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Saturday, April 21, 2018 Vol. 13 No. 189

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PHL’s stiff meat trade rule stays

By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

The National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), which recommended Administrative Orders 5 and 6, Series of 2012, is adamant the policy should remain in force despite continued pressure from Washington to scrap the “discriminatory” policy and align its regulations with international standards. “At the moment, yes,” NMIS Executive Director Ernesto S. Gonzalez told the BusinessMirror when asked whether the policies would remain despite such pressure. Gonzalez explained that, while he is open for a review of the policies, he’d opt to take a protectionist stand. “It is not a problem, we are open for review. But we have to control importation of frozen meat because we want to protect the local industry,” he said. “We have to protect also our local producers because imported meat is cheaper than locally produced one. The problem with the market is that we are constantly being pressured [by our trade partners].” NMIS’s AO 5 outlines the regulations on handling chilled meat, frozen meat and thawed meat in the domestic market. The agency’s AO 6, meanwhile, provides the guidelines on the handling of newly slaughtered meat in the market.

XPORTERS to the Philippines, particularly those from the US, would have to contend with Manila’s stringent rules for frozen meat products for now, as the government stood pat on its decision to continue implementing its present two-tier meathandling regime.

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Constant pressure

PESO exchange rates n US 52.0650

IN its 2018 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the US Trade Representative (USTR) raised anew its concerns with the country’s two-tiered meat-handling system for the fourth straight year. The USTR pointed out that under the present meat-handling regime tougher requirements are imposed on the sale of frozen meat, which are mostly imported, than on fresh meat, which came from

animals raised domestically. The two-tiered system, for the US, is discriminatory and must therefore be lifted. “The United States continues to press the Philippine government to remove unjustified requirements that treat frozen meat differently from fresh meat.” However, prior to the release of the said report, the Washington delegation to the World Trade Organization (WTO) already raised the matter during the Philippines’s fifth Trade Policy Review (TPR) on March 26. According to Washington’s statement during the TPR, which was obtained by the BusinessMirror, the US continues “to be very concerned about regulations that impose very rigorous requirements on certain kinds of meat that are primarily imported, but less stringent requirements on freshly slaughtered domestic meat.” “Such regulations are inconsistent with well-established science on food safety,” the statement read. In fact, this meat-handling issue is not new. Washington has been pressing Manila to align its meat-handling measures with international standards and stop discriminating frozen meat since 2011.

‘AO 22’

THE US bristled because of AO 22, Series of 2010. Issued by then-Agriculture chief Proceso J. Alcala, the order mandated the refrigeration of frozen meat products sold in the domestic market. Specifically, it orders frozen meat be placed in freezers with temperature not higher than 10 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, AO 22 stipulated that thawed meat products that are Continued on A2

$30-B Philippine stock rout draws domestic fund buying

S Philippine stocks tumbled to a one-year low on Thursday, some of the nation’s biggest money managers put cash to work, betting against the relentless selloff led by foreign investors that has wiped out over $30 billion in market value in about three months.

Fund managers at Bank of the Philippine Islands and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. added to holdings of domestic stocks, as the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) pushed its loss for the year to over 10 percent, the world’s worst performer. While conceding that the country’s rising inflation may not have peaked yet, the managers expect it to moderate later in the year and remain within the Central Bank’s target. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Erwin Balita, who bought stocks in the benchmark index for the funds he manages at Bank of the Philippine Islands, the nation’s second-biggest money manager. “The Philippines continues to be a growth story. Unless that changes, we will not take money off the table.” Stocks fell on Thursday as oil’s rise to the highest level since 2014 rattled a market hounded by rising inflation, Asia’s worst-performing currency, and lingering concerns that the Central Bank is out of step for holding off an inevitable interest rate increase. The PSEi closed at 7,682.24, with its valuation sinking to as low as 16 times estimated 12-month forward earnings, the lowest since December 2016. The gauge rose as much as 1.3 percent on Friday. Steven Ko, a trader at Rizal Commercial Banking, said he used the latest drop to add shares of conglomerates and property developers that he abstained from at the start of the year because of expensive valuations. His acquisitions included JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Ayala Land Inc., two of the top 10 decliners on the benchmark on Thursday. BPI’s Balita favors conglomerates, banks and property. Conglomerates are proxies on one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, while banks will gain from rising interest rates, he said. Overseas investors sold a net $51 million on Thursday, the most in four weeks, and bringing total withdrawals to over $860 million since the PSEi’s record high on January 29. The benchmark’s 15-percent slide in that span is one of the worst selloffs Rizal’s Ko has seen. “It’s a good time to cover our underweight positions,” said Ko, who pegs the market’s support at 7,350 to 7,500. “We could be near bottom as it seems that foreign investors who want out are close to completing their exit. Valuations are more reasonable now.” Bloomberg News

n japan 0.4849 n UK 73.3752 n HK 6.6343 n CHINA 8.2959 n singapore 39.7019 n australia 40.2358 n EU 64.2899 n SAUDI arabia 13.8837

Source: BSP (April 20, 2018 )

News

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A2 Saturday, April 21, 2018

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PHL’s stiff meat trade rule stays Continued from a1

sold in the retail markets should be “stored in refrigerated facilities and transported in vehicles that are able to maintain temperature not higher than 4 degrees Celsius.” Washington trade officials aggressively pushed for the amendment of the administrative order until it was repealed by the DA in 2012, by virtue of the issuance of AOs 5 and 6. One of the notable differences between AO 6 and AO 22 is the adjustments in the required temperature control in handling chilled, frozen and thawed meat products. This change was recommended by US meat exporters during the bilateral talks held by Washington and Manila. Under AO 6, chilled meat products sold to market should not be frozen and shall maintain a temperature not higher than 10 degrees Celsius, while frozen meat should be stored, held and sold at a temperature not higher than zero degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, AO 6 recommended a maximum temperature level of 5 degrees Celsius in handling thawed meat. However, despite the abovementioned changes, Washington continued to twist Manila’s arms to remove what it calls “discriminatory” guidelines in meat-handling regulations. In fact, AO 22 of 2010 and AO 6 of 2012 were used by the US as grounds to block the Philippines’ bid to extend the latter’s quantitative restriction on rice in 2012.

‘Bullying’

PORK Producers Federation of the Philippines (ProPork) is in opposition of Washington’s stance on the two-tier meat-handling system, arguing that “it has been our food culture that we sell our meat fresh and within the time

frame set by the NMIS.” “I do not agree with the US view. It’s been like that for the past century that we sell newly slaughtered meat on room temperature,” ProPork President Edwin G. Chen told the BusinessMirror. Under AO 5, newly slaughtered meat is not required to be refrigerated when sold in wet market as long as the product is sold within eight hours. Furthermore, the meat should not “show any loss in its fresh-like character in terms of color, odor and texture, and shall show no sign of spoilage,” during the prescribed time frame, according to AO 5. “Meat showing loss of original fresh-like character in less than eight hours shall be withdrawn from the sales area sooner,” Section 6.2.6 of AO 5 read. AO 5 also mandates that “meat unsold after 8 hours even if maintaining its fresh-like quality and showing no signs of spoilage cannot be further sold.” Chen said this kind of measure do not pose any food-safety issue, adding that “our forefathers have been doing this the past century.” “Let the West do what they want, we have a different culture, so let’s have a mutual respect. Do not impose on our people what they want—that is bullying already according to our President [Duterte],” he said. “We Filipinos like fresh warm meat. We do not like frozen meat.” Chen also argued that AO 6 is not discriminatory in nature as it “did not specifically target imported meat” and “also applies to local frozen meat.” Gonzalez echoed Chen’s sentiment that there is no food-safety issue in regard to the measures under AO 5, adding that newly slaughtered meat sold in the market are gone in just a few hours. “In just two hours’ time they will already be sold out,” Gonzalez

said. “And in two hours, the quality of newly slaughtered meat would not deteriorate easily.”

Science-based

HOWEVER, the Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) questioned AOs 5 and 6, arguing that the said rules and regulations have “no scientific bases,” which put the Philippines in a “bad light.” Citing the recommendation of Codex Code of Hygienic Practice for Meat (CAC/RCP 58-2005), Mita President Jesus C. Cham said newly slaughtered meat should be chilled “within two hours from slaughter.” “Then it must be kept to chilled within the prescribed shelf life. In this manner, bacterial growth is controlled,” Cham told the BusinessMirror. “Consumer gets a better product and does not have to overcook the meat. The result is better nutrition and less energy for cooking.” Cham called on the DA anew to scrap its discriminatory guidelines in handling frozen meat, adding that “their removal is long overdue.” “These discriminatory orders should never have been implemented in the first place,” he said. Cham said Mita is in view that “all meat, both domestic and imported, be placed under cold chain,” when sold in local markets. The CAC/RCP 58-2005 recommends that the temperature of newly slaughtered meat should be “reduced as rapidly as possible” to avert formation of bacteria that are detrimental to human health. However, it did not recommend specific temperature control, leaving such guideline to respective government policy-makers. “Particular attention needs to be paid to temperature control, with temperatures of freshly slaughtered and dressed carcasses and other edible parts being reduced as rapidly as possible to a

temperature that minimizes the growth of microorganisms or the formation of toxins that could constitute a risk to human health,” Section 9.7 of CAC/RCP 58-2005 reads. “It is also important that the cold chain is not interrupted except to the minimal extent necessary for practical operations, e.g., handling during transportation,” it added. The Mita chief said the implementation of AOs 5 and 6 have led to confiscation of frozen meat that is not placed under refrigeration despite no proven health issues of such handling. “The order allowed the NMIS and LGUs to confiscate meat that is not placed under refrigeration despite the fact that no health issues have been proven in any way,” Cham said. “The result was many vendors in the wet market could not fully engage in this business. Because there was less competition, and at the same time uncertainty and losses, naturally caused the vendor to raise the price, to the detriment of the consumer,” Cham added.

Defense

HOWEVER, Gonzalez said AOs 5 and 6 are based on science. “In fact, frozen meat [is] easier to be contaminated compared to fresh ones. If there’s improper thawing, then bacteria like salmonella would easily multiply,” he said. Alcala based the issuance of AOs 5 and 6 on recommendations by CAC/RCP 58-2005, which covers hygiene provisions from the time of live-animal production up to the point of retail sale. In fact, CAC/RCP 58-2005 in itself recognizes that “traditional practices may result in departures from some of the recommendations presented in the code when meat is produced.”

Furthermore, AO 5 read that “there is no standard for newly slaughtered meat held at ambient temperature a specified period of time at Codex.” “And considering that scientific information for the safe handling of this product is limited, current good practices that have given this product a historical record of safe consumption should determine the guidelines for its handling at meat markets, which the government should verify when feasible through scientific risk assessment,” Alcala said in AO 5. According to AO 6, the Codex “recommends guidelines for the adequacy of facilities and equipment for the chilling and/or freezing and storage of meat” but “does not have specific standards for chilled, frozen and thawed foods.” With the lack of such specific guidelines, AO 6 was based on existing regulations for “temperature control of frozen, thawed, and chilled foods and meat in certain developed countries,” such as US and Canada, according to Alcala. “The Philippines as a precautionary measure has decided to base its regulations for the handling of chilled, frozen and thawed meats on the regulations of these countries,” Alcala said in AO 6. The Codex Alimentarius, or commonly known as the food code, is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practices and guidelines on food safety. The Codex Alimentarius, which is a joint program by UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, serves as a guiding principle for countries’ policies on food products, food production and food safety. The food code has been established to create consumer trust on the safety and quality of the food products that they buy in the market.

Risk assessment

IN January 2013 the DA conducted a “Microbiological Risk Assessment of Newly Slaughtered and Frozen Meat in Philippine Wet Markets” to prove that AOs 5 and 6 are really based on science. The study found out that “thawed meat is not the same meat as newly slaughtered meat.” The study argued that “thawed meat provides a more conducive environment for pathogen growth,” as the former’s muscle fiber has “open structures created by freezing and thawing which strongly influence bacterial invasion.” “As shown above, AO 5 and AO 6 cannot be considered discriminatory as the two types of meat are not the same and as shown in this study, differ in their potential to support pathogen multiplication,” it read. The study also found out that “pathogens in newly slaughtered meat at the wet market reach the ‘level of concern’ at 10 to 12 hours from slaughter.” “This is why AO 5 requires that newly slaughtered meat be held in the wet market for eight hours,” it read. “The term ‘level of concern’ is indicative of the number of pathogens found to induce illness in volunteer feeding studies,” it added. Meanwhile, “pathogens in frozen meat multiply slowly at the start of thawing” and multiply even faster than those in newly slaughtered meat once completely thawed, according to the study. “Once meat is completely thawed, pathogens reach the ‘level of concern’ immediately, for Staph-

ylococcus aureus and shortly thereafter, for salmonella,” it said. “The above findings justify the requirement in AO 6 to hold frozen thawed meats at a maximum temperature of 5 degrees Celsius to prevent the rapid multiplication of pathogens on thawing,” it added. The study said the recommended temperature of 5 degrees Celsius is also the required thawing temperature in the US and Canada. “The provisions of AO 5 and AO 6 are based on what is practical and implementable in the country. The study validates the scientific basis used when these were established and further provides a quantitative microbiological interpretation of the requirements of the regulation,” the study concluded. “AO 5 and AO 6 are necessary to ensure that pathogens in meats are controlled while in the wet market to protect the consumer from health risks,” it added.

Refrigeration infra

ON the other hand, the debate on the country’s two-tiered meat-handling system opened up a bigger issue of the sector: a proper refrigeration infrastructure. Cham recommended that the removal of AOs 5 and 6 “should be coupled with another program to bring refrigeration infrastructure into the retail sector of the country, particularly into the wet market.” “This will bring modernization into the meat trade. Its establishment will prepare our country for greater participation in the global meat market,” he explained. The Mita chief said the establishment of this refrigeration infrastructure would kick-start by first allowing imported meat to be “merchandised under ambient conditions.” “Retailers must be incentivized to invest in cold chain, especially the LGU who owns and manages the wet market,” Cham said. “Once we reach a point where there are sufficient refrigeration in the marketplace, the NMIS can begin to make refrigeration mandatory,” Cham added. Cham added that “consumers must be educated on the benefits of keeping refrigeration as a method of preserving quality and safety not just of fresh meat but also of cooked food.” “It would be a phased implementation. First make refrigeration optional for all meat. Next, incentivize placing meat under refrigeration. All the while educating consumers on its benefits,” he said. The NMIS chief is cognizant of this problem and admitted that the country’s wet markets are “not ready” for a totally refrigerated environment. “The wet markets are not ready yet. For one, we have confiscated a lot of imported meat in wet markets because of improper handling,” Gonzalez said. “The right thing should be is that there are cold-storage facilities in markets so that thawing of forzen meat would be correct. But as of now, we are not really capable of such,” Gonzalez added. Gonzalez disclosed that one of the programs of the attached agency of the DA is to establish more refrigeration systems in wet markets across the country. “Actually we are doing something to improve our wet markets by putting freezers so that there would be proper handling of frozen meat,” he said. “We are working closely with local government units to improve wet markets and the establishment of cold-storage facilities,” he added.

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U.S. weighs emergency powers to curb China tech investments

HE Treasury Department is considering using an emergency law to curb Chinese investments in sensitive technologies, as the Trump administration looks to punish China for what it sees as violations of American intellectual-property rights. The US government is reviewing the possible use of a law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), said Heath Tarbert, an assistant secretary in the agency’s international affairs office. Under the 1977 IEEPA law, President Donald J. Trump could declare a national emergency in response to an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” allowing him to block transactions and seize assets. Trump is pushing his administration to crack down on what he considers unfair trade practices by China. He has threatened tariffs on as much as $150 billion in Chinese imports in response to intellectual-property theft and forced technology transfer. Beijing has retaliated by proposing tariffs on $50 billion of American goods, and pledging further action if necessary. The president asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to consider investment restrictions on Chinese firms after the administration released the results of its probe into China’s IP practices last month. Mnuchin has until around May 21 to propose executive action to address concerns about investments in the US “directed or facilitated by China in industries or technologies deemed important,” according to the March 22 presidential memo. While investors have so far focused on Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on Chinese imports, new restrictions could deepen a slowdown in Chinese investments in the US since Trump took office, hurting the ability of American companies to raise capital and holding down valuations. Acquisitions by Chinese firms in the US fell to $31.8 billion last year from $53 billion the year before, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The directive from Trump to consider investment restrictions deals only with China, Tarbert said. Treasury officials are working on plans to identify technology sectors in which Chinese companies would be banned from investing, such as semiconductors and so-called 5G wireless communications, according to four people with knowledge of the proposal, who described the matter on the condition of anonymity last month. China state-supported companies, such as Tsinghua Unigroup Co., have already had to back off plans to buy or invest in American technology companies. Yet, private-sector companies, led by Tencent Holdings Ltd., Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Baidu Inc., have been active in the US. Tencent has invested in more than 50 companies in the country in the last five years, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Those include artificial intelligence start-ups like ObEN Inc., biotech companies such as Locus Biosciences Inc. and satellite equipment developer Satellogic USA Inc. Treasury officials are also looking at ways to impose tougher conditions on Chinese firms using legislation that underlies the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which reviews transactions for national-security concerns. Bloomberg News

Saturday, April 21, 2018

IMF’s Lagarde urges countries to settle trade disputes, cut debt

ASHINGTON—The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is urging countries to work out their differences over trade and take advantage of a healthy world economy to reduce debt before the next downturn comes. IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde told reporters that “the near-term prospect for the global economy appears to be bright.” But clouds are already gathering: an intensifying standoff between the United States and China that threatens to flare up into the biggest trade conflagration since World War II. Record levels of global debt. Financial markets that are volatile—and vulnerable to an unexpectedly steep uptick in interest rates.

For now, the world economy appears to be nestled in a good place: The IMF forecasts a 3.9-percent growth this year and next, the fastest since 2011, thanks to increasing investment and trade. And most of the world is sharing in the prosperity, making this the broadest economic expansion in a decade. Lagarde warned against complacency: “More needs to be done to sustain this upswing and foster long-term growth.” Her comments came at the

opening of the spring meetings of the 189-nation IMF and its sister lending organization, the World Bank. The three days of talks will also include discussions among the Group of 20 major economies, which account for more than 80 percent of global economic output. The United States is being represented by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Mnuchin insisted last Thursday that the administration’s imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and its consideration of penalty tariffs on up to $150 billion of Chinese imports were part of a strateg y to level the play ing field on trade and reduce A merica’s huge trade deficits w ith China and other nations. “Our objective with China is to have free and fair and reciprocal trade,” Mnuchin said in an interview with the Fox Business Network.

Lagarde called for talks to ease tensions. Paraphrasing former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, she said: “It is better to jaw jaw than to war war.” She cautioned that there would be considerable collateral damage in a US-China trade war. “The world is so interconnected,” she said. “The supply chains are involving so many different countries, regional, intraregional, interregional, that it would affect the global economy.” R ising debt levels are also c loud ing t he globa l out look. Worldwide debt has reached a record $164 trillion, Lagarde said, and advanced economies are carrying the biggest government debt burdens in decades. Lagarde praised the United States for last year cutting its corporate tax rate, one of the world’s highest and long seen as a competitive liability for corporate America. But she advised Washington to take advantage of good times to find ways to narrow the

gap between federal spending and federal tax collections. By reducing debt now, she said, countries would have more room to ramp up spending or cut taxes to combat the next recession. The IMF chief also expressed w o r r i e s a b o ut t h e f r a g i l it y of f i n a nc i a l m a rk e t s. Sto c k pr ices are high. Markets have been volati le, par t ly because i nvestors a re rat t led by t he prospect of a US - China trade war. A nd t he Federa l Reser ve is stead i ly ratc het ing up US interest rates f rom t he record low levels where it kept t hem for most of t he decade since t he 2008 f inancia l cr isis. While the Fed has been raising rates at a gradual pace, Lagarde expressed concern about the consequences if the Fed had to accelerate the pace of its rate hikes. A rapid succession of rate hikes could push down stock prices and potentially hurt developing countries that have come to rely on foreign investment, she said. AP

Australia has right to sail in South China Sea–Turnbull

A NBER R A , Austra lia— Australia’s prime minister said the Australian navy has a “perfect right” to traverse the South China Sea after a media report on Friday that the Chinese navy had challenged three Australian warships in the hotly contested waterway. The Chinese “challenged” two Australian frigates and an oil replenishment ship this month as the Australian ships were sailing to Vietnam, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported, citing anonymous defense officials. It is not clear what took place during the encounter while China was conducting its largest ever naval exercises in the region. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not comment on the specific incident when questioned by reporters in London. “We maintain and practice the right of freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the world and, in this context, we’re talking about naval vessels on the world’s oceans, including the South China Sea, as is our perfect right in accordance with international law,” Turnbull said. The Defense Department said it did not provide operational details related to ships transiting the South China Sea. But the department confirmed the three warships had arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

In this April 19 photo, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba is docked at Saigon port in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was one of the three Australian Navy ships to make a four-day port call in Vietnam. AP

They are making a three-day goodwill visit to Vietnam. Neil James, executive director of the Australian Defense Association, a security policy think tank, said the first aspect of such a challenge was usually a radio warning that the Australians were in Chinese territorial waters and

a demand for identification. The Australians would have replied that they were in international waters. The next levels of challenge involve sending an aircraft and ship to investigate. “It just escalates. Eventually if they’re in your territorial waters

and they’re not meant to be there, you might fire a shot across their bows—but no one has done that for years, apart from the North Koreans,” James said. China claims v irtually the entire South China Sea and has built several islands to bolster its position in the waterway where

other governments have competing claims and which is one of the world’s busiest sea-lanes. Australia has resisted pressure from the United States, its most important defense ally, in challenging the Chinese territorial zones, which are not recognized by international law. AP

The World BusinessMirror

Saturday, April 21, 2018

The rich are betting they can buy their way to a longer life

ONEY might not buy love, but it can buy better health. And, to live as long as possible, the world’s wealthy are willing to pay up.

Over the past few decades, the average person’s lifespan has risen almost everywhere in the world. In China, the US and most of Eastern Europe, the average life expectancy at birth has reached the late 1970s, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). People in Western Europe and Japan, meanwhile, can expect to live into their early 1880s. Most rich people, however, are counting on living even longer—a lot longer, as in two decades more than average. In a new UBS Financial Services survey, 53 percent of wealthy investors said they expected to live to 100. Hitting triple digits won’t be easy, but it’s not as outlandish as it used to be. The average Japanese woman now has a life expectancy of 87, OECD data show, compared with 81 years for men. And many studies have shown

that the wealthy have a built-in longevity advantage. In the US, for example, the richest 1 percent of American women by income live more than 10 years longer than the poorest 1 percent, a 2016 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found. For men, the gap between the richest and poorest Americans is almost 15 years. The rich also seem to know that living to 100 is a pricey pros p e c t , one t h at re qu i re s more spending on health care, better food, exercise and other services that can lengthen life. A lso, you have to keep paying for everything that comes from hanging around additional decades. In the UBS survey, which focused on people with more than $1 million in investable assets, 91 percent said they’re “making financial changes due to increased life expectancy.”

Even the wealthy worry about r ising hea lt h-care costs, t he survey suggests. The rich are more than willing to sacrifice money for extra longevity. Nine of 10 wealthy people agreed that “health is more important than wealth.” Asked by UBS how much of their fortune they’d be willing to give up “to guarantee an extra 10 years of healthy life,” the average responses varied by wealth level. Investors who are barely millionaires, with $1 million to $2 million in net worth, were willing to give up a third of their nest egg for an additional decade of life. Investors with more than $50 million were willing to part with almost half of their fortune. The world’s trend toward longer life has featured an exception in recent years—the US The life expectancy of Americans has declined for two years in a row, an anomaly that can be blamed in part on the country’s opioid abuse crisis. But even before US lifespans started slipping because of drug use, health and longevity statistics significantly lagged those of other wealthy countries in Western Europe and Asia. Perhaps it’s not surprising, then, that rich Americans surveyed by UBS had different attitudes

from the wealthy elsewhere in the world—they were more pessimistic about making it to age 100. Just 30 percent of the American rich expect to hit the century mark. While they were the most worried about rising health-care costs, they were the least likely to be adjusting their finances for the prospect of living longer. If rich Americans aren’t planning for the extra costs of longevity, they could be making a mistake. Studies show that the wealthy in the US are increasingly insulated from the depressing health trends afflicting most Americans. A 2016 study by University of California at Berkeley professors Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman compared the death rates for American men aged 65 to 79 across several decades by wealth. If these men’s wealth placed them in the top 1 percent, their mortality rates in the early 1980s were 12 percent lower than average. Twenty-five years later, the wealthiest American men’s death rates had plunged to 40 percent below average. Rising inequality is about more than just a widening gap in wealth and income. The richest Americans are also living much longer, healthier lives than everyone else. Bloomberg News

Editor: Lyn Ressureccion | www.businessmirror.com.ph

Philip Morris’s next challenge: Getting grandpa stoked to vape

FTER its stock fell the most in a decade on Thursday, Philip Mor r is Inter national Inc.’s challenge is to convince baby boomers to switch from cigarette smoking to a distinctly millennial activity—fiddling with high-tech, smokeless gadgets. The tobacco giant spent $4.5 billion developing devices it says deliver fewer chemicals and potentially more profits. One of them, called the iQos, is big in Japan, with a 16 percent share of the country’s tobacco market. But 40 percent of Japanese adult smokers are age 50 and older, and they’ve been more leisurely about changing habits. Sales growth slowed in the first quarter and company revenue fell shy of estimates. Shares tumbled 15.6 percent. “Now we’re obviously going to adjust our plans,” Chief Financial Officer Martin King said on a Wednesday call with analysts. “We’re now reaching different socioeconomic strata with more conservative adult smokers who may have slightly slower patterns of adoption.” Translation: It won’t be easy to wean Grandpa and Grandma from a habit they’ve had for decades in favor of a device that heats a tobacco plug without setting it on fire.

New products

TOBACCO companies have all turned to new, mostly millennialfriendly products for growth as health concerns drive consumers away. IQos is one of four “platforms” that Philip Morris has

developed to modify the risk of ingesting nicotine. The company has been seen as a leader in the race to find better-for-you alternatives. It has been released iQos in 38 markets. Chief Executive Officer Andre Calantzopoulos said he sees a future where all 1 billion smokers in the world have switched to those higher-tech products. The dependence on gadgets means slowing growth, which is a frightening prospect for Big Tobacco. The over-50 crowd is a big category for the industry. In the US 18 percent of adults between the ages of 45 and 64 and 8.8 percent of adults 65 and older smoked as of 2016, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If iQos can’t appeal to those groups, that could mean trouble for Philip Morris’s US-based sister, Altria Group Inc. Shares of the Richmond, Virginiabased company fell 6 percent on Thursday. Altria plans to sell iQos in the US under a licensing agreement, if the device receives approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The company announces quarterly earnings April 26. Still, it’s not all bad news for Philip Morris, according to Wells Fargo & Co. analyst Bonnie Herzog. IQos sales are still growing and the company has three more “platforms” that may prove more appealing to baby boomers. At the very least, there’s more opportunity for geographic expansion, she said. Bloomberg News

Nintendo’s $30-B rally now depends on cardboard pianos N INTENDO Co. got its start in 1889 as a successful manufacturer of hanafuda—Japanese playing cards made out of stiff paper. Now the game maker is embracing the same materials for its next trick. T he Kyoto -based compa ny starts selling on Friday an unusual collection of attachments for its hybrid Switch tablet-console: cardboard add-ons called Nintendo Labo. Priced at $70 and $80, the build-it-yourself cardboard kits, with accompanying software, will let users transform the Switch into a miniature piano, motorcycle handlebars, robot exoskeleton and other objects. T he goa l: broaden i ng t he Switch’s appeal beyond the core gamers who fueled an estimated 17 million in first-year unit sales. Players younger than 16 accounted for just 10 percent of Switch users last year, according to Nintendo. Tatsumi Kimishima, Nintendo’s president, likes to hint that Switch is on track to meet or surpass the top-selling Wii, a device that also embraced physical gameplay. Labo underscores Nintendo’s desire for the Switch to evolve into a more

versatile entertainment device, and will most likely be just the first of many such initiatives. “Switch was loved by Nintendo’s core users because the company brought out all of its strongest characters in the first year,” said Kazunori Ito, an analyst at Morningstar Investment Services in Tokyo. “But the second year will be getting more people to try it out. That’s the second act for Switch.”

Optimism

SO far, there’s a lot of optimism surrounding Nintendo Labo’s debut. The shares of cardboard m a ker Ohmu ra Sh ig yo Co. jumped more than fourfold in January after several blogs speculated it was the manufacturer behind Labo. Bloomberg reported last week that Osaka-based Rengo Co. is a key supplier for the cardboard gadget, fueling a brief rally in the company’s shares. Still, that optimism hasn’t been ref lected in Nintendo’s shares, which have underperformed the Nikkei 225 Index by 10 percent in the past month. Nintendo’s stock was up 2.8 percent during morning trading on Friday.

“Nintendo shares aren’t currently pricing in that Labo will be a huge hit,” said Makoto Kikuchi, chief executive officer of Myojo Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. “If we start to see indications that it’s selling well, we could see the stock move up a level.” Also at stake: the $30-billion rise in Nintendo since the Switch debuted a year ago. First-year Labo sales are projected to be 3.4 million to 10 million units, according to four estimates compiled by Bloomberg, with adoption rates per console seen at 8 percent to 30 percent. David Gibson, a Tokyo-based analyst for Macquarie Securities, estimates gross profit from Labo at about ¥4 billion ($37 million) for the period. To achieve its goals, Nintendo is going to have to win over parents like Junko Suzuki, who say that Labo doesn’t seem to offer enough, given the price for what is essentially a collection of highly customized cardboard boxes. “ There’s just a feeling that something’s lacking for the gamers,” said Suzuki, mother of two boys aged 10 and 14. She says her kids regularly play the Switch they

own, but haven’t shown any interest in Labo. “Visually there’s just not enough to draw them in.”

Adoption

ADOPTION of the Switch among those under 16 has been slow, partly because of its price. At around $300, the hybrid device costs about double Nintendo’s 3DS console. Some analysts have also pointed out the Switch is too big to be comfortably used by children, an issue that Labo may help address. And the software lineup to date has focused more on games such as “Super Mario”, “Zelda” and “Splatoon 2”—titles that are more popular with die-hard gamers. Atul Goyal, an analyst at Jefferies, says that Labo should be considered the start of a new sales phase for Nintendo. “This is the beginning of targeting the youth market,” he said. “It’s a turn from the core gamers to the kids. I think it will be a lot like Lego bricks. Kids will enjoy building it.” Reviews were largely positive, with The Verge praising the Laboi’s educational potential, saying the “creative element is where the real power of Labo lies.” Cnet

praised its “incredible cardboard designs.” Anticipating users who might damage their cardboard, Nintendo said on Friday that it will sell replacement parts. Should Labo prove popular or durable enough, it could open the way for more cardboard products. Nintendo is already developing additional Labo accessories, according to a company spokesman. A product video in January showed iterations that weren’t mentioned on the official web site or press releases, including a steering wheel, a gas pedal, a camera and a gunlike controller. “It’s something the kids will love,” Myojo’s Kikuchi said. “My impression is positive.”

Accessories

THE cardboard approach may also make sense for experimenting with virtual or augmented reality accessories. In 2016, Nintendo filed a patent application for a VR headset that featured a design similar to Google’s own cardboard-based headset, where a Switch-like display screen is slid into a paper visor. Nintendo’s close partner Pokemon Co. sees

AR playing a big role in future games, its CEO told Bloomberg in August. Apart from Labo, it’s clear that Nintendo sees the Switch as the foundation for a variety of gaming experiences. Last week, the wwcompany also introduced a program to nurture outside developers who can find new ways to play or use the Switch. In a recent patent application, Nintendo outlined a system that would link the screens of several consoles together to form a single, large playing area, a plan first reported by several gaming websites. “Nintendo Labo is a product intended to broaden the possibilities of Nintendo Switch,” Kimishima said at a briefing in February. “We hope to develop Nintendo Labo into a product that is not bound by the conventional boundaries of video games, and that endears itself to an even broader range of consumers.” If he gets it right, the Switch could become Nintendo’s most successful device. In terms of longevity though, it will be hard to beat hanafuda playing cards, which the company still makes to this day. Bloomberg News

Sports BusinessMirror

Editor: Jun Lomibao | mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph

Superliga semifinals action go fever-pitch on Tuesday

OP volleyball action intensifies as the bestof-three semifinals series of the Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix fire off on Tuesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Reigning champion F2 Logistics clashes with Foton, while Petron battles Cocolife in an explosive double-header of the women’s club tournament bankrolled by Isuzu and UCPB Gen, with ESPN5 as official broadcast partner. The Cargo Movers and Blaze Spikers are marching into the series with a slight advantage. After clashing in a memorable finals showdown last year, F2 Logistics and Petron topped the classification round with a 9-1 win-loss record, making them favorites in the tournament that has Senoh, Mikasa, Grand Sport, LGR and Asics as technical partners. The Cargo Movers had an easy time dominating Smart, and Petron clobbered Generika-Ayala to march into the semifinals oozing with confidence. But the semifinals will be entirely different battles. Foton is tipped to give F2 Logistics a hard time as it parades two promising collegiate players, Diana Mae Carlos and Isa Molde, while its new import Channon Thompson is starting to develop chemistry with mainstays Dindin Manabat, CJ Rosario, Maika Ortiz, Gyselle Sy and Canadian reinforcement Elizabeth Wendel. There’s also a good chance for former Most Valuable Player Santiago to suit up pending the result of the Final Four battle between National University and De La Salle University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). “Although we want her team [NU] to make it all the way to the UAAP finals, having Jaja back in the team will still be a big boost to us,” Foton Head Coach Rommel Abella said. Abella added that F2 Logistics is a strong team and the semifinals would no longer be a match of talent or strategy, but of desire and character. “We should want it more than them,” he said. “F2 Logistics is very strong and disciplined. But, of course, it still has some lapses. And we should be ready to pounce on those lapses.” Cocolife is also serious in making its first finals appearance. Head Coach Moro Branislav said new import Marta Drpa is already getting familiar with the Filipino brand of volleyball and could be a big help to key players like Royse Tubino, Tina Salak, Denden Lazaro and fellow Serbian Sara Klisura. In their previous match against Cignal, Drpa displayed versatility as she delivered 11 digs and four blocks on top of 15 kills to finish with 19 points to tow the Asset Managers to the semifinals. “She is coming along very well. I’m sure she will be ready for the semifinals contra Petron,” said Branislav, admitting that the Blaze Spikers have the most fluid roster in the tournament. “Petron is the best team this season. I must admit that. But it still lost a match. It still has some flaws. We have to put our best foot forward to expose those flaws and convert it to a victory in the semifinals.”

Saturday, April 21, 2018

FEU EYES TWIN KILL BERNADETH PONS has her hands full as the Lady Tamaraws try to kick the Lady Eagles away from the finals picture.

AR Eastern University (FEU) goes for two Final Four victories that would shatter Ateneo’s dreams in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) volleyball action today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Lady Tamaraws, seeded second with a 10-4 winloss record, clash with the No. 3 Lady Eagles in the day’s main game at 4 p.m. At 2 p.m., the men take center stage with the Tamaraws, like their female counterparts, holding a twice-to-beat advantage for finishing second after the eliminations with 10 wins and two losses. The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, were in unfamiliar territory at No. 3 with an 11-3 card. “FEU is known for being a champion and we

want to bring that reputation back,” said FEU men’s coach Rey Diaz, who is seeking to end a six-year title drought for the school and deliver a 26th men’s title to Morayta. A victory by FEU would prevent Ateneo from setting up a finals showdown against National University (NU) for a fourth straight season. For the Lady Tamaraws, beating the Lady Eagles today would also throw another AteneoDe La Salle

championship duel out the window. Lady Tamaraws Coach George Pascua said it is time for her wards—led by graduating spiker Bernadeth Pons— to return to the grand stage and shoot for the school’s 30th title—thus ending a 10-year title drought. “Before, UAAP women’s volleyball belonged to FEU or UST [University of Santo Tomas]. We want to bring the title back to our school,” Pascua said. “The pressure is on us because this is our nearest to getting our 30th title— and we are the hosts this season.” The Lady Eagles, finalists in the past six seasons with two titles, are in unfamiliar territory. The last time they were underdogs was in Season 76 with then Alyssa Valdez leading the charge from Katipunan. Ateneo lost their last two matches to University of the Philippines and reigning backto-back champion De La Salle and finished with a 9-5 record. Team captain Maddie Madayag said they have to regroup and get their

12TH FILOIL PREMIER CUP UNDER WAY T

By Rick Olivares

HE 12th season of the Filoil Flying V Premier Cup opens with an explosive twin bill today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. Rebuilding De La Salle and hungry and talented University of the Philippines (UP) collide at 4:30 p.m., while defending University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion Ateneo de Manila battles the Gilas Cadets at 6:30 p.m. The Green Archers will be mentored by Louie Gonzales, who served as one of the assistants to Aldin Ayo at De La Salle and Letran over the past three seasons. Gonzales will lean on holdovers from La Salle’s Season 79 champion team Aljun Melecio, Kib Montalbo, Andrei Caracut, Leonard Santillan and Justine Baltazar. UP, meanwhile, will finally unleash Nigerian center Bright Akhuetie and former Adamson University star JD Tungcab. “I have been excited about this move, and we all know that the Filoil tournament is the top pre-season tournament,” Akhuetie said. “All eyes, the fans and the media included, will be on this tournament. I think it begins here, our pursuit of a championship.” The veteran Fighting Maroons team of Coach Bo Perasol will feature Paul Desiderio, Jun Manzo, Jarrell Lim, Diego Dario and Gelo Vito for one last run, while their young bumper crop of talent includes Javi and Juan

Gomez De Liaño, former Mapua star Will Gozum, Fil-Am David Murrell and FilCanadian Evyn Santiago. Ateneo, meanwhile, will be fielding a deep and loaded team that Head Coach Tab Baldwin will have to sort out for its depth and talent. While the Blue Eagles have lost Chibueze Ikeh, Vince Tolentino and Kris Porter to eligibility or graduation, the holdovers from the Season 80 champion squad include Thirdy Ravena, Matt and Mike Nieto, Anton Asistio, Isaac Go, Raffy Verano, Jolo Mendoza, Aaron Black, Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio, Troy Mallilin, BJ Andrade and Jawuan White. It won’t be smooth sailing for Ateneo as the Blue Eagles go up against the all-star Gilas Cadets who are expected to compete in lieu of the Philippine Basketball Association players for international competitions. Among the players expected to play for Head Coach Jong Uichico are the returning Kobe Paras, former La Salle stars Abu Tratter and brothers Prince and Ricci Rivero, former Ateneo Blue Eagle Vince Tolentino and ex-National University gunner JJ Alejandro. Other players from school-based teams, such as FEU’s Arvin Tolentino and Ken Tuffin, UP’s Paul Desiderio and Will Gozum, and San Beda’s Robert Bolick will suit up for the nationals when their

focus back if they wanted to get back to the finals. “We’re hoping that we can play like the Ateneo team in Season 76. We’re not going to be complacent because FEU is strong and it’s peaking,” Madayag said. Ateneo Coach Tai Bundit hopes that Madayag, Bea de leon, Jho Maraguinot, Kat Tolentino and setter Deanna Wong would neutralize Pons, Toni Rose Basas, Celine Domingo, Heather Guino-o and playmaker Kyle Negrito for them to force a decider on Wednesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. The three-times champions Blue Eagles are not expected to back down easily, with Coach Oliver Almadro stressing graduating stars Marck Espejo and Ish Polvorosa will not let their team down. “How will we do it? Double our effort,” said Almadro, whose wards found themselves at No. 3 after losing to NU, 23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 19-25, in their last elimination match. The other half of the semifinals will be played tomorrow with the men’s No. 1 facing No. 4 UST at 2 p.m. and top-notcher De La Salle tangling with fourth seed NU at 4 p.m. Both matches will also be played at the MOA Arena. Lance Agcaoili

Neymar Jr.’s nationals on

KIB MONTALBO will have to play a major role for the Green Archers.

respective school teams aren’t competing. Ateneo, La Salle, UP and the Gilas Cadets are in Group A along with Mapua, Emilio Aguinaldo College, San Beda, University of Perpetual Help, National University and University of the East. The opening ceremony is set at 4 p.m. The openingday matches will be shown on ESPN5 and AksyonTV. Tickets to the games will also be available at the gate of the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

EYMAR JR.’S Five returned to the Philippines for two consecutive weekends in Manila and Cebu with 16 teams advancing to the National Finals today at the Turf BGC in Taguig. Making up the Manila Qualifier A roster are French Kiss FC, International Manila, Tenth Power, Naij FC, The Tenth Power B, Realcelona, Tala Cu Chi and Perspolise. The Manila Qualifier B teams of the event backed by Red Bull were Koora, Selecao, ABCDE FC, Ballers FC, National FC, Brazilipinas and Tondo FC. Leylam FC A represents the Cebu Qualifier (Liga 5v5). Neymar Jr.’s Five is a global phenomenon and is the Brazilian forward’s signature tournament. Every year the event brings together players from all over the world to celebrate their love for the sport in a fast, technical and fun competition. Each match lasts for 10 minutes. There are no goalkeepers and the moment a team scores, the opposition loses a player. Perspolise was the big winner from Qualifier A at Blue Pitch at the Circuit Makati. The team included captain Hamed Hajimahdi, a member of the Iran international football team. Qualifier A also saw the return of Realcelona’s Martin Sarmiento, who played with Legion FC last year. Sparta PH hosted the Qualifier B with Tondo FC again emerging a winner. The Cebu Qualifier C was played at the Guiseppe Football Club with 10 teams, led by eventual national finalist Leylam FC-A, participating. This year’s edition also showcased female participants that included French Kiss FC’s Jennifer Cornelio, and Asians on the Loose’s Aliah Reonal and Niveen McEvoy.

Dishwasher conquers Everest to champion women’s cause By Pat Eaton-Robb

MOUNTAIN climber Lhakpa Sherpa prepares to start her shift as a dishwasher at the Whole Foods Market in West Hartford, Connecticut. AP

The Associated Press

EST HARTFORD, Connecticut—Between raising two daughters and working as a dishwasher at Whole Foods, Lhakpa Sherpa just doesn’t have time for training to climb Mount Everest. Even so, she has done it a record eight times—and hopes to outdo herself yet again. The 44-year-old native of Nepal holds the world record for summits of Everest by a woman and plans to return this month for what has become an annual expedition to the top of the world. “My body knows that I have already been this high. It’s like a computer. It figures it out very quickly. My body knows the high altitude. It remembers.” Lhakpa Sherpa is recognized by the Guinness World Records and is well known in mountaineering circles, but she spends most of the year living a modest life in obscurity in Connecticut, where she moved with her now ex-husband, another well-known climber, in 2002.

She gets up most days at 6 a.m. to walk her two daughters, 16-year-old Sunny and 11-year-old Shiny, to school. Then, because she does not know how to drive, often walks the 2 miles to her job, where she washes dishes in the prepared foods section and takes out the garbage. “You would never know she hiked Everest unless you knew her and talked to her about it,” says Dan Furtado, the manager who hired Lhakpa at Whole Foods. “She’s the most humble person I know, and her work ethic is astounding.” Lhakpa says that she would have liked to be a doctor or an airplane pilot, but that as a girl growing up in the Sherpa ethnic community with her four brothers and seven sisters, she wasn’t allowed to attend school. Without a formal education, she has taken jobs in Connecticut cleaning houses, as a clerk at a local convenience store and as a dishwasher to give her daughters and now-grown son a chance at a better life in the United States, she said. “My rent is expensive here,” she says, “but this is where the best schools are.”

Lhakpa said she is used to overcoming adversity. Sherpa girls were discouraged from climbing, but she was a tomboy and would not be deterred from helping the men in her family, serving as a porter to bring gear to Everest base camps. Becoming a climber was harder, she said, especially after the first Nepali woman to reach the summit, Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, died on her way down the mountain in 1993. Lhakpa Sherpa joined an expedition of five women in 2000 who convinced the government to give them a permit. She was the first Nepali woman to reach the summit and return alive. The record for successful climbs to the top of Everest is 21, shared by three Sherpa men who worked as mountain guides. Two have retired from climbing, but the third, Kami Rita, told The Associated Press in Kathmandu recently he was heading to Everest to attempt his 22nd climb. Anne Parmenter, a field hockey coach at Trinity College in Hartford, climbed with Lhakpa on an ill-fated Everest expedition in 2004. There were serious issues with that climb, including a physical confrontation between Lhakpa and her husband at the time that left Lhakpa unconscious.

A6 Saturday, April 21, 2018 | Editor: Mike Besa

The Acacia Lakeview Course at

An exciting start to the second quarter By Josh Burack | Asian Tour CEO

he second quarter of 2018 is officially here, with the Masters Tournament in early April followed by our East Asia stretch of tournaments with events in Japan, China and Korea back to back. During the quieter month of March, I appeared as a guest on MoneyFM, a radio station in Singapore, for a live interview that focused on the business of professional sport. I used the opportunity to share our plans for the Asian Tour and the steady growth that we experienced in 2017. In March I also attended the Sportel Asia conference, where I met with many of our Asian Tour broadcast partners, including CCTV, Astro Malaysia, StarHub Singapore, Sportcast Taiwan, JTBC Korea, PCCW Hong Kong together with our partners from IMG. On a different type of media front, we will be embarking on the next phase of our #whereitsAT campaign. This time we will be focusing on the up and coming players of the Asian Tour. Gavin Green, Shubhankar Sharma, Bowen Xiao and Daisuke Kataoka are a handful of the players that will be featured in the campaign that is scheduled to be launched later this year. The Volvo China Open, which will be under way from April 26 to 29 at the Topwin Golf and Country Club in Beijing, is tri-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, China Golf Association and the European Tour. This is the first time the event is featured on our schedule since 2008! The field will comprise of at least 30 stars from the Asian

Tour, including in-form players Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Shubhankar Sharma. The duo has achieved tremendous success over the past few weeks and we are confident that they will do well at China’s National Open. Thailand’s Kiradech had an amazing run at the two previous World Golf Championships events that were played by the world’s best golfers. He finished tied-fifth at the WGC-Mexico Championship and reached the quarterfinals at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play before losing to the eventual champion, Bubba Watson. Our 2013 Order of Merit champion already has a victory under his belt this year, having won the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth in February. India’s rising superstar Sharma also has an equally impressive lead up to the Volvo China Open. He currently tops the Habitat for Humanity Standings after winning the Maybank Championship, grabbed the 54-hole lead before settling for tied-ninth at the WGC-Mexico Championship and broke the course record with a sizzling 64 at the Hero Indian Open enroute to a tied-seventh finish. We wish them and our Asian Tour players all the very best in the upcoming tournaments. And, as always, we would like to thank you for your continued support of the Asian Tour.

A great course for rest and r The seventh hole on the Lakeview course is a beautiful par 5

Best regards, Josh #whereitsAT

MoneyFM hosts Elliott Danker, Yasmin Yonkers, Asian Tour Director of Communications Cheow Eng Ong and Asian Tour CEO Josh Burack.

Cobra F8 Driver

At par with the big boys

y virtue of sheer volume and quality of advertising and promoting their products, it’s usually difficult to look past the golf mega-manufacturers. Fortunately for the next-tier companies like Cobra Golf et al., many golfers march to their own beats and are the first to look beyond the big boys for alternative products that provide similar or superior performance to the TaylorMades and Callaways that hog public consciousness. Cobra has always been a little different and yet their drivers perform as well as any currently on the market. This year they’ve hit on something that is truly unique—the forged driver face. The technology on display in the F8 and F8+ make them two of the most compelling drivers of 2018. For this review, we were provided a Cobra F8 driver with the OE global spec Aldila NV in stiff flex. Golfers with higher swing speeds that require a lower spinning head should opt for the F8+, but for the greater part of the recreational golf market, the F8 is the better driver. The F8 driver continues to feature Cobra’s MyFly8 adjustability. The F8 is adjustable from 9° to 12° (draw settings at 9.5°, 10.5°, 11.5°). The CG is adjustable, though it’s notable that Cobra has shifted from the F7’s 3-weight design to a new 2-weight system. The most significant feature of the F8 driver is the industry’s first 100-percent CNC milled face. By using a 100-percent milled face, Cobra is able to eliminate the hand polishing necessary to remove the outer face welds. Because milling can be done to much tighter tolerances that what you can achieve with humans, Cobra can design closer to the limits prescribed by the USGA and R&A. The company isn’t claiming every head is at the limit, but it’s saying it can get closer, more consistently than its competitors. More visible technology stares right back at you at address. In the quest for ultimate performance, equipment manufacturers have added aerodynamic packages to all their drivers. Cobra calls theirs Aero Trips. These are designed to keep airflow close to the head and reduce turbulent wake (drag) leading into impact. What differentiates Cobra’s offering from its competitors’ is that instead of using the same material used in the crown (titanium or carbon fiber), its drag reducing features are made from a polymer that’s 90 percent lighter than titanium. The weight savings mean that the aerodynamic features don’t raise the center of gravity in any appreciable way, which helps Cobra keep comparatively more weight low in the head.

Cobra has also refined the shape of the hosel transition area to reduce drag during the part of the downswing where face isn’t square. Finally, Cobra has added titanium Aero Trips to the sole, as well something not done by the competition. As it did in 2017, Cobra will include Arccos/Cobra Connect sensors with every driver. It would have been interesting to put the system through its paces, but we didn’t have the F8 long enough for a meaningful test. Personally, I really like the new Nardo gray color that is available on the F8. Unlike the F7 before it, only black and the Nardo gray are the only options, making the cosmetics more somber this year. Perhaps, it’s Cobra’s way of announcing to the golf world that the F8 line means business. The Cobra F8 proved to be very easy to hit. It didn’t hit it as far as my custom-fit gamer, but it was certainly in the ball park. With a properly fitted shaft, it’s as good a driver as any. It’s easy to hit and it sends the ball a good way down the fairway. The stock Aldila NV felt quite stout on dry swings but was endowed with a fair bit of torque to make the F8 driver as easy to hit as possible. It should be just fine for the greater golfing population. One thing that we did notice was how light the head felt. It didn’t seem to hurt performance in the least, but it could be off-putting to some. Another thing we noticed was that the face felt a bit hard at impact. Again, it didn’t seem to hurt the way the club performed but it was something we noticed in the course of testing. Of course, your mileage might vary. The Cobra F8 is a real player this year. Its technologies are well conceived and executed and the driver performs as advertised. With some tweaking it’s a club that will discharge its duties with aplomb and capability. And it will allow you to stand out in a crowd of TaylorMades and Callaways. The Cobra F8 driver and the rest of the line of Cobra Golf products is available at the Srixon Proshops in Commerce Center in Alabang, at Villamor Golf Club and at the Army Golf Club in Fort Bonifacio. Mike Besa

The milled face of the new Cobra F8

Story & photos by Mike Besa

couple of issues ago, we visited the newly minted Mimosa+ Leisure City. We marveled at the changes that Fininvest Land was making to the complex and lauded the management team there, led by General Manager Patrick Beck and Golf Director Erwin Vinluan, for bringing the Mountain course and, indeed, the Acacia Lakeview Course as well, back to playability. The club has added Andy Manson, an English superintendent to the brain trust running the club. Good things are happening there under the watch of these gentlemen and we expect yet more good things to come. When a golf club as a golf course as tough as the Mountainview Course at Mimosa+, a second, slightly friendlier golf course is a must to keep the patrons happy. The Acacia Lakeview Course is the yin to the Mountain View’s yang; it is the golf course that people play when they’re not hell-bent on challenging themselves and their golf game. It’s the golf course that they play to enjoy the day with family or friends. It isn’t a pushover by any means, but it is a golf course that won’t punish you unnecessarily. It’s significantly shorter than its sibling but makes up for it in beauty and playability. It’s far more accessible to the greater percentage of the golf population. If you’re playing well, it’s a good golf course to be on. The Acacia Lakeview is fashioned on the bones of the original Clark Field Golf Club. This is the golf course that my parents and their friends used to go to great lengths to

obtain invitations from their contacts in the US military, to obtain access to the base, the golf course and, perhaps, a sneak visit to the base postal exchange. The Acacia side of the golf course shares real estate with the Mountainview’s outward nine. The scenery is familiar, but the holes are shorter and more accessible. No undue stress about reaching the greens in regulation, but you’ll still need to deal with the tricky greens to score. The fourth is a strong hole on this side. The second shot asks much of the golfer; the undulating green is tough to read. The seventh is the Acacia’s best hole. The pressure on this hole comes on the shot into the green. Hit the right quadrant of the green and the hole opens up for you. Miss it at your peril. It isn’t until you get to the Lakeview nine that the scenery takes on an identity of its own. The aesthetics here are markedly different from the other three on the property. The nine starts out benignly enough but comes into its own by the third hole on this side. The course opens up on here with a beautiful sweeping dogleg to the right, the tee shot to the elevated green isn’t as easy as the opening holes may have led you to believe. It isn’t long at just 349 yards from the tips but that doesn’t diminish the pleasure one gets from playing it. The fourth hole (13 on the card) is a massive 204yard par 3 (167 yards from the blue tees). It’s a strong par 3 that would be at home on any golf course in the country. The fifth is a 558-yard par 5. Birdie here isn’t a given by any means. A drive that doesn’t find the fairway will have you scrambling just to make par. The green has significant

undulations, making finding the correct part of the putting surface critical to score. The seventh hole of the Lakeview nine is the side’s piece de resistance. Measuring just 489 yards from the gold tees, it is far from easy. Two lakes guard the entire left side of the hole from tee to green making going for the green, into a risky proposition for even the hardiest of constitutions. That its beauty is a match for the pleasure you get from playing it makes for an exceptional hole of golf. The only bad thing one can say about the Acacia Lakeview course is how tough its been to get a tee time. The Korean tourist market has known about Mimosa for some time now and continue to play it in droves. We teed off after breakfast and were lucky to even finish the round. Such was the volume of golfers on the course. During the peak of our dry season, expect this problem to go away together with the droves of tourists. As noted in our article on the Mountainview course, Filinvest is planning a comprehensive overhaul of the golf course to deal with drainage and issues with the sprinkler system. It is vital that any work done to the golf course doesn’t affect its character and intrinsic appeal. Mimosa Golf Club has long been a fixture in Philippine golf largely due to the beauty and character of both golf courses. We feel this phase of Mimosa’s rich history is in able hands of men that understand the value of the golf course and will do everything in their power to take the Mimosa Golf Club to new heights. We look forward to enjoying the fruits of their labor. More power, gentlemen.

Choosing eyewear for performance and protection

e are all aware of just how much damage the sun can do to our skin. Golfers of all persuasions slather on sunblock before their forays onto the golf course. Some apply so much that they look like actors in a Kabuki play. But not that many know just how much damage the sun can do to your eyes. Just because you can’t get sunburn on your eyes, doesn’t mean they’re immune to sun damage. If your eyes are tired, red or dry at the end of a round, you risk cataracts; long-term damage and possibly blindness. Good news is that protection is just a good pair of shades away. Most lenses sold today block 100 percent of UV light and so will go a long way to preserve our vision, but do precious little to help get that 6-footer in the hole.

Golfers have specific vision requirements and need eyewear that will enhance vision and performance; eyewear that you never feel like you have to take off. This is why most golfers don’t wear sunglasses; it’s a lot of trouble. You put them on then take them off before you hit then put them back on. Then you start over when you get to the next shot. And you have to clean them constantly; sun block and body oils leave nasty smudges on the lenses, rendering them useless. But a careful search can lead to the holy grail; eyewear that offers 100-percent UV protection enhances visual performance, increases comfort and isn’t high maintenance when you’re using it. The golf course is a world of shades of green and we require lenses that will allow us to decipher the subtleties

and highlight contrasts without taking your sunglasses off. Oakley’s Prizm Golf lenses provide ultimate visual performance with maximum protection from the sun while on the golf course. Oakley Prizm Golf lenses optimize visual detail to help you read the greens by seeing how the grain is cut. They boost depth perception, so you can spot subtle variations in the slope to read the break. You’ll see exactly where the fairway ends and the rough begins, and your eyes will have all the critical information they need to avoid the bunkers and judge ball speed for putting. This lens also reduces glare and eye fatigue, so you’ll stay more relaxed and focused. Lenses that are optically correct are vital to any

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, April 21, 2018 A7

at Mimosa+ Leisure City

se relaxation

MOUNT Arayat is never far from view on the Acacia Lakeview course

sport; in golf the precision required makes this an absolute necessity. This is where most sports lenses fail. The curvature of a sports lens often causes severe refraction of light, causing you to feel like you’re walking down stairs. If you get a bit dizzy or lightheaded, the lenses are unsuitable for golf. Our eyes compensate, but this leads to eye strain and fatigue. They’ll wind up on top of your head instead of on your face; not good. This is the single most important criteria for most golfers; after all, if you can’t see it, you can’t hit it. Oakley Prizm Golf lenses feature hydrophobic and oleophobic lens coatings that repel water and body oils. These things are just amazing. Think about playing an entire round of golf without cleaning your glasses. Current eyewear technology has advanced to the point where sports vision is no longer compromised by protection. The best examples demonstrably enhance visual performance and have progressed from a fashion accessory to become indispensable sports equipment. Oakley takes a backseat to none when it comes to fashion. Oakley’s frames are trendsetters and you will find one that fits your face and style

on the golf course. Few products provide this level of functionality with class-leading quality and style. Oakley Prizm Golf eyewear are available in Oakley concept stores all over the country.

Oakley’s Flak Graf is the latest take on their iconic sports frame.

OurTime

A8 Saturday, April 21, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

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Feeling like outcasts in Indonesia over ancient beliefs

AKARTA, Indonesia—Growing up on the Indonesian island of Java in the 1970s, Dewi Kanti practiced an ancient form of indigenous traditional beliefs whose origins predate the arrivals of Christianity, Buddhism and Islam here by centuries. Ironically, Dew i notes bitterly, those traditional beliefs make her a religious outcast in her own country today, where the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion but the government recognizes only six: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Protestantism, Catholicism and Confucianism. “The point here is how there is no justice,” she said. “Why can these big global religions spread and be

recognized, but the original religion of Indonesia cannot?” It is a question she and others are still waiting to see answered, despite a landmark ruling last November by the Constitutional Court that affirmed the rights of followers of traditional beliefs outside of the six recognized religions. The ruling came amid signs of growing intolerance of religious minorities in Indonesia, which is

the world’s most populous Muslimmajority nation, and objections from some Islamic groups. Five months later, the Indonesian government has yet to implement the Constitutional Court ruling, although officials say they are working on it. In a country where religion plays a large part in public life, followers of traditional beliefs, known generally as aliran kepercayaan, hope the ruling will finally end decades of unofficial discrimination that makes it difficult for them to get permits to open gathering places, obtain marriage licenses and get access to public services, such as health care and education. It also complicates efforts by those believers to get military, police or civil-service jobs, or even burial plots. There are hundreds of different forms of aliran kepercayaan spread across the vast Indonesian archipelago. In Java, the most populous island, it is often a mix of animist,

Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic beliefs. Forms of kepercayaan can include certain periodic religious observances, such as communal meals or acts that could be compared to Muslim men praying together on Fridays or Sunday Christian services. These may include ritual offerings to appease spirits, even though the practitioners could also be registered as Muslims, Catholics, Buddhists or one of the other recognized religions. It is estimated that at least 20 million of Indonesia’s 260 million people practice local traditional beliefs, but the numbers could be much higher, according to analysts, as some are also followers of Islam, Christianity and other major religions. Religion is so omnipresent in Indonesia that citizens are required to declare on their national ID cards which of the six approved religions they adhere to, though in some regions they are allowed to leave that section blank. However, doing so can

Britain apologizes to Caribbeans who’ve lived in UK for decades

the fact that about 90 percent of Indonesians are Muslim, giving Islamic religious leaders outsize political clout. The Indonesia Ulema Council, the country’s top body of clerics, has been adamant, for example, that traditional beliefs should not be seen as on par with Islam. “The Constitutional Court ruling was not considered carefully and hurt the feelings of the faithful, especially Indonesian Muslims, because the ruling has placed aliran kepercayaan as equals,” said Zainut Tauhid Sa’adi, the council’s vice chairman. “The decision has legal consequences and an impact on our society,” he said. Some hard-line Islamic groups want to go even further and change the Constitution to make Islam the official state religion. However, key leaders within Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization, support the court ruling. New York Times News Service

Plunging population in poorest EU state nears World War II level

ulgaria’s population is on course to shrink to levels last seen after the devastation of World War II. Like much of the ex-communist region, the European Union’s poorest member has watched its citizens head west in droves to snag fatter salaries, in countries including the UK. Add to that already low fertility rates and a growing share of elderly people, and Bulgaria is among the most exposed to demographic threats. The population is on track to drop below 7 million. “The government needs to find a solution to preserve workers’ skills to eliminate the negative consequences for the labor market and to sustain growth,” Ivan

ONDON—Prime Minister Theresa May apologized on Tuesday for harsh treatment of some Caribbeans who have lived in Britain legally for decades, but have trouble documenting their status, as her government reversed itself on an issue that had turned into a major embarrassment. The handling of the Caribbeanborn Britons had become an example—a shameful one, critics said— of the Conservative government’s attempts to manage the anti-immigrant sentiment that helped fuel Britain’s 2016 referendum to leave the European Union. The controversy began after the publication of recent reports in the British press about longtime legal residents of West Indian and Caribbean ancestry who had lost their jobs, been denied medical care, been evicted or even detained and threatened with deportation—all because they could not prove that they had lived in the country since before 1973. Their stories have produced a storm of criticism aimed at the government. Even as Britain continues to negotiate its divorce from the European Union, the status of middle-aged and elderly Caribbean immigrants has taken up much of the government’s time and attention. Adding to the embarrassment, the matter reached a climax as Britain has been playing host to the heads of government of British Commonwealth nations. Caribbean heads of state attending the meeting voiced concern about how immigrants were treated. As recently as last week, May’s office said she had no plan to meet separately with them to address the issue. But she reversed course and on Tuesday, she met with 12 Caribbean Commonwealth leaders, and apologized. “We are genuinely sorry for any anxiety that has been caused,” she said. Until last week, the Home Office, the agency that administers immigration policy, had advised Caribbean-born residents to hire lawyers, which many of them cannot afford. This week the Home Office dropped that stance, announcing a dedicated team to help people sort out their immigration status free of charge, and promising resolutions in two weeks. Neither the government nor its critics know how many people belong to the “Windrush generation,” those who migrated legally from British colonies or former colonies between 1948 and 1973. New York Times News Service

invite discrimination and bureaucratic hassles, so many traditional believers simply state on their ID cards the religion that is dominant where they live. In Java it is likely to be Muslim, but in parts of the islands of Sumatra or Sulawesi, it could be Catholic or Protestant, while on Bali it would be Hindu. But such workarounds should be unnecessary, some legal experts say. “The court decision underlines that freedom of belief is a constitutional right, not a right that is given by the government,” said Bivitri Susanti, head of the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian Association of Constitutional Law Lecturers. “Second, it states that the right to belief in aliran kepercayaan, or faiths other than the six government-recognized religions, is inherent with the rights to religion as stated in Article 29 of the Indonesian Constitution,” she said. But clouding that point of view is

TARO LEAVES HEADGEAR

Two older women in Baguio City don taro (gabi) leaves on their head as a protection against the summer heat or sudden rain showers as they go around the city’s parks. MAU VICTA

Carl Kasell, longtime NPR news personality, dies at 84

ARL Kasell, a National Public Radio (NPR) newscaster who, late in his career, cast off his anchorman gravitas once a week and for years became an absurdist comedian on the popular satirical quiz show Wait Wait.... Don’t Tell Me!, died on Tuesday in Potomac, Maryland. He was 84. His wife, Mary Ann Foster, said the cause was complications of Alzheimer’s disease. To anyone who ever wondered what a radio personality was really like behind the disembodied baritone dignity, Kasell (pronounced KASSuhl), gave it away in 1998 when he suddenly dropped the rock-steady mid-Atlantic voice of authority that millions had come to know over his decades as an éminence grise on public radio’s All Things Considered and Morning Edition. In its place was a whimsical, charming North Carolina comic doing goofy impressions of Henry A. Kissinger, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and others in the news. A voice that

had been likened to that of America’s most trusted broadcaster, Walter Cronkite, was now concocting puns, singing falsetto jingles and joking about his comedown—from a radio kingpin to a comic making up voicemail greetings as game-show prizes. Kasell’s improbable second career, as “official judge and scorekeeper” of the news-related, call-in comedy hour, Wait Wait, began when he was 64 and still working as an NPR newscaster. In what he regarded as his weekend gig, he played a sly, deadpan straight man to the show’s host, Peter Sagal, who quizzed contestants on the week’s dumbest events and most misguided newsmakers. After a slow start—attributable to a lack of live audiences in the broadcast studio, where it was hard to know if a joke landed or fell flat (a phenomenon some comedians compare to telling gags underwater) —the show went before live studio audiences and took off, eventually reaching 6 million listeners.

On a segment called Who’s Carl This Time? Sagal, prodded by the ad-libs of a rotating panel of three “slightly famous” humorists, asked callers to identify the person-inthe-news Kasell was impersonating. Many Kasell portrayals were highly dubious, but for anyone paying a modicum of attention to the news, the answers were fairly obvious. On Bluff the Listener, callers were asked to distinguish real news stories from those invented by the show’s madcap writers. (Has the Pentagon developed human cannonball technology? Did Keith Richards fall out of a palm tree? Did the president have sex with an intern in the Oval Office?) On Not My Job, guest celebrities were badgered about topics they presumably knew nothing about. Salman Rushdie was asked to explain the history of Pez Candy, and Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state, was interrogated about Hugh Hefner and Playboy magazine. New York Times News Service

Neykov, chairman of the Balkan Institute for Labor and Social Policy in Sofia, said by phone. “In 2000 every 100 workers leaving the labor market were substituted by 130 people entering. Today, it’s 70.” Bulgaria is taking steps to boost fertility and stop so many young people leaving abroad with the goal of halting the negative demographic trends by about 2030. The government is certainly not downplaying the issue. “The decline in the active population is a social and economic bomb that will explode unless we take adequate measures,” Deputy Labor Minister Sultanka Petrova told Bloomberg last October. Bloomberg News

Government-run dating service is Taiwan’s solution to aging society

AIWAN hopes to tackle the most pressing of firstworld problems through increased government intervention in people’s love lives. The interior ministry said it will organize more official matchmaking events in 2018 as part of a push to reverse a rapid aging of Taiwan’s 24 million people. The island recorded more deaths than births in March for a second straight month, and government data released on Tuesday showed Taiwan officially became an “aged society” last month, with more than 14 percent of the population 65 or older. Only Japan, where 28 percent are in the 65-and-over club, has a higher proportion of elderly people in East Asia. Government-sponsored dating events are just one of a series of measures aimed at addressing the problem in Taiwan, where long work hours, stagnant wages and a lack of affordable housing and child care are the main obstacles couples face when considering

having children. Officials are also moving to provide more social housing for young people and promoting immigration as a way to tilt the population back to youth. “We’re giving singles the opportunity to meet,” Jair Lan-pin, deputy head of Taiwan’s department of civil affairs, said in an interview. “Some go on to get married and invite the minister to their weddings.” The interior ministry—which advertises match-making events on a web site filled with pictures of flowers and statues holding hands —first started organizing them in 2010. Between 2011 and 2012, 36 couples got married after meeting at these events, according to a ministry statement. But Yang Wen-shan, a sociologist at Taipei-based Academia Sinica, isn’t optimistic. “Because Taiwan is small and densely populated, the government never saw slowing population growth as a problem,” Yang said. “The government recognized this problem too late.” Bloomberg News

Polish bison off to help Spanish herd grow, stem extinction threat

ARSAW, Poland—Seven young female bison from Poland are being shipped off to help boost a herd in Spain and expand the population of Europe’s largest animal, which is on the endangered species list. Michal Krzysiak, head of the Bialowieza National Park in eastern Poland, said the bison—aged between 1

year and 4 years old—have been put on trucks in special wooden cases and were on their way to two breeding farms north of Madrid. He expected them to arrive there midweek. Wild bison went extinct in Europe before World War I. The new bison are the offspring of more than a dozen selected captive animals. There are some 1,900 bison

in Poland now, including 690 in the Bialowieza reserve. Krzysiak said the reserve’s goals are to help develop new herds, preserve the species and protect the population from the spread of any diseases. The program is financed by Poland’s forestry authorities. Wanda Olech of Warsaw’s University of Life Sciences said the animals

were going to two private farms near Segovia: La Perla and Posada, where they will have a large fenced-in terrain. “The bison is Europe’s largest land animal. It had a very dramatic history in the 20th century—was almost extinct—so we are doing everything to develop and preserve the population,” Olech told The Associated Press.

Olech said bison from Poland have brought new energy to a village in northern Spain, San Cebrian de Muda, whose predominantly elderly population now take regular walks to visit the small herd brought there eight years ago. Bison from Poland have also been sent to some other farms across Europe in recent years. AP

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LG SIGNS INTERNATIONAL K-POP SENSATION BTS AS GLOBAL MOBILE AMBASSADORS

MICHAEL MAGBANUA, customer engagement group head, first vice president of UnionBank

LG Electronics is the latest company to bet on the pull of K-pop cool. The company is on the brink of producing its most ambitious and wide-reaching campaign to date, one headlined by BTS, today’s hottest K-pop boy band. Named one of TIME magazine’s 25 Most Influential People on the Internet for 2017, and the first Korean pop group to win Top Social Artist honors at the Billboard Music Awards, and to perform at the American Music Awards, the wildly popular boy band will appear in a series of TV advertisements and social-media campaigns for LG’s mobile products, beginning with the company’s soon-to-be-released flagship smartphone. LG (lg.com/ph) is banking on BTS (also known as Bangtan Sonyeondan and Beyond the Scene) to help establish a new image for its smartphones in the global market—the musical group has a massive fanbase, dubbed the Army, not only in South Korea but also across Asia, the United States, Europe and South America, as well. The video for the group’s most recent single, “Mic Drop,” has surpassed 200 million views, becoming the seventh music video by the boy band to achieve this milestone. In the Philippines the Korean boy band, composed of rappers Rap Monster, Suga and J-Hope, and vocalists Jin, Jimin, V and Jungkook, enjoys a huge following among millennials and youthful music lovers. A highly successful sold-out concert last year witnessed enthusiastic fans lining up at ticket outlets the evening before the tickets became officially available and causing the ticketing web site to crash many times. “BTS achieved international superstardom through raw talent, innovation and authenticity even though many gave them little chance of real success,” says Kim Su-young, vice president and head of marketing for LG Electronics Mobile Communications Co. “These qualities make BTS a great match with our smartphone brand, and we hope to be able to convey to the global audience that LG mobile devices are also about delivering bold innovation with a unique attitude.” LG and BTS will collaborate on a diverse marketing campaign that reflects the uniquely colorful personalities of each of the group’s members. The campaign will highlight the band’s talent and attitude, and its relationship with its fans—the very qualities that LG hopes to bring to its upcoming products starting this quarter.

HASAN FARD, chairman and CEO of Trends

RICHARD LOBERAS, regional vice president Asean and Korea of Aspect Software

Bank moves to improve customer interaction PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

HERE’S a bank with a branch near my house with only two tellers and one of them has an attitude problem. Instead of processing transactions efficiently, she spends her days talking on her mobile phone and interacting with her coworkers. Everybody, including the bank manager, seems to be afraid of her because she’s been doing it for years and no one is stopping her. Anyway, my brother works at the head office of the bank and I complained to him about her. My brother pointed to my phone and said, “Your smartphone is the answer to your problems. If you use your phone or computer for your banking needs, then you will have less interactions with the likes of that person.” While nothing can replace human interaction, banks now realize the importance of improving their digital infrastructure. In a report, global consulting agency McKinsey said only 10 percent to 15 percent of financial transactions are made offline in Asia. The report showed that half of Asia’s population are using banking services on their smartphones, ranging from 67 percent in China to 39 percent in India. “In emerging Asia these traditional channels, especially ATMs, still dominate, but customers are using Internet and smartphone banking almost five

times more often than in 2011. Across Asia, consumers made fewer branch visits and calls in 2014 than in 2011,” McKinsey said. For instance, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) has enhanced its customer service infrastructure to further improve interaction between the bank and its clients. The move is also seen to boost customer service agent performance. In partnership with Trends & Technologies, Inc. (Trends), UnionBank has deployed an Omnichannel Contact Center, Self Service and Workforce Management Solutions from Aspect Software, a global provider of fully integrated consumer engagement, workforce optimization and self-service solutions. “Key to the bank’s digital transformation journey is building a digital mind-set of our employees, stakeholders and, of course, our customers. To achieve that, we need to create smarter customer experiences, enabling service channels that are accurate, real-time and always available. Acquiring Aspect’s contact center and work force optimization solution is the first of many steps in that omni-channel approach,” said Michael Magbanua, customer engagement group head and first vice president of UnionBank. Aspect and Trends have implemented Aspect Unified IP 7.3 for inbound and outbound customer interaction services; Aspect CXP for UnionBank’s omni-channel self-service offerings; and Aspect Workforce Management for the bank’s customer service agents. “We greatly admire and believe in the vision and strategies of UnionBank’s innovative leaders. We are very excited that UnionBank has chosen Trends as their partner to facilitate the enablement of their plan to reshape the bank into a technology company with banking utilities,” said Hasan Fard, chairman and CEO of Trends. “By utilizing Aspect’s solution and our technology expertise,

Nokia marks summer with smartphone promo HMD Global, the home of Nokia smartphones, charges up the vacation season with the hottest and freshest deals on their Android-powered handsets. Ongoing until April 30, enjoy P500 off and a free JBL GO Bluetooth speaker worth P1,599 with every purchase of the Nokia 3 and P1,000 off every purchase of the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. During this period, get P5,000 off and a free JBL T450BT Wireless On-Ear Headphones worth P3,000 with every purchase of the Nokia 8, now available at a discounted priced of P24,990. Get two Nokia 2 smartphones, originally priced at

Saturday, April 21, 2018 A9

P5,290 each, at a special promotional price of P10,000. The Nokia 5 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash to let users capture vivid photos and full-HD videos at 30fps. With its 5.2-inch display and aluminum body with round edges, it is a sleek smartphone that nestles perfectly in the user’s palm. The Nokia 6 comes in a pure metal frame for that modern feel. Its 5.5-inch display, 1920 x 1080-pixel IPS LCD and Dolby Atmos audio guarantee an immersive multimedia entertainment experience whether for just relaxing at home or enjoying a quick getaway with family and friends.

The phone’s 16-MP rear and 8-MP front cameras capture clear and crisp photos perfect for sharing online. Equipped with Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor, the Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 deliver high-speed performance for today’s tech-driven, on-the-go smartphone enthusiasts. Both also run on Android Oreo 8.0. The Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 are now available at P6,490, P8,990 and P10,990, respectively. With HMD Global’s extended partnership with Home Credit, all Nokia Android smartphones may be availed at zero-percent installment deals.

we were able to successfully service UnionBank and offer a solution to digitize their customer service infrastructure.” This will allow customers to seamlessly receive assistance when they move between live agent and self-service channels. UnionBank earlier announced its three-year digital transformation journey aimed at digitizing its banking processes “to deliver a more reliable, seamless and personalized banking service.” The current enhancement of its core customer service infrastructure to Aspect Unified IP 7.3, Aspect CXP and Aspect Workforce Management is in line with the bank’s digital plan to provide its 6 million clients quality customer service and personalized banking interaction across channels. Aspect has a long history of expertise, starting from the first ACD in 1973. Today, Aspect solutions power 1.4 million agents worldwide and support over 100 million daily customer interactions. Contact Center Solution implementation is one of the core strengths of Trends in the Philippines. “Trends has been a partner of UnionBank for more than 25 years. This implementation of Aspect’s Customer Engagement Solution is a strong demonstration of how that partnership is bolstering UnionBank’s Digital Transformation Journey,” said Dennis L. Matutina, executive vice president and head of channel management center of UnionBank. “It’s a privilege to be a part of UnionBank’s digital transformation journey and equip the bank with a technology that can deliver quality customer engagement to improve customer satisfaction, loyalty and increase their value,” said Richard Loberas, regional vice president for Asean and Korea of Aspect Software (www.aspect.com). ■

A10 Saturday, April 21, 2018

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THE logo of American entertainment company Netflix is pictured at the Paris games week in Paris. AP

HOW TO HELP MAKE YOUR CHILD’S CREATIVITY SHINE

Net�lix is proving to be a tough act for copycats to follow

AN FRANCISCO—Netflix’s videostreaming service has been thriving for so long that other companies are striving to duplicate its success in other kinds of digital entertainment and content. Spotify’s music-streaming service has emerged as the most celebrated of the aspiring clones, despite significant challenges that will make it difficult to keep growing at the same pace as Netflix has been in video streaming. The biggest difference between Netflix and Spotify boils down to their ability to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Netflix has firmly established its service as a staple in tens of millions of households around the world by pouring billions of dollars into a slate of original programming that can’t be watched anywhere else. Popular shows, such as Stranger Things, House of Cards and Black Mirror have enabled Netflix to keep attracting millions more subscribers each year while cultivating enough customer loyalty to be able to gradually raise its prices. That leverage allows Netflix to spend more to acquire the rights to TV series and films while also remaining profitable. In contrast, Spotify is selling consumers access to an extensive catalog of digital music that is largely the same as the libraries available at the same $10 monthly price on rival music-streaming services

from Apple, Google and Amazon, three larger companies with far more resources. Netflix demonstrated how well its formula works again on Monday with the release of its first-quarter earnings. The Los Gatos, California, company added another 7.4 million video-streaming subscribers during the first three months of the year, ending March with 125 million throughout the world, including nearly 57 million in the United States. The performance exceeded management and analyst projections to the delight of investors. Netflix’s stock climbed more than 5 percent to $324.10 in extended trading. Spotify eventually could build a unique collection of content too, but there is no clear path for the Swedish company to do that because major recording labels so far are licensing all their music to any service willing to pay them. Even if a recording label offered exclusive rights to some of its popular songs, Spotify would have trouble outbidding its far wealthier levels. The similarities among the major music-streaming libraries already appear to be undermining Spotify. The company’s average revenue per paid subscriber fell to $5.32 per month last year, down from an average of $6.84 per month in 2015, according to an analysis by consumer research firm ValuePenguin . The decline primarily stemmed from discounts that Spotify gave for its family packages and students,

helping to increase its paid subscribers from 28 million in 2015 to 71 million at the end of last year— nearly twice as many as Apple Music, its biggest rival. The decrease in Spotify’s average price per subscriber will make it more difficult to turn a profit, something that the company has never done since its inception in 2007. Meanwhile, Netflix has raised its US streaming prices twice since 2014. In the first quarter of this year, Netflix’s average revenue per paying subscriber worldwide stood at $10.10 per month, up 14 percent from $8.89 per month at the same time last year. “You have to earn it first by having spectacular content that everybody wants to see,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said on Monday during a discussion of the company’s first-quarter results. “But if you do that, you can get people to pay a little bit more.” The pricing upturn is one reason Netflix’s firstquarter earnings climbed 63 percent from last year to $290 million, or 64 cents per share. Many investors still believe Spotify has a chance to become the Netflix of video streaming. Those hopes are a big reason Spotify has a market value of $26 billion two weeks after its debut as a publicly traded company. But Spotify’s stock has declined 15 percent from its trading high of $169 per share, reflecting doubts that it will ever come close to copying Netflix, which boasts a market value of more than $130 billion. AP

THIS summer, let your child’s creativity shine with the HP Ink Advantage All-in-One Printer. Now, you can easily enjoy vibrant and quality printouts that will showcase your kids’ imagination on paper with the “HP Ink Advantage Printer” promo. With the promo, which is ongoing until April 30, every purchase of HP Ink Advantage All-in-One printers comes with two free HP 680 Black or Tri-Color Original Ink Advantage Cartridges to help your child’s artworks and projects stand out. Participating models include HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 1115; and HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2135, 3635, 3835, 4535, 4675, 3775, 3776, 3777, 3779, 2676, 2677, 5075, and 5275 all-in-one printers. The HP DeskJet Ink Advantage Printer is the world’s most compact and lightweight all-in-one printer that can easily fit any space in the house and can perform multiple tasks, such as scanning, copying and printing, to maximize productivity. You can conveniently print from any smartphone or tablet with the HP Smart App, downloadable from Apple Store or Google Play, and assist your kids with their assignments even while on the go. The printer can also save on printing costs and deliver high-quality prints with the affordable original HP ink cartridges.

MICROSOFT President Brad Smith said on April 16 at the RSA security conference in San Francisco that the company will use software based on the Linux operating system, not its own Windows operating system, for new security features to protect Internetconnected toys and other consumer devices. AP

MICROSOFT TURNS TO FORMER RIVAL TO IMPROVE INTERNET SECURITY

SAN FRANCISCO—Microsoft is turning to a former rival to improve the security of computing devices. Microsoft President Brad Smith said on Monday at the RSA security conference in San Francisco that the company will use software based on the Linux operating system, not its own Windows operating system, for new security features to protect internet-connected toys and other consumer devices. Microsoft once deemed the free, open-source Linux system as a threat to its intellectual property, but has changed its approach in recent years. Smith says Microsoft wants to build better security for the tiny microcontrollers increasingly used to power a variety of Internet-connected household devices. He adds the threat was demonstrated by a 2016 “botnet” attack that took down large chunks of the Internet by hijacking routers, webcams and other connected devices. AP

Discover Poblacion’s creative hubs and cultural spots via this mobile app THE Metro’s newest hot spot for culture, history and local charm gets a mobile app to let visitors discover the hippest part of town. iDiscover Poblacion, developed by Pineapple Lab and Urban Discovery with great support from the British Council and Makati City, features an interactive walking tour to help users and tourists discover Poblacion’s creative hubs and cultural spots. The cultural district attracted a new generation of creative entrepreneurs and hubs when it was declared a heritage zone in 2012. It is now home to cafés, art spaces, boutique hotels, lifestyle stores and Pineapple Lab, a performance and interdisciplinary space that produces Fringe Manila, the multi-arts international festival. Poblacion’s unique heritage and community life is definitely in bloom. “This acts as a beautiful snapshot of the magic here in Poblacion. At the rate things are moving, not only are we connecting the dots between our cultural sites but we’re also charting a path of Poblacion’s history alongside its economic and artistic growth,” says Jodinand Aguillon, executive

director of Pineapple Lab. Local residents and business owners selected 30 sites that show the heart and soul of the neighborhood. The app maps out celebrated heritage sites such as Museo ng Makati, which was the city’s first-ever municipal hall and has since become an alternative space for arts-related events and performances. The oldest church in Makati, Saints Peter and Paul Parish, is also featured as one of the landmarks that roots the neighborhood in its vibrant past. iDiscover Poblacion also captures the barangay’s dynamic creative ecosystem and includes Kapwa Studio, an artist-run salon and culture shop along P. Burgos Street. Commune is the neighborhood coffee shop and bar that has been home to the city’s major improv comedy groups like SPIT and Third World Improv. This corner café on Polaris Street boasts a full program that ranges from coffee art workshops, bullet journaling courses and entrepreneurial talks. iDiscover Poblacion highlights the stories of the places and the people behind them. The curative process has been a real community effort to share

what makes the place special, and unlock little-known neighborhood secrets. “It’s important that we get to know our local creative hubs and cultural sites as they are key to building a city’s identity and sense of place,” shares Malaya del Rosario, head of arts and creative industries of the British Council. Drawing on the United Kingdom’s experience in developing creative ecosystems, the British Council is currently supporting creative hubs in Southeast Asia to become more sustainable and impact-led. iDiscover is the brainchild of Urban Discovery, a Hong Kong-based social enterprise. The app offers curated neighborhood walks in several Asian cities, showing locals and visitors the “spirit of the place” through colorful anecdotes, insider secrets and community activities. The app provides easy-tofollow offline GPS-based maps to encourage users to explore, discover and wander. iDiscover Poblacion is available free for download starting April 25 for iOS and Android, or download a free map at www.i-discoverasia.com.

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Saturday, April 21, 2018 A11

San Francisco to require permits for rental scooters S

BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ The Associated Press

AN FRANCISCO—San Francisco is ordering three companies that began renting motorized foot-pedal scooters in the city last month to stop operating until they can ensure riders are obeying state laws and that the devices are not a hazard to the public. City lawyer Dennis Herrera said in letters to LimeBike, Bird and Spin that the city has received numerous complaints of riders whizzing by on sidewalks, not wearing helmets and parking the devices on sidewalks, obstructing the right of way. Despite previous warnings, the scooter companies are “creating a public nuisance on the city’s streets and sidewalks and endangering public health and safety,” he wrote. Hundreds of the scooters began appearing around the tech-friendly city in March, and were quickly picked up by riders. They have become an annoyance for many because they do not require docking stations and can be set down anywhere when a ride is over. California law requires riders of motorized scooters to wear a helmet, not carry passengers and not operate on sidewalks. The rules appear in videos riders must watch and sign off on when they download the cell phone app that unlocks the scooters. Herrera provided the companies with photographs showing scooters lying in the middle of sidewalks and people riding without helmets. They have until April 30 to address complaints, he said.

VIU SUPPORTS GLOBE #PLAYITRIGHT ANTI-ILLEGAL SITES ADVOCACY

VIU, a leading Asian digital content provider popular for its online distribution of K-drama and K-pop shows, recently announced its full support for Globe Telecom’s anti-illegal site advocacy, #PlayItRight. VIU Country Manager in the Philippines Arianne Kader-Cu said that Korean drama has a huge base in the country with an estimated 22.5 million Filipinos who watch online. “The soul of K-drama and K-pop are the Korean idols who depend on the revenue of their projects to remain popular. We are supporting Globe #PlayItRight to protect and champion the rights of actors, staff and even the viewers of Korean content through #VIUItRight,”KaderCu revealed. Globe Senior Vice President for Content Nikko Acosta expressed the company’s gratitude to VIU for its support for the company’s advocacy. “Globe, with the help of its content partners like VIU, wants to send a strong message to the public to consume digital content the right way. The support given by VIU strengthens our aim in promoting good content by using the right avenues to watch, stream or play Korean content,” Acosta said. Kader-Cu added that #VIUItRight also encourages its millions of Korean fans to support #PlayitRight to ensure that their actors and actresses’ superstardom stays alive in the industry. “Fans are the major stakeholders in the careers of Korean acts. They are the deciding factor in whether an actor, a drama or an idol becomes a hit. They can literally make or break careers, and their participation in accessing online content through the right channels would go a long way toward helping their favorite actors and idols achieve their dreams of stardom,” she said. From the first Annyeonghaseyo in Bright Girl—the first Korean drama series that aired on Philippine television—in 2003 to dancing and singing to the music from the likes of Big Bang, BTS, Girls Generation and Twice, the Philippines has come a long way in its appreciation of Korean-made content. The love affair of Filipinos with Korean content has intensified through the years with Pinoys, from teens to the 40-something, consuming everything Korean—series, films and music. Pinoy fans camp out the day before concert tickets are sold to their favorite K-pop bands. Tickets are always sold out on the first day. With such clamor, the Philippines has become one of the top markets for Korean content consumption. #PlayItRight through #VIUItRight encourages Filipinos to help their Korean idols accomplish their dreams by watching content legally and rightfully.

Jack Handley, who works at his family-run hotel, said he pays about $2 to use a scooter for about five minutes, which he said he rides on the street. “I can grab one and zoom on over to where I need to go and then zoom right back,” Handley said after dropping off a LimeBike outside a FedEx office in downtown San Francisco. He said he would stop using them if he is required to get a permit or wear a helmet. “I’m not going to carry a helmet with me,” he added. “I would rather walk than go through that headache.” The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on

Tuesday approved legislation requiring the scooter companies have transit agency permits to operate and to allow public workers to remove scooters without permits from streets or sidewalks. The ordinance requires companies to educate users about how to safely ride and store the devices and establishes fines starting at $125 per scooter. “Sidewalks are for pedestrians and strollers and disabled individuals and wheelchairs,” said the law’s author, Supervisor Aaron Peskin. “We’re not trying to ban them,” he said. “But we want to make sure that they’re operating in a way

that is helpful to the transportation problems of San Francisco.” San Mateo, California-based LimeBike will roll out new initiatives next week following the board’s vote, said company spokesman Joe Arellano. “In response, we are updating our current community outreach plan to address the city’s concerns about pedestrian safety, parking compliance, and rider education,” Arellano said in a statement on Tuesday. David Estrada, chief legal officer for Santa Monica, California-based Bird Rides Inc., said the company wants to work with city officials to solve traffic problems in San Francisco. “They request we do some education for riders and request we implement some technology to address some of the issues; we have all of that in the works,” Estrada said. The company, whose founder Travis VanderZanden was COO at Lyft and former vice president of global driver growth at Uber, started a pilot program on Tuesday requiring San Francisco riders to take a photo showing how they parked the scooter at the end of their trip, Estrada said. Users who repeatedly violate the rules will be suspended, said Kenneth Baer, a spokesman for Bird. “San Franciscans have logged more than 90,000 miles on Birds, which shows that there is great demand for new, environmentally friendly ways to get around this great city,” Baer said. Santa Monica’s city lawyer last December filed a criminal complaint against Bird, saying the company was operating without a permit and had ignored required licensing and orders to remove the scooters from sidewalks. Bird pleaded no contest and agreed to pay more than $300,000 in fines and secure proper licenses. A spokesman for San Francisco-based Skinny Labs Inc., also known as Spin, did not immediately return e-mails seeking comment on Tuesday.

MOBILE analytics firm OpenSignal has recognized PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. for having the country’s fastest LTE network, bestowing the company four citations, including best in 4G LTE download speed; best in overall download speed; best 4G latency performance; and best 3G latency performance in its March 2018 report. The OpenSignal State of Mobile Networks: Philippines report, which covers the months of November 2017 to January 2018, noted Smart LTE speeds outpaced its competition’s with download speeds of 12.5 MBps—significantly faster than its rival’s 7.69 MBps. The latest OpenSignal report found Smart LTE

FROM left: Andy Burns, OpenSignal COO; Ralph Brunner, PLDT and Smart chief customer experience and data analytics advisor; Eric R. Alberto, PLDT Group chief revenue officer; Joachim Horn, PLDT and Smart chief technology and information advisor; and Brendan Gil, OpenSignal CEO.

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FASTEST LTE IN THE PHL

JACK HANDLERY rides a motorized scooter in San Francisco, on April 17. San Francisco is ordering three companies that rent out motorized scooters to stop operating until they can ensure riders are following state law and the dockless devices are not a hazard to the public.

■ The Associated Press writers Terry Chea and Ryan Nakashima contributed to this report.

Fitbit Ionic: Fab fitness tracker, but is it the smartwatch to beat? Fitbit Ionic is the best fitness tracker you can get in terms of stat tracking. From counting steps, calories, heartrate and monitoring your sleep, the Iconic tracks everything without you having to constantly tinker with the device, and it automatically syncs with your smartphone. For beginners, you can even watch and learn some easy exercises from the Fitbit Coach, thanks to the Ionic’s bigger and brighter display. It also has a long battery life, which is certainly a plus since you don’t have to charge it that often. When it comes to being a smartwatch, however, the Ionic is still far from being Iconic. There are only a few usable apps which I found useful, and the Fitbit Pay isn’t even available here in the Philippines. Synching with the FitBit app is also bit slow. If you are looking for a fitness tracker, you can’t find anything better than the Ionic, but as a smartwatch, there are still lots of room for improvement. The Fitbit Ionic is priced at P15,690 and available across major retail partners like Digital Walker, Beyond the Box, iBook, Timeline, The Inboxstore, iLiberty, Globe Telecom, Proton, Mobile 1, Banana Telecom, iCenter Cebu, Ambassador, Abenson, Lazada, Zalora and Shoplite stores in Philippines. Fitbit Ionic is available in three stylish color combinations: silver gray/with blue-gray band, smoke gray/charcoal band or burnt orange/slate blue band.

speeds superior across all measured areas, such as in the National Capital Region (13.04 Mbps vs competition’s 8.57 Mbps), North Central Luzon (11.59 Mbps vs 6.34 Mbps), South Luzon (11.66 Mbps vs 7.03 Mbps), Visayas (13.49 Mbps vs 7.37 Mbps) and Mindanao (14.42 Mbps vs 7.38 Mbps). To put things into perspective, top streaming apps like iflix and Netflix recommend download speeds of at least 5 Mbps for watching on high-definition, or HD, resolution seamlessly—well within the performance of Smart LTE. Moreover, a 2017 OpenSignal blog post also noted that top mobile games like “Clash Royale,” “Critical Ops,” “Mobile Legends” and “Super Mario Run” require download speeds of at least 2 Mbps for an awesome gaming experience. After taking into consideration both its 4G and 3G download performance, OpenSignal also cited Smart for best overall download speed average in the country at 5.8Mbps versus competition’s 4.4 Mbps. The firm also evaluated the network’s latency, or the amount of time a data is exchanged through the network, determining its responsiveness. Measured in milliseconds (ms), a lower latency score is a sign of a more responsive network, which is critical for lag-free mobile gaming.

Smart came ahead in 4G latency, rating at 47.21ms, quicker than the competition’s 60.7ms. The abovementioned 2017 OpenSignal blog post noted that a maximum latency of 50ms is required for an “awesome experience” in playing top mobile games like Clash Royale, Critical Ops, Mobile Legends and Super Mario Run. On the other hand, Smart’s 3G latency also fared better at 154.64ms, compared to its rival’s 174.98ms. Along with its network upgrades all over the country, Smart continues to inform and encourage customers to take full advantage of the improved Smart LTE network across the country by: 1) upgrading to an LTE-capable smartphone; and 2) switching to a Smart LTE SIM. Smart Prepaid and Smart Postpaid customers can check if their existing smartphone SIM is LTE-ready by texting SIMCHECK to 5832 for free. Smart, TNT and Sun customers can also easily upgrade to an LTE SIM without changing their existing number by availing of an LTE-Ready Self-Service Upgrade SIM for only P10 at Smart loading partners nationwide, such as sari-sari stores, kiosks and shops. As a perk, the LTE-Ready Self-Service Upgrade SIM comes with Free 1GB data valid for three days upon upgrading. ■

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

BusinessMirror

Saturday, April 21, 2018 A12

FITBIT Ionic: A fitness tracker and so much more

Fitbit Ionic: Fab fitness tracker, but is it the smartwatch to beat? THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

NYBODY who is now a certified Tito (or Tita), or is fascinated about sci-fi flicks, has probably watched at least one of the Back to the Future movies. Not surprisingly for a film that revolves around time travel, Back to the Future Part II particularly, the blockbuster franchise has become a favorite among geeks because of its “prediction” of multiple futuristic technologies. In the movie, Marty McFly travels to 2015 and discovers that although Jaws 19 still looks fake, people are video calling ala Skype, using smart eyewear that look a lot like the Oculus Rift or Google Glass, riding hoverboards and wearing self-drying jackets and selflacing shoes. And while we’re still waiting for “real” hoverboards (the namesakes with wheels don’t count), Nike did release self-lacing shoes in late-2016, and we do have President Donald J. Trump. As for wearable tech, there’s the selfdrying Jacket on Kickstarter, as well as Google and Levi’s Jacquard (smart denim jacket) project. When it comes to wearable tech, the biggest developments are still happening in the smartwatch category. A decade ago, nobody could’ve predicted that more than a million people would buy a watch that not only tells the time, but reads your text messages, checks the weather and tracks your workouts, too. But that’s exactly what happened. Even I thought wristwatches were going extinct because of smartphones but thanks to fitness trackers, wearing a watch suddenly became cool again. Ten years ago, Fitbit pioneered the wearables category with the introduction of its first health and fitness tracker. Since then, Fitbit has set the the pace of innovation in the category establishing the largest social fitness network helping millions of people around the world be healthier. Recently, the global wearables brand released its very first smartwatch, called Ionic, which builds on Fitbit’s health and fitness expertise. As expected, the Ionic is packed with all of the features you’d ever need (or could think of) in a fitness tracker, but how is it as a smartwatch? Could it really be the alternative to the pricey Apple Watch? I have been using the Fitbit for a few weeks now and although I haven’t lost a lot of pounds, mostly the fault of unlimited rice (all establishments offering this kind of unli should be jailed—Ed.), the Ionic has succeeded in getting me off my butt and get me moving if just to keep

my FitPet happy. Let’s start with the features. From beginners to experienced athletes, Fitbit’s most advanced device to date offers personal, actionable guidance to motivate you to reach your goals—all while keeping you connected with apps and notifications, no matter what smartphone you have. There’s Fitbit Coach, which gives you access on-device step-by-step instructions for 7 Min Workout, 10 Min Abs and Treasure Chest, as well as dynamic workouts that adapt based on feedback you provide on your wrist. The new Run Detect feature kicks in GPS tracking letting you automatically track your run; see real-time pace and distance; auto-pause to grab some water or take a breather, and automatically resume when you start running. If swimming is your thing, you’d be glad to know the Ionic has a water resistance of up to 50 meters, so you can use Ionic in the pool and see your real-time laps, exercise duration and calories burned for pool swims. Ionic, likewise, has an improved heart rate technology called PurePulse to monitor your heart rate with greater accuracy during exercises like cycling, intervals and running; better measure of calorie burn, see real-time heart rate zones to optimize intensity, and track resting heart rate 24/7. You also get deeper health insights like sleep apnea in the future with the Ionic’s new relative SpO2 sensor. Smart features include contactless payments, on-board music, smart notifications, and a variety of popular apps and clock faces available in the Fitbit App Gallery. One of the best things about the Ionic is its battery, which can last up to five days on a single charge (10 hours with GPS or playing music), making sure it can outlast any activity you do during the day and still track your sleep all night. Ionic runs on Fitbit OS, the company’s operating system for smartwatches that’s regularly updated to add new user experiences. This includes the launch of the Fitbit App Gallery, where you can select the apps and clock faces that appeal to you, so you’re always armed with the information you want most, in a way that reflects your own personal needs and style. The first smartwatch I ever owned was the Huawei watch and I absolutely loved how I could change the face of the watch to match my mood and the occasion. The Ionic also has a lot of choices when it comes to watch faces, most of which are cool, nerdy and even ridiculous, but mostly in a good way. It may not be as elegant as the designs on my Huawei watch, but the Fitbit watch gallery has an entirely different charm of its own. My only problem is that the Ionic only allows one face to be installed on the watch at a time and you need to install it via the Fitbit app, which can be really slow. So if you want to change it again, you have to repeat everything—search for the face, download it, and again install via the app. After a few tries, I decided to stick with the virtual pet watch face, which shows a puppy or kitten onscreen that can only be fed with fuel powered by your steps. That is

why I have to keep moving and register steps to keep my puppy smiling. I’m still experimenting as to what it will do if I don’t feed or play with it for too long. While Fitbit is known for making great wearables, they aren’t exactly getting a lot of praise for their fashionable design. I personally like how it looks, but it’s still not as flashy or eye-catching as the Apple Watch. Still you can’t deny that the Ionic is a pretty well-built device. Utilizing nano-molding technology, the unibody watchcase allows it to double as a Bluetooth and GPS antenna. This construction creates a stronger GPS signal that works in busy cities or on remote trails. The Ionic’s body is made mostly with aluminum, making it so light that you’d forget it’s sitting on your wrist. The straps are rubber and are fully adjustable, and it even includes two bands with every purchase so it’ll fit on thin and thick (male or female) wrists comfortably. The Ionic has a 1.42-inch, 348 x 250 panel display—a color, spherical glass touchscreen with crisp graphics and amplified brightness of up to 1,000 nits that lets you read your stats wherever you are—in bright sunlight or a low-lit room. The App Gallery offers a range of health and fitness apps from Fitbit like Exercise, Fitbit Coach, Relax, Timer and more, as well as popular apps like Strava, the leading social network for millions of athletes at all levels, and Weather, powered by global leader AccuWeather, which are designed to make life easier and more convenient when you’re on the go. Each app is designed specifically for Ionic, so you don’t have to download an accompanying mobile app or have your smartphone nearby. With its pedigree, it comes as no surprise that the

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■ Long Battery Life (Five Days) ■ Great Looking Watch Design and color choices ■ Lots of Cool Features: waterprooﬁng, ﬁtness coach, customizable watch faces, apps, ■ Social interaction via its growing community ■ Works for both iOS and Android ■ Customizable straps ■ FitBit Pet ■ Wrist Music is hard to setup ■ Syncing with app is a bit slow ■ Wrist payments don’t work here ■ Smart features need a bit more improvement