Edge Davao Volume 12 Issue 259 | Wednesday, March 4, 2020

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

ART LARGER THAN LIFE INDULGE A1

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EDGEDAVAO Serving a seamless society

A mall goer and her young daughter check out a preserved specimen of Philippine Eagle during the opening of World Wildlife Day exhibition at the atrium of SM Lanang Premier on Tuesday.

Lean Daval Jr

SID SUPPORT Ungab says he's clean, Sara-led HNP condemns ouster

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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espite his removal from his post as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Davao City 3rd District Representative Isidro Ungab vowed to stand by his style in managing the budget to ensure that the projects, plans and programs of the Duterte administration will succeed.

Ungab was removed from his post as chairperson of the powerful House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. The House majority later moved to replace Ungab with ACT-CIS party-list Representative Eric Yap during a session on Monday. Yap, according to news reports, is report-

edly an ally of Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte in the National Unity Party--the second largest bloc in the chamber and is headed by Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga.

Ungab’s removal comes after reports that congressmen are restive over a Budget department circular that classi�ies funds

for lawmakers' projects for later release and subject to certain conditions.

According to Barzaga in a television interview, the DBM circular requires the district engineer to "specify projects concretely in order to avoid ghost projects." The DBM circular comes after reports that P80 billion worth of

budget insertions were made by congressmen during the bicameral conference committee.

The ouster of Ungab is part of the reorganization at the House, which came few days after rumors of an alleged plot to oust Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano as House top leader surfaced.

SID, P8

2 NEWS EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the 46th Cabinet Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Monday night. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

DHSUD-11 no jurisdiction H over Deca water issue

Velasco will become Speaker if PRRD wants it — Cayetano

By MAYA M. PADILLO

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he Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD 11) has no jurisdiction over the water provider issue in Deca Homes in Mintal, Calinan, Davao City.

(DHSUD 11) OIC regional director lawyer Miguel Palma Gil said that DHSUD, which replaced the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), only regulates the selling of housing units of developers but has no authority over water provision to the homeowners.

"We only regulate the selling. Actually yung sa water wala kaming authority diyan. But I called Deca to call BP Waterworks.

Wala kasi akong jurisdiction na magpatawag directly kay BP Waterworks, it is the Local water Utilities Administration (LWUA)

that has the jurisdiction," Palma Gil said.

LWUA is a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) with a specialized lending function mandated by law to promote and oversee the development of water supply systems in provincial cities and municipalities outside of Metro Manila.

"It is LWUA that has a hand on the water issues.

But a developer cannot apply a permit na magpapaoperate kung hindi i-grant.

The job of the developer is to deliver kung ano yung ina-approve sa kanyang development permit sa

LGU when applying for a subdivision project. Wala dapat interest si developer directly sa pagprovide ng water. That is why there should be a separate entity created to provide water if and when hindi makapagprovide ng water is DCWD. But if capable na si DCWD to provide water automatic interconnection dapat yan," he added.

Palma Gil said he is yet to set for a meeting with of�icials of DCWD to discuss the issue.

"I have yet to get a copy of the complaint sa water issue in Deca Tacunan in Mintal. Nagpa-schedule na ako na magpatawag with DCWD. We are still arranging the schedule," he added.

DCWD has expressed willingness to act as water provider for the indignant homeowners of Deca Homes in Davao City.

here is no need to suspend classes in high schools nationwide amid coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-2019) outbreak, an of�icial of the Department of Education (DepEd) said Monday.

In a radio interview, DepEd Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del Pascua said that suspension of classes depends on the alert level raised by the Department of Health

(DOH) in the country with regard to Covid-19. "'Yung unang level of response, 'yung criteria or premise po niyan kung meron na po infection sa ibang bansa, at dito naman po sa ating bansa, 'yung level 2, kung 'yung infection sa ibang bansa ay nakarating na sa Pilipinas, at 'yung level 3 naman po ay kung yang infection ay mayroon na nanyayari na sa mga eskwelahan, sa komuni-

dad at ang level 4 naman po, merong transmittal ng infection sa estudyante sa mga eskwelahan at sa mga community (The �irst level of response, the criteria or premise for that is if the infection is in another country, and here in our country; level 2, if the infection from other countries has reached the Philippines; level 3 is when the infection happens in the school, the community; and level

Lawyer Bernard Delima, spokesperson of DCWD, said DCWD will not interfere in the operation of BP Waterworks, yet, he said DCWD is willing to provide water to Deca Homes homeowners as long as the developer will turn-over the facility at no cost.

Delima explained that before one can enter as water provider, the facility must be endorsed �irst by the current water provider.

He also clari�ied that water supply provision in Davao City is open to all water providers and not exclusive by DCWD. Meanwhile, Palma Gil announced that the water issue in Deca Homes Tigatto in Buhangin is already settled. He said unpaid bills of homeowners some amounting to P10,000 and

4, there's transmittal of the infection among students in schools and communities)," Pascua said.

He added that suspension of classes only happens when alert levels 3 and 4 are raised.

Since the country is now free after the three positive Covid-19 cases, the DOH has changed the alert level from level 2 to level 1.

"Na-contain na po ang

DSHUD-11, P8

DepEd: No need to suspend classes amid Covid-19 threat

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DEPED, P8

ouse Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco will be the next Speaker if President Rodrigo Duterte really wants it.

“Ang message ko lang sa kanya, trabaho lang tayo, huwag tayong magsiraan, huwag tayong mag-intrigahan at huwag kang matatakot na hindi ka magiging Speaker kasi kung 'yan talaga ang gusto ng Presidente, he is the head of our coalition, mangyayari 'yan,” Cayetano said in an ambush interview late Monday evening.

He made the remark after he alleged that Velasco was working to have him removed from his position by offering chairmanship posts to lawmakers, as well as extra budgetary allocations to their districts.

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enator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Monday joined six other senators who abstained from voting on Senate Resolution (SR) 337 asking the Supreme Court (SC) to rule on whether or not the concurrence of the Senate is necessary in the abrogation of a treaty.

Go explained that President Rodrigo Duterte “as chief architect of foreign policy" has the “power and prerogative” to terminate treaties and the Senate must not dictate upon the SC as to how and when to do its job.

“I abstain from voting

“So there's no doubt that, from the start, I've been consistent, kung ano ang desisyon ng Pangulo, as far as the leadership alone kasi ano siya coalition head,” he added.

Cayetano met with lawmakers from the Nacionalista Party and the National Union Party Monday evening. He said they talked about the direction and reforms he introduced as Speaker.

“Simple lang, they like direction, they like the reforms, I’m here to continue to serve,” he said.

But the meeting came after reports surfaced that a move will supposedly be made in the House plenary to declare all positions vacant and that there will be an election.

Buhay party-list Repre-

VELASCO, P8

on proposed Resolution No. 337. First, let me reiterate my position that as Chief Executive and Chief Architect of our foreign policy, it is within the President’s power and prerogative to cause the review and termination of treaties taking into consideration the welfare of our nation,” Go manifested.

“Second, there are pending cases before the Supreme Court tackling the issue of whether or not Senate concurrence is necessary in terminating or withdrawing from a treaty.

I believe that as a co-equal

SEN.GO, P9

NEWS 3

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Special powers for PRRD to speed up BBB hurdles House committee

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he House Committee on Flagship Programs and Projects on Monday approved a measure granting President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to speed up the implementation of the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

The panel, chaired

by Tarlac Rep. Carlos Cojuangco, approved House Bill 5456, which seeks to grant special powers to Duterte to adopt a national policy that will fasttrack the implementation of �lagship infrastructure projects on or before 2022.

The number of key infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program went up to 100 from the original 75, after Duterte earlier ordered his economic team to revisit the roster of proposed big infrastructures.

Around PHP9 trillion will be spent on the implementation of 100 �lagship infrastructure projects and over 10,000 small infrastructure projects.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, author of the bill, said

the program should be supported with special powers to fast-track the implementation, as this would provide an inclusive growth translating to poverty reduction from 21.6 percent of the population in 2015 to 14 percent by 2022.

“The ‘Build, Build, Build’ program is a work in progress but could be faster by easing procurement rigidities and empowering right of way,” he said.

The poverty incidence in rural areas is also intended to decrease from 30 percent to 20 percent in the same period, while the unemployment rate will go down to 3 to 5 percent.

“The immediate implementation of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program will complement meaningfully to the economic and social legislations that were already passed by Congress designed to accelerate the country’s growth rate, change the socio-economic structures, ensuring ecological integrity and towards achieving peace

SPECIAL, P8

CHO extends the fourth round of anti-polio drive

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he Davao City Health Of�ice (CHO) has extended the 4th round of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio to March 6 to immunize more children against poliomyelitis.

Dr. Josephine Villafuerte, the head of CHO, said the extension was suggested by the Department of Health (DOH) after reports of an increasing number of polio cases in the country.

She said the country has recorded 28 cases prompting the DOH to extend the 4th round of the immunization.

“We extended the immunization because there are about 27 or 28 polio cases on the country. Be-

fore we are just talking about 16 to 17 cases, now it has gone (up). We wanted to protect the children from all strains,” Villafuerte said.

Villafuerte, however, pointed out that the city still has zero-polio case.

“Davao City remains to be polio-free, the environment examination on our water has turned out to be negative,” she said.

The city has already surpassed the 100-percent target for the type 1 and 3 polio vaccines.

On March 1, the CHO recorded a 101.65-percent coverage, or 189,951 children aged zero to 59 months covered by the oral polio immunization. CIO

Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte, on Tuesday, joins the families of the victims of the bomb explosion that ripped through the old airport of Davao City 17 years ago. CIO

Sara leads commemoration of Sasa airport bombing

By MAYA M. PADILLO avao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio led the 17th year commemoration of the 2003 Sasa airport bombing at the old Davao airport on Tuesday.

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The commemoration was highlighted with offerings of candles and �lowers at the bomb explosion site.

Speaking before city government of�icials, families of victims and survivors, Mayor Duterte said the past thirty years have seen numerous bombing incidents in the city, but Davao City has always stood up, stronger, braver, after each incident.

"Seventeen years after the incident here at the Old Airport, we come togeth-

er to remember the lives of our friends and family members who were taken from us," Mayor Duterte said.

She added that, although, the bomb incident has forever changed the lives of the victims' families she encouraged the attendees not just to remember the bombing incident at ground zero but also to remember the lives of their loved ones and honor their memory.

"We know that nothing

can ever make up for your loss, but know that the City Government of Davao, together with our security forces, remains vigilant and committed to protect the city from all forms of terrorism. And with your support, and the support of the rest of the Dabawenyo community, together we can ensure that such atrocities never happen again," she said.

The mayor also assured that the City Government will also continue to give educational assistance to the children of the victims, through the local City Social Services and Development Of�ice (CSSDO) and the Educational Benelit System Unit (EBSU).

"Today, we light our

Swine deaths in Mati's coastal brgys. not ASF

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A health worker administers an anti-polio oral vaccination at a health center in Davao City. The Davao City Health Office (CHO) has announced the extension of the 4th round of the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio to March 6 to immunize more children against poliomyelitis. Lean Daval Jr

candles in memory of those who died, in solidarity with the survivors, and in our collective conviction that as long as we remain committed to the ideals of peace and hope, nothing can weaken our resolve and our resilience as one Dabawenyo community," she said.

The Davao airport bombing took place on the afternoon of March 4, 2003. A bomb was placed in a box or bag in a covered waiting shelter just outside the airport terminal. The bomb blew off the shelter’s roof panels, and shrapnel from the bomb blast tore into those waiting in or near the shelter. The blast killed 22 people and injured 143.

he nine reported deaths in the pig population in three coastal barangays in the City of Mati have been ruled out as African Swine Fever infection.

City of Mati Veterinarian Services Of�ice head Dr. Marites Erispe said that the samples taken from the hogs in Barangays Lanca, Luban, and Cabuaya were no longer tested by the Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory based in General Santos City.

This is because, Erispe said, the symptoms observed from the piglets that died were not the same from the symptoms of ASF. She said that instead of the ASF testing, the samples were subjected to the Classical Swine Fever test which also yielded negative result.

"Compared with ASF wherein lahat affected, but in this case puro piglets lang then isolated case kasi isa lang ka owner tapos meron history na binigyan nya ng dewormer na para sa kalabaw ginamit nya sa piglet," Erispe explained.

The City of Mati LGU is giving special attention to the three coastal barangays due to their proximity, by sea, to Davao Occidental where the �irst outbreak of ASF in Mindanao was reported.

Qarantine checkpoints in the entry and exit points of Davao Oriental and the City of Mati have been set up to prevent the entry of ASF in the province and the city.

Pork products and byproducts from the entire Luzon island and ASF-affected areas are not al-

SWINE, P9

4 ECONOMY EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Farmers harvest watermelon at a farm in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur months after the municipality was hit by series of strong earthquakes. Lean Daval Jr

Nine senators seek ABS-CBN’s T provisional authority to operate

Peso rebounds vs. US dollar

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ine senators on Monday �iled another proposed resolution asking the National Telecommunications Commission to issue a provisional authority to ABS-CBN so that it may continue to operate even after its franchise expires weeks from now.

Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Lito Lapid, Joel Villanueva, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Grace Poe, Ralph Recto, and Manny Pacquiao �iled Concurrent Resolution No. 7 as regards ABS-CBN's continued operation.

The lawmakers noted that as early as the 16th Congress, there had been attempts to renew the franchise of the company through a bill �iled at the

House of Representatives.

The measure, however, did not get past through the committee level.

In the present 18th Congress, bills related to ABS-CBN's franchise are still at the lower chamber.

The authors of the resolution pointed out that the non-renewal of ABSCBN's franchise will result in the unemployment of its 11,000 workers.

Senator Dick Gordon, on the other hand, op-

posed the concurrent resolution.

"I really do not believe that. Why? It will open the �loodgates of exploitation and corruption for the rest of the people applying for a contract," he said.

Nevertheless, Gordon said that he was for the franchise renewal of ABSCBN. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon �iled a similar concurrent resolution stating that the media giant should be given a provisional authority by the NTC, to prevent its shutdown while its franchise renewal is still being deliberated in Congress.

He underscored that only a few session days are remaining before Congress goes on a break

starting March 13. It will only resume session on May 4, the same day when ABS-CBN's 25-year franchise would expire.

Drilon also �iled a joint resolution seeking to extend the franchise of ABSCBN up to Senator Bong Revilla, on the other hand, �iled a bill seeking to extend the broadcast company's operations until the end of the year pending the �inal decision of the Congress.

The Of�ice of the Solicitor General �iled a quo warranto petition at the Supreme Court against ABS-CBN in February, accusing it of "highly abusive practices."

ABS-CBN refuted the allegations and maintained that it did not violate any law.

for comment.

The litigation centers on stealthy mobile operating software changes in the name of avoiding "unintended power-offs."

In December 2017, Apple admitted that iOS software was tweaked to slow performance of older iPhones whose battery life was deteriorating to prevent handsets from spontaneously shutting down.

Critics accused Apple of surreptitiously forcing

users to buy phones sooner than necessary, and the outcry forced Apple to upgrade its software and offer steep discounts on battery replacements.

The proposed settlement calls for Apple to pay at least $310 million dollars, but no more than $500 million, to compensate affected US iPhone owners and pay lawyers for the plaintiffs, according to court documents.

People who owned iP-

hone 7 models or older will get $25 for each handset, with the amount rising or falling depending on how many people �ile claims and costs of getting word to them.

Lawyers behind the suit want to pocket $93 million of the settlement money plus another $1.5 million or so for out-of-pocket expenses, legal documents indicated.

France's consumer

Apple agrees to pay $500M in class suit

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pple has agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims it covertly slowed older iPhones to get users to upgrade.

A federal judge in California presiding over a group of lawsuits will be asked to approve the proposed settlement at a hearing in early April, according to a court �iling on Friday.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request

APPLE, P9

he Philippine peso rebounded against the US dollar on Monday, driven by sustained �lows following the release of overseas economic data.

The local currency gained 34 centavos to close Monday at P50.63:$1 from last Friday's P50.97:$1.

"Peso gained on sustained �lows after China’s PMI fell more than expected, progressing throughout the day and propping up local currency," Robert Dan Roces, assistant vice president and chief economist at Security Bank Corp., said in an email interview.

The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell

to 40.3 in February, down from the 51.1 reading in January, and the lowest since the survey started in 2004, according to Reuters.

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.

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

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

Covid-19 threatens smartphone supply chain: leading chip maker

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hip maker Qualcomm Inc said on Wednesday that the coronavirus outbreak in China poses a potential threat to the mobile phone industry, with a possible impact on manufacturing and sales.

The comments by Qualcomm, the world's biggest supplier of "modem" chips that connect mobile phones and other devices to wireless data networks, dragged down chip stock shares despite signs that an industry downturn was ending.

Qualcomm's chief �inancial of�icer, Akash Palkhiwala, on a conference call with investors following the release of quarterly results, said the company expects "signi�icant uncer-

tainty around the impact from the coronavirus on handset demand and supply chain."

Qualcomm shares fell as much as 3.75 percent in after-hours trade.

The San Diego-based chip supplier forecast revenue for its �iscal second quarter largely above Wall Street estimates, in the latest sign that the protracted slowdown in the global chip industry is easing.

The forecast was wider than usual because of the outbreak in China, which has killed hundreds and sparked fears around the world. The company lowered the bottom end of its earnings-per-share guidance by 5 cents to account

COVID-19, P9

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

ECONOMY 5

Water interruption in some areas served by Tugbok WSS

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avao City Water District advises customers of a water service interruption on March 6, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in some areas served by Tugbok Water Supply System.

Speci�ic affected areas are portion of Davao-Bukidnon Road (from Bacanaya Compound to Ulas Public Cemetery) including Bacanaya Compound, BRC Village, Keith Williams, Hope Mountain, Maligaya Village, Bacalso Compound, and Ulas Public Cemetery.

DCWD needs to temporarily shut off the water supply in the affected areas to give way to the tapping of the newly installed pipeline to DCWD’s existing pipeline for the mainline improvement at Samat Street, Maligaya Village in Catalunan Pequeño. Once completed, this project will allow for accommodation of additional service connections.

On behalf of the DCWD management, General Manager Edwin V. Regalado asks for the understanding and coopera-

tion of would-be affected customers and advises them to store enough water prior to the schedule.

Water supply may be restored earlier if work goes smoothly or later if unforeseen problems arise.

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

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

The Royal Mandaya Hotel front desk personnel entertain guests at the hotel lobby on Tuesday. The hospitality industry of Davao City has continued to experience low occupancy rate due to coronavirus scare. Lean Daval Jr

Gov't spending better than monetary stimulus vs. virus Syndicates smuggled $370M with AFP, PNP escorts —BOC

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uspected syndicates brought in an estimated $370 million into the Philippines last year with the help of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and airport police escorts, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has revealed.

In a statement on Monday, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said he has ordered an investigation into the issue after Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero submitted a report to him detailing the activities of the suspected syndicates.

In his report dated January 29, Guerrero said the “Rodriguez” and the “Chinese” groups brought in $200.24 and $167.97 million, respectively, into the country last year through the Ninoy Aquino Interna-

tional Airport.

Guerrero said the Rodriguez group named Excellent Forex Inc. as the recipient of the money that entered the country from July 17, 2019 to January this year.

The Chinese group smuggled its stash from December 17, 2019 to January 2020, the Customs chief added.

The BOC also discovered that the couriers were paid between P12,000 and P50,000 per �light and �lew two to three times a week with one to two pieces of luggage.

Guerrero noted that the suspected syndicates managed to bring in the money undetected by authorities because members of the AFP, PNP, and the Manila International Airport Authority’s police department

SYNDICATES, P9

PH T-bill rates end mixed

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ate of the Philippines’ treasury bills (T-bills) posted mixed results Monday, with demand for all tenors remaining strong.

Average rate of the 91day paper posted an uptick to 3.013 percent from 3.003 percent during the auction last February 24.

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) offered this tenor for PHP6 billion and the auction committee made a full award. Total bids reached PHP12.813 billion.

On the other hand, rate of the 182-day paper slipped to 3.324 percent from last week’s 3.365 percent.

The auction committee made a full award of PHP6 billion while bids were more than twice at

PHP14.498 billion.

Average rate of the 364-day paper declined to 3.684 percent from 3.787 percent in the previous auction.

The auction committee upsized the offer to PHP11.2 billion, and made a full award after bids totaled to PHP33.06 billion.

National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon said rates generally remained low due to anxieties on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the domestic economy.

She said that while the rate of the shortest tenor paper posted an uptick, the 91-day T-bill rate’s level Monday is still lower than the 3.628 percent in the secondary market in the morning session.

(PNA)

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iscal stimulus will be more effective than a monetary stimulus to date, to address any economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) on the Philippine economy.

This was pointed out by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin Diokno Monday at the sidelines of the launch of his four books at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

“We’re going to do everything to avoid a signi�icant slowdown, meaning less than 6 (percent growth). But to me, I think, at this time, maybe the �iscal stimulus is much more effective than the monetary stimulus because if you’re going to stay home, you will not spend money so there’s less stimulus from that,” he said.

Last year, the Philippine economy failed to hit the government’s 6-6.5 percent target band after expanding by only 5.9 percent due to the impact of

the delay in the approval of last year’s national budget.

This year, economic of�icials are con�ident of faster domestic expansion given the timely approval of the national budget and the implementation of programs that were not funded on time last year.

Diokno said the government’s infrastructure program, the Build, Build, Build program, will be more effective to counter any impact of Covid-19 on domestic growth.

Under this program, the government will increase infrastructure investments to about PHP1 trillion annually to put in place necessary projects that will have a more long-term impact on the economy.

Earlier, Diokno said they were projecting Covid-19’s hit on domestic

growth to average at 0.3 percent in the �irst half of the year, with the impact placed at 0.2 percent in the �irst quarter and 0.4 percent in the second quarter.

He said monetary of�icials have slashed key policy rates by 25 basis points so far this year, and he is committed to his earlier statement of a 50-basis-point rate cut this year to help boost domestic growth.

Philippine monetary of�icials are expected to �inish their study on the impact of Covid-19 on the economy around April, he said, adding “to give (us) time to assess the situation.”

Asked on the impact of the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are infected by the virus, Diokno said they are still monitoring the developments.

“We are evaluating.

Maybe on a weekly basis, we are doing it. We’re ready to report to DBCC (Development Budget Coordination Committee) maybe around April,” he said.

ilipinos love to travel as this is a way to broaden one’s mind through exploring various places and immersing oneself into different cultures.

But while going on adventures is an idyllic lifestyle, most people need to save up to ful�ill their travel bucket list. Fortunately, there are low-fare offerings from Cebu Paci�ic that enable biyaheros to book �lights to their dream destinations.

On its 24th anniversary, the Philippines’ leading carrier brings back the Super Seat Fest to spur everyJuan to travel and Be A Baryahero. From March 3 to March 5, �lights on Cebu Paci�ic can be availed for

as low as PHP1 one-way, base fare. The three-day sale gives more chances for everyjuan to book great deals - especially since the airline is making available the most number of piso seats ever since it started this promo years back. Day 1 will be dedicated purely to the airline’s 37 domestic destinations, while March 4 will solely be for its 25 international destinations. On the last day, all remaining seats will be up for grabs, still for as low as PHP1 one-way base fare, with all payment centers up to secure those bookings .

All seats will be for travel from September 01, 2020 to February 28, 2021.

For the rest of the month, CEB will also offer various deals and discounts on everything you will need for your trip. This includes CEB Getaways hotel deals which will be up to 75% off, in�light hot meals at 40% off as well as, CEB wi-�i kits will be available up to 42% off. Making your #CEBTravels more convenient and affordable for everyJuan.

“We have made it a point to give back to everyJuan for their support for the past 24 years. We want to continue enabling even more juans to go out and see the Philippines, as well as the rest of the world, without breaking the bank,” said Candice Iyog,

Diokno said there are other measures that the government should implement to counter any impact of Covid-19, and these include improving the ease of doing business.

“These are the things that we need to do with or without the Covid-19 virus.

Let’s do it now while the whole world is in shamble so that, as I said, when things recover then, we will be stronger,” he added.

During the same event, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Director General Ernesto Pernia said the government may increase spending to counter any impact of Covid-19.

He said the higher spending may increase the budget de�icit from the 3.2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) target to around 3.3-3.5 percent of GDP. Pernia added impact of the epidemic on domestic growth may be around

Vice-President for Marketing and Customer Experience at Cebu Paci�ic.

To help promote travelling to everyJuan, internet sensation Mimiyuuuh is on-board with team CEB to help excite and encourage travelers.

CEB is one with the government in promoting domestic tourism as concerns linger over international travel given the COVID-19 situation. On top of the Super Seat Fest, Cebu Paci�ic has dropped year-round fares to over 70 domestic routes and ramped-up the number of seats offered for key routes across the country. And to top this all off, Cebu Paci�ic will be holding

GOV’T, P9

Cebu Pacific opens month-long #cebsuperseatfest with three-day piso sale

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CEBU PACIFIC, P9

6 VANTAGE EDGEDAVAO

EDITORIAL

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

Rogue drivers

Driving violations are as constant as the morning sun in Davao City.

Based on record, roughly over a thousand drivers violate traf�ic rules every year in Davao City. These violations translate to an estimated over P60 million in �ines collected by the City Transport and Traf�ic Management Of�ice (CTTMO). In the �irst half of 2019, CTTMO reported �ines amounting to P33.8 million. Violation fees come in the form of settlement fees made in lieu of �iling cases in court for such petty violations. It saves the city government and erring motorists their precious time, money and effort.

While the �ine system is working, city traf�ic enforcers could have collected more had they been tougher on clamping down violators especially illegal parking.

But yes, even the �ine system is really not deterring the volume of driving violators. It is likewise prone to corruption and bribery.

Maybe there has to be more creative ways to deal with rogue drivers. In Metro Manila, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is planning to enforce a ban on delinquent drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) and called for PUV operators to keep such drivers from driving their vehicles. While the MMDA does not have the authority to apprehend or revoke excessive traf�ic violators, it has asked the Land Transportation

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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

Of�ice (LTO) to issue a guideline on the apprehension of such drivers.

Perhaps, it is time CTTMO look at possibly enforcing the Demerit System which is being used in other countries like Australia.

Under the Demerit System, when one who commits a driving offense that carries demerit points, points are added to your driving record. Each license type has a designated demerit points limit. If one exceeds the limit by committing enough demerit point offenses within a 3 year period, the license will be either suspended, or will not be renewed. The 3 year period is calculated between the dates the offenses were committed and ends on the day of the most recent offense. A license may also be suspended if one commits an excessive speed offense. Those who exceed Demerit System limits may also be required to attend a Driving course and Knowledge Test which is tougher for violators than for �irst time driving license applicants.

How this system could work in a local government territory may be discussed with the LTO for reference.

For now, it is important that while the city deals with nagging traf�ic problems, it must also create ways to discipline rogue drivers. The less errant drivers on the road, the lesser traf�ic woes and accidents.

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 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 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.”

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"As I have said yesterday, the truth will always prevail. I am guided by my conscience," Ungab told Edge Davao.

He also thanked his party Hugpong Ng Pagbabago (HNP) which immediately issued a statement of support for the embattled lawmaker.

The conveners of HNP, a political alliance formed

by Davao City Mayor Sara

Duterte-Carpio, said in a statement that it strongly condemned the removal of Ungab from his post.

The HNP statement said the ouster of Ungab was grossly unacceptable as it is disadvantageous to the Duterte administration’s reform agenda for the Filipino people and the country.

HNP also lauded him for being "a good soldier" of

President Rodrigo Duterte and for doing his job with pride and principle.

The party has endorsed Ungab during the race for the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 18th Congress in July last year.

Ungab is a four-term congressman and the only lawmaker to hold the chairmanships of both Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees.

P20,000 was waved back to zero "What is good right now is lahat ng utang ng mga homeowners ay back

to zero. Kasi may mga arrears ang mga homeowners sa Tigatto. Upon signing it erased all arrears.

Yung may mga upaid water

bills some amounting to P10,000 and P20,000 even more waved lahat yun a back to zero lahat yun," he said.

sentative Lito Atienza earlier said Cayetano himself will cause for the election in order to set aside the term-sharing agreement between him and Velasco and keep him in position.

Cayetano, however, said he could not predict what will happen on the �loor, and that he would not resort to politicking as he is trying to build a “coalition” in the House.

He also wanted to retain all committee chairmen in their respective panels even after he steps down from the speakership

by November — something that, according to him, Velasco cannot promise in his statements.

“So kung mamumulitika ako dapat hinati ko na lang 'yung Congress, 50% plus one then tinodo ko 'yung resources sa kanila para may – ako, hindi, we opened it up to everyone, let's say coalition,” Cayetano said.

“Sila nagti-threaten ng coalition by what they're doing. So 'yun ang challenge ko naman sa kanya, go on record na pagpalit, tayong dalawa lang magpa-

palit, all the other chairmen will stay,” he added.

Velasco earlier said he would honor the term-sharing agreement between him and Cayetano, but he has yet to make a fresh comment on the allegations that the latter has recently thrown at him.

PDP-Laban spokesperson and Deputy Speaker Johnny Pimentel, who is part of Velasco’s camp, nevertheless, said the party has no knowledge of any coup attempt against Cayetano, and they will not take part in it, if there is any.

infection ng virus dito sa Pilipinas. Mataas po ang alert level ng World Health Organization [WHO] sa ibang bansa, pero dito po sa loob ng Pilipinas, contained po and virus sa ngayon (The infection of the virus in the Philippines has been contained. The WHO raised high alert levels in other countries, but

here inside the Philippines, the virus is contained at the moment) according to the DOH," Pascua said.

On Monday, Health Assistant Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire reported that the number of discharged patients under investigation (PUIs) for Covid-19 went up to 592 from 588 on Friday and

that there is a downtrend in the number of admitted PUIs in various health facilities nationwide with only 43 cases to date.

"This (downtrend) may be attributed to our strengthened surveillance, early travel restrictions, and enhanced laboratory processes," Vergeire said.

(PNA)

and security,” Salceda said.

The bill proposes to declare the immediate implementation of the �lagship projects of the President as of “national importance”.

It shall also seek to au-

thorize the President to exercise special powers for three years necessary and proper to effectively respond to multiple problems as a consequence in fast-tracking the implementation of the �lagship

project for the economic growth of the country.

Under the measure, it shall also designate the chairman of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority as the �lagship manager. (PNA)

the Founders class, leading from the �irst day and never relinquishing it to duplicate what only Aguinaldo did in 1988.

Winning again this year would make Cebu CC as the only team to do it twice, and playing skipper Bayani Garcia is optimistic that they have the tools— and the preparation—to pull it out back-to-back.

“Everyone that has come here has come very well prepared,” Garcia said. “Whether we play in the Championship or the Founders (division), we will give it our best shot and we are con�ident that we can do it.”

Player point averages (PPAs) of teams determine what division it will land in, and with Cebu CC losing three of its regulars to personal reasons, it was relegated to the Founders and left Manila Southwoods, Luisita and Del Monte in

the Championship derby.

Southwoods will be shooting to touch off another title streak here as it brought in a team loaded with �irepower.

Japanese Yuto Katsuragawa spearheads the team, which activated Vince Lauron to join Jun Jun Plana as the veterans and steadying presence of a very young yet talented squad.

Del Monte and Luisita will be �ielding teams made up of its grassroots program.

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 in-

clude 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.

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VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

EDGEDAVAO ARTS AND CULTURE

ART LARGER THAN LIFE

Donn Maguilimota Music and Fortune For Lovers.

IN CELEBRATION OF THE NATIONAL ARTS MONTH, eight contemporary artists collaborated to launch the art exhibit is entitled “4 by 7 by eight” last February 29 at the third floor hallway of the Abreeza Ayala Mall.

While most artists in Davao normally chose to produce smaller pieces of art, the exhibit marks the first time an exhibit features solely largeformat artworks measuring four-feet by seven-feet done individually by eight artists.

“The idea of the exhibit came from a discussion I had with fellow artist Arnel Villegas last year. We realized that no one has done anything like that before. Maybe we can take the lead,” said painter Alex Alagon, curator and owner of Bintana Art Gallery.

The exhibit features the diverse works of Josie Tionko, JC Gonzales, Jing Caycay-

Cacho Ferrero and Flowers for Hope.

Alex Alagon and Barog! To Moro Land (Tomorrow Land).

Rabat, Tanya Gaisano- Lee, work did not make it to the Donn Manguilumitan and opening of the show.

Cacho Ferrero. Arnel Villegas “This is my first time to crewas the eighth artist to be ate a work at this scale,” shared featured but unfortunately his Josie Tionko, whose works

Josie Tionko and Heavenly Blooms.

Mallgoers appreciate Tanya Gaisano-Lee’s Goldfish. feature natural landscapes The 4 by 7 by eight exhibit and tropical flowers. “It was a is supported by Abreeza Ayala challenge at first but with time Mall, Bintana Art Gallery, and we were able to complete our PBA Party List and will be on pieces.” until March 8, 2020.

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EVENT

WILDLIFE IS HERE 2020:

THE PHILIPPINE EAGLE FOUNDATION in partnership with the DENR XI, University of Mindanao, SM Lanang Premier and the Whitley Fund for Nature kicked off “WildLife is Here 2020: Biodiversity Super Year” exhibit last March 3 in celebration of the UN World Wildlife Day at the Atrium of SM Lanang Premier.

Already on its third year, the event highlights the critical role of wildlife and humans in achieving

By KENNETH long-term, sustainable IRVING ONG development.

BIODIVERSITY SUPER YEAR EXHIBIT OPENS AT SM LANANG PREMIER

The interactive exhibit features Davao City’s fascinating wildlife and the critical role they play for the environment.

It aims to encourage Dabawenyos to appreciate our natural treasures and to actively participate in protecting them. Taxidermy of specimens including the Philippine Eagle, Asian Palm Civet, and the Crested Goshawk are also displayed,

alongside posters of other wildlife found in the region. Visitors will also have the chance to identify different species of beetles and butterflies through a microscope.

“SM Lanang Premier joins the efforts of the Philippine Eagle Foundation in raising public awareness on environmental conservation through

this exhibition. For three years now, SM has been home to Wildlife is Here, a learning space that continuously adds meaning to our aweSM mall experience by inviting shoppers to appreciate Philippine biodiversity. Through this project with the PEF, SM leads by example in illustrating the importance of collaboration when it comes sparking conversations on sustainability and the environment,” said Engr. Jonathan Nick Santos, regional opera-

tions manager, SM Supermalls Mindanao.

The exhibit is also a prelude to Davao City’s first participation in the 2020 City Nature Challenge (CNC) on April 24 to 27. The 2020 CNC is a friendly competition between cities across the globe over who can make the most observations of nature (wildlife), find the most species, and engage the most people. Last year, 159 cities around the world competed.

Davao City will be the first ever

city from the Philippines to participate in the challenge.

“The “WildLIFE is HERE” exhibit is designed to facilitate self-learning, encourage Dabawenyos of all ages and backgrounds to become citizen scientists, and develop a sense of biodiversity consciousness.”

Said Dr. Jayson Ibañez, PEF Director for Research and Conservation.

The WildLife is Here 2020: Biodiversity Super Year exhibit is on until March 8, 2020.

UP AND ABOUT

CEBU LANDMASTERS BRINGS VELMIRO RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN BOHOL

LEADING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPER IN VISMIN Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) recently expanded its footprint to Bohol with the

launch of a residential development in Dauis, Bohol targeted towards the robustly growing mid-market segment.

Velmiro Greens Bohol is

Velmiro Greens Bohol in Dauis, Bohol offers townhouse and single-detached units from 60 to 100 square meters in a 3.6 hectare gated and secured community that has generous amenities.

the fourth project under CLI’s Velmiro Brand after it was successfully launched in Cebu, CDO and Bacolod. The community gives the balance of urban comfort and rural bliss of which the brand is known for. Velmiro Greens Bohol is a secured and gated community with a generous open space and premier amenities which offers leisure and relaxation such as a swimming pool, multi-level clubhouse, fitness gym, basketball court, kids playground, function rooms and landscaped parks.

This 3.6 hectare development is composed of 204 well-designed homes perfect

Velmiro clubhou playgrou for starting and expanding families. The house models are named Imani (Townhouse Units) and Cenia (Single Detached Units). Each house model is designed to provide comfortable living spaces fit for

every family’s lifestyle. Houses are designed using contemporary architecture and inspired by the tropical vibe of the Bohol islands.

“Our buyers feel they are getting great value for their

mon good our vent Gre deliv can tion

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VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER IN PH RECOGNIZES ‘DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN’ PH ADAPTATION

THE KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER (KCC) in the Philippines congratulates GMA Network for producing primetime series Descendants of the Sun (The Philippine Adaptation) on a Facebook post on February 21.

Sharing the program’s primer posted by GMA Pinoy TV, the South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism-helmed organization recognizes the local adaptation of the 2016 Korean series, as it builds strong cultural and bilateral relations between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

The caption read: “Congratulations to GMA on the local adaptation of the hit Korean series, Descendants of the Sun! “KCC recognizes the importance

of [this show], along with all the efforts that come with its production, as it cements the strong cultural and bilateral ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

“Congratulations once again! #KCCPH” Founded on July 19 2011, the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines is under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the

FOOD

A “NOT-SO-SERIOUS” WINE DINNER IN THE HEART OF DAVAO MARCO POLO DAVAO in partnership with Wine Warehouse stages another Filipino-themed “Not-SoSerious” Wine Dinner at the hotel’s Polo Bistro on March 14, 2020.

“This wine dinner will reinvent dining experience with a Filipino-

o Greens Bohol has generous open spaces and landscaped parks, a multi-level use with function rooms, swimming pool, fitness gym, basketball court and und.

ney and this has resulted in od take up rates across all Velmiro projects. As CLI tures to Bohol with Velmiro eens Bohol, we aspire to iver and do the best that we for the Boholanos.” menns Jose Soberano III, CLI

Philippines.

In coordination with the local arts and cultural sectors, it holds events and activities that can promote active cultural exchange activities between the Philippines and Korea.

As an avenue to accommodate Filipino K-pop fans, KCC also organizes annual events, contests, and Korean Culture Caravans, especially designed for the Filipino audiences.

President and CEO. CLI is recognized as the Best Developer in the Philippines by Asia Property Awards is set to further expand its presence in more Vismin cities such as Iloilo and Ormoc this year with new projects.

themed setting. We will let you explore and experience the rich world of wines from Gerard Bertrand,” said Marco Polo Davao Food & Beverage Manager Renato Gargallo.

The night will be filled of Filipino comfort food made from the finest

ingredients prepared by Marco Polo Davao’s culinary team headed by Executive Chef Alex Destriza and cheeses from Malagos Farmhouse Cheese.

For tickets, kindly contact us at (082)221-0888 local no. 7955

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UP AND ARTS AND ABOUT CULTURE TRAVEL TECH

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NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE ELIMINATES SINGLESONY INTRODUCES NEW GP-VPT2BT NCSI, MYCOM OSI BAG TOP ACCOLADES USE PLASTIC BEVERAGE BOTTLES ACROSS FLEET WIRELESS SHOOTING GRIP IN GLOBE’S ISG MOVER AWARDS MAYA ON THE BLOCK A1

ka weaver naga-himo,” he said.

This is also among the reasons why Limon will go to Sitio Sangab to introduce the cotton weaving. He believes that using cotton threads into Dagmay as well as their embroidery will help sustain their livelihood.

“Mas mudaghan pud ang NORWEGIAN Cruise order sathe Dagmay if they will Line, innovator use cotton threads,” he said. in global cruise BUILDING on travel the FOR HELPING achieve record Limon also sees the to with a 53-year history growing lineup ofneed camrevenue targets and delivertapbreaking theand artisans in this endeavof boundaries, eras accessories ing breakthrough inplascloud or now toa give theirfor clients fresh is single-use developed modern native network platforms, andbeverage new designs. tic bottle free creators, Sony today NCSI Philippines Mycom “We really needand tothe tap the across its fleet. has announced new OSI bagged the top honors artisans directly before man GP-VPT2BT wireless The brand announced lastin the gud2019 ga-agi pa koInformation saIdeal middle shooting grip. year that Globe it partnered withfor Services Group’s Mover man since wala’y access sa many different types JUST Goods, Inc.,(ISG) which enAwards. community,” he Line said. to replace of content creation abled the Cruise won thetoISG Overall Limon wants show off ranging from vlogs to all NCSI single-use plastic water Mover of the trophy for its the beauty of Year Dagmay asfleet, travel photography /he bottles across its 17-ship work in stabilizing the Autohas clients who its are looking for videography tomost simple beginning with recent load Max and Share-A-Load clothes and accessories made everyday use, the new ship, Norwegian Encore. system that resulted theof byThe theoffers Mandayas.

He said they grip optimum achievement isinone the highest one-day revenue and noticed thatand some Pasalubong stability comfort latest sustainable steps forward highest one-month revenue centers including Davao City’s combined with cablefor Norwegian Cruise Line.

In of all time, both recorded free connectivity andlasta 2018, the Company eliminated December 2019. and The accomreliable moissingle-use dust plastic straws across plishment notable also for ture design. its fleetresistant andisprivate destinathe minimization ofaof incidents Compatible with variety tions, and as a result this and customer complaints durof Sony’s latest digitalitcamermost recent initiative, will ing theGP-VPT2BT year.six million as, the connects replace over singleMycom OSI took the prestieasily via Bluetooth, allowing use plastic water bottles every gious CTIO Mover ofbrand the creators to simply aim andYear year.

In addition, the is for its without collaboration with Globe shoot interfering working to eliminate single-use in delivering theand first fullyThe cables or exposed inputs. plastic shampoo condicloud native network assurnew grip includes useful tioner bottles later athis year.tilt ance platform indriven South East feature that allows for flexible These efforts are by Asia.

Theangle highly available and vertical adjustment as the Company’s Sail & Sustain scalable platform has opened well as the ability to switch Environmental Program, which the to agile deployment from normal to self-shooting is itsdoor commitment to minimize of automation solutions mode with ease.

Additionalwaste to landfills, reduceby its combining data sources such

A4 INdulge!

actor and activist Jaden Smith and family, JUST takes an innovative approach to sourcing blazing companies were also Globe employees and packaging thethroughout world’s most given citations. the country in early 2019The and valued resource - water.

Novare was named as the has been received favorably. revolutionary company focuses Agile and Digital Workforce Consultancy onTata an impact model, Services, taking Partner of the Year while the on other hand,both tookhow the the intothe consideration New Mover of The Year citaBusiness-Aligned Delivery water is sourced and packaged. tion went to Apper.ph.

Partner of thespring Year Award JUST is 100% water in a Novare was cited for havfor helping shape S/4 plant-based carton.Globe’s The carton ing the best collaboration and HANA roadis made transformation of 82% renewable matemost shared useful knowledge map, a vital roleisinmade rials –playing the paper carton on cloud-native patterns, tech- standardizing, simplifying, from trees grown in responnologies, and organizational integrating, automating, sibly-managed forests andand the transformation. Apper.ph was optimizing Globe’s critical cap and shoulder aresix made recognized for its first-of-itsbusiness processes - inventory from a sugarcane-based plastic. kind intensive seven-month management, order to cash, It is refillable and recyclable.

Cloud Cadetship program that record to report, JUST has a globaltreasury, presence aims to produce the country’s management reporting, with bottling facilities in budget Glenn next batch of cloud experts. control, reFalls, NY;monitoring Ballymena,and Northern DB Results was awarded as porting.

Ireland; and Ballarat, Australia, the Digital Enterprise PartThe Mover the Awards is theto thus allowing company ner of the Year for its work in annual recognition given by meet demand around the world delivering digitally-enabled Globe’s Systems without Information shipping water from a products and in supporting Group (ISG) to itssource. partners single production JUST clients to digitize their busiwith performances to our Sail & Sustain program takesthe carebest to use the most effiness operations.

Last year, in and in and believe wholeheartedly cientsystems shippinginnovations options available. it theofinnovative information technology that thedeveloped importance preserving For more information about EVA humanresources. resource app that helped the company achieve our natural We will Norwegian Cruise Line ships its rapidly many HR It’s a pioneering continueautomated to strive towards mak- business and theirgoals. itineraries, or to book processes in Globe, from filing awards in theainforing environmentally conscious a cruise,program please contact travel of leaves and applying loans mation technology industry decisions to benefit ourfor earth.” professional, call 888-NCLto Envisioned monitoringand timefounded entries by and and Globe remains the only CRUISE (625-2784) or visit enrollment for benefits.

The company with this kind of American rapper, songwriter, www.ncl.com.

App went live to over 8,000 initiative.

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

A4 INdulge!

Aldevinco do not carry Dagmay cloth. as alarms, performance key performance indicators, tickets and probe data. This provides a holistic view of Globe’s network services end-to-end and helps move the company to a predictive moderate, of operations.

CO2 emissions increase The award was handed sustainable sourcing andbyinvest Globe’s Chief Technology and ly,in itemerging has an adjustment wheel technologies.

Information Officer, Giland Genio. can be loosened orspecial tightened “This is a very “Globe on our parttovery allow forrelies seamless operaproud moment for us,” nerships toSommer, accomplish our tion with cameras of different said Harry president company goals ofThe harnessing sizes and gripof and chiefweights. executive officer technology toa flip bring powerful also includesCruise button, inNorwegian Line.

“As to our customers dicator light and lock switch, ainnovations leading cruise line, we are that help them create wonder-

“Wala man gud kaayo Mandaya na pieces and mostly T’boli products ang sa Aldevinco.

Sa Manila T’boli lang ful moments for themselves mostly na them,” ginaand themakita people nako around himoCarlo accent ug Yakan, beads said Malana, Globe sa Bagobo, balud from Lanao Chief Information Officer, and Walay something at theInaul. awards ceremony held from theatMandaya commurecently The Globe Tower in nity,” hetosaid.

BGC. thrilled make such an impact The cotton design madeDagmay itsingle-use a double vicby NCSI eliminating beverclothing isquickly not yetchanged available in tory bybe also bagging the Digital and can age bottles across our fleet. theajust market as Limon and Service Operations Partner of into tripod by simply exIt’s one of the ways wehis are group are still infor the immerthe Year Award delivering panding the bottom portion, working to preserve our oceans stage of the project. asion working enterprise service enabling easy stable, handsand the destinations we visit.

“We willisevaluate pa their busshooting. in AWS with a turnaround free While this just the beginning capacity and kung willing sila time of only 10 days.

The GP-VPT2BT Wireless of what we and others can do, makipag-collaborate,” heMysaid.

Aside fromwill NCSI and Shooting Grip be availwe are incredibly committed com OSI, several other trail-

EDGEDAVAO DAVAO EDGE

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

EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

ERRATUM In the February 12, 18, and 25 issues of Edge Davao, in the Notice of Extra-Judicial settlement of Estate of the late Spouses Gregorio M. Luga and Henrietta T. Luga, the name of the Public Attorney was erroneously misspelled from Noel T. Laguindam to Noe T. Laguindam.

Our apologies

SEN.GO... FROM2

branch of the government, the Senate must not dictate upon the Supreme Court as to how and when to do its job,” he added.

A total of 12 senators voted to adopt SR 337 introduced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III along with Senators Pan�ilo Lacson, Miguel Zubiri, Franklin Drilon, and Richard Gordon.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto and Senators Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Lito Lapid, Francis Pangilinan, and Risa Hontiveros also voted to ask the

SC to rule on treaty abrogation.

Aside from Go, those who abstained included Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Aquilino Pimentel III, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos, and Ramon Revilla Jr. Senators Manny Pacquiao and Pia Cayetano were not able to vote as they came in late.

Sotto �iled the resolution after Duterte ordered the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States.

(PR)

lowed to pass thru the quarantine checkpoints while those coming from other areas must have all the corresponding health

and sanitary permits before being allowed entry.

As of today, the City of Mati remains to be ASFfree. (CIO MATI)

watchdog said last month that Apple had agreed to pay 25 million euros in a related case.

French prosecutors opened an inquiry in January 2018 at the request of the Halt Planned Obsolescence (HOP) association.

The slowed handset performance was described by Apple as a well-intended feature to "smooth out" spikes in demand for power to prevent iPhone 6 models from

shutting down due to the cold or weak batteries.

The company issued a software update to make it easier for customers to see if an aging battery is affecting performance.

An Apple statement at the time maintained that "we have never -- and would never -- do anything to intentionally shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades."

havoc with Serie A football matches at the weekend.

Six games were postponed, including the clash between defending champions Juventus and title rivals Inter Milan in Turin, originally scheduled to be the showpiece match on Sunday evening.

The Italian government has signed a decree that stops sporting activity in the northern regions that have been worst hit by the virus until March 8, unless it is held behind closed doors.

That decision means another �ive matches next week can only go ahead if played in empty stadiums.

The Italian league has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday in which discussions will be held on how to manage the �ixture chaos.

The International Ski Federation (FIS) has also said that it will decide on Friday whether or not the alpine skiing World Cup �inals scheduled for later this month in Cortina d'Ampezzo, a host venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics, will go ahead.

Football in Asia has been massively disrupted, with the start of Japan's J-League postponed till mid-March and a hugely rearranged �ixture list for the continental competitions.

On Monday, the Swiss football league also announced that its top two divisions had been suspended until March 23.

sider if more alterations are needed to the calendar for the �inal two rounds of the Six Nations Championship.

The March 7 game between Ireland and Italy in Dublin has already been postponed but of�icials determined that no further changes were needed -- at least for now.

"So far, apart from the Ireland v Italy match for our senior men's event, all matches are OK to take place but governments might decide otherwise and we need to be prepared for any eventuality," said a spokeswoman.

The UAE Tour, an early season cycling warm-up that featured four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome, was cut short last week after a coronavirus scare.

Looking ahead, concerns are deepening over this year's main sports event, the Tokyo Olympics, which is due to begin on July 24.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators, athletes and of�icials will converge on Japan for the Games.

International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said last week his organisation was "fully committed" to holding the Games in Tokyo as planned despite the widening coronavirus outbreak.

Ominously, the decision will depend on factors over which Olympic of�icials exert no control, and sports federations are already wringing their hands over disruption and forced cancellation of qualifying events for the global showpiece.

SWINE...

FROM 3 Two Dawlah Islamiyah fighters, soldier killed in Maguindanao clash APPLE... FROM 4

T

wo Islamic State-inspired militants and a soldier were killed in an encounter Monday in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, a military of�icial said.

As of 5:30 p.m. Monday, the bursts of gun�ire could still be heard in Barangay Satan in Shariff Aguak as troops from the 601st “Uni�ier” Brigade continued the clearing operations against the Dawlah Islamiyah, a Daesh- or Islamic State-inspired terror group.

Colonel Jose Narciso, 601st Infantry commander, said the unidenti�ied slain individuals were followers of Salahuddin Hassan, who operates in Central Mindanao.

Their comrades, who were overwhelmed by the superior �irepower of the military assault team, left the dead bodies, he said.

“We will continue the momentum and sustain the gains of this operation in order to safeguard the civilians and put an end to the threats to our society,” Narciso said.

An improvised explosive device, an improvised Barret Sniper ri�le and an M-14 ri�le, among others, were retrieved from the slain Islamic militants.

During the course of the close distance encounter, a soldier was also killed while another was wounded, Narciso said.

Their names, however, were not immediately made available.

Meanwhile, the assassination of an army corporal from the 90th Infantry Battalion on Sunday at the national highway in Barangay Rebuken, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao was a diversionary tactic of the Daesh-inspired groups in the area, according to Major Arvin Encinas, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command.

Nevertheless, he said that troops will continue to conduct focus military operations to neutralize the terror groups operating in the marshes of Maguindanao.

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.”

– ###

ROAD ACCIDENTS... FROM10

GLOBAL... FROM11

SIX NATIONS UNDER THREAT Rugby of�icials gathered in the French capital to con-

9

COVID-19... FROM4

for possible disruptions, Palkhiwala said.

On the conference call, Qualcomm of�icials tried to calm analyst concerns over the virus, saying that the biggest 5G markets this year are expected to be in the United States, Korea and Japan, and that the company could weather disruptions.

"If we have an issue, a supply chain issue or demand issue in China, we tend to have the ability to have other regions to back it up," Chief Executive Steve Mollenkopf said. "So we tend to look at the business in terms of our planning.

We want to make sure that we maintain that strength across different markets."

But investors' virus worries overshadowed results that otherwise beat expectations.

While it is dominant in mobile modems and processors, Qualcomm has been pushing to win over customers with the kind of chip called a radio-frequency front end that is more complex in phones that use 5G. Even though it forecast fewer modem sales than Wall Street expected, it generated more revenue per modem shipped than in the past.

In an interview, Mollenkopf said the company's forecast re�lected strong demand for radiofrequency chips from phone makers, especially in China, where brands are putting 5G capabilities into cheaper devices that will sell in

greater quantities sooner than Qualcomm had originally anticipated.

"It's really the �irst time that you're seeing that signi�icantly in our numbers," Mollenkopf said.

Qualcomm left its estimate of the number of 5G mobile handsets that will be sold in 2020 unchanged at between 175 million and 225 million.

Qualcomm forecast total revenue in the range of between $4.9 billion and $5.7 billion for its second quarter, the mid-point of which is largely above analysts' average estimate of $5.08 billion, according to IBES data from Re�initiv.

It forecast revenue for its chip segment of $3.9 billion to $4.5 billion, versus estimates of $3.8 billion, according to Re�initiv data.

Qualcomm, which generates most of its pro�its by licensing its technology to mobile phone makers and others, said the segment reported revenue of $1.4 billion in the �iscal �irst quarter ended Dec. 29, in line with estimates of $1.41 billion, according to FactSet. On the conference call, Qualcomm said it has signed 80 license agreements for 5G technology, up from 75 in November.

Excluding items, the company earned 99 cents per share in the �irst quarter, topping analysts' average estimate of 85 cents.

Revenue rose 5 percent to $5.08 billion, beating analysts' estimates of $4.83 billion.

0.3-1.0 percentage point of this year’s 6.5-7.5 percent target.

Asked for the possibility of growth hitting the high-

er-end of the government’s target band, he said, this will need “a lot of prayers because there are so many disturbances.” (PNA)

a surprise sale for select Philippine destinations for the �irst time ever! Keep an eye on Cebu Paci�ic’s social media accounts for this exciting announcement.

So get going, and be a Baryahero! Take advantage of the #CEBSuperSeatFest - book now via www.cebupaci�icair.com, or via the of�icial mobile app.

escorted them.

“Alarmed by the foregoing circumstances, considering the apparent intent of the said groups to bypass the country’s banking system and its prevailing regulations, this Bureau coordinated with and brought the matter to the attention of the Anti-Money Laundering Council,” he said.

In his report, the Customs head also urged the creation of an inter-agency body through a presidential directive to monitor the in�low of foreign currencies into the country.

Guerrero also said that the country’s laws on unde-

clared and underdeclared foreign currencies are “not categorical, and sanctions provided are not deterrent enough.”

“Thus, it is not farfetched that the ease of bringing foreign currency in our territory can be taken advantage of by lawless elements such as terrorists,” he explained.

The BOC added that it foiled attempts by a Korean and a Filipino to undeclare and underdeclare the amount of foreign currency that they brought into the Philippines, amounting to HK$3.83 million and $501,600 respectively.

"Masaya ako especially kay Juan dahil nag-take charge siya (I’m happy especially for Juan because he took charge)," said coach Yong Garcia of Gomez de Liano's performance.

On the other hand, Javi

Gomez De Liano added 18 markers, going 12-for-12 from the free throw line, �ive rebounds, one assist, and two blocks.

Koko Pingoy led Karate Kid-CEU with 13 points, two rebounds, one assist, and a steal. (PNA)

GOV’T... FROM5

CEBU PACIFIC... FROM5 SYNDICATES... FROM5

ECOOIL... FROM11

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EDGEDAVAO

VOL.12 ISSUE 259 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2020

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

(Photos taken from the net)

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SUMMER-READY. Davao City's fitness enthusiasts get ready for summer at the Arcadia Fitness Gym inside the Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center at Quimpo Boulevard, Ecoland in Davao City. Workouts range from different classes like yoga, cyclo fitness, boxing and many others.

Heat beat N Bucks anew

EcoOil-La Salle routs Wangs-Letran in debut

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he host Miami Heat held reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to 13 points and became the �irst team to beat the Milwaukee Bucks twice this season, prevailing 105-89 on Monday night.

Miami is 2-0 against Milwaukee, which has the best record in the NBA at 52-9.

The Heat have struggled on the road (13-18), but they have the third-best home record in the league (26-4).

Antetokounmpo was removed from the game with 4:33 left in the fourth quarter as Miami had a 15-point lead. His 13 points tied his season low. He

made just 6-of-18 shots from the �loor, including 0-for-4 on 3-pointers. He had three assists and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder scored 18 points apiece to lead Miami. Bam Adebayo had 14 points, 13 rebounds, �ive assists and three blocks.

Brook Lopez had 21 points for Milwaukee.

Bucks wing Kris Middleton, who missed the

past two games due to a sore neck, returned and had 10 of his 12 points in the �irst quarter.

The game was a contrast of styles. Milwaukee had a 46-30 edge in paint points but made just 20.6 percent on 3-pointers (7for-34). The Heat made 48.6 percent on treys (18for-37).

Miami led 31-26 after one quarter. Miami's Kelly Olynyk had one stretch of 69 seconds in which he scored eight straight of the Heat's points. For the quarter, he went 2-for-2 on 3-pointers and 2-for-2 on free throws.

The Heat stretched their lead to 12 points in the second quarter before Milwaukee rallied

and trailed just 53-52 at halftime. Crowder had 16 points in the �irst half, including 5-for-7 shooting from deep.

Heat backup point guard Goran Dragic, who was held scoreless in the �irst half after missing all �ive of his shots, put up nine points in the third, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

That gave the Heat an 81-70 lead. Miami then cruised in the fourth, winning its 39th game, tying its total from last season.

The 89 points represented a season low for the Bucks.

The Heat is 19-0 at home when leading after three quarters. The Heat is also 17-1 against the Eastern Conference at home.

Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (13) gets called for a foul on Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in the fourth quarter at American Airlines Arena. Reuters

ewcomer EcoOil-La Salle introduced itself to the PBA D-League with a 10290 statement win over Wangs-Letran at the start of the season-opening Aspirants Cup at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City on Monday.

The Green Archers brought their trademark Pumaren pressure defense against the Knights, forcing them to early turnovers as they eventually held a lead as high as 19 points, 53-34, in the second quarter.

Wangs-Letran made huge adjustments in the second half, eventually cutting the lead down to just six, 75-69, early in the fourth quarter, but EcoOil-La Salle held on and even stretched its lead back to 15, 99-84, with 41 seconds left.

Encho Serrano led the Green Archers to the win against their old rivals with 19 points, eight re-

bounds, and three assists off the bench.

Justine Baltazar added 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks also off the bench.

Fran Yu �ired 24 points, four rebounds, �ive assists, and two steals for the Knights.

Ato Ular added 13 points, 15 rebounds, one block, and two steals off the bench.

Meanwhile, the Gomez De Liaño brothers took over for Marinerong Pilipino as the lone non-collegiate team in this year's PBA D-League Aspirants Cup opened its campaign with a 93-57 mauling of Karate Kid-Centro Escolar University.

New recruit Juan Gomez De Liano led the Skippers with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, and one steal as they zapped the Scorpions from the get-go.

ECOOIL, P9

Global sport heavily disrupted by Covid

T

he coronavirus is disrupting sport around the world with the MotoGP races in Qatar and Thailand postponed, a host of football matches put off to a later date and increasing concerns surrounding the Tokyo Olympics later this year.

The virus has already cast a long shadow over the start of the MotoGP season with this Sunday's curtainraising Qatar Grand Prix called off, followed by the March 22 race in Thailand.

"I don't say it's cancelled, I just say it is postponed until time allows us to do (the event)," Anutin Charnvirakul, chairman of the Thailand MotoGP organizing committee, told AFP. One of the early races in the Formula One season, the Shanghai Grand Prix on April 19, has already been postponed although organizers say the season-opening race in Australia on March 15 will go ahead as planned.

Olympic chiefs are meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday in Lausanne to discuss the impact of the virus on preparations for the summer Games in Tokyo, and to address the unthinkable -- scrapping world sports' global showpiece for the �irst time in peace time.

Other events are under immediate threat. The remaining matches in the 2020 Six Nations rugby union tournament were at risk but an emergency meeting of the organizers in Paris on Monday made no immediate changes to the calendar.

The virus has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide, mainly in China, and its effects are being felt across the global economy.

Sport is no exception.

In Italy, the European country with the highest number of deaths at 52, the outbreak wreaked

GLOBAL, P9

DAVAO SPORTS 12 EDGE

EDGE DAVAO EDGE DAVAO

SPORTS BRACE FOR BATTLE

ISSUE 259 •78 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4,2019 2020 VOL.12 ISSUEVOL.12 164VOL.12 • FRIDAY-SATURDAY, ISSUE • THURSDAY, OCTOBER JUNE 25-26, 27,

4 games up as Escandor Cup Collegiate Sponsors League resumes Saturday

By ADAM B. MORRELL

A

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

Escandor Cup resumes on Meantime, the Saturday, October 26, at Agro-Industrial Foundathe Davao City Recreation tion College of the PhilipCenter. pines (AIFCP) Sailors and The curtain raiser will the UM Wildcats shared feature a "DavidTEAM versus theMEETING. top spot in bracket 73rd PAL INTERCLUB CAPTAINS’ A total of 83 teamsAfrom Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and abroad are contesting trophies and bragging rights at this year’s Interclub being held in Bacolod. Photo shows the team captains Goliath" match up as odds- with a 2-0 record each, with tournament and PAL offi cials prior to start of hostilities. (photo

by Andy Alvarez) on favorite Jose Maria Col- followed by the CJC Red lege (JMC) Kings takes on Lions with 1-0. The MCT the struggling Brokenshire Navigators landed on College of Davao (BCD) the fourth spot with 1-1, dribblers at 3:00pm. trailed by the defending The clash between the champion Holy Cross of San Pedro College (SPC) Davao College (HCDC) Stallions and the visiting Crusaders with 1-2, DMCor Jesu College (CJC) MACSP Mariners 0-1, of Digos City Red Lions SPCD Saints 0-1, and SPC will go after at 4:30 pm, Stallions with 0-2. followed by the exciting The bracket B, meanbattle between tradition- while, is currently led by University of Mindanao will al powerhouse teams St. the Holy Cross College tryo to make it three in a row John Paul II College of of Sasa (HCCS) Spartans on Saturday as action in the Davao (SPCD) Saints and with 3-0 card, followed Collegiate Sponsors League Mats College of Technol- by JMC Kings (2-0), Asian (CSL) Escandor Cup resumes ogy (MCT) Navigators at International School of at the Davao City Recreation 6:00 pm.

Aeronautics and TechnolCenter. Escandor And without needing Championship �ield would aside from its thick treethe Founders bracket,Cup/CSL as it At ACOLOD—With 7:00pm, the un- ogy its (AISAT) (1-1), Atetight, bend- to say so, that’s where the need to tame, as,VOL.11 photo VOL.12 ISSUE 241 ISSUE • SUNDAY-MONDAY, 6 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, FEBRUARY MARCH 24-25, 17-18, 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 51 • TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2019 like in lined roughs—having unwould try to write a piece VOL.12 ISSUE 45 • SUNDAYMONDAY, MAY 12 -13, beaten University of Min- neo de Davao University ing Wildcats fairways and greens that are tournament will be decidthe talented Senior divipredictable bounces on its of history that only it can danao (UM) will (Addu) Blue Knights (1-2), VOL.12 ISSUE 21 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, APRIL 7-8, 2019 VOL.12 ISSUE 55 • SUNDAY-MONDAY, MAY 26-27, SEE STORY ON P11 Manny Pacquiao says even at 40, he is not finished yet. stake itsglass-like, clean slate against BCD (0-1),will UM Penaplata ed. sion won by Canlubang, fairways and small greens own with another win this Marapara be the DMMA College of South- (0-1), and Rizal MemoAs gusts howl at this scores aren’t expected to as its �inal line of defense. year. ern Philippines (DMMACrial �inal Collegesrounds (RMC) venue of the �irst and of time of year, the par-71 be low for the week.

Cebu Country Club On home soil last year, SP) Mariners to wrap up Bulldogs (0-2). course designed by the Both layouts are in will open defense of the Cebu CC surprised the the 73rd playing Saturday's quadrupleof the Men’s Philip- late great Golem Silverio perfect shape and vary in premier crown coming �ield by also coming from header sponsored by The will be the beast that the character, with Binitin— from a lower division in

SWING TIME EDGEDAVAO

NOT DONE YET

EDGEDAVAO

PAL Interclub fires off as Cebu CC confident of defending title A4 INdulge!

EDGEDAVAO EDGE EDGEDAVAO DAVAO

B 14 12

pine Airlines Interclub championship.

SWING, P8