The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper (February 28-March 6, 2022)

LABANAN ANG COVID-19! ISANG PAALALA MULA KAY GOV. SAKUR TAN, VICE GOV. TOTO TAN AT CONG. SAMIER TAN.

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Duterte, walang sasantuhin!

N ANAWAGAN SI Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte sa publiko na lumantad ang sinumang may akusasyon ng korapsyon sa pamahalaan upang masampahan ng kaso ang sinumang mapapatunayang nagkasala sa batas.

READ STORY ON PAGE 2

Four Filipinos in Britannica ‘Shapers of the Future’ THE FUTURE is unwritten. It is also right around the corner, with scores of

young people around the world shaping it, improving it, and making it more

equitable.

Each year, Britannica Continue on page 5

Kusug Tausug solon, top designer collaborate to promote ‘pis syabit’ President Rodrigo Duterte

A TOP international Filipina designer Ann Ong is collaborating with a Muslim lawmaker in Continue on page 6

Govt. prepares for new normal as Covid cases go down

International Filipina designer Ann Ong and Kusug Tausug partylist Rep. Shernee Tambut wearing the pis syabit.

Truly, Sulu is historic UNKNOWN TO many Filipinos, the historic province of Sulu has

been a part of China’s colorful history, not only because Tausugs had traded

barter goods with Chinese merchants in the past, the Continue on page 9

PAGADIAN CITY – A mayoralty candidate, running in the May polls

in Lapuyan town in Zamboanga del Sur province, escaped death after a

man, armed with a pistol, opened fire several times Continue on page 2

THE NATIONAL Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 said it will present to President Duterte Continue on page 3

A woman gets vaccinated against the Covid-19.

BARMM urged to speed Mayoralty candidate cheats death up Covid vaccination ARMM

Eastern Mindanao

COTABATO CITY – Kusug Tausug Rep. Shernee Tambut has urged Muslims in

Western Mindanao

the Bangsamoro autonomous region to get inoculated against Covid-19 af-

Cebu

ter citing reports that the region is far behind in Continue on page 2

Manila

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The Mindanao Examiner

February 28-March 6, 2022

Duterte, walang sasantuhin!

From page 1 Sinabi ni Duterte na wala itong sasantuhin kahit sino sa kanyang pamahalaan dahil salapi umano ng tao ang ginagastos ng gobyerno para sa bayan.

“Sapat ninyong malaman, as I have said, government is run by the money of the people, taxes, and we would like you to know and to ask even kung paano nagastos ang pera ng bayan at anong pinaggastusan. Iyon ang importante iyong hindi kayo nagdududa na ninanakaw ‘yung pera ninyo. Gusto namin na kung may duda man kayo, eh ‘di tanungin ninyo and we will give you a straight answer,” ani Duterte.

“Hindi na kami magpaligoy-ligoy, diretso. But if you have the evidence, the better. Bigyan mo Xerox copy kami dito, ‘yung original taguin ninyo, and if you think that there is a good case to prosecute, I’ll leave it up to you to decide kung saan ninyo gustong i-file. Pero ako pagkaganoon taga-gobyerno, lalo na nandito sa mataas papunta sa akin,

diretso na kayo sa Ombudsman para mas madali at malaman ang totoo,” dagdag pa nito.

Naunang inakusahan ni Senador Richard Gordon, ang chairman ng Blue Ribbon Committee, na siyang nag-imbestiga sa diumano’y overpriced procurement ng mga personal protective equipment ng Duterte administration sa Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

“Di pa ba natin nakikita itong laro nitong presidenteng ito? Ibang klase, no nation deserves him. No nation deserves him because nagtiwala ang tao and he betrayed the trust of the people,” sabi pa ni Gordon.

Ilang beses na itinanggi ni Duterte ang akusasyon ni Gordon at ipinagtanggol pa nito ang Pharmally.

Dahil sa pahayag ni Gordon, inutusan ni Duterte ang kanyang Chief Presidential Legal Counsel na si Salvador Panelo na kasuhan at huwag tatantanan si Gordon at.

“Dikitan ninyo 'yung mga

kaso ni Gordon hanggang election, hindi mananalo si Gordon. Sigurado 'yan.

Especially if you can file the proper case on time,” ani Duterte.

Kabilang sa mga di-umano’y kasong isasampa sa senador ay ang disallowance ng Commission on Audit ng si Gordon ay chairman pa ng Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority mula 1992-1998, at maging ang Priority Development Assistance Fund ni Gordon noon ay kinuwestyun rin ni Duterte.

“Disallowance is when the notice of disallowance is simply you return the money, but the other side of the picture is that you have committed because you malverse the money, you can go to prison so the other side of that is really malversation.

Dikitan ninyo 'yan at hindi aabot ng election time 'yan si Gordon. And if the entire story is narrated to the people, then I am sure that mata sa mata, parang ganoon. So, it is not good to be, mas maganda man ‘yang palabas mo sa

publiko na (ma)tigas ka, marunong ka, and that you are very proficient in the English language,” wika pa ni Duterte.

Ilang beses ng binatikos at ininsulto at min-

ura ni Duterte si Gordon dahil sa imbestigasyon nito sa Pharmally, ngunit hindi naman nagpapatinag ang senador at tinawag pa nitong “cheap politician” ang Pangulo.

Sinabi ni Gordon na hindi ito natatakot kay Duterte at hindi rin titigil sa kanyang imbestigasyon. Suportado ng mga ibang senador si Gordon.

(Mindanao Examiner)

BARMM urged to speed up Covid vaccination Continued from page 1 the government’s mass vaccination program.

She said even President Rodrigo Duterte was worried over the low number of people getting the Covid-19 vaccines in the region which comprises the province of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Sulu.

“Going over the news, two items caught my eye.

The first one was President Duterte’s reminder that Covid is still very much around. The other is the latest on how our economy has slid downward, this time going down by 7 notches in Heritage Foundation’s economic freedom index,” she said.

Tambut said with a little over 2,200 new cases five days ago compared with over 30,000 in January, she fears that people will be complacent. “People will surely tend to let down their guard and skip the tedious and uncomfortable necessary face mask. But, as the President said, we have not yet reached herd immunity, so let’s maintain the face mask and continue to observe social distancing.”

“What struck me most in that news report, however, were the regional statistics about the vax campaign which indicated that the BARMM remains

the laggard among our regions, with only around 28% vaccinated. The President had called out the Muslim community about this last month, saying that the Muslims are resisting the vaccine. But he clarified in that earlier report that some of the Tausugs are not resisting anymore, and I thank the President for acknowledging the efforts of the local government of Sulu in convincing the Tausugs to get their anti-Covid shots,” she added.

Many Muslims are hesitant to get vaccinated thinking the Covid-19 medicines are “haram” or forbidden under the Islamic law and misinformation further aggravated the vaccine hesitancy in the Bangsamoro region. But the Darul Ifta, the region’s Islamic advisory council, said the vaccines are “halal” or permitted and are considered safe.

Last September, dozens of ulama led by Deputy Mufti Sheikh Abdulrauf Guialani, who are members of the Darul Ifta, including their staff, led the vaccination in BARMM to encourage Muslims to get inoculated against Covid-19.

Tambut also recalled her harrowing ordeal after surviving the deadly respiratory virus last month and remembered fellow

lawmakers who died from Covid-19 last year.

“I recall my bout with Covid-19, which I said was only mild, but which scared me a lot. If I had not gotten my two doses of the vaccine beforehand, the physical discomfort and the emotional terror I would have suffered could have been much worse, to say the least. A few of my fellow representatives perished from Covid, because they caught the virus before the vaccines were discovered.”

“So, to my fellow Muslims in the BARMM, please get your anti-Covid shots now while the vaccines are still available. They are free and painless. Covid is real and the virus is still circulating. Save yourselves from the many aches and anxiety covid brings and save our health workers from extra work. And please don’t forget to wear your face mask when you step out of your house,” she said.

Tambut also commended health workers who continue to risk their lives to save others and keep them safe from Covid-19. “Since February is the love month, let me greet our health workers once again and thank them for their selfless efforts. Mahal namin kayo,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Mayoralty candidate cheats death Continued from page 1 at his direction, police said Wednesday.

Maj. Shellamie Chang, a regional police spokeswoman, said Danilo Balabab fired his unlicensed .45-caliber pistol while the politician Leonard Sindod was passing in front of his house in Maruing village.

Chang said: “Investigation disclosed prior to the incident, the suspect, who allegedly suffered slight mental disorder, fired a firearm three times in front of their house and unfortunately, it happened

when the victim passed by on board on his single and luckily was not hit.”

She said family members were able to subdued Balabab and seized his weapon.

It was unclear how Balabab managed to own a gun which is now with the police.

“The suspect was brought to Lapuyan Municipal Police Station for proper disposition and for filing of appropriate charges,” Chang said.

Chang did not say whether Sindod will file charges against Balabab or not. (Mindanao Examiner)

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The Mindanao Examiner

February 28-March 6, 2022

Govt. prepares for new normal as Covid cases go down

A Philippine Red Cross staff vaccinates a woman. (PRC)

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Continued from page 1 next a “new normal roadmap,” which will aid the country exit the pandemic.

“The National Task Force and the experts of the Department of Health are currently working very hard to develop a new normal roadmap and we are confident that this will be ready to be presented to you, Mr. President, by the beginning of March and this will really signal our move towards some semblance of normalcy after this very difficult two-year where we have dealt with the pandemic,” said Presidential adviser on Covid-19 response Vivencio Dizon said at a televised meeting.

He said the new normal roadmap is expected to signal the return to a ro-

bust and healthy growth of the economy that will bring back jobs, investments, and normalize the operation of many industries, as well as the tourism sector.

Dizon expressed optimism that if all goes well, the country could start the new normal to prepare it to finally close the book on Covid-19. “Hopefully po, barring any other new variants that may come our way,” he said.

At the same time, Dizon said the country’s vaccination rate is very critical as it enters the so-called new normal. He also reported that the government pediatric vaccination rollout was a success especially for those aged 5 to 11 years.

“We are already nearing almost the 12 million

mark of our target. Nasa 9 million na po tayo for 12 to 17, and there are roughly about 15 million children aged 5 to 11, which we need to vaccinate as soon as possible para po makapasok na sila sa eskuwela at makalabas na po sila after two years of staying at home,” he said.

Overall, the government’s priority is to focus on immunizing Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Soccsksargen, Caraga Region and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, according to Dizon, saying the government targets to provide complete doses of Covid-19 vaccine to at least 90 million Filipinos by the end Duterte’s term in June. (Mark Navales and Malou Cablinda contributed to this report.)

SEC cracks down on erring lending firms DAVAO CITY - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cancelled the licenses of at least 36 financing or lending companies and revoked some the certificate of registration of over 2,000 firms for various violations of rules and regulations.

It also launched an aggressive campaign against unauthorized and abusive online lending activities and said many erring companies were shut down.

The crackdown started after SEC received numerous complaints against online lending applications (OLAs) for various violations of the Lending Company Regulation Act and for abusive debt collection practices violating the “Prohibition on Unfair Debt Collection Practices of Financing Companies and Lending Companies.”

The SEC also formed a task force to handle complaints involving online lending operators and to take the appropriate

measures to stop these erring firms from engaging in abusive practices and activities. The task force closely coordinates with other law enforcement agencies such as the Police Anti-Cybercrime Group and the National Bureau of Investigation to crack down on illegal online lending applications.

Just recently, combined forces of the SEC Enforcement and Investor Protection Department and the Police Anti-Cybercrime Group swooped down at the office of the Cashtrees Lending Corporation in Pasig City after the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 issued search warrants against the firm for “misuse of device” penalized under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, in operating unregistered online lending applications in of the LCRA. The onsite digital forensic examination on the seized devices showed that the employees of

Cashtrees Lending operated online lending applications such as Happylend, Rush Loan, Easy Money, Good Pocket, Dummy Loan, Lucky Star, Swipe Cash, 365 Cash, Home Peso, Mega Loan, Treecash and Goldpeso.

Cashtrees Lending is registered as a corporation and holds a certificate of authority to operate as a lending company. It operates registered online lending platforms such as Happylend, Creditcash and Cashmore. However, the majority of the online lending applications operated by Cashtrees Lending were unregistered.

These include Goodpocket, Easymoney, 365 Cash and Rushloan, which have been the subject of cease and desist orders issued by the SEC. At least 46 employees, including the manager of Cashtrees Lending, were also arrested for violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and the LCRA. (Malou Cablinda)

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The Mindanao Examiner

February 28-March 6, 2022

Sulu Pictures in the News Sulu provincial government at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos from the Office of the Provincial Governor, Jaques Tutong, Maimbung Municipal Government, Rep. Shernee Tambut, Noenyrie Asiri, and Aziz Salapuddin)

February 28-March 6, 2022

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The Mindanao Examiner

Four Filipinos in Britannica ‘Shapers of the Future’

Organic Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee isn’t really pricey

KIDAPAWAN CITY Coffee lovers in the Philippines may now enjoy the best and the most expensive coffee in the world - Kopi Luwak - but not as pricey as every connoisseurs think.

Kopi Luwak is a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet. The cherries are fermented as they pass through a civet’s intestines, and after being defecated

with other fecal matter, they are collected.

In Manila, a kilogram of Civet coffee sells for as high as P15,000 and over $500 dollars abroad.

But Kopi Luwak can now be enjoyed by every coffee lovers for as low as P150 for a 16 oz. cup that comes with a drip bag, ground organic Civet coffee beans, two packets of brown sugar and a stirrer in a beautiful Kraft paper bag – thanks to the Mindanao Civet Coffee

seller in Zamboanga City.

The new market player in the coffee business, although small, is now offering affordable organic Kopi Luwak – sourced and picked by farmers from the highlands of Mindanao, cleaned and dried and roasted to perfection to give coffee lovers that distinct aroma of Civet coffee berries – chocolaty and nutty and smooth bodied brewed drink.

Mindanao Civet Coffee, which started as a home reseller of coffee beans, now offers organic Kopi Luwak in 250 grams ground Civet coffee and 250 grams Civet coffee beans – all medium roasted to perfection.

Kopi Luwak is also available now in 3rd Cup Café at LM Metro Hotel in Zamboanga City, and resellers in Luzon, Cebu and other parts of Mindanao.

The Mindanao Civet Coffee is a favorite among travellers and tourists and coffee connoisseurs. And for those who wanted the perfect gift for all occasions, Kopi Luwak is the best choice.

And those who are interested to resell or perhaps enjoy a daily hot cup or cold brew of Kopi Luwak may call the Mindanao Civet Coffee at this mobile number 09153976197. (AJC)

Continued from page 1 collates a list of young people under the age of 40 (as of January 2022), who have already left their mark on the present, and surely have much more invention, innovation, creation, and interpretation ahead of them.

These young people work in many fields and endeavors, embracing every corner and intersection of health and medicine, science and technology, business and entrepreneurship, social activism and politics, and numerous other areas.

They are people of ideas, framing the intellectual questions and concerns that will guide future thought.

They are scholars, builders, designers, architects, artists, teachers, writers, musicians, social and political leaders, and much more.

Unlike other lists or awards, these ‘Shapers’ are not necessarily well-known.

The wider community outside of their area of expertise may never have heard of them, but they are certainly spurring incredible changes that will shape our futures.

This year, Britannica’s list of young mavericks includes four ‘Shapers’ from the Philippines.

1. Shaper is Jessica de Torres. She studied environmental and sanitary engineering at Batangas State University, taking a B.S. degree there in 2009. Some of her first engineering projects dealt with mine rehabilitation.

She then specialized in the design of sanitary systems, including calculating water demand and other hydraulic issues that can be challenging in environments where water is not always readily available. She found out as much when she went to work for a consultancy in Dubai, designing large-scale plumbing projects throughout the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. These projects include commercial blocks, hotels, housing developments, and high-rise buildings.

For her work in plumbing engineering, De Torres was honored at the 2020 Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Middle East Awards in Dubai, which recognize firms and individuals who have made distinctive contributions to sustainable construction in the region.

Of a field where women are still relatively rare, she says: “Gender dominance in the industry can serve as an inspiration for us women to work hard. As a woman, I know I can impart my knowledge and make a huge difference.”

2. Maria Isabel Layson, 18. After attending an elementary school for gifted children and the Singapore American School, Layson

returned to her native Iloilo City and enrolled in an advanced science curriculum at the National High School there. While studying an abundant berry locally called aratiles or sarisa in a Food and Nutrition Research Institute laboratory in Manila, Layson discovered that the fruit contains antioxidant compounds that combat diabetes.

In 2019, when she was 16, she presented her findings at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix, Arizona, as one of a dozen Filipino delegates. That year, she won Best Individual Research in Life Science at the National Science and Technology Fair, hosted by the Department of Education.

Layson is now a student at the University of the Philippines-Visayas in Iloilo City, where she also operates a bakery that makes keto-friendly pastries.

3. Ragene Andrea Palma took a degree in tourism at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City in 2011, intending to work in that sector. Instead, she became interested in how Manila and other cities in southeastern Asia were growing in response to population pressures and environmental change, and in 2020 she finished a degree, thanks to an exchange scholarship, in international planning and sustainable development at the University of Westminster in England.

She worked as a consultant to the U.S. Agency for International Development in the wake of the devastating Typhoon Yolanda, in November 2013, and as a planner for disaster-relief organizations. An urbanist based in Manila, she travels widely in order to bring home useful lessons, visiting Singapore, for instance, to study that island nation’s widespread system of green spaces and how such a system could be introduced to her native city.

Her blog, Little Miss Urbanite, has found many followers who read Palma’s thoroughly researched thoughts on COVID–19, social inequality, and other problems involved in urban planning.

4. Rodney Perez, 32, studied food science at Visayas State University, on the island of Leyte, and then won a scholarship to Kyushu University in Japan, where he earned an M.S. in bioscience and biotechnology and a Ph.D. in microbial technology. His specialty as a researcher at the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the University of the Philippines Los Baños is the study of bacteriocins, naturally occurring toxins that can kill related strains of bacteria implicated

in food poisoning and spoilage.

Perez is now working on technologies to introduce these bacteriocins as part of food packaging processes— for instance, replacing artificial and potentially harmful steroids in dairy products with helpful bacteria from lactic acid that combat mastitis in cattle.

He has received several honors for his work, including the Young Asian Biotechnologist award from Japan’s Society for Biotechnology.

He is the first Filipino to have earned that vaunted international prize. Perez has expressed his intent to bring microorganisms to bear on other health-related problems in his country. “With microbial technologies we are able to make these tiny microorganisms work for us,” he says.

The inclusion of people from the Philippines in the Shapers of the Future list comes at the same time as Encyclopaedia Britannica donated 100 copies of its new one-volume children’s encyclopedia to the National Library of the Philippines.

The books are to be made available through public libraries and bookmobile operations that serve remote areas of the country. The Britannica All New Kids Encyclopedia, edited by world history author Christopher Lloyd, is a richly illustrated 424-page compendium of knowledge to satisfy curious minds, packed full of reliable facts from the experts at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Unlike old encyclopedias that were structured from A–Z, this one has a narrative arc, telling the story of the world from the beginning of time to the present day and even glimpsing into the future.

In a statement, the National Library of the Philippines said, “The Britannica All-New Kids Encyclopedia will pique Filipino children’s interest and instill a love of reading at a young age. This beautiful 1-volume encyclopedia will encourage our children to become keen readers and consumers of information.”

“Britannica is thrilled to support the Philippines National Library to promote the reading habits of our younger learners and establish the foundation for more Filipino ‘Shapers of the Future’,” said Theodore Pappas, executive editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

“Our children’s encyclopedia is a wonderful book for early learners - for sparking their curiosity about the wonders of the world, both big and small-and for readers in areas without easy access to the Internet or to new educational resources.”

(Mindanao Examiner)

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The Mindanao Examiner

February 28-March 6, 2022

Kusug Tausug solon, top designer collaborate to promote ‘pis syabit’

Kusug Tausug partylist Rep. Shernee Tambut with her pis syabit terno.

Continued from page 1 promoting Sulu’s woven cloth called the “pis syabit” and bring it to The Big Apple - New York City.

Rep. Shernee Tambut, of the Kusug Tausug partylist, said she sought the help of Ong in promoting not only the pis syabit but the Tausug culture as well along with other Philippine designs.

Tambut explained that the pis syabit is a one-of-a-kind piece of cloth exclusively woven in Sulu, one of five provinces under the Muslim autonomous region. It is made of cotton or silk, sometimes with metallic gold threads incorporated in the weave. It used to be worn by Tausug men during very special occasions as a headdress or a decor hung on one’s shoulder to indicate their high social status.

In modern times, the pis syabit has been used as the main material or accent for clothes and are sometimes used to make fashion accessories. Being woven by Muslims, it carries only geometrical patterns because Islam forbids reproducing the likeness of living things, whether human, flora or fauna, she further said.

“The meeting was so fruitful and we are all so excited to promote the pis syabit and the Tausug culture to the world. Bringing Pis Siyabit to the world.

See you soon New York.

In Shaa Allah. Thank you Madame Ann Ong for all your help,” she said.

Tambut said the meeting was also attended by Ong’s husband, Jason, and their son, John, also a designer and digital marketing expert and several others. “We discussed how pis syabit may be pro-

moted first in New York and later in other fashion capitals of the world,” she said.

She also brought samples of pis syabit and gave it to Ong, who said the Sulu cloth has much potential, especially in the international market.

Ong’s son also agreed with her.

“I will never tire of promoting pis syabit and Sulu culture because we want every Filipino to understand the Tausug way of life by being familiar with Sulu’s beautiful and unique culture. Popular acceptance of the cloth is also an effective means of uplifting the economy of the Tausugs,” she

said, adding every piece of the colorful and intricately designed pis syabit is an original artwork, so anyone who has a pis syabit adorning his or her clothes is assured of ownership of an original piece of art that evokes the history and artistry of the Tausugs.

“And most importantly, for every pis syabit bought, one family in Sulu is one step closer to getting out of poverty,” Tambut said.

Aside from promoting the pis syabit, Tambut also encouraged Filipinos to promote and buy local products to help small and medium enterprises get back on their business which have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Noting the proliferation of cheap, but low-quality imported clothes in the market, Tambut said she wants to start a campaign by encouraging Filipinos to patronize locally-produced clothes and help small retailer stores, as well as local designers recover from their losses due to the health crisis.

Kusug Tausug partylist also advocates inclusive and sustainable growth for the most marginalized sectors, particularly the Tausugs and other Muslim Filipino ethnic communities, as well as other under-represented groups such as small farmers and fishermen, the elderly, unskilled or low-skilled workers and families living below the poverty line.

(Mindanao Examiner)

A Tausug weaver works on her pis syabit. (Photos courtesy of Rep. Shernee Tambut)

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February 28-March 6, 2022

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February 28-March 6, 2022

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February 28-March 6, 2022

Truly, Sulu is historic Continued from page 1 political relations of the province and cooperation with China dated back to the Yuan dynasty (1278-1368).

The Sulu missions convinced the Chinese to view Sulu as an equal of Malacca. With Chinese co-operation, Sulu subsequently became an international emporium. Sulu entered Philippine history as a place-man in the Tao-I-Chih-Lioh of 1349, a compilation of countries and islands that traded with China put together by the traveler and trader, Wang Ta-yuan (Wang Dayuan) toward the end of the Yuan dynasty (12801368 AD).

According to the book “The Philippines In The 6th To 16th Centuries”

by E.P. Patanne, Sulu also featured prominently in the annals of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), being among the first country in the Nanhai (the Chinese term for the South China Sea) to send a tribute mission to China in 1370, two years after the founding of the Ming dynasty; then again in 1372. Sulu continued to send tribute missions to China in 1416, 1420, 1421, 1423 and 1424.

Since only foreign countries tributary to the Chinese court were allowed to enter Chinese ports, many countries or principalities in Malaysia sent tribute. Among these was Sulu.

Sulu appears in Chinese sources as early as the Yuan dynasty (1278-1368), and a lengthy account of a tributary mission in 1417 from Sulu to the celestial court is recorded in the Ming Annals. Book 325 of the “History of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) of China,” as abstracted by Groeneveldt, speaks of the Kings (Sultans) of Sulu attacking Puni (Borneo) in 1368.

Sulu’s first tributary mission to China in AD 1417 may have been in response to the Ming court’s attention to these northern polities. Sulu’s lavishly equipped mission included three Sulu rulers with a retinue of more than three hundred. The rulers presented themselves at court in 1417, and one, Paduka Pahala, was given an imperial jade seal recognizing him as senior to the other two.

Book 325 of the “His-

tory of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) of China,” as abstracted

by Groeneveldt, speaks of one of them (Batdra Paduka Pahala) died on September 13, 1417 in Techou (Dezhou, Shandong Province) on the Grand Canal (Shantung Province). The Emperor then recognized his eldest son, Tumohan, as Sultan of Sulu, in 1417. The brother of Pahala, who was named Suli, made a visit to China in 1421. Sulu rulers sent four trade missions (tributary missions" according to Chinese sources) to China from 1417 to 1424.

Pahala was most famous for being the first king from Sulu to be buried in China. Upon his death due to a mysterious disease on his way home and died, the emperor immediately commissioned artisans and sculptors to build a tomb for the deceased monarch, which still stands today.

The descendants of Pahala remained in China and were subsequently classified as members of the Hui nationality since they converted to Islam while in Shandong and were attended to by Hui people living there. The surnames of the descendants of the two sons Paduka left in Shandong are An and Wen. Pahala was immortalised in the Filipino film “Hari sa Hari, Lahi sa Lahi,” which recounts his voyage to China to give tribute to the Chinese Emperor.

After the last of the Sulus left in 1424, Chinese records indicate no further Sulu tributary missions until the 18th century.

Through the 1733 embassy, the Sulu Sultan made it known that his ancestor was the Sulu ruler who had sent tribute to China in 1417 and died there in Shantung that year.

A brief description of Sulu from the brush of a Chinese author writing in 1349. He says: “This place has Shih-i Island as a defense. After three years’ cultivation the fields are lean; they can grow millet and other grains. The people eat sago, fish, shrimps and shellfish. The climate is half hot. The customs are simple. Men and women cut their hair and wear a black turban and a piece of chintz with a minute pattern tied around them. They boil sea-water

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The Mindanao Examiner

to make salt, and ferment the juice of the sugar-cane to make spirits. They have a ruler.”

“The native products include laka wood of middling quality, beeswax, tortoise-shell and pearls.

These Sulu pearls are whiter and rounder than those found in India and other places. Their prices are very high. The Chinese use them for head ornaments.

When they are off color, they are classed as unassorted. There are some over an inch in diameter.

The large pearls from this country fetch up to seven or eight hundred. All below this are little pearls.

Pearls worth ten thousand taels and upwards, or worth from three or four hundred to a thousand taels, come from the countries of the western ocean and from Ceylon; there are none here in Sulu. The goods used in trading here are dark gold, trade-silver, Pa-tu-la cotton cloth, blue leads, Chu or Choufu chinaware, pieces of iron and such like things.”

In addition to the foregoing, there is the following other accounts of trade, etc., at the end of the fourteenth century: “Trade with Sulu is carried on in the following way: When a ship arrives there, natives take all the goods and carry them for sale into the interior, whilst they sell also to the neighboring countries, and when they come back, the native articles are delivered to our merchants as payment.

When many pearls have been found during a year and our traders get large ones, they make a profit of many hundred per cent: but even if there are only a few pearls, still a profit of a hundred per cent is made.”

Up to the present, Sulu remains a trading hub in Southeast Asia. The province, now part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, has improved a lot both in infrastructures and economy the past two decades largely due and during the terms of re-elected Governor Sakur Tan, who developed Sulu to what it is now. The 71year old Tan, a philanthropist, is being credited for his hardwork in bringing peace and development to the province, and is called the “Father of Modern Sulu.” (Mindanao Examiner)

Guotana Newspaper Dealer The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper is available in Cotabato City’s lone newspaper dealer Bernadette Guotana at “Goutana Copy Center” at Stall 5. For subscription, please call 09975412615. And for all your publications, please call BARMM Bureau Chief Mark Navales at 0916-6885389

RECIPE

Kimchi Fried Rice INGREDIENTS : • 1 cup kimchi chopped • 1 egg • 4 cups white rice leftover • 3 tablespoons kimchi juice • 1 tablespoon Gochujang • ¾ cup pork adobo chopped • ¼ cup bacon bits • 2 teaspoon sesame oil • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds • ¼ cup chicharron crushed • 2 tablespoons nori strips • 2 ½ tablespoons butter • 2 tablespoons garlic infused oil INSTRUCTIONS : 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Melt butter in a wok. Add garlic infused oil.

Once the bubbles subside, add the pork adobo. Cook until the outer part gets a bit crispy.

Add chopped kimchi and gochujang. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Put the leftover rice into the wok.

Stir fry for 3 minutes.

Pour-in the kimchi juice, add sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Cook for

panlasangpinoy.com

6.

7.

8.

2 minutes.

Add bacon bits and crushed chicharon. Add the nori strips and green onions. Cook for 1 minute.

Transfer to a serving plate. Top with fried egg.

Serve and enjoy!

HEALTH

Mga Dahilan ng Sakit ng Ulo Ni Dr. Willie Ong

I

to ang mga pinaka-madalas na nararamdaman ng mga pasyente.

1. Ang mga dahilan ng sakit ng ulo ay stress, depresyon, kaba, tension, lungkot, pag-aalala at galit.

2. Sumasakit din ang ulo kung nakakuba o poor posture, hindi aligned ang gulugod o spine, matigas ang mga masel sa balikat at arthritis. Kungmay rayuma sa buto ng leeg at pagtigas ng panga o TMJ ay sasakit din ang ulo.

3. Sa migraine headache, ang mga pagkain na may tyramine ay maaaring magdulot ng sakit ng ulo tulad ng cocoa, tsokolate, keso, soy products, toyo, alak, msg o vetsin, caffeine, preserved na

karne na may nitrites gaya ng hotdogs, bacon, pepperoni.

4. Ang iba pang dahilan ng sakit ng ulo ay low blood sugar, pagdi-diyeta, pagpuyat o kulang sa tulog, sobrang pagta-trabaho o sobrang ehersisyo.

5. Nakakasakit ng ulo ang pag-iiba ng klima o weather na kung minsan ay sobrang init o sobra naman lamig.

6. May mga gamot na kadalasan mayroong side effect kasama ang pagsakit ng ulo.

7. Kung bago o habang may regla at menopause.

8. Ang High blood pressure ay nakakasakit din ng ulo.

9. Lagnat o kaya naman nauntog.

10. May mga taong may irritants sa ilong tulad ng pabango, thinner, pintura, at rugby.

Isulat ito para mat-

ulungan ang doktor na malaman ang sanhi ng sakit ng ulo: 1. Magtala ng araw at oras ng sakit ng ulo; lokasyon, at kung gaano ito katagal.

2. I-rate ang sakit from 1-10 3. Ang dahilan na nakapagpa-trigger at pagkain na kinain 4. Kung may kasamang sintomas 5. Kung nasa lahi ng pamilya 6. Mga gawain o stress level 7. Menstrual cycle 8. Gamot na iniinom 9. Weather o Klima 10. Trabaho o ang mga ginagawa Kumonsulta sa Neurologist na doktor kung sobra ang sakit ng ulo, sobrang hilo, nagsusuka, walang balanse, may mataas na lagnat, at kung nawalan ng malay.

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The Mindanao Examiner

February 28-March 6, 2022

February 28-March 6, 2022

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Feb 28-Mar 6, 2022

DILG seeks ban on sale of medicines in sari-sari stores T

Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen is being used by many Filipinos as an anti-Covid drug. (Cebu Examiner)

USC, German partner to develop low-cost ventilator THE UNIVERSITY of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City and the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry (MPIC) in Mainz, Germany are currently working to develop a low-cost ventilator system for tropical indoor environments to curb further spread of airborne viruses, according to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said the project aims to redesign the low-cost ventilator sys-

tem, in collaboration with its inventor Dr. Frank Helleis of MPIC, and modify this to fit indoor tropical environments in the Philippines.

The project, he said, is supported by the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

“The low-cost ventilator shall then be demonstrated, and hopefully will be used in selected tropical indoor environments, such as classrooms, banks, and government agencies,” he said.

De la Peña said the proj-

ect team is also considering its use in public transport vehicles, as well as in small manufacturing facilities.

“The project team consisting of three USC engineers already left for MPIC, Germany, to study and train,” he said.

The USC engineers will learn the process, design, and engineering behind the low-cost ventilator, and how it could be modified and adjusted to fit the local indoor tropical environment, De la Peña said. (Maria Cristina Arayata)

HE INTERIOR Department has urged local governments across the country to enact an ordinance banning the sale of medicines following reports on the proliferation of fake medicines being sold in convenience or “sari-sari” stores.

Interior Secretary Edu- which states that only Food kanan ng ating mga kabaardo Año directed the police and Drug Administration-li- bayan ang nakataya rito,” to arrest store owners who censed retail drug outlets or he said.

Interior Undersecrecontinue to sell medicines, pharmacies are allowed to saying sari-sari stores are not sell drugs and medicine to tary Jonathan Malaya also called on the public to buy the public. allowed to sell medicines.

The FDA reported that medicines only in drug “LGUs should protect the health and general wel- they have received 185 re- stores and pharmacies that fare of their constituents. ports on sari-sari stores that have been authorized to We, therefore, urge LGUs to were illegally selling medi- sell medicines.

“Nakakatakot at deensure that sari-sari stores cines and nine were retailing within their jurisdictions are fake medicines, including likado ang fake medicines, lalo’t nasa gitna pa rin tayo not selling any medicine be- Covid-19 medicines.

Año said they will work ng pandemya. Kaya naman cause under the law, hindi sila awtorisado. Inatasan din hand-in-hand with the FDA nais kong bigyang-diin na natin ang PNP na siguruhing in issuing a Memorandum kapag bibili tayo ng kahit hindi nagbebenta ng gamot Circular to local govern- anong medisina, napaang mga sari-sari store at ar- ments for them to discon- kaimportante na doon laestuhin ang sumusuway sa tinue the sale of medicines mang tayo sa tiyak na mula batas lalo na iyong mga na- at sari-sari stores and other sa legal manufacturers. glalako ng pekeng gamot,” outlets without FDA autho- Mere possession of counterfeit drugs is a punishhe said. rization.

Año cited Section 30 “Sisiguraduhin natin na able act under the law. We of Republic Act No. 10918, aaksyunan ito ng ating mga only want what’s best and otherwise known as the LGUs at ng ating kapulisan safe for the public,” he said.

Philippine Pharmacy Act, dahil kalusugan at kapa- (Cebu Examiner)

20 years for ex-Cebu town mayor convicted of graft THE SANDIGANBAYAN has convicted a former Cebu town mayor of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for using municipal funds to buy food items from a bakeshop owned by his family in 2010.

In a 38-page decision dated February 22, the anti-graft court’s Third Division found former Aloguinsan town Mayor Augustus Caesar Moreno guilty and sentenced him to up to 20 years in prison.

The same penalty was handed down by the court to Moreno's co-accused Evangeline Manigos, a member of the municipal government's Bids and Awards Committee.

“The Court finds that the prosecution has successfully proven all the elements

of the crime,” the Sandiganbayan said, adding the “accused Augustus Moreno actually participated or intervened in his official capacity in connection with his interest in the transactions of the municipality of Aloguinsan with AVG Bakeshop.”

Moreno’s wife, Cynthia who is also a former Aloguinsan mayor, and five other municipal officials were charged by the Ombudsman for allegedly buying a total of P287,725 worth of food supplies in the bakeshop. But the anti-graft court ordered that the cases against Cynthia and other former BAC members Pepito Maguilimotan, Nonela Villegas, Marilyn Flordeliza and Gertrudes Ababon, be archived as they remain-at- large. (Benjamin Pulta)

Covid vax for elderly in Central Visayas remains low CEBU CITY – The Central Visayas region ranks second in the country that recorded the lowest number of senior citizens vaccinated against the Covid-19, next to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Department of Health (DOH) said.

Citing data from the

ARMM

National Vaccination Operations Center, the DOH said Central Visayas only vaccinated about 52% of the target coverage out of the 589,773 total population of the elderly while while BARMM achieved about 44%.

DOH-7 chief pathologist Dr. Mary Jean Loreche said Central Visayas still has

327,707 senior citizens who remain unvaccinated. “The problem with our population is that senior citizens 60 years old and above, especially those who are residing in the remote places are not coming downtown or visiting malls, or they are living in far-away houses. It’s really difficult to convince them to

Eastern Mindanao

be vaccinated,” Loreche said.

She said local governments are also doubling their efforts to reach out to the elderly who are in far-flung areas just to administer the vaccine to them.

Loreche also cited the “purok” system implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Govern-

Western Mindanao

ment that has helped a lot in reaching out to the senior citizens down to the sub-villages for inoculation. “Hopefully in doing this, there is no more reason whatsoever we failed to reach them out. By chance they would categorically refuse to get vaccinated, then we need to respect that because at the end of the day,

Cebu

inoculation is a voluntary act,” she said.

Despite the low achievement in terms of the number of elderly in Central Visayas who submitted themselves for inoculation, Loreche said she is optimistic more senior citizens will avail of the free vaccination.

(John Rey Saavedra)

Manila