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Saturday, December 9, 2017 Vol. 13 No. 59

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BREAKING n

THIRD TELCO PLAYER TO GO THROUGH A MAZE OF LEGAL, REGULATORY, INFRA CONSTRAINTS

THE DUOPOLY’S

VILAX | DREAMSTIME.COM

STRONGHOLD By Lorenz S. Marasigan

HILE it is sound to allow Chinese telco players to enter the Philippine market to stir up competition, experts believe that any new entrant will have to hurdle quite a few technical and legal tussles before successfully launching the muchanticipated “third player” in the telecommunications industry.

Opening up the telco market to more players, experts said, will help create a more vibrant market that is pro-subscriber, possibly lowering prices and improving services. President Duterte has floated the possibility of having a Chinese telco provider as the third player in the Philip-

pine market, now dominated by rivals Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. Later, a Palace statement said a consortium is also being eyed to join the telco market competition.

Vibrant environment

“OPENING up the telecommunications market is always

good. A more vibrant competitive environment will provide consumers more choices, better services and fairer prices— a situation we do not currently have with the duopoly we have in place,” Pierre Tito M. Galla, who founded Internet freedom group Democracy.PH, told the BusinessMirror. Continued on A2

TERRORIST TAG MAY USHER END OF COMMUNIST-LED INSURGENCY

Military readies ‘final blow’ to CPP-NPA

By Rene Acosta

ITH the tagging of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), as terrorist groups, the Armed Forces declared it has been given a leeway in going after communist rebels. “This proclamation clearly classifies and labels the group for what they really are and will simplify military and law-enforcement operations, as efforts against lawless elements and enemies of the state,” the military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla

Jr., said. “This will certainly ensure that the AFP can now fully execute and perform its mandate without reservation and restrictions,” he added. Even as the spokesman did not qualify the second part of his

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 50.7410

statement, it gives the impression, however, that soldiers could now resort to high-handed measures in their operations against the “bandits,” or in their efforts to apprehend them. The open-ended statement had raised fears that it could contribute and exacerbate allegations of extrajudicial killings that are currently being hurled against the Duterte administration. When sought for clarification on the whole issue of CPP-NPA’s terrorist tagging, military public affairs office chief, Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo, who is known to be more knowledgeable, other than being a lawyer, however, tossed back the questions to Padilla, being the spokesman. President Duterte declared on Tuesday the CPP and the NPA as terrorist groups as a follow-up to See “CPP-NPA,” A2

MEMBERS of the New People’s Army parade during the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on December 26, 2010, at Mount Diwata in Southern Philippines. AP/PAT ROQUE

n JAPAN 0.4487 n UK 68.3938 n HK 6.4999 n CHINA 7.6717 n SINGAPORE 37.5637 n AUSTRALIA 38.1166 n EU 59.7577 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.5302

Source: BSP (8 December 2017 )

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BREAKING

CPP-NPA…

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Continued from a1

THE DUOPOLY’S

STRONGHOLD Continued from a1

Winthrop Y. Yu, who chairs the Internet Society of the Philippines, said his group is supportive of Duterte’s policy pronouncement of allowing more players to enter the telco market, but noted that there may be constraints in doing so. “Given the current legal and regulatory restraints on the telcoms sector, any foreign player will still have to find a Filipino partner, preferably one that already has, or will soon have, a telcoms franchise,” he told the BusinessMirror. Galla described the barriers to the entry of a new player as “already high.” “The barriers to entry are really high at present, and it will be up to this administration to lower these barriers to entry,” he said. Philippine laws only allow foreign companies to own as much as 40 percent of a corporation in certain sectors, including public utilities. Likewise, a prospective telco player must secure a congressional franchise before offering services. There are also constraints on infrastructure—both hard and soft. Building up new towers will require a new player to invest more

“Opening up the telecommunications market is always good. A more vibrant competitive environment will provide consumers more choices, better services and fairer prices—a situation we do not currently have with the duopoly we have in place.”—Pierre Tito M. Galla,

Democracy.PH founder

than P2 billion, a source said.

Spectrum issue

“THERE is not enough spectrum for a full service mobile communications third player. The duopoly currently controls about 75 percent of ‘allocatable’ spectrum, and 100 percent of the workhorse SMS and voice frequencies 900MHz [megahertz] and 1800-MHz bands,” Galla said. Data from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) showed that existing telcos hold the majority of the said real estate to date. PLDT Inc. holds 400 MHz of the total holdings, while Globe Telecom Inc. has rights to 325 MHz. What remains for a budding telecom player is a mere 140 MHz

frequencies in the 700-MHz, 850MHz, 2100-MHz, 2500-MHz and 3500-MHz spectrums. Spectrum is the real estate on which telecommunication operators develop their respective network to deliver services to customers. The amount of spectrum assigned to a telco has an impact on the cost to build capacity, overall network performance, ability to offer new multimedia services and general customer experience of wireless services. “There really is not enough unless this administration orders the NTC to perform refarming and reallocation,” Galla said. Spectrum is a finite natural resource that is necessary in providing wireless Internet connection. This includes mobile cellular, fixed wireless and satellite connections. The two companies got hold of a huge portion of spectrum in various frequencies, after purchasing the telco assets of San Miguel Corp. The food-to-infrastructure company initially planned to launch telco services in 2016, but decided, together with its prospective partner Telstra Corp. Ltd., to back out due to several constraints.

COMMUNIST rebel Jorge Madlos poses for photographers during the celebration of the 42nd anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on December 26, 2010, at Mount Diwata in Southern Philippines. AP/PAT ROQUE

his permanent scuttling of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and his declaration that he would be a fascist to the rebels. Duterte subsequently ordered the arrest of NDFP consultants freed earlier in connection with the failed peace talks. Padilla said the tagging of the bandits and the members of their political arm has given the military a much-needed shot in the arm as it works to end the insurgency movement. “The AFP’s focused military operations will now become even more precise, simple and effective. We can now address without any hesitation—and with all the means and resources available to us—the increasing criminal and economic-

sabotage activities of these terrorists,” he said. Even before the declaration, the military has been using every available means in its disposal in its war against the communist rebels. This time, Padilla could be talking about the provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007 and Republic Act (RA) 10168, or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012. RA 10168 penalizes the financing of terrorism and terrorists groups by individuals and groups, thus, depriving the rebels of funds and other logistical support. The government has tagged mining companies as among the sources of funds for the rebels, but several years ago the military has also identified several politicians,

who, it said, have supported or were supporting the NPA. The support, according to the military, is heavy during election season, when politicians pay “permit-to-campaign” and even “permit-to-win” fees. The declaration of the CPP and the NPA as terrorists was also welcomed by the Department of National Defense (DND). “We have long since maintained that the CPP-NPA is a blight to the Filipino people, with its members engaging in constant criminal activities and wanton acts of terror,” the DND said in a news statement. “Clearly, their aim is not the welfare of the Filipino but the pursuit of their selfish agenda. Henceforth, they will be called communist terrorists.”

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Saturday, December 9, 2017

Why has Bitcoin’s price gone up so fast?

itcoin has been in a bull market like few the world has ever seen.At the beginning of the year, the price of a Bitcoin was below $1,000. It hit $5,000 in October, and then doubled by late-November. And on Thursday, less than two weeks later, the price of a single Bitcoin rose above $20,000 on some exchanges, according to Coinmarketcap. The latest price spike has been credited to signs that Wall Street companies plan to bring their financial heft into the market. At the current cost, the value of all Bitcoin in circulation is about $300 billion. To get a sense of how big that is, all the shares of Goldman Sachs are worth about $90 billion. The gains have been driven by several other factors—perhaps the most important being the irrational mentality that can take over in speculative bubbles. But most people buying Bitcoin are doing so in the belief that others will want it even more in the future. The gains, though, have many people, even Bitcoin believers, anticipating a big crash.

Bitcoin used to be all about libertarians and black-market trade. Are those still driving the price?

The fringe communities that drove Bitcoin in its early years are playing a much less important role in the current rally. Many investors have said the most important factor driving the current enthusiasm is the entry of hedge funds and other institutional investors. The path for large investors has been smoothed by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and Chicago Board Options Exchange, which have been racing to roll out Bitcoin futures contracts. Most banks are already signed up with these exchanges and consequently can immediately

begin trading the contracts. The options exchange has said it plans to start trading Sunday. It is still unclear how the arrival of Bitcoin futures will influence the demand for the digital tokens. With a futures contract, banks can bet on the price of Bitcoin without holding the underlying Bitcoins. This is expected to bring many new players into the market who don’t want to deal with the complications of holding Bitcoins. But the futures contract will also allow investors to short Bitcoin, or bet on the price’s going down, which has been hard to do until now. Some analysts think this could put downward pressure on the price. Other market participants have worried that Bitcoin futures could spread the risks of Bitcoin into the rest of the financial system. People still use Bitcoin and other virtual currencies to make ransom payments and buy illegal goods online, including synthetic opioids. But that activity has been on the wane since the authorities shut down some of the largest online black markets this year.

What role are smaller investors playing in the virtual currency markets?

Individual investors have been just as active as large investors. Nowhere has the phenomenon of ordinary people buying virtual currencies been more visible than in South Korea, where several exchanges have storefronts to help new customers. This is all the more remarkable because just a year ago, Koreans showed almost no interest in these markets.

In this April 7, 2014, file photo, Bitcoin logos are displayed at the Inside Bitcoins conference and trade show in New York. A federal regulator gave the go ahead on December 1 to the CME Group to start trading Bitcoin futures later this month, the first time the digital currency will be traded on a Wall Street exchange and subject to federal oversight. AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File

Small Japanese investors have also been investing in Bitcoin. They have been encouraged by laws passed this year that essentially legalized Bitcoin and allowed Bitcoin exchanges to get regulatory licenses. In the United States most smalltime investors have gone to the San Francisco company Coinbase, which provides a Bitcoin brokerage service, similar to Charles Schwab, as well as an exchange for larger investors. Coinbase now has more account holders than Schwab, and it has struggled to keep up with the growth. China used to be the most active country for Bitcoin trading and mining, but the authorities there have cracked down this year.

What are the dangers of getting into this market?

Many of the largest exchanges, including in South Korea, are essentially unregulated. The lack of oversight means that no one is checking that the exchanges are properly securing their customers’ money or that large players are not

able to manipulate the price. One of the largest exchanges in the world, Bitfinex, has been hacked numerous times and provides little transparency about where it is keeping its money. Even regulated exchanges, like Coinbase in the United States, have not been battle tested like larger financial institutions, and their operations have gone down at key moments. Once people buy Bitcoin or other virtual currencies, they are often targeted by hackers who have become experts at penetrating bitcoin accounts. Bitcoin “wallets” are vulnerable to new kinds of attacks that are not a problem for ordinary financial accounts. Most important, in contrast to money in a bank account, when a Bitcoin is gone there is essentially no way to get it back and no insurance covering its loss.

Are more people using bitcoin to pay for things? When Bitcoin was released in 2009, it was described as a new

kind of electronic cash. Recently, though, many programmers working on Bitcoin have said the system in its current form is not a particularly good way to pay for things. They argue that it is best designed to serve as a sort of scarce commodity, like digital gold, allowing people to keep their money outside the control of governments and companies. Many people who want to use virtual currencies for online payments are looking to Bitcoin competitors, like Bitcoin Cash and Monero.

What role are the other virtual currencies playing in this frenzy? Earlier this year, bullish sentiment was focused on Ethereum, a virtual currency network that is more adaptable than Bitcoin. The price of Ether, the virtual currency on the Ethereum network, has continued to rise in recent months, but not as fast as Bitcoin. Many investors were also putting their money into custom virtual currencies released by

entrepreneurs in so-called initial coin offerings. These new virtual currencies have generally been designed to serve as the internal payment mechanisms on new software the entrepreneurs are building. This fall, though, regulators have signaled that they are planning to crack down on coin offerings.

Where did virtual currencies come from, and how do they work? The Bitcoin software was released in early 2009 by a mysterious creator who went by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. The search is still on for the true identity of Satoshi. The software released by Satoshi set out the basic rules for Bitcoin and the computer network on which it lives. Unlike other forms of money, which are controlled by governments and financial institutions, Bitcoin operates on a decentralized network of computers that no one institution controls. New York Times News Service

One trick to finding the best bar in any city in the world By Mark Ellwood

Bloomberg News

t Bloomberg Pursuits, we love to travel. And we always want to make sure we’re doing it right. So we’re talking to globe-trotters in all of our luxury fields—food, wine, fashion, cars, real estate—to learn about their high-end hacks, tips and off-the-wall experiences. These are the Distinguished Travel Hackers. Igor Hadzismajlovic is the cofounder of Employees Only (EO), the award-hogging craft cocktail bar in New York’s West Village that opened in 2004 and was the subject of the documentary, Hey Bartender. He has helped spearhead the bar’s recent global expansion, opening outposts in Miami, Singapore and Hong Kong. His favorite airline is Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. “I love the whole thing—even the interior design is very subdued and sedate, which is just what you want on a long flight. And they have fabulous ice cream, which I don’t care for personally, but my wife loves it.” In the 12 months since EO’s branches in Singapore and Hong Kong opened, Hadzismajlovic has made 15 trips between them; indeed, he now lives in Asia with his wife. He also treks back stateside frequently to check in on the Employees Only mothership in New York. How to sweet-talk your way

onto an airline staffer’s best side— and into the premium cabin? Dev Johnson, probably our most charming bartender at Employees Only in New York, gave me a tip once: to buy chocolates at Duty Free before your flight and gift them to the flight attendants when you board. Dev would always do that. When they look at your tickets and say ‘Left or right?’ he would respond ‘This is for you, guys.’ They’re often overlooked and under-appreciated, so it truly surprises them when you turn up with a small gift. Your in-flight service will never be better—perks here and there for a very small price. I do a similar thing. I always try to call people by the name on their nametag. You’d think it would be more common, but the way they respond to it? You don’t get that “automatic smile.” I got a crazy silly upgrade to business class that way once. I worked the whole night, and I was catching an 8 a.m. Emirates flight via Dubai to Jakarta. The lady checking me in at JFK saw me—disheveled and a little drunk, to be honest—but I also called her by her name. I was the last passenger checking in, and she upgraded me to business class after that. It was a nice gesture, and no skin off her back. How to find the hottest nightlife and bars in an unfamiliar city? If you want to find out about a new city’s nightlife, go into a bar recommended by your hotel on

Bottles of liquor sit on display at the Long Island Bar in the Brooklyn borough of New York on April 19, 2016. Eric Medsker

the early side on a slow night, and introduce yourself. That’s when the bar is at its quietest, there’s downtime, and the bartenders can chat it up a little. Just ask them where to go! That’s what happened to me the first time I went to New Orleans, in 1998. I’d been in the States maybe two years. We went early and the bartender told us about this band, the Rebirth Brass Band. They play every Tuesday at Maple Leaf Bar. We got rerouted there without doing any research, just by an act of friendliness. And I fell in love with brass music instantly. I’ve played a lot of their music in the bar ever since—when the room is full and it’s jamming on their songs, it’s pure mayhem. Yes, you should still tip, even outside America.

Even in non-tipping countries, I still like to do it. It’s a karmic thing. And, of course, you’d be surprised how many extra doors tipping will open for you—and just for a little money. I took a trip to Rome, and we tipped the guy at the bar. It was maybe Tuesday night. When we went back in Friday, the place was packed and there was a line to get in, but they pulled us out of it and rushed us inside like we were celebrities. Singapore is even safer than you assume. Singapore is very by-the-book. You can go to a bar, drink, and leave your cell phone and wallet on the bar to go to the bathroom. And when you come back, they’re still there. The hawker centers (full of street food stalls) are a frenzy at lunchtime, as the office workers

go out between 1 and 2 p.m. They run to the tables, and they leave their cell phones there to reserve them while they go pick up the food. I’ve lived for 20 years in New York, where you would never leave your cell phone to hold a seat. Are you crazy? The best city for drinking right now might surprise you. Seoul is the craziest drinking town I’ve ever seen. Alice serves funky, experimental drinks that are good for before dinner, and Soul Train is a fun dive bar for late-night shenanigans. But it’s not just the cocktails. I remember landing there the first night: We went to a Korean barbecue kind of place, and the table next to us was six guys. And one of them passes out at the table. I’ve been bartending for 20 years, and my instant reaction is, ‘Is he OK?’ But the rest of the table looked at me like I was the weird one. They continued their conversation, and the guy was sleeping by himself. And then a couple hours later, he got up, shook his head, had some water and continued drinking. I realized this was normal there. Need an alternative to Phuket in Thailand? Try this strategy. Every five years on my sabbatical, I’ve traveled to a different country in Asia: Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. I would just land in the capital of each country, then take a bus or a train to a beach town that was not too touristy—

if there was a McDonalds, it was probably not my scene, that was my rule—and there was a good local pickup game of beach volleyball. My favorite place was on a small peninsula near Krabi (in Thailand). It’s a beach town called Railay Beach, surrounded by limestone cliffs, and it’s one of the biggest rock-climbing destinations in the world. It also means cars aren’t able to access it, so I got there by ferry and then took a little dinghy to the beach. I landed, had lunch, and by 4 p.m. I was playing with the locals. All the different countries are on the same timetable, starting at 4 p.m., because before then, it’s too hot. Need a truly fresh place to visit? Try this formerly communist corner of the Mediterranean that’s as throwback-ish as Cuba. The island of Vis is like the Cuba of Europe. Landing there is like landing on Mars. I’m from Bosnia, so it was always on my radar, but Vis is an underdeveloped island off the coast of Croatia that hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves from travelers, likely because it’s the farthest island from the mainland. When Croatia was a communist country, it was a military base, so foreigners weren’t allowed to visit; it only had domestic tourism, so there’s none of that dull mass-tourism architecture or boring hotels. I spent two weeks there, camping, and I slept in a hammock at Kamena Plaža (Stone Beach) near town of Komiža.

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Saturday, December 9, 2017

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Hamas calls for ‘intifada’ on Trump’s Jerusalem move

he Gaza Strip’s militant Hamas rulers called for a new uprising against President Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, while protesters burned American flags and pictures of the United States leader in demonstrations across the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing foreign diplomats, predicted other countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem. On Wednesday the Czech Republic issued a statement saying it recognizes west Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but isn’t considering moving its embassy at this time. Israel Radio, without saying where it got its information, said the Philippines was considering an embassy relocation. “We demand, call and will launch an intifada in the face of the Zionist occupation,” Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech on Thursday broadcast by Al Jazeera television. “Jerusalem is being kidnapped and ripped from us.” Thousands of Palestinians and Israelis died in two previous uprisings. While it’s unclear if there is appetite for a new uprising, or intifada, anger runs deep in Palestinian territories and among Muslims elsewhere against Trump’s decision to break with decades of US policy, which includes plans to move the United States Embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians, and previous US administrations had resisted moves that could risk inflaming Muslim passions and alienating Muslim allies.

“We will not accept your patronage of the peace process any more,” Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah said of Trump. “We will confront you with unity, and Palestine will return to its 1967 borders with holy Jerusalem as its capital,” he said, referring to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Israeli and Palestinian stock markets, no strangers to turmoil, were little changed. In taking the decision, Trump has put the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back in the spotlight in a region roiled by multiple wars and political turmoil since the 2011 Arab Spring. But while US officials said they were recognizing a reality, ignoring Arab opposition to the move suggests Trump is betting that key allies are more keen on United States support against Iran and Islamist extremists, or are too distracted by regional disputes to take drastic action. Aside from Jordan, which has been vocal in condemning Trump’s decision and where mass protests are planned for Friday, official reactions from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have been largely restrained.

Maintaining relations

“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates highly value the relation-

‘Expected’

More troops

With a “day of rage” called across the West Bank, Israeli security forces braced for unrest. The army ordered the deployment of additional battalions to the West Bank, and more troops were put on standby, the military spokesman’s office said. Palestinians burned tires and hurled rocks at Israeli soldiers in various West Bank cities, and troops responded with tear gas. A strike shuttered shops and schools across the West Bank and Gaza. “The ground is definitely going to burn,” Effie Sharon, a 41-year-old owner of a Jerusalem kiosk, said late Wednesday. Yehuda Blackman, a 21-year-old working at a nearby bar, said any violence would be worth it “if it brings a certain recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which there hasn’t been so far.” Al Jazeera television reported

Ex-priest convicted of murdering Texas beauty queen in 1960

former priest was convicted on Thursday of the 1960 slaying of a South Texas teacher and one-time beauty queen who was a member of the parish he served. A Hidalgo County jury deliberated six and a half hours before returning its verdict in the murder trial of 85-year-old John Bernard Feit, after hearing five days of testimony on Irene Garza’s strangulation death 57 years ago. The jury will begin hearing evidence on Friday morning on what punishment Feit should receive. He could be sentenced to up to 99 years or life imprisonment. Prosecutors Michael Garza, who was not related to the victim, and Krystine Ramon hugged members of Irene Garza’s family after the verdict was read. District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez, who campaigned for election in part on a pledge to reopen the Garza murder case, embraced his team of prosecutors and the Garza family, some of whom shed tears of relief. A stone-faced John Feit was led from the courtroom back to his county jail cell to await the morning. Authorities said Garza, 25, visited Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Feit was a priest, on April 16, 1960. Garza, who was Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, had planned to go to confession that evening. She never returned home, and her bludgeoned body was found days later. An autopsy found that she had been raped while unconscious and had been beaten and suffocated. Feit, who was 28 at the time, came under suspicion early on, telling police that he heard Garza’s confession—in the church rectory, not in the confessional—but denying he killed her. Prosecutors presented evidence that elected and church officials suspected Feit of killing the woman, but wanted to avoid prosecuting him because it might harm the church’s reputation and elected officials politically. Most elected officials at

day, and urged Muslim countries to summon US ambassadors and cut all contacts with Israel. In Tunis hundreds protested outside the headquarters of the main labor union, which had called on the public to respond to Trump’s decision. One of them, Mariam Barbary, said Arab anger was directed at their own “hypocritical” governments, as well as the United States. “We have lost confidence in these Arab regimes and it is up to the Arab street to act and pressure for a change in this decision,” she said.

ship with Trump and will not do anything to undermine it,” said Ayham Kamel, head of the Middle East and North Africa department at Eurasia Group. “They will prioritize maintaining the relationship with the Trump administration.” Some European leaders were more critical. “The announcement has the potential to send us backward to even darker times than the ones we are already living in,” said European Union foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini. “This move could diminish the potential role that the United States can play in the region and create more confusion around this.” The president “is simply carrying out the will of the American people,” US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters in Vienna. “The reality is Israel’s government offices, its courts are all in Jerusalem today, so it is just acknowledgment of what is reality on the ground.”

the time in Hidalgo County were Catholic, and Sen. John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, was running for president that year. Feit later spent time at a treatment center in New Mexico for troubled priests and after that became a supervisor and had a part in clearing priests for assignments to parishes. Among the men Feit helped keep in ministry: child molester James Porter, who assaulted more than 100 victims before he was ultimately defrocked and sent to prison. Feit left the priesthood in 1972, married and went on to work at the Catholic charity Saint Vincent de Paul in Phoenix for a number of years, training and recruiting volunteers and helping oversee the charity’s network of food pantries. Among the evidence that pointed to Feit as a suspect over the years: His portable photographic slide viewer was found near Garza’s body. Two fellow priests told authorities Feit confessed to them. And one of them said he saw scratches on Feit soon after Garza’s disappearance. Also, Feit had been accused of attacking another young woman in a church in a nearby town just weeks before Garza’s death. He eventually pleaded no contest and was fined $500. Garza’s family members and friends had long pushed authorities to reopen the case, and it became an issue in the 2014 district attorney’s race. Ricardo Rodriguez had promised that if elected, he would reexamine the case. At trial, Dale Tacheny, a tax adviser in Oklahoma City who had been a priest at a Missouri monastery where Feit had applied to live in 1963, said that Feit had confessed to him that he had murdered a young woman. Tacheny said it wasn’t until years later that he learned that the woman Feit had described was Garza. Defense attorney O. Rene Flores argued that prosecutors have insufficient evidence to convict Feit, who was living in Arizona at the time of his arrest last year. AP

Protesters carry a large Palestinian flag as they march through the streets of Chicago’s famed Loop to protest President Donald J. Trump’s announcement declaring United States support for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and the moving of the US embassy. AP

that influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr called on resistance groups to meet urgently to discuss military action against Israel. Protests were scheduled in Jordan, which has a predominantly Palestinian population and is the custodian of the fought-over Jerusalem shrine that’s the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque and the biblical Jewish temple. Saudi Arabia called on the US to reverse its decision, calling it a “drastic regression in the efforts to move the peace process forward.”

Demonstrations have also been called in various Muslim nations after the main prayers on Friday, often a flashpoint when passions over Jerusalem are kindled. An Israeli police spokesman didn’t have immediate information on whether access to Al-Aqsa would be curtailed. Small protests took place in Egypt, outside the journalists syndicate and at some universities, though the response was muted. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah called for protests in the group’s southern Beirut bastion on Mon-

“We understand and expected the emotional reaction,” US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. But people who are demonstrating “did not listen carefully enough,” he said. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is “the best path for peace,” he said, adding that the United States is taking appropriate precautions to protect Americans abroad. The US State Department has issued warnings to personnel in sites where unrest is anticipated, including Jerusalem, the West Bank and Karachi, Pakistan’s commercial capital. The full impact of Trump’s decision won’t be known until his sonin-law, Jared Kushner, unveils a peace plan he has been working on. But that may take too long. “President Trump has delivered a message to the Palestinian people: the two-state solution is over,” the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said in an interview published in the Haaretz daily, taking a divergent view from Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah. “Now is the time to transform the struggle for one-state with equal rights for everyone living in historic Palestine, from the river to the sea.” Bloomberg News

Pearl Harbor survivors in their 90s attend solemn ceremony

urvivors gathered on Thursday at the site of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor to remember fellow servicemen killed in the early morning raid 76 years ago, paying homage to the thousands who died with a solemn ceremony marking the surprise bombing raid that plunged the United States into World War II. About 20 survivors attended the event at a grassy spot overlooking the harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. They were joined by about 2,000 Navy sailors, officials and members of the public. Gilbert Meyer, who lived through the December 7, 1941, bombing, said he returned to pay his respects to his shipmates from the USS Utah—and say a prayer for them. The 94-year-old who lives near Lytle, Texas, was an 18-year-old fireman first class when a torpedo hit the port side of the Utah. He said he’s still alive because he happened to be on the ship’s starboard side. “I think about my shipmates and how they were killed. It reminds me that we’re lucky we got off and we’ve made a good country for them,” Meyer said. Meyer later served in the battles at Attu, Kiska, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He witnessed Japan’s surrender in 1945 from the deck of the USS Detroit in Tokyo Bay. Herbert Elfring remembered hearing bombs explode and first thought the explosions were US training exercises. Then a fighter plane with Japan’s World War II Rising Sun insignia strafed the Camp Makaole base where Elfring, 19 at the time, was serving. The bullets missed him by about 15 feet (5 meters). “When I looked up and saw the red ball on the fuselage I knew it wasn’t our plane,” he said. “I knew it was a Japanese plane.” The Jackson, Michigan, man is now 95 and said returning to Pearl Harbor for the anniversary of the attack makes him feel special because he’s one of the few remaining survivors. “I have one of those caps that say ‘Pearl Harbor Survivor’ on it,” he said. “It’s amaz-

AL RODRIGUES salutes for the audience during a ceremony at the Arizona Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Thursday. AP

ing how many people come up and thank me for my service.” Elfring was in the military for the entire war, serving in Fiji, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. When it ended, he went to the University of Michigan on the GI Bill, worked for a gas and electric company and raised a family of five. The ceremony began with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m. in honor of those who lost their lives—the same time the attack began. Four Hawaii Air National Guard F-22 fighter jets broke the silence, with one plane peeling off from the group to symbolize servicemen still missing. “The heroes with us today ensured Pearl Harbor would not be the end of the story,” Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift said. “Instead of retreating

from the fight, America’s Pacific Fleet dug in its heels. Along the way, they forged a cultural heritage of resilience that sailors continue to draw upon today.” The Navy and National Park Service host the ceremony each year. Usually, a Pacific Fleet vessel with sailors manning the rails passes by the USS Arizona Memorial during the event. This year no ship participated because of naval operational commitments, said Bill Doughty, a spokesman for Navy Region Hawaii. More than 2,300 servicemen were killed in the assault by Japanese airplanes. Nearly half were on the USS Arizona, which exploded and sank after it was hit by two bombs. Most of the Arizona’s fallen are entombed in the battleship, which lies at the bottom of the harbor. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

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

WORLD CUP DRAW WANES ON U.S. TV

EW YORK—The United States television audience plummeted for the World Cup draw without the presence of the Americans in the 32-nation field. English-language coverage on Friday on Fox’s FS1 averaged 65,000 viewers from 10 to 11:05 a.m. EST, down 87 percent from a record average of 489,000 for the 2014 draw televised by ESPN2 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST on December 6, 2013. US English-language viewers for the draw four years ago topped the previous high of 364,000 on December 19, 1993, for the 1994 World Cup, the first in the US. Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo and Universo, both owned by NBCUniversal, averaged 300,000 viewers, down 70 percent from 1 million in 2013 on Univision. The networks said 273,000 tuned in on Telemundo and 27,000 on Universo. The Americans’ streak of seven World Cup appearances ended when the US was eliminated with a 2-1 loss in October at Trinidad and Tobago. Next year’s World Cup final appears headed for a television conflict. The July 15 game in Moscow is scheduled to be televised by Fox starting at 6 p.m. local time, which is 11 a.m. EDT. Earlier this week, the AllEngland Club said the men’s singles final of Wimbledon on the same day will keep its traditional start time of 2 p.m. in London, which is 9 a.m. EDT. The tennis will be broadcasted in the US by ESPN. “We face competition every day, and it’s not uncommon for even a top-shelf event to sometimes face a circumstance like this,” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and scheduling, said in a statement. AP

Mascot designs for Tokyo Olympics shortlisted

OKYO—Japanese schoolchildren will help determine the mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Organizers of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on Thursday unveiled three sets of designs for the games’ mascots. The 6.5 million schoolchildren will review the shortlisted designs with their classes casting a single vote in favor of one of the three sets. The three finalists were selected from among 2,042 entries submitted by the public, with the winner to be announced on February 28. The first set is a pair of humanoid characters clad in the ichimatsu checkered pattern of the Games’ official logo. The second set features a maneki neko (good-luck cat) and a fox commonly seen at Shinto shrines. The third set features a fox and a dog with gold ribbons on their backs. The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled for July 24 to August 9, 2020. AP

Saturday, December 9, 2017

NONE can draw attention to golf like Woods—not individually, maybe not collectively. That’s no surprise. AP

NEW VERSION OF ‘TIGERMANIA’ N

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

ASSAU, Bahamas—The latest comeback by Tiger Woods, this one following a 10-month absence from a fourth back surgery in three years, was sure to cause some disruption in the work force with the weekday television coverage. That included the commissioner’s office at the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour. “I would consider myself to be among the highly distracted as Tiger played his first round,” Jay Monahan said on Tuesday. Monahan was at the Hero World Challenge the day before it began and stayed for the pro-am dinner, where he said Woods spoke from the heart about his foundation, thanked the other 17 players for coming and reminded them they had a chance to compete against a player at No. 1,199 in the world ranking. “That broke up the room,” Monahan said with a laugh. Indeed, it’s rare for a player to tie for ninth and move up 531 spots in the world ranking—Woods now is all the way up to No. 668—but such were the circumstances.

The field featured eight of the top 10 in the world and it included one guy who had earned ranking points at only two tournaments over the last two years. There’s no way to go but up. That’s what Monahan took away from the holiday exhibition, only he wasn’t talking about the world ranking. “We had such a strong year with great, young players stepping forward,” he said. “You add Tiger back in the mix, and we all go away from it with a lot of excitement.” How much Woods is in the mix remains to be seen, although this was as strong as he has looked in four years. Next up is figuring out a schedule that Woods said would be geared around the four majors. He hasn’t played all four since 2015, and he hasn’t made the cut in all of them since 2013. Most of the young players at Albany Golf Club— Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger—know more about the legend of Woods than what it’s like to have him at tournaments. Thomas got a taste of it. He is the FedEx Cup champion and PGA Tour player of the year after winning five times, including his first major at the PGA Championship. He started the new season by winning the CJ Cup in South Korea.

And when he sat down for a news conference, his first six questions were about Woods. Thomas was paired with Woods for the first and final rounds, and while Woods had the largest gallery, there was rarely more than about 250 fans. It’s the Bahamas. So when Thomas was asked if he felt the effect of Woods on the golf course or in his news conference, he smiled. “I would say more of the fact that I just won the FedEx Cup, player of the year, and all I get asked about is Tiger Woods,” he said. Thomas was not the least bit irritated, even though this was the 10th out 12 consecutive questions he fielded about Woods on that day. “I thought it was bad the questions I got asked about Jordan,” Thomas said. Golf wasn’t suffering without Woods, not inside the ropes. Dating to when Woods had his first back surgery, Rory McIlroy won two majors in 2014; Spieth got halfway to the calendar Grand Slam in 2015; Dustin Johnson fulfilled his potential with his first major in 2016 and was voted player of the year. And this year brought the emergence of the 24-year-old Thomas. None can draw attention to golf like Woods—not individually, maybe not collectively. That’s no surprise. “The keen golf fans will know Tiger moved the needle

and brought people in that might be sports fans, but not golf fans,” Henrik Stenson said. “But everyone who follows golf closely, I don’t think they’ve been home thinking, ‘Oh, this is not exciting anymore,’ when all the guys at the top have been winning. It’s been a healthy couple of years, even though he’s not been on the scene. “I don’t think he can make it less good, having the old Tiger back and trying to charge through the field,” Stenson said. “It would make it even more exciting.” There’s also the danger, especially in today’s socialmedia climate, to gush so much over Woods that it seems no one else is playing and tournaments that Woods doesn’t play are not worth watching. This is nothing new. The PGA Tour has been facing questions like this for 20 years. Monahan sees only an upside now. “We have such a deep bench of young, international players, combined with a great group of veterans. All have accomplished a lot in their own right, week in and week out. The story lines will be strong,” Monahan said. “You take a strong PGA Tour and just make it stronger. And it doesn’t just apply when Tiger is playing. The fact he’s back is bringing more attention, more eyeballs and that’s going to benefit everyone. “It’s great to be back in that situation.”

New Jersey lawmakers want to resuscitate racing industry

RENTON, New Jersey—New Jersey lawmakers want to give the state’s horse-racing tracks a piece of the action on Internet gambling. The state assembly was due to vote during the week on a bill that would authorize tracks to offer Internet gambling on their premises if they reach a partnership agreement with an Atlantic City casino or an online affiliate of a casino. Democratic Assemblyman Ralph Caputo says it’s a way to help the struggling racing industry with new revenue. “It would bring more traffic into the racetracks, and they need it desperately,” said Caputo, a former casino executive. Gamblers with Internet-betting accounts can already place bets from anywhere within New Jersey’s borders and don’t need to go to a track to do so. “The casinos should realize that absolutely nothing will happen unless they agree to allow it through an agreement with a track,” said Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of the Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport. “Nobody is forcing anything on them. This is really a win-win for the racing

industry and the casino industry.” Supporters envision track patrons placing online casino bets between races. The track would be compensated by the casino for drumming up new online business; the exact amount each track would get from a casino would have to be negotiated individually. Drazin said tracks would set aside an area for customers to place casino bets over the Internet. The tracks would be specifically exempted from state law banning so-called Internet cafés that offer real-money gambling. The Casino Association of New Jersey did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the bill. Internet gambling has been a bright spot in New Jersey’s gambling market. On pace to win $250 million online this year, New Jersey has the largest market of the three states that currently offer Internet gambling (Pennsylvania recently approved it but has not started offering it yet). The state Senate has not yet scheduled a vote on the measure, which is being considered in a committee.

CHILDREN pose for photographers in front of the shortlisted three mascot-design sets, which each contain one mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games at an elementary school in Tokyo recently. AP

Ceres, Global try to forge final duel

ERES Negros and Global Cebu try to forge a championship duel as they battle Kaya Makati and Meralco Manila, respectively, in the second leg of the Philippines Football League semifinals tonight in separate venues. Ceres hosts Kaya at the Panaad Park and Football

Stadium in Bacolod City, while Global visits Meralco at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. The matches start simultaneously at 7 p.m. Ceres and Global, campaigners in the Asian Football Confederation Cup after dominating the last edition of the defunct United Football League early

this year, only need a one-goal victory to seal their entry to the final on aggregate. The championship is set on December 16. No. 4 Global Cebu inched a win closer to the championship by beating Meralco Manila, 2-1, in the first leg a week ago. Meralco led 1-0 but Global’s Wesley dos Santos and Pika Minegishi turned things around in the 90th and 93rd minute. Ceres Negros, on the other hand, also escaped with a win with Stephan Schrock scoring the clincher in the 92nd minute at the University of Makati. Lance Agcaoili

BUILDERS ARE CHAMPS Members of the Ironcon Builders—champions of the recent Atlanta Pipes

Basketball League 2017—strike a pose after their conquest of the tournament. Shown above are Jerry Gonzales (standing, from left), James Castro, Jan Picardo, Ibarra Militsala, Adrianne de la Rosa, Ferdinand Igloso, Jaime Bontile, Robert Sy, Jimi Lim, Coach Bong de la Cruz, Hubert Chan, Mariano Yu, Eric Kirong and Francis Camacho; and Ryan de Ramos (seated, from left), Michael Arcangel, Jimmy Pasos, John Renz Domingcil, Wilson Dimapilis, Mark Lagrimas and Eujim Ray Roxas.

BusinessMi

A6 Saturday, December 9, 2017 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

Dumoulin working to resolve digestive problems at Giro

Froome 2017 best male cyclist

OM DUMOULIN has revealed he recently spent two days undergoing tests in hospital and is following a special diet as he tries to understand and resolve what caused him to make an emergency toilet stop just after the summit of the Passo Stelvio during Stage 16 of the Giro d’Italia this year. The Dutchman was seen stripping off and then hid below a grass banking to make his sudden toilet stop. He eventually got going again and chased down his rivals but the problems could have cost him victory in the Giro d’Italia. He managed to limit his losses to two minutes, retained the race leader’s pink jersey by a few seconds, and went on to win the Giro d’Italia ahead of Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali. However, the stomach problems revealed a weakness in his armor. Dumoulin revealed that he had suffered with a similar problem during the 2016 Tour de France and initially suggested the cause was eating too many gels and due to high altitude sending blood away from his gut to his legs. He is using the off-season to try to find a cure to his problem. “That problem has still not been solved,” Dumoulin revealed during an appearance in front of hundreds of Dutch University students for a television called College Tour that will be shown on Dutch television on Friday evening. “I recently spent two days in the hospital in Enschede for all kinds of research. Now I’m following a diet where we hope to find out whether I’m sensitive to certain products. It’s one of those things I’m doing now in the hope of being better for the years to come.” Too much starch? Specialist sports nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, who has worked with Team Sky and Cannondale-Drapac, believes Dumoulin simply ate too much starchy food before the big mountain stage. “My take on it is that he was on the bike for six hours and if he ate a lot of fiber at breakfast, that creates fecal mass or to put it another way: poo,” Mitchell told Cyclingnews during the Giro d’Italia. “I’m not aware of any data that confirms blood diversion can occur at altitude. A lot of sugars in the small bowel can cause osmotic diarrhea, but I didn’t see what Dumoulin left at the side of the road. However, osmotic diarrhea is quite explosive and causes stomach cramps. I don’t think it was that. “Everyone is different. I know riders who have a faster bowels and so they follow a low-residue diet for 24 hours before the key stages, to reduce any problems. That’s why we developed rice cakes. They’re very digestible. Your body takes all the nutrients and the fluid, but it doesn’t increase the bulk in the bowel and the stool.” Cyclingnews

Peter Sagan has missed out on a chance to win a sixth green points jersey at the Tour de France because of his disqualification, but, in a carefully worded statement, he claims he has put the moment behind him.

SAGAN CLEARED OF INFRACTION After the vision of “new materials” both parties reached a compromise and agreed “that the crash was an unfortunate and unintentional race incident and that the UCI commissaires made their decision based on their best judgment in the circumstances.”

Cookson: Reinstate Wiggins’s reputation

ORMER International Cycling Union and British Cycling President Brian Cookson has called for the “reputation” of Team Sky and Bradley Wiggins to be “reinstated” following the conclusion of UKAD’s investigation into the WorldTour team and British Cycling In 2011 British Cycling employee Simon Cope traveled from the UK to France to transport a medical package to the Team Sky bus on the final day of the Critérium du Dauphiné, that was then administered to Wiggins by Dr. Richard Freeman. The contents of the package, or jiffy bag as it came to be known, became central to the investigation. Team Sky and British Cycling both claimed the ‘jiffy bag’ contained the legal decongestant Fluimucil but could not provide a paper trail. Last month UKAD closed the investigation, unable to confirm contents of the jiffy bag. In the aftermath, Wiggins, who has denied any antidoping violations, explained he believed the investigation was a “malicious witch hunt’ and is considering legal action. Speaking with the BBC, Cookson explained the invetigaton proved “no rules were broken” but as a consequence there was reputational damage to cycling, Sky and Wiggins. “I think the reputation of the sport, the reputation of the the team and the reputation of the rider Bradley Wiggins should be reinstated,” Cookson added. “At the end of the day I have no idea what was in that package, and have no idea what the so-called whistle blower told Ukad or told the Daily Mail what was in the package. Ukad have not been able to put a case together so that’s the end of the story.”

ETER SAGAN and the International Cycling Union (UCI) have agreed to end their legal battle concerning the world champion’s disqualification from the Tour de France for dangerous riding just a few hours before the final hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne. Sagan was disqualified after clashing with Mark Cavendish in the final meters of the hectic sprint that decided Stage 4 to Vittel. Sagan seemed to squeeze Cavendish into the barriers, with his elbow sticking out. He argued he was trying to avoid a crash but after two hours of studying video footage, the race judge disqualified him, sparking one of the biggest controversies of this year’s Tour de France. Sagan and his Bora-Hansgrohe team tried to get the verdict immediately overturned by CAS. When this failed, they promised to continue their legal battle. The hearing was set for December 5, but the UCI announced that the two sides had agreed “not to continue with the legal proceedings and to focus on the positive steps that can be taken in the future instead.” After the vision of “new materials” both parties reached a compromise and agreed “that the crash was an unfortunate and unintentional race incident and that the UCI Commissaires made their decision based on their best judgment in the circumstances.” “On this basis, the parties agreed not to continue with the legal proceedings and to focus on the positive steps that can be taken in the future instead,” a UCI statement reads. Sagan missed out on a chance to win a sixth green points jersey at the Tour de France because of his disqualification, but, in a carefully worded statement, he claimed he has

put the moment behind him. “The past is already forgotten. It’s all about improving our sport in the future. I welcome the fact that what happened to me in Vittel has showed that the UCI commissaires’ work is a difficult one and that the UCI has recognized the need to facilitate their work in a more effective way,” he was reported as saying in the UCI statement. “I am happy that my case will lead to positive developments, because it is important for our sport to make fair and comprehensible decisions, even if emotions are sometimes heated up.” Bora–Hansgrohe Team Manager Ralph Denk explained he had appealed to CAS to protect Sagan, his sponsors, insisting that neither the team or Sagan had made any mistakes. “It has always been our goal to make clear that Peter had not caused Mark Cavendish’s fall. This was Peter’s position from day one. No one wants riders to fall or get hurt, but the incident in Vittel was a race accident as can happen in the course of a sprint,” he was reported as saying. “My job as a team manager is to protect my riders and sponsors. I think that this is what we, as a team, have done. I am reinforced in my view that neither Peter nor Bora-Hansgrohe have made any mistakes.” New UCI President David Lappartient confirmed, as was revealed during the Tour de France, that an extra “support commissaire” or video commissaire role would be created for major races to help the race judges better decide on race incidents. “These proceedings have shown how important and arduous the work of the UCI commissaires is. As of next season the UCI intends to engage a support commissaire to assist the Commissaires Panel with special video expertise on the main events of the UCI WorldTour,” Lappartient said. Cyclingnews

HRIS FROOME has been chosen by Cyclingnews readers as the Best Male Road Rider of 2017 in our annual end-of-season poll. The Team Sky rider, who pulled off the Tour de France-Vuelta á España double, won with 32 percent of the vote. Last year’s winner Peter Sagan, who became world champion for a third time, ran Froome close with 29 percent of the vote, while Giro d’Italia champion Tom Dumoulin was the next best placed on 15 percent. Froome, uncharacteristically, did relatively little outside the Grand Tours this year, but readers were no doubt convinced by the historic nature of his achievements. Bernard Hinault was the last rider to win the Tour and Vuelta in the same year, but Froome is the first to do it since the Vuelta moved to late summer. The Vuelta title represented the culmination of a six-year itch. Froome had finished on the podium three times, the first being his breakthrough as a Grand Tour contender in 2011, but never had the killer touch he displayed with such consistency at the Tour. There were a couple of minor wobbles in Spain this year, but Froome, shepherded by the strongest squad Sky have ever taken to the Vuelta, was a convincing winner. At the Tour, it was business as usual, Froome having grown into the yellow jersey over the years. It was, on paper, the closest Tour in decades, but it never felt like there was much suspense in the air. Froome joined an elite club of four-time winners of the Tour and closed in on the four all-time greats out in front with five. Froome’s season ended with a silver medal in the time trial at the World Championships. Dumoulin was the man who came storming up behind him on Mount Floyen to take gold—symbolic, perhaps, of Grand Tour battles ahead.

Cyclingnews

By Daniella Matar The Associated Press

ILAN—Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome will ride the Giro d’Italia next year in an attempt to win his third Grand Tour in a row. After successfully defending his Tour de France title earlier this year, Froome went on to win the Spanish Vuelta for the first time. A victory at the Giro would make him the seventh rider in history to win all three Grand Tours—and only the third to hold the three titles at the same time. The 32-year-old Froome made the unexpected announcement on Wednesday during

ERUSALEM—Palestinian officials are fuming over the Giro d’Italia’s decision to remove references to “West Jerusalem” from its web site about next year’s race following pressure from Israel. Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi issued a statement on Friday saying that the Giro was serving to “legitimize the annexation of Jerusalem” and was “complicit in Israel’s military occupation.” The Palestinian embassy in Rome called Israel’s “blackmail” entirely political. Israel considers the entire city, including east Jerusalem, home to the iconic Old City and its sensitive holy sites, to be its eternal capital. The international community doesn’t recognize Israeli sovereignty over territories it captured in the 1967 Mideast war, including east Jerusalem. Jerusalem will host the first stage of the 2018 race, but the route doesn’t pass through any territory considered occupied by the international community. AP

the presentation of next year’s Giro route, with a brief video message. “I’m looking forward to seeing you at the start line of next year’s Giro d’Italia,” he said. The announcement was greeted by surprise and a warm round of applause from the audience, which included past and present cyclists. “It’s a unique situation for me, having won the Tour and Vuelta and now having the opportunity to go to the Giro and attempt to win a third consecutive Grand Tour,” Froome said in a statement from Team Sky. “It’s really exciting to be able to take on a new challenge, to do something that perhaps people wouldn’t expect and to mix it up. It’s a whole new motivation for me to see if I can pull off

Nibali warns Chris Froome

Palestinians are fuming The UKAD investigation also included looking into Team Sky’s use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs). During his presidency, Cookson defended the UCI’s handling of TUEs and explained that the system was “tightened” up. Last month Shane Sutton, former technical director of the Great Britain team, said that TUEs were a legitimate way of finding “marginal gains” while staying within antidoping rules. Responding to Sutton’s comments, Cookson explained “I don’t think anyone should be surprised when a professional sports team pushes the rules right to the very limit,” he said. “That’s what professional sports teams do—you see it in football, you see it in Formula One and so on. “That’s essentially I think what’s happened here; in terms of the structures that were in place at the time, the rules were abided by.” On TUEs, Cookson further explained his opinion and their use in professional sport. “I think that there is a separate argument about TUEs,” he said. “Are they a good thing or not? If you want my view I think they should be allowed, but if they are allowed then the rider doesn’t compete for a limited period of time,” he said. “That’s not the rules at the moment. The World AntiDoping Agency [Wada] has looked at the rules time and time again every year and kept the TUE system. It’s fit for purpose in their view and sports have to abide by the rules. “We did tighten the rules up on how TUEs were issued and that’s resulted in far fewer being issued. I think that’s a good thing.” Cyclingnews

FRO PATH

VINCENZO NIBALI: When we race at home, we don’t give 100 percent—we give 150 percent!

INCENZO NIBALI seemed genuinely surprised and a little put out to discover that Chris Froome will target the Gido d’Italia-Tour de France double in 2018, with the Briton’s decision and eightsecond video message stealing the limelight and suddenly overshadowing the Sicilian’s plans for next season. Nibali made a point of reminding Froome of the difficulties of the Giro and warned that Italian riders will always have home advantage. Nibali has already named LiegeBastogne-Liege and the road World Championships as goals for 2018, and he plans to ride the Vuelta á España to prepare for the tough route in Innsbruck. He and his Bahrain-Merida team will make a final decision regarding the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France next week during their first training camp in Croatia.

Nibali suggested that he could even ride both races, but that would not fit in with his shot at winning the rainbow jersey. It is widely expected that Nibali will target the Tour de France and so be obliged to miss his home Grand Tour. “I’ll decide in the next week at the team camp and we’ll officialize my race program after also considering things with my team. We’ll decide together,” Nibali said. “It’s a beautiful and very interesting route, even if it’s best suited to Chris. The Giro is very particular, though, it’s never a logical race. There are eight mountain finishes but their difficulty increases gradually. The road to Etna is easier than the one we raced on this year and Montevergine is fast and so not very

Israel pleased Giro has fixed ‘West Jerusalem’ r

ERUSALEM—Israeli officials on Thursday declared victory in a battle over semantics surrounding the upcoming Giro d’Italia, saying it had persuaded the cycling event to remove any reference to “West Jerusalem” from their web site. The Giro, one of cycling’s three major races, will open in Israel next May, with the

first day set to take place in Jerusalem. The route has become a sensitive issue for the race because Israel’s control of east Jerusalem, captured in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed, is not internationally recognized. Israel considers the entire city, including east Jerusalem, home to the iconic Old City and its sensitive holy sites, to be its eternal capital.

The race is set to go near the Old City, but after consultations with Italy’s Foreign Ministry, will not go through any land the international community considers occupied. The Giro referred to “West Jerusalem” on a map on its official web site this week. Furious Israeli officials threatened to drop out if the wording was not amended, and on Thursday

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, December 9, 2017, 2017 A7

CHRIS FROOME wears yellow as he leads a group in one of the stages of this year’s Tour de France.

OOME CLEARS H TO GIRO something special next year.” Froome, who has not competed at the Giro since 2010, will also try to win the Tour for a record-equaling fifth time next year. No rider has completed a Giro-Tour double since Marco Pantani in 1998, but Froome has taken confidence from this season’s successful Tour-Vuelta effort. “We know that it would be a significant feat in the modern era to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same season, but the way we managed things this year gives me confidence that I can successfully target both races,” the British rider said. “Another factor is that there is an extra week between next year’s Giro d’Italia and

the Tour de France. That’s one more week for recovery and for training than there would be normally.” Spanish great Alberto Contador, who is one of the six riders to have won all three Grand Tours, believes now is the right time for Froome to attempt the same. “I think it was very intelligent from him,” Contador said. “He’s won the Tour, he’s won the Vuelta and he has to try to win the Giro. He has very good legs and an equally good or even better team. So I think he’s in a good position.” Two-time Giro champion Vincenzo Nibali was the last cyclist to win the three races, completing his record with the 2014 Tour. And

the Italian warns that Froome might not find it so much to his liking in Italy. “Froome has said that he really prefers the heat, like at the Vuelta or the Tour,” Nibali said. “He doesn’t have a good feeling with the cold and as we all know it can be very cold on the Giro. So we have to see how he finds it.” Even though the Giro takes place in May, cyclists have often had to combat snow and freezing temperatures in the mountains. Next year’s Giro will start in Jerusalem and the following two stages will also be in Israel, marking the first time the race has started outside Europe. Race organizers have said the route

e on Giro’s unpredictability selective. The real climbs come in the final week with the Zoncolan, the Colle delle Finestre dirt road, Jafferau and Cervinia. The time trial is not long and seems about right for a 21-day race; it was too long this year.” A warning about the weather Nibali denied that his decision on the Giro d’Italia will be influenced by Froome’s presence. He suggested that Froome’s decision will benefit cycling, while pointing out he has already won all three Grand Tours in his career. “His presence at the Giro d’Italia is good for the sport, good for the Giro and also for Team Sky. Having won the Tour and the Vuelta, now he only needs to win the Giro. My decision won’t depend on his presence at the Giro, absolutely not. I’ll decide independently,” Nibali said. Surprisingly, Froome has not raced in Italy since the World Championships in Florence in 2013. Early that season, Nibali defeated him in the cold and rain to win Tirreno-Adriatico and he was quick to remind

Froome of the often testing weather of the Giro. Temperatures can touch 30 degrees celsius in the south, but snow is occasionally a factor in the high mountains. “When you’ve won the Tour de France four times and won a Vuelta, you know you are suited to every Grand Tour. But the Giro has several factors that you can’t control and that can put you in trouble at any time,” Nibali said. “Chris has said he likes the heat and doesn’t love the cold, so it’ll be interesting to see how he handles the often changeable weather at the Giro d’Italia. But Team Sky has a very strong team and Froome is very strong. With that mix they are super strong.” Nibali knows that Froome lived and raced frequently in Italy while with Barloworld in 2008 and 2009, but warned him about Italian riders having home advantage at the Giro d’Italia. “When we race at home, we don’t give 100 percent; we give 150 percent!” Cyclingnews

reference the site was changed merely to “Jerusalem.” In a joint statement, Sports Minister Miri Regev and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said they were “pleased.” The Giro said the original wording was “devoid of any political value.” In a statement, the grassroots Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel criticized the Giro organizers.

It accused the race of “yielding to political pressure” from Israel and “lending recognition to Israel’s illegal hold over occupied east Jerusalem.” It said the Giro is “directly complicit in Israel’s propaganda claim” that Jerusalem is a unified city under its sovereignty. The group also urged Pope Francis to reject a reported Israeli invitation to launch the event in Jerusalem. AP

THE Tour du Rwanda has its signature cobbles, climbs and champions.

will not go through any land considered occupied by the international community. That means the course 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. A group of about 15 protesters held Palestinian flags and posters criticizing the Giro outside the building hosting Wednesday’s presentation. Race Director Mauro Vegni told The Associated Press: “Everyone has the right to think what they want, they have the right— as long as the protests are peaceful—to express their thoughts.”

Frenchman claims rainbow jersey in China Urban Cycling

HAMPION of France, champion of Europe and now champion of the world; it’s been a dream, year. The winner of five national titles since 2013, France’s Titouan Perrin-Ganier got off to one of his trademark fast starts in the final, shooting into the lead and holding it all the way to the finish line. With passing opportunities few and far between on the Xinhua Park track, PerrinGanier managed the race to perfection to cross the line ahead of Germany’s Simon Gegenheimer and fellow Frenchman Lorenzo Serres. Two-time International Cycling Union (UCI) world champion Daniel Federspiel of Austria went out in the semifinals. PerrinGanier’s victory was France’s third of the week following Nathan Charra’s juniors 26-inch trials win and the nation’s team trials triumph at the start of the championships.

“I didn’t make the greatest start, but I knew I could turn things around if I got past the Swede at the right moment.” Swiss rider Kathrin Stirnemann did just that, overtaking Ella Holmegard in the boards section to snatch gold from the Swede, with France’s Perrine Clauzel completing the podium. Stirnemann’s win give Switzerland their first medal of the championships and also secured her the second rainbow jersey of her career. A world champion for the first time in Hafjell (NOR) in 2014, she finished third in the event in 2015 and was a runner-up last year. The XCE finals marked the end of the very first UCI Urban Cycling, which brought together more than 230 riders from 35 countries. The new championship format, which comprises Trial, BMX Freestyle and XCE competitions held in city-center locations, will return to Chengdu, in Sichuan province, in 2018 and 2019. UCI News

‘WALL OF KIGALI’ W

HILE the cobblestones of the “Hell of the North” are legendary in European cycling, those of the “Wall of Kigali” are on their way to achieving similar status in Africa. This year they spiced up the queen stage of the ninth edition of the Tour du Rwanda. After six stages and 698 kilometers, a road with an ascent at 12 percent becomes a wall. But pushing the bike is not an option—at least not a serious one. The main roads of Rwanda are in great shape, but it is not for nothing that the country is known as “the land of the thousand hills.” It’s a relentless uphilldownhill sequence. To put it bluntly, as Sven Krauß, sports director of the German team Bike Aid, said: “It was just really hard for all of the riders.” Krauß is a former pro who has ridden the Tour de France. He knows what he’s talking about. While the majority of the European peloton was in the midst of its off-season, the most prestigious race of African cycling kicked off on November 12 from Amahoro Stadium, Kigali. The rainy season provides pleasant temperatures of 26°C at this time of year, and the teams were ready for a challenging seven stages of racing. Until 2008, the Tour du Rwanda was a regional cycling race. It brought together Rwandans but also riders from neighboring countries like Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda. Since obtaining UCI status in 2009, it has become more and more international, and is now one of the most famous cycling events on the African continent. Expectations were high for Rwandan domination. But there were riders from other countries who hadn’t shown up just to shake hands with the winner. One of them was a certain Nico Holler, fresh

from his victory at the Tour du Cameroon. The experienced climbing specialist from Germany led Bike Aid‘s roster in the quest this year‘s Tour du Rwanda as the team captain. When it comes to the Rwandan riders, Jean Bosco Nsengimana was one of the hot contenders for victory. For the rather shy member of the Rwandan national team it was almost a matter of honor to win the race a second time after 2015: “I have not stopped dreaming. I have that goal in mind and I believe that we can achieve it as a team.” Having worked as a bicycle taxi driver for years Bosco was more than familiar with the climbs, steep roads and doglegs along the route. The history of contemporary Rwandan cycling started in 2006, and since then has become more and more professional. In 2016 Adrien Niyonshuti became the first Rwandan rider in the UCI WorldTour. While the bike is still perceived first and foremost as a means of transport for simple people, when it comes to racing, it‘s a whole different story. Hundreds and thousands of spectators along the Tour du Rwanda race route cheered their heroes every day. During the circuit in Kigali, the numbers increased to more than a million. Following its first successful chapter, the Tour of Rwanda will turn a page next year, set to move to an August time slot in 2018, before upgrading its status to 2.1 from 2019. Finally, to the delight of the local crowd, it was a Rwandan who claimed victory this month at the end of the seven stages. Joseph Areruya, riding for the South African team Dimension Data for Qhubeka took the honors in front of his team mate Eyob Metkel (Eritrea) and the Kenyan Suleiman Kangangi riding for Bike-Aid. Jean Bosco Nsengimana finished fourth. UCI news

OurTime

A8 Saturday, December 9, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

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centenarians in Central Pfizer summit strengthens fight 295 Luzon receive cash gift against pneumonia, meningitis C

O achieve the vision of universal health care for all Filipinos, the Department of Health (DOH), the private sector and medical practitioners promote the importance of protecting people of all ages from vaccine-preventable diseases, such as pneumonia and meningitis. Pneumonia continues to be a major public health concern worldwide, for both children and adults. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the Philippines is among 15 countries that contribute to 75 percent of childhood pneumonia cases. Meanwhile, data from the DOH showed that in the past 10 years, pneumonia consistently figured in the top-5 leading causes of death among adults. Meningitis has symptoms that resemble flu in its early stages. Bacterial meningitis, known as the most serious type of menin-

gitis that can lead to death and permanent disability, is caused by severa l t y pes of bacter ia, including N. meningitidis and streptococcus pneumoniae. Promoting immunization to fight against these vaccine-preventable diseases is at the heart of the Pneumococcal and Meningococcal Disease Summit (PMDS), held by global research-based pharmaceutical leader Pfizer since 2015. The summit promotes pneumococcal and meningococcal awareness, prevention and control, and is targeted toward both the pediatric and adult communities.

In add it ion to conduct ing events targeting the pediatric community, PMDS also held symposia on raising pneumonia awareness among Filipino adults. In one of the PMDS rounds on adult vaccination, Dr. Ricardo C. Zotomayor, assistant professor at the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center’s College of Medicine and chief of the Section of Pulmonary Medicine of the hospital’s Department of Medicine, talked about how pneumonia is a significant disease burden of elderly adults worldwide. “The elderly, aged 60 years old and above in particular are most at risk of pneumonia in the country because of factors, such as weakened immune system, and they may already have other health concerns due to aging,” said Zotomayor, as he cited studies showing the effectiveness of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in adult pneumococcal vaccination and shared the ideal sequence of different pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly. Meanwhile, Dr. Ma. Delta S. Aguilar, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases and head of the

Section of Infectious Diseases at the Department of Pediatrics of the Southern Philippines Medical Center, also discussed the essential role of vaccination in meningococcal disease prevention. Aguilar said quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines provide protection against serogroups A, C W and Y, four important serogroups of meningococcal disease in infants, toddlers, young adults and older adults. Meningococcal disease causes life-threatening meningitis and meningococcal septicemia. Despite the existence of vaccines, some diseases are still rampant, such as pneumonia, which is still a leading cause of death in the country. Fora to promote awareness on pneumonia and meningococcal disease prevention are called for in support of the DOH’s expanded national immunization program. With its thrust that no Filipino should die from a vaccinepreventable disease, Pfizer continues to help intensify the fight through PMDS, which empowers medical practitioners in preventing and treating pneumococcal and meningococcal diseases.

ITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—At least 295 centenarians in Central Luzon have availed themselves of P100,000 centenarian-cash gift from the national government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Susan Hernandez of the DSWD’s Social Pension Unit said the figure represents 86 percent of the 342 target who already received their centenarian cash incentive. Bulacan has the highest number with 90 beneficiaries for total centenarian cash incentives of P9 million; Nueva Ecija with 69 beneficiaries, P6.9 million; Pampanga with 49 beneficiaries, P4.9 million; Tarlac with 45 beneficiaries, P4.5 million; Zambales and Bataan with 17 beneficiaries each, for a P3.4-million total; and Aurora with eight beneficiaries, P800,000. In addition, there were 107 senior citizens who complied with the requirements per guidelines of the program, Hernandez said. The DSWD field office in Region 3 coordinated with local government units (LGUs) for the payout, using the door-to-door scheme as mode of payment to some centenarians who could no longer travel, are bedridden, or in the hospital. Section 2 of Republic Act 10868 or the “Centenarians Act of 2016,”

stated all Filipinos who reach the age of 100 years old, whether residing in the Philippines or abroad, shall be honored with a Letter of Felicitation from the President of the Philippines congratulating the celebrant for his or her longevity, and a centenarian gift in the amount of P100,000. The centenarians will receive a plaque of recognition and cash incentive from their respective city or municipal governments in appropriate ceremonies. The amount of the additional incentive shall be determined by the LGUs concerned. Under the law, the awards and incentives are given to the centenarians on the first Sunday of October, declared as the National Respect for Centenarians Day in line with the Elderly Filipino Week celebration. However, considering the age of the centenarians, the DSWD released the cash gift to the identified beneficiaries earlier. Centenarians who died upon the effectivity of the law will be given a posthumous plaque of recognition together with the cash incentive to be received by their nearest surviving relative or family. To avail themselves of the cash incentive, a centenarian must present their birth certificate or Philippine passport for those living overseas. PNA

US homeless count rises, pushed Boracay resorts told to give discounts to senior citizens by crisis on the West Coast B

OS ANGELES —The nation’s homeless population increased this year for the first time since 2010, driven by a surge in the number of people living on the streets in Los Angeles and other West Coast cities. The US Department of Housing and Urban Development released its annual Point-in-Time count on Wednesday, a report that showed nearly 554,000 homeless people across the country during local tallies conducted in January. That figure is up nearly 1 percent from 2016. Of that total, 193,000 people had no access to nightly shelter and instead were staying in vehicles, tents, the streets and other places considered uninhabitable. The unsheltered figure is up by more than 9 percent compared to two years ago. Increases are higher in several West Coast cities, where th explosion in homelessness has prompted at least 10 city and county governments to declare states of emergency since 2015. City officials, homeless advocates and those living on the streets point to a main culprit: the region’s booming economy. Rents have soared beyond affordability for many lower-wage workers who, until just a just few years ago, could typically find a place to stay. Now, even a temporary setback can be enough to leave them out on the streets. “A lot of people in America don’t realize they might be two checks, three checks, four checks away from being homeless,” said Thomas Butler Jr., who stays in a carefully organized tent near a freeway ramp in downtown Los Angeles. Butler said he was in transitional housing—a type of program that prepares people for permanent homes—for a while but mostly has lived on the streets for the past couple of years. The numbers in the report back up what many people in California, Oregon and Washington have been experiencing in their communities: encampments sprouting along freeways and rivers; local governments struggling to come up with money for long-term solutions; conflicts over whether to crack down on street camping and even feeding the homeless. The most alarming consequence of the West Coast homeless explosion is a deadly hepatitis A outbreak that has affected Los Angeles, Santa Cruz and San Diego, the popular tourist destinations in a county where more than 5,600 people now live on the streets or in their cars. The disease is spread through a liver-damaging virus that lives in feces. The outbreak prompted California officials to declare a state of emergency in October. The HUD report underscores the severity of the problem along the West Coast. While the overall homeless population in California, Oregon and Washington grew by 14 percent over the past two years, the part of that population considered unsheltered climbed

23 percent to 108,000. That is in part due to a shortage of affordable housing. In booming Seattle, for example, the HUD report showed the unsheltered population grew by 44 percent over two years to nearly 5,500. The homeless service area that includes most of Los Angeles County, the epicenter of the crisis, saw its total homeless count top 55,000 people, up by more than 13,000 from 2016. Four out of every five homeless individuals there are considered unsheltered, leaving tens of thousands of people with no place to sleep other than the streets or parks. By comparison, while New York City’s homeless population grew to more than 76,000, only about 5 percent are considered unsheltered thanks to a system that can get people a cot under a roof immediately. In the West Coast states, the surge in homelessness has become part of the fabric of daily life. The Monty, a bar in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles, usually doesn’t open until 8 p.m. Partner and general manager Corey Allen said that’s because a nearby shelter requires people staying there to be in the building by 7 p.m. Waiting until after that to open means the streets outside are calmer. Allen said the homeless have come into his bar to bathe in the restroom wash basins, and employees have developed a strategy for stopping people from coming in to panhandle among customers. Theodore Neubauer, 70, sees the other side of it. Neubauer said he served in Vietnam but now lives in a tent in downtown Los Angeles. He is surrounded by thriving business and entertainment districts, and new apartments that are attracting scores of young people to the heart of the nation’s second most populous city. “Well, there’s a million-dollar view,” he said. Helping those like Neubauer is a top-policy priority and political issue in Los Angeles. Since last year, voters in the city and Los Angeles County have passed a pair of tax-boosting ballot initiatives to raise an expected $4.7 billion over the next decade for affordable housing and services for the homeless. HUD Secretary Ben Carson praised the region for dealing with the issue and not relying solely on the federal government. “We need to move a little bit away from the concept that only the government can solve the problem,” he said. But Mayor Eric Garcetti said insufficient federal funding for affordable housing and anti-homelessness programs are part of the reason for the city’s current crisis. “Los Angeles’s homelessness crisis was not created in a vacuum, and it cannot be solved by LA alone,” Garcetti said in a statement. Excluding the Los Angeles region, total homelessness nationwide would have been down by about 1.5 percent compared with 2016.

ORACAY Island, Aklan—A member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) here reminded resort owners in this island to give discounts to senior citizens this Yuletide season. SP member Nemesio Neron said because there are too many resorts and establishments in this resort island, it is hard to monitor businesses not properly

dispensing the discounts intended for the elderly. Senior citizens in the Philippines are entitled to several privileges and benefits, including 20-percent discounts in many services including hotels and restaurants, under Republic Acts 9994 and 10645. “These also include luxury hotels and restaurants in this resort island. Provid-

ing them proper services would make Boracay tourism-friendly for senior citizens,” said Neron, chairman of the committee on senior citizens in the SP. He said the SP members are willing to hear concerns and grievances from senior citizens coming to enjoy and relax in Boracay, especially this Christmas season. PNA

GRANDMA’S DRIED-FISH MERCHANDISE

Despite her age, 98-year-old Teodora Matias keeps managing her dried- fish stall at the Santiago City, Isabela public market. She claims she keeps her body and mind active with her buy-and-sell business. LEONARDO PERANTE II

The California counties of Sacramento, which includes the state capital, and Alameda, which is home to Oakland, also had one-year increases of more than 1,000 homeless people. In contrast, the HUD report showed a long-running decline in homelessness continuing in most other regions. Nationally, the overall homeless number was down by 13 percent since 2010 and the unsheltered number has

dropped by 17 percent over that sevenyear span, although some changes in methodology and definitions over the years can affect comparisons.

Places where the numbers went down include Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, the Denver area and Hawaii, which declared a statewide homelessness emergency in 2015.

The homeless Point-in-Time survey is based on counts at shelters and on the

streets. While imperfect, it attempts to represent how many people are homeless at a given time. Those who work regularly with the homeless say it is certainly an undercount, although many advocates and officials believe it correctly identifies trend lines. The report is submitted to Congress and used by government agencies as a factor in distributing money for programs designed to help the homeless. AP

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The Millennials BusinessMirror

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Asia’s millennials to drive changes in APac workspaces–Lenovo study

study commissioned by Lenovo Corp. has found that Asia’s millennials, who will make up more than 50 percent of the work force by 2020, will drive transformation in workspaces across Asia Pacific, excluding Japan (APeJ).

“Millennials’ flair for new technologies combined with enterprises’ quest for competitive advantage will fuel adoption of high-potential innovation accelerators, such as AR/ VR [augmented and virtual reality], cognitive intelligence and AI [artificial intelligence] and robotics, giving rise to new behavior and practices, particularly around humandevice interfaces, collaboration, talent practices, visualization and data-driven insights,” Lenovo said. The study accomplished by the International Data Corp. (IDC) also predicts that APeJ will represent the largest market for innovation accelerators, forecast to reach more than $600 billion by

2020, according to Lenovo. “These changes will result in new norms across Asia Pacific, from our approach to buying devices and how we collaborate, to how we obtain and interact with data.” Lenovo said based on the study, the company is seeing “a smarter, intelligent workspace” taking shape. Citing the IDC, Lenovo said to remain competitive in 2018 and beyond, companies in the region must take a holistic approach to create a smart office across multi facets— physical space, work culture and technologies. “Enterprises also need to be aware of the potential challenges of change management; workspace

transformation requires concerted efforts across multiple levers to lead in the digital economy.” Lenovo recommends that companies, especially those composed of millennials, must take a usercentric approach to provide “a truly engaging digital experience.” To provide a truly engaging digital experience in the workspace, taking a user-centric approach to transformation is key, Lenovo added. “It is essential for enterprises to look past the idea of traditional PCs[personal computers] to create a mobile, smart and personalized experience for its employees,” the world’s leading PC manufacturer said. “This can be done through providing a variety of form factors and design choices to meet modern workspace demands, offering nextgeneration devices, ensuring device mobility and at the same time maintaining enterprise-grade reliability.” According to Lenovo transformation on the physical workspace front “can be accelerated with bimodal IT [information technology] and agile practices, solutions and commercial models tailored for different segments and markets, as well as solutions that allows both devices and

management capabilities.” Lenovo said it believes that a “truly intelligent environment is created when every device is smart; where the cloud enables devices, such as PCs, tablets, smartphones, smart speakers, smart TV and AR/ VR to provide content, services and the best user experience to make life easier and better, and work more productive and efficient.” “This is truly an exciting time for fans of technological progress. In fact, we believe that we are at an inflection point, where a demographic shift and accessible technology will drive rapid changes in how we will work over the next few years,” Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan was quoted in a statement as saying. “However, business leaders should not take this change for granted. In order to survive and thrive in this new era, organizations must create the foundations for a smart workspace today. This means investing in intelligent transformation that enables personalized computing technologies and innovations. This is crucial to keep up with end-users’ today and future needs.” Rizal Raoul Reyes

DRESS TO FEELS Maria Isabela Blancas poses, wearing a gown donated to the social enterprise “One Closet” that she established when she turned 13 last year. Blancas bucked a depression bout by establishing the gown-rental business that encourages sharing. “We ask donations of preloved gowns and formal dresses [like prom dresses] from the rich and rent them out to the ladies in Butuan,” Blancas told the BusinessMirror. Check the story on Blancas and “One Closet” in the BusinessMirror’s The Millennials page that came out on December 2. Maria Isabela Blancas

Designing a new airline for hipsters I kissed dating good-bye (and Air France-KLM Group investors) Maxine Mamba

inspired

Air France-KLM Group targets millennials with launch of low-cost airline. Bloomberg

HAT corporate France lacks in cost-cutting potential, it makes up for in style. That at least appears to be the recipe at Joon, the latest aviation brainchild of Air France-KLM Group. The pitch goes like this: Tech-savvy and fashion-conscious flight attendants serve de rigueur staples from baobab juice to organic quinoa salad as millennials jet from Paris to Barcelona and Brazil at discount rates, streaming videos above the clouds. The reality, of course, is slightly less glamorous: The hipster pitch simply sugars the pill. Scratch beneath the surface and Joon, a riff on jeune, French for young, is the result of some hard-headed thinking at Europe’s biggest airline, designed to boost earnings by cutting costs more steeply than fares. At stake is Air France’s ability to defend European routes against further incursions from no-frills specialists led by Ryanair Holdings Plc., while combating an emerging discount challenge in lucrative long-haul markets. Joon represents the group’s second recent bid to slash costs after the first was dropped, amid protests that saw managers attacked by staff. Analysts say the company must get the new attempt right before oil prices rebound—or put at risk a resurgence in its business that led operating profit to jump 44 percent in the first nine months and the share price to double as French visitor numbers recover from a spate of terrorist attacks.

Less benign

“AIR France needs to improve its cost performance relative to competitors in order to thrive in an environment that may not be as benign as the one we have today,” said Andrew Lobbenberg, an aviation analyst at HSBC Holdings Plc. in London. “That’s what Joon is about.” The new unit, Air France’s fourth brand alongside the mainline carrier, short-haul unit Transavia and regional arm Hop!, is based at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and commenced flights on December 1. It will initially serve Barcelona, Berlin, Lisbon and Porto before next year, adding more far-flung destinations, including the Seychelles and Fortaleza in Brazil, and has applied for United States flights. Further routes will include Rome, Naples and Oslo, plus Istanbul, Cairo and Tehran in the Middle East, and Cape Town in South Africa, Joon chief Jean Michel Mathieu said at a news briefing on November 29. The operation started with Airbus SE A320 narrow-body jets sourced from Air France. The first intercontinental services will be introduced with A340 wide-body models, with more-advanced A350 planes to be deployed from 2019. Current union agreements would limit the fleet to 28 aircraft. Joon was borne out of a compromise by Air France-KLM CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac, who chose to develop it while backing away from the more overtly cut-price Transavia, which became the focus of clashes that made global headlines and forced out predecessor Alexandre de Juniac. Where the Transavia plan sought significant concessions from pilots,

Joon will pay them as much as Air France does—instead securing savings of 40 percent on cabin-crew costs versus the mainline brand. That will reduce expenses by up to 18 percent overall. Ticket prices won’t be in the bargain-basement range, with a one-way trip to Lisbon on January 8 priced from €50 ($59), according to Joon’s web site. That’s cheaper than previously charged by Air France, which will vacate routes that Joon takes up, but still €8.74 more than the same journey with EasyJet Plc., Europe’s second-biggest discount carrier and a major force in the French market, and €11 higher than charged by Transavia, which will duplicate some of the new carrier’s services. Hence, the focus on cool (cabin crew will wear electric-blue polo shirts and white sneakers that resemble Adidas AG’s popular Stan Smiths) as Joon seeks to woo a clientele that’s price sensitive but which also, it hopes, puts a high value on technology and lifestyle requirements.

Viceland

PASSENGERS will be able to stream movies and shows on their own devices, playing to the always-connected crowd while saving on the cost of screens. All seats will feature USB ports for charging and, from next year, free Wi-fi. Other perks will come at a price, among them checked luggage, programs from the Viceland and RedBullTV channels viewed via virtualreality headsets, and the baobab juice. Joon will also offer a businessclass service featuring extra space, as well as a premium-economy class on long-haul routes. Franck Terner, who heads Air France, describes the new carrier as a laboratory for experiments in marketing and pricing, comparing its launch to that of Richard Branson’s mold-breaking Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. in the 1980s. Yet, the response to an ad campaign that likens Joon to a trendy rooftop bar and fashion designer—before adding that it’s “also an airline”—has been less than positive. Critics on social media and elsewhere have accused it of patronizing younger travelers and misinterpreting their basic needs. “What we care about are the same things that old people care about: cheap, reliable flights that have got no hidden costs,” humorist Paul Taylor said on What’s Up France, his Canal Plus TV show. “Maybe, instead of trying to create a new condescending airline, try to fix the ones you already got.” The challenge facing Joon took on a new dimension on November 28, when British Airways owner IAG SA revealed that it had chosen Paris as the second base for its Level discount arm. The carrier, which focuses on long-haul routes, will offer flights between the French capital and New York for €129 each way, and to Montreal, Guadeloupe and Martinique for €99. IAG CEO Willie Walsh said Joon was a “hybrid” rather than “a very low-cost operation,” adding: “I’m not sure what Air France is doing there.” Bloomberg News

T all started with my deep dissatisfaction with how dating seemed to be going about in the millennial generation. Having recently come out of a long relationship, I was somewhat forced into the dating pool that, for me, much resembled toxic slime. Guys didn’t seem to be willing to put out the effort I had been accustomed to. Booty was just so accessible everywhere via Tinder or Grinder that they no longer found a reason to stick to one. Some had pegged me as a “serious” girlfriend type but continued to see a slew of other women “on the side.” What does that even mean? It means that a man has compartmentalized women into the “forkeeps” and the “for fun” categories while enjoying sexual favors that are meant only for what is strictly in the married category, which he would never get to unless he gets hit by a dose of conscience in between for-fun girl numbers one through five. I decided to disengage from the Peter Pan boys but was tasked with sorting out who was really worth the time and effort to get to know. I was looking for a romantic. Someone who would put time, effort and finesse into trying to make me happy would surely be someone to get to know. What I know about my love is that it is strong and sure. I can be faithful and say “no” to anyone, support him and be fun. I’ve transformed my ex’s apartment into a winter wonderland with snowmen and blue lighting, cooked him his favorite meal—lamb stew and wearing nothing but an apron, all because he said he missed Christmas back home. I know women around who know what I am talking about. A woman’s love is endless. It endures bad tempers, cheating, lying, stealing or anything else. We can make sacrifices and soldier on for the sake of love. We can bear heavy secrets, keep quiet in times of rage and shine with graceful patience in the hardest of times. I know I am so worth it. I know what I can give. I know what I am capable of.

The sad part is, even those women that these men call “easy,” I am sure, are also capable of such great and noble love. It’s just that they’ve sacrificed their standards to some present desire or need one way or the other. They are as much wasted on cheaters and liars. Surely, outside the firmament of marriage, it is hard for true love to grow. People are tossed around and lose all meaningful interaction in the façade of freedom and the wafting scent of debauchery. Little do they know that their humanity and the levels of satisfaction of a real relationship are forever lost to them and, one day, they will wake up numb and alone. Today’s easy relationship is a breeding ground for broken hearts and heartlessness, for having sown too many seeds and having said good-bye too many times. To survive, hurt people become mean or cheaters and will eventually have to face the reality of their cold, stone-dead hearts. A woman in these times must have a moral fiber of steel. She must be ready to give up any man if he doesn’t treat her with the respect and affection she deserves. She must play the balance between supportive friend and coy minx, never letting her man know her true motivations because any man who knows he is wanted, knows that he has won. Any man who doesn’t give you exclusive attention and commitment, doesn’t deserve that win. At present, I went along with my challenge to give my undivided attention as a girlfriend to someone for the month of December to someone who would give me a glimpse of how he loves. Undeniably, I have a great time getting to know people and seeing how they love. Some brought me to posh dinners, while some gave me surprise cakes. Some brought me nice things and some brought me to new places for a new experience or two. I appreciated the time, effort and money that went into my birthday surprises. However, for me, sadly, it’s not enough. I just saw it from my perspective: What if I were a boy and I liked a girl and it was her birthday? What if I were this guy, with this job and this time on my hands; what could I do? I can confidently answer that I would be a better lover than all my hopefuls. I would send her notes. I would ask people to give her flowers. I would tell the world who I loved and I would spend time with her. I know it’s not fair. People love differently. I might be looking for a male Maxine and that would be impossible.

I can’t possibly give my love or attention to someone who doesn’t give me the time and attention I am capable of giving. I’ve already made the mistake of choosing someone just because I liked him, and now I owe it to myself to select the best for me. There is someone who constantly shows his love for me and even always reminds me that I am never alone, with songs and with words, he makes sure that I am emotionally well, and guides me all my days. He makes sure I stay strong and protects me. He shows me the truth about people and loves me each and every day even if I grieve his holy heart. He is my God; my love. It took me a long time to decide this. In truth, I’ve been wanting to do this for years already. I just never “felt” like it. I love romance and that feeling of being in love. Perhaps, that’s why I sometimes mistake a man’s ardor for sincerity and flowery words for faithfulness. I was in love with romance, not love. Those butterflies, the smiles, the first-time skin meets skin and all the sweet words piled like snow in Alaska. However, through the years, God has taught me that love is sacrifice. Love is sometimes doing things you don’t want to do for someone and it is exactly because you don’t gain anything from it that it becomes a noble sacrifice. It is truly selfless. It is purely for the person you love. That is what love is, a noble sacrifice for your object of devotion. It is like Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. It is like saying no to temptation in faithfulness for the one we love. If there is one thing that I can be sure of in this life, it is that God loves me. I could never love Him enough to come even close to how He has loved me. I wanted to find solace in a man but, instead, I have a God who calls to me, daily. He loves me, daily. He makes me strong daily. I read the Bible I and ask God for guidance. Since I started the challenge, God has been reprimanding me of my rebellious heart. So at least for this month—small steps—but hopefully until forever, I am God’s. I don’t have to think of attracting anyone, because I already have the love of the strongest, wisest and most powerful Man I know. Dating is the one aspect of my life that I have not surrendered to God, or have failed many times at surrendering because, well, you know how much fun human love is. Now, I am choosing faith, choosing God, choosing to have an everlasting love. I am choosing to kiss dating good-bye!

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, December 9, 2017

‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE TECHIE WITH everyday life becoming increasingly fueled by technology, and with the holiday season bringing a surplus of cash from those bonuses (if you’re among the lucky sort), Christmastime may as well be the season to be a techie. Here’s a bit of good news: Sony Philippines (www. sony.com.ph) is having a Holiday Hub Promo that gives people a chance to share techie gifts this season. Ongoing until January 14, 2018, discounts, freebies and 0-percent interest-payment terms can be availed when purchasing Sony products. Bannering its current product lineup is the Bravia Oled TV with an acoustic surface (the sound actually comes out of the screen). Equipped with a 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme and Dolby Vision, the picture quality is life-like with striking highlights, deeper darks and more vibrant colors. With a no stand and four super-thin frames design, it’s a screen that takes center stage in any living room. The company’s 4K HDR Smart TV (Android TV) lineup gives options that also deliver high-grade picture quality with online-streaming capabilities. Both the Oled and the 4K HDR Smart TV lines are available via a 12-month installment plan at 0-percent interest, or with up to 10-percent discount on cash transactions via the promo. Noise-canceling headsets allow people to tune out the world and listen to their favorite music. The recently launched WF-1000X and WH-1000XM2 are great gifts for those who like to hear every detail of their favorite tracks. The former is a Bluetooth headset that fits snugly on the ears, while the latter is a wirefree headphone with great battery life. Both have the Smart Listening by Adaptive Sound Control feature that automatically adjusts ambient settings. It reduces or cancels out background noise depending on the situation. Launched recently, the RX0 and the RX10 IV are high-speed shooting cameras that are great for those who shoot videos for a living. The RX0 is compact, waterproof and can capture full-HD videos. With a 20.1-MP 1.0-type sensor, both the RX0 and RX10 IV are capable of shooting videos at 960 fps. Sony’s mirrorless cameras have a number of fast clickers for those who are looking for a lightweight camera to take with them on their travels. The entry level A5100 is great for travelers, especially those who fly solo with its 180-degree tilting selfie touch screen. These and many other products in the promo will no doubt bring the holiday season to cheerful life.

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3rd party chargers and accessories need not be problematic PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

EING an iPhone user can be costly. I jokingly call iPhones “casinos” because buying one isn’t really the problem but the subsequent requirements after you’ve made the purchase. For example, you’d need a good screen protector and case. Let us not get started on those lightning cables, which cost over P1,300 and need to be replaced every four months. They can last up to six months if you’re careful. I can’t even tell you how many cables our household with four iPhones can go through every year. Oh, and those earbuds, which are priced at about P1,000 (I’m talking about the old ones here, not the new wireless ones), also require changing at least twice a year if you are very, very careful. My 20-year-old loves music so you can imagine how she doesn’t just need two earbuds every year. Unfortunately, I have been cursed with choosy iPhones that refuse to work with non-Apple accessories, while many of my friends happily live with those they buy from tiangges. Name a third party brand and I’ve used it. Even the reputable brands work for one or two

days and start spewing the dreaded words, “This cable or accessory is not certified and may not work reliably with this iPhone.” But sadly, we can’t always pay P1,300 or more every time our cables fail, which is often. I can’t understand why Apple can’t make their lightning cables sturdier. Those that manufacture Android phones can do it; their chargers last forever. I think things may have finally changed for me and our household with Baseus, a brand out of Shenzhen, China. Aside from China, Baseus is now available in eight countries, including Korea, Dubai and Australia. The name Baseus, by the way, was derived from the term “Based on User.” Digits, headed by CEO Charles Paw, is the company that brought Baseus to the Philippines. They recently opened their first store in the country. “There are many China-based companies that copy designs and lower the price of the products. I like Baseus because it really innovates. They have their own designs and patents,” said Paw, who also owns Beyond the Box and Digital Walker. The prices at Baseus are lower than those at Beyond the Box and Digital Walker. They also cater to a different demographic. But it doesn’t mean Baseus products are of lower quality. “Each product goes through different steps. From observing a consumer’s daily life, creating innovative and patented designs, reasonable prices and even adjusting designs to fit each market in the world, Baseus ensures that the accessories make each consumer’s life easier,” said Vivian Wang, international sales manager from Shenzhen Times Innovation Technology. Digits has opened its first store at TriNoma in

Quezon City. Next year, Paw said Digits plans to open 10 stores in different locations. Baseus’products include wireless chargers, powerbank cases, multifunctional cases, car mounts, flash drives and many others. So we asked Paw what Baseus would suggest for those who are trying the brand for the first time, and these are his recommendations. 1. The Backpack Power-Bank Case, which gives iPhone 7 Plus/iPhone 8 Plus up to four charges, is among Baseus’s bestsellers. The Backpack Power Case (7,300 mAh) was priced at P990 on opening day from the original price of P1,790 for the first 100 customers. 2. The Gravity Car Mount is easy to use and removes the need to wrestle with installing similar products. It also does not leave any adhesive residue, which is a big plus in my opinion. The quality of this car mount is superb. 3. The Fun Magnetic Bracket is a car mount that’s also a fidget spinner. This playful take on the car mount is one of Paw’s top recommendations. 4. The Wireless Earphone Car Charger is another top recommendation. I got two 10,000 mAh power banks and three Type C to Lightning Cables. I have been using them for a week and they have performed well and are compatible with my iPhones. They worked without any issues or complications. What I like about Baseus is that their products are well-designed. When you hold them in your hands, there is no feel that it’s cheap or badly constructed. ■ Check out their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ OfficialBaseusPh) for announcements and promotions.

Google blocks YouTube on Amazon devices in escalating feud BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO—Google is pulling its popular YouTube video service from Amazon’s Fire TV and Echo Show devices in an escalating feud that has caught consumers in the crossfire. The decision to block YouTube is retaliation for Amazon’s refusal to sell some Google products that compete with Amazon gadgets. That includes Google’s Chromecast streaming device, an alternative to Fire TV and an Internet-connected speaker, called Home, which is trying to catch up to Amazon’s marketleading Echo. Amazon’s high-end Echo Show has a screen that can display video. “Given this lack of reciprocity, we are no longer supporting YouTube on Echo Show and Fire TV,” Google said in a Tuesday statement. Amazon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The battle highlights the power that the world’s

major technology companies are gaining as they dominate important corners of commerce and communications. As the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon has tremendous sway over what people buy, while the results delivered by Google’s ubiquitous search engine often help determine what people do on and off the Web. Google is hoping to pressure Amazon into selling Google’s products by taking away access to the world’s most widely watched video service. Unless a truce is reached, YouTube will stop working on Fire TV on January 1, 2018. YouTube was supposed to disappear from the Echo Show on Tuesday, although Amazon has previously found ways to make unauthorized versions of YouTube available on that device. Dispute between Amazon and Google mirrors the face-offs that occasionally crop up between pay-TV providers and TV networks when it comes time to renegotiate their deals. But in this instance, the two tech heavyweights aren’t fighting over licensing fees. Instead, they are

jockeying to position their gadgets and, by extension, their digital services into homes as Internetconnected appliances and devices become more deeply ingrained in people’s lives. The bickering between Google and Amazon has been going on several years as they have ratcheted up the competition with each other. One of the first signs that the companies were at odds came when Amazon redesigned Google’s Android-mobile software for its Kindle tablets. Two years ago Amazon ousted Chromecast from its store, even though that device had previously been its top-selling electronics gadget. The latest standoff between Google and Amazon was ridiculed by a trade association of high-speed Internet providers. The group, USTelecom, has been trying to persuade skeptics that Internet providers will preserve equal access to all digital services, even if the Federal Communications Commission adopts a proposal to rescind current “net neutrality” regulations.

Internet providers are committed to “protections like no content blocking or throttling,” said USTelecom CEO Jonathan Spalter. “Seems like some of the biggest Internet companies can’t say the same. Ironic, isn’t it?” Besides withholding Chromecast and the Home speaker from its store, Amazon has also rankled Google by declining to sell an Internet-connected thermostat made by Nest, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet Inc. Amazon also doesn’t allow its Prime video streaming service on Chromecast, an omission that Google wants to change. Amazon also doesn’t sell Apple’s video-streaming player. But that could change if Amazon’s videostreaming service starts working on Apple TV, something Apple has said would happen by the end of this year. But that announcement was made in June and Prime video still isn’t available on Apple TV. Roku’s market-leading streaming players are sold through Amazon. Roku’s players feature channels for watching both Prime video and YouTube.

BusinessMirror

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Saturday, December 9, 2017 A11

Apple, Google at Chinese Internet fest shows lure of market UBTECH ROBOTS EYE BIGGER MARKET COVERAGE BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES TO be able to get a bigger share of the local market, Banbros Commercial has tapped two sectors that can boost the sales of the technology device. “We are the first to position robots in retail for both entertainment and education. Traditionally, the robot business channel is education,“ Banbros President Michael Bangayan said in a recent briefing held in Makati City. He added the response of the market has been positive, as the company has received several inquiries. Nevertheless, the price of the robots has become a stumbling block for individuals and organizations to buy them for their respective usage. “The challenge is the relatively high standard retail price to end users at retail level, so we need time to work on this,” Bangayan noted. For the education sector, Banbros has UBTech Robotics’s science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-friendly Jimu Robots geared for children and teenagers. An interactive robotic building block system, Bangayan said a Jimu Robot teaches children to easily build, program and share their robot creations. Jimu robots’ target markets are children aged 8 years old to teens, as they are learning how to code. To ensure wider market coverage, Bangayan said they are also introducing the Alpha humanoids and Star Wars Stormtroopers for the adults and much older kids, as they appreciate more interactive robots. Bangayan said the Star Wars First Order Stormtrooper Robot features augmented reality (AR) capabilities, voice command, facial recognition and sentry patrolling. Furthermore, the interactive robot allows users to control their own personal Stormtrooper and develop original movements. “We are thrilled to launch the Star Wars Stormtrooper Robot by UBTech,” said James Chow, CEO of UBTech. “Both Star Wars and UBTech put a great focus on innovation and familyfriendly technology. Together, we are delivering a new and interactive experience for Star Wars fans.” For the consumer interactive market, Bangayan said the Alpha1 Pro interactive consumer robot is a household programmable humanoid robot that can be used for both education and entertainment. Bangayan said the Alpha1 Pro is equipped with 16 highprecision robotic servo motors. The 3D visual programming software and PRP (Pose, Record & Playback) function are seamlessly controlled in one application. He added the Alpha1 Pro’s personality and its life-like human movements can easily blend into an average family’s regular activities.

APPLE CEO Tim Cook delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the Fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen town in Tongxiang, East China’s Zhejiang province, on December 3. AP

BY KELVIN CHAN The Associapted Press

ONG KONG—The high-profile attendance of the leaders of Apple and Google at a Chinese conference promoting Beijing’s vision of a censored Internet highlights the dilemma for Western tech companies trying to expand in an increasingly lucrative but restricted market. The event in Wuzhen, a historic canal town outside Shanghai, marked the first time chiefs of two of the world’s biggest tech companies have attended the annual state-run World Internet Conference. Apple CEO Tim Cook told the gathering as the conference opened Sunday that his company was proud to work with Chinese partners to build a “common future in cyberspace.” His and Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s presence along with other business leaders, diplomats and other experts, some analysts say, helped bestow credibility on Beijing’s preferred version of an internet sharply at odds with Silicon Valley’s dedication to unfettered access. Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed, in remarks to the conference conveyed by an official, that “China’s door to the world will never close, but will only open wider.” As in previous years, organizers allowed attendees unrestricted access to the Internet, contrary to official policy under which internet users face extensive monitoring and censorship and are blocked from accessing many overseas sites by the so-called Great Firewall of China. Since Xi came to power in late-2012, he has tightened controls and further stifled free expression, activists say. Beijing’s restraints also extend to Western companies such as Google, Twitter and Facebook, which have largely been shut out from the market, leaving it to homegrown internet giants like Tencent. Apple has a large production base in China, which is one of its biggest markets, though domestic smartphone makers are catching up. It has been criticized by some app developers for complying with Chinese censorship demands. In July companies that let people get around the government’s Internet filters—known as virtual private network providers—said their programs had been removed from Apple’s app store in China. One such company, ExpressVPN, said Apple was “aiding China’s censorship effort.” Apple said China began requiring this year that developers of virtual private networks have a government license. The California-based tech giant said it had removed apps “in China that do not meet the new regulations.” Two Apple spokesmen couldn’t be reached by phone for comment. “The problem is that these companies are between a rock and a hard place,” said Rogier Creemers, a

China researcher at Leiden University who attended the conference. They covet China’s huge market but if they do make it in, as in Apple’s case, local law “requires things that Western observers generally are uncomfortable with,” he said. Cook’s speech drew a big crowd. He said the company supports more than 5 million jobs in China, including 1.8 million software developers who have earned more than 112 billion yuan ($17 billion) building apps available through Apple’s App Store. It’s Apple’s responsibility to ensure that “technology is infused with humanity,” he said. He avoided direct mention of any sensitive topics, though he hinted at them by stressing the need for “safeguards to keep everyone protected: Privacy. Security. Decency,” according to a transcript. Google shut the Chinese version of its search

CHRISTMAS is one of the most-awaited celebrations among Filipinos for several reasons. It is the perfect reason for getting together and bonding with loved ones. In this digital era, there is no easier way to preserve moments with loved ones than by taking a snap using the phone. Motorola Philippines makes sure to equip Filipinos with the perfect smartphone for exactly these memorable moments. Step up photography skills in time for this year’s holiday season with the Moto g5s plus. The phone’s dual 13MP rear cameras deliver like a professional camera but without the bulkiness. Take it on the Christmas getaway for easy photo snapping even while on the go. Dual-camera smartphones are often described using photography jargon such as bokeh. The term originated from the Japanese word boke or boke-aii, which means “haze.” Translated to simpler terms, it refers to blur quality. Many Filipinos have been taking advantage of Christmas lights decorations to create their own bokeh-inspired profile pictures. One of the famous backdrops is the Festival of Lights at the Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati. For Filipinos in Southern Luzon, the Nuvali Field of Lights is also a must-visit place for Instagram-worthy Christmas photos. The many colors and shapes created by the lights display provide a pleasing bokeh touch. The Moto g5s plus makes bokeh shots easy as one-twothree. Its selective focus mode allows users to achieve that blurred background effect for bokeh-quality photos. Create memorable Christmas photos by exploring different orientations. In relation to bokeh shots, better use of depth of field will lead to nicer-looking shots.

Also called focus range, depth of field refers to the area in front of and behind the subject that will be in focus. Produce wonderful Christmas portraits with a shallow depth of field with its soft, unfocused background. Capture holiday travel or reunions in landscape mode using a large depth of field so that a greater part of the image stays sharp or in focus. The Moto g5s plus also features settings for manual focus, white balance, shutter speed and ISO. In addition, its rear cameras have color balancing dual-LED flash for better photo quality. Besides maximizing the smartphone’s camera features, knowing a technique or two helps in producing perfect photos. Channel professional photographers by following the rule of thirds to add story and drama to pictures. Divide the image into three parts both horizontally and vertically. Placing the subject of the photo at one of the edges, for example, creates a direction for the eyes to follow and makes the viewer linger on the image longer as opposed to having the subject in the middle of the photo, which creates a static feel. To complement its strong camera features, the smartphone can outlast any Christmas gathering or travel with its 3,000mAh all-day battery. Stylish enough to match holiday OOTDs, it features an impressive all-metal unibody design and a 5.5-inch full-HD display. Priced at P14,999, the Moto g5s plus will be available in all Motorola retail stores and via Lazada. Learn more about the Moto g5s plus at goo.gl/HojiC7. This Christmas, the smartphone comes with a free water and dust-resistant and shock-proof Bluetooth speaker for anywhere entertainment.

THE TOP RETWEETS Capture the Christmas spirit FOR 2017 A GUY with an insatiable appetite for chicken nuggets and President Barack Obama are among those making the biggest splash on Twitter this year. Twitter on Tuesday released its top trending people and topics for 2017, ranging from sports, to politics, to Korean boy bands. The following are the most retweeted tweets of 2017. 1: HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS Carter Wilkerson 2: “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion...” Barack Obama 3: With the current devastation in Houston, we are pledging $0.15 for every RT this gets! Please forward this along to help out those in need! Penn State IFC 4: broken. / from the bottom of my heart, i am so so sorry. i don’t have words. Ariana Grande 5: Thank you for everything. My last ask is the same as my first. I’m asking you to believe_not in my ability to create change, but in yours. Barack Obama 6: (This retweet contained an image of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington on stage). Linkin Park 7: U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up! LeBron James 8: It’s been the honor of my life to serve you. You made me a better leader and a better man. Barack Obama 9: Leo and I are donating 6 lbs of dog food to Houston for every retweet this gets!!!! RT RT RT RT!! Sam Martin 10: suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255 / 1 person ends their life every 40 seconds / will u take the time to retweet this & possibly save one of them? Seth Joseph AP

engine in 2010 over censorship concerns. Pichai has talked about wanting to reenter China, and he told a panel discussion in Wuzhen that small and midsized Chinese businesses use Google services to get their products to other countries, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. Spokesman for Apple and Google declined to comment. The tech giants may have chosen to appear at the conference because the current political climate in the United States encourages a pragmatic approach in pursuing business regardless of other concerns, said Jonathan Sullivan, director of the University of Nottingham’s China Policy Institute. “There has never been a time when an American company is less likely to be called out by the White House for pursuing a business-first approach,” Sullivan said. ■

Google blocks YouTube on Amazon devices in escalating fued A10

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

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Saturday, December 9, 2017 A12

If you’re smart, download this app before your holiday trip Another Smart World innovation is the Data Roam Manager, a one-stop portal that lets you buy dataroaming packs, and keep track of your data usage while on the go. Accessible to all Smart Prepaid and Postpaid subscribers traveling in over 130 countries, the Data Roaming Manager pops up when you open your mobile browser, such as Google Chrome or Safari, after turning on your mobile data and data roaming. It lets you monitor your active subscription, so you never have to worry about going over your set data package and racking up unwanted charges. It gives you specific details, such as your running data volume consumption, as well as the start and expiration of your subscription, so you can take full control of your roaming experience. Finally there’s GigaRoam, Smart’s biggest dataroaming pack, providing 1GB data valid for seven days for only P999. To give travelers utmost flexibility, the RoamFree App and the Data Roaming Manager also allow users to register to data roaming packs perfect for their needs—whether its GigaRoam, Surf Abroad or Chat Abroad. Surf Abroad lets you enjoy 24-hour data roaming for a flat-rate of P550 per day, while Chat Abroad, lets you stay connected to chat apps like Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, Line, WeChat and Viber for only P150 per day.

THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“Go somewhere you know nothing about and see what happens.”—KARL OVE KNAUSGÅRD

HAT do you do when you are alone in a foreign country, without any money, no credit card and no roaming service—and you got your room booked on the wrong date? That was exactly what happened during my first trip to Malaysia a few years ago, when my host mistakenly booked a room for me on the wrong date. I had been with a group of writers from different Asian countries, and we had just finished covering a four-day event in Miri, which was a two-hour flight away from Kuala Lumpur. All of us had different flights to catch, so when we arrived at the Kuala Lumpur airport, we all went our separate ways. But because there was only a flight back to Manila, I had to spend the night in Kuala Lumpur. My supposed hotel was just near the airport; a mere 15-minute walk, so I told our guide that I’d just check myself in, as he had other guests to attend to. That was my biggest mistake. When I arrived at the hotel—after fending off some really big black birds along the way (I was carrying my lunch with me so they kept swooping down!)—I was told that my room was booked for the next day and, since they were full, they wouldn’t be able to accommodate me. I didn’t have roaming service for some reason, and there was also no Wi-Fi service, so I had no way of calling my guide immediately. The staff tried to make the call for me but they said they got no answer. After telling them my story, they finally gave me a 30-minute Internet access so I could try and contact my guide via Facebook Messenger. By the time he got my message, though, he was already far from the airport, and had to drop off a couple of the other writers to their hotels, which were in Kuala Lumpur. To make matters worse, it was a Sunday, so he couldn’t contact anyone else from his office to help me. I ended up waiting for three hours at the hotel lobby, tired and very frustrated. And, when he finally got back to bring me to another hotel, it was already starting to get dark. He found me a hotel, which was only a 10-minute drive from the airport; unfortunately, at that time, the entire area was just starting to be developed and it looked like a ghost town with just a few other establishments open. I was already very hungry but, since all the restaurants were closed and the only store that was open was a mini-grocery, I had no choice but to settle for some biscuits for dinner. Although it left me more upset than scared, it taught me a valuable lesson: Never leave the country unprepared, without any roaming service, and don’t rely on your guide even if it is a sponsored trip. So, if you’re leaving the country for a trip this holiday season or anytime soon, and you don’t want the same thing to happen to you, make sure to download this new app and save you a whole lot of trouble. Smart Communications recently introduced their new RoamFree app, which lets subscribers enjoy access to 21 of the most crucial apps you need when traveling abroad, such as Uber, Google Maps and Booking—free, without any data-roaming charges. RoamFree is a one-stop portal, that gives you free instant access to up to 21 partner apps at your destination, even if you haven’t subscribed to a roaming-data package. These partner apps are determined by their popularity in the country. The RoamFree apps allow you to book rides via Uber, reserve your accommodations through AirBNB, Agoda or Booking; and, perhaps most important, navigate your way around the city using Google Maps. You can also check in on your flights ahead of time on PassnFly; get valuable local tips on Musement;

MISS Universe 2015 and Smart World endorser Pia Wurtzbach (second from right) toasts to the launch of Smart’s RoamFree App. Downloadable on Google Play Store and iTunes, the app offers free access to up to 21 travel apps in 26 destinations abroad, allowing overseas travelers to book transportation and accommodations, navigate the city, sign up for tours and get food and travel recommendations, among others, for a travel experience like never before. Joining Pia are (from left) celebrity host and blogger Nicole Andersson, PLDT Global Corp. CEO and President Kat Luna-Abelarde and PLDT Global Corp. Head for Business Development Alice Ramos.

pore over recommendations from fellow travelers on TripAdvisor and Triip; and even make use of the app to make new friends who share the same passions via Meetup.com. You can also book tours on Klook and Tiqets; order food or reserve a table in top restaurants via Foodpanda, OpenTable and TheFork; and snag deals on Groupon, KeyFlow and Viator. You also have practical travel apps at your fingertips, such as Google Translate, XE Currency Converter and ATM Finder. To use the portal, simply download the RoamFree app on Google Play Store or the App Store. Once you’re abroad, all you need to do is turn on your mobile data and open the RoamFree app to access your accounts on various partner sites and services—without having to worry about data charges. The app is now available for use in 26 destinations, including the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. It’s also accessible for free in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Albania, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Malta, Portugal, Romania, and the United Arab Emirates. “Staying online while traveling abroad makes for a hassle-free travel experience but, unfortunately, many travelers still choose to go offline out of fear of racking up enormous data-roaming charges. The RoamFree app addresses this by allowing you to freely connect to relevant content and services that make for a travel experience like never before,” Kat Luna-Abelarde, PLDT Global Corp. president and CEO, told us during the launch.

TECH ROUNDUP AMIHAN Global Strategies and Hyperledger, an open source consortium hosted by The Linux Foundation, launched the Philippines’s first-ever Blockchain Week. The series of events kicks off a long-term partnership to unlock the potential of blockchain, the distributed ledger technology that powers Bitcoin. A blockchain is a distributed ledger that allows people around the world to link their computing power to create permanent records of exchange and build systems that have trust, accountability, security and transparency at their core. The implications go beyond finance. Blockchain technology has the potential to solve problems that run the gamut, from storing health records to tracking ethical consumption, monetizing digital content, tackling voter fraud and more. Amihan is a leader in turning large enterprises into digital pioneers. Among their innovations is the Nimble Wallet, a unified platform for holding digital assets including cash, points, vouchers, and digital currencies. Along with payments and remittance, the wallet enables businesses to incentivize customers by unifying disparate loyalty programs into one connected marketplace. ■■■ EVERYONE knows that no Christmas season in the world could ever compete with how Filipinos celebrate Christmas. In addition to celebrating Filipino traditions centered around the themes of family and sharing, Shopee Philippines aims to make festive gifting more convenient and fuss-free. This season, Filipinos can check off their Christmas shopping lists from the comfort of their homes with Shopee’s free delivery and cash-ondelivery options. To add to the festive cheer, ongoing until December 25, the Shopee Super Christmas Sale will be featuring huge discounts across popular gift categories, including Health & Beauty, Home & Living, and Mobile & Gadgets. On December 11 and 12 shoppers can also look forward to nonstop exciting promotions, including P12 deals, discounts up to 90-percent off, giveaways, flash deals and many more. Participating brands include Cosmetique Asia, Unilever, Timeless Manila, Coca-Cola, Polaroid, Imarflex, Indoplas and Infinix. To start your Christmas shopping, visit www.shopee.ph/christmas-sale. ■■■ IF online shopping isn’t your thing, you might want to check out the first anniversary of Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair. A star-studded celebration awaits shoppers on December 10, at Central Park, Greenfield District. Twenty-one of the most famous personalities in the country—some of the most followed actors, models and influencers—will be opening their own booth at Sunset Fair's Celebrity Bazaar. Shopping with the family is bound to be full of thrilling meets and mega finds. Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair Celebrity Christmas Bazaar will be open from 4 pm to 12 midnight. To know more about this event and other Greenfield activities, visit www.facebook.com/ Green�ieldDistrict. ■