https://www.sunstar.com.ph/

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• BJMP-Davao conducts Operation Greyhound
• Chinese ConGen: Davao-Samal Bridge groundbreaking eyed in July
• Kembali’s The Veranda Resort Condos opens clubhouse
• Collaboration
• Editorial: Scam texts
• City Council ok’s Mice Ordinance
• VP-elect Duterte wants full in-person classes August
• Pres. Duterte wishes VP-elect Sara ‘good luck’
• Improved palay production, rice sufficiency in Davao
• San Isidro Co-op receives P9M for tablea processing
• 25,000 gather for VP-elect’s inauguration
• Davao mayor bids goodbye to City Hall employees
• Sara Duterte hopes new admin to prioritize ROTC revival
• Group eyes to bring mental health support to grassroots communities
• Davao Dive Expo to spotlight Samal
• Bangladeshi pharma firm to invest in Davao City
• Secrets revealed on Vivamax
• Spreading awareness on local specialty coffee
• Abalayan: Renewed hope even after PRRD's term

BJMP-Davao conducts Operation Greyhound Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:30 AM PDT THE Bureau Of Jail Management And Penology (BJMP)-Davao, along with other security agencies launched the Operation Greyhound on Tuesday dawn, June 21, at the Davao City Jail wherein contrabands were confiscated. In a press release, BJMP, in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other concerned agencies led the operation. BJMP-Davao spokesperson Jail Inspector Edo Lobenia told SunStar Davao in an online message that this is the first time they conducted a surprise inspection since the Covid-19 pandemic. Lobenia said they were able to confiscate improvised bladed weapons, and cellphones, which is strictly prohibited inside the prison cell. As to the number of prisoners who were apprehended, he said they would still have to determine it, and investigate them for possible sanctions. "We would still conduct an investigation, and we will depend on the result," the BJMP official said. Aside from the confiscation of contrabands, the operation was also conducted to clean the ground floor cells after the greyhound operations to eliminate health-hazardous pests and unclogged blocked drainages, and look for possible explosives and ordinances in all cell buildings. "The greyhound operation is an essential operational activity of BJMP Davao Region and BJMP as a whole. This is to maintain peace and order inside our jails. And for the safety of our PDL [persons deprived of liberty] and Personnel. Furthermore, to avoid any untoward incident due to contraband," the official said. BJMP-Davao has intensified its security measures inside the City Jail after several attempts to sneak in illegal drugs have been intercepted over the past months. Currently, the City Jail has around 2,500 inmates or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). Lobenia, in a previous report said this exceeded its 1,000 capacity. The City Jail will soon be decongested as the construction of the new jail house is expected to be finished before the end of 2022. Lobenia said that the New Davao City Jail Building located in Barangay Wangan, Calinan can occupy up to 5,000 inmates. RGL

Chinese ConGen: Davao-Samal Bridge groundbreaking eyed in July Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:30 AM PDT Following the signing of the Framework Agreement and Loan Agreement for the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project (Davao-Samal Bridge) between the Philippines and China, Chinese Consul-General Li Lin said the groundbreaking of the bridge is targeted to be in July 2022. "The embassy and Chinese companies are working together with the Philippine partners to start our groundbreaking early. I'm expecting it to take place next month (July)... We are working on the target direction – next month," the Consul said on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 during a press briefing at the Chinese consulate in Davao City. After the groundbreaking, he said the project would fully commence its construction phase. "I have high hopes and expectations for the groundbreaking next month," Lin said. The Philippines and China signed the Framework Agreement and Loan Agreement for Davao-Samal Bridge on June 13. Lin said the concessional loan will be approximately $350 million to finance the project Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said in a Facebook post that once completed, the bridge will provide a resilient and reliable transportation link between Davao City and Island Garden City of Samal, "improving transportation efficiency, promoting internal mobility, and stimulating tourism potential." Xilian also said the construction will create thousands of jobs, contributing to local economic recovery and improving their livelihood. Outgoing Davao City Mayor and incoming Vice President Sara Duterte thanked the administration and her father, Outgoing President Rodrigo for the recent developments of the project. "They really endeavored na masimulan na 'yung (to start the) Davao City and Samal Island Connector," Duterte said. She said the connector bridge would benefit both Igacos and Davao City as tourists will have convenience in travel. The SIDC is a two-way four-lane 3.86-km bridge with the main bridge having a length of 1.62-km long. The China-funded project is envisioned as a modern bridge that will connect the Samal Circumferential Road in Barangay Limao, Island Garden City of Samal to Davao City in between R. Castillo-Daang Maharlika junction. The Davao-Samal bridge is one of the big-ticket projects of the Duterte administration. Igacos Mayor Al David Uy said he is hopeful that the bridge would be completed under the term of incoming President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary for Unified Project Management Office Operations Emil K. Sadain said the Davao-Samal Bridge construction is targeted to commence in the second quarter of 2022 and will be completed in 2026. RGL

Kembali’s The Veranda Resort Condos opens clubhouse Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:30 AM PDT HOW do you find the idea of living in an island blessed with nature's splendor and exceptional amenities built by one of the country's quality developers like Filinvest Land? This is the promise of Kembali's The Veranda Resort Condos located in the beautiful and progressive city of Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos). Since the launched of Kembali Coast in 2007, more and more people in and outside Davao Region would want to invest in this highly-admired property. With this, Prestige by Filinvest brand offered The Veranda Resort Condos at Kembali. An exclusive beach community spread over almost 50 hectares of pristine land, Kembali and its vertical development The Veranda Resort Condos offer a life highlighted by the sea and sand. Blessed with an inviting 1.8-km white sand coastline facing the Talikud Strait, residents are greeted by a majestic vista each time they go home. "True to its namesake, The Veranda promises to be residents' own balcony by the sea," Filinvest Land Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Vince Abejo shared adding residents of this 10-building condo community get to enjoy an exclusive swimming pool for every two buildings. Last June 10, The Veranda Resort Condos launched its two-storey Balinese-inspired clubhouse and swimming pool, complementing the generous selection of amenities found within Kembali. The launching was led by Abejo, Igacos Vice Mayor Richard Guindolman, Filinvest Land Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Vince Abejo, and National In-house Sales Head Alan Barquilla. "Kembali and The Veranda Resort Condos is the first Balinese-inspired residential- leisure project with a beach facility – first of its kind in Mindanao," Vice Mayor Guindolman said. Residents of this vertical property enjoy 38-squaremeter condo units with a balcony allowing residents to feast on the majestic view of the seascape, Talicud Island, and Mt. Apo. On the property's updates, Abejo shared that seven out of 10 buildings are already sold out. The remaining three buildings are still up for grabs with units now sold at a minimum price of P5 million. The developer also takes pride in mentioning that this property is a testament to Filinvest Land's rallying cry of Dreams Built Green. "We aim to create green and sustainable communities where residents can enjoy the beauty of nature and restore wellness. Kembali and The Veranda Resort Condos perfectly represent this. We look forward to fully realizing the vision for this exclusive island escape for current and future residents," added Abejo The Veranda residents can also head to the condo community's own clubhouse for some rest and respite. Other activities that residents can enjoy include hobie cat sailing, kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. There's also a beachfront infinity pool and clubhouse, walking path, al fresco dining area, and a dock for speedboats. Filinvest Land is one of the region's leading developers with nine projects in Davao Region and a total of over 280 projects around the country. It has been lauded as the Best Developer in Mindanao at the recently concluded DOT Property Awards 2021. ASP with PR

Collaboration Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:30 AM PDT One's weakness may already be another individual's strength. Such is the value of collaborations. Nowadays, collaboration is essential in our work on the medical frontlines, peace and security, and safe return to schools. Engaging in sports allows one to learn collaboration. Even individual events such as tennis, swimming, and chess, these athletes would require working with their coaches to achieve optimum training results en route to success. For team sports, gung-ho styles of play have been long gone. Team play has been the measure of success for winning teams such as the Golden State Warriors and recent NBA Champions. Even PSC has waltzed to triumph over the last six years because of the ability to collaborate with other agencies and organizations. In sports and life, we need to learn collaboration skills. Here are crucial collaboration skills we can harness: 1. Open-mindedness - Engaging with an open mind frees us from unnecessary biases and helps us make better decisions. 2. Communication - When communicating, it must be clear and thoughtful. Collaboration is a social activity; we cannot do away with communication. We need to foster an environment where communication can flourish. 3. Organization - Delegation is an essential skill for effective collaboration. We must learn to ask people for help and accept that we don't have a monopoly on knowledge. 4. Long-term thinking - Envision your results and plan your action according to these results. Contributing to a shared vision and purpose makes people eager to collaborate. 5. Adaptability - Even if we practice the first four skills, things can still go out of control. If this happens, freaking out won't help in any way. Keep calm and regain control of what you can control. A collaborative environment is not something unattainable. It needs a level of self-awareness for all individuals to recognize their strengths and weaknesses. Acknowledge the need for support from each other and the value they can contribute to the success of an endeavor. However, collaborations also need to be critical to flesh out the best ideas and directions for success. As we look at a new leadership in government, we can adapt to being critical collaborators of government. As we espouse as coaches, it is always about the next play, not the previous one. We are on to the next play as a nation, and we have a ball game to play for a better Philippines.

Editorial: Scam texts Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:30 AM PDT "Your employment VC sent to the POEA has been approved, Click for Details: [link] and you can get 4655/day." "Do you want to earn money outside of work? We are recruiting staff, the hourly salary is 1880-7880P,pls contact soon possible: [link]" These are just among the trivial messages that we have been receiving in our inboxes the past months. It is annoying and infuriating to have received such messages over the course of the pandemic. Interestingly, we did not receive such messages before the pandemic. There were a few but not as frequent. However, around the middle of the pandemic, we began receiving similar messages like those above. And it is quite odd as the messages have become more frequent. For many of us, we receive spam messages almost every day. Some receive it once a day, others receive two or more in a day. Many speculate that the persons may have gotten our numbers from the initial manual and written contact tracing efforts -- health declaration forms and log books. While there is no proof to these claims, the assumption is very possible. Sadly, there are simply people who have no respect for our private information. Just a side note, persons sharing sensitive information of other people without the latter's consent will affect information gathering in the near future. This may affect certain information gathering efforts for important initiatives. Going back to the spam messages, according to telecommunications giant Globe, "In 2021, the company blocked a total of 1.15 billion scam and spam messages, around 7,000 mobile numbers linked to scammers, and 2,000 unofficial social media accounts and phishing sites last year." Globe also reported that it has blocked 142,575 smishing messages in February and March this year. "Smishing occurs mainly through mobile text messaging, in which scammers attempt to mislead victims into giving away their personal data. Scammers then use this data to take over a victim's financial accounts," said Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer. Meanwhile, PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have blocked a total of 23 million smishing text messages in the last three days. The telecommunications giant also reported that 78,000 SIMs related to smishing were also blocked from January to May of this year. "The PLDT group's latest clampdown on 'smishing' has expanded earlier efforts to prevent these harmful messages from reaching customers. From January to May this year, PLDT and Smart have blocked more than 600,000 text messages linked to smishing, hoaxes, and spamming," the company said in a statement on Monday, June 21, 2022. Meanwhile, in a Philippine News Agency report on June 9, 2022, Senator Grace Poe has urged DICT and NTC to step up efforts against scam texts or smishing messages. "As more rely on digital technology to cope with the hard times, so must we intensify all necessary safeguards against heightened risks that can overturn our people's efforts at recovery," she said in a statement. During an interview with GMA's "24 Oras" on June 9, 2022, NTC deputy commissioner Edgardo Cabarios said it is not easy to stop scam and smishing messages. "Kung mapapansin natin, lahat ito kung dumadaan ng telco puro prepaid eh kung prepaid yan hindi nakarehistro so yung ating law enforcement agencies mahihirapan silang matukoy kung sino sila (If you notice, all these passing through telcos use prepaid. If they are using prepaid, then it is not registered which is why authorities are finding it hard to track them)," Cabrios was quoted saying in the report by Marisol Abdurahman. For the general public, Globe currently has an online facility where you can report scam or smishing messages and the numbers sending them -- https://www.globe.com.ph/stop-spam.html. Some have also said there are settings on your office that you could turn on to detect and block spam and smishing messages.

City Council ok’s Mice Ordinance Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:20 AM PDT THE Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (Mice) Ordinance of Davao City was approved on its third and final reading on June 14, 2022, said Councilor Myrna Ortiz. According to her, after the final reading, the ordinance shall be presented to the mayor and await the final approval before being officially published. As of today, Ortiz has not yet confirmed whether the proposed ordinance has already been transmitted to the mayor's office. "Once the Ordinance takes effect, we hope that the Executive Department will implement the said Ordinance as soon as possible, especially since the City is gearing up for the MiceCon 2022 this year," Ortiz told SunStar Davao on June 21. According to Ortiz, the Mice Ordinance creates the Mice Board of Davao City that shall undertake the measures and plans for effective execution of "MICE-oriented services, activities, and programs." It is also expected to "develop policies intended to support and encourage stakeholders to engage in the conduct of Mice in the City." Some of the regulations include urging Mice organizers to strictly follow the minimum public health standards set by the city government, as well as to comply with the requirements set by the Davao City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO). In addition, the Mice Board should be composed of one representative from tourism enterprises such as hotels and restaurants, travel and tours, convention facilities, food producers, and leisure destinations, as suggested by CTOO Head Generose Tecson under the proposed ordinance. "In this way, there will be a unit solely responsible to regulate and support the operations of the Mice stakeholders. This will help boost Mice in Davao City," Ortiz said. Through this ordinance, Ortiz said the city government of Davao plans to position the city as a premier Mice hub in the southern region of the Philippines, as well as an international Mice destination in Southeast Asia. It will be implemented 15 days after its official publication or general circulation to ensure that Dabawenyos are well-informed on the ordinance before it takes place. ICM

VP-elect Duterte wants full in-person classes August Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:10 AM PDT VICE President-elect Sara Duterte, who will also serve as the incoming Education secretary, is "targeting" to fully implement the face-to-face (F2F) classes by August this year. "We are targeting that," she said in response to the media's question on face-to-face classes in a press conference on Monday morning, June 21. On Saturday, June 18, a day before her oathtaking the outgoing Davao City mayor said she would look into the possibility of the resumption of the F2F classes once she assumes her post. In May, Briones encouraged public and private institutions to return to holding in-person classes for Academic Year 2022-23. Duterte also said she will also review the current implementation of the K to 12 curriculum. Several teacher groups and parents had also urged the incoming Education secretary to abolish the K to 12 due to its inefficient implementation. In 2020, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said the K-12 "congested curriculum" was a failure, resulting in Grade 4 students from the Philippines recording the lowest scores among participants from 58 countries in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019. However, when asked by SunStar Davao, she said scrapping it needs to be discussed. "That is something na kailangan mapag-usapan. It cannot be decided overnight but initially it is something na napag-usapan namin ni President [Bongbong] Marcos (That is something that has to be discussed. It cannot be decided overnight but initially, it is something that President Marcos and I discussed.)," she said. She said incoming President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos already told her to review the K to 12 education system. "He already gave instructions with regard to the review of the implementation of the K-12 program of the Department of Education," Duterte said. Also, she said she will look for ways to raise teachers' salaries . "Actually, the Duterte administration did do something about that," she also said, noting a salary increase to P23,877 from P19,077. An entry-level teacher, or Teacher 1, falls under Salary Grade 11 and gets a monthly salary of P25,439. Duterte said she and outgoing Education Secretary Leonor Briones have had several written communications for the transition of the office. She said they are set to have their first F2F meeting on June 25. RGL

Pres. Duterte wishes VP-elect Sara ‘good luck’ Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:05 AM PDT OUTGOING Davao City Mayor and incoming Vice President Sara Duterte said that she and her father, outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte don't discuss work-related matters, but the latter wished the former "good luck" in her new political position. During a press conference on Monday, June 20, Sara was asked about what she and her father talked about during the inauguration ceremony held at San Pedro Street on Sunday, June 19. "Sinabihan ko siya 'Salamat, Pa,' and he said, 'good luck' (I told him, 'Thanks, Papa,' and he said, 'good luck)," Sara said. The outgoing mayor, meanwhile, was asked if she would seek advice from the President, also a former city mayor. She responded, "PRD [President Rodrigo Duterte] and ako, hindi kasi kami, and I think nasabi na rin niya publicly, we don't discuss trabaho (I think he already said this before, PRD and I don't publicly discuss about work), and we don't discuss politics." "Pag nagkikita kami usually ang pinag-uusapan namin mga chismis sa family members, mga chismis sa paligid. Very normal relationship namin ni PRRD, hindi sya professional or business-like (When we see each other, what we usually talk about are gossips about family members and gossips around us. When it comes to my relationship with PRRD, it's normal and not professional or business-like)," she said. Sara revealed in a previous radio interview that she and the President had not been communicating since August last year. She also said that she wasn't able to personally meet the President during the miting de avance of the Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod-Hugpong ng Pagbabago on May 6, days before the May 9 elections. As for possibly getting a political adviser, she said she won't be relying on one person, and that she welcomes input from senior politicians. "Pinapakinggan ko lahat (I listen to everyone), and I decide based on my gut feel," the vice president-elect said. Meanwhile, she encouraged her brother, incoming Mayor Sebastian Duterte to review the General Welfare Clause of the Local Government Code "There will always be many issues and challenges na hindi magiging masaya lahat ng tao, but kung gagawin lang niya at susundin lang niya ang (that people will not be happy about, but if you will do and follow the) General Welfare clause, o 'yung general welfare ng karamihan, ng majority (or the general welfare of everyone), then he will be always on the right track," Sara said. Duterte, also an incoming Education secretary, is set to assume her new positions at noon of June 30. The oathtaking was slated at an earlier date for her to be able to attend the inauguration of her running mate, President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. who is set to take his oath at the National Museum in Manila on June 30. Sara said that, as of now, she will be the only one from the first family who will be attending Marcos' inauguration. She did not elaborate if the outgoing President will also be attending the event. RGL

Improved palay production, rice sufficiency in Davao Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:00 AM PDT Davao Region's palay production and rice sufficiency levels improved, said Regional Development Council-Davao (RDC-Davao) Chairperson Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy. Uy, during his State of the Region Address (Sora) as RDC-Davao chairperson at SM Lanang Premier on June 21, 2022, said the sector recovered in 2020 as a result of the continued support of the government assistance to farmers and fishermen technical assistance in the implementation of programs, activities, and projects under the Davao Regional Recovery Program to mitigate Covid-19 losses. "As a result, palay production and rice sufficiency levels in the region improved. Palay production increased from 466,764 metric tons in 2020 to 484,725 metric tons in 2021," Uy said. Uy said the rice sufficiency in the Davao Region has risen to 54 percent in 2021 from 47 percent in 2016. Uy said this is due to the increased palay production. Another factor is the decrease in per capita rice consumption to 94 kilograms in 2018 from around 106 kilograms in 2017, based on the survey of consumption on selected agricultural commodities last year published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). Uy said the reduction in rice may be due to consumers' preference. "The reduction in rice per capita consumption may be due to the shift in consumers' preferences from rice to other staple alternatives by reason of health concerns or increasing price of rice," Uy said. KSD

San Isidro Co-op receives P9M for tablea processing Posted: 21 Jun 2022 08:00 AM PDT THE San Isidro Cacao Producers Cooperative (Sicapco) in San Isidro, Davao Oriental is now ready to produce more quality cacao tablea after it received P9 million worth of support for the "Enhancement of Table Processing and Marketing Enterprise" subproject. Sicapco Manager Victorano Orot Sr. said they started on their cacao journey after they received cacao seedlings from the province. However, when the time came to harvest their cacao, they faced a challenge in finding a buyer for their beans. That was when they decided to send their proposal for an enterprise subproject to the Department of Agriculture Philippine Rural Development Project which if approved, would also benefit all cacao farmers in their municipality. Around that time, they also made the decision to transition from being an association into a cooperative and thus Sicapco was born. "We really aspired to become a cooperative because of the support we got from the government," Orot said. "We have already talked to former members of our association and they said that they will rejoin Sicapco especially because we need more cacao beans for our processing operations. Thank you so much for helping our cooperative to our MLGU, PLGU, and especially DA-PRDP." Sicapco can now process a large volume of cacao beans into tablea as the subproject addressed the co-op's lack of machineries, equipment and processing facilities. The subproject will benefit the 141 members of Sicapco, 105 male and 36 female. The enterprise package includes the construction of one Cacao Solar Tunnel and one processing building with storage and vehicle shed. Aside from these, SICAPCO also received one utility van, a motorcycle, and other processing materials and machineries. Apart from the processing facilities, the Province through their Provincial Cooperative Officer handed a P500,000 cheque while the Municipal Local Government of San Isidro in turn gave a P300,000 cheque to Sicapco which formed part of the Proponent Group's counterpart or equity for the subproject. As part of the co-op's way forward, Provincial Veterinarian Head and PRDP Focal Dr. Eric. R. Dagmang said that they planned to register the Sicapco Tablea to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) so they can bring their product to a bigger market. "We will register to DFA the cacao tablea of Sicapco since our building is already standardized based on the DFA qualification. Without accreditation, we can't go to a bigger market so we will register it," said Dr, Dagmang. San Isidro Municipal Mayor Justina MB.Yu encouraged the members and board of directors of Sicapco to focus on the development of this project. "Let us be self-reliant. Treat this cooperative as your family because this is a source of your income. I challenge Sicapco to sustain this subproject because we don't want to waste the knowledge, expertise, and hopes of every member in this co-op," said Yu. PRDP

25,000 gather for VP-elect’s inauguration Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:51 PM PDT THE Davao City Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) said the inauguration ceremony of outgoing Davao City Mayor and Vice President-elect Sara Duterte on Sunday, June 19, attracted around 25,000 people and had been "peaceful" overall.PSSCC head Angel Sumagaysay said on Monday, June 20 that the security cluster has not recorded any "significant incident" which had disrupted the conduct of the historical event.Sumagaysay attributed the event's success to the 4,200 security personnel that were all driven to work in keeping public order and security during the ceremony."Very peaceful, and I would like to thank everybody na nag-support, 'yung community, security cluster, and sa City GHovernment na grabe ang supporter," Sumagaysay said.In terms of crowd estimate, he said they expected only around 20,000 attending the event.But he noted that the figure exceeded as some of the areas intended for the media, especially for the OB Vans, were occupied by the attendees.Sumagaysay said the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (DRRMO) and the Davao City Central 911 reported two cases of individuals fainting due to heat exhaustion. They quickly recovered after immediately being given aid.The oath taking was attended by local and national lawmakers, foreign ambassadors, and various Filipino artists. Also in attendance were the first family, led by President Rodrigo Duterte, and President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.According to the Davao City Information Office, over 600 high-profile guests were present during the inauguration.

Davao mayor bids goodbye to City Hall employees Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:51 PM PDT OUTGOING Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte bid her goodbye to the City Government employees during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, June 20, at the City Hall grounds.The Vice President-elect, in her speech, also urged the City Government employees to rally behind the incoming administration of her brother, incumbent Vice Mayor and Mayor-elect Sebastian Duterte.Duterte, in her speech, thanked them for supporting her decision to run for the vice presidency.Duterte also recalled some of the experiences under her term from 2010 to 2013, and from 2016 until her last term in 2022, wherein the city faced "trials and tough times.""The local government never faltered, and this all because of you, and your hard work. Mahal ko kayo (I love you all)," the outgoing mayor said.She also thanked the vice mayor for acting as mayor, and the other key officials for manning the city in her absence during the election campaign."Dili lalim na biyaan atoang siyudad sa pipila ka bulan (It is not easy to leave the city for a few months), but I am grateful that our vice mayor, our department heads, and our chief of offices, as well as our City Councilors managed our city smoothly in my absence," Duterte said.In the middle of her speech, the daughter of former Davao City mayor and outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte bared she had more plans for the city but she entrusted the governance to her successor."Naa pa tay daghang plano para kaninyo apan kini ako na lang itunol sa musunod na administrasyon (I still have more plans for you, but I will turn it over to the next administration)," she said.As she bid her goodbye to all the city government employees, Duterte said that leaving Davao City has been a "learning, humbling, and eye-opening experience.""Karong buntaga, tuguti ko na personal na manamilit kaninyo (This morning, allow me to personally bid farewell to you). I would now like to formally bid you all goodbye in the City Government of Davao," Duterte said.She said her experience of "sleepless nights" and "days filled with grief and joy" is something she is proud to have shared with them."It has been an honor and the privilege to serve as your City Mayor. It has been an honor serving Davao City beside all of you," she said."I leave you now in the capable hands of the next set of city officials, and I ask that you extend to them the same level of support and cooperation na inyong gihatag kanako (that you had given to me)," she added.The mayor attended the first flag raising ceremony with the entire City Government employees since the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also be her last as mayor.The outgoing mayor's attendance in the flag raising ceremony comes only a day after she officially took her oath as vice president of the country on Sunday afternoon, June 19, in San Pedro Street.Her inauguration was attended by the first family, including President Duterte and his ex-wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, as well as her running mate, incoming President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.In her inaugural speech, Duterte-Carpio reiterated that parents have the duty to teach children the values of integrity, discipline, respect and compassion for others."Let us show our love for our country by taking care of our families and communities despite the unending challenges that come their way," she said."A strong loving happy family sets down all the basic foundations essential in the development and growth of a child... We should never forget that it is the duty of each Filipino family to emphasize that education begins at home," she added.Meanwhile, Sebastian, who made his political debut in 2019, is set to be the third consecutive Duterte to head the city. He will be assisted by his vice mayor, incumbent Councilor and City Council Floor Leader Jay Melchor Quitain Jr.

Sara Duterte hopes new admin to prioritize ROTC revival Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:50 PM PDT OUTGOING Davao City Mayor and incoming Vice President Sara Duterte is hoping that the revival of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) will be part of the priority legislation of the administration of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.Duterte said in a press conference on Monday morning, June 20, that the matter is to be decided between Marcos and the incoming Senate and House of Representatives.But she is hoping that this will push through."I hope that it will be included since marami namang (there are) pending bills dyan sa Congress, with regard to that, iba-iba ang pangalan (with different names), and titles. Sana masali siya (I hope it would be included)," Duterte said.Duterte, who was promoted to colonel in the Reserve Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in 2018, earlier proposed a mandatory rendering of military service for all Filipinos 18 years old and above when she gets elected as vice president.During a virtual political event, she said training for individuals enrolling in compulsory military service would not last for just one weekend or a month."Gagamitin ko ang aking opisina (I will use my office) — Office of the Vice President — para kausapin ang ating (to talk to our) Congress and the Senate of the Philippines to make military service for all 18 years old, male and female, mandatory in our country," Duterte said during the UniTeam Alliance's virtual caravan on January 20.The outgoing mayor said countries like South Korea and Israel have been requiring their citizens to perform military service.This had led to speculation that the mayor, who earlier eyed the post of the Department of National Defense, will be reviving the ROTC, which used to be 12 units in college.Duterte, also the incoming Education secretary, however, clarified in a previous interview that the ROTC is something not under her office."With regard[s] to ROTC and the Department of Education, remind lang ko sa tanang mga bright (I would like to remind those smart people) that the Department of Education is all about basic education and ALS [Alternative Learning System]. So it has nothing to do with ROTC," Duterte-Carpio said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio on May 16.Duterte also emphasized that the ROTC is a tertiary subject, which is under the jurisdiction of the Commission on Higher Educations (Ched).Meanwhile, she said she is set to have a face-to-face meeting with outgoing Education Secretary Leonor Briones for the finalization of the transition phase.

Group eyes to bring mental health support to grassroots communities Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:49 PM PDT THE Davao chapter of the Philippine Mental Health Association (PMHA-Davao) aims to bring their advocacy to the grassroots communities to help them better understand mental health.Teofilo Limikid, PMHA-Davao executive director, said on Monday, June 20, 2022 they are implementing a community-based mental health psychosocial support wherein they partner with different barangays and local government units to train frontliners on mental health."It could be the nurse, midwife, it could be the councilors or the kagawad. Or in some barangays, naay ginatawag na (we have the) barangay council for mental health, kadto among gina-target mismo (that's our main target). Kadtong naa sa authority mismo para naay tingog over sa ilang constituents (Those who have authority over their constituents)," Limikid said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw press conference.Through this, Limikid said campaign on mental health will have better reach to the grassroots communities and educate them on the matter.He added that through the program, indigent Dabawenyos will have access to services and have basic knowledge on mental health especially considering that professional consultation could be expensive."Dili lang ni trabaho sa mga (This is not only a job for) professionals sa (in) mental health, kay kung magdepende pa ta ani nilang mga professional, pirting mahala unya kung ikaw daw pila ra'y sweldo nimo unya naa ka'y ginabati muadto pa ka sa spsychologist na P1,000 to P1,500 per consultation (because if we depend on them, it could get very expensive. A single consultation could cost P1,000 to P1,500)," Limikid said.He added that an alternative for the grassroot communities is through collective effort wherein members of the community can open up to each other to listen and help process their mental health situation."Let's grab the opportunity na ma-express nato atong gipangbati kay (to let people express what they feel because) actually in a psychological perspective, ang importante sa tao para ma-maintain niya ang iyang mental health is naa'y maminaw sa iyaha (a person can maintain their mental health if they have someone who listen to them). Bisan wala kay isulti o i-advice, ma-feel lang sa tao na naa ka naminaw, dako na kana na relief (Even if you don't have anything to say or advice, as long as you listen, that's a big help for them)."Limikid said mental health issue should be addressed because even though it is not talked about as other issues, it is still prevalent and could bring huge damage to the economy.

Davao Dive Expo to spotlight Samal Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:49 PM PDT THE Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) is the top diving destination in Davao Region because of its well-known and numerous diving spots, Department of Tourism (DOT)-Davao Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan said.Igacos has at least 14 dive sites and counting, with four new sites recently introduced on May 28 during the Samal Dive Fest. These new dive sites are in Auntood, Ligid D, Aundanao, and Purok 7.Tan said Samal still has many dive sites to offer thus they continue to validate different locations."Samal Island is the top destination for diving. We have so many dive sites. We have around 14 but actually marami pa, it's really more than 14," she said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw press conference on June 20.Because of this, Igacos and its dive sites will be promoted during the first-ever Davao Dive Expo on June 24 to 26, 2022 at SM Lanang Premier.The three-day event, she said, is an opportunity to promote the dive sector of Davao Region and highlight other rising dive sites such as the Davao Oriental province with promising dive sites in Mati City and the municipalities of Governor Generoso and Tarragona.At least eight exhibitors are expected to participate in the expo, which will be a mix of local and independent dive shops, partners from local government units promoting tourist and dive sites, and other allied services to showcase their products and services."This is a means to promote and revive the diving activities in Davao Region but apart from that, we also want to create awareness and appreciation," Tan said.The expo will also hold exhibits of underwater photos and forums on marine conservation and protection, said Tan. Different tourism circuits will also be promoted as they also include different dive spots in the five provinces of the region.Through this event, DOT-Davao hopes that Davao Region will gain momentum and take its place as one of the top diving destinations in the country.

Bangladeshi pharma firm to invest in Davao City Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:48 PM PDT A BANGLADESHI pharmaceutical company is targeted to set up a manufacturing plant in Davao City, an envoy said.Bangladesh Ambassador to the Philippines F.M. Borhan Uddin told the media in a press conference that the Bangladeshi company that expresses intention to expand in the country is Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd.Following his visit in Davao City two weeks ago, Uddin said he will pitch to the company the city as a viable investment destination."We will request to divert the company here in Davao City if possible. We will try to negotiate with the company to come here to Davao City and establish their plant," he said.Uddin was in the city for a courtesy visit to Davao City mayor-elect Sebastian "Baste" Duterte and officials of the Davao City Investment and Promotion Center (DCIPC) on June 6, 2022.He also made exploratory talks with the city's business players (Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.) and the Mindanao Development Authority (Minda).Uddin also shared that a city-to-city agreement between countries would help facilitate potential business partnerships in agriculture and tourism, among other sectors.With this, he said Bangladesh is eyeing to pact partnerships with the city by inking a sisterhood pact between Davao and Khulna, which is the third-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka, as part of initiatives to expand economic and cultural ties between the two countries."We have received some ideas from DCIPC. Number one is making a sister city agreement. That is a very good idea for us and by initiating the sister city agreement, we can work together on the environment," the diplomat said.A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Embassy and the city government of Davao to further collaborations in the fields of business, and tourism, among others is also eyed to be inked this year.The diplomat also sees that his country and Davao City and the Philippines can do more as trade partners.Bangladesh is the 50th largest exporter to the Philippines. The total bilateral trade between Bangladesh and the Philippines stands around $110 million in 2020-2021.Honorary Consul General of Bangladesh in Mindanao Joji Ilagan-Bian said the Bangladeshi government is also eager to bring Bangladesh tea in Davao City. Bangladesh is the 10th largest tea producer in the world.The Philippines and Bangladesh celebrate 50 years of diplomatic ties this year.

Secrets revealed on Vivamax Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:47 PM PDT TEMPTATION can bring out our darkest secrets. Viva Films brings us a movie about the frightening journey of discovery of a couple who thought they knew everything about themselves -- "Secrets," a film by Jose Javier Reyes, streaming starting June 10 on Vivamax.Janine (Janelle Tee) and Christian (Benz Sangalang) want to find time to sort out their relationship problems. They escape the city and go to an isolated beach house owned by their friend. They were welcomed by an old couple, Rading and Elena. Unbeknownst to them, there is another guest -- Leo (Felix Roco), Elena's nephew, who is home for a short vacation from the Middle East where he works as an engineer. Leo returns to the beach house to meet his fuck buddy, Felina (Denise Esteban), who works as a waitress in one of the nearby resorts.From the onset, Janine does not like Leo because her instincts tell her that there is something dangerous about him. Leo is a satyr that seduces everyone for his pleasure. Without them knowing, they are slowly falling into Leo's trap.Direk Jose Javier Reyes brings on screen a dark tale of sexual experimentation and perversion in his new movie "Secrets." And for this sexy movie, he got young and daring actors like Janelle Tee, Benz Sangalang and Denise Esteban, who were not afraid to bare it all for their roles. And seasoned actor Felix Roco completes the all-out, no holds barred cast. Under the direction of award-winner Direk Jose Javier Reyes, it is exciting to see how the cast's chemistry will translate on screen.Get ready to make the deepest and darkest discoveries in "Secrets" on Vivamax Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Macao, Vietnam, Brunei, Maldives, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA, the Middle East and Europe. And get the best Vivamax viewing quality with TV casting.For local subscriptions, you can subscribe using the Vivamax app and for P149, you can watch-all-you-can for 1 month, and you can pay using your Debit or Credit card, GCash, or PayPal account that's linked on your Google, Apple and Huawei App Gallery account. (PR)

Spreading awareness on local specialty coffee Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:47 PM PDT ARNEL Cadeliña thought that having a coffee roasting business that existed for eight decades would solidify him as a specialty coffee expert. But when he started to explore the Philippine coffee industry, particularly in Soccsksargen region, he could not resist to learn more."We have had a family coffee roasting business since 1941. It started from my grandmother in Kabacan, (North) Cotabato province. In 1973, when my father was in his 6th grade, his family migrated to GenSan and continued the business," Cadeliña recalled.Before, they used a traditional method of roasting coffee beans. His father Romeo used a kawa (huge cauldron) and heated the beans with fire wood. It was labor-intensive because it needed manpower to roast the (green) coffee beans.In 2009, Cadeliña took over the business due to his father's deteriorating health. That time, he started to think big for their family business. He took the initiative to formally register their roasting business to have a legal identity and named it as "Tay Roming Coffee Roasters" in honor of his late father."My father did not bother to register our roasting business. He was only focused on it and provided for the needs of his family," he said.In 2012, he collaborated with his brother Ronnel, to conceptualize and create their first coffee roasting machine. It went through research and development. It took almost a year to finish a decent roasting machine.With this kind of innovation, it became the first specialty roaster machine in GenSan.Cadeliña's engagements with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) led him to many opportunities. Various training and seminars were provided to help him on his coffee journey.The agency also linked him to different organizations such as ACDI/VOCA.In 2017, he got the opportunity to participate in MinPact's "Introduction to Coffee Roasting & Quality Control." It was his first Q Grader training.In 2018, he also participated in Coffee Quality Institute's Robusta Grader training in Davao City."The training made me realize that my knowledge on specialty coffee was limited. I started to become curious and explored the industry. What I gained from this training I pay it forward," he said."When I came back to GenSan, it still did not have a market for specialty coffee. Most of the consumers preferred commercial coffee," he added.Specialty coffee is primarily concerned with coffee quality, traceability and volume. Its sourcing is often associated with strong, direct relationships between the buyers and the producers.Cadeliña continues his mission to advocate for specialty coffee. He often collaborates with like-minded individuals from the industry to help promote local coffee quality. He also considered Emeline "Mimi" Sabado as his coffee mentor as she encouraged Cadeliña to join different coffee trainings in the country.At the height of the pandemic, there were pop-up coffee shops spread in GenSan. When Cadeliña visited these coffee shops, he discovered that most of them were misinformed about specialty coffee. They also patronized coffee beans that are imported from other parts of the country and even abroad."I discovered that GenSan has lots of coffee enthusiasts but they prefer outside coffee beans. My personal advocacy is to support our own local coffee industry," he said."We are in the same industry but some of them are misinformed about coffee in general. There is a need to raise awareness on quality coffee. We really need to promote our local coffee industry in the region."As a Q Robusta Grader, Cadeliña took the initiative to teach these coffee shop owners and enthusiasts about specialty coffee. He collaborates with government agencies, such as DTI, Department of Agriculture and Department of Agrarian Reform, as well as coffee organizations, to help promote the importance of quality coffee and support the coffee value chain in the region.As part of understanding what makes coffee great, the consumers must know where our coffee comes from and how it goes through the value chain. As known in the coffee industry, the value chain — from coffee trees to cup — goes through these five essential steps: 1) Coffee Production – Planting and harvesting coffee; 2) Processing – Drying and removing the seed from the coffee fruit; 3) Trading – Selling of beans from farmers to roasters; 4) Roasting – Transforming green coffee beans into flavorful coffee; and 5) Marketing – Selling directly to consumers.He often visits different communities particularly in GenSan and Sarangani to share his knowledge on coffee."We need to highlight our local coffee farmers. It's a bonus if we, the coffee Q Graders, would be recognized for our efforts," he said.Cadeliña have conducted various coffee trainings on post harvesting, processing, roasting and coffee cupping to different coffee farmers, coffee shop owners and enthusiasts. He was also one of the judges in the 2022 Philippine Coffee Quality Competition (PCQC) last March 18, 2022, in Davao City. It was participated in by 87 local coffee growers nationwide.According to PCQC website, the event is "an annual green coffee competition that seeks to increase the consciousness of Filipino farmers on coffee quality and encourages them to improve their competitiveness in the domestic and international markets.""We really need to uplift the local coffee industry starting from the grassroots level. We need to support all sectors in the coffee value chain. It is good to see that their lives would improve because of coffee," Cadeliña said.Coffee is one of the 16 major priority industry clusters in Soccsksargen that are being supported by DTI-12 through its entrepreneurship and product development programs. In 2018, for example, it produced a total of 19,901 metric tons of Robusta coffee or 57 percent of the country's total yield.Aside from DTI-12, the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Region 12 is also assisting the promotion and expansion of the area's coffee industry.In 2020, the RDC-12 passed Resolution No. 103 requesting all regional line agencies and local government units to serve locally produced coffee during meetings and similar events.But there are some problems that need to be addressed. As identified, the local coffee industry has often been vulnerable to erratic pricing and low supply.Cadeliña is committed to continue spreading awareness through consumer education, empowering local coffee farmers, and sharing his coffee knowledge to as many people that are involved in the industry. Recently, he helped organize the GenSan Coffee Shops Association that could aid in strengthening the coffee value chain in the region."We should support and consume our local coffee. We make sure that we patronize coffee that passes industry's quality standard, has good agricultural practices and values fair trade, as well as help empower communities. We need to raise consumer awareness to help support the coffee industry," he said. (Genory Vanz Alfasain, contributor)

Abalayan: Renewed hope even after PRRD's term Posted: 20 Jun 2022 09:46 PM PDT JUST 11 days to go and we will see part of our history ending and a new one beginning.In the past few weeks, we have seen rounds on social media where President Rodrigo R. Duterte feted employees and officials of various departments under the Office of the President.He opened Malacañang to them and gave them either the Presidential Medal of Merit or the Order of Lapu-Lapu with the rank of Kamagi, a prestigious national order of merit conferred by the President of the Philippines to officials and personnel of the government and private individuals in recognition of invaluable or extraordinary service concerning a campaign or advocacy of the President.From office personnel to the presidential photographers to heads of agencies and departments, PRRD took time to thank them and honor them for their service to the country.And you could see the gratitude on the faces of those who were given such recognition. They were never short of words on their respective social media accounts in sharing how it was indeed a great privilege to serve the country under the best Philippine president they have ever known.It was no doubt an immense honor for them to be serving the President and the entire country for the past six years.I could not help but comment when one of the staff of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President (Osap), Ate Cheryl, also wrote an appreciation post to PRRD and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go. I commented on Ate Cheryl's post and thanked the Osap staff for helping a lot of Filipinos in need over the past six years, particularly when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country hard.I've known a lot of my friends, churchmates, colleagues, and many other Filipinos and their families who were assisted with their hospitalization bills, medical and surgical expenses, or even burial expenses through Osap. Our family, too, is a beneficiary of PRRD's care through this office.I may not have a personal experience with PRRD save from his first public appearance in July 2016 when he graced the Philippines-France game of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena and I had the rare chance of interviewing him at halftime (I was seated beside him while the rest of his Cabinet members were all seated around him) or during Hidilyn Diaz's courtesy visit at Panacañang, but I could feel the real change that he was campaigning for from the very start.There is no need to list them down here, I think you too also felt and experienced the change that made us become proud Filipinos again.On Sunday, January 19, 2022, we would see PRRD witness his daughter, outgoing Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, take her oath as the 15th vice president of the Republic of the Philippines in our beloved city.This is a milestone not just for Dabawenyos but also for Filipinos all over the world. A renewed hope that real change will continue even if PRRD ends his term on June 30. May God be with our new elected leaders and bless the Philippines through their governance.

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