The Beach. that’s precisely the experience rooms each contain either two Located right beside Tropithe property owners want you king-size or three queen-size cal Kanakbai, this offers a to have—your tropical home beds with private bathrooms, more intimate space and away from home. and hot and cold showers. experience of Dahican—“away Tropical Kanakbai is located Rates start at PHP 3,500 from the crowds and bustle a little to the side of Dahican a night for two with an adeven on the weekends. It’s the Beach and facing the Paditional PHP 750 per extra same beautiful Dahican you’ve cific Ocean and the UNESCO guest. For more details, you grown to love except more World Heritage Site Mt. Hami- can check out their website at intimate and exclusive, oozing guitan. http://kanakbai.com. with tropical bohemian vibes Kanakbai offers two beach all over.”

Whether you’re a solo traveller seeking some quiet time to think, a family on vacation or a couple looking for a romantic time, Somewhere in Dahican is perfect. They can accommodate two up to eight people at a time.

Rates start at PHP 2,800 for two and PHP 800 for an extra guest. Kids up to five-years-old are free of charge so if you’ve got little ones, best to bring them along. The beachfront is excellent for kids as it’s sandy and doesn’t get too windy so the sand won’t get in your kids’ eyes or yours.

The quaint little property is fully air-conditioned with

MERMAID A4

EDGED

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UP AND ABOUT

Siningtala Dance Co. of John Paul II College.

Cherry Faye B. Al-ag, General Manager of Al-ag Group of Companies.

Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao general manager Bryan Yves Lasala awarding a gift certificate during the raffle.

A SHABBY CHIC AFTERNOON WITH DAVAO HRSMA

IT WAS A FUN AND FAB AFTERNOON as sales and marketing peers gathered to recognise camaraderie and collaboration among the hotel industry in the Davao Region.

Davao HRSMA (Hotel and Restaurants Sales and Marketing Association) hosted its first-quarter General Membership Meeting for the year 2020 last February 28th with its theme: A Vintage Shabby Mad Hatter Party at the ballroom of the Acacia Hotel.

The eventful gathering gave recognition to the successes of 2019 and ushers a year exciting events and activities this 2020.

The event also welcomed the arrival of Davao HRSMA’s new members, Acacia Hotel Davao, YKG Hotel Mati, and Hotel Esse,

adding to the roster of Davao Region’s growing family of sales and marketing professionals in hospitality and bringing the total number of members to 36.

“HRSMA is not only just an association, rather it has become a family for sales and marketing of hotels and resorts in the region. We have embarked on growing our family with new members and skilled peers, which I truly believe are globally competitive individuals,” adds the current President, Jennifer R. Romero.

“As members of HRSMA, we are to take an oath to uphold our vision: to support tourism initiatives amongst stakeholders for sustainable revenue growth and advancement in the region,” she states.

The event was graced by the presence of several Property

Heads, Hotel/Resorts owners, tourism industry friends and invited speakers Ms. Leilani A. Merilo, the Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing for Dusit Thani Residences, dusitD2, & Dusit Thani Lubi; Ms. Cherry Faye B. Al-ag- General Manager of Al-ag Group of Companies; and Ms. Kat Anuta-Rubio of the Department of Tourism XI. By being reminded of the virtues of involvement and commitment, President Jennifer Romero urged Davao HRSMA to be the unified voice for Davao Tourism in the region.

The event is supported by El Bonita Events, Cocktails & Dreamsz, Cristina Yip of Love & Styles, Alors A Home Kitchen, Pachadas Event Styling by Million Jesus for the Vintage Shabby Mad Hatter theme décor, and JC Molina Photography and Design. Special thanks goes out to Arnold Alvarez, the artistic director of Siningtala Dance Co. of John Paul II College.

Leilani A and Dus

Francis M Hotel M & Resor

Mindan

EDAVAO

INdulge! A3

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

HIGH DEFINITION VIEWING EXPERIENCE NOW AFFORDABLE WITH SKYDIRECT

AN ENHANCED TV VIEWING EXPERIENCE is now available to more families as SKYdirect is now the most affordable high definition (HD) direct-to-home kit nationwide with its discounted prices.

Its previous one-time charge of P2,599 for prepaid has been lowered to P2,399, giving subscribers P200 in savings, while postpaid plans available for as low as P1,699.

Subscribers can now catch toprating, exclusive, and high definition channels like the Cinema One Original thriller “Hospicio” The Officers of Davao HRSMA. on Cinema One, the highly-rated action-drama “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” on ABS-CBN HD, the latest in sports news featured on “The Score” on ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD, and “Markang Daboy” which features Rudy Fernandez action flicks on Cinemo or catch the adventures of Pikachu on “Detective Pikachu” on HBO HD and

A. Merilo, Cluster Director of Sales & Marketing for Dusit Thani Residences,dusitD2 sit Thani Resort at Lubi Plantation.

many more.

For their continued entertainment, SKYdirect offers the Free View Promo to new subscribers, which allows them to watch their favorite Pinoy movies for free when they purchase and subscribe to SKYdirect until March 31, 2020. The free access to Free View channel 48 starts on the first day of subscription until December 31, 2020. The Free View channel is open to new prepaid and postpaid subscribers.

To subscribe, just text SKY to 23668, visit mysky.com.ph/freemovies or visit your nearest SKYdirect dealers for more details.

The offer is available on prepaid and postpaid with no lock-in.

SKYdirect is the direct-to-home (DTH) service of SKY which uses satellite technology to reach more

Filipino families anywhere in the country. With SKYdirect, every member of the family can surely enjoy the channels of ABS-CBN HD, sports channels like ABS-CBN Sports and Action at Liga, ANC, Cinema One, MYX, Metro, Jeepney TV, DZMM TeleRadyo, Yey, and Cinemo. There’s also the top-rating cable channels like Cartoon Network HD, HBO HD, Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner TV HD, Blue Ant Entertainment, TLC, AXN HD, at History HD. SKYdirect is available anywhere in the Philippines with Prepaid Plans 50, 99, 150, 250 or 450. There’s aklso Postpaid Plans 250 and 450.

Subscribers can also choose and add channels aside from their basic plan via SKYdirect Select, for only P20/ month.

JILLIAN WARD’S WISH FOR ‘PRIMA DONNAS’ COMES TRUE

Morales of Waterfront with GM Mary Jane Geralde & Ronan Pangramuyen of YGK Mati, Dave Peralta of Citistar Hotel Sto. Tomas and Ms. Alice Cadao of Eden Nature Park rt.

nao Times’ Marilyn with the Grand Regal Hotel Team.

HRSMA Tala Dance Challenge.

Prima Donnas star Jillian Ward has received so much heartfelt messages from fellow celebrities and fans when she celebrated her 15th birthday last February 23.

Among these was the wonderful surprise greeting of her Prima Donnas co-stars and production team at the set of the series.

Aside from good health and successful showbiz career, Jillian

also wished for longer airing of Prima Donnas. “‘Yung hanggang Saturday po naming, winish ko po ‘to para sa birthday ko, na sana i-birthday gift na lang po sa ‘kin ni God ‘yung hanggang Saturday. And ayon po, natupad,” she said.

She also considers the series consistent high ratings as a gift.

In Prima Donnas February 24 episode, where Donna Lyn played by

Sofia Pablo and Brianna portrayed by Elijah Alejo had a brawl, recorded the series highest rating since it premiered in August 2019.

Catch up on the latest episodes of your favorite

GMA teleseryes! Go to www.gmanetwork.com or download the GMA Network app.

You may also continue to watch full episodes of the afternoon series weekdays on GMA.

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ARTS AND CULTURE TRAVEL TECH

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VOL.12 ISSUE VOL.12 223 ISSUE •216 WEDNESDAY, 258 • TUESDAY, JANUARY MARCH17, 22, 3, 2020 VOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE 219 • TUESDAY, • FRIDAY, JANUARY 14,

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINENEW ELIMINATES SINGLESONY INTRODUCES GP-VPT2BT USE PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLES ACROSS FLEET WIRELESS SHOOTING GRIP MAYA ON THE MERMAID A1 BLOCK A1

If you’re looking for a sweet treat you’ve got Chill Station to a private ka weavertoilet naga-himo,” and bathroom, he said. offer milk and fruit shakes (starts This is also among thebeachreafully-equipped kitchen, at PHP 100) and the must-have sons Limon to Sitio frontwhy lounge area.will Thegobest part is, halo-halo or mais con hielo (PHP Sangab introduce the cotton there’s atohouse assistant on-stand100). Needing your caffeine fix? weaving. believes that using by, ready He to make your stay more Balud Coffee is right beside Surf cotton threads into Dagmay as convenient whether it’s cooking Shack’s bar where you can (finally) well theiror embroidery will surf get a decent americano for only youras meals helping arrange help sustain their livelihood. lessons.

PHP 100. Feeling a little extra? Try “Mas mudaghan For more details,pud you ang may contheir all-time best-selling caramel NORWEGIAN Cruise order sathe Dagmay if they will tact Nadja atinnovator +639561555097. macchiato for PHP 120 (add PHP Line, use cotton threads,” he said.

10 for an iced drink). in global cruise BUILDING on travel the Limon also sees the to Dahican Surf Resort If you’ve been exposed to the with a 53-year history growing lineup ofneed camtapMy theand artisans in this endeavall-time favourite place to local surf scene, you might notice of breaking boundaries, eras accessories or toand givesingle-use theirfor clients fresh lookstay hang-out.

If you’re some cool shirts that some guests is now plasdeveloped modern and newa more designs. ing beverage for social scene tic bottle freewithout and locals have been wearing. creators, Sony today “We really need tothe tap new the sacrificing Dahican Surf You can get your own Reefside across itsstyle, fleet. has announced artisans directly before Resort, locally known asman DSR, is tees or Coast Collective (starts at GP-VPT2BT wireless The brand announced last gud pa ko sa middle yourga-agi bestitoption.

They’ve recently PHP 500) at DSR’s Surf Shop right shooting grip.

Ideal year that partnered withfor man since wala’y access sa upgraded, andInc., if you haven’t inside the resort. many different types JUST Goods, which en- been community,” he Line said. there in while, you’lltobe surprised Looking for more local options of content creation abled theaCruise replace tovlogs show to Limon see the wants small but significant to take home or wear as souvenirs? ranging from to all single-use plastic wateroff the beauty of Dagmay changes they’ve Local tattoo artist Paul Petz has travel photography /he bottles across its made.

17-shipasfleet, hasWhether clients with who are looking for you’re travelling solo a henna and tattoo pop-up right videography tomost simple beginning its recent clothes and accessories made or part of a group hoping to spend beside Chill Station. Cross outeveryday use,Encore. the new ship, Norwegian by theat Mandayas.

He saidof they a day the beach, Dahican Surf side DSR, across the highway, and grip offers optimum The achievement is one the noticed thatand some Pasalubong do So notSurf carry Dag“Wala man gud kaayo Resortsustainable offers affordable options Aldevinco you’ll see Mindanao—a stability comfort latest steps forward centers including Davao City’s cloth. likeNorwegian cottage rooms and tent spaces.maylocally-run surf shop that sellsMandaya na pieces and mostly combined with cablefor Cruise Line.

In T’boli products ang sa AlKeep connectivity in mind that the toiletaand just about anything surf-related, free and 2018, the Company eliminated Sa Manila T’boli lang showers are shared. including surfboards, leashes, devinco. wax reliable dust and moissingle-use plastic straws across mostly makita nako na ginawhere food was and more! ture its Unlike fleetresistant andbefore, privatedesign. destinahimo accent ug Yakan, beads quite hard toaget by, aof you either had The best thing about these top Compatible with variety tions, and as result this sa Bagobo, balud from Lanao to Sony’s cook yourself or goitcamertowill Mati City three places is that they’re all withof latest digital most recent initiative, and Inaul. Walay something to eat.

Barconnects and Grill in walking distance of each other. as, the Surf GP-VPT2BT replace overShack six million singlefrom the Mandaya communowplastic offers a variety of affordable When I mean walking distance easily via Bluetooth, allowing use water bottles every nity,” meat In and options( around 1rate, kilometre, a hetosaid. creators toseafood simplythe aim and rice year. addition, brand is CO2it’s emissions increaseso that’s thrilled make such an impact to our Sail & Sustain program cotton Dagmay design meals without start at PHP 130) that makesustainable pleasantsourcing 15–20-minute walk along shoot interfering working to eliminate single-use and invest

by The eliminating single-use bever- and believe wholeheartedly in clothing not yetchanged available you want to go back every week- ly,initemerging the an beach—great exercise Inscables or exposed inputs.

The has adjustment wheel and plastic shampoo and condiand can beisquickly technologies. age bottles across our fleet. in the importance of preserving theajust market as Limon end. grip tagram so keepinto your new includes useful be loosened tightened tioner bottles later athis year.tilt can“This tripod simply exis a opportunity, veryorspecial and It’s one by of the waysand wehis are our natural resources. We will group are in the immerDSRefforts makeallows reservations eyes peeled! feature that for flexible allow for seamless operaThese are driven by and an-tovery panding the bottom portion, proud moment for us,” working tostill preserve our oceans continue to strive towards maksion the stage ofstable, the project. swers queries wCheck myofwebsite(www.milvertical angle either adjustment as mo-tion cameras different the Company’s Sail &through Sustain easy handssaidwith Harry Sommer, president enabling and destinations we visit. ing environmentally conscious “Wethis willisevaluate their bile (+6995 136 Program, 6335) or through well as the ability to switch and gripoffor more Environmental which sizes free shooting. and lennialmermaid.com) chiefweights. executiveThe officer While just the pa beginning decisions to benefit our earth.” capacity and kung willing sila their Facebook (Dahican Surf information Dahican from normal toPage self-shooting also includes a flipon button, in- and what is its commitment to minimize The GP-VPT2BT Wireless Norwegian Cruise Line.

“As of what we and others can do, Envisioned and founded by makipag-collaborate,” he said.

Resort). to do when there mode with ease. Additionaldicator light and you lockget switch, waste to landfills, reduce its Shooting Grip will committed be availa leading cruise line, we are we are incredibly American rapper, songwriter, Balud Coffee serving you the real Dahican coffee experience.

actor and activist Jaden Smith and family, JUST takes an innovative approach to sourcing and packaging the world’s most valued resource - water. The revolutionary company focuses on an impact model, taking into consideration both how the water is sourced and packaged.

JUST is 100% spring water in a plant-based carton. The carton is made of 82% renewable materials Somewhere – the paper cartons room. is made Inside in Dahican’ from trees grown in responsibly-managed forests and the cap and shoulder are made from a sugarcane-based plastic.

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A4 INdulge!

A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

VOL.12 VOL.12 VOL.12 ISSUE ISSUE ISSUE 94 100 84 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, • SUNDAY-MONDAY, • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, JULY JULY 19-20, 28-29, 5-6, 2019

UP AND LAUNDRY FURNITURE A2A1 ABOUTa silly method but for EJ and

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

CLASS A... FROM1

(coagulation, sedimentation, �iltration 85 disinfection) to meet the latest PNSDW standard.

“The double A is the public water supply 1 and A is the public water supply 2, meaning the general de�inition is we can use the water for drinking purposes. Pag ang nahimong class A ang Tamugan means is magamit siya for drinking purposes with the usual or conventional treatment is good for distribution,” he said.

He said since Tamugan River is class A it means the river is safe for drinking once treated.

“Maski double A na ang river you still need to treat it, there is the usual requirements you must in-

stitute like disinfection etc,” he said.

The DENR-EMB 11 stated that alteration in the water quality could be attributed to pollution from point sources such as wastewater discharges from industries, commercial establishments, mining activities, livestock and poultry production, hospitals, market places, slaughterhouses, public buildings, institutions and other similar establishments including households. It is also states that these establishments have identi�iable and speci�ic discharge points to a particular water body.

Delima said DCWD has reforestation program to preserve the Panigan-Tamugan River.

before the PCL board will take any action.

Dayanghirang said if the February 27 balloting pushed through as scheduled, he could have won the election as shown by results of surveys.

During his Kapehan sa Dabaw appearance, last Monday morning, the city lawmaker showed photos and video recordings of the PCL incidents, includ-

ing the P7.3-million check paid for the registration of more than 500 PCL members from Bicol and wads of money allegedly used in the vote-buying operation. He also showed the unruly crowd which disrupted the presentation of the entertainers brought by Councilor Hilario, a popular dancer and movie and tv actor himself.

there’s a chance the virus could cause a much more serious, respiratory tract illness like a pneumonia or bronchitis.

There are 39 patients under investigation (PUIs) admitted in various hos-

pitals. The Philippines has only con�irmed three cases of the virus. Two of them have already recovered and returned to China, while one died — the �irst recorded death outside of mainland China.

of efforts to prevent the disease from spreading.

However, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the countries mentioned may opt for repatriation provided they undergo the prescribed 14-day quarantine procedure.

Filipinos are also banned from travelling to the said countries for leisure. Only permanent residents, students, and OFWs are exempted from the ban.

Three cases of Covid-19, involving three

Chinese nationals from the central city of Wuhan, China where the virus originated, were con�irmed in the Philippines.

Currently, there is no existing case of new coronavirus in the Philippines, since one of the three Covid-19 patients died, while the remaining two already recovered from the disease.

As of February 29, there are over 85,000 cases of Covid-19 worldwide and over 2,900 deaths. (PNA)

two others and vowed to push for the prosecution of the brains behind Dizon’s murder.

Layugan said the North

Cotabato police is coordinating with other police units in Region-12 to help locate the wanted persons.

(PNA)

gion.

The factory in Laguna is producing Honda models BR-V and City.

Recently, the country’s trade chief said it is the global uncertainties that pushed multinational companies like Honda to shut

down their operations in the Philippines.

“Look at the world; we are a small player, a small country compared to the global world demand. So you can expect a lot of this rationalization,” Lopez said. (PNA)

and Vancouver, Canada are also on offer for $480.

Booking period is from March 1 to 8, and travel period is from March 16 to Dec. 10, 2020 for domestic �lights, and April 1 to Dec. 31, 2020 for international

�lights.

PAL said the promo seats are subject to availability and terms, and are exclusive of government taxes, fees, ticketing service charge and surcharges.

PCL... FROM2

ALL QUARANTINED... FROM3 PH READY... FROM3

MANHUNT... FROM3 FIRM... FROM5

PAL... FROM5

9

Members of the Davao City Chamber raise their fresh fruits in the ceremonial fruit toast in support of the #eatlocalfruitsandveggies” campaign launched during DCCCII’s 2nd General Membership Meeting held last February 28, 2020 at the Grand Regal Hotel.

PH MANUFACTURING... FROM4 ROAD ACCIDENTS... FROM10 est rate in over one-and-ahalf years," he said.

"That said, panelists indicated that input deliveries out of mainland China had dented stockpiling and slowed the rate at which �irms were completing outstanding orders," explained Hayes.

Over 2,800 have already been killed in mainland China, the epicenter of the disease, according to the country's National Health Commission.

"Given that stocks of purchases have risen strongly in recent months, �irms should have appropriate buffers in place to withstand delivery disruptions, but if they continue, production volumes could be adversely impacted," Hayes elaborated.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is scheduled to release of�icial government data on the manufacturing sector for February on April 7.

replenished since it was established in 1974.

The ADF's total replenishments has reached USD4.01 billion, inclusive of USD2.59 billion in donors' contributions.

The ADB's ADF grant facility aims to promote poverty reduction and improvements in the quality of life of people in LDCs of

the Asia-Paci�ic region.

It is speci�ically dedicated to support ADB's poorest and most vulnerable developing members.

ADB has said it is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Paci�ic, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. (Xinhua)

James scored 19 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds against the Grizzlies on Saturday after missing a game with a sore left groin.

The Los Angeles Clippers, locked in battle with Denver for second place in the West, rallied in the third quarter for a 111-91 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers got off to a hot start despite the injury absences of stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, leading by as many as 14 points on the way to a 3934 �irst-quarter lead.

They were up by two at halftime, and it was knotted at 89-89 with 4:39 left in the third when the Clippers produced an 18-5 scoring run to take control.

Kawhi Leonard scored 30 points and Paul George added 24 as the Clippers notched their fourth straight win.

First-year guard Shake Milton led Philadelphia with 39 points, including seven three-pointers.

But with Simmons nursing a back injury and Embiid sidelined by a shoulder injury, the Sixers suffered another blow when guard Josh Richardson clashed heads with a teammate in the second quarter and exited the game.

Richardson suffered a bruised nose and is being checked for a possible concussion, the 76ers said.

The absence of Slovenian star Luka Doncic, who is nursing a sprained left thumb, didn’t slow the Dallas Mavericks in a 111-91 victory over the Timberwolves in Minnesota.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 38 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for Dallas and Seth Curry added 27 points on 11-for17 shooting.

PH TO MAKE... FROM4

GIANNIS... FROM11

are as follows: road safety management, safe road and mobility, safe vehicles, safe road users, and post-crash care.

“The Philippines has also shown progress in the areas of safer roads and mobility and having available data on road traf�ic fatalities,” the WHO says.

“There are already existing legislations on managing speed, drink-driving, motorcycle helmet use, seatbelt use, and anti-distracted driving (mobile phone use while driving), but there remain issues on effective enforcement of these laws.”

All over the world, despite all the laws and reminders, road accidents still happen. “By the year 2020, if current trends continue, the annual number of deaths and disabilities from road traf�ic injuries will have risen by more than 60% to number three (from number 9 in 1990) on WHO’s list of leading contributors to the global burden of disease and injury,” the UN health agency states.

In Davao City, due to the alarming steady increase

in traf�ic accidents on the highways, thoroughfares, streets, and roads, Executive Order No. 39 was signed. It sets the speed limits for all kinds of motor vehicles within the territorial jurisdiction of the city.

Violators can be �ined or arrested, if warranted, and their vehicle impounder under the provisions of Republic Act 4136 (the governing traf�ic law of the Philippines) and the city’s traf�ic ordinance. As a result of the implementation of Speed Limit Law, there was a signi�icant drop in road crashes.

Globally, it is estimated that there are now roughly 100 million families coping with the deaths or disabilities of family members who were injured in a road traf�ic collision, recently or in the past.

“They are coping with grief for the dead and care for the disabled,” the UN health agency said. “Often, they are also living with reduced incomes, increased expenses and the burden of dealing with police, courts, insurers, medical systems, and other bureaucracies.”

– ###

former pro who has stayed in great game shape despite attending to numerous businesses.

Hosted by the Philippine Airlines, the international event was backed by platinum sponsors Asian Air Safari, Vanguard Radio Network, Fox Networks Group, Radio Mindanao Network, Inc., Asian Journal Publications Philippines, Inc., Auto Nation Group, Inc. (Mercedes Benz), and SMDC. Major sponsors include The Boeing Company, University of Mindanao Broadcasting Network, Avolon Aerospace Singapore Pte Ltd, Manila Broadcasting Company, Primax Broadcasting,

Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd, CIGNAL TV Inc., Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. (Resorts World), and Airbus.

Other supporters are Uniglobe Travelware Co., Inc. (The Travel Club), Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. (Manila Standard), Of�icine Corporation, GE Aviation, SEDA Hotels, BDO Unibank, Smart Communications, Inc., People Asia Magazine, A+E Networks Asia (History), Allianz PNB Life, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Tanduay Brands, Rockwell Land Corporation, Petron Corporation, Splash Corporation, AB Heineken Philippines Inc., and Asia Brewery Inc. – Summit.

EYE ON HISTORY... FROM12

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EDGEDAVAO

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BIGGER PICTURE

ROAD ACCIDENTS NEED NOT HAPPEN

By HENRYLITO D. TACIO

“R

oad accidents are not random acts of God. They’re predictable, and therefore they’re preventable.” – Jeffrey Runge, head of the US National Highway Traf�ic Safety Administration *** Two days after celebrating Independence Day three years ago, residents of Davao City woke up with a sad news that nine people dead on the spot, 2 more pronounced dead on arrival and 8 others injured when a passenger van hit a 6-wheeler forward truck.

The accident happened at Kilometer 21 in Budbud, Bunawan district.

The van, coming from the town of Monkayo and going to Davao City, tried to over-take another vehicle.

The driver didn’t see the speeding truck on the same lane that resulted to a collision and caused the sudden death of more than half of the 16 passengers.

“The speed limit ordinance of Davao City is aimed speci�ically at putting an end to deadly vehicular accidents in the city,” said Paolo Duterte, who was then vice-mayor, in a statement issued after the accident.

“When it was �irst implemented four years ago, we saw a remarkable decrease on deaths from vehicular accidents,” the eldest son of President Rodrigo Duterte pointed out. “This year though, we again observed an increase on incidents of vehicular mishaps.”

The particular incident is one of the many road accidents that happen every now and then in the country. Among the most common ones are crashes, collisions, rollovers, and pedestrians hit by various types of vehicles. Also included are those people who die as

a result of a vehicle plowing into the roadside homes, stores and stalls.

Road accidents kill someone every 24 seconds, with a total of 1.35 million traf�ic deaths around the world each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of fatalities annually has increased by around 100,000 in just three years, it adds.

It may come as a surprise but more people die from road crashes than from HIV/AIDS (human immunode�iciency virus and acquired immune de�iciency syndrome), tuberculosis and diarrheal diseases, the WHO says.

In the Philippines, 35 Filipinos die of road accidents every day, with an additional 348 left with serious disabilities, statistics show. In fact, the Geneva-based WHO has touted the Philippines as one of the “deadliest” countries in terms of road safety.

And the toll is increasing each year. From 6,869 deaths recorded in 2006, it almost doubled in 2016 with 12,690 deaths, according to a report released by the United Nations health agency.

“One death is too many when it comes to road crashes because we know that it is highly preventable,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, WHO Representative in the Philippines. “There are proven solutions available to protect Filipinos on the road.”

Pedestrians and riders of bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds are the people most likely to be injured in crashes, studies show.

Oftentimes, most of the victims are males, “because they are more likely to drive while under the in�luence of alcohol and to speed or engage in other reckless behavior,” accord-

ing to a study conducted by the European Road Safety Council.

Deaths would not have happened if it weren’t for the consumption of alcohol.

Twenty-one-year-old was having a drinking spree with his college friends that he had not seen for three years when his wife Marianne, 18, stormed in and said, “What happened to you? We won’t be able to attend the wedding tomorrow if we don’t go travel now.”

The couple left, riding in a motorcycle. It was already late in the evening and Joseph was driving fast. What he didn’t know was that the road was being �ixed. It was too late when he found it. Their motorcycle �lew and Marianne, who hit the steel that served as a barrier, died instantly.

Joseph was still breathing. Those who witnessed the accident immediately brought him to a hospital.

The doctors tried to save his life but after two days of being in a coma, Joseph �inally succumbed.

The WHO report said road accidents are now the leading killer of children and young people between the ages of �ive and 29 years. “This is the most chilling, most heartbreaking �igure (in the report),” said John Juliard Go, National Professional Of�icer for non-communicable diseases of WHO Philippines.

But it doesn’t mean that older people are not vulnerable to road accidents.

In fact, they are too. The reason: “they are less alert and agile than others,” the European study said.

Road accident is the fourth leading cause of death in the country.

Among the famous personalities who died of road crashes include Lino Brocka, Dan Campilan, Jon Hernandez, Jay Ilagan, AJ Perez, Dulce Saguisag, Ric Segreto

and Eddie Peregrina.

With high tolls in lives and health, “the public reaction would be predictable, with screaming headlines and social media hashtags all over the place,” said an Inquirer editorial. “Legislators would immediately call for an investigation, while entire communities would be put on high alert.”

But such is not the case. In fact, road accidents “rarely make the headlines.”

To think, most hospital records revealed that road accidents contribute about 40% of all types of accidents. “There’s no accurate �igure on the number of deaths caused by vehicular accidents in the Philippines. We only read the usual death count repeated after a television or radio report,” writes Atty. Romeo Pe�ianco in a national daily.

Moneymax single out human error as “responsible for the majority of road accidents in the country.”

The Philippine National Police claim human error accounts for eight to nine in every 10 accidents throughout the country.

Most authorities believe “the lack of driver’s training contributes to human error.”

Human error also includes “actions resulting from the driver’s negligence, distraction, or physical challenge, such as loss of control, drunk driving, bad overtaking, texting while driving, and over speeding.”

Moneymax adds: “Vehicle defects, such as mechanical issues and lost brakes, are also leading road accident causes.” The most common mechanical troubles include worn-out or under-in�lated tires, suspension and steering issues, headlight/tail light malfunction, engine and transmission problems, and faulty windshield wipers.

In recent years, using mobile device while driving is one of the contributing factors of road accidents. Bestselling author Jonathan Anthony Burkett offers this explanation: “There’s a difference between driving and texting.

When you’re driving, your eyes have to be opened and on the road watching the cars around you, road signs, and traf�ic lights.

Along with your mind on the road and destination.

Which means you are multitasking. When you’re texting, your eyes are on your mobile phone screen and key pad. Along with your mind on what you’re going to say next. So how can you do both?”

Let’s take a closer look at the statistics. A study done by the Asian Development Bank found out that driver error (25.72%), speeding (17.71%), and overtaking (12.44%) were the major causes of road accidents in the country.

Drunk driving was a measly 0.57% while mechanical defects scored 12.20%.

Other causes cited: turning (9.40%), overloading (7.15%), self-accidents (4.91%), road defects (4.77%), hit and run (4.10%), and using cellular phones (0.29%).

Unknowingly, long hours behind the wheel – not over speeding – is the usual culprit for road accidents.

A health of�icial of the Department of Health explained that fatigue due to long driving hours contribute greatly to drivers losing control their vehicles. “An average person can drive only six hours straight before fatigue affects driving,” she said.

An editorial which appeared in Philippine Star understands the precarious situation: “Most motorists are aware of the problems and try to get some rest and suf�icient food during long drives. But such things can be a luxury for certain drivers who must meet certain hours of departure and arrival or meet passenger quotas.

What do these drivers do?

A number of them take shabu or other drugs to stay awake and ward off fatigue during long drives…

As those cases have also shown, drug use has led to worse problems, leading to reckless driving that results in fatal accidents.”

To address road safety issues, the Philippines launched the Philippine Road Safety Action Plan 2017-2022, adopting a vision of zero traf�ic death, with an interim target to reduce road death rate by at least 20% by 2022.

Among the interventions

ROAD ACCIDENTS, P9

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11

Giannis dominant as Bucks stretch streak

L

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans guard Josh Hart (3) during the second quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Reuters.

LeBron scores 34 as Lakers defeat Pelicans

L

eBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Sunday night.

Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the �irst three meetings with his former team, sat out because of knee soreness one night after a 105-88 loss at Memphis in which L.A. had a season-low point total.

James, who had 40 points in a 118-109 home victory against the Pelicans on Tuesday, �inished with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma added 20

points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13, and Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Markieff Morris had 10 each.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a career-high 35 points, marking his 11th consecutive games with 20-plus points. Lonzo Ball scored 19, Brandon Ingram had 15 on 5-of-23 shooting, Derrick Favors had 12 points and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 11

and Nicolo Melli added 10.

The Lakers led by two at halftime, but Green scored the team’s �irst �ive points of the third quarter and the lead quickly grew to 77-68.

Williamson scored the �irst four points of a 9-0 run that pulled the Pelicans even.

The score was tied four more times before New Orleans took a 95-93 lead at the end of the third quarter.

James started the fourth-quarter with a jumper to tie the game before the Pelicans scored six straight points.

The Lakers answered with an 11-0 run as James had two baskets and assists on Kuzma’s 3-pointer

and Quinn Cook’s jumper to make the score 106101.

Williamson scored �ive points to help New Orleans pull even at 108.

Kuzma and James each made a 3-pointer to give L.A. a 116-111 lead with 2:27 remaining and the Pelicans scored just three points after that.

Ingram scored nine points and Josh Hart beat the quarter buzzer with a tip-in as New Orleans took a 33-29 lead at the end of the �irst period.

James had 11 of his 19 �irst-half points in the second quarter, making all �ive of his shots, including one 3-pointer, as L.A. edged in front 63-61 at halftime.

OS ANGELES -- Giannis Antetokounmpo poured in 41 points and grabbed 20 rebounds as Milwaukee notched another dominant NBA victory, a 93-85 triumph over the Hornets in Charlotte.

The Bucks pushed their league-leading record to 52-8 with their sixth straight win since the AllStar break.

Antetokounmpo said that was all that mattered as the teams’ streak of 100-point regular-season games ended at 83.

“I don’t think anybody cares about that,” he said of the triple-digit scoring streak that stretched back to February 23, 2019. “We as players just come in here and try to get a win.”

In this “old-school” victory, the Bucks never trailed in the second half, although their 15 turnovers in the �irst three quarters helped the Hornets keep it close and Charlotte trailed by just two entering the �inal quarter.

Antetokounmpo seized control in the waning minutes, putting the Bucks up 88-83 with a turnaround jump shot.

He then pulled down an offensive rebound, drew a foul and made two free

throws drove for another layup and added another free throw as he scored the Bucks’ last seven points to seal the game.

Antetokounmpo, who handed out six assists, became the �irst Bucks player with a 40-20-5 stat line since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1974.

Remarkably, Antetokounmpo amassed the numbers in just 35 minutes on the court.

Brook Lopez added 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks -- and enjoyed watching another outstanding all-around performance from Antetokounmpo, epitomized by his late jumper over the outstretched arms of Charlotte’s Miles Bridges.

“He puts the work in every single day,” Lopez said. “It’s great to see him go into the game, make those moves, shoot those shots with con�idence.”

Later Sunday, the Western Conference leading Los Angeles Lakers tried to bounce back from a loss to the Grizzlies at Memphis when they took on rising star Zion Williamson and the Pelicans in New Orleans.

Lakers star LeBron

GIANNIS, P9

A young girl footballer controls the pigskin during the intense quarterfinals action in the AIA Philam Life 7s Davao Football Tournament at the Azuela Cove pitch. Jonathan Basilio

FRED C. LUMBA SPORTS KEN

DOPING AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA While the global community is behooved by the panic that the NCoViD has caused and still is causing, the sports community is alarmed by the discovery and ban imposed on a swimming champion considered to be a superstar.

China’s Sun Yang, 28, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, has been banned for eight years due to a drug testing case story that somehow befuddles the mind.

His mother smashed the container having his blood sample while the drug testing protocol was being implemented in a visit to his home.

He is the most decorated of China’s Olympic swimming champions and considered the

biggest star.

Thus, he will miss the 2020 Tokyo Olympics which commences in August.

Why he was not banned for life, sports observers say Sun Yang’s eight-year punishment is almost equivalent to retirement.

When the ban is lifted, the Chinese free stylist would have been 36 years, too old to vie in very highly competitive organized tournaments such as the Summer Games and the World Championships.

The Court of Arbitration ruled that Sun Yang was guilty of refusing to cooperate with sample collectors during a Sept.

2018 visit to their home.

It imposed the maximum

penalty requested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which had earlier appealed a decision by the FINA, swimming’s international governing body, that had given him just a slap on the wrist, saying Sun had not committed a violation due to incorrect doping control procedures.

His mother reportedly instructed the security guard to break the container that had Sun’s blood sample. The guard destroyed the container with a hammer.

(Hahaha, he made sure the container would be smashed into pieces. Yeow!)

Sun captured golds in the 400 and 1500 in London and the 200 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

He also proudly claimed eleven golds in �ive straight World Championships from 2011-19 in freestyle and nine golds in the Asian Games.

Small wonder why his mom tried to prevent the implementation of the doping protocols.

Suddenly, he was transformed into Aquaman.

Well, it’s goodbye to Sun Yang. A disgraceful exit, I would say. His medals will be recalled.

Kevin Durant is asking the NBA and the American medical community to lift the ban on marijuana use. In his personal opinion, marijuana has plenty of positive medical uses and that athletes, for that matter, NBA players should be allowed to have access to it.

Durant is reportedly a business partner in a marijuana-based entity.

Surely, I would agree with him because medical science has discovered that marijuana can help cure epilepsy. A parent who had an epileptic kid showed me its positive medical uses one day in Congress while following up the bill �iled by Rep. Rodito Albano in the 17th Congress, now Isabela governor.

A testimony from a father who urgently wants his son to be cured almost broke my heart.

Unfortunately, the Albano bill did not see full fruition.

Sayang. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

12 SPORTS

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 258 • TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020

EYE ON HISTORY

Cebu CC guns for own spot in Interclub history

B

ACOLOD — Cebu Country Club will be shooting to win the centerpiece Men’s title in the Philippine Airlines Interclub starting Wednesday here, and if successful, the squad will be writing a piece of tournament history no team has ever done before.

PAL REGULAR INTERCLUB GETS UNDERWAY. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia (4th from right) kicks off the 73rd PAL Regular Interclub during ceremonial tee off at Negros Occidental Golf & Country Club. Play starts March 4 with Cebu Country Club defending its title in the Championship Di-

vision. PAL officials in photo are, from left, Rene Aviles, Chris Biscocho, Bong Velasquez, Russel Jao, Pinky Custodio, Donna Casimiro and Joy Carpentero. (photo by Andy Alvarez)

Relegated to the Founders Division with three of its top players last year begging off for personal reasons, Cebu CC will be trying to duplicate what only one other squad has done in the past, and that is to win the Championship diadem coming from a lower division.

Only Aguinaldo in the late 1980s was able to pull off that trick before Cebu CC duplicated it last year with masterful performances at its home course and the tricky Mactan layout in Cebu.

“We came here very prepared,” playing skipper Bayani Garcia said.

“Whether we play in the Championship or Founders, we will be ready to defend our title.”

Interclub rules allow for teams coming from

whatever division to win the Championship crown, which Manila Southwoods is expected to dominate with a roster that is armed to the teeth.

That was the same scenario last year when the Carmona-based squad was shooting to win a team record �ifth straight title. But Cebu CC spoiled the party as it played under everyone’s radar on the �irst day to take the lead it never relinquished.

Southwoods, Del Monte and Luisita, squads that have solid young programs, are the only teams campaigning in the Championship division.

Yuto Katsuragawa, the pro-bound Japanese, will lead Southwoods’ charge together with the reactivated Vince Lauron, the

EYE ON HISTORY, P9