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FROM THE ABSURD TO PATRONIZING, A SLEW OF BILLS SHOWS THE QUALITY OF SOLONS TODAY

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By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

n a sea of House measures reaching almost 7,500, a number of bills stood out and gained public attention due to their “peculiarity”.

While the majority of these measures have national significance, there are distinct bills that never fail to draw the curiosity of people.

PRRD Day!

For instance, Rep. Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, is pushing for the passage of House Bill (HB) 5377 declaring March 28 of every year as a special working holiday to celebrate the “President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Day”.

In justifying her bill, Robes said the country should commemorate the “true Philippine reforms, reunification and development in our nation.”

According to Robes, President Duterte now serves as the hope and inspiration of the Filipino people, “In his historic election as president of the Philippines, tens of millions of Filipinos now see him as the rallying point for real Philippine reforms, reunification and development in our nation.”

In the recent decades, the lawmaker said the country’s neighbors “have already overtaken us, we now import rice from countries that developed their rice varieties here in the Philippines; their military forces [are] now more powerful in strength and technology; their capital cities now the centers of business and finance in our region, even though the Philippines is the country strategically located in the center of Southeast Asia.”

Also, Robes said in recent years, the Philippines has become the center of illegal drug trafficking in Southeast Asia, with the National Capital Region also becoming a hub for drug addicts and criminals preying on citizens every day.

“From that sense of the national hopelessness, now comes a reformer president, who is inspiring and leading the Philippine populace, and now becoming the rising Southeast Asian strongman leader that we can be proud of,” she added. Much has changed since he took office in June 2016, according to Robes.

“He has reshaped Philippine society at its very core, allowing new beliefs and new patriotic passions to form. His methods are the alternative ways to execute the long-overdue and badly needed reformation, upliftment and strengthening of our republic,” she said.

It is therefore fitting, Robes said, for the Filipino people to formally commemorate March 28 of every year, “the date of birth of our reformist president.”

Uniform building color

House Committee on Metro Manila Development Chairman Winston Castelo of Quezon City said it would be advantageous for the government to have a single, uniform and standard requirement for all its buildings.

Castelo is pushing for HB 1591 prescribing beige or a similar hue

as the uniform color of all government buildings.

“Simple economies of scale dictate that it will be significantly advantageous for the government that all buildings or structures built and constructed through public funds, and all such government buildings or structures that may have been foreign-assisted projects, have a single, uniform and standard requirement for their protective coatings and official color, which henceforth should be established for common application,” he said.

The bill mandates the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to effectively implement the intent of the measure such that no plan of work could be undertaken by any public official, appointive or elective, in so far as any and all government buildings and structures are concerned without the approval of DPWH.

The agency will also set the standards for protective coatings, accredit protective coating painting contractors into a program, and ensure that these protective coatings or paints are available in the market.

Castelo said his proposal is prompted by the now pervasive practice of many elected public officials, including barangay captains, municipal or city mayors, congressmen, or even senators, of painting vital government buildings or structures with the clear intent to associate the construction of such building or structure to them at full cost on the part of the government.

For example, he said, it has now become part of the evolving engineering landscape to see school buildings, town halls, town plazas, public markets and other such public sites as being paint-coated with the color identifiable to that local or national elective official.

Continued on A2

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Legislative ‘craftsmanship’

PHL aiming to make its mark in the global creative industry

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By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

This calls for the advancement of the so-called Philippine creative economy, which, according to Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotion Group Nora K. Terrado, encapsulates the development of the field of creativity, culture, economy and technology.

Globally, the creative industry produced $2.250 trillion, or 3 percent of world GDP, in 2015 through the production, promotion, distribution and/or commercialization

of goods, services and activities that are cultural, artistic and/or heritage-related in nature.

In the Philippines alone, this sector contributed P661 billion, or 7.34 percent, to the country’s GDP in 2014.

Copyright-based exports, on the other hand, were estimated to account for 3.06 percent of total exports, with the creative industries accounting for 14.14 percent of employment nationwide, based

PESO exchange rates n US 50.6880

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XPERTS believe that the creative juices of Filipinos should be squeezed further to make the Philippines the hub of the creative industry in Southeast Asia, and even Asia Pacific.

on the report of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

“Despite taking up a significant portion of the labor market, Filipino creatives only ranked 22nd in their contribution to the country’s GDP,” she said.

This could be attributed to the relatively infant development stage of the creative industry here, which, on a positive note, also demonstrates the economic viability of the sector both locally and internationally.

“Right now, we’re just in the very nascent stage of creating that industry. We have so much gains that we have done already, but they are not working together,” Terrado noted.

Seeing the potential of the creative industry as the next growth area that the country could leverage on, she calls for collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors to develop it further.

“In the government, we want

to provide that environment or ecosystem, where industry will thrive. And no less than the business, or the private, sector can make this happen,” the DTI undersecretary said.

New economic growth area

THE burgeoning Philippine creative economy does not revolve around the financial gains of the entire creative industry and its subsectors, but also its other impacts on communities, particularly in generating jobs and developing new entrepreneurs, as well as in creating a new image for the country.

“[It is a] brand that we will be known for, particularly in terms of content, where it is registered as an intellectual property and we have ownership and rights with. Here, the Philippines can earn royalties and our people will have their creative services, which not only the domestic market will recognize, but also the world,” Terrado said.

She reiterated, though, that this is a purpose that the government,

business community, stakeholders and the public should share.

“But it will take time to do it, probably more than 10 years.

If we have done it with offshoring and outsourcing, I think this is our next IT-BPM [information technology-business process management] industry in the services sector,” the undersecretary said.

With convergence happening the world over, she said that local export products are now being mixed with services components—a lot of which are in the area of creatives.

Since the creative industry is vague as it is comprised of around 24 subsectors, Terrado emphasized the need to push further the gains that have been achieved already.

“I think media and advertising have a lot of it,” she said, while citing the other high-potential areas, such as digital games and apps, film and animation, and performing arts.

“We have to promote these gains. I think we sorely lack that Continued on A2

n japan 0.4642 n UK 65.7727 n HK 6.4840 n CHINA 7.6240 n singapore 37.1831 n australia 39.9117 n EU 59.6801 n SAUDI arabia 13.5175

Source: BSP (11 August 2017 )

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Legislative ‘craftsmanship’ Continued from a1

“These are just some of the things that this humble measure seeks to address and let the DPWH henceforth monitor, strictly implement, a coating and an official color requirement for all government structures or buildings, hence this submission.

Neutral and indistinct as it is, the beige color should be adopted as the official color,” Castelo said.

“Immediate passage of this bill redounds to the full benefits of government against wastage, political identification and patronage that creates an atmosphere of social dissonance among constituents,” he added.

No-homework policy

Students must be allowed to live a normal life and be afforded some free time to enjoy with family and friends, according to Assistant Majority Leader and 1-Ang Edukasyon Rep. Salvador B. Belaro Jr.

That’s why Belaro is pushing for a measure establishing a nohomework policy for all elementary and high schools in the country.

“While both schools and teachers must ensure that students are properly educated and prepared for the eventual challenges of life, the latter must also be allowed to live a normal life and be afforded some free time to enjoy with family and friends,” he said.

The lawmaker said this proposed act seeks to provide, as much as possible, a homework-free weekend for students so as to allow them the luxury of rest and free time from the rigors of schooling

during weekends.

Under the bill, all elementary and high schools in the country shall make sure that their respective teachers shall not give any unreasonable homework and/or assignments to their students to be done over the weekend.

No peace for the dead

Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque wants Congress to pass HB 3287 renaming the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) to Libingan ng mga Bayani at mga Dating Pangulo.

Roque said Republic Act 208 provides for the construction of a national pantheon for presidents of the Philippines, national heroes and patriots of the country to perpetuate their memory for the inspiration and emulation of Filipinos.

“This national pantheon was renamed as Libingan ng mga Bayani by former President Ramon Magsaysay in Proclamation 86 because the name Republic Memorial Cemetery did not properly symbolize the valor of those buried in the cemetery,” he said.

“Indeed, former President Magsaysay believed the former name does not truly express the nation’s esteem and reverence for her war dead,” he added.

However, Roque said the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos in the LNMB is causing massive unrest among Filipinos, who question the heroism of the former strongman president, given the human-rights record of the martial-law years.

“From both a legal and moral standpoint, many Filipinos, especial-

ly victims of martial law, question the propriety of burying President Marcos in the LNMB,” he said.

“By renaming the Libingan ng mga Bayani to Libingan ng mga Bayani at mga Dating Pangulo, we can defer from judging whether a former president was or was not a hero. Let the people’s memory be the judge [and] not the whims of a certain administration,” Roque added.

Fake or real

Due to the deluge of trolls in the Internet, two bills were filed to authenticate online and social-media membership and regulate social media.

In HB 4093, Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. of Negros Oriental said the government should mandate the authentication of online and social-media membership in the country through registration of their accounts using any valid government-issued identification and/ or barangay certification.

“It aims to address cyber bullying, harassment, online scam, libel and even illicit drug trade and prostitution by holding individuals, private and public entities accountable for their online interactions,” he said.

To verify identities, he said, online social-networking services will be obliged to require their users, whether resident or nonresident, to supply and link their accounts to the valid identification numbers provided for by the government.

The lawmaker said social-media platforms are indispensable tools for disseminating information, especially those that concern

corruption, mismanagement and the poor quality of service in different levels of government.

On the other hand, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is pushing HB 5021 to regulate the use of social media.

“Information technology, needless to emphasize, has made life, living life and doing life facile and convenient. The explosion of online activity in recent years has led to several pitfalls that needed to be addressed, one of which is the abuse and misuse of social media, which should be curtailed,” Alvarez said.

He said the Internet and social media are firm fixtures in the daily lives of billions of people around the world. People can instantly connect and have correspondence with one another by the use of their cellphone, laptops or tablets through these social media.

However, he said for every benefit that social media may bring lies the danger posed by some people or groups that take social media as a means to gain undue advantage.

“In many occasions, users open fake accounts by presenting themselves to the online world as persons whom they are not. This is a classic case of identity theft that is detrimental to society,” he said.

The bill seeks to afford a remedial measure and regulate these social-media platforms by mandating the social-media companies to reasonably verify the identity of user applicants before they are allowed to open an account. Penalties are also provided for failure to comply with this verification requirement. Likewise, those who

steal someone else’s identity shall also be penalized.

Rename the Philippines

True independence can only be attained if the Philippines will change its name, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said.

Thus, Alejano is pushing for the passage of HB 5867, or “An Act Constituting a Geographic Renaming Commission to Rename Our Country.”

“If we want to be truly independent, then we should throw away the bonds of colonialism by establishing our own national identity,” he said in a news statement.

“Many nations who were formally under colonial yoke have reverted back to their former precolonized name, as it gives them a sense of national pride and identity as a free people,” Alejano said.

Under Alejano’s proposal, the commission will be tasked to conduct a comprehensive study for a more appropriate name. The commission would be composed of three members from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino.

“The reason for renaming our country is to throw away the vestiges of colonialism, to establish our national identity, and to define how our nation, our people and our national language will be addressed internationally,” he said.

The Philippines was named after King Philip II of Spain, under which it became a colony for 377 years.

“Various colonizers came over, which muddled our identity

as a people and nation. Felipenas, Filipinas, Pilipinas, Philippines— which of these is the correct name of our country? It is high time for us to have a name, which befits us and is universal to all,” he added.

#DontTaxMyBeauty

Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe has proposed a measure asking the Department of Finance to impose taxes on the Philippine beauty industry, instead of imposing excise tax on petroleum products under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

The bill caused #DontTaxMyBeauty to go viral on social-media platforms. In his twitter post, @quincharky said, “It’s a necessity more than a vanity.”

Also, @hyancint0311 said, “They should create a law imposing tax on lawmakers for every stupid law that they propose.”

Following criticisms from different people and groups, Batocabe withdrew his proposal imposing “vanity tax” on beauty products and services.

“In light of the intense controversy generated by our proposal to provide an alternative to the excise tax on petroleum and the recent statement of [Budget] Secretary Benjamin Diokno that the government has enough funds for now, we deemed it prudent not to push for the so-called vanity tax,” he said.

“We do realize from the sentiments that taxing beauty products would also adversely affect certain sectors, which, according to some, would also deprive them of their basic happiness,” Batocabe added.

PHL aiming to make its mark in the global creative industry Continued from a1

appetite or motivation to promote ourselves and showcase our wins.

We don’t have a united messaging about what the Philippines can be known for in terms of creativity. So this is our chance to create an economic power using ideas. This will be emanating from individuals and even common people or anyone in the echelon of society. They can have a good chance to participate in this.

This is a very noble aspiration for the Filipino people,” she added.

Bringing PHL creatives to the world

WHILE the creative industry continues to gain ground domestically, the initiative of pushing it further for the country to make its presence felt overseas seemed wanting at present.

“We have a very healthy domestic creative industry market,” said Paolo Mercado, founder of the Creative Economy Council of the Philippines (CECP). “What we have seen, though, is that there’s not enough

perspective in terms of what we can do internationally, or how do we win as a creative economy.”

Although still relatively new, the CECP’s members from several creative industries are already working toward one specific mission, which is to make the Philippines one of the top five creative economies in Asia Pacific by 2030.

“What that means is for sure we already have Korea, Japan, China and India to be among the top four. We need to be No. 5, beating Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,

etc.,” he said.

Currently, the private-sector think tank strategist endeavors to bring in key people, like those Filipinos who succeeded in the international performing arts, advertising, digital, film and music scene.

“But we go beyond telling the individual success stories. We also want to take a look at business models being built here that allow us to scale in terms of our creative industries,” Mercado said, while citing the international film school in Cebu as an example of a poten-

tial creative hub.

“So we really drive the perspective of competitiveness that we are a legitimate creative-economy player. For us to really win market share in an international creative marketplace, we have to make sure of what we are good at, and then drive that skill in order to gain real share versus our neighbors and competitors,” he stressed.

On the road to success

Developing the creative industry as a whole—and expanding it to cater to customers abroad—is a painstaking process that cannot be achieved overnight.

In fact, the Industry Road Map for Creative Industry took the government, through the Board of Investments (BOI), considerable time to formulate until it was launched in 2014.

“That’s when we realized how big the industry is and how loose it is,” recalls Paul Edward Tajon, lead coordinator of the BOI.

This, in turn, had him and other luminaries in the industry, including Mercado, form an industry association aimed at pushing for the interest of the creative sector or economy, he said.

“So I think with an industry organization [or] umbrella organization, we now have a focal point in the private sector, wherein the government, through BOI, will be involved with other agencies like the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions [Citem],” Tajon said.

“We now have a single point of communication with the private sector. While we are aiming for No. 5 by 2030 [in Asia Pacific], we are also aiming to be No. 1 in the Asean region. That’s why we are really pushing for at least an industry road map so we can identify which of the sectors are the ‘lowest hanging fruit’ for us to develop and hone because they have the potential to grow and contribute to our vision,” he added.

Pioneering industry event

To help fast-track the achievement of the creative industry’s objective,

Citem is organizing CREATE Philippines as the country’s first international creative industry trade show set to unfold at HallOne and the Philippine Trade and Training Center in Pasay City from October 20 to 22.

“This is in line with the Philippine Economic Development Plan of the Duterte administration to nurture our creative industry for them to become a significant contributor to the country’s economic growth, and to also play a major role in spearheading the Asean initiative in promoting creative industry across Southeast Asia, especially now that the Philippines is the chair of the Asean Summit,” Citem Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes D. Meridan told the BusinessMirror.

“The trade show will also give the industry a unified voice so that this creative industry, through collaborative participation of various agencies, members of the public and private sectors and other key stakeholders, can make a breakthrough for the country, and we can envision to become a model for how this industry can make a dent in the global arena. In the end, we will create job opportunities and economic prosperity by converting ideas into economic activity or economic prosperity,” added Terrado.

The three-day event targets fast-growing creative sectors, such as advertising, digital art/graphic design, animation, game development, film and performing arts.

With the help of Philippine embassies and trade offices abroad, Citem is inviting international buyers, such as music and film distributors, as well as angel capitalists for the information technology sector, to grace the pioneering CREATE Philippines event.

“Our target for this event is only $2 million [or P100 million] since this is just the first edition,” she said of the expected value of deals to be closed between the 100 local exhibitors and international buyers during the trade show.

“What we also want to do is to double whatever our share is [at present] in the next three years.”

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UN: Islamic State can still fund attacks

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he Islamic State (IS) extremist group is still capable of sending funds to supporters and motivating attacks in Europe and elsewhere—despite military pressure and falling revenue—and al-Qaeda remains resilient especially in West Africa, East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, UN experts said in a report circulated on Thursday.

The experts monitoring sanctions against the extremist groups said competition between the IS and alQaeda continues, but “shifting alliances” among fighters “and cooperation on the tactical level in several regions also allow them to move between various groups.”

The report said the extremist threat continues to rise in Southeast Asia, where IS wants to establish a foothold. It said recent events in the southern Philippines, where the city of Marawi has been under siege by IS-linked militants for more than two months, is evidence of this.

The experts said in the report to the UN Security Council that “the core” of the Islamic State extremist group is adapting to military pressure in Iraq and Syria by delegating decision-making responsibility to local commanders and switching to encrypted communications.

Several member-states highlighted “the increasingly creative use of drones” by IS, primarily in Iraq and Syria. They said the group is developing the capability to design and construct larger drones which will increasingly enable it “to weaponize the drones, thereby increasing its ability to strike at a distance,” according to the report.

It said IS “continues to send funds to its affiliates worldwide” and is likely to do so as long as the group has the means. IS leaders have also sent money to places where the group doesn’t have affiliates in an attempt to prepare for its eventual defeat in Iraq and Syria, according to an unidentified UN member-state quoted in the report.

The experts quote several member-states as saying IS fighters returning home generally fall into three categories: Those disenchanted with the extremist group “and terrorism as an ideology” who can potentially be deradicalized and reintegrated into society; a much smaller group of high-risk individuals who return with the aim of conducting “terror attacks”; and individuals who have cut ties with IS but “remain radicalized and are ready to join another terrorist group should the opportunity arise.”

The report assessed extremist trends by region: n Attacks in Europe in the first half of 2017 demonstrate that “Europe remained a priority region” for IS attacks, it said. However, thus far in 2017 the group hasn’t conducted an attack in which the IS “core” is involved in detailed planning and decision-making, sending fighters and providing financial resources, the report said. It quoted some member-states reporting “an increase in radicalization and violent extremism” linked to IS networks in Europe. n In Iraq the report quoted several member-states saying key IS leaders left Mosul prior to the attack by Iraqi forces supported by the US-led coalition. But it said IS resistance in Mosul “indicates that its command and control structure has not broken down completely and that the group remains a significant military threat.” In Syria the report said key IS members also left their stronghold of Raqqa ahead of an expected attack and air strikes. n The Arabian Peninsula faces “a significant threat” from al-Qaeda and IS in Yemen, the report said. It said a member-state reported that over 30 IS-related “terrorist plots” have been disrupted in the region, including one in June targeting the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It said the importance of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for the militant group is demonstrated by a statement from Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden, encouraging sympathizers to join al-Qaeda training camps in Yemen. n In North Africa the report said IS cells claimed several attacks in Libya in the first half of 2017 following the extremist group’s ouster from Sirte. It quoted a member-state estimating the number of IS fighters in Libya at between 400 and 700. In Tunisia it said the threat from IS and al-Qaeda remains “a source of concern.” n In West Africa the report said “al-Qaeda affiliates remain resilient and present a significant threat to Mali and, to a lesser extent, the Sahel region.”

According to member-states, al-Qaeda affiliated groups continue to attack military forces and have intelligence capabilities to monitor movements of security and

military patrols “and conduct complex attacks,” it said. n East Africa faces “terrorist threats” from both al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabab, which has approximately 6,000 to 9,000 members, and IS affiliates operating in parts of southern Somalia and its semiautonomous state of Puntland. n In Afghanistan the report said IS has intensified its competition with the Taliban

“and aims to expand.” But it said that, despite recruitment efforts in the last three years, “the group has not yet established a viable fighting force there.” It said the Taliban “continues to wield substantial influence over regional al-Qaeda affiliates.” It quoted one member-state saying that, currently, more than 7,000 foreigners are fighting in Afghanistan for the Taliban and alQaeda affiliates.

n In Southeast Asia the report said the situation “remains precarious.” It said that while “terrorist groups” are believed to be ideologically divided over IS, the group’s propaganda on its socalled caliphate has resonated with extremists in the region. The report said at least seven attacks in 2016 targeting Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines can be attributed to pro-IS militants.

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Thailand, Philippines want no part in Asia dollar-bond boom

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The Philippine-claimed Thitu Island on the Spratlys chain of islands is shown off the disputed South China Sea in western Philippines on April 21. Philippine Defense Secretray Delfin N. Lorenzana, Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año and other officials flew to the island on Friday to assert the country’s claim to the heartland of the disputed area where China is believed to have added missiles on man-made islands. The South China Sea issue is expected to be discussed in the 20th Asean Summit of Leaders next week. AP/Bullit Marquez

China protests US ship sailing by island in South China Sea

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hina expressed its “strong dissatisfaction” with the US over the Navy’s latest freedom of navigation operation in which a warship sailed past one of China’s manmade islands in the strategic South China Sea. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement late Thursday that the US move “severely undermines China’s sovereignty and security, and severely endangers the safety of frontline personnel of both sides.”

China, which claims virtually the entire South China Sea, routinely protests such operations, which President Donald J. Trump’s administration has continued partly to reassure allies locked in

territorial disputes with Beijing.

“China has the firm determination to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime interests,” Geng said. The US move will “compel China to take measures to further raise its capacity to defend national territory,” he said.

A US Navy official told The Associated Press that the destroyer USS John S. McCain sailed past Mischief Reef on Thursday but gave no details. US officials say

the military will continue to sail, fly and operate wherever permitted by international law.

Geng said the Chinese navy “ ident i f ied t he US w a rsh ip, warned and expelled it.”

China and the US maintain different interpretations on international law as applied to the operation of warships, and Beijing has ignored a Hague arbitration court’s ruling that invalidated much of its South China Sea claim.

Tensions escalated after China began to build seven reefs, including Mischief, into islands, including three with runways, which the US and China’s neighbors fear could be used to project Beijing’s military might and potentially obstruct freedom of navigation.

China has reportedly installed a missile defense system on the new islands, although Foreign Minister Wang Yi Monday said China had “stopped or already completed land reclamation,” on

the islands two years ago.

Earlier, Wang said talks on a nonaggression pact aimed at preventing clashes from erupting in the South China Sea may start this year if “outside parties” don’t cause a major disruption, in an apparent reference to Washington and allies such as Japan.

The US is not a party to the disputes in the busy and potentially oil- and gas-rich waters that also involve Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Washington, however, has declared it in its interest to ensure that the conflicts are resolved peacefully and that freedom of navigation and overflight remain unhampered.

An estimated $5 trillion in annual trade passes through the waterway.

Washington’s critical actions came as it courts the help of China, North Korea’s ally, in taming Pyong yang’s nuclear weapons ambitions and ending its missile tests. AP

NOW expands network with Pre-5G N OW Corp. is aggressively pursuing its push to become one of the country’s formidable Technology, Media and Telecom (TMT) companies by using Pre-5G technologies to enhance and expand its ever-growing broadband Internet infrastructure in Metro Manila.

T he Ph i l ip pi ne Sto c k E xchange (PSE)-listed TMT firm (PSE Ticker: NOW) said the deployment of its fixed wireless broadba nd i nf ra st r uc t u re i n Metro Manila shall utilize new technologies, such as millimeter waves and TDD Full Duplex— both Pre-5G technologies—to deliver its broadband and cableTV connectivity to enterprises such as hotels, schools, hospitals, BPOs, commercial and residential areas. The company has earmarked P500 million for this undertaking with a projected subscriber base of a quarter of million by the end of five years.

“We have successfully tested two of ZTE’s latest wireless equipment with a capacity of 480Mbps and 3Gbps links—connecting almost

10 times faster than any backhaul.

They have been installed to paying customers and we shall connect current and new hubs,” said Kristian Pura, head of enterprise marketing of NOW Corp.

In a recent inter v iew w ith M e l Ve l a r d e , C E O o f N O W Cor p., he said the company’s adopt ion of a n A l l W i re less Net work Plan is motivated by t wo re l ate d g loba l de ve lo p ments: (1) Google Fiber h a s drastically reduced the deployment of hard fiber optic for its net work buildup in favor of f iber-l i ke per for ma nce of aer ia l fi xed w ireless net work simi lar to the company, and (2) AT&T of the US is using high-frequency millimeter waves to successf u l ly connect enter pr ise clients using fiber in the air that offers 1.5Gbps broadband connectiv it y.

“By utilizing gigabit links on fixed wireless setup, the company sees no need to deploy fiber optic in the early stages of its network buildup. The positive economic effect is that the

financia l requirement of the company’s five-year business plan has been adjusted from P1.5 billion to P500 million. The company, however, is prepared to scale upward its All Wireless Network Plan as when the need arises,” Velarde said.

The board has also given its nod to the management’s plan to amend its application for 15 million preferred shares offering with 30 million warrants to 5 million preferred shares and 30 million warrants, thus lowering the expected use proceeds from P1.5 billion to P500 million.

T he decision to lower t he planned shares offering was due to the fact that the company’s fixed wireless broadband rollout as spelled out under the All Wireless Network Plan would no longer require capital spending of as much as P1.5 billion, Velarde added. The newly approved plan would instead require capex of just P500 million for the broadband rollout. The company’s network, however, is very scalable in preparation for a bigger play.

“In the early stages of our network buildup for the delivery of broadband technology, we don’t need to dig grounds for hard fiber deployment, which is very expensive. We will be utilizing tested wireless technology that delivers millimeter waves wireless gigabit links direct to customers’ rooftop,” Velarde said.

For its part, Security Bank Capital, has been appointed by the company as a financial advisor with ongoing initiatives in bringing institutional investors into the TMT company. For this reason, the Board gave management the f lexibility to utilize various financial instruments for the company to consider such as private placement of strategic partners in cooperation with foreign and local institutions.

The board has also approved for management to continue ongoing initiatives propelled by the company’s underwriter and other investment houses for the underwriting of the issuance of P500 million worth of preferred shares with warrants.

ver in Asia’s booming dollar-bond market, there are two notable absentees: Thailand and the Philippines.

The two countries are missing out on the rush to dollardenominated debt, instead relying on their domestic fixedincome markets and lend ing from banks—something that’s u n l i k e ly to c h a nge a ny t i me soon. Issuance from Thailand and the Philippines combined stands at a paltry $3.7 billion, compared with $15.7 billion out of Indonesia and $10.6 billion from India, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The ensuing turmoil born out of Asia’s currency crisis in 1997 lives fresh in the memories of companies looking for capital 20 years later. In those days a far bigger proportion of bonds sold by the likes of Thai firms were in dollars and even the most casual student of the period will remember how that contributed to the collapse in their economies. Now, their lack of participation in the five-year-long boom for debt in the US currency may well be a price worth paying.

“Most of these issuers have been affected by the Asian financial crisis and since have been very conservative in their US dollar-bond issuance,” said Jean-Charles Sambor, Londonbased deputy head of emerging market fixed income at BNP Paribas Asset Management. “These two countries have a very conservative corporate sector.”

T h i s yea r t he Ph i l ippi nes government is the only issuer out of the nation with a $2-billion offering in January, while Thai borrowers have sold just $1.7 billion. On a net basis—accounting for redemptions—the Philippines is shrinking its dollar-bond pool and Thailand ’s is only just in the green this year at $93 million.

Indonesian companies can’t always rely on its domestic banking system and often have a greater need for non-local currency funding. Indonesia is a commodities exporting country and companies there have dollar revenues so it makes sense for them to have greenback liabilities, according to Terence Chia, head of Asia Pacific debt capital markets syndicate at Credit Suisse Group AG. “ The Philippines and Thailand, in particular, have strong local currency bond markets,” sa id Todd Sc huber t, head of

fixed-income research at Bank of Singapore, the private-banking unit of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. “Issuers are able to get big deals done with reasonable tenors. From a political and policy perspective, this is actually preferable because it dampens volatility versus countries that are dependent on the US dollar market for financing.”

Dollar liquidity

Philippine bor rowers h ave been ac t ive i n t he domest ic market this year, w ith pesobond issuance soaring 63 percent over the same period last year to P878 billion ($17.4 bill ion), Bloomberg d at a show.

The equivalent for Thai issuers shrank 10 percent to 5.1 trillion baht. Still, the size of the local-currency bond market in Thailand accounts for 81.2 percent of the nation’s GDP, among the highest in Asian economies. “ Thai and Philippine banks have ample dollar liquidity to lend to their top cor porates,” said Desmond Soon, head of i nvest ment m a n agement for Asia ex-Japan at Western Asset Management Co. in Singapore.

“A lso, most major corporates in these two countries have liquidity and run rather conser vative balance sheets.”

Here are some other reflections on Thai and Philippine bond markets: Banks in the two countries may come to the dollar market opportunistically for senior funding but sub-debt can be easily done onshore, Soon at Western Asset said.

The Thai and Philippine governments have been encouraging local borrowing as they don’t want US dol lar volati l it y on corporate balance sheets, said Ben Sy, head of fixed income, currencies and commodities at J PMorg a n’s pr iv ate - ba n k i ng unit in Asia.

It took many years for companies of the two countries to deleverage after the Asian crisis and for the countries to develop local bond markets.

Don’t bet on Thai or Philippine issuers tapping the US dollarmarket any time soon, said Credit Suisse’s Chia, and Bank of Singapore’s Schubert. “Given the rarity of these issuers in the dollar bond market, investor demand for these issuers will be strong as they seek to diversify their risks,” Chia said. Bloomberg News

Batangas hit by 6.3-magnitude quake; felt in Metro Manila

A

deep e a r t h q u a k e o f 6.3-magnitude has shaken off Luzon island in the northern Philippines, and was felt in metropolitan Manila.

Office workers in the capital left their buildings but no damage was apparent after the quake struck about midday on Friday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said

the earthquake’s epicenter was 5 kilometers (3 miles) southwest of Batangas province’s Lian town at a depth of 173 kilometers (107 miles). The US Geological Survey said the magnitude was 6.2.

The institute said no damage is expected. Deeper epicenters often cause less damage at the Earth’s surface, though they can be widely felt. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Saturday, August 12, 2017

A5

STRUGGLING TO KEEP WOMEN IN THE PACK

By Christine Hauser

T

New York Times News Service

HE Red Bull Trans-Siberian Extreme is the longest bicycle road race in the world, a grueling endurance test of 14 stages that unfurl over 5,700 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok.

The distance is so great that riders pass through seven time zones. They roll over roads through forested hills, along highways clogged with trucks. They spin along pavement, cobblestone and gravel, and through meadows as vast as the eye can see.

For this year’s race, eight men and two women set off from Moscow’s Red Square on July 18. They have dropped out one by one, and by Monday, there were just three remaining: Pierre Bischoff of Germany, Alexey Shchebelin of Russia, and Marcelo Soares of Brazil. On Wednesday these three will begin the 14th and final stage, pushing to be the first to roll up in front of the opera house in Vladivostok, a port city near the border with China, on August 14.

Even before the race is done, organizers are reflecting on a separate challenge: how to get more women to take part in the event next year, and how to keep them in the race longer. This year was the first time that women entered as solo competitors, and neither of the two female riders, both accomplished endurance athletes, got through half of the 14 stages.

Women are a minority in the world’s endurance bicycle races, and some of the competitions tailor their rules by gender.

Such is the case with the Race Across America, a trek of about 3,000 miles from California to Maryland in which 20 percent of the cyclists are women. Rick Boethling, the executive director of that race, said organizers have slightly different rules for men and women. If

male riders do not complete the race in 12 days, they are listed as “did not finish”, meaning they can keep riding if they wish but they are no longer officially part of the race. But female riders are given an additional 21 hours.

“Historically, if you look at athletics, there is a difference between male and female competitors,” Boethling said. “So effectively we have given them almost a full extra day to finish, and that is based off other events and other sports comparing top men to top women.”

The Trans-Siberian race, in its third year, is trying to make the event more attractive to female athletes, but Paul Bruck, the race organizer, said in an interview on Monday from Russia that the next steps were not clear.

One option could be to have women participate in two-person teams instead of solo, which would allow them to hand off and get more rest.

This year, both women, Shangrila G. Rendon and Thursday Gervais Dubina, failed to meet required average speeds of 13 mph and fell behind on recovery and meals between stages.

“We just would like to have women in the race, and we think it is more logical to have a dual team of women,” Bruck said. “They can be as fast as solo men.”

Rendon, 35, a Filipina-American who holds the Guinness World Record for the Quintuple Ultra Triathlon, said she struggled with lack of sleep, saddle sores, cramps, bad weather including hail, and roads thick with trucks.

Mickelson, Els reach milestone together

C

HARLOTTE, North Carolina—On the monitor below them was a photo of the first time they met. The 14-year-old with an easy smile was holding the winner’s trophy from the 1984 Junior World Championship. Next to him was the golden boy from San Diego, slightly taller at the time, holding his trophy as the runner-up.

Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson are still going at it, rarely rivals, always friends.

The next time playing together, this week at the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship, marks a special occasion for both. Three decades later, Els and Mickelson join an elite club by competing in their 100th major championship.

Els won his first one in 1994 at the US Open at Oakmont. Twotime US Open champion Curtis Strange was quoted as calling Els the “next god”. Only later did the media realize what Strange had said was that Els would be the “next guy”. It just sounded the other way because of his thick Virginia accent.

Mickelson didn’t win his first major until he was 34, at the Masters, and it came at the expense of Els. Mickelson holed an 18-foot birdie putt

on the final hole. Els, on the putting green hopeful of a playoff, heard the ground-shaking roar, picked up his golf balls and walked off. He never won a green jacket.

The PGA of America brought them together on Tuesday afternoon for an interview and a celebration, complete with a cake.

They become the 13th and 14th players to reach 100 majors, a list that starts with Jack Nicklaus and his 164.

He is followed by Gary Player, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Raymond Floyd, Sam Snead, Ben Crenshaw, Gene Sarazen, Tom Kite, Mark O’Meara, Bernhard Langer and Nick Faldo, who played his 100th and final major at Saint Andrews in the British Open two years ago.

All of them are in the Hall of Fame, Els and Mickelson included.

The PGA of America had photos from the first major they played (Els at the 1989 British Open, Mickelson at the 1990 US Open); the victories in the majors (five for Mickelson, four for Els); and yes, that 1984 Junior World. AP

“I was able to last, kind of survive,” she said. “It was extreme. It is definitely something I have never experienced.”

Alone after Gervais Dubina left the race, Rendon eventually fell too far behind the remaining men, who were in a pack and drafting each other. The start times were the same for everyone, but the men invariably finished stages sometimes hours ahead, meaning the women had less time for recovery, massage and food, she said.

She dropped out officially after the sixth stage, although she tried to power through the seventh.

“I did my best to hang on with the guys, but statistically we do know men are much faster,” she said.

“A lot of times I would end up riding on my own.”

While she said she had an overall “great experience” at the race and praised its support teams and organization, she suggested rules could be improved by giving women earlier starts and more time to complete a stage across a shorter route.

But Bruck ruled that out. “In this race we have a pretty strict timing and cannot organize two races,” he said. “This would be logistically impossible.”

RALLY CAT

Kansas City Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain watches a cat run past him during the sixth inning of their Major League Baseball game against the Saint Louis Cardinals in Saint Louis on Wednesday.

Yadier Molina blasts a grand slam into the left-field seats one pitch after the cat ran onto and across the field, helping the Cardinals rally to beat the Royals, 8-5. AP

ONLY three are left to finish the race—(from left) Peter Sandholt, Marcelo Florentino Soares and Pierre Bischoff. NYT

Neymar

Neymar debut in French league

could be delayed again P

ARIS—It’s been nearly a week since Neymar landed in Paris, and the world’s most expensive player still can’t play for his new club in the French league.

Neymar’s world-record €222-million ($262-million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was completed last week, but the Brazil international has yet to be granted permission to play.

PSG wanted Neymar to start the season at the Parc des Princes last week against Amiens but his debut was delayed because his international transfer certificate (ITC) had not been received by the French league on time.

Neymar was unveiled to the PSG fans on Saturday, but watched from the stands as his new team started its league campaign with a 2-0 win.

The former Santos player was then expected to play on Sunday night at Guingamp at the 18,000-capacity Stade du Roudourou, but PSG fans might have to wait a bit longer to see the star in action.

The French league said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Thursday that it had not received the document needed from the Spanish federation. It added the deadline for receiving the document was midnight local time.

The French league added that it “does not understand” why its Spanish counterpart “refuses to accept the payment for the buyout clause for Neymar”.

There has been speculation in France that Barcelona slowed down the whole process as a retaliation measure against PSG after the French league club lured one of their its players out of the Camp Nou. According to French newspaper L’Equipe, PSG is unlikely to ask Fifa to rule on the issue because it could slow down proceedings further. The club did not immediately answer a message from The Associated Press seeking comments.

Asked about his views on the issue after the Amiens game, PSG Coach Unai Emery said last week he was not sure “Spain did everything” to ensure Neymar would be cleared to play for PSG without delay.

French football federation president Noel Le Graet said another reason for the delay could be the current turmoil within the Spanish federation. Angel Maria Villar, who ran the Spanish soccer federation since 1988, was suspended from the presidency for one year in July by Spain’s top sports authority for his suspected involvement in a case of misappropriation of private and public funds received by the federation since 2009. AP

A6 Saturday, August 12, 2017 | Editor: Mike Besa

J

EJU ISLAND, South Korea—After 18 years of nonstop plaudits, planning and primping, The Club at Nine Bridges is ready for its close-up.

That moment of broad exposure comes from October 19 to 22, when the US Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour visits The Club at Nine Bridges for the newly minted CJ Cup, the tournament that now kicks off the Tour’s annual Asian Swing. The CJ Cup marks the first time the PGA Tour has visited South Korea for an officially sanctioned Tour event.

Few courses anywhere have so methodically prepared themselves for this high-profile moment. Nine Bridges opened in 2001, and Arch.

David Dale—a partner with the Santa Rosa, California-based design firm Golfplan—has returned to The Club nearly every year to conduct some manner of renovation. This sort of attention to detail has paid off, as few tracks have garnered more laurels in advance of their Tour debut: GOLF Magazine ranks Nine Bridges 43rd on its world top 100 list; Golf Digest pegs it at #59.

“It’s been a real treat to fine-tune Nine Bridges over the years, but I do think we’ve got the course exactly where it should be—from a design and competitive-test standpoint,” said Dale, a burly Montana native whose internationalist firm (www.golfplan.com) has laid out more than 217 original course designs in 32 different countries. “We were pleased that the Tour showed up and saw no need to touch the putting surfaces. That makes an architect feel really good. We have added several back tees, however, and renovated the bunkers to make those hazards more visible to competitors and television viewers alike.”

While PGA Tour players will be seeing Nine Bridges for the first time, The Club is obviously a well-known quantity to course raters (GOLF has cited it among the top 50 tracks opened anywhere in the world over the last 50 years).

When the Ladies Professional Golf Association first played its first-ever event in Korea, Nine Bridges was the host (2002-2005). The World Club Championship, an amateur event, has also been staged here multiple times.

Yet when the no-cut field of 78 and a worldwide television audience get their first extended look at Nine Bridges during October CJ Cup, they are likely to be surprised by what they see: a modernist homage to a lesser-known classicist (James Braid) set not at seaside but in a forested upland reminiscent of Gleneagles.

“That was my take on this terrain the moment I first set foot on the property in 1996,” said Dale, whose firm has laid out 23 courses in South Korea. “Course sites here in Korea are mainly in the mountains—on land unsuitable for agriculture. This is typical of course development across Asia. Coastal sites

are rare, as they are pretty much everywhere.

Accordingly, many Asian courses today take shape in mountainous settings—or urban environments that tend to be quite flat.

“But the Scottish Highland setting at Nine Bridges is utterly unique to Korea and Asia. Before we ever delivered design plans to our clients at Nine Bridges, I took them all to Perthshire, to Gleneagles. They made the connection immediately and that has informed our work ever since.”

The last time a worldwide television audience got a glimpse of Korean golf, it was the 2015 Presidents Cup, where the host course occupied dead-flat terrain reclaimed from Incheon harbor, surrounded by high-rise buildings.

“It was a striking tableau in many ways,” Dale says, “and the huge crowds showed just how much Koreans love and support their golf. But that setting didn’t have much Korean flavor, in my view.

Jeju Island and Nine Bridges, on the other hand, both show off how beautiful the Peninsula can be.”

Dale knows a little something about golf’s global garden spots. If you count renovations, Golfplan has worked in 75 different countries since its founding in 1972. If one travels to Indonesia (Bali Handara GC, Jagorawi), Brunei Darussalam (Royal Brunei GC), the Philippines (Anvaya Cove), Malaysia (Saujana CC), China (Weihai Point), Japan (Bonari Kogen) and Singapore (the Serapong course at Sentosa GC), these Golfplan designs are all recognized among the country’s most beautiful and elite tracks.

According to Dale, The Club at Nine Bridges takes a backseat to none of them.

“The climate on Jeju Island, which sits just off the south coast, is temperate and humid, almost subtropical, so it’s pretty darned perfect for golf,” Dale said, “and Nine Bridges itself occupies these gorgeous forested highlands that rise up from the beaches—right there in the shadow of Mount Halla, the highest mountain in the country [some 6,000 feet or 1,950 meters].

More generally, Korean golf courses just have a meticulously curated aesthetic all their own.

There’s nothing quite like relaxing in the backnine teahouse at Nine Bridges, watching folks play the driveable 14th.”

Ah, the teahouse—perhaps Korea’s most cherished and organic contribution to golf culture.

These are essentially halfway houses, resting points where a cool towel, a beer and maybe a hard-boiled egg can be had. Architecturally, they are the subject of great artistry and whimsy— and Nine Bridges is no exception.

“I prefer the teahouse on the back nine, which has a striking, ancient Mayan aesthetic to it,” Dale said. “It frankly makes the Butler Cabin feel like a truck stop. That’s where you’ll find me on Sunday afternoon during the CJ Cup. I can hardly wait.”

Dale-designed Nine

The PGA Tour The finishing hole at The Club at Nine Bridges is a spectacular piece of work.

Ira Alido

Ready for prime time T

Story & photo

by Mike Besa

he ascension of a golfer, or any athlete for that matter, is akin to climbing a ladder.

For golf, the ladder starts with junior golf, then transitions into collegiate/amateur golf to competing on an international stage up to the point where the golfer turns professional.

For most, that is a process of two decades or so but every so often, you get someone special.

Someone that vaults up the ladder like a superhero. Someone that does the unexpected.

When you meet him, Ira Alido seems like any other 16-year-old. He’s got braces on his teeth, is soft spoken and well-mannered. He seems very fit with a solid upper body and strong legs. He’s got a golf resume that you won’t believe.

Alido picked up golf at age 6; his dad, Bong, is an avid golfer and was more than pleased when Alido showed a knack for the game. More than a knack, actually. At golf, Alido is a phenom. He’s been winning tournaments since he was 9. He’s a veteran of the major US junior championships; the Junior Worlds, the US Kids; Alido’s been to them all.

As he grew stronger, his game blossomed under the tutelage of his Coach Mic Que. He went on a tear in 2016 when he won the Philippine Junior Match Play, the 6th PGA Junior Tour Jack Kramer Memorial in California and the 22nd W Express RVF Cup Amateur Golf Championships in early-2017 along with notable finishes in a host of other international championships.

At this point, the young Alido was on top of the world and with a long wait from the RVF Amateur to his next big tournament, the Southeast Asian Games in September. He began to contemplate turning pro. That’s a huge decision for a 16 year old.

His dad, Bong, knew his son had the talent but was hesitant to throw a teenager into the world of professional golf. They agreed that Alido would play the Philippine Golf Tour’s (PGT) qualifying school and his performance there would underpin any career decisions that would be made for the young Alido. All doubt was eliminated when he finished third. After more

soul searching, the mold was cast, Alido would turn professional in time for the start of the 2017 PGT earlier this year.

In the early part of the season he showed flashes of brilliance. In his very first round as a professional at the PGT stop at the Orchard Golf and Country Club, Alido shot four-under par 68 to open his account. It wasn’t quite Tiger Woods’s “Hello world!” but it made a statement.

Unfortunately, he came crashing back to earth on the next day. I spoke to him about it and he cited woes with his short game and poor putting. Then at the stop in Forest Hills, stellar play the first three days saw him close to the lead of veteran Tony Lascuña. He held steady and made the championship flight but again he faltered.

Results like this are just the tip of the iceberg of this young man’s potential. His swing is as aesthetically beautiful as it is technically efficient.

His clubhead speed, is North of 110 miles per hour, which makes him very long for his size. He reached the second green on Orchard’s Palmer Course effortlessly then stood up and drained the birdie putt. He’s long enough to hang with the big boys. Perhaps not as long as the very longest on Tour but then he’s as long as he needs to be.

The scary bit is that he’s still growing and should continue to get longer as he gains physical strength. His game into the greens is just as impressive; he has a great iron game and he’s very confident with his putter to boot.

If he has a weakness, it is variety with his short game but this is something that he’ll develop with practice and experience. That’s really all Alido needs to succeed on Tour. Experience. He is already ahead of the game with an extensive resume and the confidence of a champion. Look for success to flow as he matures in the game.

In the meanwhile, he’s one to watch. His talent and skill are undeniable. It’s a matter of time before he breaks through on Tour.

IRA Alido has all the tools he needs to win.

ManilaMed Doctors take a big swing for a Dr. Telesforo Gana Jr. (urology, from left), Dr. Vicente Bernardo III, Dr. Eduardo Eseque (general surgery), PGI Essa Bedural, Paul Aungon, Lyn Esguerra, Shayne Isla, Dave Bugarin, Mount Grace COO Rhais M. Gamboa and Waldy Berras.

PHOTOS BY SHANE AND ALYSA SALEN

Gana (from left), Parker, Mike Besa, representative Eseque; Jaycee Parker, cohost; Dr. Benedicto S. Joson, medical director of Good Samaritan General Hospital; and of Mr. Hadji Perez; and Eseque Dr. Noel Evangelista, medical director of Mother Theresa of Calcutta Medical Center

Gamboa, COO of Mount Grace Hospitals Inc., umbrella company of ManilaMed, and director of Manila Southwoods

www.pinoygolfer.com

|

Saturday, August 12, 2017 A7

e Bridges to host CJ Cup

r’s first Korea stop The 8th hole looks like it was hewn out of the wilderness.

The 10th hole at The Club at Nine Bridges

Resorts World Manila Masters Version 5.0

good cause A

s memorable a day as it was, the day of the ManilaMed 50th Anniversary Golf Tournament was far more significant for why it was played rather than how. There were raffle prizes, fun and games, the day’s winner shot a one under par round that would have made the average golf pro proud and the field of competitors included an ambassador. But what really made the day special was the cause for which the tournament was played, and how much help.

In past years ManilaMed has regularly undertaken medical missions. “This being ManilaMed’s 50th year, we wanted to do something,” explains Dr. Eduardo Eseque, a consulting physician at ManilaMed and the head of the golf tournament’s organizing committee. “With the success of the golf tournament, we can now give real, comprehensive medical help to 100 people who need it most, whether from a financial or medical perspective, or both.” He adds. “As we are located in Manila, we found it only fitting that our medical mission be close to home, which is why this year, we will be reaching out to the poorest communities in nearby Paco.” He concludes.

Far from just consultation and few routine checkups, the medical mission will offer surgery, complete treatment and, in cases where in preparation for surgery is required, free surgery may be performed any time this year, and not necessarily within the date of the medical mission.

The ManilaMed 50th Anniversary event’s success was due in no small part to the participation of its generous sponsors: United Laboratories Inc., Mount Grace Hospitals Inc., RiteMED, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center, Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center, Westlake Medical Center, HealthSolutions Enterprises Inc., Biomedica Health Care Inc., Biosolutions, Inc., Great Breed Enterprises, Bullseye Solutions Incorporation, Medicotek Incorporated, Kape Pilato Bistro Café and Lifelink Inc.

T

Frederick Alegre

Jose Ronaldo de los Santos, president, ManilaMed

Gamboa

he Resorts World Manila Masters plays its swan song in 2017. Yes, the partnership between the Asian Tour, Resorts World Manila (RWM) and the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club comes to an end this year as most things must. The five-year agreement that bound them together and brought the richest golf tournament in Philippine history to us expires this year, and the parties involved are hoping that the 2017 edition will be the most exciting yet.

The fifth edition of the $1-million Resorts World Manila Masters will return to Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club from November 9 to 12, with a charity initiative to support families affected by an unfortunate incident that occurred in RWM on June 2.

A fund-raising initiative will be undertaken at the tournament, where the Asian Tour and its members will be making their contributions to a charity fund set up by RWM, specially for the dependents of those who were lost. Proceeds from the fund-raising efforts will be channeled to the children and qualified heirs of RWM employees and guests affected by the incident.

“This fifth edition of the Resorts World Manila Masters holds a special place in our hearts,” Stephen Reilly, COO of RWM said. “Not only is it the final edition of the RWM Masters [but] it is also in loving memory of the employees and guests we lost during a senseless incident in June. By integrating a charity component into the tournament this year, we stand by our commitment to honor our dear departed whilst helping those they left behind move forward.”

Josh Burack, CEO of Asian Tour, said: “The Asian Tour stands united with our partners, Resorts World Manila, in the face of the recent tragedy. We deeply feel aggrieved for the families affected by the incident and hope to do a small part through this fund-raising activity at the Resorts World Manila Masters. We hope this will bring some measure of relief to the families.

“The Asian Tour players are committed to support this wonderful initiative. As we visit so many countries around the world to compete every year and showcase our players’ talents, it is also our responsibility to support the local communities during challenging times”.

The Resorts World Manila Masters has a history of social responsibility. During the first running of the event in 2013, most of the Philippines, particularly the province of Leyte, was devastated

by Supertyphoon Yolanda. Liang Wen Chong of China, who won title, donated half of his $135,000 paycheck to the victims of the typhoon.

The Asian Tour and Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club, likewise, raised money for those affected by the storm.

The tournament has done much to showcase the Philippines and the quality of golf here to the rest of the world. The broadcast goes out to more than 50 countries, and the Tour’s new live streaming initiative will complement its well-

Jeff Kimble (from left) of the Asian Tour, Resorts World Manila’s Stephen Riley and Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club’s Bob Sobrepeña. MIKE BESA

established global television platform, which already covers over 180 countries and territories with a potential reach of more than 750 million households via Asian Tour Media’s large pool of official TV broadcast partners.

There can be no better advertisement for golf tourism in the country than the live broadcast of the Resorts World Manila Masters.

The one wrinkle in the short history of the event has been the lack of a Philippine champion. As you read this, Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena have been playing very well as of late. Juvic Pagunsan has shown flashes of his old self on the Japan Tour and might compete on the Masters Course of Manila Southwoods. Tony Lascuña has been up to his winning ways, yet again, and because he calls Manila Southwoods home, he has to be tagged as a potential winner of the event. Although he has yet to finish well in the Resorts World Manila Masters, Clyde Mondilla has been on a tear on the Philippine Golf Tour.

His prodigious length and newfound maturity make him a real threat this year.

But is this 2017 edition truly the Resorts World Manila Masters’ swan song? Is this the end of the richest tournament in Philippine golf?

Hardly.

Well in advance of the news conference, the team at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club has been making the rounds of potential sponsors, shaking the trees and trying to find the money to keep the tournament moving forward. Given the exciting history of the tournament, the good that it has done and the good that it does for the country, we should see the tournament again in 2018, albeit with a different title sponsor.

That can only mean good things for all things golf in the Philippines.

Mike Besa

OurTime

A8 Saturday, August 12, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

My grandmother’s love in its purest form

I

By Mariel Amor Vargar | Special to the BusinessMirror

DO not have a treasure chest of photographs with my grandmother.

I have no tranche of memories of how she baked me cookies or tucked me to bed or sang me lullabies. I do not remember ever giving her a bestgrandma-in-the-world birthday card. I cannot even remember her voice.

What I do have is a story—one that is enough to show me her love in its purest form.

Ayaw niyang mauna (She did not want to go first).

Hanging on a living-room wall of our ancestral house is a portrait of a woman I wished I knew more.

Sans the wrinkles and spectacles, she would have looked the same as I remember. Her features revealed her personality—gentle, modest, no nonsense—or at least, that’s what I had been told. She is Consolacion Vargas, my grandmother, a catechism teacher. She would have been the perfect person to impart words of wisdom to a lost soul like me. But alas, time was not on our side.

Ayaw niyang mauna. Kasi sino raw mag-aalaga sa Tita Corro kung wala na siya (She did not want to go first.

She was asking who would take care of your Tita Corro once she’s gone).

Nanay Acion used to live with her eldest, my aunt Socorro; but unlike the usual Filipino family setup, it was not so that Tita Corro could look after the matriarch. It was actually the other way around.

My grandmother, in her late 80s, insisted on attending to my aunt’s health concerns, even if Tita Corro is herself a senior citizen.

I guess this was why growing up, I always thought of them as an inseparable pair.

“We have to go home and visit Nanay Acion and Tita Corro.”

“Kiss Nanay Acion and Tita Corro goodbye.”

“Include Nanay Acion and Tita Corro in your prayers.”

I had no concept of Nanay Acion

alone or Tita Corro alone. Always, they went together. And true enough, they “went” together.

“Ayaw niyang iwan ang Tita Corro” (She did not want to leave your Tita Corro).

Most of my memories of Nanay Acion had faded into oblivion. But I have a couple that I believe would be forever etched in my mind.

She and Tita Corro used to watch television all the time. My mom told me they would religiously wait for the prayers during commercial breaks. But every time I enter the living room, Nanay Acion would look away from whatever she was watching to flash me a smile. Always, perhaps, unfailingly.

I may not have a wealth of moments with her, but her gentle eyes told me she loved me. Her eyes would always look like someone just gave her a present every time she smiled at me. And that for me was enough.

The other, more prominent memory of her was that of her funeral. My 8-year-old self never really understood what was happening then. All I knew was that she and Tita Corro were old and, like many other aged people, they were moving in with God to heaven.

So before they finally laid her to eternal rest, I just stood there, uncomprehending and almost emotionless, as a cousin bawled her heart out, desperately trying to embrace Nanay Acion’s casket

one last time.

These little snippets of memories would never be enough. But, at least, I would never forget how she loved and how she was loved.

“Kaya hinintay niya muna bago siya sumunod” (Which is why she waited before she went).

Nanay Acion passed away nine days after my Tita Corro breathed her last and it was no coincidence.

She was, after all, her reason for staying alive. For the last time, they went together.

My grandmother refused to take a break from looking after her children even as they aged. When she should have been the one being pampered, she did not have any of it. She chose to be the one to give rather than the one to receive. Nanay Acion was old and frail, but her mind was not on what she needed; it was always about what Tita Corro should be given.

I once asked my mom to tell me about Nanay Acion and this was what she told me: “Ayaw niyang mauna. Kasi sino raw mag-aalaga sa Tita Corro kung wala na siya. Ayaw niyang iwan ang Tita Corro kaya hinintay niya muna bago siya sumunod.”

My grandmother, a catechism teacher, never had the chance to share with me the wealth of wisdom she has acquired over the years.

But from the ethereal realm, Nanay Acion taught me that love, in its purest form, never ceases.

news@businessmirror.com.ph

Buri Island tagged as new tourist destination

C

ATBALOGAN CITY, Samar —T he c it y gover n ment here has laid out plans to develop Buri Island as an ecotourism destination.

The crafted ecotourism program will not only be centered on sports tourism and ecological protection, but will also be anchored on community development and sustainable eco-tourism principles.

As part of this plan, a people’s organization was created after several residents of the island attended a series of community workshops in July with assistance from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dubbed as Buri Island People’s Association, the group is composed of individuals representing the sectors of fishers, women, senior citizens, people with disability and transport group from the villages of Estaka and Cabugawan.

The organization will be registered with the Department of Labor and Employment.

The group will be at the forefront in the implementation of the ecotourism project in the island and will be assisted and monitored by the City Tourism, Culture, Arts and Information Office and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.

“This initiative primarily aims to create alternative livelihoods for the people of Buri Island while instill-

ing environmental consciousness and pride of home,” Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan said last Thursday.

Buri Island, endowed w ith white-sand beaches, is located 10 kilometers away from the city’s commercial district. It is connected to the mainland by an embankment that serves as bridge in crossing the sea.

Also located in the island is the Catbalogan City Airport and some resorts popular among locals.

Uy-Tan said tourism development is the focus of her administration and one of the priorities is to make the city as one of the best tourist destinations in Samar Island and in the region.

Recently, the city completed the rehabilitation of Pieta Park built in memory of MV Doña Paz tragedy victims, upgrading of lighthouse in Mercedes village, creation of a tour package around the city using pedicab and participation in various tourism fairs outside the region.

Uy-Tan added opening two hotels in the city—the M Grand Royale and Alegro Hotel—also shows their tourism industry is flourishing and local businessmen and investors are supportive of the tourism program of the local government.

Catbalogan, the capital of Samar province, has a population of 103,879.

The city is 112 km north of Tacloban City, the regional capital. PNA

On a remote island, a whaling way of life is at risk

L

AMALERA, Indonesia — The pilot whales glided through the crystalline waters in neat formation, blue-gray backs glinting in the sun, on their migration through Indonesia’s Savu Sea. Suddenly, a small motorboat revved its engine and charged at them, and a man on board launched a harpoon at one of the largest.

There was a splash of blood— and then a slow death, as the harpooned whale bobbed in the water, unable to free itself. The sailors plunged more harpoons into it, and about 30 minutes later, a crew member slipped into the water and finished off the struggling creature with a knife to the spine.

Fisher men from the sma l l whaling village of Lamalera, on a sunbaked island in remote eastern Indonesia, have been hunting whales for centuries. They still do, now with permission from the Indonesian government, as long as it is for their own consumption and not for commercial sale. They may also hunt dolphins and mantas for their own use.

But as the government cuts down on illegal fishing in the Savu

Sea, trying to conserve a critical migratory route for whale and dolphin species, conservationists are calling for a strict regulation of Lamaleran hunting practices, too.

“This is not basic needs. This is really beyond that,” said Glaudy Perdanahardja, an official with the Nature Conservancy, based in the US, but has an office in Indonesia that focuses on the Savu Sea. He suggested islanders were no longer hunting merely for subsistence, but also for commercial purposes.

Although the group acknowledges the importance of whaling to the community, it worries them that the introduction of motorboats to Lamalera more than a decade ago has led to the killing of more marine life. Nowadays, Lamalerans use motorboats to hunt dolphins, mantas and pilot whales, rather than traditional sailboats. While they still use sailboats to harpoon sperm whales, they sometimes use motorboats to tow the sailboats to the whales to speed up the chase.

“Now, they can go farther and catch things they could not originally catch,” said Yusuf Fajariyanto of the conservancy, who visited

Lamalera in 2015 to observe the hunting practices.

But Lamalerans bristle at efforts by outsiders to regulate their fishing practices. “The sea is our mother,” said Aloisius Gnneser Tapoona, 63, a grizzled harpooner who said he had killed around 80 sperm whales in four decades of hunting. “Those who would restrict our access to the sea are those who would kill our mother.”

“Villagers of Lamalera are born from the whale,” continued Tapoona, whose house is decorated with trophies from the whales he has harpooned. Their bones are displayed in a sculpture garden at the front of his yard. “I always tell my child: ‘Your bones are from the whale. Your blood is from the whale.

Your flesh is from the whale.’”

Tapoona estimated that Lamalerans catch around 20 sperm whales a year along with uncountable numbers of smaller pilot whales, dolphins and mantas. The village’s hard and rocky soil makes growing crops impossible, so villagers have no choice but to take full advantage of what the sea provides, he added. New York Times News Service

OLD RECYCLER An old man takes a rest from collecting recyclable materials, like plastic bottles, boxes and other old stuff. He said he sells all the recyclable materials he is able to collect to earn money. ALYSA SALEN

CENTENARIAN

Juanita Bautista of Santiago City, Isabela, claims to be a 106 years old who has never married. She dwells in a tiny cubicle inside the Santiago City Public Market. She says the market place used to be a rice field where she grew up. LEONARDO PERANTE II

Their identities denied, Afghan women ask, ‘Where is my name?’

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A BU L , A f g h a n i s t a n — These are some of the terms Afghan men use to refer to their wives in public instead of their names, the sharing of which they see as a grave dishonor worthy of violence: mother of children, my household, my weak one, or sometimes, in far corners, my goat or my chicken.

Women also may be called milk-sharer or blackheaded. The go-to word for Afghans to call a woman in public, no matter her status, is aunt.

But a social-media campaign to change this custom has been percolating in recent weeks, initiated by young women. The campaign comes with a hashtag in local languages that addresses the core of the issue and translates as #WhereIsMyName.

The activists’ aim is both to challenge women to reclaim their most basic identity, and to break the deep-rooted taboo that prevents men from mentioning their female relatives’ names in public.

“This is just a spark—the posing of a question mostly to the Afghan women about why their identity is denied,” said Bahar Sohaili, one of

the supporters of the campaign.

“The reality is that women also remain silent—they don’t protest this,” Sohaili said, adding she and other activists were discussing offline steps to bolster the socialmedia discussion.

Like many social-media efforts, this one began small, with several posts out of Herat province in the west. Since then, more activists have tried to turn it into a topic of conversation by challenging celebrities and government officials to share the names of their wives and mothers.

The discussion has now made it to the regular media, with articles in newspapers and conversations on television and radio talk shows.

Members of the Parliament, senior government officials and artists have come forward in support, publicly declaring the identities of the female members of their families.

Farhad Darya, one of Afghanistan’s most renowned singers, put out a heartfelt message about his struggle to make sure he always mentioned his mother and wife by name in concerts and interviews over his decades as a performer.

“On many occasions in front of a crowd that doesn’t have family relations to me, I have noticed how the foreheads of men sour by what they see as my cowardice in mentioning the name of my mother or my wife,” Darya wrote on Facebook. “They stare at me in such a way as if I am the leader of all of the world’s cowards and I know nothing of ‘Afghan honor and traditions.’”

The campaign also has its detractors. Some on social media have said it is against “Afghan values”, while others have deemed it too small to make a difference.

Modaser Islami, head of a youth organization, wrote on his Facebook page: “The name of my mother, sister and wife are sacred like their head scarf, and it’s a sign of their honor.”

He then addressed the activists: “The name of my mother, sister and wife will be mentioned where they see necessary. You should get yourselves head scarves and pants.”

Sohaili, the activist, said she hoped men would look inward and consider why it was taboo to write a woman’s name, even in a doctor’s prescription.

New York Times News Service

The Millennials BusinessMirror

news.businessmirror@gmail.com

Saturday, August 12, 2017

A9

Ex-cager drops ball to aim and shoot for Gelato biz

V

Rizal Raoul Reyes |

before they open in Singapore.

So when they first presented the concept of Gelatofix, I already fell in love with it,” Lacorte explained.

“We found it very interesting because of its unique selling point.”

He said they also found Commonwealth Capital very supportive from planning to construction, “even up to the soft opening”.

“Furthermore, they even helped in hiring of staff to their preparation for operations to all the dishes in the kitchen,” he said. “Indeed, they are very helpful from start to end.”

@brownindio

ON Lacorte is on a fullcourt press on the hard court of business.

Lacorte, 31, received some offers from universities whose coaches have seen him play basketball. Indeed, he played: since Grade 3 in Don Bosco Makati until his senior year in secondaryschool.

“They [universities] wanted to recruit me,” Lacorte said, who admitted the initial feeling was overwhelming because the offers boosted his reputation and self-esteem.

But he has already decided “not to entertain their offer”. “[I have] nothing against basketball but during my first year in college I felt that I need to take a different route, which I [felt was] safer for me,” Lacorte told the BusinessMirror. “I mean, I’m afraid that when I get injured my career would be over.”

Lacorte has played against the likes of Ginebra San Miguel’s Lewis Alfred Tenorio and Alaska Aces’ John Evans Casio.

“I don’t want to solely put my

future on basketball, although basketball is really my first love.

As a matter of fact, I still love it up to now. It is my passion,” Lacorte said. “But due to my hectic schedule I only play it as [a] recreational [sport].”

He chilled for a while after playing professionally and put up an ice-cream business.

Patience

Sweet road

W HEN Lacorte and his business partners decided to put up a business, they took the food and beverage route. Thus the birth of Gelatofix this year with Lacorte as coowner.

At first, it was a challenge because we found it difficult to pick the exact business we wanted, he said.

Lacorte added he and his business partners remained focus on their criteria, “which is to offer something new, something fresh wherein people will be interested

lacorte

to go to.”

They saw an opportunity to apply for a franchise of the Gelatofix brand under Singaporebased food conglomerate Commonwealth Capital Group.

“That is when and then the business presented the opportunity. [Gelatofix] is a brand new brand of the Commonwea lth Capital, a renowned food logistics

and consultancy agency that is behind the success of many famous restaurants, like Pasta Mania,” Lacorte said.

T he first Gelatofi x branch opened in Cambodia. Gelatofix is also the first lifestyle dessert café in the Philippines.

“They wanted to start from Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] countries first

Millennials help lift Puerto Rico S

AN JUAN, Puerto Rico—Two young graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) did the unthinkable last summer: They quit enviable jobs in New York and moved back to beleaguered Puerto Rico, bringing their plan for a startup with them.

“People were like: ‘Are you crazy? Why would you ever do that? Go back way later; you’re basically going into a hellhole right now,’” said one of the graduates, Eric Crespo, 25, who helped create Lunchera, a fastgrowing online food delivery and logistics company in Puerto Rico.

As the tide of Puerto Ricans leaving the island continues unabated, Crespo and his partner and college friend, Bryan Collazo, are part of a small, but critical, wave of educated millennials who are doing the opposite; they are choosing to return home or stay put on the island.

They are opening restaurants and bars, fueling start-ups and small businesses or jumpstarting moribund sectors, like agriculture.

They are motivated both by an urge to help lift Puerto Rico out of its quagmire, but also by a profound attachment to the island—its beaches and countryside, its friendliness, its intimacy and the tug of family.

The pull in the opposite direction can be intense, as Puerto Rico reckons with an economic calamity more than a decade in the making. This island, whose finances are now being overseen by a federal control board, is shackled by about $70 billion in public debt, crushing job losses that are expected to deepen as more government workers are laid off, and an unrelenting exodus that includes many professionals, like doctors, engineers and teachers. Since 2004, more than 400,000 people have left Puerto Rico, a US commonwealth of 3.4 million people.

Slowly changing

AS the island enters its 11th year of recession, though, the crisis is slowly giving way to new opportunities that are elbowing aside more conventional ways of thinking. Puerto Ricans have long relied on the government for most of their jobs and on the mainland for many of their careers; university graduates have reflexively looked to US corporations for work or slid into reliable professions, like medicine or engineering. On the island, they call it the “colonial” mind-set, a way of thinking that is tightly bound to Puerto Rico’s standing as a commonwealth.

“We were taught to be employees here— not entrepreneurs,” said Carlos Cobián, an events specialist who is persuading Puerto Ricans on the mainland to come home, and promoting entrepreneurship on the island.

But that is slowly changing. A younger generation, steeped in today’s entrepreneurship revolution, is starting to think differently.

Puerto Rico’s governor, Ricardo Rosselló,

in a warren-like building in Old San Juan.

La Factoría has twice made the coveted list of the world’s 50 best bars by Drinks International. The owners lured Chuck Rivera, a star bartender in Washington, back to the island to be their partner on two new bars.

“We would have never been able to start La Factoría before; we started it on our own, no help from banks,” Leslie Cofresí, a coowner of La Factoría, said of the crisis’ silver lining. “The economic situation has brought about an attitude that is very different from what you hear—which is that people depend on the government and people want handouts. It’s on the contrary.”

Bilingual, bicultural

The Meatball Co. food truck, owned by Yareli Manning in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 28. In the midst of an economic crisis, some young Puerto Ricans of an entrepreneurial bent are bucking the trend of migration; Manning left a job in Austin to come back. “You have to have patience, which I have,” she said. “I’ve never been happier, though.” Dennis M. Rivera Pichardo/The New York Times

announced in May that the government had certified 260 new companies that would be creating around 1,000 jobs in large part through a program of tax incentives aimed at helping entrepreneurs. They are mostly small operations, and more than 75 percent are run by people younger than 35, officials said.

“For a long time, there was a mind-set that anything that comes from the outside was better,” said Daniella Rodríguez Besosa, 32, one of a new collection of young farmers who have reembraced agriculture, a forgotten force on the island, and are helping to bolster agritourism and a farmto-table movement.

“I feel the crisis is an opportunity; it’s not until you have a dire situation that you have to do things creatively,” said Rodríguez, who runs a small organic vegetable farm, Siembra Tres Vidas, in the mountains of Aibonito. “Change can happen.”

Paradise found

AFTER moving back to Puerto Rico as a child, Rodríguez never left, choosing the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez for her biology degree.

“If no one is here to change what’s happening, we will suffer,” she said. “And,” she added, gesturing toward the sea in the distance and the lush mountains around her, “who leaves paradise?”

Just recently, farmers who run small and medium-size farms have started selling their produce to chefs in Puerto Rico’s fast-evolving culinary scene, and a group of millennial women is helping to facilitate that exchange. Buying local is novel here—80 percent of Puerto Rico’s food is imported— and some farmers are now even

selling to Walmart. Others have their eyes on increasing exports.

Calle Loíza and the San Juan neighborhood of Santurce, near the beach, have become the millennial hub for this newfound energy. Once forlorn and dangerous, the area buzzes with just-opened restaurants led by inventive chefs who prize local ingredients.

Lote 23, a former vacant lot, opened last December and is now filled with 16 trendy restaurant kiosks. Its cofounder Cristina Sumaza, 29, gave up jobs at NBC Universal and L’Oréal in New York to come home and jump into entrepreneurship. “This crisis has forced us to think outside the box,” she said.

Growing movement

THE food-truck movement is also growing, although slowly. Yareli Manning, owner of the Meatball Co. truck, left a job at a multinational company in Austin, Texas, to start a food-truck park.

It has been a struggle, she said. There are many obstacles to starting a business on a struggling island overseen by the federal government. Getting laws and ordinances changed—a laborious process before the crisis—takes even longer now, she said. It took two years to get two food trucks in one park. Money is tight, the market is small, and palates can be stubborn. San Juan has nearly 400,000 people, and many are wedded to traditional and fast food.

“You have to have patience, which I have,” Manning said. “I’ve never been happier, though.”

Puerto Rican mixologists and their new bars—a swirl of laid-back hipster and Latin verve—have attracted a following well beyond the island. La Factoría, the first genuine craft cocktail bar, is tucked away

START-UP culture, once the purview of isolated pockets in the United States, is budding here, too. Parallel18, a start-up accelerator created last year by Sebastián Vidal, is drawing a number of young entrepreneurs, including the two MIT graduates.

Applicants worldwide are drawn by grants, funded in part by the government, and the chance to test their products on a bilingual, bicultural market operating under US law. Competition for the 80 slots a year is tough.

Parallel18 wants its entrepreneurs to think globally. But it also encourages investment in Puerto Rico and requires entrepreneurs to share their knowledge with college students. In one year, the start-ups created $14 million in revenue, $8 million of it generated in Puerto Rico.

Trickle of optimism

JOSIE Arroyo, 35, gave up a job at Yahoo! in Miami to start her company, Bien Cool, which designs clever greeting cards in Spanish. She started it in 2013 and is working with Parallel18 this year to expand it.

Now she is selling her cards in 100 locations on the island and funnels orders to 25 states.

The fundamental question for her and others of her generation is: “How are we going to succeed and help Puerto Rico grow?”

Reaching out to successful Puerto Ricans across the mainland is crucial, those trying to encourage entrepreneurship say.

Isabel Rullán helped found ConPRmetidos, which is connecting Puerto Ricans abroad with people and jobs here as a way to promote innovation.

The group is working to bring doctors home by sharing the latest financial incentives the government is offering to entice them back. Puerto Rico is suffering an acute shortage of specialists because so many have left for better paying jobs on the mainland.

Sumaza of Lote 23 said she was not naive about the depth of Puerto Rico’s woes. “But,” she said excitedly, there is a trickle of optimism. “It’s a small movement that is slowly growing.” New York Times News Service

BASED at the Bonifacio Global City, GelatoFix targets primarily young professionals and millennials, like Lacorte.

But unlike the typical millennial, Lacorte said he is more patient in getting the desired business results in his food and beverage and public-relations business.

I was slow in the development of patience, he said.

“I realized that, eventually, it would take time for something to fly. Right now, I’m just focused on making my Gelatifix open smoothly,” Lacorte said. “I am hoping that the public would receive it positively. And it is on the horizon to

have an expansion plans.”

He said Gelatofix’s all-natural gelato is what makes the café stand out.

Furthermore, our gelatos are perfected from Italy under the guidance of Italian chefs.

“The customers are assured that our gelatos have the perfect mix of flavor and it is tantalizing smooth texture sets it aside from other gelato shops,” Lacorte claimed. “While we also offer gelatos by scoops, we also specialize on gelato dishes in general.”

GelatoFix has salads infused with gelatos, gelato sushi and a lot of gelato desserts.

Team work

EVEN if he did not pursue a career in basketball, the 5-foot, 11inch Lacorte said the training he received in playing the sport has helped him a lot in developing hard work, persistence, discipline and proper time management. He also learned to be a team player where he slowly learned to put the needs of the staff first.

“Just like the team captain, I learned how to lead,” Lacorte said.

“We play as a team but when it is time to make heavy decisions, I have to put the welfare of the team first.”

Death in the john Vernon Velasco

MILLENNIAL UNIVERSE

O

NE of my greatest fears is to die in the bath.

Yes, fear of death is constant. But what make it even scarier are the odds of this happening while I am in the water closet. There’s a chance I will trip and bang my head on the floor while taking a shower. I might have a heart attack while taking a dump. And these could happen with me divested of all of my clothes.

I could sympathize a great deal with people who told me firsthand stories of the dead who died in the john in some funerals I’ve attended. I would tell them that neither do I want to die that way for some reason or another; the truth is I just don’t want to die naked.

Last week my uncle died in the toilet.

Frail with age, word was that hours before he died, he and his wife could still have the muscle to do groceries and carry things around the house. Thereafter, he locked himself up and remained there for hours on end without anybody suspecting until my nephew said he heard the man coo and moan in a desperate attempt to seek help.

The househelp responded quick and managed to squeeze himself through the small rectangular vent on the bathroom door.

He saw my uncle’s lips move. He said what

he noticed first was my uncle’s flaccid penis.

“So I see now that that is what happens when you’re dying: the first to go is your willy because it retracts into the crevice the way a turtle’s head might,” he said.

I was quick to condemn what he just said as insensitive and flat-out evil. But when told of such things in a way that’s devoid of malice and with a profound sense of discovery, I sort of egged him on to tell me more. Because no matter how far I tried to remove myself from thinking that way, still there’s an element of judgment to it. Here you’re trying to help, all the while distracted with the realization that when you get old your pubic hair becomes white.

After all these discoveries were exhausted and before the conversation went out of hand, I went to the point and asked the househelp whether he was able to decipher what the man’s last words were or to whom they were addressed.

Apparently, he was too preoccupied to catch it. As for me, if I were to die in the bath and were spared with a chance to talk before I die, it is to make a wish to be given a moment to put on my clothes.

Vernon Velasco is a writer for the BusinessMirror. The views Velasco expressed in this column are his own and do not necessarily reflect the BusinessMirror’s.

Opportunities teem in Asia-Pac sun-care market, research baresa

A

SIA-PACIFIC millennials’ concern about sun damage offer innovation opportunities for sun-care market, a study by market research firm GlobalData Plc. revealed.

According to GlobalData, its research on innovation trends and opportunities in the Asia Pacific sun-care market has highlighted how millennials’ concern about sun damage and the negative impact it can have on their appearance is making them interested in buying more sun-protection products more often.

GlobalData said it based this conclusion after comparing the attitude of millennials— defined as 18 to 34 year olds—with older generations’ concerns about sun damage. The firm said its research found that 81 percent of millennials expressed concern over sun damage, compared to less than three-quarters (74 percent) of over-35s, from the region.

“While the negative health impacts of sun damage are well understood in Asia Pacific, and have been for many years now, another key driver for sun-care solutions has been the growing acceptance of sun exposure as an accelerator to the aging process and cause

of appearance-related damage,” GlobalData Associate Analyst Matthew Perry said.

In the same research, nearly two-thirds of Asia-Pacific millennials (64 percent) said they are already buying or would consider buying products that address their concern over sun damage, compared to 56 percent of over-35 year olds. This indicates that younger consumers in the region are highly conscious of the negative health and aging implications of ultraviolet rays, and also more interested in buying products that protect them from the sun’s damaging effects.

“In addition to its health-related purpose, sun protection now serves a cosmetic function, becoming an integral part of daily beauty regimes, especially among younger consumers who are now increasingly appearance-conscious due to social media,” Perry said.

Many beauty producers are looking to win over these consumers through multifunctional products, such as “Blemish Balms” and “Color Correcting” creams, that have sun care benefits inbuilt into their formulations, to allow for more convenient and more effective protection. Cai U. Ordinario

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, August 12, 2017

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘Wired’ thanks women, to groans IN the August issue of Wired magazine, under the rubric “Colophon”, is a note to readers headlined “Wonder Women Who Helped Get This Issue Out”, which thanks, among many others, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, actress Elisabeth Moss, former first lady Michelle Obama and “my eightmonths-pregnant CrossFit coach”.

It caught the eye of Christie Aschwanden, a science writer for FiveThirtyEight. Around lunchtime on Thursday, she posted a photo of it on her Twitter account, with the caption: “Wired just published another issue in which all the features were written by men.” By the end of the workday, it had been retweeted nearly 1,000 times. For a few hours at least, social media was distracted with the expression of outrage about something unrelated to President Donald J. Trump.

“This reminds me of when Jon Stewart responded to Jezebel’s criticism by having his fem support staff sign a letter saying he was not sexist,” Emily Nussbaum, the Pulitzer Prize-winning television critic for The New Yorker, said in a tweet that was later deleted. Anna Holmes, the former editor of Jezebel, responded to Nussbaum with a tweet of her own, saying, “It’s almost worse: this both tries to deflect criticism *and* directly panders via ultimately empty name-checking of Obama, Moss, RBG, etc.”

On cue, a Wired spokesman e-mailed me a link to tweets by Lexi Pandell, a female writer for Wired, who defended Colophon. “Both men and women on the staff submit to Colophon,” she noted.

In a brief phone interview, Nicholas Thompson, the editor of Wired, described the Colophon column as a group enterprise among staff members.

“This is a group of liner notes by the staff,” he said.

“Wonder Women Who Helped Get This Issue Out” was written as a list. In addition to those mentioned above, it included: “my acupuncturist”; “senior editor Lauren Murrow”; “Thelma and Louise”; actress Constance Wu; “Coconut the dog”; “the superheroic all-female Wired photo department”; and “the moms working at Saigon Sandwich”.

Had the interpretation been different from the one Thompson expected when he signed off on the page?

“Yes. Completely,” he wrote in an e-mail.

As the online hubbub crescendoed, Thompson tweeted a statement from the Wired executive editor, Maria Streshinsky, that made reference to the recent release of the movie Wonder Woman and said, in part, “It seemed like a good time to honor our ‘wonder women’ who get the magazine out, and that simply isn’t support staff.”

Driving the reaction, presumably, is the subject of female representation that has vexed every facet of the technology industry, including the publications that cover it. As Aschwanden noted, the four main articles in the August issue’s feature well were written by men. In addition, a politics column was written by Clive Thompson, who is Nussbaum’s husband.

Lest readers think Wired is a bro-gazine, the issue opens with a two-page essay by feminist writer Laurie Penny on how automation may take over traditional male jobs, like construction and farming.

Perhaps the unsung women were pleased to be mentioned. Perhaps not. Sam Yip, an owner of the Saigon Sandwich shop near Wired’s New York offices, confirmed that indeed five “moms” work there. He also said they were not aware that they had been mentioned in Wired.. “They don’t speak English,” Yip said.

NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

Streaming, YouTube and ‘pirates’ PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

‘I

CAN’T believe you didn’t tell me,” my friend exclaimed after she discovered what for her was HOOQ’s life-changing feature.

My friend was referring to the streaming service’s rich catalog of over 1,000 Filipino movies spanning almost five decades and over 4,000 hours of local television. At that time, she had been watching Sharon Cuneta movies, even buying original DVDs. Her sons’ Globe lines came with free HOOQ subscriptions and that’s how she discovered that she could watch Tagalog movies there.

It was indeed remiss of me not to have told her about HOOQ and its Tagalog movies. The subscription is perfect for people like her.

For me, one of the great things that technology has brought is access to our favorite movies and TV shows via streaming services, like HOOQ, Netflix and iFlix.

It’s just so easy to subscribe to one or all three. You can also rent or buy movies and TV shows from iTunes, Amazon Prime and Google Play.

Of course, younger people will shrug their shoulders at that statement because they can’t understand how these conveniences were not available then. But the struggle was real for us.

Back in the day (I’m going to say that a lot here),

it was not often that we could afford to buy cinema tickets or rent Betamax and VHS tapes or laser discs.

Those were luxuries, right up there with a McDonald’s Cheeseburger Meal. Students and young professionals then didn’t have much money, aside from what we earned or received from our parents, which wasn’t much, too.

Up until college, my TV watching hours were restricted, too. That plus the fact that there wasn’t much too much on the channels, and there weren’t too many channels, which all signed off at around 11 or 12 pm. Video rentals were luxuries. Watching movies in cinemas were something we did with the family once a month, if we got lucky.

As a young professional, I remember thinking that my best friend was so lucky that she had a laser disc player and she could afford to rent several movies every week. There was this Chinese movie that we liked, The Lover, that we watched over and over at her house. When I became a mom and my daughter was a teenager, I remember that the trend for “obtaining” movies and TV shows was through, uhm, nefarious methods. To this day, some people still do this, though on a lesser scale.

A friend of mine was so good at this that we called her “The Pirate”. Of course, years later, we no longer need torrents or anything like that.

Nobody watches TV anymore.

In our household, only my 78-year-old mother watches free and cable TV. I usually go for YouTube or streaming (via HOOQ, Netflix and/or iFlix). My daughter is a YouTube native, having been watching videos on the platform since she was 14. Thanks to her, I know content creators, like Pewdiepie, Dan Howell, Phil Lester, Caspar Lee and Joe Sugg.

The power of YouTube cannot be underestimated.

The young content creators there are real influencers.

I remember my daughter, then around 16 or 17, pestering me to buy her a Topman shirt. I wondered why since other female teenagers would go for something from Topshop. It turns out that the British YouTubers that she followed bought their clothes from Topman. When Shakeaway opened in the Philippines last year, she was also very excited because this store (which sold milkshakes and other drinks) was the favorite of Howell and Lester.

Thanks to my daughter, I’m one of those mothers who isn’t ignorant about YouTube. Note to other parents: YouTube is where your kids are at. Most of them aren’t watching porn or anything. They’re into Pewdiepie, Joe Sugg, Bretman Rock, Kathleen Lights, Janina Vela, Wil Dasovich, Anna Cay, Michelle Dy, Say Tioco and many other talented content creators.

Thanks to this knowledge, I’m not one of those moms who scream at their kids, “You’re always on the Internet!” I understand how easy it is to get lost watching videos, how hours could pass and that’s the only thing you do.

Parents, our kids are always on the Internet because it’s there they can find people to relate to.

There, they aren’t lost, misunderstood or judged.

Okay, back to the topic. A couple of years ago, streaming services came to our country. I’m not sure but I think it was iFlix that came first. My US Netflix subscription was courtesy of a friend.

Now, I have a Philippines-based Netflix subscription for a little less than P400 a month. I also have HOOQ and am thinking of getting iFlix because they have MTV shows, like Cat�ish. I obviously have a lot of time to watch shows and videos on my computer or mobile phone.

Spending over P1,000 monthly on streaming subscriptions may seem extravagant but I like to think of it as therapy. /

BANKING WHILE YOU’RE ON THE GO THE thrift bank arm of the Metrobank Group, Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank), has been at the forefront of digital innovations, improving its products and services to provide an exceptional banking experience for its clients.

The bank recently announced the release of its redesigned PSBank Mobile App for Apple and Android users that’s simpler, intuitive and more powerful. Aside from its fresh look, it’s packed with new functionalities, with some being a first of its kind in the local banking industry. The app is a free download.

The new PSBank Mobile App allows its users to do the following at a touch of a finger: ■ PAYME. A first in the local banking industry that will allow PSBank Mobile

clients to request for money from other users in a snap. Getting or collecting payments will now be as quick and easy with this unique feature of the app.

■ TOUCH ID. PSBank Mobile clients can now access their account using fingerprint recognition. It is a convenient, secure and quick way to access their account that will no longer require users to log in the Mobile App using their username and password.

■ IN-APP ONETIME PASSWORD. Instead of waiting for a onetime password (OTP) to be sent via SMS and going out of the app to access the code, the new PSBank Mobile app will generate the code and populate the OTP field automatically. It makes for a hassle-free banking experience.

PSBank Mobile app also enables clients to save their username, visit their accounts

with the Quick View feature and quickly access their Favorite transactions. Checking account clients can also easily monitor the status of their issued checks as they can view the image of their claimed checks in the app.

“In this increasingly fast-paced environment, people are always on the go and want an immediate access to information, making the mobile phone an indispensable gadget in their lifestyle.

In PSBank, we continue to innovate our products and services to allow our clients to conduct their banking transactions wherever they are. We always aim to simplify their life through our innovative and reliable banking products and services,” SVP and Marketing Group Head Emmanuel A. Tuazon said.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, August 12, 2017 A11

Cloudfone seeks to become No. 1 mobile-phone brand in PHL by 2020 Accident-proof your Apple device NO matter how careful with gadgets you are, accidents are bound to happen. Good thing Apple devices newly purchased at Power Mac Center (www. powermaccenter.com) now have an option of additional insurance protection for damages not covered in the standard warranty. This includes water damage or cracked screen, as well as medical expense and death benefits arising from theft or robbery.

Power Mac Center, in partnership with Insurance Co. of North America (a Chubb Co.), designed Protect Plus to shield you from potential losses as you are constantly exposed to such risks. Its benefits include: ■ Accidental Damage Benefit for impairment that prevents a device’s correct operation or renders it unusable; ■ Accidental Death Benefit Arising from Theft or Robbery amounting to P100,000 for the customer’s family or beneficiaries in case of loss of life; and ■ Accidental Medical Expense Benefit Arising from Theft or Robbery of up to P5,000 per incident, reimbursed for in or outpatient medical treatment.

Customers must purchase an Apple device at Power Mac Center to avail themselves of the Protect Plus protection insurance offer. A premium of 12 percent of the device’s current retail price entitles you to one-year insurance protection. This adds benefits in cases of accidents causing damage to the device or its owner. Note that this does not extend the duration of the standard Apple warranty.

Filing claims is as simple as calling the Protect Plus hotline, or sending an e-mail within seven calendar days from the date of incident. For accidental damage claims, Protect Plus will shoulder the Diagnostic Fee and Repair Costs. Meanwhile, participation fee for approved claims is at 20 percent of the device’s original purchase price.

“Power Mac Center’s latest offering, Protect Plus, is actually security and peace of mind in a nutshell. It’s a reestablishment of our commitment to provide unparalleled service to the Filipino Apple market. Now you can be worry-free no matter your lifestyle because of the extra precaution Protect Plus provides,” Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez said.

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BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

OMEGROWN CellPrime Distribution Corp. targets its very own Cloudfone to be the leading local mobile-phone brand in the Philippines by 2020, as the company reshapes its direction and takes an aggressive approach in providing Filipino consumers an awesome mobile-phone experience at affordable price. “We want to be No. 1 in three years time.

That’s the goal. We want to be able to sustain our double-digit growth. Our market share right now is in the single digit,” CellPrime CEO Eric Yu told BUSINESSMIRROR in an interview.

Based on GfK report, Cloudfone recorded a 39-percent revenue growth and a 21-percent market share from January to April 2017 as compared to the same period last year.

“We attribute these to the consumers realizing that we have great products [and] we produce awesome phones,” the top executive said.

While the market is heading toward the tail end of the shift between feature phone to smartphone, CellPrime remains bullish on the mobile industry.

“I guess, you can say that smartphone penetration has reached its maturity, but in terms of smartphone being 3G to 4G and 5G in the future, that’s a new growth area. So the future looks good in terms of continuous growth,” he said.

For this year, CellPrime expects that most of its sales will be coming from 4G-enabled units since the entire market is not yet fully covered by this mobile network. “That’s why we’re preparing a lot of new and exciting products on 4G because we feel that at some point the consumers would want 4G speeds on their phones,” Yu stressed.

To help realize Cloudfone’s market dominance, the firm has new offerings and marketing campaigns in the pipeline.

Just recently, Cloudfone Excite Prime 2 was launched in the market, following the success of its predecessor Excite Prime 1 in 2015.

As the first “Awesome Selfie Smartphone” to hit the market, it offers a camera UI that enables consumers to capture moments with ease and quality, supported by 13 MP and 8 MP cameras, Sony IMX135 sensor, front and rear flash, and enhanced Portrait Mode (Bokeh Effect) in both its front and rear cameras, super-pixel mode, time lapse, soft light and face beauty.

This will be followed by Cloudfone Excite Prime 2 Pro’s introduction in a month or two, with the promise of further providing consumer mobile phones with well-crafted design and high-quality specs. Meanwhile, the third model of the “Next” series will become available in the latter part of the year. The Next and Next Lite were launched in 2016.

“So this year, we’re launching a follow-up to

that. We’ll be ready by the fourth quarter of 2017,” Yu said, citing this is timely for the holiday season.

“Historically, the fourth quarter, the December season [or] the ‘ber’ months, is always the highest point of technology [business]. People buy a lot of consumer electronics in the Christmas season, and I think that we’re ready with great products in the fourth quarter.

We’re very excited and we’re very optimistic that we’ll be able to ride that December wave.”

These new models of Cloudfone smartphones form part of the company’s commitment to break the “inexpensive equals to cheap” mind-set by continuously building premium quality phones at affordable prices.

“We have great designs. We use metal. We use the right materials. You know, at the end of the day, if you make a product that looks cheap, it will be priced cheap. From our standpoint, we’re trying to convince consumers that we use the best materials.

Look at it, it is designed very well. It looks amazing It looks awesome, and it’s priced at the right price,” Yu explained.

Leveraging on the Philippines being the “selfie capital of the world”, the CEO shared that their focus now is to address the need of local consumers by concentrating all their efforts in developing selfportrait photograph technology at a reasonable cost.

“We’d like to believe that we want to make technology affordable. At the end of the day, you don’t have to be in the social class of D and E to buy a phone that’s affordable. Our goal essentially is making what’s available in a P40,000 phone and price it at where it really supposed to be price,” he pointed out.

Yu also acknowledged the fact that Filipinos are brand-conscious because they understand quality and value in consumer products—the reason there are a lot of new consumer brands out there that’s giving the multinationals a run for their money.

“They won’t be necessarily trade-off a brand for a no-brand item, but they know what value each brand brings. And that’s where we’re trying to get our message across, as well. For our brand, we bring affordability, we bring great-quality products,” he said. Although CellPrime is not planning yet on expanding abroad, Yu admitted that as a local brand, they’re thinking global.

“And to reinforce and emphasize our culture of thinking global, we’ve decided to partner with global companies that share the same mind-set, the same culture and the same goals. So that’s why we aligned our brands with global brands that we feel share the same corporate values as ours,” he noted.

Cloudfone has proactive collaborations with numerous huge global brands—Disney, Xbox, National Basketball Association and Spotify—which help the company enhance its mobile technology and handset development capabilities.

Upholding its roots, on the other hand, CellPrime will continue to explore working with Filipino content

ERIC YU, the CEO of CellPrime Distribution Corp., which is the company behind the affordable range of Cloudfone smartphones.

providers and app developers to incorporate local attributes to its product offerings.

Currently, Cloudfone has over 100 standalone stores and kiosks nationwide, and it’s hoping to double the number for the next two to three years.

“The mobile-phone industry is still growing [here], faster than our Southeast Asian neighbors. I think this industry will continue to be vibrant and will continue to grow,” Yu stressed. “So we will continue to innovate and be in the forefront of technology that’s affordable.

I think that’s where our strengths are. We need to be able to take great technologies and provide it an affordable price.”

From merely an exclusive seller of Globe phone cards and SIM cards in 2003, CellPrime started its foray into the mobile phone business through Cloudfone in 2009. WITH CHARLOTTE FURIGAY

Digital work force on the rise THE world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn launched “Recruiting in the Philippines: A Special Report on the Philippines’ Skilled Workforce and How to Attract Top Talent” based on a study of more than 4 million professionals and over 19,000 active companies in the Philippines on LinkedIn. Driven by rising infrastructure spend, domestic demand and the business-process outsourcing (BPO) sector boom, the Philippines posted a 6.4-percent growth in the first quarter of 2017, continuing its sevenquarter growth streak. The LinkedIn report reveals that while robust economic growth is creating better quality and higher paying jobs, it’s also hastening the need for a more industrial, innovative and digital work force.

The study unveiled the top 10 most hired occupations on LinkedIn. Sales professional, software developer and customer service specialist emerged as the top 3 most-hired occupations.

This also reflects the country’s growing demand of skilled talent and fastest-growing sectors, particularly in BPO representing a range of industries

including IT, outsourcing, education, banking and financial services.

A deeper analysis on the occupations revealed that changes in the technological and economic landscape has considerable implications on businesses and skill sets required. For example, the most in-demand skills for a sales professional are enterprise software, cloud computing, presales, channel partnership and solution selling. The early days of BPO industry of handling customer complaints, telesales and data entry and administration have evolved dramatically.

“Much of the boost to the Philippine economy is attributed to the BPO industry. As the sector matures, the demand for skills, such as digital marketing and IT, is on the rise. For job-seekers, it’s no longer adequate to just possess technical qualifications but they need to diversify and strengthen their skill sets. This also spells tougher competition for companies looking for talent with the right skill competencies, as well as aptitude for continuous learning,” said Feon Ang, LinkedIn vice president for talent and learning

solutions for Asia Pacific.

“With an upwardly digital and relatively young work force in the Philippines, employers need to go online to connect and engage with them. Young professionals are keen to understand their employers’ company purpose, as well as work culture.

“Hence, a strong employer branding is imperative to attract and retain the best people,” Ang said, “While traditional recruiting methods are still relevant, more companies are reaping the benefits of adopting online and digital platforms, connecting and engaging with job seekers at scale.”

Of LinkedIn’s 4 million members, more than 60 percent of them are between the age of 25 and 35. They use LinkedIn to seek professional insights (54 percent); connect and communicate with their network (49 percent); research companies and people (44 percent); and search for new career opportunities (37 percent).

To learn more about LinkedIn’s special report on the Philippines’s skilled work force and how to attract top talent, visit goo.gl/uPe2U9.

Streaming, YouTube and ‘pirates’ »A10

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

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THE Night King of Games of Thrones makes a surprise appearance in the ransom video of the hacker/s who broke into and compromised HBO’s network.

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THE consumer electronics company Devant hosted a film screening for the media to underscore TV as a tool in fostering and strengthening bonds.

BusinessMirror

Saturday, August 12, 2017 A12

In the game of leaks, has winter come for TV? the technivore ed uy

“Winter is coming.”

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—Ned Stark in Game of Thrones

EMEMBER the time when the only thing you hated most when watching TV were those long commercial breaks? Given that these TVCs are the ones that keep the show funded, there were just some that featured a ridiculous amount of advertisements that you can actually take a quick bath and not miss anything.

In this digital age, when you can simply watch your favorite shows online, and avoid or skip those commercials, TV fans are facing an even worse enemy—spoilers.

Posting spoilers in social media is one sure way to become popular and #InstaFamous— just not among your friends. People have been unfollowed and blocked on social media for posting spoilers, real relationships strained and friendships ended just because you were too excited to tell everyone who died in the upcoming episode.

If you are a Game of Thrones (GoT) die hard, you know how hard it is to remain an unsullied fan, as the Internet is dark and full of spoilers.

Oh Spoiler Alert: Ned Stark dies.

Recently, however, a group of hackers are threatening to release not just spoilers but entire scripts and other information about Game of Thrones unless they are paid an undisclosed amount by HBO. This is different from the Episode 4 leak released a few days ahead of its

telecast by one of HBO’s distribution partners. HBO is the latest in the list of Hollywood entertainment companies to suffer a major cyber attack. The hackers claim to have obtained 1.5 terabytes of data from the HBO company which includes draft scripts from five Game of Thrones episodes, and two unreleased episodes of Ballers and Room 104, detailed script summaries, castings, marketing materials, media plans and even the personal phone numbers and e-mail addresses of some Game of Thrones cast members.

The hackers then sent a “video letter” to the HBO bosses, saying: “We successfully breached into your huge network.” The message reportedly added: “HBO was one of our difficult targets to deal with but we succeeded [it took about six months].”

“Mr. Smith” then made their intentions clear: “Our demand is clear and nonnegotiable: We want XXXX dollars to stop leaking your data.... HBO spends 12 million for Market Research and 5 million for GoT7 advertisements. So consider us another budget for your advertisements!”

Reports estimate that the “six-month salary in bitcoin”, which they implied, would amount to at least $6 million. For those of you who are not familiar with bitcoin, it is a digital cryptocurrency that is accepted by a number of international retailers. A single bitcoin is worth almost $3,500 and is used by many computer criminals because it’s difficult to trace.

The video ended with the message: “There are two mottos. Which one is remembered—Winter is coming— HBO is Falling OR Winter is Coming—HBO is standing and everlasting!” This was followed by an image of the Night King, a villain from Game of Thrones with his arms raised, the word “standing” in one hand and “falling” in the other.

Now, I used to be a Game of Thrones fan during the first two or three seasons, but went cold turkey when it became too popular, just like what happened to my other favorite The Walking Dead.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think GoT is one of the best TV series of all time and each episode seems to be getting better. But when your entire feed is just full of opinions, analysis and, yes, spoilers from “experts”, you eventually get tired of it all.

If the spoilers and leaks do get out, I wonder how it’s going to affect the fans, especially those who really wait for the scheduled airing date. More important, what should HBO do to prevent something like this from happening in the next season?

TV GET-TOGETHERS I guess that’s one of the nicer things about being born before everything was on the Internet. Growing up, our entire family would gather in front of the TV after dinner to watch our favorite shows, especially during Friday and weekend.

Back then, you really had to make time because you only get one chance to watch an episode and since there was no cable, replays were very, very rare.

With the emergence and growing popularity of videoon-demand services, like Netflix, HOOQ, iWantTV, etc., not to mention the millions of videos available on YouTube, traditional TV has taken a backseat in other countries, but not here in the Philippines. For most Filipinos, watching TV continues to be their main source of entertainment.

According to TV audience measurement provider

Kantar Media, 96.6 percent of Filipinos tuned in to their televisions daily in 2016. The survey says we spend longer durations—particularly 3.7 hours in average— watching our favorite programs.

For some, watching television might be a simple habit.

But for others, it’s a chance to break free and relax from their hectic lifestyles or strengthen bonds with people they share the experience with. Watching TV can be a social event on its own and a chance to share some good times with family and friends.

It’s one of the reason local brand Devant is pushing its 7:30 TV Get Together (G2G) habit. The campaign encourages more people to put down their gadgets and spend time with their friends and family by bonding over their favorite shows.

While other TV manufacturers try to outdo each other with impressive technical specifications, smart technology and tons of other features, Devant also focuses on what makes TV viewing a fun experience.

On August 8 Devant teamed up with Marco Polo Ortigas and Craig Lines for an exclusive screening of the film The Owner. The event gathered a group of media who played a few games and had dinner together. But as soon as the clock struck 7:30 pm, everyone shifted their attention to the two giant Devant screens to watch the movie.

I intentionally didn’t watch the trailer or read about the movie, just so I wouldn’t have any biases or expectations—which turned out to be a good thing. It felt like the old days when you just watch everything unfold on the screen and allow yourself to get immersed in the storytelling without any background knowledge to spoil things for you.

The Owner is a film that follows the journey of a lost backpack around the world. The international feature film showcases the many mysteries of the bag’s travels, while showing the intersecting lives of the fascinating characters it got in touch with throughout the story.

What makes it even more unique is that the movie’s story spans five continents and is a collaborative effort of 25 filmmakers. The movie is a perfect example of a work of art that gives TV watching a deeper meaning.

It encourages people to think and consider, and it also gives everyone the chance to be open to things that could enrich their lives and mind-sets through their TV experience.

Devant Marketing Manager Lara Lua said, “The role of television in the lives of people are more punctuated than ever, and the brand aims to use technology to keep in step with the changes of how people consume content. It is our promise to deliver a richer entertainment experience through Devant’s advanced TV technology.”

/ Tech Thoughts: “If television’s a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won’t shut up.”—Dorothy Gambrell, Cat and Girl Volume I.