Bolster the Halal industry
THINK ON THESE: Watch out when swimming!
Watch out when swimming this summer!
It was a warm Sunday morning and most of the families were out at Coaco Beach in Davao City. Five-year-old Jane was swimming along with other kids along the seashore. No adults were looking for them. Jane’s mother, Charlene, was busy preparing their food for lunch while the father, Jonathan, was buying soft drinks in the nearby store.
Suddenly, three consecutive big waves hit the kids. Jane was carried away into the deeper part and before she knew it, she was already gasping and drinking a lot of water. The other kids could not help her since they, too, didn’t know how to swim. It was just a matter of a minute and Jane went down to the water. Luckily, Aida, a neighbor who was also on the beach, came and immediately rescued Jane.
But it seemed it was already late. Jane was already pale and was not moving anymore. “Will somebody help us,” Aida shouted. Everyone who heard the shout came running. “What happened?” Charlene inquired and when she saw it was her daughter, she was shocked.
Fortunately, Ferdinand, Aida’s son, and his friend, Renato, were around. Both had attended a first aid workshop a couple of weeks ago conducted by the Philippine National Red Cross. Sensing that Jane was no longer breathing, the two immediately did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. First, it was Ferdinand who breathed into Jane’s mouth. Afterwards, Renato took over. Three minutes later, Jane vomited some water and started breathing again.
Charlene was crying and smiling when she saw her daughter had been brought back to life. They immediately took her to the hospital. “Thank you very much,” she told Ferdinand and Renato. “You have saved the life of my daughter just on time.”
Jane was lucky. Drowning kills 372,000 people annually around the world and in the Philippines, it is a serious public health problem.
Based on the records from the Philippine National Police, about 212 people have already died from drowning as of March 28.
Most of those who died were from Western Visayas which recorded 28 deaths. Calabarzon closely trailed with 27 and Central Luzon with 20.
Statistics don’t lie. “About eight persons die every day due to drowning, and more were reported to be victims of near drowning (10 cases per day),” said the country report presented at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) in 2011.
A study by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) listed drowning, with 12 percent, as the fourth-leading cause of death from injury in the Philippines. Road traffic accidents (20%), gun shots (17%) and stabbings (14%) were the top three causes, while electrocution and falls was ranked fifth (4%).
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) singled out the month of April as having the highest average number of deaths (355) caused by drowning and submersion from 2006 to 2013. The month of May trailed with 316 reported deaths.
The months of April, August, and September also had higher numbers of casualties: 291, 286 and 281, respectively. February had the least number, with 205 deaths. A Lesser number of deaths were also reported during January (226), December (264) and November (267).
Sunday, with 606 deaths, had the highest average number of deaths caused by drowning and submersion. Saturday settled for second with 576 deaths. Wednesday had the least number of deaths: 400.
Drowning is the second-leading cause of death among children aged 14 years and below, outnumbering deaths from serious diseases such as tuberculosis, malnutrition, diarrhea, cancer, and meningitis. This was based on the result of the study – Child drowning in the Philippines: The silent killer speaks.
According to the findings of a study conducted by Safe Kids Philippines, the Philippine Life Saving Society and the Department of Health, almost 2,000 children die yearly from drowning.
Research from UNICEF showed the drowning rates were highest among boys and girls less than 5 years old compared to other age groups and higher among females than males for all age groups.
In addition, the drowning rates were higher among males under 5 years and among those under 15 years compared to females of the same ages. This gender difference was largest for male toddlers whose relative risk for drowning death was 1.5 times higher than female toddlers, the research pointed out.
Drowning and near drowning are two different terms. Near drowning is “severe oxygen deprivation” (suffocation) caused by submersion in water but not resulting in death; when death occurs, the event is called drowning.
“When a person is submerged under water, water enters the lungs,” explains The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “The vocal cords may go into severe spasm, temporarily preventing water from reaching the lungs. When filled with water, the lungs cannot efficiently transfer oxygen to the blood. The decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood that results may lead to brain damage and death.”
According to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), males are especially at risk of drowning, with twice the overall mortality rate of females. They are more likely to be hospitalized than females for non-fatal drowning. Studies suggest that the higher drowning rates among males are due to increased exposure to water and riskier behavior such as swimming alone, drinking alcohol before swimming alone and boating.
Increased access to water is another risk factor for drowning. People with occupations such as commercial fishing or fishing for subsistence, using small boats are more prone to drowning. Children who live near open water sources, such as ditches, ponds, irrigation channels, or pools are especially at risk. –
Baste tells DAVRAA delegates not to get into vices
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told delegates of the recently concluded 2024 Davao Region Athletics Association (DAVRAA) Meet to stay humble and not to get into vices.
“Timan-i ninyo mga bata, ayaw ninyo sayanga ang inyong kinabuhi ug mahimo ayaw mo ug sulod ug bisyo. Ayaw ninyo sayanga ang pagpaningkamot sa inyong mga ginikanan nga nagbantay sa inyuha,” Duterte said in his message during the closing ceremony of DAVRAA 2024 at the Davao City-UP Mindanao Sports Complex in Mintal, Davao City on Sunday afternoon.
The contingents from Davao City has once again ruled the annual meet.
The mayor reminded the winners to stay humble as they will not always emerge the best.
“Ug katong mga nidaug timan-i ninyo, you just be humble kay dili sa tanan panahon kamoy pinakamaayo, basin muabot ang panahon nga makakita pud ka ug katapat nimo, humble lang mo.
Ang nakanindot ani pag-abot sa panahon kahibaw mo mu-disiplina sa inyong kaugalingon ug bitbiton na ninyo managko mo,” he said.
For those contingents who did not make it, the mayor urged them to try harder and then just believe in themselves.
“Katong mga nangapildi paningkamot lang mo, pag effort lang mo, unya tuo lang mo sa inyong kaugalingon that in the face of any adversity, magkinaunsa man ang inyuhang banggaon malampasan ninyo,” he said.
The mayor told the delegates that sports teaches them discipline and not all the time they will win.
The mayor thanked the police, military, participating local government units (LGUs), and everyone that helped facilitate the holding of this year’s DAVRAA.
JABONG! Friendship forged by golf
The most interesting quote that hit me about golf is the saying ”to find a man’s character, play golf with him” by an American novelist named Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse. It is in golf where we meet people, exchange ideas, discuss about anything under the sun and sometimes it is in golf where we develop long time friendship ultimately.
Back in the early 90s, I was among the pioneers in our subdivision in El Rio Vista. We were a group of young professionals finding our niche in the new environment, seeking friendship, each one feeling his way with that sense of belonging.
The newly constructed basketball court was our meeting place every weekend, by all the males in the village. It is there where we meet new faces, test and gauge each other’s character through sports.
In one of those games, I met a young man with so much passion for Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan but in actuality he plays like Charles Barkley because of his sheer size — a round mound guy who likes to play point guard. He’s a rising sportswriter of local dailies at that time using the pen name Neil O Neal or Neilwin Joseph Bravo in real life.
As the year passed and after almost every morning coffee in my place we got intrigued to a new game using a much much smaller ball. We began chasing those small white dimpled balls.
As we go on with our life as our career grows, we develop that love hate relationship with golf. He rose in the ranks of sports writing while myself concentrated on building structures. But every week at least once, we would engage ourselves in playing golf. In that way as a sort of exercise since basketball is becoming tedious and not fun anymore while in the fairways, it is the only time we have to learn and discuss what’s the latest in the grapevine. We played on foot since cart is not an option during those times.
Serious golf? Nope. We took it seriously but golf just laughed at the way we played the game. We experimented and tried our best to master the game. We differ in our golf heroes. He got hooked on this young man who’s beginning to capture the imagination of the whole golfing world with his swagger.
Thus born the moniker Monster Drive when he’ll page me in that good old Pocketbell. I choose the alias of Short Game Master in reference to my golf hero at that time, Jesper Parnavik. Nope, not the way Jesper played but the way he dressed, his colorful combination of pants, shirt and inverted rim of golf cap. NJB at that time fancied Tiger Woods that much thus the moniker. In fairness, he can really deliver those bombs especially with the helpless flat terrain of Lanang .
Fast forward 25 years later and I met again my kumpadre and first golf buddy with a reunion golf in the treacherous Apo Golf. The monster drive is still there but for his lack of familiarity of the course and practice the silent fairways of Apo was flooded by shouts of Foooooore. The sting is still there, but the accuracy needs to be addressed. Remember, Apo is “less tok, less mistake” sort of golf course. The least times you hit the tress with that “tok” sound the more chances you have in staying at the fairways.
Friendship forged by common love for golf, sportswriting and piano.
I had a reunion of sort this week with the most revered and an institution in sports writing and the guys who were the architects of the glory days of the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP). I had lunch with my idol sportswriter Al Mendoza,former Sports editor of Phil Daily Inquirer, Jake Ayson, former Sec General of NGAP and Sports columnist of PDI, and Tony Sisante, a Business Mirror columnist and NGAP’s chief architect during Sec Ermita’s time.
We shared common interest in golf, sportswriting and later on we discover our passion for music in Cagayan de Oro. As I played the piano of our hotel lobby on our last night after the PAL Interclub golf, little did I know that these guys share with me the passion for music especially around the piano. Al Mendoza gave justice in his rendition of Lennon’s classic hits while Jake Ayson’s Monalisa and Moonriver set the tone for the evening. As we drowned ourselves into the wee hours of the morning singing those timeless classics, we lost track of time when all of the other sports scribes and fellow golfers joined in the party. It is only when I noticed the uneasiness painted on the faces of the hotel lobby personnel that I stopped playing and call it a night. But the ageless Jake Ayson insisted, this won’t be the last.
We will meet again sometime before the next PAL interclub in Bacolod.
Cheers for golf and sportwriting.Cheers for the music. Cheers for the Forged friendship.
DCPO calls on Dabawenyo to fight fake news
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) refuted over the weekend reports of an alleged abduction incident of a minor depicted in a video circulating on social media and called on Dabawenyos to help it’s fight against fake news.
This developed after Ecoland Police Station 15 conducted a thorough investigation regarding the statement given by the complainant.
Based on the investigation with the assistance of the complainant’s family, the young lady was not abducted nor kidnapped by anyone.
“Davao City Police Office urges the public to refrain from sharing the said video, which has become viral on social media, as the involved young lady is a minor who requires protection not only from her family but also from the community,” DCPO said in a statement.
DCPO also reminded the public that the allegation of abduction is a serious crime that jeopardizes the safety and security of the city.
“Therefore, this office once again calls upon every Dabawenyo to join us in the fight against all forms of criminality or fake news. Let’s protect our beloved city for our families and the next generation,” it said.
No plan to impose price cap on rice: Agri dept.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Saturday there are no plans to recommend a price ceiling or suggested retail price (SRP) on rice amid its inflation uptick of 24.4 percent in March.
“Wala kaming plano na magkaroon ng price cap or SRP kasi medyo may mga mabigat din na epekto iyan pagdating ng panahon (We don’t plan to have a price cap or SRP because it could have a huge impact in the future),” Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
The rice inflation in March eclipsed February’s 23.7 percent and is the highest since 2009.
De Mesa explained that the increase was due to the low base effect for the same period in 2023, when rice was sold at PHP39 to PHP40 per kg.
He said the elevated rice inflation would likely stay until July but would ease by August or September as prices in the same period last year were already close to PHP49.50.
Meanwhile, he noted that retail prices for rice have decreased from PHP52 last month to about PHP50 to PHP49 at present.
“So iyong presyo ng bigas ay bumababa versus last month pero versus last year ay tumaas (The price of rice is going down versus last month, but against last year, it increased),” he said.
‘Lowering costs of production’
De Mesa said the DA is currently focused on increasing the level of rice production, lowering the production cost, and reducing post-harvest losses.
“In terms of productivity or yield per unit hectare, we are at par actually with Vietnam at (and) Thailand because we also use the same variety that they have. Our technology is also the same. The only issue is our competitiveness in terms of cost to produce,” he explained.
Vietnam is producing at PHP6 per kg. while the cost per kg. in the Philippines goes as high as PHP12 to PHP14.
Under the Rice Tariffication Law, De Mesa said, PHP5 billion is allocated for mechanization annually to reduce the labor cost component of production.
The DA also makes sure that the variety of rice per cluster or region is at a maximum of three for efficient milling and higher head rice recovery.
“Sa milling natin, sa kiskisan – malaki na sa atin iyong 65 percent na milling recovery pero marami pa rin sa kiskisan nasa 50 to 55 percent ang milling recovery (In terms of our milling, 65 percent of rice milling recovery is already high for us but there are some mills that still post 50 to 55 percent recovery),” he said.
In addition, the DA is working on a logistics chain modernization program, among the priorities of which is to develop the bridge component of farm-to-market roads.
“Maraming mga maliliit na tulay na nagdudugtong sa mga key production area na hindi masyadong napopondohan dahil nga nasa mga liblib na lugar, hindi masyadong prayoridad. So, iyan iyong mga priority ngayon (We have small bridges that connect key productions areas but don’t get enough funding because they are in remote areas. So, this is our priority now),” De Mesa said. (PNA)
DAVRAA 2024 successful, orderly: DCPO
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) reported that the holding of the recently concluded 2024 Davao Regional Athletic Association (DAVRAA) Meet held at the Davao City-UP Mindanao Sports Complex in Mintal and 23 other venues in Davao City was orderly and successful.
City director Colonel Richard P. Bad-ang lauded DCPO personnel and other law enforcement agencies for properly executing the security measures for the event.
DCPO deployed approximately 1,531 personnel, which were assigned to venues and billet areas, to ensure the safety of all DAVRAA delegates.
Bad-ang also extended his gratitude to all the security and safety personnel for their efforts and sacrifices to achieve full security coverage that resulted in the successful and orderly conduct of the event.
He said the cooperation and assistance of all delegates and individuals involved in the activity are greatly appreciated.
Jenielito “Dodong” Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education 11 (DepEd 11), credited the success of the activity to the intensified implementation of the security and safety measures.
“We have a very successful conduct of DAVRAA as expected because of the template of the security of Davao City. During the DAVRAA Meet, on the part of the DepEd, amo ginasulti nga hilabihan kalig-on ang atong seguridad dinhi sa Davao and ang conduct sa games very smooth. Naay mag reklamo ginagmay pero maresolba dayon sa atong mga otoridad. In a nutshell, generally speaking it was a very successful DAVRAA 2024, Naa tay gagmayng concerns sa health sa mga bata gumikan kay init kaayo ang panahon but nevertheless narespondehan,” he said.
The Multi-Agency Coordinating Center (MACC) conducted monitoring of the event from April 1, 2024, to April 7, 2024, in the billeting areas of DAVRAA delegates, DAVRAA 2024 closing ceremony, and “Musika ng Pagkakaisa” concert.
Carrying the theme “1 Team 1 Dream, Shaping Filipinos Sports Champion,” this year’s DAVRAA was participated by 7,835 athletes from Davao City, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Digos City, Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), Mati City, Panabo City, and Tagum City.
Residents in Surigao town go on panic buying mode due to solar eclipse doomsday rumors
Residents in remote areas of Socorro town, Surigao del Norte have gone on panic buying spree following a disinformation of a three-day darkness due to the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8.
Edelito Sangco, chairman of the Socorro Empowered Peoples Cooperative, told MindaNews by phone that people residing far from the town center went into panic buying mode after rumors circulated in their neighborhood regarding the apocalyptic solar eclipse.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) earlier said the total solar eclipse would not be visible in the country, as it would occur at night time in the Philippines.
The frenzy in Socorro town over the expected solar eclipse started on Sunday, April 7, amidst escalating gossip, which spread through their communities, leading to the depletion of rice stocks at local sari-sari stores, according to a police report obtained by RPN-DXKS Surigao City.
Sangco became aware of the panic buying spree through reports from store owners, who informed him that residents were purchasing sacks of rice out of fear of prolonged darkness that will be brought by the total solar eclipse.
He took to his Facebook page to appeal to English speakers to help in dispelling the rumors, clarifying that there is no truth to the notion of a three-day darkness.
Sangco shared news clippings from various media outlets citing Pagasa’s report that the eclipse would not be visible in the Philippines but only in Mexico and North America.
However, Socorro Mayor Riza Rafonselle Taruc-Timcang dismissed the reports on panic buying, saying that the situation remained normal in their area.
“We have ample stocks of rice here since the farmers have recently harvested their rice fields,” the mayor conveyed in a text message. (Chris V. Panganiban / MindaNews)
VP Sara on being a top prexy bet: ‘Napakalayo pa ng 2028’
Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday kept herself away from speculations about the 2028 national elections after figuring in a statistical tie with Senator Raffy Tulfo as top choices for president in a latest survey.
Duterte said that she would just focus on her current work as vice president and as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
“Napakalayo pa kasi ng 2028 para natin pag-usapan sa ngayon. Ang ginagawa lang natin ngayon, at ang kailangan nating gawin lahat ay magtrabaho muna at mag-contribute tayong lahat sa nation-building,” she told reporters.
(2028 is still far for us to talk about that. What we are doing now, and what we should all do is to work first and contribute to nation-building.)
Respondents were asked who they would vote for president and vice president from a list of potential candidates if the 2028 presidential elections were held today.
In November 2023, Duterte said she had no desire to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections.
Came January this year, she declared that she will run for office again but did not specify for what position.
DOJ tells Quiboloy: Face charges ‘unconditionally’
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday called on Apollo Quiboloy to honor his earlier promises and face the child abuse charges against him before a Davao court “unconditionally,” even as future arrest warrants are awaiting the embattled televangelist for separate charges of trafficking before a Pasig City court.
In a statement, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla noted that Quiboloy has repeatedly stated that charges should be filed in court, however, refuses to subject himself to the court’s jurisdiction.
“Argue your charges before the court where you remain the accused. Tell the naked truth, that way you can redeem yourself,” Remulla said, as he assured of Quiboloy’s safety
“No one is above the law, even if one occupies an important position in his religious organization. Quiboloy cannot impose any conditions. He must surrender not according to his terms but according to the terms of the law. The law applies to all, without exception.”
In an audio statement released over the weekend, Quiboloy demanded a written guarantee from the government that the United States (US) would not interfere in his cases.
He was indicted in the US for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; sex trafficking of children; and bulk cash smuggling. A federal warrant was issued for his arrest on Nov. 10, 2021.
Meanwhile, the DOJ said it sees no legal impediment to the arrest of Quiboloy for violation of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7610 or the “Anti-Child Abuse Law” after the Davao Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued a warrant of arrest against him last April 3 for sexual abuse of minors and maltreatment.
It also noted that the charges against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder are “never a weak one, and there is direct evidence to prove all the elements of the offenses charged.”
“The charges against Quiboloy are not simple. They involve serious and morally abhorrent offenses such as sexual assault of a minor and human trafficking,” Remulla pointed out.
Meantime, DOJ is waiting for the issuance by the Pasig Regional Trial Court of another warrant of arrest against Quiboloy for qualified trafficking, according to Justice Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez.
“We will update the public at a later time on the legal process it is currently undertaking so as to prevent any premature release of any sensitive information relevant to the ongoing case,” Gutierrez said. (PNA)