BusinessMirror February 6, 2016

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Saturday, February 6, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 121

Manila signs Asean protocols on aviation B M. S F. A

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HE Philippines has finally signed protocols 5 and 6 of the 2009 Multilateral Agreement on Air Services (MAAS) that would give airlines of Asean member-states unlimited third, fourth and fifth freedom rights to operate between capital cities.

INSIDE

GLOBAL AMBITIONS A8 | S

Sports BusinessMirror

ATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

GLOBAL AMBITIONS Chinese spending on soccer had been growing impressively in recent years, but soared to unexpected heights in the just-completed transfer window.

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B J D The Associated Press

HE European transfer window is not so European any more, with Chinese clubs outspending even the continent’s richest clubs in January to prove that the country is now a genuine power in attracting the world’s best players.

Chinese spending on soccer had been growing impressively in recent years, but soared to unexpected heights in the just-completed transfer window.

Guangzhou Evergrande, the reigning Asian club champions already boasting the likes of Ricardo Goulart and Paulinho, paid $47 million to Atletico Madrid to sign Colombian striker Jackson Martinez.

It was the biggest deal of the January transfer window—anywhere—and the second biggest was Jiangsu Suning signing Ramires from English champion Chelsea for around $31 million. There’s mounting speculation in the European media about which star players will soon join the exodus to the east.

Guangzhou President Liu Yongzhou acknowledges the pressure this puts upon the club, and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, to keep ahead of the chasing pack.

“We have been satisfied with the squad we have but even as champion of China and Asia, we are always looking to improve,” Liu told the Associated Press. “The secret to being a good team is to continually strive for excellence.

The Chinese Super League is getting stronger and it is important that we are always getting stronger too.

“We also have ambitions to keep succeeding in Asia.”

Evergrande’s ultimate target is to win the International Football Federation Club World Cup and become one of the top clubs in the world.

Financially, it already is getting there.

Chinese rivals, such as Shanghai SIPG, are desperate to wrest the domestic and even the Asian title away. Shanghai, 2015 runner-up, is led by former England Coach Sven Goran Eriksson, who has compiled a $50-million strikeforce in Asamoah Gyan and Elkeson and has been chasing former Arsenal and Manchester United star Robin van Persie.

Guangzhou is backed by property developer Evergrande and Alibaba, one of the world’s biggest e-commerce sites, while Shanghai is backed by Shanghai International Port Group.

Compared with recent years,

WILL FACEBOOK WORK?

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EW YORK—It’s the pain of crowds: Texts, photos and video streams take forever or just can’t get through.

You might have run into this at a concert where everyone’s trying to post selfies with the headliners at once, or at big conferences and sporting events.

Fans at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, might see a similar cellular jam.

Here’s why it happens and what phone companies are doing about it:

WHY DOESN’T MY PHONE WORK IN A CROWD?

LOTS of phones are competing for the attention of a cellular network’s antennas.

Networks are further strained because these are times when people are apt to use data-heavy applications, such as photo and video sharing.

You might see bars on your phone showing there’s a signal available, yet nothing’s getting through. That happens because the phone’s failing to get “associated” to the network, says Don Bowman of Sandvine, which sells networking equipment.

“Your phone knows it’s there but doesn’t know how to use it,” he says.

“You’ll have the bars but it won’t seem to connect.”

One clue: The “LTE” letters fail to show up next to the bars.

more yuan is being spent by more and more teams, not just those at the top.

Hebei, backed by an industrial parkdevelopment company, may be little known and newly promoted to the top tier but has signed African star Gervinho from Italian giant Roma for $20 million. Jiangsu had regularly been a mid-table team but since being taken over by a large retail group, has been linked with dozens of world famous stars as it tries to spend a reported transfer fund of $200 million.

Shanghai Shenhua—owned by a real-estate company—already had Tim Cahill but has signed Freddy Guarin from Inter Milan.

“When China invests it does so on an epic scale and in a way that overcomes all obstacles,” said Simon Chadwick, a professor of Sports Enterprise at Salford University and a regular China commentator. “As such, there are strong reasons to believe that within 10 years, possibly even five, China will become a major player in world football.”

The nation is also building at youth level to ensure the spending boom does not turn into a bust in the long term.

Tom Byer, a youth development expert, is employed as a consultant to the Chinese Ministry of Education as it rolls out a soccer program in schools.

“I don’t think there is any other program similar throughout the world that is this big,” Byer said. “The government is serious about development and also realizes grassroots development is not the glamorous side of the game and is often neglected by the media. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

WHAT CAN CELL-PHONE COMPANIES DO?

PHONES have gotten better at sending requests to the network, and networks have gotten better at managing traffic. But then again, smartphone use continues to grow, so jams are difficult to avoid.

Phone companies can mitigate congestion when they know of a big event ahead of time.

The phone companies have a mix of strategies, but collectively they have

FLYING HIGH THE US’s Morgan Northrop competes in the women’s

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whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said this week he was “very confident” the games would take place.

And Rio organizers have repeatedly said there is no talk of calling off the games.

Hilton said the WHO had not banned travel because of Zika, though pregnant women have been advised not to travel to Zika areas.

Hilton also noted the cooler, drier Brazilian weather in the South American winter when the games open on August 5 will drive down the mosquito count.

The Zika virus adds to other problems with South America’s first games, including severe water pollution in Rio’s sailing and

added or upgraded antennas in the stadium and cell towers nearby and installed “small cells” to improve capacity in the stadium.

Small cells typically look like boxes, says Monica Paolini, the president of wireless advisory firm Senza Fili Consulting, and, yes, are smaller than the cells you’d find on rooftops and cell towers. These small cells have a smaller range than regular cell towers, but they can supplement those towers to boost capacity in dense areas.

Many of these improvements are permanent, so coverage should improve even after the game.

Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are also bringing in temporary cell sites, called “Cell on Wheels,” or cows, to cover Santa Clara, where the stadium is, and events in San Francisco.

The ratification document, signed by President Aquino on Thursday, effectively opens up Manila to more foreign

WI-FI HELPS, TOO

NEWER sports venues are more likely to have Wi-Fi, which relieves stress on the cell-phone network. Levi’s Stadium, where the Super Bowl is taking place, got Wi-Fi when it opened in 2014. It’s free for visitors.

Historically, Wi-Fi equipment has been installed high up in ceilings or walls. At Levi’s, routers are sprinkled underneath seats throughout the stadium to improve Wi-Fi performance. That helps prevent obstructions from steel and other construction materials and gets people physically closer to the routers.

Comcast Business provides the stadium’s Wi-Fi network connectivity and has brought in temporary Wi-Fi systems at events elsewhere, such as golf tournaments.

WHY DOES THE SUPER BOWL REQUIRE MORE INVESTMENT AND EQUIPMENT?

PEOPLE are expected to use more data than the 6.4 terabytes at last year’s Super Bowl.

Last year’s number alone is more than double what’s typical for a San Francisco 49ers football game at Levi’s. A million visitors are expected in the San Francisco Bay Area, which Gartner analyst Bill Menezes says has traditionally been a hard area for cell companies to cover because of its hills.

airlines, although BM sources intimated that their landings would still be subject to slots available at

This will allow more competitive fares for our people, more connectivity, and further bring opportunities for our people.”—Abaya

ZIKA SPREAD RAISES CONCERNS ON RISKS CONFRONTING ASIA

If a tourist hub were hit, visitors might reconsider travel plans, hurting businesses from airlines to hotels.”

the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the country’s premier gateway.

While largely ceremonial in the case of the Philippines and Indonesia, C  A

YOUR PHONE ISN’T WORKING. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

“YOU hate to think of this, being the oldfashioned way,” says Menezes—but holding your phone high in the air and walking around could help you find a signal.

And texts will get through more readily than a phone call.

Menezes also recommends using apps put out by signaltesting companies like RootMetrics and OpenSignal.

They can show you where connectivity has been working better recently.

Paolini recommends going outside if you’re indoors, trying to find a Wi-Fi hot spot and holding off on sending photos and video.

aerial event during the World Cup freestyle skiing competition on Thursday in Deer Valley, Utah. AP

WILL CELL PHONES WORK NORMALLY?

THAT’S the goal. But there are unknowns. For instance, mass use of newer live video-streaming apps like Twitter’s Periscope could clog the networks.

“If everybody was in Periscope at one time, at the exact same time, yeah, things wouldn’t move as quickly,” said John Guillaume, a vice president with Comcast Business. AP

Olympics will go on IO DE JANEIRO Brazil’s sports minister said on Thursday that a cancellation of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of the outbreak of the Zika virus “is not in discussion.”

Sports Minister George Hilton issued a statement saying he “lamented material and opinions in the press” speculating that South America’s first games might be called off.

“The Brazilian government is fully committed to ensure that the 2016 Rio games take place in an atmosphere of security and tranquility,” Hilton wrote.

Brazil is the epicenter of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has called “an extraordinary event and public-health threat.”

Health officials are investigating

Special to the BM

P.  |     | 7 DAYS A WEEK

rowing venues, and deep cuts of almost 30 percent to keep a $2-billion operating budget in balance.

Only about half of the domestic tickets for the game have been sold, and organizers fear the Zika outbreak could scare off foreign tourists.

“The 2016 Rio games will take place with full attention to the health of the participants,” Hilton said.

Away from the games, Brazil is experiencing its deepest recession since the 1930s. Inflation is just over 10 percent, the Brazilian currency has lost 30 percent of its value in the last year against the dollar, and President Dilma Rousseff is fighting impeachment charges. AP

CAROLINA Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart leads his group in drills during practice on Thursday. AP

SPORTS

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WORLD PLEDGES $10B FOR SYRIANS The World BusinessMirror

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Editor: Lyn Resurreccion •

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In Brazil, even Zika can’t stop the Carnival

IN this December 23, 2015, file photo, 10-year-old Elison nurses his 2-month-old brother Jose Wesley, who was born with microcephaly, at their house in Poco Fundo, Pernambuco state, Brazil. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on January 13 that it has found the strongest evidence so far of a possible link between a mosquito-borne virus and a surge of birth defects in Brazil. AP

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VIVIANE OLIVEIRA, who’s three months pregnant, dances next to a sign that reads in Portuguese “Get out Zika” during a street carnival on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 31 at which agents of the city’s health secretary distributed kits with information about Zika virus. AP/SILVIA IZQUIERDO

World pledges $10B for Syrians

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ONDON—World leaders pledged more than $10 billion on Thursday to help fund schools, shelter and jobs for refugees from Syria’s civil war, money that British Prime Minister David Cameron said “will save lives, will give hope, will give people the chance of a future.”

But participants at the aid conference in London acknowledged that prospects for ending the conflict have rarely been worse: Peace talks are suspended, fighting is intensifying, Russia and the West are at odds, and millions of Syrians are suffering from bombardment, homelessness and hunger.

“The situation in Syria is as close to hell as we are likely to find on this Earth,” United Nations SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said.

US Secretary of State John F. Kerry was no more upbeat.

“After almost five years of fighting, it’s pretty incredible that as we come here in London in 2016, the situation on the ground is actually worse,” he said.

The one-day meeting, held under tight security at a conference center near Parliament, aspired to bring new urgency to the effort to help the 4.6 million Syrians who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Another 6 million people or more are displaced within Syria, and a quarter of a million have been killed.

Previous calls for international donations have come up short, and the five-year war has driven a chaotic exodus of hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees to Europe. Thursday’s pledges are intended to slow that migration, by creating school places and secure jobs for Syrian refugees in the Middle East, and economic support for the overburdened host nations.

Cameron said participants had

10.6M Total number of displaced Syrians

pledged almost $6 billion for 2016, and another $5 billion by 2020.

The British leader called the conference—hosted by Britain, Germany, Norway, Kuwait and the UN— “a real breakthrough, not just in terms of money but in terms of how we handle these refugee crises.”

The tally falls short of the $9 billion the UN and regional countries said was needed for 2016 alone, but it was a significant improvement on half-hearted previous fundraising efforts. Last year’s conference, in Kuwait, raised just half its $7-billion target, forcing cuts to programs, such as refugee food aid.

Aid groups welcomed the money, but slammed the international community for allowing the war to go on.

Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the world had shown a “lack of political action and ambition to resolve the crisis.”

“Humanitarian aid is always just a quick fix, and never enough,” he said.

Cameron told reporters that the international community would stand with Syrians for “as long as it takes to secure peace,” acknowledg-

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron (center) gets ready to speak as Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel walk to take their seats at the start of the co-hosts news conference near the end of the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London, on Thursday. AP/MATT DUNHAM

ing that the goals of a cease-fire followed by a transitional government remained distant.

Thursday’s meeting opened hours after the latest UN-led bid to start peace talks in Geneva was suspended for three weeks—a sign of major difficulties.

Kerry blamed Syria’s government and Russia for the peace talks stalling. He said he and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had spoken by phone on Thursday and agreed to continue discussing “how to implement the cease-fire.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the two had also agreed to try to ensure the pause in the talks was as short as possible.

Neither statement mentioned any concrete measures.

Russia gave the conference a cool reception, declining to send President Vladimir Putin or a senior minister to the event, attended by 30 heads of government or heads of state. Russia was represented by its ambassador to London, Alexander Yakovenko.

The Syrian government, backed

by Russian air strikes, has increased the pace of attacks on opposition forces in recent days as the talks faltered.

The UN’s Ban told the conference

it was “deeply disturbing that the initial steps of the talks have been undermined by the continuous lack of sufficient humanitarian access, and by a sudden increase of aerial bombing and military activities within Syria.”

He said that “the coming days should be used to get back to the table, not to secure more gains on the battlefield.”

The stalled peace process increases pressure on donor countries to commit long-term aid to the war’s victims.

Aid workers warn of a “lost generation” of Syrians if some 700,000 refugee children who are not attending school don’t get an education.

Education campaigner Malala Yousafzai and 17-year-old Syrian refugee Mezon al-Melihan met with Cameron and other leaders to press for $1.4 billion for education for children in Syria and its neighbors.

“Without education, who will bring peace?” al-Melihan said.

Donor countries also want to see the refugees employed on infrastructure projects—which would also benefit the host nations—or in special business zones where Syrians and local people can work side by side.

In return for opening up their economies to the newcomers, host countries are promised loans from international financial institutions and more access to European markets. Cameron said the move would create 1 million jobs in the region, “for refugees and residents alike.”

Syria’s neighbors had warned the conference that the burden of so many newcomers was becoming intolerable. Jordan’s King Abdullah said his country housed almost 1.3 million Syrian refugees, a fifth of Jordan’s population. The Jordanian figure includes all Syrians in the country; the UN says it has registered 630,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan.

“We have reached our limit,” the king said. “Our country will continue to do what we can do to help those in need, but it cannot be at the expense of our own people’s welfare.”

The exodus from Syria shows no signs of ending. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the conference that 10,000 Syrians who have fled bombing in the city of Aleppo are waiting at the Turkish border, and as many as 70,000 others are on the way. Amateur video showed thousands, including women and children, running with their belongings toward the frontier.

Turkey says it has taken in more than 2.5 million Syrians since the war began in 2011.

More than 70 countries were represented at the conference, but there were few Syrians. Neither President Bashar al-Assad’s government nor opposition groups participated.

In Jordan’s Zaatari refugee camp, home to 79,000 Syrians, some agreed with conference organizers that the best future for refugees was in their home region.

“We don’t want to go to...foreign countries,” said Abu Khaled al-Nassar, a refugee from the southern town of Daraa. “With all my respect to these countries, the traditions are different, and we live here in an Arab country, Jordan. We understand each other.

“So we call on the donor countries to support us with investments in order to find jobs. We don’t want to go to Europe—we will stay here, work and produce.” AP

IO DE JANEIRO—Brazilian Carnival could be called a hungry mosquito’s dream— five days of nonstop street parties that bring together millions of revelers in an inviting mass of bare ankles, uncovered legs and denuded torsos. So the mosquito-borne Zika virus might be expected to dampen this year’s debauchery.

But despite warnings to cover up and slather on repellent, many insist the show will go on as it always has, in just a sprinkling of sequins and a few puffs of feather. Pants, longsleeve shirts and bug spray, they say, are antithetical to the hedonistic, out-of-control spirit of Carnival.

“We need joy,” said Angela Pessanha, a self-described “Carnival nut” and owner of a home furnishings store. “And Carnival is the easiest way of doling out a stiff dose of joy to everyone.”

This year’s celebrations, which began on Friday, come at a time when Brazil has little to celebrate. Latin America’s largest country is mired in its worst recession in generations, impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff are looming, a snowballing corruption investigation of the state oil company has taken down key political figures and rising unemployment and inflation are hurting the pocketbooks of average people.

And then there is Zika, a virus that researchers here have linked to a birth defect that can affect the development of fetuses’ brains, leaving newborns with long-lasting health and developmental problems.

But, many Brazilians say they are inured to the vagaries of a boomand-bust economy, unfazed by the near constant stream of corruption scandals and have long lived amid outbreaks of dengue, another virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito that spreads Zika.

“I’ve put it all out of my mind,” said college student Pedro Maciel, as he filled up a shopping cart with 12-packs of beer and bottle after bottle of the cheapest domestic vodka— ”fuel” he hoped would see his group of 16 friends, visiting Rio de Janeiro from southern Brazil, through at least the first day of the festivities.

“Of course, these are all important issues that as a Brazilian I care about, but I won’t give them a second thought till the day Carnival ends.”

The world’s Carnival capital, Rio, has been less hard-hit by the Zika outbreak than the country’s poor northeastern region, where most cases both of the virus and the birth defect microcephaly have been concentrated. Still, epidemiologists have called Carnival an “explosive cocktail” for the spread of Zika due to the potent combination of heat, crowds and exposed skin.

This has prompted Rio authorities to step up their efforts against the mosquito. Fumigators have been plying the Sambadrome, where thousands of dancers in ensembles consisting of platform heels, a few strategically placed spandex triangles and sparkly body paint will mesmerize during this weekend’s samba school parades.

Health workers will be deployed to many of the city’s more than 500 street parties, or “blocos,” where thousands of revelers defy the Southern Hemisphere midsummer sun to drink, dance, sweat and rub shoulders—and other body parts.

They’re also urging revelers to cover up, but those admonitions appear to be falling on deaf ears, judging by the amount of bare skin on display at the pre-Carnival blocos that have flooded the streets in recent days.

Tuesday’s announcement by health officials that a person in Texas has become infected with Zika through sex may put another kink into Carnival, where promiscuity is held as a core value. Competitions to see who can rack up the most make-out partners are common, and things often get more hot and heavy than simple snogging. AP

WORLD

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HE World Health Organization this week labeled Zika, the mosquito-borne virus spreading through Latin America, and its possible association to birth defects a public-health emergency of international concern. There are fears Zika could spread further.

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LUCKY CHIMPS Monkey figurines are displayed in front of a charm store in Binondo, Manila. According to the Chinese owner, these charms will most likely attract good luck for the coming Year of the Monkey.

S “Z,” A

ALYSA SALEN

Neda: Cheap oil–while slowing inflation–threatens jobs of OFWs

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B C U. O

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said the country can expect the prevailing low inflation regime to continue—as shown by the 1.3-percent average hike in the cost of goods in January—with the depressed prices of oil.

The downside, however, is the jobs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are threatened.

Economic Planning Secretary

Emmanuel F. Esguerra said that, as lower oil prices are seen to continue this year, the government must pre-pare for the possibility that some OFWs may be sent home.

“Such developments could ad-versely affect overseas Filipino workers, as the governments of the said economies implement auster-ity measures, cut back on subsidies, postpone infrastructure outlays and raise taxes,” Esguerra said. “ T he go ve r n me nt shou ld actively extend assistance to dis-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 47.7530

ESGUERRA: “The government should actively extend assistance to displaced workers, including retraining, livelihood, reintegration or placement services.”

placed workers, including retraining, livelihood, reintegration or placement services,” he added.

The low oil prices being experienced globally, Esguerra said, has already resulted in the slowdown of inflation in the country.

In January the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said inflation slowed to 1.3 percent, from 2.4 percent in January 2015.

It is a lso slower than the 1.5-percent inflation rate posted in December 2015. The January 2016

inflation, however, is still within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s target range of 0.8 percent to 1.6 percent for the period.

The PSA said cheaper oil prices kept the prices of food and nonfood items, such as transportation prices, low during the period.

“Domestic prices of petrol— gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, diesel and gasoline—continued to go down. This was still due to persistent global oversupply and record stockpile of crude oil,

which weakened prices of Dubai oil, Brent and West Texas Intermediate [WTI],” said Esguerra, who is also the Neda director general.

Esguerra also said price reductions in electricity, gas and other fuels also continued due to lower generation cost. However, he said, this was at a slower pace than in December 2015, due to higher transmission charges.

In January the Neda said prices of food items such as fish, S “C ,” A

n JAPAN 0.4092 n UK 69.6716 n HK 6.1331 n CHINA 7.2743 n SINGAPORE 34.2119 n AUSTRALIA 34.4862 n EU 53.5359 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.7375

Source: BSP (5 February 2016 )

BMReports BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, February 6, 2016

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Meralco to charge consumers additional ₧0.42/kWh

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B L L

ONSUMERS should brace for higher electricity rates as summer approaches.

This after the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Friday announced that electricity bill for this month will go up by P0.42 per kilowatthour (kWh) to P8.82 per kwh compared to last month’s overall rates.

“Customers can expect even higher rates in coming months,” Meralco said in a statement.

It said that based on historical data, consumption and consequently overall demand for power

₧8.82

Meralco’s per kWh rate starting this month spike as temperature rises. This could be more evident, especially that

the country is experiencing El Niño.

For a typical household consuming 200 kWh, the P0.42 per kWh rate hike translates to an additional amount of around P85 to the overall electricity bill.

Meralco blamed the increase in the overall rates to higher generation charge, which increased

by P0.25 per kWh to P4.17 per kWh from last month.

Generation charge is the largest component of an electric bill, and is a pass-through charge similar to transmission charge. Payment for the generation charge goes to the power suppliers, while payment for the transmission charge goes to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Meralco explained that power

plants under the Power Supply Agreements (PSAs) registered an increase of P0.76 per kWh. Cost of purchases from PSAs, which were low last month due to adjustments from an annual reconciliation of outage allowances, normalized this month.

Also contributing to the increase in PSA charges are their lower plant capacit y factors, pa r t ly due to t he sc hedu led maintenance shutdown of one unit each of t he Ca l aca and Masinloc power plants.

This increase in the PSA charges more than offset the reduction in charges from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and Independent Power Producers (IPPs).

Charges from the WESM regis-

Manila signs Asean protocols on aviation C  A

whose capitals host airports virtually bursting at the seams, the signing by President Aquino of the two final protocols finally binds the country to the Asean Single Aviation Market (Asam), one of the goals in the integration of Asean into one economic community, which began this year.

In a text message from Japan, Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya confirmed the signing of the document and told the BM: “This will now bring us closer to the Asam. This will allow more competitive fares for our people, more connectivity, and further bring opportunities for our people.

It is important, as well, for us as a people to remain competitive. I personally believe that the Filipino, once placed in an a level playing field environment, will be able not only to compete but actually excel.”

The Department of Transportation and Communications, with support from the Department of Tourism (DOT), had long been pushing for the signing of the said protocols.

Aileen Clemente, president of the Asean Tourism Association (Aseanta), expressed joy “on behalf of Aseanta” over the signing of the ratification document. “We are confident that not only is it going to benefit the Philippines, but more so, that this is one of the landmark symbols of cooperation and push for the Asean as one region,” she said in a text message.

The Aseanta, is a nonprofit tourism association formed in 1971, which is composed of public- and private-tourism sector organizations from the Asean, such as national tourism organizations (e.g., tourism marketing boards of other countries, the Philippines’s DOT, etc.) airlines, travel associations, and hotel and

restaurant associations. One of its aims is to support and help implement the Asean road map to ensure that the region remains a successful tourism destination.

During the recent Asean Tourism Forum (ATF) in Manila, hosted by the DOT, the Asean tourism ministers, with support from Aseanta, launched a new Asean Tourism Strategic Plan for 2016-2025, aimed at further promoting and marketing the region as a one single tourism destination.

Briefing reporters during the ATF, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. spoke about the difficulty in convincing the Department of Foreign Affairs and the President to sign the ratification document: “There had to be a discussion on the difference between ‘open skies’ between Asean countries and the actual capacity in our entire airports. There is a point of view that says, ‘What’s the point in saying, ‘we’re open!’ Then when some airline asks to land, we tell them, ‘sorry, no space!’ We [had] to grapple with that issue.”

He added, “we keep pointing out that these are just protocols, not a treaty. We [were] determined to convince everyone that we can opt out of it if we really couldn’t accommodate more landings, like if the airport would be too jampacked with planes.”

Jimenez also said: “But we really had to wrap our minds or convince people that our capacity problems, as real as they are, are temporary and, therefore, they are subsidiary to the idea that the Philippines must express support for full [Asean economic] integration. And frankly, full economic integration, in many people’s view, is not possible without open skies between Asean open cities.”

Sources said the DFA was one source of delay

as it wanted to revise the wording in the MAAS ratification document. (See, “PHL delaying Asean open skies” in the BM, September 16, 2015.)

Third and fourth freedom rights allow carriers to fly from their home country to another foreign country, sans government approval. Fifth freedom rights allows any carrier to fly between two foreign countries during flights originating or ending in said airline’s home country.

Officials of flag carriers Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific could not be reached for comment as of press time. But in earlier interviews, Lance Gokongwei, president of Cebu Pacific, said it “fully supports the ratification of the Asean Open Skies multilateral agreement, which allows designated Asean carriers to operate unlimited flights between capital airports.”

(See, “Cebu Pacific Air pushes ‘open skies’ for Manila, in the BM,” September 21, 2015.)

For its part, PAL said it was willing to compete under the Asam, but urged other Asean membernations to privatize their flag carriers to make competition more equitable in the region.

“PAL is always able and willing to compete with airlines in Asean and all over the world,” PAL President Jaime Bautista said. “In Asean we’ve advocated a policy for each member-state to take the bold leap to privatize their flag carriers, so that their airlines can progress from state ownership and dependence to become normal business enterprises. That would make it more fair or equitable, as the Philippines is the only Asean member-state to have made those bold moves more than two decades ago.” (See, “Asean open skies will go on sans Manila OK,” in the BM, September 17, 2015.)

tered a reduction of P2.21 per kWh, largely due to lower system demand.

T he average rate of t he IPPs also slightly went down by P0.01 per kWh. The average price of natural gas for the First Gas plants went down, following thequarterly repricing of Malampaya natural gas. However, the lower fuel costs were offset by reduced dispatch levels of the IPPs. The share of IPPs, PSAs and WESM to Meralco’s total power requirements stood at 47.2 percent, 46.7 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively. Transmission charge, meanwhile, went up by P0.08 per kWh due to higher ancillary charges.

Fol low ing t he increase in generation and transmission charges, taxes also increased by

Cheap oil. . .

C  A

fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese and eggs were stable. Meanwhile, Esguerra said there are still upside pressures that will support higher inflation in 2016. These include the impact of the El Niño on agriculture production.

“But for the first few months of 2016, risk of higher food prices remain. While it is noted that El Niño will gradually weaken beginning next month, the onset of the summer season may constrain farm output,” Esguerra said.

“Guided by the Roadmap for Addressing the Impact of El Niño, or RAIN, accurate determination of food import requirements to avoid supply disruptions is important to keep inflation stable in the coming

Zika. . .

C  A

In Brazil the virus may be linked to more than 3,000 suspected cases of microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and potential developmental problems.

While Asia isn’t reporting any significant outbreak, the region has seen sporadic Zika cases in previous years. And the wide prevalence of the Aedes mosquito—the main transmitter of Zika—in tropical climates may put Asian countries at risk if travelers bring in the bug. Here’s what experts are saying:

Should Asian countries worry about Zika?

ZIKA has been in this region for at least 60 years, and cases have been documented in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, says Duane Gubler, a professor at the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School in Singapore, who adds that it has most likely infected humans sporadically in the region for years, but was misdiagnosed as dengue.

Scientists agree that all countries with the dengue virus, which is carried by the same mosquito, are vulnerable. There’s a high possibility of individual travelers from Latin America entering with the virus. Ben Cowling, a professor at the University of Hong Kong’s school of public health, says it is inevitable for the region to have imported cases, but it’s not clear if they will result in sustained local transmission.

For parts of Asia, the hope is that winter weather will—at least for now—help curb the spread of the virus. China’s health ministry last week said it believes the country is unlikely to see an epidemic as there are fewer mosquitoes because of the cold.

How fast could Zika spread from travelers arriving in Asia?

IT’S hard to say, but if we assume the virus is spread mainly by mosquitoes, it should not spread as fast as, say, influenza, says Raina MacIntyre, head of the school of public health and community medicine at the University of New South Wales in Australia.

The data around the epidemic pattern is not publicly available, so it’s difficult to judge at this stage, she says, adding that the potential for any human-to-human transmission will be closely watched. (The US this week had a possible case of sexual

P0.05 per kWh. Other charges, likewise, increased by P0.04 per kWh. Meralco’s distribution, supply and metering charges remain unchanged after it registered a reduction last July. As summer approaches, Meralco reminded the public to observe energy efficiency tips. This includes setting the air conditioner’s thermostat from high cool (18 degrees Celsius) to mid cool (25 °C). By doing so, customers may save up to P354 per month.

Electric fans should also be regularly cleaned from dust accumulation on the fan blades and motor housing. This saves around 5 percent in electricity costs.

Likewise, adjusting fan settings to low speed can save up to 17 percent, Meralco said.

months,” he added.

The R AIN contained the government’s road map to address the impact of the El Niño, particularly on farmer’s incomes, power, and health.

The Neda earlier said interventions to mitigate the impact of El Niño on 66 provinces will require P19.2 billion. Of this amount, some P7.5 billion is required for the remainder of this year and P11.7 billion is needed next year.

The interventions include cashfor-work programs; water management interventions, particularly for irrigation; and other interventions.

To address the needs of these provinces, the Neda said the government will implement cashfor-work programs which are estimated, to cost P2.9 billion this year and P7.3 billion in the first semester of next year. transmission of the virus.)

While individual cases could be a cause of concern, it’s good to remember that with a single case alone it wouldn’t be easy for an outbreak to occur, says Sanjaya Senanayake, an infectious diseases physician at the Australian National University Medical School. There would have to be a “perfect storm,” he says, with an infected person who has the virus in his/her blood being bitten by an Aedes mosquito that then transmits it to someone else. But when there are a lot of cases, the risks would of course increase. There may have been mini outbreaks in Asia and a proportion of the population could be immune to the virus, Senanayake said.

Could we see a surge in microcephaly cases in Asia?

MOST people with Zika only end up with a mild fever and skin rash, and the biggest risk appears to be to pregnant women.

Given the suspected micro-cephaly cases in Brazil, researchers are studying a potential link between the Zika virus in pregnant women and the condition in their babies. A lot remains unclear about the virus spreading through Brazil, and it has yet to be confirmed as the cause of the microcephaly cases. So, outcomes in other parts of the world are uncertain.

It is possible the virus has mu-tated, according to MacIntyre. It is also possible that widespread exposure to other flaviviruses—a family of viruses that includes dengue—could confer some degree of protection to people in Asia, she says.

What economic effects could Asia feel in an outbreak?

IF a tourist hub were hit, visitors might reconsider travel plans, hurting businesses from airlines to hotels. The global travel industry is also seeing early effects from the virus in Latin America.

While the outbreak is still miles away, some Asian businesses are already taking note. Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Asia’s largest drugmaker, has assembled an internal team to look into how it might contribute to global vaccine efforts to combat Zika.

Asian governments say they are staying alert. In the financial hub of Hong Kong, the government says it is reinforcing mosquito control measures. And it says local response and health surveillance will be adjusted if necessary.

Bloomberg Newsction of P2.21 per kWh, largely due to lower system demand. Theaverage rate of the IPPs also slightly went down by P0.01 per kWh.The average price of natural gas for the First Gas plants went down,following thequarterly repricing of Malampaya natural gas. However, the lower fuel costs were offset by reduced dispatch levels of the IPPs. Bloomberg News

Economy BusinessMirror

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Saturday, February 6, 2016 A3

Presidential order ‘best option’ to implement SSL 4, lawmaker says

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B J M N.  C

HE vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations on Friday said the Salary Standardization Law (SSL 4) “is in coma” after both houses of Congress went on an election recess without reconciling the conflicting provision of the bill.

National Unity Party Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur, member of the congressional bicameral committee tackling the SSL 4, however, said President Aquino can bring the pay-hike bill to life through a presidential order.

“After all, there’s already a P57.9- billion appropriation in the 2016 national budget. The budget cover is already in place.

Any EO [executive order] he will therefore issue will just flesh out the spending authority Congress had already given,” he said. The P57.9-billion budget has been included in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2016.

“However, any EO coming from him will just be coterminous with this budget. It’s effectivity will expire at the end of the year. It is just an interim measure so that government workers will enjoy the pay hike as stipulated in SSL 4,” said Andaya, former secretary of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Republic Act 6758, or the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989, and Presidential Decree 1597 grant the

Chief Executive the power to adjust public-sector compensation.

Andaya, meanwhile, said the next administration should refile the SSL 4 in the next Congress to make salary adjustment permanent.

“This is a window of opportunity for all stakeholders to propose improvement to the bill. The presidential power to set new pay rates in government was used by all president from [Presidents Ferdinand] Marcos to [Gloria] Arroyo,” The bicameral conference between the two chambers of Congress was deadlocked after the Senate panel, led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, insisted on a provision that would index the pension of military retirees to the salary increases provided for under SSL 4.

The House panel objected because of lack of funding. The Senate proposal would cost taxpayers an additional P18 billion for the first year of implementation.

Meanwhile, Majority Leader and Liberal Party Rep. Neptali Gonzales II of Mandayulong said Congress may still approve the SSL 4 when session resumes from May 23 to

June 10, or after presidential and local elections.

“Don’t think life of Congress will end after this adjournment, we will resume session in May,” he said.

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading on December 9 last year SSL 4, principally authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., which modifies the compensation and position classification system of civilian government personnel, and the base pay schedule of military and uniformed personnel in the government to be implemented in four tranches, starting January 2016. The Senate approved its own version, Senate Bill 2671, on third and final reading on January 18.

Earlier, Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said the SSL will be implemented through a combination of a salary increase, a 14th-month pay and an enhanced performancebased bonus to be implemented over a four-year period, from January 2016 to January 2019.

Abad explained SSL 4 is based on Joint Resolution 4 enacted by Congress in 2009, mandating the review of the compensation and position classification system after three years from the last year of the adjustment to determine the competitiveness of government pay in relation to the private sector and the compensation strategy to bring government pay closer to market rate.

Abad said the last tranche of the previous salary increase was completed in July 2012. He said despite the substantial duties and responsibilities of public servants, their salaries stand only at 55 percent, or around half, of current market rates.

Villar hopeful Aquino will sign measure for tougher penalty for agri smuggling

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EN. Cynthia Villar expressed hope on Friday that President Aquino will sign into law the bill declaring large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage.

Senate Bill 2923, or the Anti Large-Scale Agricultural Smuggling Act, principally sponsored by Villar as chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, has hurdled Congress deliberation and now awaiting the President’s signature.

“For years we have seen how the snail-paced prosecution of smugglers has hindered our campaign against smugglers. And because the charge is bailable, the wealthy smugglers were not intimidated,” Villar said.

“To ensure food security and stability, a law making agricultural smuggling a nonbailable offense

of economic sabotage should be enacted. A mere slap on the wrist will never scare smugglers away,” she added.

The Nacionalista Party senator said that, while some acts of smuggling are already punishable under the Tariff and Customs Code, a law should be enacted to impose stiffer penalty against large-scale agricultural smuggling.

Under the proposed law, the amount of smuggled agricultural product subject to economic sabotage is equal or more than P10 million for rice, and equal or more than P1 million for other agricultural products—such as sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish and cruciferous vegetables.

Violators will face a penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of twice the fair value of the smuggled agricultural product, and the aggre-

gate amount of the taxes, duties and other charges avoided.

Villar said it has been three years since she presided over the Senate inquiry, which exposed alleged bigtime smugglers David Bangayan and Leah Cruz, but, until now, the Department of Justice has not filed formal charges against them.

“Economic saboteurs deserve to be severely punished under this new law. They threaten the livelihood of small and subsistence farmers because the presence of smuggled products unjustly lowers market price, making it almost impossible for locally produced goods to compete,” she added.

The senator said smuggling is more serious than the pork-barrel scam with about 600,000 metric tons of rice smuggled each year and about P450 billion lost to agricultural smuggling alone. PNA

Marcos: Aquino, allies ignored plea for SSS pension hike

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EN. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. lashed out at the Aquino administration on Friday for ignoring the pleas of elderly after the House of Representatives squelched efforts to override the President’s veto of the Social Security System (SSS) pension-hike bill.

Representatives of senior citizens groups trooped on Wednesday to the administration-dominated House of Representatives to press lawmakers for the override, but the chamber adjourned abruptly without giving proponents of the override a chance to air their proposal.

“That added insult to injury. I respect the prerogative of the House leadership, but I think it would have been a lot better if the proponents of the override were at least given a chance to speak out,” Marcos said.

“It’s clear that the fate of the SSS pension-hike bill was decided in accordance with the administration’s position on this issue,” he added.

Malacañang had warned that if the P2,000 pension hike is implemented, the SSS would be bankrupt by year 2027 and insisted that the veto of the proposal is necessary to prevent the

collapse of the agency.

Marcos backed moves in the Senate to override the veto on the SSS pension-hike bill. However, the move to override must come from the House of Representatives, where the bill originated.

He reiterated that a more competent management would save the SSS from the threat of bankruptcy.

“If the management of the SSS did a better job in terms of collections, if they did a better job in terms of investments, they could afford it,” Marcos said.

He noted the poor collection rate of the SSS, which is below 40 percent.

A4 Saturday, February 6, 2016 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

Not fair trade, not free trade but bad trade

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HE Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was signed by the 12 member-states in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday, with ratification of the treaty’s text in each nation the next step in the process.

The Philippines is definitely joining the TPP agreement, Trade Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. said in January.

We have repeatedly called attention to the negatives for the Philippines in joining the TPP, but a headline in another local newspaper exposes the real purpose behind TPP best: “Biggest ever trade deal signed as US seeks to counter China.”

As US President Barack Obama said: “TPP allows America—and not countries like China—to write the rules of the road in the 21st century.” That is certainly comforting, since it was the US that wrote the rules in the 20th century, and look how well that turned, especially for China. But this time, the US plans not to make the same mistakes of the past.

This time, countries like the Philippines, which had access to cheaper generic drugs in the 20th century, will not have that opportunity again. As the group Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières says about the TPP, “The US government is advocating for a trade deal that includes terms that will restrict access to generic medicines, making life-saving treatments unaffordable to millions.”

But there must be some advantages of the Philippines, otherwise why would the Philippine government officials be so enthusiastic about our joining? The answer can be found in some of the opposition in the US to the TPP, and that is jobs. Estimates are that, initially, some 500,000 US jobs will be lost to countries like the Philippines. Well, isn’t that enough reason for us to join?

Turn the clock back to colonial India. Hundreds of thousands were employed growing and harvesting cotton to be exported to England. England turned the raw material into textiles that were exported to India. Previously, India had been a major textile exporter, but Britain dismantled India’s advanced textile industry that was in direct competition to the developing British textile industry.

The idea that suddenly we would see a massive increase in exports to the US is unjustified. What are we going to sell them? The US’s largest imports are crude oil and cars, neither of which the Philippines produces. We already have a substantial portion of the US imports of integrated circuits, computers and office machine parts.

The government says the TPP will attract more US direct investment. Why? Twenty percent of foreign investment is already coming from the US, and it is going where US companies think they can make a profit. Which US auto manufacturers doing business in the Philippines? Which US telecom companies are trying desperately to get into our market? American aerospace company Boeing is building an assembly planet in China, not the Philippines.

The Philippines does not need the disadvantages of the TPP, particularly with the future positive impact of Asean integration.

Zika virus 101 What is the Zika virus?

T

HE Zika virus is actually an arbovirus (a large group of viruses), transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also the cause of the dengue fever. Zika was first identified in Brazil in April 2015. The virus received the same designation of the place of origin of its identification in 1947, after being detected in sentinel monkeys that were being used to monitor for the presence of yellow fever in the Zika forest in Uganda.

What are the symptoms?

About 80 percent of people infected by the Zika virus do not develop clinical manifestations, whether they are adults or children.

The main symptoms are headache, low-grade fever, mild joint pain, skin rashes, itching and redness in the eyes. Other, less frequent symptoms are swelling in the body, sore throat, coughing and vomiting. Overall, the evolution of the disease is benign, and the symptoms disappear spontaneously after three to seven days.

However, joint pain may persist for approximately one month. Severe and atypical forms are rare, but when they occur they may exceptionally lead to death, as identified in November 2015 for the first time in history.

How is the virus transmitted?

The most frequent mode of transmission is through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. Other possible forms of transmission of the Zika virus need to be examined in depth based on further scientific studies.

There is no evidence of Zika virus transmission through breast milk, as well as through urine, saliva or semen.

Is there a vaccine against Zika?

There is no vaccine against the Zika virus. The development of vaccines against the Zika virus is part of Brazil’s National Plan against the Aedes aegypti and its related investments. As this requires time for research to be conducted, however, it is essential that prevention and control measures against Aedes aegypti are adopted, because, as well as combating Zika, they will also help avoid other diseases, such as dengue and chikungunya.

What is the treatment?

There is no specific treatment for Zika viral infection. The recommended treatment for symptomatic cases consists of acetaminophen (paracetamol) or dipyrone to control fever and reduce pain. If an itchy rash occurs, antihistamines might be considered.

The use of aspirin and other antiinflammatory drugs is not recommended, due to the increased risk of bleeding complications associated with infections caused by other flaviviruses.

What precautions should be taken?

Prevention/Protection n Install mosquito nets on

windows and doors, wear longsleeved clothing—pants and shirts and apply insect repellent on exposed areas of the body. n It is advisable to stay in places where mosquito nets or other barriers available. n If you notice the presence of skin rashes, red eyes or fever, seek health care. n Do not take medication or attempt any treatment on your own before consulting a doctor. n Seek medical advice on birth control and contraceptive methods.

How is Zika virus diagnosed?

In most suspected cases of dengue, chikungunya and Zika, confirmation is made by clinical and epidemiological criteria. In the case of Zika, commercial serological diagnosis is not available yet.

The test chosen to help in identifying areas of transmission of such diseases and in framing control measures is called RT-PCR, and is performed by laboratories of reference within Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) network. After the confirmation of one case in a particular area, other infections can be clinically diagnosed, through medical assessment of symptoms, and through the medical protocols currently used for dengue and chikungunya.

What other types of tests are currently under development, and where?

The Evandro Chagas Institute is developing a serological test. Due to Brazil’s specific circumstances with regard to the circulation of other flaviviruses, which causes many serological cross-reactions, the test is recommended with certain reservations and is being made available to “sentinel” laboratories for the purpose of Zika diagnosis in Brazil.

In addition to the serological test, the institute has also carried out the complete genetic sequencing of the Zika virus circulating in Brazil.

How do these tests contribute to further research and development?

The complete genetic sequencing of the Zika strains isolated from febrile patients will significantly contribute to the understanding of various aspects of the virus. Particularly significant was the detection of the Zika genome in two cases resulting in deaths, which enabled the international scientific community to envision an as-yet-undescribed evolution of Zika infections, a possible subject for future scientific studies.

Are there any reports of Zika virus outbreaks in other countries?

Zika is considered endemic, though not widespread, in East and West Africa. And serological evidence in humans suggests the virus has been spreading in Asia since 1966.

According to the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization’s latest epidemiological bulletin, 22 countries/territories in the Americas have detected the indigenous transmission of the Zika virus (American Virgin Islands, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadalupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, Suriname and Venezuela).

ZIKA VIRUS AND MICROCEPHALY What is microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a congenital malformation in which the brain does not develop properly. Babies with microcephaly are born with a head circumference which is smaller than normal.

(The normal circumference is at least 32 centimeter) This congenital malformation can result from a number of different factors, including infectious chemical and biological substances, bacteria, viruses and radiation.

Is there confirmation that the increase in cases of microcephaly in Brazil is due to the Zika virus?

When the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Brazil detected Zika in the amniotic fluid of two pregnant women whose fetuses had microcephaly, and later the Evandro Chagas Institute identified the virus in a newborn baby with microcephaly (a fatal case), it was able to scientifically establish a connection between the Zika virus and the microcephaly cases currently being observed in Brazil.

During what stage of pregnancy is there the greatest susceptibility to the virus?

In the cases reported so far, most of the pregnant women whose babies have developed microcephaly did themselves display symptoms of the Zika virus—mainly in the first three months of pregnancy. But women should be careful not to come into contact with the Aedes aegypti mosquito at any time during pregnancy.

What are the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s current recommendations for pregnant women?

The Brazilian Ministry of Health emphasizes that pregnant women should not use any drugs that are not prescribed by a health-care professional, that they should undergo all the required prenatal examinations, and that they should inform a healthcare professional of any alteration they perceive during pregnancy.

It is also important that they take measures to avoid contact with the Aedes aegypti mosquito, for example by using insect repellents that are suitable during pregnancy, wearing long sleeves, and being careful not to let stagnant water accumulate anywhere in their home or workplace.

Also, pregnant women should consult their doctor prior to traveling, whatever the destination.

How is the diagnosis for microcephaly carried out? Is it possible to detect microcephaly during prenatal exams?

In Brazil an initial physical examination of newborn babies is routine, and should be carried out within 24 hours of birth. This is one of the key moments to carry out an active search for possible congenital anomalies. It is also possible to diagnose microcephaly during prenatal exams. However, pregnant women should ask their physician about the medical imaging modality recommended to their case.

What is the treatment for microcephaly?

There is no specific treatment for microcephaly. There are support procedures that can assist in the development of the baby and the child, and Brazil’s SUS network recommends these procedures. As each child with microcephaly may develop different complications— including respiratory, neurological and motor complications—medical specialists in a number of different areas might become involved.

Recommended services include primary care, specialized rehabilitation, examinations and diagnosis, hospital services, and also orthotics and prosthetics in applicable cases.

Can microcephaly kill or cause serious consequences?

In about 90 percent of cases, S “Z,” A

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When $3 trillion just isn’t enough

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Radio Veritas is Trinitian Awardee for Values-Oriented Radio Station

B C B | Bloomberg View

OST conversations about the Chinese economy come with a reassuring caveat: With $3.3 trillion in foreignexchange reserves at their disposal, Chinese leaders can bring almost unlimited firepower to bear to defend the yuan, recapitalize state banks or spread cheap loans abroad to win influence. Such confidence, however, may be misplaced.

Those trillions of dollars add up to a lot less than many people seem to imagine. The total, given out by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), is considered relatively accurate.

But that’s not the whole story. According to numerous estimates, close to a third of China’s reserves are held in illiquid assets— for instance, long-term investments in infrastructure projects that are part of the so-called New Silk Road.

That implies that more than a trillion dollars could only be tapped in a longer time horizon of at least one year. Even if the true number is half as much, that would reduce the range of usable FX reserves to around $2.8 trillion.

Add to this the question of how much foreign exchange China needs to hold in order to be prudent.

The International Monetary Fund has developed a suggested framework based upon research into previous currency crises. According to this formula, countries should maintain reserves equivalent to the sum of 30 percent of their short-term foreigndenominated debt, 15 percent of other portfolio liabilities, 10 percent of the M2, or broad money supply, and 10 percent of yearly exports.

In China’s case, that would add up to approximately $3 trillion. The biggest share comes from M2, which in China totals approximately $21 trillion. Currently, even China’s seemingly huge reserves amount only to 15 percent of M2 money supply, the lowest proportion since 2008; even if that share were lowered to 10 percent, China would still need $2.1 trillion to cover it. Covering short-term foreign debt, portfolio liabilities and yearly exports would add another $900 billion.

Right now, Chinese FX reserves stand at about 110 percent of this recommended number. Excluding the illiquid reserves, though, China’s holding only 93 percent of the total.

(In fact, the IMF suggests countries maintain reserves as high as 150 percent of the total number, which would make China’s shortfall even more dramatic.)

Furthermore, official Chinese FX reserves held by the PBOC are falling fast, declining $100 billion per month since October. With Chinese citizens and firms racing to get their money out of the country —spurring an estimated $1 trillion in capital outflows in 2015—the government has had to deploy reserves buying yuan, to prop up the currency’s value.

There’s little indication that this trend is about to be reversed. Indeed, the central bank is burning through more and more of its reserves every

Zika. . .

  A

microcephaly is associated with intellectual disability (the exceptions are when the condition is inherited, in which case the baby’s cognitive development can be normal). The type and severity of the sequelae vary from case to case. A connection has already been identified between infection by the Zika virus and severe cases of microcephaly, including those leading to death. In these serious cases, the Zika virus RNA was identified, while other known viruses, such as dengue and chikungunya, were found to be absent.

Can children and babies affected by the Zika virus experience neurological problems?

It is fundamental to avoid rumors and speculations. There are

month and when worry sets in, numbers tend to gain speed.

Depending on exactly how fast capital leaves China, Beijing could be looking at a worryingly low level of reserves as soon as July. At current rates, China will drop beneath the recommended amount of $3 trillion at the end of the first quarter, even if including all illiquid assets; excluding them, China could have fewer than $2 trillion in usable reserves by summer. By the end of the year, the government could face a situation where the only tools left to prevent the currency’s slide could be hard capital controls that prevent money from leaving the country— an embarrassing state of affairs for the world’s second-largest economy.

How should Chinese policymakers respond? First, they have to accept that the financial laws of physics apply to China. The PBOC may have a good case to lower interest rates. But with loan demand down, fears rising over equity markets, and a huge overhang of surplus capacity, further monetary easing is sure to prompt additional outflows as investors seek higher returns elsewhere. That means continued downward pressure on the yuan, forcing the PBOC to spend billions more to buy up the currency.

By seeking both looser monetary policy and a strong yuan, the central bank is pursuing a set of contradictory policies that can’t succeed. The PBOC needs instead to chart a course toward either floating the yuan or imposing capital controls. There simply are no other alternatives.

Second, China needs to address the domestic and international loss of credibility it’s suffered over the past year. Last summer’s surprise devaluation has rattled ordinary Chinese, as well as international investors. State-owned media are running articles arguing that the currency is stable, even as reports emerge of increased administrative measures to restrict capital outflows. While economic fundamentals would suggest that outflows will continue, changing the psychology of investors could help stem the tide. That will require high-quality leadership in Beijing, including a clear and believable currency policy, to regain trust.

None of this means that Chinese leaders—or the world— should panic just yet. But rather than continuing to drain reserves, they’ll soon need to decide if they’re ready to float the yuan. The alternative— to wall off the Chinese financial system and give up on dreams of making the yuan a global reserve currency—is bleak.

no documented cases of sequelae in children who contracted Zika after they were born. Microcephaly is a condition identified only at birth.

People of any age can be infected by the virus, not only children.

Which Brazilian states are recording higher than average numbers of microcephaly cases?

Brazil’s Ministry of Health investigates 3,488 suspected microcephaly cases throughout the country. A report published on January 27 shows that 270 cases have been confirmed as microcephaly, six of which related to the Zika virus. About 462 reported cases have been dismissed. By January 23, some 4,180 suspected microcephaly cases have been reported.

According to that report, cases have been registered in 830 cities throughout 24 Brazilian States.

The Northeast region concentrates 86 percent of the reported cases,

Saturday, February 6, 2016 A5

Rev. Fr. Antonio Cecilio T. Pascual

SERVANT LEADER

R

ADIO Veritas 846 is honored to be the recipient of the Trinitian Award for Values-Oriented Radio Station in the recently concluded 2016 Platinum Stallion Media Awards of the Trinity University of Asia (TUA).

Organized by TUA’s Department of Media and Communication, the Platinum Stallion Award gives accolade to media practitioners and institution in the field of broadcasting, film, print, advertising, visual arts and other communicationrelated industries. Awardees are chosen by a university-wide survey participated in by students, faculty and staff.

Owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Manila, we at Radio Veritas continue to strive to be the leading social-communications ministry for truth and new evange-

lization providing values-oriented religious, news, public affairs and magazine programs to our listeners from Monday to Sunday.

In 1986 it was through Radio Veritas where Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin made the call to the people to converge in Edsa to prevent the bloodshed, and ushered in the four-day bloodless revolution known as Edsa 1 People Power Revolution.

That same year, Radio Veritas received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award Board of Trustees recognized Radio Veritas’s crucial role in using the truth to depose an oppressive and corrupt regime, and restore the Filipino faith in the electoral process.

Currently, Radio Veritas is going beyond radio through its web site, www.veritas846.ph, and its social-media platforms. It is also planning to extend its reach to television through its partnership with TV Maria.

Meanwhile, devotees of Our Lady of Lourdes may visit the replica of her image at the chapel of Our Lady of Veritas in Quezon City from February 2 to 11.

In 1858 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl while she was collecting firewood near the grotto of Massabielle, near Lourdes, France. According to Soubirous, the Virgin Mary was dressed in white with equally white veil, blue belt and with yellow rose on each foot.

February 11, 1858, was the first day of these 18 apparitions of the

Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, where she recalled the importance of prayer, the rosary, penance and humility. To honor these apparitions, the Roman Catholic Church venerates the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Lourdes.

In the Philippines the replica of Our Lady of Lourdes is currently enshrined in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes on Kanlaon corner N.S. Amoranto Avenue (formerly Retiro Street), Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City. Her feast day is being celebrated every 11th of February.

Devotees may visit the miraculous image of Our Lady of Lourdes from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Our Lady of Veritas Chapel on the second floor of Veritas Tower, 162 West Avenue corner Edsa in Quezon City.

To know more about the programs of Caritas Manila, visit www.caritas.org.ph. For donations, call 563-9311. For inquiries, call 563-9308 or 563-9298.

Make it a habit to listen to Radio Veritas 846 in the AM band, or through live streaming at www.veritas846. ph. For comments, e-mail veritas846pr@gmail.com.

Europe’s development bank is now a crisis agency

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B M C | Bloomberg View

FFICIALS from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are in London this week, trying to make a world mesmerized by the flood of Syrian refugees feel their pain. It is a shockingly powerful case.

In 2010 the population of Lebanon was around 4.3 million. By last summer the CIA estimated that figure at 6.2 million, mostly because of refugees from Syria. It is, said Lebanon’s Education Minister Elias Bou Saab, as though 32 million people had suddenly descended on Britain.

He was exaggerating a little by including Lebanon’s Palestinian refugees. Still, try 24 million. The US equivalent would be 120 million; for Germany, more than 30 million.

The fact that the European Union is now being forced to share even a fraction of this disruption has made its members recognize that the refugees will have to be helped where they are. Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are all beginning to realize they will have to let Syrians compete for jobs. That, however, could be politically destabilizing.

This realization has prompted the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRB) to find a new calling: crisis development.

Created after the fall of the Berlin Wall to help Europe’s ex-communist nations become market economies, the EBRD controversially moved on to Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia after the Arab Spring. Last summer, as he watched TV coverage of refugees coming to Europe, the bank’s president, Suma Chakrabarti, told me he saw “an opportunity to show we are relevant to crisis situations.” Now Lebanon has applied for EBRD membership.

Mission creep is what institutions do. When the job they were created

for is over, they look for new roles to avoid unemployment. In this case, that’s a good thing.

In October Chakrabarti says he got the EBRD’s board to agree to a new approach. It would help stabilize refugee host countries by corralling funds and private investors to deal with the consequences of sudden population explosions and treat them as a development opportunity. On Wednesday he announced a €900-million program.

“We’re ready to go,” says Chakrabarti. All that’s required is for donor countries to provide €400 million, and for the host countries to cooperate.

Start with sewage. A lready straining, Jordan’s system can’t cope with 1.4 million extra Syrians, so the first EBRD project would strengthen the network in the Zarqa River area, north of Amman. Then landfills—they’re full. New ones have to be built.

Jordan, the second most waterpoor country on earth, has had to halve cistern deliveries in some areas. Leaking water pipes need repair. Four hundred schools are running double shifts—local kids in the morning, Syrians in the afternoon.

More schools need to be built. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Transportation systems are overrun.

Digging landfills and laying pipes is labor intensive, as is building schools and hospitals—which is good. The work can employ both locals and Syrians.

Jordan is fragile, increasingly

Pernambuco being the state with the largest number of cases which remain under investigation (1,125); followed by the states of Paraiba (497); Bahia (471); Ceara (218); Sergipe (172); Alagoas (158); Rio Grande Norte (133); Rio de Janeiro (122) and Maranhao (119).

It is worth remembering that it is safe to travel to Brazil. Likewise, in trips to other countries, precautions must be taken by tourists and travelers. The Brazilian government does not recommend any restrictive measure to travel or international trade. The Brazilian government recommends special medical attention to pregnant women, who should consult their doctor before traveling and take measures to reduce the presence of mosquitoes that transmit the disease, such as keeping doors and windows closed, wear pants and long-sleeved shirt and use repellents that are safe for pregnant women.

The current Brazilian situation is a serious public health emergency, but the Brazilian government has been taking all necessary measures to react quickly and to curb the spread of the virus.

The Ministry of Health is investigating all cases of microcephaly or defects reported by states and their possible link with the Zika virus and other congenital infections. Microcephaly can be caused by various infectious agents beyond Zika, such as syphilis, toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes virus, among other infectious agents. The Brazilian government has been working with the utmost commitment to combat the breeding focus everywhere.

Around 220,000 Army, Navy and Air Force soldiers will join the 300,000 public officials and thousands of volunteers throughout Brazil to eliminate the mosquito and defend our children. In addition, several ini-

isolated from trade routes by Syria’s war. But it’s also promising as a recipient of aid, the EBRD’s country chief, Heike Harmgart, told me. The government already has the reform bug, and has big public-private partnership projects under its belt. Unlike many gover nments (inc lud ing Turkey’s), Jordan’s doesn’t mind if foreign grant money goes directly to the projects, rather than passing through bureaucratic hands.

“They’ve taken ownership of the whole idea, which is hugely important,” Harmgart says.

Plus, a substantial part of Jordan’s work force already consists of migrant workers from places such as Nepal, Bangladesh and China. As they go home, Syrian refugees can take their place.

All of this will require a lot of money from donors. The government has an $8-billion shopping list for a refugee-response program, from now through 2018. The EBRD plans to spend about $450 million toward the total, but that’s contingent on getting more than $200 million from donor-countries.

At an international donor

Source: Financial Tracking Service

tiatives of support to this national mobilization has been developed for information and awareness.

At the IV Summit of the CELAC, President Dilma Rousseff proposed a cooperative action to combat Zika virus in the region, where many countries have great experience in the fight against dengue. Ms. President defended it would be necessary that a union of all countries and societies is needed in this fight, with cooperation of scientific and technological research and sharing of best practices to combat the virus.

By Brazilian proposal, the ministers of Health of Union of South Americans Nations will meet to discuss the issue.

All construction sites of Olympic facilities have been visited by environmental surveillance agents in health to control possible outbreaks of mosquito. Any possible remaining reservoirs of the works will be

conference in London on Thursday, governments appeared ready to pay.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said that more than $10 billion had been pledged, far more than in previous years. Yet, targets like this aren’t always met: More than money is needed; changes to ensure Jordan’s stability require political will. Perhaps, the best thing the EU could do, for example, is to change the rules on imports of Jordanian textiles, which result in just $25 million worth being sold in Europe, compared to $1 billion in the US. “Innovation is the challenge,” the chairman of Jordan’s Garment and Textile Association, Dina Khayyat told me, referring to governments as much as business.

“We’re doing a lot, but everything else is against us. It doesn’t encourage investors.”

Jordan is trying to cope with its refugee crisis, and for strategic, as well as moral reasons the country is surely worth the price of stabilization amid the turmoil of the Middle East. The EBRD is on the ground with projects lined up and Europe should start by delivering the funds to make “crisis development” happen.

Bloomberg View

eliminated to prevent the emergence of further mosquito outbreaks. Employees of the sites will be oriented to identify and eliminate any focus of mosquitoes. During the games, all Olympic venues will have at least one permanent environmental monitoring agent certified.

The agents will work daily in search, elimination or treatment of areas that could become potential mosquito breeding places. In addition to the agents authorized to operate within the Olympic venues, there will also be environmental surveillance teams working around the areas of competition and places with large human agglomeration for mosquito control.

For complete and updated information about the prevention and combating disease dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, please consult the Portal of the Ministry of Health. (Http://combateaedes.saude.gov.br/)

A6 Saturday, February 6, 2016 • Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo

News

BusinessMirror

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Conservation of 97 protected areas on hold as House fails to pass bill

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B J M N.  C

HE House of Representatives failed to pass a bill conserving 97 protected areas (PAs) in the country as it adjourned early on Wednesday, the last session day before the Congress’s election break.

The Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-Nipas) bill, filed by Nacionalista Party Rep. Mark Villar of Las Piñas, seeks to strengthen conservation of 97 PAs in the Philippines.

Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Douglas Hagedorn of Palawan was pushing for the inclusion of five critical areas in Palawan, including the El Nido Managed Resource Protected Area, Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape, Mount Mantalin-

Agencies eye revitalization of calamansi industry

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HE Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) said on Thursday it has inked a partnership with the local government of Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, and the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology (MinsSCAT) to revitalize the calamansi industry in the town.

Searca, along with the local government and the state college, signed a memorandum of agreement for the joint implementation of the project, “Revitalizing Camalansi Industry in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, through Strengthening Linkages among Farmers, Local Government Unit, National Government Agencies, State Universities and Colleges, Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector.”

Searca Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. said the project aims to rehabilitate the town’s calamansi industry to make calamansi farming “economically viable, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.”

“Mindoro is a major producer of calamansi in the country, yet, it has been experiencing huge declines in production due to lack of appropriate marketing arrangements and value-adding activities for calamansi,” Saguiguit said in a statement.

Searca said the project seeks to raise the yields, reduce postharvest losses during peak seasons, increase the production of calamansi-based products, diversify products and markets, and improve the prices of the products sold, thus, boosting the income of the farmers.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the country’s calamansi production in the recent years has been steadily declining.

For 2014, calamansi production in the Philippines declined by 2.04 percent to 160,740.43 metric tons, (MT) from 164,091.06 MT in 2013.

About 51.43 percent or 82,663.78 metric tons of the total output in 2014 came from Oriental Mindoro.

This is 5.75 percent lower than the province’s production in 2013 at 87,703.77 MT. Mary Grace Padin

hangan Protected Landscape, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and the Rasa Island Wildlife Sanctuary, in the E-Nipas bill.

Hagedorn, however, said the inclusion of Palawan’s critical areas “was strongly opposed by Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez and his son, [National Unity Party Rep. Franz Joseph George] ‘Chikoy’ Alvarez [of Palawan].”

“Both Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez and his son, Palawan Rep. Chikoy Alvarez have written the

House leadership seeking the exclusion of the five Palawan areas,” Hagedorn said in an earlier statement.

The Alvarez camp, however, said that the Strategic Environmental Plan is enough to protect the said Palawan areas.

Because of these different positions, the 16th Congress has ended its sessions last Wednesday without approving the E-Nipas bill.

Last October, Hagedorn said he discovered that the House Committee Secretariat and Management Committee has amended on their own the report on proposed House Bill 6328, deleting five areas in Palawan from the list of PAs, contrary to what had been earlier approved by lawmaker-members of the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Hagedorn, meanwhile, said that, while he turned emotional in his privileged speech on Monday, he does not wish to pick up a fight with any of his colleagues over the issue and would, in fact, join other lawmakers in their ef-

forts to have their environmentally-critical areas be included also in the PAs to be covered by the E-Nipas bill.

“To work for the environmental protect of endangered areas is not the sole responsibility of the lawmaker representing the district where that particular area is located. It is the morale responsibility of everyone—not only the congressmen—but everyone, to stand up for our environmental crusade,” Hagedorn said.

“As I stand up and fight for the environmental protection of my areas in Palawan, I will also stand up and fight for the environmental protection for all areas in the country and not join in their destruction,” Hagedorn said.

Earlier, Sen. Loren Legarda, principal sponsor of the E-Nipas bill in the Senate, has said the chamber’s version of measure was passed in July 2015.

“Through this measure local communities and stakeholders will be able to do more to participate in the management and

protection of our forests, oceans, flora, fauna and the indigenous peoples that reside in these sanctuaries,” she said.

At present, there are 113 areas in the country declared as PAs. However, only 13 are covered by legislation as such under Republic Act 7586, otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas Act).

Since 23 years have passed since the passage of the Nipas Act on June 1, 1992, it means that it took an average of one year and seven months for the Congress to enact legislation for each PA. Legarda said she was pushing for the passage of the E-Nipas bill to actively help areas that remain underprotected, including open seas, coastal areas, wetlands and tropical forests.

The measure seeks to enhance conservation efforts for unique, rare and threatened species of plants and animals and their habitat, thus, ensuring the sustainable use of our natural resources and cultural diversity.

US warship back after WPS patrol T

B R A

HE US warship that conducted a freedom of navigation patrol in contested areas on the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is back in the country just more than a week after completing its mission.

The guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur docked in Subic, Zambales, at around 8:30 a.m. without fanfare, more than 10 days after conducting its freedom of navigation patrol, during which it sailed close to one of the islets occupied by China on the South China Sea, drawing sharp criticisms from Chinese officials.

The berthing of the US warship came a day after the US formally turned over to the Armed Forces 114 units of refurbished M-113A2 armored personnel carriers in its continuing effort to help the military improve and build its internal and territorial defense capabilities.

USS Curtis Wilbur first docked at the Manila Soutrh Harbor on January 24 for maintenance and rest of its 300-strong crew. Three or four days later, it was already on international news after US military officials said it challenged China’s sovereignty in the South China Sea by moving within 12 nautical miles of the Triton Island in the Paracel Group of Islands.

The occupation of the Paracels

by Beijing is being disputed by both Vietnam and Taiwan.

“This operation challenged attempts by the three claimants—

USS Curtis Wilbur

China, Taiwan and Vietnam—to restrict navigation rights and freedoms,” Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said in response to the destroyer’s freedom sail.

He also said no Chinese ships attempted to shadow or follow the destroyer during its patrol.

China called the patrol as a “provocative action” and condemning Washington over its second exercise in the area, which the international community insists, must be open to overflights and international navigation.

“The American warship has violated relevant Chinese laws by entering Chinese territorial waters without prior permission and the Chinese side has taken relevant measures, including monitoring and admonitions,” China’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

It also said the action was “intentionally provocative, irresponsible and extremely dangerous.”

China also said that Chinese navy vessels took responsive action by identifying the US destroyer and warning it to keep distance

from the islet, a claim that was belied by Davis.

USS Curtis Wilbur silently appeared in Subic, with no statement coming from the US Embassy about its arrival and the purpose of its berthing.

Last October, USS Lassen, another guided missile destroyer, also sailed close to a reef reclaimed and occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea, drawing condemnation from Beijing, but eliciting positive statements from the country and other key allies of the US.

Oil firm donates gyms to schools in Leyte

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M A JOR oi l player has tur ned over the final batch of the gymnasiums to schools destroyed by Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) in Leyte.

Shell companies in the Philippines, through its social investment arm Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc., extended a helping hand to the provinces that bore the brunt of the storm surge.

Part of its initiative to rebuild the lives of the affected residents is the donation of a total of six gymnasiums and multipurpose halls to selected schools in Leyte.

She l l h a s recent ly t u r ned

over the third and last batch of multipur pose halls and g y mnasiums to Manlilisid National High School and Juan Tismo National High School.

T hese newly constr ucted gymnasiums and multipurpose halls are primarily intended to improve the resilience and the rapid recovery of Leyte by providing the students a space for learning activities, sports and recreation. They are also designed to serve as centers that can offer refuge or temporary shelter in the event of calamities as they can withstand maximum sustained one-minute surface winds of at

least 240 kilomters per hour, or a Category 5 supertyphoon.

“Nagpapasalamat po kami sa Shell kasi dahil po sa kanila, nagkaroon kami ng gym na maaaring magamit na evacuation center tuwing may kalamidad. [We are grateful to Shell because we now have a gym that can be converted into an evacuation center during calamities],” said Guadalupe R. Dimpas, a Grade 10 student from Manlilisid National High School.

Other recipients of earlier batches of multipurpose halls and gymnasiums were Palo Central School, Palo National High School, A lang-alang National

High School and San Miguel National High School sharing with San Miguel Central School.

The gyms feature male and fem a le bat h room a nd toi let facilities, a sound systems, movable stages and basketball courts. The company also provided balls for various sports that can be played in the gyms.

T he con st r uc t ion of t he multipurpose halls and gymnasiums was made possible through the collaboration of Shell and its network of partners, namely, the Department of Energy, local government and the Department of Education.

DOE-led task force tackles ROW problem in Mindanao

MONSADA B L L

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NEWLY created interagency task force to address the growing concern on the transmission tower bombings and right-of-way (ROW) issues in Mindanao has started tackling the problem.

The Department of Energ y (DOE) heads this task force, which is formulating a swift resolution of the problem brought about by bombings of transmission facilities and ROW in Mindanao to ensure progress and peace and order in the region.

The task force was ordered to report to the President on its progress on a weekly basis.

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Security of Energy Facilities (IATFSEF) is composed of subtask groups with strategic heads, which will focus on critical issues, such as National Transmission Corp. TransCo for the ROW; the National Police and Armed Forces for security matters; the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the legal aspect; National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) for the community relations; and the DOE for the information, education and communication (IEC) campaign.

For the ROW, one of the measures is to provide an inventory and identification of the lands, including the vegetation and structures involved, valuation of the properties, capability to implement expropriations or execute restoration activities or both and identification of priority areas.

On the security concerns, first and foremost nearby communities, are called upon again to help scout and secure the transmission facilities. Members of the police and the military will be involved to augment and assist them.

Energy Secretary Zenaida Monsada said that transmission and distribution facilities are critical infrastructures in delivering electricity to the end-users.

“We have to work all together, both the Mindanaoans and industry participants, as there can be no development without power or stable power fuels development,” she said.

Monsada added that the government is seeking all legal recourse following the persistent concerns compromising the country’s power facilities. In this regard, the legal subtask group will explore and exhaust all legal remedies available to ensure that any actions taken by the IATFSEF are within the bounds of the law.

The DOE and representatives from TransCo, the NGCP and Mindanao Development Authority also met with the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCCI) after the meeting to discuss the various issues related to energy in Mindanao affecting their business and operations.

It is also the objective of the DOE to include the business sector in crafting and executing plans to address power-supply situation in Mindanao, Monsada said.

“The DOE assures the public that the government is taking action to ensure reliable, sufficient, stable and secure energy in the entire country amidst the threats of El Niño and insurgencies, particularly in Mindanao,” the agency said.

Sports BusinessMirror

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | sports@businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, February 6, 2016 A7

‘DON’T DOUBT ME’ N

EW ORLEANS—Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, hitting three pivotal three-pointers in the last six-plus minutes, and the Los Angeles Lakers won their second straight, 99-96, over the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Bryant, who scored a season-high 38 points at Minnesota two nights earlier, held his follow-through as his final three went through with a minute left to put the Lakers up 98-92, then wagged his index finger as if to say, “Don’t doubt me,” as he jogged back up court with a good portion of the crowd cheering wildly.

Bryant missed a free throw with six seconds left that allowed the Pelicans a chance to tie the game with a three, but Jrue Holiday’s shot missed the rim.

Anthony Davis scored 39 for the Pelicans, but his missed breakaway dunk in the fourth

quarter seemed to define the night for New Orleans, which lost its third straight.

Anthony Tolliver and Reggie Jackson made a trio of big three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, and the Detroit Pistons avoided a colossal collapse, beating the New York Knicks, 111-105.

The Knicks rallied from a 27-point secondquarter deficit, taking a 97-95 lead on a lay-up

by Robin Lopez. Tolliver’s three-pointer put the Pistons back ahead, and Jackson added another to make it 101-97. After a dunk by Lopez cut the margin back to two, Jackson added another threepointer, and the Pistons were able to hold on.

Jackson finished

with 21 points, and Stanley Johnson added 22 and nine rebounds. Andre Drummond had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Detroit.

Lopez had 26 points and 16 rebounds for New York, which lost for the seventh time in eight games.

In Phoenix Corey Brewer scored 24 points and Trevor Ariza 22 to lead the Houston Rockets past the Phoenix Suns, 111-105.

The Rockets won despite a four-for-19 shooting night by James Harden, who finished with 17 points, more than 10 under his average.

Dwight Howard grabbed 16 rebounds in the 200th meeting between the teams.

Archie Goodwin led the Suns with 22 points, while Alex Len added 12 with a careerhigh 18 rebounds and Devin Booker had 17 points as Phoenix lost its sixth straight.

Kyle Lowry had 30 points, DeMar DeRozan added 29 and the Toronto Raptors snapped Portland’s five-game winning streak, 110-103.

AWARD FOR JUNE MAR

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ASKETBALL superstar June Mar Fajardo towers above a long list of personalities to be cited for major awards by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) in its coming Annual Awards Night, presented by Milo and San Miguel Corp.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo, main man of back-to-back PBA Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup champion San Miguel, will be honored for his excellence in pro basketball after winning a second straight Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum last season.

It will be the second PSA major award for the pride of Pinamungahan, Cebu, who was also the honoree for the same category last year by the 67-year-old media organization, the oldest in the country.

Rey Mark Belo and Mark Cruz of champion teams Far Eastern University and Letran, respectively, are the major awardees in amateur basketball.

Eleven other athletes who made their mark in their respective sports are going to be honored with a major award during the February 13 affair at the One Esplanade with the Philippine Sports Commission as major sponsor and with support from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Sen. Chiz Escudero, SM Prime Holdings, MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, Maynilad, National University, One Esplanade, Rain or Shine, Globalport, Philippine Basketball Association, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

12 teams clash in 1st QC Pride spikefest

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WELVE teams from the PGBT community clash on Saturday in the First Quezon City Pride Volleyball Cup at the Amoranto Stadium.

The opening ceremony is set at 8 a.m., with Quezon City Councilor Mayen Juico, Rep. Francisco Calalay and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte serving as special guests and speakers.

Philippine Superliga (PSL) Chairman Philip Ella Juico will declare the two-day games open with a ceremonial serve. First game of the preliminaries will start at 9 am.

“This is our way of embracing the gay community, especially those who are into volleyball,” said Mayen

Juico, chairman of the city council’s Committee on Women, Family Relation and Gender Equality. “We’re looking forward to a successful and fun-filled event.

I’m sure everybody, even those who are not part of the LBGT community, will enjoy.”

Sports Core President Ramon “Tats” Suzara explained the 12 teams will be divided into two groups in a singleround pool play. The top 4 will clash in the semifinals and the winners will advance to the final round. The gold-medal round is set at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Expected to make an instant impact are Team Braganza, Competitive Volleyball Group, Sesahood and Instituto Estetico Manila-A and Instituto Estetico Manila.

Korean virtually nails spot on local tour

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EOK JUN-MIN hardly slowed down from a solid 64 in the second round as he carded a three-under 69 on Friday to virtually nail a berth in the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT), firing off next week at Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club course in Morong, Bataan.

Seok gunned down five birdies in hot condition but fumbled with two bogeys for a 35-34 card and a 54-hole total of 207 at the Royal Northwoods Golf and Country Club in San Rafael, Bulacan, three shots clear off Australian Kevin Marques and Toru Nakajima of Japan heading to the final round of the 72-hold PGT Qualifying School for foreign players.

Marquez sizzled with a 66, while Nakajima, a former PGT leg winner, turned in a 68 as they pooled identical 210s, even as Nathan Park, also of Australia, and American John Jackson assembled similar 212s

ALIW-RONDA PARTNERSHIP

after a 69 and 73, respectively, to likewise move closer to nailing spots for this year’s circuit.

The top 15 players after four rounds will be included in Category 8, while those ending up 16th to 25th will be included in Category 10. A total of 66 players vied in the tournament for foreign players seeking to play in the country’s premier golf circuit.

A separate Q-School was held for the local pros last December, with Richard Abaring nipping Ramil Bisera by one for top honors.

Koreans Hwang Kang-youl and Park Jun-hyeok and Manila-based Canadian Rick Gibson all totaled 213s after 69, 72 and 73, respectively, for joint sixth while Aussie Nelson Turner carded a 71 and American Sam Ayotte and Korean amateur Kim In-jae matched par 72s for 214s for a share of ninth.

LBC Ronda Pilipinas teams up with Aliw Broadcasting Corp. as its official radio partner. Shown signing the memorandum of agreement are (seated, from left) Aliw Vice President and General Manager Adrian Cabangon, Ronda Executive Project Director Moe Chulani, Aliw President and CEO Josephine Reyes and Iloilo Bike Festival Project Director Ronald Sebastian. With them are (standing, from left) Ronda Race Director Jingo Hervas and Marketing Communications Head Rommel Bobiles, 97.9 Home Radio Station Manager Braggy Braganza and Aliw Broadcasting Vice President for Sales and Marketing Abet Sikat.

3 matches open UFL at Rizal turf

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Damian Lillard had 27 points and 11 assists, while CJ McCollum added 21 points for Portland in the matchup between two of the league’s dynamic backcourts.

The Raptors, who have lost only one of their last 14 games, extended their lead to 94-81 on Lowry’s 3 with 6:52 left in the game. Toronto made 12-of-19 three-point attempts in the game, with Lowry scoring seven of them to match his season high.

Lillard hit a jumper and Allen Crabbe made a pair free throws to pull Portland within 106-101 with 55.3 seconds left, but McCollum missed a 12-foot jumper and Toronto hit free throws to end the threat. AP KOBE BRYANT stars in the Lakers’ victory over the Pelicans. AP

DONAIRE FIGHTS HUNGARIAN IN APRIL N ONITO “THE FILIPINO FLASH” DONAIRE JR. defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super-bantamweight title against Hungary’s Zsolt Bedak on April 23 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The 33-year-old Donaire (36 wins, three losses, 23 knockouts) stakes his belt against the Athens Olympian Bedak (251, 8 KOs), after the original prospect, rising star Evgeny Gradovich, agreed

De La Salle vs UP girls in UAAP

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E LA SALLE University eyes a second straight victory to underscore its strength in Season 78 against University of the Philippines (UP) in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament on Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

The De La Salle-UP showdown is set at 2 p.m., followed by the collision between National University (NU) and Adamson University at 4 p.m.

In the men’s division, Ateneo also shoots for a second victory against Far Eastern University at 10 a.m., while opening-day losers University of the East (UE) and Adamson University take the floor at 8 a.m.

The Lady Spikers cruised past the FEU Lady Tamaraws, 29-27, 25-23, 25-20, on Wednesday, while the Lady Maroons dismantled UE, 2520, 25-13, 25-21, on opening day on Sunday.

All eyes will again be on De La Salle star Ara Galang, as she continues to regain the strong form that she flashed before she was injured in last season’s semifinals.

Galang was practically the same ace Lady Spikers against the Lady Tamaraws.

But opposite UP, she said they could not be complacent.

“All the teams improved.

This is the first time that we will face them [UP] again so we will both make adjustments. It depends on how fast we adjust,” Galang said.

UP Head Coach Jerry Yee, on the other hand, knows De La Salle is a tough team to beat.

“De La Salle’s game has not wavered. They remain as strong as they were when they placed runner-up last season,” Yee said. “It will be tough for us since the psychological advantage is still there.”

Lance Agcaoili

to fight Oscar Valdez instead.

Donaire got his lofty position back after the four-division champion snatched the WBO crown in an action-packed bout against Cesar Juarez last December.

The Filipino Flash is on a mission to regain his stature after he lost his featherweight belt in a brutal six-round knockout to Nicholas Walters in October 2014.

Bedak has won his last 10 fights since his 10th-round knockout against Wilfredo Vasquez Jr. in 2010. Two years later Donaire outclassed Vasquez for the vacant junior-featherweight belt in the US. Top Rank, which handles the General

Santos City native, saw the potential of a Donaire-Gradovich championship match, but the Russian boxing prodigy insisted to fight in the featherweight class rather than go well below in the 122-pound territory of Donaire.

“I’m going forward on Bedak and I think I can get it done,” Donaire’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, told boxingmirror.com.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

“THE FILIPINO FLASH” DONAIRE JR. NONITO stakes his super-bantamweight crown against Zsolt Bedak.

LOBAL FC and Pasagard take the pitch to highlight openingday action of the 2016 United Football League on Saturday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The GlobalPasagard match is set at 6:15 p.m.

Former second division sides Forza and Agila open hostilities in Group B at 4 p.m, while JP Boltes and Laos play in the nightcap at 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s matches usher in what could be an explosive Sunday, when defending champion Kaya collides with Stallion, the same team it defeated in the semifinals of the Cup in August last year. They tangle at 6:15 p.m.

Sunday’s matches also pit reigning league winner Ceres-La Salle FC and Loyola Meralco Sparks at 8:30 p.m.

Ceres is parading former Bundesliga player and national team star Stephan Schrock for the first time. He will be lining up against fellow Azkal Phil Younghusband, who remains at the forefront of the Loyola assault. Lance Agcaoili

A8 | S

ATURDAY,

Sports

FEBRUARY 6, 2016 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

GLOBAL AMBITIONS Chinese spending on soccer had been growing impressively in recent years, but soared to unexpected heights in the just-completed transfer window.

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B J D The Associated Press

HE European transfer window is not so European any more, with Chinese clubs outspending even the continent’s richest clubs in January to prove that the country is now a genuine power in attracting the world’s best players.

Chinese spending on soccer had been growing impressively in recent years, but soared to unexpected heights in the just-completed transfer window.

Guangzhou Evergrande, the reigning Asian club champions already boasting the likes of Ricardo Goulart and Paulinho, paid $47 million to Atletico Madrid to sign Colombian striker Jackson Martinez.

It was the biggest deal of the January transfer window—anywhere—and the second biggest was Jiangsu Suning signing Ramires from English champion Chelsea for around $31 million. There’s mounting speculation in the European media about which star players will soon join the exodus to the east.

Guangzhou President Liu Yongzhou acknowledges the pressure this puts upon the club, and coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, to keep ahead of the chasing pack.

“We have been satisfied with the squad we have but even as champion of China and Asia, we are always looking to improve,” Liu told the Associated Press. “The secret to being a good team is to continually strive for excellence.

The Chinese Super League is getting stronger and it is important that we are always getting stronger too.

“We also have ambitions to keep succeeding in Asia.”

Evergrande’s ultimate target is to win the International Football Federation Club World Cup and become one of the top clubs in the world.

Financially, it already is getting there.

Chinese rivals, such as Shanghai SIPG, are desperate to wrest the domestic and even the Asian title away. Shanghai, 2015 runner-up, is led by former England Coach Sven Goran Eriksson, who has compiled a $50-million strikeforce in Asamoah Gyan and Elkeson and has been chasing former Arsenal and Manchester United star Robin van Persie.

Guangzhou is backed by property developer Evergrande and Alibaba, one of the world’s biggest e-commerce sites, while Shanghai is backed by Shanghai International Port Group.

Compared with recent years,

more yuan is being spent by more and more teams, not just those at the top.

Hebei, backed by an industrial parkdevelopment company, may be little known and newly promoted to the top tier but has signed African star Gervinho from Italian giant Roma for $20 million. Jiangsu had regularly been a mid-table team but since being taken over by a large retail group, has been linked with dozens of world famous stars as it tries to spend a reported transfer fund of $200 million.

Shanghai Shenhua—owned by a real-estate company—already had Tim Cahill but has signed Freddy Guarin from Inter Milan.

“When China invests it does so on an epic scale and in a way that overcomes all obstacles,” said Simon Chadwick, a professor of Sports Enterprise at Salford University and a regular China commentator. “As such, there are strong reasons to believe that within 10 years, possibly even five, China will become a major player in world football.”

The nation is also building at youth level to ensure the spending boom does not turn into a bust in the long term.

Tom Byer, a youth development expert, is employed as a consultant to the Chinese Ministry of Education as it rolls out a soccer program in schools.

“I don’t think there is any other program similar throughout the world that is this big,” Byer said. “The government is serious about development and also realizes grassroots development is not the glamorous side of the game and is often neglected by the media. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

FLYING HIGH THE US’s Morgan Northrop competes in the women’s

aerial event during the World Cup freestyle skiing competition on Thursday in Deer Valley, Utah. AP

R

whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and a rare birth defect.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said this week he was “very confident” the games would take place.

And Rio organizers have repeatedly said there is no talk of calling off the games.

Hilton said the WHO had not banned travel because of Zika, though pregnant women have been advised not to travel to Zika areas.

Hilton also noted the cooler, drier Brazilian weather in the South American winter when the games open on August 5 will drive down the mosquito count.

The Zika virus adds to other problems with South America’s first games, including severe water pollution in Rio’s sailing and

WILL FACEBOOK WORK?

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EW YORK—It’s the pain of crowds: Texts, photos and video streams take forever or just can’t get through.

You might have run into this at a concert where everyone’s trying to post selfies with the headliners at once, or at big conferences and sporting events.

Fans at Sunday’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, might see a similar cellular jam.

Here’s why it happens and what phone companies are doing about it:

WHY DOESN’T MY PHONE WORK IN A CROWD?

LOTS of phones are competing for the attention of a cellular network’s antennas.

Networks are further strained because these are times when people are apt to use data-heavy applications, such as photo and video sharing.

You might see bars on your phone showing there’s a signal available, yet nothing’s getting through. That happens because the phone’s failing to get “associated” to the network, says Don Bowman of Sandvine, which sells networking equipment.

“Your phone knows it’s there but doesn’t know how to use it,” he says.

“You’ll have the bars but it won’t seem to connect.”

One clue: The “LTE” letters fail to show up next to the bars.

WHAT CAN CELL-PHONE COMPANIES DO?

PHONES have gotten better at sending requests to the network, and networks have gotten better at managing traffic. But then again, smartphone use continues to grow, so jams are difficult to avoid.

Phone companies can mitigate congestion when they know of a big event ahead of time.

The phone companies have a mix of strategies, but collectively they have

added or upgraded antennas in the stadium and cell towers nearby and installed “small cells” to improve capacity in the stadium.

Small cells typically look like boxes, says Monica Paolini, the president of wireless advisory firm Senza Fili Consulting, and, yes, are smaller than the cells you’d find on rooftops and cell towers. These small cells have a smaller range than regular cell towers, but they can supplement those towers to boost capacity in dense areas.

Many of these improvements are permanent, so coverage should improve even after the game.

Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are also bringing in temporary cell sites, called “Cell on Wheels,” or cows, to cover Santa Clara, where the stadium is, and events in San Francisco.

WI-FI HELPS, TOO

NEWER sports venues are more likely to have Wi-Fi, which relieves stress on the cell-phone network. Levi’s Stadium, where the Super Bowl is taking place, got Wi-Fi when it opened in 2014. It’s free for visitors.

Historically, Wi-Fi equipment has been installed high up in ceilings or walls. At Levi’s, routers are sprinkled underneath seats throughout the stadium to improve Wi-Fi performance. That helps prevent obstructions from steel and other construction materials and gets people physically closer to the routers.

Comcast Business provides the stadium’s Wi-Fi network connectivity and has brought in temporary Wi-Fi systems at events elsewhere, such as golf tournaments.

WHY DOES THE SUPER BOWL REQUIRE MORE INVESTMENT AND EQUIPMENT?

PEOPLE are expected to use more data than the 6.4 terabytes at last year’s Super Bowl.

Last year’s number alone is more than double what’s typical for a San Francisco 49ers football game at Levi’s. A million visitors are expected in the San Francisco Bay Area, which Gartner analyst Bill Menezes says has traditionally been a hard area for cell companies to cover because of its hills.

YOUR PHONE ISN’T WORKING. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

“YOU hate to think of this, being the oldfashioned way,” says Menezes—but holding your phone high in the air and walking around could help you find a signal.

And texts will get through more readily than a phone call.

Menezes also recommends using apps put out by signaltesting companies like RootMetrics and OpenSignal.

They can show you where connectivity has been working better recently.

Paolini recommends going outside if you’re indoors, trying to find a Wi-Fi hot spot and holding off on sending photos and video.

WILL CELL PHONES WORK NORMALLY?

Olympics will go on IO DE JANEIRO Brazil’s sports minister said on Thursday that a cancellation of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of the outbreak of the Zika virus “is not in discussion.”

Sports Minister George Hilton issued a statement saying he “lamented material and opinions in the press” speculating that South America’s first games might be called off.

“The Brazilian government is fully committed to ensure that the 2016 Rio games take place in an atmosphere of security and tranquility,” Hilton wrote.

Brazil is the epicenter of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has called “an extraordinary event and public-health threat.”

Health officials are investigating

BusinessMirror

rowing venues, and deep cuts of almost 30 percent to keep a $2-billion operating budget in balance.

Only about half of the domestic tickets for the game have been sold, and organizers fear the Zika outbreak could scare off foreign tourists.

“The 2016 Rio games will take place with full attention to the health of the participants,” Hilton said.

Away from the games, Brazil is experiencing its deepest recession since the 1930s. Inflation is just over 10 percent, the Brazilian currency has lost 30 percent of its value in the last year against the dollar, and President Dilma Rousseff is fighting impeachment charges. AP

THAT’S the goal. But there are unknowns. For instance, mass use of newer live video-streaming apps like Twitter’s Periscope could clog the networks.

“If everybody was in Periscope at one time, at the exact same time, yeah, things wouldn’t move as quickly,” said John Guillaume, a vice president with Comcast Business. AP

CAROLINA Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart leads his group in drills during practice on Thursday. AP