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TASTE WORLD-CLASS DISHES AS PHL’S CULINARY AND CHRISTMAN CAPITAL GOES ON FESTIVAL MODE
IT’S THE SEASON TO HIGHLIGHT
PAMPANGA’S TWIN CROWNS E By Joel P. Mapiles
VERY Filipino ear has definitely heard that the province of Pampanga has two unbreakable titles: the Culinary Capital and Christmas Capital of the Philippines.
COLORFUL lanterns made from capiz shells (windowpane oyster). JUNDANGOY | DREAMSTIME
Some might be thinking that it is a big responsibility for the province to maintain these titles. However, with Pampanga’s unrelenting beauty and stunning qualities, it is not hard for the province to wear two crowns at the same time. Locally made Christmas lanterns seen everywhere are just some of the reasons tourists are encouraged to visit the province this Yuletide season. Pampanga’s food, of course, will not be off the
A FAMOUS Kapampangan dish, sisig was dubbed as arguably the “best pork dish” in the world in 2014 by the New York Times food columnist Ligaya Mishan. JOAN SHERBIE ACOSTA | DREAMSTIME
list, but will most definitely be the first one on it. In order to establish, strengthen and improve Kapampangan cuisine for it to be more globally competitive, the Culinarya Pampanga—a network of chefs or restaurateurs from the province that was founded in 2016 and inaugurated on May 7 at Museo Ning Angeles in Angeles City, Pampanga—will conduct its first-ever Kapampangan Food Festival.
The Kapampangan Food Festival will be held on December 7 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks on CM Recto Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga. This activity is in line with the celebration of “Aldo Ning Kapampangan,” or Pampanga Day, which will start its weeklong celebration on December 4. President Duterte is expected to grace the occasion.
According to Pampanga Provincial Tourism Officer Arwin Lingat, the purpose of the event is to make the province of Pampanga known as one of the “Cuisine Capitals of the World.” He mentioned that celebrity chefs, exhibitors and officials will come, adding that around 1,000 guests are expected to join the event. Some of the famous chefs and Continued on A2
SMEs told to adapt to change, leverage on AEC biz opportunities
W
By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor
“SMEs in Asia are currently in a good place with the Asean integration, which opens opportunities for exponential growth,” FedEx Express Managing Director for the Philippines John Peterson said during the recent PASIAWorld Conference at the Marriott Hotel in Parañaque City. Comprising 96 percent of all the registered businesses in Southeast Asia, SMEs generate jobs and livelihood means that are pivotal in achieving sustainable economic progress and development within the region. Since the members are diverse, the Asean Economic Com-
munity (AEC) had set a common vision, mission and strategic goal for the integration. The region is also committed to promote the region’s SMEs to be globally competitive, inclusive and resilient through innovation, entrepreneurship and exports. With the AEC in place since 2015, it has opened vast opportunities for both the large businesses and SMEs, including introduction of new products, enhanced market access and internationalization.
’Lifeblood’
REPRESENTING 98 percent of all the listed entities in the Philip-
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.3460
SIDHARTHTHAKUR | DREAMSTIME.COM
ITH the 10 member-states of the Asean fully integrating as one economic bloc, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region, especially those in the Philippines, are encouraged to address the challenges they face and leverage on the opportunities this regional milestone brings.
pines and employing more than half of the domestic work force, the SMEs are considered the “lifeblood” of the country’s economy. Seeing that local small-scale businesses surpass that of the region percentage-wise, they are seen pivotal to Southeast Asia’s economic upturn. “We see the Asean integration as a great opportunity for Philippine SMEs. It will be eas-
ier for the country to contribute to the region’s strong economic growth and intraregional trade,” the top executive said. “This is important as SMEs are seen as a key economic growth driver for the country in the long term.”
Larger than life
CHALLENGES linger, however, as world trade becomes larger than life for domestic business players.
Aware of the challeges, local SMEs deal with these problems to grab the opportunity for business growth driven by the regional integration. As expected of them, they cited the increase in competition, internationally (38 percent) and locally (37 percent), as the most common challenge they face. To overcome this, SMEs should think big and set their mind
on investing in training, market research, new technology and services, instead of reducing costs to become more financially viable. Good thing the national government put SMEs at the front and center of the regional trade agenda. In doing so, the state is implementing initiatives to cultivate an environment that empowers them to prosper and seize opportunities in the international market. Through its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), the Department of Science and Technology helps SMEs develop world-class products by enhancing the quality of their production and services. SETUP offers technical assistance and consultancy services, conducts trainings and seminars, provides laboratory analyses, helps in product labeling, and makes industry-standard equipment and other technologies available to SMEs. The Department of Trade and Industry’s Philippine Export Development Plan supports them by giving more access to funding for market prospection, product development and market diversification. Continued on A2
n JAPAN 0.4474 n UK 68.1081 n HK 6.4464 n CHINA 7.6178 n SINGAPORE 37.3376 n AUSTRALIA 38.0817 n EU 59.9319 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.4253
Source: BSP (December 1, 2017 )
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A2 Sunday, December 3, 2017
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It’s the season to highlight Pampanga’s twin crowns Continued from A1
exhibitors to be expected are Chloe Ann Cauguiran, Chris Locher, Rosauro del Rosario, Eric Jones Rivera, Roberto Sagmit, Ramon Tang Jr., Judy Uson, Arceli Timbol, Carlos Pocholo Jorolan, Kimberly Nicole Wilkerson, Froilan Cruz, Patricia Tayag, Howard Dizon, Leonard Vincent Garcia, Lourdes Castro, Josephine Mendoza, Claude Tayag, Nico Bailon, Rex Joseph Tomen, My Lola Nor’s, Susie’s Cuisine, Carreon’s Delicacy, Delyn’s Delicacy and Taldawa Kambingan. Meanwhile, some of the food to be served at the event are Pakô Salad for salads and Bulanglang soup for the soup section. For the appetizer, it would be Crispy Okoy, Sisig, Puto’t Dinuguan, Buro’t Hito Fillet, Pizza Kapampangan, Tamales, while for the main course are Pork Belly Bringhe, Kilayin, Morcon, Maya Maya Mayonesa, Chicken Galantina, Camaro Taco, Relyenong Batute, Pindang Damulag, Pancit Luglug, Asadong Dila and Kalderetang Kambing. Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, Duman Kalame, Mochi, Tibok-Tibok, Ensaymada, Sampelot, Buko Pandan Salad, Lelot Mais, Tsokolate Batirol are for the dessert section, while Sago’t Gulaman, Ginumis and Lemon Grass Coolers are for the beverage section. Some of the famous Filipino and Kapampangan street foods will also be present at the event, like the Ice Cream, Sherbet, Taho, Binatog, Balot and Penoy. Food sellers, vendors and exhibitors will be seen at the venue like Delyn’s, Susie’s, Natganiel’s and Carreon’s Pastillas. Aside from the first-ever Kapampangan Food Festival, the province of Pampanga is also famous for its Sisig Festival that was conducted in April in Angeles City. A famous Kapampangan dish, sisig was dubbed as arguably the “best pork dish” in the world in 2014 by the New York Times food columnist Ligaya Mishan.
PAKÔ Salad
SISIG
TOCINO
SMEs told to adapt to change, leverage on AEC biz opportunities Continued from A1
Its strategies are centered on harnessing a national innovation system, which involves unlocking the flow of knowledge and information among stakeholders and providing incentives for collaborative research and technology development.
Leveraging the digital world
THE ever-changing technology and cyber world have been beneficial for small-scale entities, such that they provide them the channel to reach markets beyond their borders. By tapping social-media sites, instant messaging and business apps, 80 percent of SMEs reported revenue hike. Social-media platforms allow them to reach their existing consumers more effectively and, at the same time, touch base with new markets worldwide. Given this, Filipino SMEs are deemed in a prime position to take advantage of cross-border ecommerce. Considered the “social-media capital” of the world, there are over 44.2 million Internet users in the Philippines. Approximately, 937,000 local SMEs tap into this market. Peterson cited, for instance, online shops (whether on personal websites or on Facebook) that are becoming more popular. “These platforms are readily accessible on one’s smartphone. It would not be an exaggeration to say that these technologies are now essential to conduct business. Consider this trend as you eye regional expansion,” he said. In a competitive market landscape like the AEC, he reminded the local SMEs to diversify their offerings and prioritize their customers’ wants and needs.
Braving cross-border trade
MINDFUL that many small-time entrepreneurs are scared to engage in international trade due
to varying tax schemes, laws and governmental processes among countries, the FedEx Express managing director for the Philippines pointed out that there are a lot of existing agreements that business owners can use as a starting point for expansion. For those who want to trade within the region, he suggested for them to consider the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) that promotes mutual and cooperative growth with its reduced tariff scheme. Under the Afta, they can enjoy access to the region’s markets at a tariff rate of zero to 5 percent on nearly 8,000 products. But Peterson said local SMEs should not only limit their horizon within the region, as there are bigger opportunities beyond Asean. “If you want to explore the South Asian market, you may want to take a look at the largest FTA in the world: the Asean-India Free Trade Area,” he cited. With a market of more than 2 billion people and a combined GDP of $3 trillion, the FTA liberates tariff for around 90 percent of the products in the area, including palm oil, coffee, tea and pepper. For those who look at Japan as the next destination for their venture, he recommended leveraging on the Asean-Japan Comprehensive Partnership. With the agreement covering the Rules of Origin, products with 40 percent of raw materials coming from the region can share materials or production with members of the partnership, without losing origin status. “You can also look into the Philippines’ ties with Europe,” Peterson added. At present, the country enjoys duty-free privileges with 28 countries from the European Union via the Generalized Syatem of Preference. Through its membership in the European Free Trade Association, the Philippines is also able to export over 6,000 products
with no tariff to countries like Iceland and Switzerland. “Use these existing structures to your advantage as you eye global expansion. Build your networks and utilize digital commerce once you have established your partnerships and client base,” he said.
Role of logistics
AMONG the various growth industries, Philippine SMEs are advised to invest in electronic products, woodcraft and furniture, and other manufactured goods, which are the top commodity exports of the country, so as to revitalize their export performance. To help them improve and sustain competitiveness in these sectors, enhanced and efficient logistics and distribution services are important to reduce transport time and distribution costs within and outside the region. Citing that two-thirds of firms in the region are willing to pay more for more efficient logistics services, as e-commerce demands faster delivery of goods, he said that local SMEs need to tap the right partner to thrive in the regional and, eventually, global marketplace. Across Asia, FedEx is helping SMEs increase their revenue by bringing “better, faster and more flexible” shipping solutions to support unique business needs. It has experts that assist with trade regulations and supply-chain management that are common causes of setbacks for Asean SMEs exporting to other countries. In the Philippines, FedEx has operations in Manila, Clark and Cebu and has World Service Centers nationwide to cater to the growing and changing needs of its SME customers. As the AEC realizes its growth potential as a regional economic bloc, Peterson said it is necessary for the Philippine SMEs to study the neighboring markets, examine opportunities, and invest in technology and efficient logistics services that will propel them to global competitiveness.
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Canada tries to placate Japan after trade-agreement standoff
C
anada is trying to patch up frayed relations with the Japanese government after holding out on signing a major Pacific Rim trade deal championed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Tensions flared between the two countries after Canada effectively blocked progress on a deal to salvage the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an 11-nation trade deal anchored by Japan after US President Donald J. Trump quit the pact. Canada continues to push for revisions that leave the deal, created in part as a check on China’s economic clout, in limbo—days before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to China himself. Tr a d e M i n i s t e r Fr a n c o i s - P h i l i p p e Champagne said he discussed the issue with Japan’s ambassador to Canada in a meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday. “We cleared a lot of the issues and restated we are partners and friends in many things, and have made progress toward trade in the Asia-Pacific region,” he said in an interview on Wednesday. “And I think this is understood now by both sides.” John Manley, the head of a major Canadian business group who traveled to Japan this month for meetings with government and business leaders, urged Trudeau to call Abe before he heads to China. Manley is a former foreign affairs minister and deputy prime minister in a Liberal government, the party Trudeau now leads.
‘Call Mr. Abe’
“Before landing in Beijing, it’d be wise for him to call Mr. Abe,” Manley, president of the Business Council of Canada representing chief executives, said in a phone interview after his trip to Japan. “The concerns are at the top of the house in Japan.” Canada ruffled feathers when it balked at
an agreement to save the TPP, since rebranded as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), after the US abandoned it. Japan took the unusual step of issuing a second statement after Abe met Trudeau in Vietnam earlier this month, specifying that a planned TPP summit had been postponed because the Canadian leader had said he was not ready to endorse an outline agreement reached at ministerial level. Japanese media have since mused about proceeding without Canada. In a speech on Thursday, Champagne said changes made so far to the deal include stronger labor and environment provisions, each subject to dispute settlement procedures. “Our government has recently made some real progress toward what is now an emerging and potentially more lucrative and more viable agreement for Canadians to access this market,” he said on Thursday at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. He gave little indication of if Trudeau will open trade talks in China. “We have been clear from the start with our Chinese friends, throughout exploratory talks, that should we move forward, this will take time.”
China trip
Canada is pressing in part for changes to cultural rules, while Champagne said the auto sector has been another topic of discussion. Manley said that Canadian business wants the trade deal implemented. “The consensus of people who are interested in it is ‘get it done’—both for the business opportunity and the important message that completing TPP will send,” he added. It will show that the world’s multilateral trading system is alive and well despite Trump’s exit, he said. Bloomberg News
Sunday, December 3, 2017
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US lawmakers offer solution to diffuse airline spat with Gulf
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NITED States airlines have spent three years pleading for federal action to curb fastgrowing Persian Gulf carriers, claiming their rivals benefit from billions of dollars in unfair government aid. But now, a group of lawmakers is offering a more modest solution: vetting those claims through a decades-old Department of Transportation (DOT) process created to prevent foreign governments from meddling in airline competition. Sending the dispute to the DOT would be a way to diffuse the longstanding dispute, and preserve ties with the growing tourist and commercial hubs, they say. Under the 1974 law, US transpor tation of f icia ls have si x months to decide whether a claim merits federal action. That is the proper channel to evaluate claims against Emirates, Etihad Airways PJSC and Qatar Airways Ltd., the lawmakers say in a letter they are circulating that will be sent to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Commerce Secretar y Wilbur Ross. It’s the latest development in a more than two-year quest by Delta Air Lines Inc., American Airlines Group Inc. and United Continental Holdings Inc., the three largest US-based carriers, to combat what
they say is tens of billions of dollars in subsidies that have flowed to the Gulf carriers from the governments of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. A decision reached under the law wou ld a l low Cong ress and the W hite House “to develop a fact-based response” to the a llegations, “rather than respondi ng to t he pol it ic a l ly c h a rged rhetoric,” said the letter, drafted by Tennessee Republican Dav id Kustof f and so far sig ned by 13 other GOP law ma kers and t wo Democrats. The US airlines have lobbied both the Obama and Trump administrations to intervene on their behalf. They’ve asked to block the Gulf carriers from gaining access to new routes and want the US to revamp
We understand that there are great American businesses on both sides of this issue. That is why we are clarifying that there is a legal process in place to resolve this dispute, enacted by Congress in 1974, which has been used more than 75 times.”—Kustoff
Open Skies treaties with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. President Donald J. Trump in March said he would help US airlines compete with overseas players getting government help, saying, “It’s a very unfair situation.” But other airline companies, including JetBlue Airways Corp. and FedEx Corp., and US hotel and gaming businesses have contested the legacy carriers’ arguments, the lawmakers say in their letter. The letter, signed mostly by Republicans from Southern states, asks the Trump officials to resist those requests for a more-aggressive response. The lawmakers cite concerns that meddling with the Gulf states’ open-skies agreements would endanger other agreements with more than 100 other nations, putting billions of dollars at risk for smaller airlines, the tourism industry and manufacturers, such as the Boeing Co. “We understand that there are great American businesses on both sides of this issue,” Kustoff said in a statement. “That is why we are clarifying that there is a legal process in place to resolve this dispute, enacted by Congress in 1974, which has been used more than 75 times.” Bloomberg News
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Sunday, December 3 2017
Abbasi: Political turmoil denting Pakistan economy
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akistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said political turmoil is hobbling investor confidence and negatively impacting the country’s economy before national polls next year.
While Abbasi said Pakistan’s economic growth rate is still set to hit a targeted 6 percent in the financial year through June, corruption investigations against top members of the ruling party and religious protests in the capital are deterring investors. The government sought to sell as much as $3 billion in dollar bonds this week to bridge its widening current-account deficit and shore up dwindling foreign reserves. They raised $2.5 billion. “There is uncertainty in the country ever since these affairs have surfaced,” Abbasi said in an interview in Islamabad on November 24, referring to the leaking of files from a Panama law firm last year. That leak brought about the downfall of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a corruption scandal revolving around his family’s purchase of high-end apartments in London.
Taking over after Sharif was ousted in July by the Supreme Court, Abbasi’s fledgling administration has been shaken by weeks of right-wing religious protests that brought the capital to a standstill and forced the resignation of the country’s law minister. Adding to Abbasi’s challenges, he also took over the finance portfolio after granting Finance Minister Ishaq Dar medical leave in London last week. Dar also faces corruption charges related to the Panama probe and could be arrested if he returns to
Pakistan. Both Sharif and Dar have denied any wrongdoing. “It definitely impacts growth, the economy and investor confidence,” Abbasi said, adding he would continue to be Pakistan’s finance minister through the government’s current term that ends on June 4. Pakistan’s politics and an increasingly precarious macroeconomic position led to the biggest foreign outflow this year from Pakistan’s stocks since the 2008 financial crisis, even as the country was restored to emerging-market status by index provider MSCI Inc. Although central bank Deputy Governor Jameel Ahmad last month played down concerns over the nation’s deteriorating external position, some analysts are speculating that Pakistan will need to seek International Monetary Fund (IMF) or bilateral Chinese support. “The political environment in Pakistan has been deteriorating and further instability could
The political environment in Pakistan has been deteriorating and further instability could come from the general election scheduled for 2018.”—Baker
come from the general election scheduled for 2018,” said Mark Baker, a Hong Kong-based portfolio manager at Aberdeen Standard Investments. “Bonds have already materially underperformed to reflect the worsening political and macro outlook.” Abbasi’s government is betting that more than $55 billion of Chinese finance infrastructure projects across the country will boost economic growth to the fastest in more than a decade. However, China’s “Belt and Road” initiative is also adding to a surge in imports, which has contributed to the deterioration in Pakistan’s current account position. The World Bank estimated in October that $17 billion of external financing—or 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP—is needed in the current financial year through June for Pakistan to bridge its debt payments and current account deficit, which more than doubled to $14.4 billion in the year through September. Abbasi reiterated that Pakistan, which has received 12 IMF loans since 1988, doesn’t need a bailout. “This deficit is temporary as you are in expansion phase where machinery and other things are increasingly being imported,” he said. “This deficit will go away when the growth comes.” Bloomberg News
Editor: Lyn Ressureccion | www.businessmirror.com.ph
Democrats fume over Sessions’s answers to House in Trump probe
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ttorney General Jeff Sessions on Thursday stuck by his refusal to tell Congress whether Donald J. Trump ever told him to take action to hinder investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. Congress should now force Sessions to answer, Rep. Adam Schiff of California said after the panel spent almost four hours questioning the attorney general behind closed doors. “It was disturbing to me the attorney general would not answer the question,” Schiff said. “There is no privileged basis to decline to answer a question like that.” He said Sessions didn’t claim he was told to exert executive privilege, but Schiff noted that Sessions and others have previously maintained he needs to protect Trump’s possible use of that privilege in the future. “We have the power to compel him to answer,” he said. The chairman of the House Intelligence panel, Devin Nunes of California, said that if Democrats think Congress should force Sessions to answer that question, they should join Republicans in requiring Sessions and the Justice Department to turn over documents “on what prompted the FBI’s Russia meddling investigation.” Nunes and other panel Republicans have been slamming Sessions over what they see as his stonewalling of their August subpoenas for information on what prompted the FBI’s Russia investigation in the first place. S essions’s almost four hours of testimony appeared to do little to resolve the growing divisions on the once bipartisan panel. Ten months into their probe of Russian meddling in the US election, panel Republicans and Democrats now are planning to prepare competing reports on their findings, the officials said. A Justice Department spokesman, Sarah
US president may fire Rex Tillerson as ties sour T he White House is weighing a plan to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo, three administration officials said, amid frustration with the top diplomat’s slow pace of hiring and repeated clashes with President Donald J. Trump. Trump’s staff have been debating the shake-up since at least September, according to one of the officials. Relations between White House staff and Tillerson’s inner circle have been broken since summer, when the two sides all but stopped talking, the official said. Administration spokesmen declined to rule out reports that Tillerson is on the way out or say that Trump has full confidence in his top diplomat. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Thursday that “when the President loses confidence in somebody, they’ll no longer be here,” adding only that Tillerson’s “ future right now is to continue working hard as secretary of state.” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tillerson is continuing with a “robust” agenda and still plans to travel to Europe for meetings next week. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly called the State Department Thursday to say reports that Tillerson is being ousted aren’t true, Nauert said. But she, too, emphasized that Tillerson, like all administration appointees, “serves at the pleasure of the president.” “He’s continuing with his meetings, he’s continuing with his calls,” Nauert told reporters. The timing of a potential shakeup for Trump’s national security team is unclear. The president has told advisers that Tillerson might be out of his job before the end of the year, a fourth person familiar with the matter said, a 10-month tenure that would be among the shortest in modern times. All of the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been made. Til-
lerson was at the White House on Thursday morning for a previously scheduled meeting between Trump and the crown prince of Bahrain, and the president declined to answer reporters’ questions about whether his secretary of state would step down. Nauert said Tillerson later returned to the White House for another previously planned meeting. The New York Times reported earlier that Kelly had developed a plan to replace Tillerson with Pompeo and nominate Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, for Pompeo’s job. Late on Wednesday, Tillerson canceled plans to speak on Thursday at a World AIDS Day event and sent a deputy instead. Cotton Spokesman Caroline Tabler sa id t he senator’s focus “ is on ser v ing A rk a nsa ns in t he Senate.”
Intelligence briefings
A CIA spokesman also declined comment on the prospect of Pompeo being nominated for secretary of state and Cotton for the CIA post. Working in Pompeo’s favor is the close relationship he’s cultivated with Trump. He said that he delivers the president’s daily intelligence briefing in person most days. Since beginning his tenure as CIA chief in January, Pompeo has served as a key defender of Trump’s policies, from Iran to China. T h e l a t e s t d e v e l o p m e nt s come as foreign-policy crises, including North Korea’s nuclear program and rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, dominate much of the W hite House’s agenda. On Wednesday the president managed to instigate a diplomatic spat with the UK, historically America’s closest ally, after Trump retweeted propaganda from a far-right British anti-Muslim group. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, on a visit to the Middle East, said it was “the wrong thing to do.” Trump and Tillerson, the former chief executive officer of Exx-
Trump had publicly appeared to warm of late—the two men were frequently side by side during meet ings in Japa n, C h ina, Viet na m a nd t he Ph i l ippines du r i ng Tr u mp’s t r ip to A si a ea rl ier t h is mont h.
Racial protests
Rex Tillerson Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
on Mobil Corp., have repeatedly clashed over policy and politics, but State Department officials had described those disagreements as healthy arguments and said the president enjoyed the sparring. They insisted that Tillerson, 65, planned to stay through the president’s first term.
was talking with North Korean officials through diplomatic back channels, the president undercut him, saying on Twitter that he told his “wonderful” secretary of state that “he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man,” a reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
‘Establishment’ thinking
‘Save your energy’
At the same time, White House officials said Trump—who has relished upending traditional pre s ide nt i a l a nd d iplom at ic norms—has come to dislike Tillerson for his reserved demeanor and what’s been labeled an “establishment” way of thinking. The two have repeatedly disagreed on policy: whether to stay in the Paris climate-change accord, whether to side with Saudi Arabia in its dispute with Qatar, how hard to seek a diplomatic solution over North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump has sometimes contradicted Tillerson in tweets. After Tillerson told reporters in China in October that the US
“Save your energy Rex, we’ll do what has to be done!” Trump added. State Department officials dow npl aye d t hose d i s a g re e ments, saying Tillerson served as a moderating voice and helped t he pre s ide nt de ve lo p more rou nded a nd compre hen sive views of foreign policy. Nauert suggested on Thursday that the intrigue about Tillerson’s future was part of a “tough game of politics” typical in Washington. “He doesn’t a lways understand and accept how Washington works,” Nauert said, but she called him “unflappable.” Tillerson’s relationship with
Their relationship had soured over the summer, after Trump’s comments about racial protests that led to a death in Charlottesville, Virginia, and a politically charged speech the president gave to a national gathering of the Boy Scouts of America, an organization Tillerson once led. Relations worsened further in October, after Tillerson had to address reports that he called the president a “moron” following a meeting of the national secur it y team. T he secretar y of state denounced the report, although he left it to Nauert to deny it. Afterward, Trump suggested staging an IQ-test contest with Tillerson. The W hite House has also grown frustrated with Tillerson’s slow pace in filling positions occupied by political appointees at the State Department. Almost 10 months into his tenure, many assistant secretary and ambassador jobs remain unfilled. Beyond differences with Trump, Tillerson has few other friends in Washington. Members of Congress from both parties and veterans of the foreign service have been alienated by his slow-moving effort to reorganize the State Department and his support for deep cuts in the department’s budget. Nonetheless, in early November, Trump spoke warmly of Tillerson at a breakfast gathering of business leaders at the US ambassador’s residence in Tokyo. “I want to thank Secretary Tillerson—Rex—who has done a tremendous job of leading the dedicated men and women of the Department of State here in Japan and around the world,” Trump said. Bloomberg News
Isgur Flores, responded to Schiff’s comments with a text that said Sessions was simply repeating what he’s said previously in public about his private conversations with the president of the United States. “AG said same he said before - he won’t talk about communications with Potus,”Flores wrote in a text message. “But he also said same as he’s said before that he’s never been directed to do anything illegal or improper.” As for Nunes’s accusations that Sessions is stonewalling on document production, she said the Justice Department has provided members of the committee and House leadership “with any number of documents and multiple briefings related to this matter.” Separately on Thursday, former Trump adviser Erik Prince, who founded the military services contractor Blackwater, was being interviewed by the House Intelligence panel, with a transcript to be released later. Democratic criticism of Sessions deepened after Special Counsel Robert Mueller—who is investigating the Russian interference and whether anyone close to Trump colluded in it—filed court documents in October about a meeting Sessions attended in March 2016. At the meeting, George Papadopoulos, an unpaid adviser, boasted of his Russian connections and said he could help arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Democrats weren’t satisfied by Sessions’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee on November 14, when he said he now remembers the meeting but didn’t have a clear recollection of the details. Sessions also said he didn’t recall having further discussions about contacts between Trump campaign officials and Russian contacts after that, even though Carter Page, another Trump foreign policy adviser, has described such a conversation. Even so, Sessions denied that he lied in his testimony. Bloomberg News
Seoul says North Korea’s new missile could reach Washington
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EO U L , S o u t h K o re a —Two d a y s after Nor th Korea test-launched its most power ful missile to date, a clearer picture is emerging of Pyongyang’s impressive technological achievement—and what still remains before it can legitimately threaten the continental United States. Many questions remain, but there’s broad agreement from government and outside analyses that the huge Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) represents a significant step forward, putting the North very close to its goal of a viable arsenal of nuclear-tipped long-range missiles—maybe as early as the middle of next year. The two-stage liquid-fuel missile fired on Wednesday is potentially capable of striking targets as far as 13,000 kilometers, which would put Washington within reach, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said on Friday in a report to lawmakers. It’s also considerably larger than North Korea’s previous ICBM, the Hwasong-14, and designed to deliver larger warheads, the ministry said. That would seem to confirm the North’s boast after the launch that the Hwasong-15 can carry “super-large heavy nuclear warheads.” Michael Elleman, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said it appears that the Hwasong-15 can deliver a 1,000-kilogram payload to any point on the US mainland. North Korea, which has so far conducted six nuclear tests, has almost certainly developed a nuclear warhead that weighs less than 700 kilograms, if not one considerably lighter, Elleman wrote on Friday on the 38 North web site . Nor th Korea said the missile on Wednesday reached an apogee of 4,475 km and flew 950 km, splashing down close to Japan after being launched from a site near Pyongyang on a high trajectory to avoid other countries; that flight data was similar to what was announced by South Korea’s military. It’s still not clear how close the missile is to being combat ready. The Defense Ministry told lawmakers that further review is needed to determine whether the missile’s warhead can survive atmospheric reentry, accurately hit a target and detonate properly. AP
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LA SALLE or ATENEO? I
T’S an all or nothing on Sunday for both defending champion De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila as the country’s bitterest of collegiate sports rivalries clash in Game Three of the Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball Finals. The winner-take-all match is set at 4 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum that is expected to be packed to the rafters by fans of both teams. Ateneo drew first blood with a 76-70 Game One victory, but the Blue Eagles suddenly found themselves with their backs against the wall as an inspired Green Archers side toppled what looked like an insurmountable Ateneo lead to level the series, 92-83, in Game Two last Sunday. Now, it’s Ateneo that is making the major adjustments. “The mentality has changed already. We get rid of that loss. We move on. We have Game Three. That’s all we think about,” Ateneo Coach Tab Baldwin said. “We don’t think about Game Two. La Salle didn’t think about Game One, and they came out and played. We won’t think about Game Two. It’s winner takes all now,” he added. Baldwin’s assistant, Sandy Arespacochaga, agreed. “We can’t cry over spilled milk, and we can’t feel sorry for us,” Arespacochaga said. “Why feel sorry for us? ‘Because we have a golden opportunity on Sunday. We can’t lose our focus, not right now. ‘Series isn’t over.’ That’s our focus, that’s the way we’re thinking.” But the Blue Eagles must face the fact that De La Salle big man—two-time Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala—was at his elements in Game Two after
a lackluster performance in the series opener. “We’re not coming here to lose the game. Everyone wants to be champions. We go here to become champions, that’s what we all work for,” the 6-foot-8 Cameroonian Mbala said. “We’re going to come out and try to grab that trophy,” added Mbala, who proved his worth and did everything in Game Two, finishing with 20 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists. He was limited to only eight points in Game One. “I feel like I’ll prove myself with back-toback championships. That’s better for me,” Mbala said. “I enjoy playing here. I love my team, I love my teammates, I love the Philippines, I love the fans and I enjoy the game.” It’s not only Mbala who could give Ateneo the headache. Ricci Rivero proved in Game Two that he is as lethal a weapon, like his older brother Prince Rivero, Aljun Melecio, Kib Montalbo, Abu Tratter, Santi Santillan and Andrei Caracut The Blue Eagles, on the other hand, must continue to draw heads up plays from Thirdy Ravena, Anton Asistio, Chibueze Ikeh, Mike and Matt Nieto.
BALANCED ROUTE FOR 2018 GIRO
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ILAN—Next year’s Giro d’Italia features two individual time trials, eight mountain finishes and eight stages for the sprinters in a balanced route that appears to suit four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome, who will race in an attempt to win his third Grand Tour in a row. Organizers unveiled the route of the 2018 Giro d’Italia in a televised ceremony in Milan on Wednesday. The 101st edition of the race runs from May 4 to 17 and consists of 21 days of racing, totaling 3,546.2 kilometers with 44,000 meters of vertical elevation. Here are some aspects of the 2018 race:
CONTROVERSIAL START
A Grand Tour will start outside Europe for the first time, with the opening three stages of the Giro being held in Israel. Organizers have been forced to navigate a tricky obstacle course, recognizing political sensitivities. The route will not go through any land considered occupied by the international community—meaning it will circumvent the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war and claimed by the Palestinians as parts of a future independent state. However, a group of about 15 protesters held Palestinian flags and posters criticizing the Giro outside the building hosting Wednesday’s presentation. The Giro will start with a 9.7-km individual time trial in Jerusalem before two stages set to suit the sprinters—a 167-km leg from Haifa to Tel Aviv and then 229-km from Be’er Sheva to Eilat. The race will then transfer to Italy, and the island of Sicily, on an early rest day on May 7.
RICCI RIVERO gave De La Salle the spark it needed in Game Two, where Ateneo ace Thirdy Ravena tried but failed to rally his team to the title. NONOY LACZA
CAPITAL END
Rome will host the final stage of the Giro for the first time since 2009. The 11.8-km circuit of the center of Rome will be repeated 10 times and take in many historical sites. However, it will not visit the Vatican before the finish line at the Fori Imperiali, under the Colosseum. It is likely to be more of a procession, with the race decided in the mountains earlier in the week. “After such a challenging route, we will try to alleviate the pain of the athletes with the beauties of our city,” Rome mayor Virginia Raggi said. Rome scrapped bids to host the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games because of financial concerns. Raggi was instrumental in the decision the second time and a joke was made during the Giro presentation that she had only accepted to host the Giro finish because organizers would fill the many holes in the city’s roads. “We are trying to give back to Rome a lot of visibility in sport,” Raggi said. “We want to continue bringing great sports events to Rome.”
US champion Chen now an author, too
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aren Chen’s autobiography just hit the book shelves. Imagine what she can write about if she wins an Olympic medal in February. The defending US women’s figure skating champion authored the book Finding the Edge with the help of Natalie England over the past few months. Chen calls it a chance to “look back on my memories and miniaccomplishments.” At age 18, one would hope Chen will have many more achievements and memories worth telling. Beginning with defending her crown at nationals in January, and then onto the biggest stage, the Pyeongchang Winter Games. To do so, Chen believes she needs to reach back into her not-so-lengthy past. “I want to channel my fearless, younger Karen Chen,”
she says. “I want to be that Karen again.” For much of this season leading up to the Olympics, she hasn’t even been the Karen of last year. “It’s been an up-and-down roller coaster,” she added, noting that she had disappointing performances at Skate Canada and Skate America, coming close to replicating her poor 2016 results in Grand Prix events, after which she peaked by winning the championship and finishing fourth at worlds. “I didn’t want there to be the ups and downs, that’s not what I had in mind for this year. The whole thing has to be a learning process: how to deal with nerves, to find the right balance.” Despite her weak placements in the Grand Prix competitions and a knee problem that bothered her last week at Lake Placid, Chen remains a favorite to qualify for the Olympics. Her grace and precision, when she is on, can’t be matched by any of the other young American women who will be in San Jose for nationals. Only veteran Ashley Wagner, who is having her own struggles this season, can match Chen for the overall package needed to contend against the strong Russian and Japanese women and Sochi bronze winner Carolina Kostner. Chen made the interesting but hardly unprecedented decision to stick with her two programs from last season, although it took plenty of back-and-forth
discussions with Coach Tammy Gambill and choreographer Mark Pillay. Such strategy worked for Evan Lysacek when he won the 2010 gold medal in Vancouver. “My short program was very special to me,” Chen says of “On Golden Pond,” which helped propel her to the national title. “I had such a connection with the music and the feeling of skating it. “But it is the
UPHILL FINISHES
Olympic year, so the thought was to do something bold. So we tried the new programs, and we had some success with them. But they were lacking that spark. “So I thought, ‘Let’s go back to it being special.’“ That meant also returning to her free skate to “Jealousy Tango,” albeit with changes in footwork and some sequences and jump passes. Things haven’t quite clicked in competition, though. Chen didn’t qualify for the Grand Prix Final— no American woman did—and her next test is the big one: defending at
India emerges as potential ONE market
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ART of ONE Championship’s mission in Asia is to bring its unique vision of authentic martial arts to all corners of the region—from its far reaches to even the wonderful nation of India. ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was in India to speak at the prestigious 2017 Global Entrepreneur Summit and had the opportunity to take part in a private audience with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sityodtong got the chance to present a few topics of discussion, including how India could emerge as a potentially huge new market for ONE Championship as it expands aggressively across Asia and the rest of the world. Sityodtong also presented Modi with a plaque of appreciation and a set of framed authentic ONE Championship gloves. Modi is the 14th Prime Minister of India who took office in May of 2014 and is well-loved in his nation, receiving consistently high approval ratings, with nearly the entire population rating him very favorably,
approving of his government. Among the topics presented to Modi include talks about traditional Asian culture, power of martial arts, rich martial-arts history of India and the possibility of a live event on Indian shores. Modi is a well-known advocate of Yoga, which is deeply rooted in martial-arts culture and history. It is also a wildly popular practice all over the world that provides incredible health and wellness benefits while promoting healthy living. Sityodtong himself shares similarities to Modi, as he is tasked to lead ONE Championship into a billiondollar sports-media property in the coming years. Established in 2011 ONE Championship was a dream turned reality for Sityodtong, who aimed to build a global sports-media property and unite over 4.4 billion people under a single sport. Now, more than six years later, ONE Championship is the largest sports-media property in Asian history, with a reach of over 1 billion viewers on any given night, broadcast to 128 countries worldwide. AP
nationals, where a top 3 gets you onto the Olympic team. Chen expects as tough an event as any she’s skated in. “This is my first time going for the Olympics, going for my dream,” she says. “It’s going to be really intense; everyone wants that spot on the team. It’s definitely hit me that it’s going to be hard to get. So I have to use that desire and determination and energy to boost my performance instead of thinking of it as pressure.” Should things go as Chen hopes, well, it could make for a few more chapters to add to Finding the Edge. “I hope it can inspire children and young athletes,” she says. “I hope they can learn about the injuries and the obstacles they must overcome and it helps motivate them on their journey.” AP
There are eight summit finishes in next year’s Giro, including those at the end of three successive stages in what will surely be a decisive final week. This year’s edition had just four, one more than the 2017 Tour de France. There are three uphill finishes in the first nine days of racing and the first comes on stage six, with a 14.1-km climb up the slopes of Mount Etna. The final mountain stage of next year’s race packs 4,500 meters of vertical elevation into just three climbs and ends with a 19.2-km climb in Cervinia.
SCARPONI TRIBUTE
The 11th stage of the Giro will honor 2011 winner Michele Scarponi, who died in a collision with a van during a training ride in April. The route from Assisi to Osimo will pass by his house. Scarponi, who was one of the most-liked riders on the circuit, had two young twin boys. He died aged 37. “If I think about Michele I can’t help but smile,” two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali said. “I still miss him. It would have been lovely to have him fighting next to me on the Zoncolan.” Scarponi was awarded the 2011 Giro trophy after Alberto Contador was stripped of the title because of doping. “Michele was a friend, thinking about him always makes me smile,” Contador said. “Even if he was exhausted, he’d continue making jokes.” AP ITALIAN riders (from left) Fabio Aru and Vincenzo Nibali and Dutch Tom Dumoulin pose for a photo near the trophy during the presentation of the “Giro d’Italia” 2018 in Milan on Wednesday. AP
Science
BusinessMirror
A6 Sunday, December 3, 2017
Sunday
Expanding DNA’s alphabet lets cells produce novel proteins
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ASHINGTON—Scientists are expanding the genetic code of life, using manmade DNA to create a semisynthetic strain of bacteria—and new research shows those altered microbes actually worked to produce proteins, unlike those found in nature.
It’s a step toward designer-drug development. One of the first lessons in highschool biology: All life is made up of four DNA building blocks, known by the letters A, T, C and G. Paired together, they form DNA’s ladder-like rungs. Now there’s a new rung on that ladder. A team at The Scripps Research Institute in L a Jol la, California, expanded the genetic alphabet, creating two artificial DNA “ letters” called X and Y. A few years ago, the researchers
brewed up a type of E. coli bacteria commonly used for lab research that contained both natural DNA and this new artificial base pair— storing extra genetic information inside cells. The next challenge: Normal DNA
contains the coding for cells to form proteins that do the work of life. Could cells carrying this weird genomic hybrid work the same way? Sure enough, the altered cells glowed green as they produced a f luorescent protein containing unnatural amino acids, researchers reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature. “We can make proteins that are built of more things than they normally are,” explained Scripps chemist Floyd Romesberg, who leads the project. While programming the green germs offered evidence that the approach can work, eventually, “We would like to get proteins that do new things,” he said. T hat’s an ultimate goal in the field of synthetic biology— designing organisms that work
We can make proteins that are built of more things than they normally are.”—Romesberg
differently from the way nature intended so scientists can harness them to create designer drugs, biofuels or a range of other products. Scripps’s technology has been licensed by a biotech company Romesberg cofounded, Synthorx Inc., that aims to make novel protein-based drugs. T he ne w work t r ace d t he biological steps, as the altered E. coli read the artificial genetic code and assembled the pieces for a new protein, w ith the same efficiency as if using normal DNA . The result is a platform that offers a way to increase the diversity of proteins made inside living cells, said Jef Boeke, a synthetic biology researcher at New York University who wasn’t involved in Scripps’ work. T h i s bac ter i a l st r a i n w a s “Modified in a really dramatic and unusual way at these positions in its genome,” Boeke said. “And that’s what makes it different from every other organism on the planet today.” AP
‘Investment in new tech key to boosting agri productivity in Asia’
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nvestment in new technologies will be essential in boosting agricultural development and in increasing farmers’ productivity in Asia, including the Philippines, said Dr. Yong Gao, Monsanto director of Corporate Engagement in Asia and Africa, during his visit to the Philippines last week. Gao said agriculture today faces multiple yet interconnected challenges. It has to produce more for an increasing population, while finding efficient ways to grow food and adapt to climate change. He added that in Asia alone, population is expected to grow from the current 4.2 billion to 5.9 billion by 2050. As population and incomes rise around the world, so does the demand for livestock products and other high-value foods. Gao cited the report, Global Harvest Initiative, that compels global agricultural productivity (TFP) to grow by an average rate of at least 1.75 percent annually
to double agricultural output through productivity by 2050. While the global average growth rate is close to the target (1.66 percent), the TFP growth rate in low-income countries continues to decline from 1.5 percent (2015) to 1.24 percent (2017). “Ex perts agree that we w ill need to grow as much food in the next 50 years as we did in the past 10,000 years combi ned . We be l ie ve, howe ver, that the future growth of agriculture should be driven by science and technological innovations as farmers seek to optimize their har vests, while operating w ithin a number of resource and c limate related constraints,” he said. In addressing the challenge confronting food systems, Gao sa id t hat developing countries, such as the Philippines, should continuously invest in agricultural research and development, such as developing drought and climate-resilient seeds, bringing crop-protection
tec h nolog ies a nd u si ng best practices in fertilizer use and animal care. He said continuous investment in developing new seed products—more commonly known as genetically modified organisms—is especially crucial for the Philippines to improve the country’s food security. Gao c ite d t h at , si nce t he adoption of Bacillus thuring iensis corn more than a decade ago, the Philippines has become one of the largest corn-planting countries in the world, attaining huge improvement in corn yield. From 2000 to 2011, the country recorded a 1.23 ton/ha national corn-yield improvement, after agricultural giants Argentina (1.27 tons per hectare), Brazil (1.55 tons per hectare), US (1.77 tons per hectare) and South Africa (1.88 tons per hectare). Besides continuous innovation, Gao also encouraged the country to improve traditional farming methods by adopting modern growing tools.
He said some advanced fieldtracking tools that can benefit the Philippines, such as plant sensors and weather satellites that are already being used in some parts of the US. T hese instruments measure and analyze all the interactions happening on the field, including soil moisture, rainfa ll, plant hea lt h, temperat ures, etc., wh ic h i n t u r n he lp f a r mers make informed decisions. H e a d d e d c o u nt r i e s t h a t e mbr ace a more o p e n a nd col l a b or at ive p ol ic y a nd re g u l a t ion , w h ic h at t r ac t i nte r n a t ion a l , i nve s t me nt a nd col l a b or at ion , w i l l b e ne f it t he i r a g r ic u lt u re de ve lo pme nt a nd comp e t it ive ne s s. “ T he cha l lenges facing us a re too huge for a ny si ng le countr y to tac k le, hence, inter nationa l col laboration and cross-border investments are becoming increasingly import a nt to t he s u s t a i n a ble de velopment and prosper it y of globa l ag r icu lture,” Gao sa id.
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
DOST Cordillera launches SAFE program to aid in climate-change adaptation
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ABUK, Kalinga—In an effort to address the negative impact of climate change and implement science-based solutions to minimize its effects and ensure the viability of agricultural programs, the Department of Science and Technology-Cordillera Administrative Region (DOSTCAR) launched the S&T Action Frontline for Emergencies and Hazards (SAFE) Program. The launch coincided with the celebration of the regional science and technology week of DOSTCAR on October 9 at the Kalinga State University-Main Campus in Tabuk, Kalinga. The SAFE Program on Disaster Risk Reduction on Climate Change Impacts on Agricultural Farms in CAR is a multisectoral initiative spearheaded by the DOST and DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD), in partnership with the Highland Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources Research and Development Consortium, and the six participating state colleges and universities (SUCs). “On behalf of [Science] Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña, we are fully supporting the SAFE Program, and he will be very happy to know that the SUCs here in the Cordillera region are doing research and development [R&D] to study ways to minimize the negative effects of climate change, particularly in agriculture,” said DOST-C AR Director Victor B. Mariano, who represented the DOST secretary. Mariano said researches that remain on shelves are useless. Thus, the importance of the SAFE program is very obvious, as it represents the results of R&D. This is the reason the funding agency, DOST-PCAARRD, did not hesitate to provide P43 million in assistance to the SUCs. Dr. Carlito P. Laurean, vice president for research and extension of the Benguet State University and the program leader, presented the components of the SAFE Program. He explained how it will be implemented in the six provinces in CAR to get the most benefits for the farmers who are the most vulnerable and at risk of climate change. The SAFE Program has six project components, including the one launched for Kalinga State University that focuses on the
different conditions of the different provinces in CAR. Project 1 is about Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impacts on Vegetable Farms in Abra. The project that will be implemented by the Abra State Institute of Science and Technology is headed by Dr. Vicente A. Ato. It received a funding of P6.991 million. Project 2 is about Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impacts in Agricultural Farms in Apayao Province to be implemented by the Apayao State College. Dr. Reymalyn C. Aman heads the project, which has a funding of P6.289 million. Project 3, titled Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impac t s on Vu l nerable Ter race Farms in Benguet, is led by Laurean of the Benguet State University. It has a total funding of P10.299 million. Project 4 deals with Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impacts on R ice and Vegetable Far ms in If ugao and a f unding of P6.109 mil lion. It w il l be implemented by the If ugao State Universit y through Dr. Teresita D. A l lig. Project 5 is called Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impacts on Vulnerable Coffee Farms in Kalinga to be implemented under the leadership of Dr. Robert A. Rodolfo of the Kalinga State University. Funding for the project is P6.312 million. Last, Project 6, titled Disaster Risk Reduction Climate Change Impacts on Vulnerable Farms in Mountain Province will be implemented by the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College. The P7.097-million project is led by Elmer D. Pakipac. The launch was attended by DOST-Science and Technolog y Infor mat ion Inst it ute Director R ic h a rd P. Bu rgos; Ga r y Damian, representing K alinga R e pre s e nt at i ve; V ice C h a i r man of the House Committee on Science and Technolog y A llen Jesse C. Mangaoang; Tabuk Mayor Ferd inand B. Tubban; Mariano; Super vising Science Research Specia laist Noel A . C at ibog re present i ng DOS TPC A ARRD Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, Benguet State University President Dr. Feliciano G. Calora Jr.; and K alinga State University President Dr. Eduardo T. Bagtang. S&T Media Service
PNRI to celebrate the 45th Germany, Searca award science scholarships to 9 from Asean Atomic Energy Week T
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ringing nuclear and radiation applications closer to the Filipino people, the Department of Science and TechnologyPhilippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) will celebrate the 45th Atomic Energy Week (AEW), with the theme “Nuclear Science and Technology for the People,” from December 4 to 7 at the PNRI compound in Quezon City. As with every year’s celebration, PNRI will once again feature the latest advances in nuclear science and technology in the country in the fields of agriculture, industry, medicine and the environment with an open-house showcase of several exhibits by PNRI scientists and researchers with free guided tours for all visitors. Rep. Joey S. Salceda, one of the authors of the bill for a Comprehensive Nuclear Act, will be the keynote speaker on the opening ceremonies on December 4. Experts from PNRI and other scientific institutions will give in-depth lectures on nuclear and radiation applications during the
afternoon technical sessions on December 4, which will feature topics on nuclear power. Lectures on December 5 will feature topics on nuclear and radiation technology. Senior high-school students, teachers and young professionals will attend the Third Philippine Nuclear Youth Summit to on December 5 in tandem with the Young Generation of Filipino Nuclear Scientists, an organization of young Filipinos that aims to promote the practice of nuclear science and technology in the Philippines. Students in 34 teams of highschool students, representing the 17 regions in the country, will compete in the national level of the 2017 Philippine Nuclear Science Quiz on December 6. The annual AEW celebration, as mandated under Presidential proclamation 1211 in 1973, aims to generate awareness of the Filipino people on the beneficial uses of nuclear science and technology in food and agriculture, industry, medicine and the environment. S&T Media Service
he German government, through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), has awarded nine more doctoral and master’s degree scholarships to Southeast Asians, three of them Filipinos, to enable them to pursue their PhD and MS degrees at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. The study grants are administered by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Ag r iculture (Searca) hosted by the Philippine government. German Ambassador Gordon Kricke and Searca Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. presented the scholarship awards to the grantees— three Filipinos, three Vietnamese, two Indonesians and one from Myanmar—at a program held on November 20 at the German Club in Makati City. Kricke noted that there are Searca-DA AD alumni who now hold key posts in government, among them Philippine Competition Commission Chair man Arsenio Balisacan and Indonesia Education Deputy Minister Musliar Kasim.
He cha l lenged the SearcaDAAD scholars to excel and do what they can to contribute to agricultural and rural development in their respective countries and the Southeast Asian region as a whole. Four other Searca-DAAD scholars are studying outside the Philippines. They are Antun Puspanti of Indonesia (PhD, forestry) and Mr. Luis Tavares of Timor-Leste (PhD, animal science), both studying at Universitas Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Yarzar Hein of Myanmar (PhD, agricultural and resource economics) and Nguyen Tran Ngoc Tuan of Vietnam (MS, agricultural and resource economics), both enrolled at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. These new grants bring to 20 the number of Southeast Asians currently being supported by the DA AD in prestigious universities in the region. The DAAD has been one of Searca’s partners in its human-resource development program since 1975, with more than 350 Searca-DAAD scholarship grants awarded, 94 percent of whom have earned their PhD and MS degrees.
German Ambassador Gordon Kricke (right) receives from Searca Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. a copy of the commemorative book, titled Searca’s First Fifty Years: Pushing the Frontiers of Agricultural and Rural Development in Southeast Asia.
Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror
Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua
Voyage to the Gobi Desert
Sunday, December 3, 2017 A7
Bring Home A Friend II
Dr. Mina T. Gabor
THE bm traveler Yolyn Am or the Ice Valley has a beautiful landscape characterized by yellowish, craggy peaks and a valley you can trek through.
Our hosts prepare the camels for travel to the Gobi Desert.
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Story & photos by Joshua Berida
he first couple of days of my trip to the southern region of Mongolia has been surreal. At the start of the trip, it snowed at the UB Guesthouse. It was so white I couldn’t tell the difference between the sky and the road as ice and snow blurred the horizon, covering the sky and the ground as we set southward. As our car moved from one destination to the next, the punishing landscape changed from a sheet of white to golden steppes, and to desert topography of dry, craggy rocks and rolling sand dunes seen from a distance. As our customized Russian van parked, we were ready to explore and discover what the Gobi has to offer.
The Valley of the Vultures
I found Yolyn Am, also known as Ice Valley and the Valley of the Vultures, is part of the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park in Southern Mongolia. The area barely sees any precipitation year-round; however, despite this, it accumulates ice deep enough to become a field that cuts through the valley. We drove to the starting point
of the short trek into the valley, through craggy, peaked and yellowtinged mountains. Unfortunately, we came during the wrong season, as there was barely any ice, but this didn’t ruin our experience. We walked for an hour or so into the heart of the ice field; we tip-toed on frozen streams that creaked and seemed to crack with each step. With the last light of the day trickling on the mountains, their color changed from a faint yellow to a faint, flaming orange and red. We left before the sun set completely, with our hearts and eyes satisfied with the spectacular views natured displayed to us.
The rolling sand dunes of the Gobi Desert
We left Yolyn Am on our way to the
The Flaming Cliffs earned its moniker because of its bright, reddish-orange color during blue hour and sunset.
Gobi Desert; it was another long drive, but I’ve realized that this is part of the journey. The craggy peaks, rolling, verdant hills and the ice valley disappeared into the distance, replaced with a stretch of arid nothingness, characterized by rocks, flatlands, mountains and dunes in the distance. Our van parked just outside the rolling sand dunes of the Gobi. The desert covers parts of southern Mongolia, and north and northwestern China. It may sound like a contradiction, but this national park is a cold desert, with temperatures in extremes, from 40 degrees Celcius in the summer to below zero, up to -40 °C, in winter. Our group of travelers, from Germany, the Philippines and the Netherlands, made its way up the dunes, some of the highest in the country. The climb up the sinking sand is different from going up a mountain; sometimes, you take one step up, but take two steps down. After reaching one of the sandy peaks, the dunes below resembled a golden ocean, with the sun’s fading rays bestowing each wave-like dune with a faint yellow, a hint of orange and a dash of red. It snowed the day after our excursion to the dunes; I knew that this may happen in the desert, but actually being there and experiencing it was another thing. Patches of snow dotted our camp site, and snow-capped mountain peaks stood behind the dunes. As we left our gers (nomad family houses), the road we drove on transformed from an arid wasteland with little to no vegetation into a white, vast expanse. Here in
Mongolia, 12 hours and a couple of hundred kilometers make a difference in the appearance of the landscape and the weather.
The Flaming Cliffs
Bayanzag, or also known as the Flaming Cliffs, are in an arid region in southern Mongolia. It snowed the day before our arrival, so instead of seeing desert features of red rocks and landscapes, a winter wonderland greeted us, with white as far as the eyes could see. We didn’t go straight to our destination. We waited until sunset. While waiting, we decided to build a snowman. We all felt like children again, forming the base, the body and the head, and looking for buttons, a nose and eyes for our would-be Frosty. I couldn’t believe it. We built a snowman in a supposedly desert and arid region. We set out for the cliffs an hour or so just before sunset. We approached Bayanzag with no expectations; as my eyes steadied on the rock formations before me, I felt like I was on Mars with the red rocks towering over me, and the red earth covered in snow beneath my feet. The remaining pieces of light coming from the sun shone on the reddish earth and rocks, giving it a faint glow. We climbed up a cliff to get a bird’s eye view of the landscape, the sun slowly descending in the horizon. The last rays flickered in the distance, turning the whitish snow into a haze of orange in sync with the Martian-like surroundings. It was the perfect way to end a day of contradictions and discoveries.
White blanketed the red earth and rocks of Bayanzag. These got a touch of orange as the last rays of the sun shone on them.
Korea hosts Canai Global Group incentive event with more coming in 2018
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outh Korea welcomed 400 international employees of Hong Kong-based multinational retail company Canai in November for corporate events and travel, with an additional 2,600 staff members attending an event in the country next year. The arrivals follow a successful bid to host the global group’s overseas incentive trip by the Korea MICE Bureau (KMB) division of the Korea Tourism Organization. A total of 1,400 Canai employees attended a special gathering at Seoul’s Grand Intercontinental Coex Hotel in Gangnam on November 29, with the overseas contingent hailing from Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, Taiwan and other countries with Canai branches. As well as announcing new company products, the event also hosted an employee fashion show. In addition, participants got to enjoy a range of South Korean-themed cultural entertainment courtesy of the KMB, including a taekwondo demonstration, drum dance and other tradi-
tional South Korean performances. With accommodation in both Seoul and surrounding Gyeonggi province, employees also visited popular attractions in both locations, including Bukchon Hanok (traditional
South Korean house) Village, the new Lotte World Tower complex, island resort Namiseom and the new Soyang Lake transparent “Sky Walk” in Chuncheon City, among others. Next year’s Canai incentive event will be held
in Busan, South Korea’s largest port city, a regular recipient of overseas incentive visitors, with past corporate visitors, including Amway and Infinitus. KMB marketing initiatives, to secure the event, included a Korea MICE Roadshow in Taipei this past July, held in conjunction with the Seoul Tourism Organization, as well as ongoing joint activities with the Busan Tourism Organization. Official figures for the number of incentive travelers to South Korea in 2017 as of September (excluding Chinese corporate visitors) is estimated at 139,122, indicating an increase of 40.1 percent over that time last year. According to KMB Executive Director Kap Soo-kim, the successful Canai bid reflects ongoing bureau efforts to boost South Korea’s inbound business-events market. “We plan on continuing to attract events from multinational companies with global networks in order to diversify the South Korean meetings and incentives market” he said.
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t has been more than 20 years ago when the Bring Home A Friend program was launched by the Department of Tourism (DOT). At that time the most number of tourist arrivals to the Philippines were the Australians, followed by the Japanese, and then the Americans. It was mathematically not right that a country like the United States, which is home to the biggest number of Filipinos, whose potential mainstream visitors were so many times larger than Australia, placed only at the third spot in visitor arrivals to the country. The country then was suffering from an image of lack of security because of kidnapping incidents and the worst typhoons were hitting Manila often, being a major entry point to the Philippines. So what better way to tackle these issues than to convince all Filipinos to be part of the DOT campaign to bring in their friends, business associates, conferees, family members, bosses and colleagues of overseas workers, expats and even former officials and staff of embassies and international organizations based in the Philippines. When invited by Filipinos themselves, the guests are met at the airport, brought around the different tourist sites, invited to family dinners or lunches, and even invited to stay in their homes. All these gestures make for a strong feeling of security and family ties. The result of this campaign was a complete turnaround of the visitor arrivals. The US took the top spot in tourist arrivals. But most interesting was that the tour operators overseas began to incorporate the program into their tour offerings. It became an extra incentive for people to travel to the Philippines. I must admit it was a thrill for me to learn that Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo was reviving the Bring Home A Friend (BHAF) program and the same was launched on October 14 at the Newport Mall at Resorts World Manila. In her opening remarks, Teo especially mentioned the role of our overseas workers and Filipinos residing abroad to become ambassadors of goodwill for the country by inviting their friends, coworkers and bosses to visit the Philippines. The Department of Foreign Affairs, in its 2015 report, advised there are 9.1 million Filipinos residing abroad, making each one a potential promoter of the program. Consider this, too: Based on the DOT 2016 visitor sample survey, 51 percent of tourists that came to the country were upon their friends’ recommendations and 14 percent have friends and relatives in the country. Media launches are set in major source markets like the US, Korea, Japan, Middle East, Canada and London. Regional launches are also set in various parts of the country. The DOT picked Piolo Pascual as their BHAF Ambassador of Goodwill and that was a good choice. He also sang the BHAF theme song and shared in four simple steps how one can join the program on YouTube. The BHAF campaign is a referral incentive program, wherein Filipinos or Philippine expats, who invite foreign passport holders to visit the country, may have the chance to win a condo, a car, or a P200,000 worth of gift certificates from Duty Free Philippines (DFP). Three grand winners will be selected through a raffle. The official promo period began on October 15, and ends on April 15, 2018. The media launch, hosted by Randy Santiago and Jimmy Bondoc, was a success with all the major representatives from the quad media in attendance. Entertainment was provided by the Sabado Boys and Aegis Band. There was even an impromptu singing by the guests. Some of my friends, mostly travel agents and tour operators, expressed their commitment to help with the campaign. By the way, I asked Secretary Teo if I was qualified to join the program since at the first BHAF, I was not allowed to join because I was a DOT official back then. She affirmed that I am qualified, so here I am, one of the staunchest campaign ladies of the BHAF II. Those who are qualified to join are Filipinos of legal age, with dual citizenship, and foreigners (expatriates) living in the Philippines permanently or temporarily. To Secretary Teo and her indefatigable team: Undersecretary Katherine S. de Castro, Assistant Secretary Ricky M. Alegre, Director Czarina Zara-Loyola, and to the rest of the team, congratulations to a beautiful and fun launch of the BHAF II promo. Mabuhay! The DOT family that was visibly present to lend their moral support to the tourism secretary were Undersecretary Alma D. Jimenez, Bong C. Bengzon, de Castro, Assistant Secretary Alegre, Regional Director for CAR Venus Tan, Assistant Secretary Eden Josephine L. David, Director Zara-Loyola and Roberto Teo, and my apologies to others I may have missed. The major sponsors were also present led by Kevin Tan, senior vice president of the Commercial Division of Megaworld Corp. who donated the condo unit for the first prize; Bong Velasquez, assistant vice president of Philippine Airlines, who sponsored all the plane tickets for the invitees’ major prizes; Alfred Ty of Toyota and Rommel Gutierrez who gave away the Toyota Vios for the second prize; Vicente Angala, COO of the DFP who sponsored the gift certificates. Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s start calling friends and families to start planning reunions, and business associates to initiate meetings. Tap your international affiliations with members of the Rotary, Jaycees, Lions, Zontas, IWFs and others, and invite them before the campaign’s deadline. The more you invite, the bigger chances of winning. When we help the DOT, we help our country!
Faith A8 Sunday, December 3, 2017
Sunday
www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion
As Year of Parish ends
Church urged to reflect on ‘new challenges’
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AGBILARAN CITY, Bohol— The culmination of the Year of the Parish is a crucial opportunity to reflect on issues that challenge the Church’s commitment to the Gospel, Tagbilaran Bishop Alberto Uy said at a Mass on November 27. “You are expected to make a ref lection on how to respond as a church to the BECs [Basic Ecclesial Community], to the challenges of the times, specifically [how] the millennials are expressing themselves, the trend of drug use, the painful reality of EJKs [extrajudicial killings] and other moral issues,” he said, addressing the participants of the national gathering for BEC directors and coordinators. T he prelate stressed t he need for new ways to add ress what the Church encounters as “new m ind s a nd contents w it h evolv ing conte x t.” “The Church needs to recognize that new approaches and strategies must be explored if we are to remain faithful to the mission of the Gospel,” Uy added.
Fundamental need for generosity
The Tagbilaran bishop emphasized the “fundamental need ” for generosity in doing mission in today’s world. “A fundamental need in this mission is to possess a generous heart. I pray that this may be
Ongoing evangelization
Emphasizing further on the role of evangelization and of the parish, Parcon pointed out how the next pastoral year is exactly in the middle of the nine-year novena in preparation for the celebration of the 500th year of Christianity in the Philippines. According to him, this “high lights our need to foster deeper communion [in] our BECs and the rest of the faith communities of our parishes.” “Working toward a deeper and stronger communion is a perpetual undertaking. There can be no end to it. The Year of the Parish, therefore, holds all the years of the novena together,” he added.
an event of the spirit; that this gathering triggers in all of us a profound commitment to be generous in evangelization,” he said. Uy further warned that “without generosity, plans will remain in papers and ideas never come to life.”
Personal encounter with Christ
More evangelizers wanted
He said, “The Church needs evangelizers. The Church needs you, people who recognize that, as they open their hands to reach out to BECs, those same hands are field with greater joy and peace.” Coming from different parishes nationwide, BEC directors and coordinators will participate in the three-day gathering to represent, report and share about their BEC experiences in their respective dioceses. The organizers held a welcome dinner for the participants, foster families and volunteers from Bohol after the Mass.
BEC initiatives don’t end with Year of Parish
A C atholic bishop said that the cu lmination of the Year of
Tagbilaran Bishop Alberto Uy during the Mass for the Year of the Parish culminating activity in Tagbilaran City, Bohol RON RAMOS
the Par ish celebration shou ld not be the end of BEC for mation and initiatives. “Please do not espouse a mistaken notion
that our efforts [with] BEC communion end here at this culmination. Do not make this an excuse to become mediocre with our BEC
The Church needs to recognize that new approaches and strategies must be explored if we are to remain faithful to the mission of the Gospel.”—Uy
No sister act: Nuns’ album tops charts in time for Christmas
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NN ARBOR TOWNSHIP, Michigan—The members of Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, silently filed into the chapel. Within minutes, they were singing—first in unison, then in a transfixing, layered harmony that reverberated off the marble floors, wood-paneled walls and cathedral ceiling. The evening prayer service was intended for no audience but the Lord they have taken vows to serve. Still, The Chapel at the Motherhouse on the rolling grounds of the Catholic order’s campus outside Ann Arbor, Michigan, is also the place where the members record music that has been heard by millions. Their third and latest album, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, has gracefully muscled its way to the top of Billboard’s classical chart and climbed nearly as high on the holiday chart. They may be sisters, but this is no act. “It’s such a part of our prayer life that when we make a CD, we’re just praying,” said Sister Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz, a founder of the community who has overseen the production of three CDs. “It’s what we do, it’s who we are.” The album’s 16 songs span from the 5th century to present day and represent the music of 10 countries. The collection includes the well-known “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” obscure “Sleep, Little Jesus,” based on a Polish carol and original “Snowflakes,” composed by Bogdanowicz. Some songs are a cappella, others contain light instrumentation—all supplied by the sisters. For them, the music is not only a gift to God, but also to people who can’t see the sisters perform live. They don’t tour, and only on rare occasions do they sing in public or on national broadcasts.
Their evening services at the Motherhouse are open to visitors on Sundays, but space is limited and those are structured prayers, not performances. “We want them to have this beauty, and that’s the only way we c a n do it ,” B ogd a now ic z said. “It can even be in another country or part of the world or somebody who doesn’t even have a clue who we are, but if they’re quietly listening to this and it’s elevating them toward God, then God ’s done everything we wanted him to do.” The unconventional recording artists got their start in the music business a few years ago, when the sisters were approached by Monica and Kevin Fitzgibbons, music-industry veterans who founded DeMontfort Music and attended the sisters’ service known as “Vespers.” T he label specia lizes in sacred music produced by “ hidd e n c o m mu n it i e s ,” a n d t h e Dominican Sisters of Mar y’s latest a lbum is distr ibuted by S o ny Mu s i c E nt e r t a i n me nt .
Sisters sing at the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their third and latest album, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring: Christmas with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, has muscled its way to the top of Billboard’s classical chart and climbed nearly as high on the holiday chart. AP/Paul Sancya
Some time and prayer, not surprisingly, was necessary, but a spiritual match was lit. “My thought was, if we’re going to do it, we need to do it well,” Sister John Dominic Rasmussen, also a founder of the 20-year-old order that started with four sisters and now has roughly 130. “The team came here and approached us—just from my conversations I knew they would be able to do it well.” R asmussen oversees t he business side of t he sisters’ musical projects, and she comes by it honest ly: Her mother was a countr y-music publ icist in Na shv i l le, Te n nesse e, working for major record labels and then independent ly. Grow ing up a rou nd t he i ndu st r y h a s helped her understand some of its lang uage and log istics. Her mother attends a weekly breakfast meeting of music-industry people, and Rasmussen recently tagged along. She wanted to share a video of her sisters performing, so she turned to a longtime TV show host.
“I said, ‘Let me see your iPhone,’ and I called it up and showed it to him,” she said, and soon, others grew intrigued. “They’re like, ‘This is beautiful, let me see that.... We got to promote this.’ My mom’s like, ‘We’ll get ‘em for everybody.’” “When you love what you’re doing...you want to find every moment to bring people you know to that experience,” she added. While the sisters live a structured, contemplative life, they recognize the importance of engaging with culture. Their primary mission is that of education— they teach preschool through college at private schools across the United States—and making and sharing their music is a natural extension of that. “If [people]only hear bad music or see ugly art, how are they ever going to know the beauty of music or the beauty of art or the beauty of the universe?” asked Mother Mary Assumpta Long, mother superior of the Dominican Sisters of Mary. “It’s all in education—you have to expose them to beauty and goodness.” AP
for mation effor ts,” said Ta libon Bishop Patr ick Daniel Parcon in a homily on the second day of the nationa l gather ing on November 28. The prelate noted how the Blessed Mary’s act of faith is an impeccable “model of the ecclesial communion of faith in charity and in union in Christ.” He encouraged the BEC directors and coordinators that the end of the Year of the Parish should be a call to persevere in “realizing God’s kingdom on earth” by living a deep commitment in Christ.
Parcon went on to explain how having Jesus encounters ensure the best formation for BECs and the Church. “Continuing forever presupposes the tight grip of the spirituality, in which all such actions and endeavors are anchored upon.” Furthermore, the bishop reminded those tasked to manage BEC formation to “first and foremost, recover stronghold of experience with the person of Jesus Himself.” “What we are handing down to others is our personal encounter with our Lord—that makes Christians grow in the faith no matter how trying the time are,” he said. This continuing tradition, according to the prelate, requires a personal experience for “one cannot give what he does not have.” Christine Paguirigan and Niceforo Vince A. Balbedina III/CBCPNews
Saint Eligius: Bishop
By Corazon Damo-Santiago
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ligius was tasked to shod the hoof of a horse. But the horse was reluctant. A mystique, he thought that the horse is possessed by a demon. He cut the leg while the horse remained standing on three legs. After he has reshod the amputated leg, he made the sign of the cross and connected it without difficulty. This legend is depicted in Stapton Church in Northamptonshire, England. A painting of his feat is also depicted in Petit Palais in Avignon, France.
Holy goldsmith
Eligius, sometimes called Eloi, was born in 590, in a villa of Chaptelat, 6 miles North of Limoges City in Aquitaine, Central France. His parents belonged to the educated and inf luential Galo-Roman family. His father saw the unusual talent of Eligius in crafts so he was sent to Abbo, a goldsmith master of Mint in Limoges to develop his skill. He was later sent to Nuestra, a kingdom in France to work with Babo, the royal treasurer. King Clotaire II of Paris commissioned him to make a golden throne with precious stones. Although a lay person, he was known for his holiness. He followed the Irish rules for monks introduced by Saint Columban. With his earnings and the alms he had solicited, he ransomed Saxons, Britons and Moors arriving in the ports of Marseilles. He also helped the sick, poor and the hungry. Audoenus, know n as Dado Bishop who became Saint Ouen of Rouen, exalted Eligius for his honesty. He narrated that Eligius was able to make two thrones out of the materials given him by King Clotaire. He did not mix siliquae
Saint Eligius in his goldsmith workshop. Painting by Petrus Christus Wikimedia Commons
with the materials nor claimed the fragments left, which was a normal practice then. So honest was Eloi with “no sense of corruption,” he often said. After the death in 639 of Dagobert I, a king in France where he served as chief counsellor, Eligius, then 59, entered priesthood. A year after, he was elected bishop of Noyon and Tournai in Belgium. His diocese was comprised of pagans. For 20 years he diligently evangelized and converted pagans, eradicating the superstitious beliefs and practices of his constituents. He also built many churches, a monastery and a major convent in Paris. Loved greatly by the people, he is considered as the most popular saint in Flanders and France. He is the patron saint of those who work with metals especially goldsmiths and blacksmiths. He is also patronized by jockeys and people whose profession involve horses. As he predicted, he died on December 1, 660. Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
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Sunday, December 3, 2017 A9
Christmas Galaxy lights keep Baguio Country Club aglow Story and photos by Suzanne June G. Perante
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Special to the BusinessMirror
HROUGH the years, Baguio City has been dubbed as the “Summer Capital of the Philippines” because of its cool weather, making it a popular destination for the weather-weary people from the lowlands.
A MAJOR attraction at the Christmas Galaxy Village is a snow show that offers a virtual white Christmas experience to visitors.
Baguio is also known for growing semi-temperate fruits like strawberries and other highvalue crops like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and more. The region’s high terrain allows the growth of pine trees that contribute to its alreadycold temperature. The proliferation of pine trees is the reason Baguio is also called “The City of Pines,” trees that symbolize Christmas. No less than the Baguio Country Club (BCC) celebrates Christmas with gusto. The BCC was founded by Governor General William Cameron Forbes in 1905 to provide sports and recreation for the migrant residents of Baguio and to promote this mountain area as a pleasurable and restful summer respite and destination. In 1907 the Baguio Country Club Corp. was organized. Through continuous transformation and innovation in the service industry, the club has been rated as one of the triple-A (“AAA”) hotels and resorts of the Philippines by the Department of Tourism. It is now the first and only five-star mountain resort in the country. Having reached its 100 years of existence in 2005, the National Historical Institute made BCC as one of the national heritage sites in the country. In 2011, on its 106th year, BCC General Manager Anthony de Leon spearheaded the conceptualization of a Christmas Village that club members and guests
AN added attraction at the Christmas Village is a nightly performance on stage by guest performers.
could visit during the holidays. “Instead of going out of their way visiting other places in Baguio, visitors can enjoy a different Christmas experience inside BCC. Since we noticed BCC has become a destination during the holidays here in Baguio, we continued the Christmas Vilage, making it a tradition. It is now on its seventh year,” BCC Corporate Communications and Customer Service Manager Andrew Pinero said. He added this year’s theme is Christmas Galaxy because they invested on lights, unlike in previous years when they focused on themes appealing to the kids like Pokemon and How to Train Your Dragon. Frozen, this year Galaxy theme because they synchronize the lights with the Christmas carols that are playing. It likewise compliments the artificial snow show they feature. For this year, the Christmas Village was made available beginning October 27, in time for All Saints’ Day up to January 7, 2018. Entrance fees range from P120 for adults and P50 for children. Operating hours are from 5 to 10 p.m. during weekdays and from 5 to 11 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Pinero said the number of guests varies. On weekdays there is a daily average of 300 to 400 visitors. On weekends, more than 1,000 visitors come. “We appreciate the interest of people. It’s surprising that visi-
ONE of the most-visited attractions of the Christmas Village is a wishingwWall that allows everyone to jot down their Christmas wishes.
LADEN with pin lights, a Christmas tree serves as a welcome landmark to the Christmas Village.
tors enjoy what they see because our displays are 60 percent made of recycled materials except for the lights,” he said. In an on-the-spot interview with the BusinessMirror, Pinero said they offer nightly performances like ballet, dances, carolers and bands aside from the lights and artificial-snow show. The nightly show starts with the reenactment of the Nativity. “We decided to include it because we notice that people are focused on what they expect to receive as a gift so we wanted the kids to make their Christmas more Christ-centered and realize what Christmas is all about—the birthday of Jesus Christ. The Nativity is followed by the light show and the snow show. We have performances on the weekends. We have fireworks display every weekend which is the highlight and the finale. Aside from the lights, visitors experience a white Christmas. Because there is snow here, you experience the cold minus the snow, so we have
CATERING to hungry visitors of the Christmas Village, a food stall offers varieties of sweets.
an artificial-snow machine. At least it makes them ‘experience’ a white Christmas,” Pinero said. Aside from the lighting effects and snow show are food stalls
A HIGHLIGHT to the Christmas Village is the Nativity showcase that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.
selling candies and street food. There are mini toy shops, as well as a wishing wall. “We always look forward to December when tourist influx is
at its peak. In fact, we were very happy the Baguio City police has come up with an experimental scheme to ease traffic in this area,” Pinero said.
A10 Sunday,December 3, 2017
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Narvacan, Ilocos Sur: Anchoring sustained growth on earth, water, wind and fire
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Story & photos by Mau Victa Correspondent
HE grotto of the Virgin Mary sitting regally atop an island locally known as immagamang has stood for the longest time along the coastline of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur. The grotto can be viewed from the highways leading to the heart of Ilocandia and the Cordillera region. Aside from offering travelers a breathtaking view of the West Philippine Sea framed by rocks and mountains, the fascinating image seems to be standing as a faithful guard of the Ilocos town, to serve as a reminder that its beauty and potentials could reach greater heights and overcome nature’s blows, depending on how its handlers look after them. The “earth, wind, water and fire” elements have become closely guarded resources for Narvacan in laying out development in the oncesleepy agricultural town. Now, as it slowly emerges in the country’s map as among the few of the best spots for extreme sports and adventure hub, Ilocos Sur’s biggest municipality is aggressively intensifying environment preservation, cleanliness and discipline as a way of life for all Narvacaneos, a culture magnified in its various tourism pursuits spread year-round. With its strategic proximity to the acclaimed Unesco wonder city of Vigan and being the gateway to the Cordillera region through the province of Abra, Narvacan under the leadership of Mayor Zuriel S. Zaragoza has set its sights on further developing its agricultural industry that for generations has been the town’s main industry, along with the great potentials
of its magnificent natural attributes—a valley situated along the costal lines of the West Philippine Sea and with vast mountains and forest reserves. It also banks on its rich history and heritage, a major force in ushering in the celebration of another milestone for Narvacan, its 441st foundation day as a town this December. Now, more than ever, keeping Narvacan’s environs sheltered from the threats of improper use and lack of foresight is the top priority as the town leans toward a sustainable and vibrant economy.
Taste of Narvacan
LIKE other local government units in the Philippines, the town formed in 1576 puts its best foot forward through festive activities on the day of its founding. But unlike other localities, Narvacan under the administration of Zaragoza created not only one, but various festivals to pay tribute to the building blocks that made it shine as a locality. As home of the famous and besttasting bagnet (fried pork belly) in Ilocos, the municipal government launched the Bagnet Festival in 2010 to showcase the culinary prowess and industry of the Narvacaneos who depend on crop production and livestock raising as their main livelihood source. Now on its seventh year, the event continues to add fire to the
economic growth of the town, open more opportunities for the sturdy and industrious residents and, at the same time, preserve its rich culture and traditions. Other festivals the municipal government institutionalized are meant to instill good environmental practices and awareness, as well as spur tourism in Narvacan, Narvacan government Environmental Management Specialist II Arman Anga-angan said. As a coastal town, Narvacan takes pride of its crystal clear and pristine seawaters that abut some of its barangays, namely, Bulanos, Sulvec, Pantoc and San Pedro, and, thus, the aim to fulfill a commitment to protect the same. In 2013 Narvacan started holding the “Fiesta del Mar,” the Festival of the Seas, as a strategy to raise awareness in the conservation of the seas and in campaigning for the restoration and renovation of the coastal areas and the marine ecosystem as a whole. The goal is to make Narvacan an ecotourist destination in Northern Luzon. Narvacan considers its coastline an integral part of the local government’s tourism-development plan, the reason it embarked on its development in promoting its tourism. Through this festival, residents and participants are encouraged to do their part in ensuring the cleanliness of the shoreline in order to maintain the integrity and viability of the town’s tourism projects. Anga-angan said Fiesta del Mar aims to showcase the splendor and breathtaking view of the sea through a series of water sports and tourist activities held near the Narvacan shorelines. “These activities serve as a reminder to all of us that our coastal areas are crucial to our ecosystem,” he said. Zaragoza emphasized this as the municipal government categorically shunned the operations of blacksand mining in the rich coastal areas of Narvacan in order to protect its integrity. In support, the three-
term mayor said all barangays have passed ordinances disallowing any attempt to exploit the coastal lines, in the guise of exploration activities, for black-sand mining. The earth, represented by the mountains and forests, is also part of the jewels that Narvacan puts high value on, since it is home to two well-known mountain ranges, the Bantay Abot and Bantay Tirad, where visitors and residents can experience the thrill of mountain climbing and trekking. Both mountains provide an unparalleled picture-perfect view with their beautiful landscape. Bantay Abot hosts the Narvacan Outdoor Adventure Hub or Noah, which has been relaunched by Zaragoza as the town’s flagship project in promoting ecological, experiential and adventure tourism and showcasing Narvacan’s best features. Just this June, in time for the observance of the Environment Month, Narvacan also launched the Piesta iti Kabambantayan, or Festival of the Mountains, where activities are set forth to raise awareness on the need to preserve mountains and its forest ecosystems. In conducting the festival, Narvacaneos pledge to protect the mountains in recognition of the fact that these increase their resilience against climate change, by acting as a natural barrier against the typhoons, while forests help mitigate flooding and, therefore, protect crop damage and threats to life, property and infrastructure in the lowlands. Their commitment is amplified in the choice of activities for these celebrations. For Piesta iti Kabambantayan, for example, they feature a run for a cause, and its purpose could not be any clearer. Participants just do not run, but they carry tree seedlings that they will have to plant upon reaching the finish line in the forest. Moreover, reaching the finish line is an extraordinary experience, as runners will have to navigate through a challenging path that one has to
pass uneven trails, others dotted by trees and wade through bodies of water. The Piesta iti Kabambantayan is a reminder that “planting a tree may be a simple act but is actually very meaningful, as it a long way in efforts to save the environment by restoring the natural balance and viability of mountains and forest areas.” The municipal government this year is also searching for the cleanest and greenest sitio, putting the leaders of its 34 barangays at the helm of activities in their respective sitios. The competition aims to recognize barangays with the best tree park, gulayan (vegetable garden), material-recovery facility, solid waste-management practices and best coastal area among Narvacan’s 195 sitios. “We are campaigning to become the cleanest town in Ilocos Sur. We have this competition because we want all barangays to participate and for all its leaders to lead cleanliness in their turf. We want to instil discipline among the residents, and we want to start it from the simplest task of cleaning our surroundings, because we believe from there, discipline in other aspects of life and undertakings will follow,” said Zaragoza, in whose term the transfer of the town’s dump previously situated near the coastline to a more suitable area was implemented.
municipal agriculturist, said a total of 6,230 farmers continue to beef up the production of rice, corn and tobacco, and tomato, onions and garlic as secondary crops; as well as hogs and by-products, chiefly the Ilocos region’s best bagnet and longganisa. Around 2,500 hectares of farmlands are dedicated for rice production; 1,200 hectares for corn; 1,200 hectares for tobacco; 150 hectares for tomato; 180 hectares for onion; and 45 hectares for garlic. An average of 35 to 40 heads of swine is butchered daily for meat products. The town also has 1,200 registered fishermen. Narvacan also produced the best quality of tobacco in the region, especially Virginia and Burley varieties. In a recent meeting with farmers and buyers of tobacco, Zaragoza encouraged farmers to plant more tobacco to help boost the share of tobacco-producing towns like Narvacan from the proceeds of the excise tax as provided for in Republic Act 7171. “The agriculture industry is the life of the people, and so the municipal government provides the necessary interventions to support them,” Molina said. Narvacan is among the municipalities in Ilocos Sur that allot the largest budget for farmers. Zaragoza said the support comprises regular supply of fertilizers and quality seeds. Almost all farmers also have their own water pumps.
A salute to the farmers and agriculture
Living legacies of historic past
DESPITE rebranding Narvacan as a major tourism hub, support to tillers of the vast and fertile lands of Narvacan remains upbeat. Agriculture, Zaragoza said, still receives a substantial annual allocation from the municipal government to assure that farmers have good harvest and are able to supply the agricultural needs of the population and also upgrade their practices through trainings and sufficient farm inputs and implements. Conrado B. Molina, Narvacan’s
WELL-KNOWN as one of the first seats of Christianity in Ilocos, towering in its grandeur at the heart of Narvacan is the Saint Lucy Parish Church or Narvacan Church, recently renamed Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also established in 1576. It first served as a visita and a first house of worship for the local populace. It survived the ravage caused by first and second World Wars and continues to stand as an enduring reminder of its glorious history. The church bears the marker of the National Historical Institute.
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BusinessMirror
Sunday, December 3, 2017 A11
Bulacan lights 50-foot Christmas tree
to symbolize light, hope, unity Story and photos by Catherine Joy L. Maglalang
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Correspondent
ALOLOS, Bulacan—The provincial government of Bulacan will light on December 8 a 50-foot Christmas tree in front of the capitol in this city.
THE Bulacan Pasalubong Center in the city of Malolos offers different products for Christmas, including bottled kaong, nata de coco, garbanzos, macapuno and langka of Santa Maria town; and atsara papaya from the municipality of Calumpit.
The Christmas tree symbolizes light, hope and unity among Bulakenyos, Dr. Eliseo de la Cruz, the head of the Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (Phacto) told the BusinessMirror in an interview. He said the lighting of the tree is expected to be led by Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado and Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando together with other government officials. The PGB will give gifts, such as toys and food to children from an orphanage. He said Christmas is known as the birthday of the Savior and Creator, Jesus Christ. It symbolizes love and open-handed giving to the needy, especially for the children. The Christmas tree is worth P100,000 and is made out of bamboo. It was proudly made in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Bulakenyos commonly make Christmas trees out of walis tingting. Improvised trees are covered with green crepe paper, and parol made of bamboos, embellished with papel de hapon, crepe paper or cellophane paper. De la Cruz said Bulakenyos usually prepare different kinds of food and delicacies, such as bibingka, puto, suman, palitaw, espasol and biringhi. They also make banaba and avocado-leaf teas and cook tinolang manok and nilagang baboy for Christmas.
THE Nativity Scene at the Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office in Malolos, Bulacan
Simbang Gabi, a tradition of Filipino Catholics of attending predawn or night Masses for nine days from December 16 to December 25, and panuluyan, a role playing of the life and birth of Jesus Christ on the night of December 24, are part of Bulakenyos’ traditions for Christmas. Bulakenyos enjoy eating bibingka and puto bumbong before or after attending Mass. Vendors usually sell them near the church to make it accessible to consumers. Christmas carolers, mostly children, make their rounds as early as the night of December 8 to ask for money or candies from houses and business establishments. The Phacto department head said the love for the Baby Jesus and their fellowmen emanating from the hearts of everyone reigns throughout the Christmas season. “Let us avoid disunity and anger and make the Belen a symbol of light and hope,” de la Cruz added. Meanwhile, tourists can visit the Pasalubong Center in the city of Malolos from Monday to Friday, except on holidays, to buy local products including bottled sweets, bottled foodand lanterns made from indigenous materials. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. The center also sells “One Town, One Product” creations of many of Bulacan’s cities and municipalities.
A CHRISTMAS tree adorns the main lobby of a mall in the city of Malolos, Bulacan.
TOURISTS can buy the parol (lantern) made of capiz from Bocaue town costing between P350 and P2,500, and wind chimes worth P145 to P750 each at the Bulacan Pasalubong Center in Malolos.
RegionsSunday BusinessMirror
A12 | Sunday, December 3, 2017 | Editor: Efleda P. Campos
Bicol ‘Pastores’: Reliving the song of the shepherds Story and photos by Bernard L Supetran Special to the BusinessMirror
W
ITH the onset of the Advent Season, signalling the start of Christmas in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, local governments will be busy lighting up Christmas trees and Belen tableaus to observe the birth of the Christ Child.
In the Bicol region folks are doing more than the ceremonial lighting as they relive an ageold tradition depicting the first Christmas night. Known as “Pastores” (Shepherds), the tradition was introduced by Spanish priests in the late1800s, and spread across the region and become part of the Yuletide celebration in Bicolandia. It depicts the shepherds’ jubilation on the birth of Jesus, and features musical groups interpreting “Pastores a Belen” (“Shepherds to Bethlehem”), a traditional Spanish song whose composer is largely unknown. While there were accounts the lyrics were written by national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, the most he could have done was edit them and come up with a rebooted version as Pastores was already widely practiced then. Doña Metring Reniva of Oas town, one of the very first organizers of the Bicol Pastores, made some revisions to the hymn during the post-Spanish era. The lyrics go this way: Pastores a Belén, vamos con alegría a ver a nuestro bien, al Hijo de Maria. Allí, allí, nos espera Jesús. Pastores entrad, entrad zagales también. Vamos a ver al recién nacido,
vamos a ver al Niño Emmanuel. (Shepherds to Bethlehem We are going with happiness, to see, to our good, the Son of Mary. There, Jesus waits for us. Shepherds enter, lads also. Let us go to see the newborn, Let us go to see the Boy, God with us) The traditional dramatic representation of the shepherds’ adoration—singing and dancing from one house to another—is usually part of the ritual. The actors playing the shepherds are usually children or youth, wearing colorful costumes. Most of them are female and wear full skirts, round-necked blouses with puffed sleeves and wide-brimmed hats. The males wear long-sleeved shirts, breast and waist bands and decorated hats. The dancers bring their elaborately designed arko (arch of flowers) and sing carols from house to house, accompanied by string and percussion musicians. Just like the usual carolers, they are given money by homeowners as a token for their musical rendition. There are variations in the Bicol Pastores across the region because of diverse cultural influences, indigenous traditions and ethnolinguistic differences. In some versions, carols sung in the vernacular are
integrated, thus providing a fusion of Spanish and Bicol motifs. But somewhere along the way, the tradition lost its luster because of modern living and the lack of interest by the locals due to the intricacies in performing it. In the 1970s Legazpi Citybased radio station People’s
Broadcasting Network revived a dying tradition by launching a contest among students and the youth. Its role was pivotal as it saturated the airwaves with the Christmas melody, and it became common to see dancers doing the Pastores serenade in households and business establishments.
The late National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan, founder of the award-winning Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and a native of Camarines Norte, created choreography for the song that is suited to the Bicolanos’ jovial nature. Later on the Department of Tourism in Region 5, the Albay pro-
vincial government and the Legazpi City government joined efforts to preserve the tradition through the conduct of the Bicol Pastores annual musical competition. Contingents from far-flung villages in Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, Catanduanes and Masbate troop to the Peñaranda Park in Legazpi City every year to vie for cash prizes and the honor of being adjudged the year’s best. The tilt is usually synchronized with other events, such as Christmas-tree lighting and the Karangahan sa Pasko Green Christmas Festival of Albay under then Gov. Joey S. Salceda. In 2012 a category for elementary students, called the “Bulilit Pastores” was included in the competition to teach the cultural value of the tradition among children. This year’s edition will serve as the culminating event of a daylong festivity on December 12 by the Department of Tourism that will launch its Exciting Bicol and the Bring Home A Friend Part 2 tourism campaign. But beyond the limelight, cheering crowd and enticing financial rewards, Bicol Pastores will be here to stay and never fade again as a testament of the Bicolanos’ musicality and their resilience in the face of life’s vicissitudes, just like the faith of the shepherds they portray.