BusinessMirror
U.N. Media Award 2008
www.businessmirror.com.ph
A broader look at today’s business
n Sunday, December 21, 2014 Vol. 10 No. 73
By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
T
HE leadership of the House of Representatives has vowed for the passage of the measure lowering income-tax rate for individuals this 16th Congress.
24 DAYS INSIDE
A practical and convenient way to fly BusinessMirror
»life on the go
F1 Sunday, December 21, 2014
Editor: Tet Andolong
1
1 ILIAD partners COO J. Gargollo (left) and CEO Lester Codog with their helicopter 2 ILIAD Private Jets can take you to Balesin Island in just 25 minutes. 3 CODOG and Gargollo with their Cessna citation 4 FLYING in style
in one of Iliad Private Jets’s plane
5 ILIAD pilots
Capt. Frank Pagsugiron and Capt. Lloyd Maribay
A PRACTICAL AND CONVENIENT
WAY TO FLY B T A
F
OR people who have hectic schedules and are always on the go, time is gold and every second counts. Here in the Philippines, where the worsening traffic jams are expected to progress to a standstill as the countdown to the Yuletide celebration begins, people are looking for alternative means of transportation that can take them to their destination in just a matter of minutes.
3
4
5
2
Why go through the hassle and stress of traffic when you can fly by jet from, say, Parañaque to Balesin Island in 25 minutes or from Makati to Quezon City in a matter of minutes by chopper? Flying has gone from being a luxury to becoming a necessity,
as more and more businessmen, high rollers and VIPs are opting to fly on private jets, which are fast, hassle-free and a more comfortable way to travel from point A to point B. Flying has evolved from a privilege previously enjoyed by the superrich and rock
stars, to becoming a more affordable and practical utility. “High-profile Filipinos can afford to drive around town with their Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris, but still it is impractical for them to buy their own jets because of the high cost of maintenance,” explained Lester Codog, CEO of Iliad Private Jets. Established early this year, Iliad is a service provider that is opening its doors to a whole new era by offering the public nonschedule flights at a very affordable cost with a premier lifestyle of flying. Recently, Iliad invited a select group of media practitioners to experience the “Iliad” lifestyle by go-
ing on a day trip and having lunch at scenic and exclusive Balesin Island off the coast of Quezon province. “It is more financially viable to sign up with our service rather than buying your own helicopter or private jet, which will cost you roughly $3.5 million to $31 million, respectively. Add to this the cost of aircraft maintenance, hangar rental fees and crew salaries, and one could easily rack up an estimated P10 million to P15 million a month. Having a private jet is like buying a supercar every month. It is just way too expensive,” said J. Gargollo, COO of Iliad Private Jets. J. Gargollo is a veteran of the corporate taxi business, having worked abroad in a similar capacity for years. Prior to the establishment of Iliad Private Jets, the tandem of Codog and Gargollo partnered with private jet and helicopter owners. At present, their company is currently managing a fleet of aircraft that include Raven 44 (R44) helicopters, ASF355F2 (Ecureil helicopter) King Air B200, Let410, Cessna Citation 500 and a Westwind II for regional flights. The plane we took to Balesin was the Cessna Citation, which
was comfortable enough to fit eight people and their luggage. According to Codog, their fleet of jets has undergone a comprehensive refurbishment process with the interiors customized and the engines replaced with brand-new ones. “Safety and comfort are our priority, and our fleet is maintained and serviced 24/7 by a ground crew of seasoned mechanics,” he explained. Iliad Private Jets is also introducing its Iliad Flying Program. The program offers clients the chance to fly block hours, eliminating the headaches caused by operational costs, maintenance, documentation, etc. “It is as simple as only thinking about your next flight destination. When you sign up with our block hours program, you own one of our jets and chopper for 100 hours. We can fly anywhere you want or drop you off at any destination across a regional destination. Our service is just a phone call away, and the aircraft is at your service 24-hours a day, seven days a week. We also offer one-time charter flight operations, medical evacuation flights, sightseeing tour, flower dropping and aerial photography
flights,” Gargollo said. Since their operations began early this year, Iliad has been the air taxi of choice by celebrities, politicians and businessmen, whose time is as precious as gold. “We have a client who had a meeting in Hong Kong at 11 a.m., and he had to be back in Makati by 6 p.m. the same day. During the fl ight, he and his staff were doing some last-minute alterations on their presentations. According to that CEO, Iliad is the ultimate solution for people like them, whose lives revolve around a busy schedule,” Codog added. Their jets can fly to destinations in the Philippines and Asia that are within a maximum of two hours of flight time. Iliad only charges its clients once the engine is switched on and during actual flying hours. For example, a trip to Boracay for three days/two nights with Iliad’s King Air B200, which will take about an hour [round trip] will cost a total of P155,000 net of tax with insurance and parking fees included. Now, that’s the kind of lifestyle that used to be enjoyed only by the rich and famous. Not anymore.
journey
F1
completing the big picture D
Family
EAR God, we see our family as a gift from You! We rejoice as we see our family a “cradle of life and love.” We seek to bring members of our family closer to You. We promise to pray with the members of our family. We help and encourage them to observe the teachings of Jesus and to live the values consistent with the building of “a civilization of love” and of “a just and humane society.” We show love and generous attention to every member of our family. May God keep our family in peace and unity. Amen. JO A. SALDANA AND LOUIE M. LACSON Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com
Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • www.businessmirror.com.ph
Life
THE Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila is an image of elegance and luxury that defines global living. PHOTO BY KEVIN DE LA CRUZ
BusinessMirror
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Yuletide gourmet gifts and deli treats available for order and reservations
ASCOTT Regional General Manager for Thailand and the Philippines Arthur Gindap
A TURKEY for Christmas from Diamond Hotel Philippines
F
B JT N
ROM Fort McKinley’s shady culture of war in the early parts of the 20th century to the bright and bustling premier lifestyle center of Bonifacio Global City (BGC) has progressed into over the last decade, BGC is a picture of a complete turnaround. An image, which, according to Ascott Regional General Manager for the Thailand and the Philippines Arthur Gindap, is clear, but still incomplete. “In developing business cities, like BGC in Taguig, serviced apartments are preferred, especially with companies just starting their offices in the city, which will require travelers [specifically business executives] to stay for extended periods,” Gindap said. “With this, we find Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila as the remaining piece of the puzzle that can cater to the upscale clientele in BGC to truly make the city the country’s newest CBD [central business district].” Ascott BGC, located on 5th Avenue corner 28th Street, officially opened its doors on November 21. Prior to that day, the hotel has already reaped international accolades, including the “Best Hotel in Architectural Design” plum by the Philippine Property Awards and a high-recommendation rating from the Southeast Asia Property Awards. To top it off, Ascott The Residence is hailed as the Philippines’s Leading Serviced Apartment Brand by the World Travel Awards for back-to-back years. “The Ascott Bonifacio Global City Manila will be the second Ascott-branded property in the country,”
Gindap said. “Ascott Makati successfully catered to the need of Makati City expatriates and corporate dwellers. Now, we are bringing this brand of hospitality to Taguig to help the city be recognized as another premier business hub of the Philippines. We’re very proud to be the first premier international hospitality brand to open up here in BGC.” Aside from filling the void of BGC in its pursuit of becoming a full-blown CBD, he also struck a comparison of the brand with the continuously rising city. “Similar to other economies we have chosen to set up in this year, we believe the business potential of Bonifacio Global City is great, and its growth in just a decade has been more than remarkable. This year Ascott is celebrating its 30th anniversary and, like BGC, our growth has also been quite remarkable. From the single property in Singapore in 1984, we now have almost 200 operating properties with an additional 66 underdevelopments, giving us a total of almost 260 properties globally. Our presence spans over 88 cities across 24 countries in Asia, Europe and the Gulf region.” During a recent tour in the award-winning hotel, the reasoning behind the recognitions became clear. The vibe of the brand’s luxury welcomes guests at the lobby, which comes to life with elegant mirrors placed at the front desk and at the ceiling, conjuring an image of limitless space. Amenities, such as the outdoor 25-meter lap pool, Jacuzzi and a well-equipped gym, all overlooking the posh BGC and Makati cityscape, are on the seventh floor. But, aside from these side notes, the hotel’s bread
Luscious flavors of the season
and butter, the serviced residence, lived up to the high billing. The rooms, like the studio apartment measuring 49 square meters to 52 sq m, and the one-bedroom unit that spans a generous 75 sq m with a royal bathroom of sorts, are elegantly furnished and fully equipped with a home-entertainment system, functional kitchen and a washer with dryer. Office suites, meeting rooms, function rooms, a boardroom and a ballroom will be fully operational by the first quarter of next year. Along with Ascott BGC’s list of firsts, the hotel will also be featuring renowned chef’s Margarita Fores’s first restaurant in BGC with Alta, which can accommodate 200 guests for sit-downs, and up to 600 in a cocktail setup. Ascott has also made local products and talents a point of emphasis as, according to Philip Barnes, Ascott BGC Manila residence manager, all furniture come from Cebu and even the artworks on keycards are created by local artists. The Ascott Ltd. is definitely on the right track, Gindap said, by riding the highs of the country’s booming economy. To put the growth in perspective, he attributed Ascott BGC Manila as the fifth operating service residence in the country and the second one launched this year, following Citadines in Salcedo, Makati. Also, in the next two years, The Ascott Ltd. is opening properties in Ortigas and Alabang. “Ascott has always been very bullish, very confident on the prospects of the Philippine economy. We are in a very good position of having eight properties, one of the largest in the country.” ■
THE Yuletide season means getting together with the special people in your life and celebrating with impressive feasts in bountiful servings. Diamond Hotel Philippines (http://tinyurl.com/kw99nds) offers an extensive spread of luscious delicacies to make your holidays superb. Exquisite international cuisine selections are abundant at the Corniche restaurant to satisfy hefty appetites. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day lunch and dinner buffets are at P2,550 net per person. The dinner buffets are made more special with the inclusion of a complimentary glass of cava (Spanish sparkling wine). The Yurakuen Japanese Restaurant sets an equally tempting gastronomic repast in family feasts that include a complimentary glass of umeshu (Japanese plum wine) or cava, this is available during dinner on December 24, 25 and 31, and January 1, 2015, at P2,350 net per person. When you’re in a merry mood to relax, the Lobby Lounge is the ideal venue, where a set of signature Spanish tapas, complemented with a glass of Clarendelle, is offered at P1,280 net per person. Share in the fun as the hotel’s rock-aroundthe-clock countdown party happens at Corniche restaurant, with live performances from Xarchy Band and FBC Rebirth on New Year’s Eve. Join the party for only P4,350 net per person, which includes a festive dinner buffet with a glass of cava, party favors and a chance to win roundtrip tickets for two to Coron, Palawan. For those who prefer a higher level (floor level that is) of partying, heighten the start of the New Year at the Sky Lounge Music Bar on the 27th floor, with the upbeat vibe of the band TAC 4. The countdown party starts at 9 pm.
life
This undated photo provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows a polar bear standing on ice. in the spring and summer of 2014, Earth’s icy northern region lost more of its signature whiteness that reflects the sun’s heat. it was replaced temporarily with dark land and water that absorbs more energy, keeping yet more heat on already warming planet, according to the Arctic report card issued on December 17. AP/NOAA, KAthy CrANe
USD $200
Dec. 12 69.08
This undated photo provided by NOAA shows a polar bear swimming.AP/NOAA
0 08 Source: Reuters
Large carnivores gaining ground in Europe
TwO lynxes are pictured in a wildlife park in hanau, Germany. scientists studying populations of bears, wolves, Eurasian lynx and wolverines found they have flourished on the continent, decades after being driven almost to extinction by hunting and the destruction of their habitat. AP/MiChAel PrObst
B
GrEENpEAcE volunteers prepare to distribute rice seeds for planting, to farmers whose fields where destroyed by Typhoon ruby (international code name hagupit) in Dolores, Eastern samar, philippines. The seeds were presented to 125 of the most affected farmers by the typhoon. ChArlie sACedA/GreeNPeACe
D
OLORES, Eastern Samar— A group of farmers from the islands of Cebu, Bohol and Negros came together in the spirit of balaynihan, an act of good will and neighborly love, to aid fellow farmers by collecting ecologically farmed rice seeds, root crops, vegetable seeds and organic fertilizers. The seeds were presented presented to 125 of the most affected farmers in Dolores town. Typhoon Ruby (international code name Hagupit) made a direct hit on Dolores on December 6, damaging much of the region’s farmland and crops, before crawling across the rest of the country. Nationally, crop losses have been estimated at P1.9 billion ($42.5 million). “This has been a terrific initiative and different to a government response, which can often be mistaken by farmers as a dole out which can mean they do not give much impor-
tance to it,” Dolores Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo said. “When it’s a farmer-to-farmer exchange, the farmers that offer the seeds are people who have nothing to gain from it, but are doing it out of goodwill, out of a sense of community. It also means farmers on the receiving end could personally offer their thanks.” The mayor added: “It also changes the perspective of farmers by showing their capacity to help others in need and that our farmers have the solutions at hand. For this, we thank Greenpeace for initiating this approach. Farmers who are experiencing difficulties can now spring back and recoup their losses.” An estimated 4 tons of rice seeds from Negros, 1 ton of farmer-developed rice seeds from Bohol and diverse vegetables seeds (for 1,000 families) from Cebu were delivered to Dolores. All the seeds were organically grown. The seeds will be enough
to replant about 125 hectares of rice farmland. Seeds earlier provided by the Department of Agriculture had been planted prior to the typhoon’s landfall. Farmers in Dolores did not have any other seeds to replant damaged fields. As part of the seed transfer, experts and practitioners of organic farming have also traveled to Dolores to begin training farmers on how to grow healthy, climate-resilient crops using ecological agriculture practices. Greenpeace and partner organizations responded immediately to the seed-recovery mission by arranging and facilitating the skillssharing and seed delivery, organizing the logistics and acting as a contact point between the farmers in Cebu, Bohol and Negros and the impacted farmers and authorities in Dolores. “As our climate changes, there is an increasingly urgent need for Filipino farmers to adopt more
resilient farming practices. This seed delivery is a good step; it not only helps get farmers in Dolores back on their feet, but it also reinforces the need to strengthen farmer-tofarmer seed exchanges and the setting up of community seed banks and diverse seed stocks,” said Wilhelmina Pelegrina, ecological agriculture campaigner for Greenpeace International. “Farmers are still the major source of seeds, especially rice, so a reliable system for seed exchanges will prove crucial in building resilience to future climate shocks.” Resilience can also be improved by the adoption of ecological agriculture, which uses the diversity of nature to help the soil retain more water and stay healthier to provide nutrients to crops in times of extreme weather. Crop diversity also enables farms to withstand different stresses, including climate shocks such as typhoons.
ERLIN—Brown bears, grey wolves and other large carnivores are making a comeback in Europe. Scientists studying populations of bears, wolves, Eurasian lynx and wolverines found they have flourished on the continent, decades after being driven almost to extinction by hunting and the destruction of their habitat. Surprisingly, the animals aren’t just living in nature reserves or remote wilderness, but appear to coexist in areas dominated by humans across a third of Europe’s land mass, the authors wrote in their article published in the journal Science on Thursday. The study found that Europe, excluding Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, “is succeeding in maintaining, and to some extent restoring, large carnivore populations on a continental scale,” thanks in part to strong legal protection. Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are the only continental countries to have no permanent breeding populations of at least one large carnivore. Some 17,000 brown bears now inhabit much of Scandinavia, the Balkans
and even parts of the Alps and the Pyrenees. About 12,000 wolves can be found in those areas, but packs have also established themselves in much of eastern Europe, parts of Germany, Italy, France and the Iberian peninsula. Eurasian lynx, who are thought to number about 9,000, are stable across Scandinavia and the mountainous regions of central and eastern Europe, while some 1,250 wolverines—a species that prefers cold climates—live in Scandinavia. A relatively tolerant attitude toward large carnivores has also emerged in recent decades. Guillaume Chapron, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and lead author of the study, cited the example of local herders in northwestern Spain who tolerate wolves killing mountain ponies because that keeps them from preying on more valuable cattle. In Poland wolves are considered a natural way of keeping deer and wild boar populations in check, while in Sweden and Croatia brown bears are hunted in a sustainable way, he said. AP
biodiversity
Dec. 15 62.08
50
heat is being absorbed instead of reflected, he said. The Arctic has been affected more by man-made warming than the rest of the globe, Jeffries and the report said. But it comes in spurts, pauses and drops. Not every year will be a record, Jeffries said. For example, the Arctic sea ice’s lowest point this year wasn’t as small as 2012 and was only the sixth lowest since 1979. But the last eight years have all had the eight lowest amounts of summer sea ice on record, Jeffries said. While Greenland’s ice sheet lost 474 billion tons of ice in 2012, it only lost 6 billion tons in the past summer, the report said. While the US East Coast shivered during January’s cold snap from a polar vortex that slipped south, parts of Alaska were 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 ˚C) warmer than normal. Polar bear populations in parts of the Alaska region were shrinking but elsewhere they were more or less stable, the report said. “Eight years ago, 2014 would have been considered an alarming year,” said University of Colorado ice scientist Ted Scambos, who didn’t contribute to the report. “With 2007 and 2012 behind us, not so much now. The continued summertime darkening of Greenland, particularly in a year when surface melt did not reach record levels, is worrisome, and sets up the potential for record surface melting in future years.”
By Seth Borenstein | The Associated Press
Seed delivery helps Eastern Samar town recover from Ruby
150
Brent crude Price per barrel
100
Arctic loses snow, ice; absorbs more heat
W
“We can’t expect records every year. It need not be spectacular for the Arctic to continue to be changing,” said report lead editor Martin Jeffries, an Arctic scientist for the Office of Naval Research, at a San Francisco news conference on Wednesday. The report illustrates instead a relentless decline in cold, snow and ice conditions and how they combine with each other. And several of those have to do with how the Arctic reflects sun heat The Arctic’s drop in reflectivity is crucial, because “it plays a role like a thermostat in regulating global climate,” Jeffries said in an interview. As the bright areas are replaced, even temporarily, with dark heatabsorbing dark areas, “That has global implications.” The world’s thermostat-setting gets nudged up a bit because more
Coal benchmark Price per metric ton
Sunday, December 21, 2014 B2-3
ASHINGTON—The Arctic and its future are looking dimmer every year, a new federal report says. In the spring and summer of 2014, Earth’s icy northern region lost more of its signature whiteness that reflects the sun’s heat. It was replaced temporarily with dark land and water that absorbs more energy, keeping yet more heat on already warming planet, according to the Arctic report card issued on Thursday. Spring snow cover in Eurasia reached a record low in April. Arctic summer sea ice, while not setting a new record, continued a long-term, steady decline. And Greenland set a record in August for the least amount of sunlight reflected in that month, said the peer-reviewed report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other agencies. Overall, the report card written by 63 scientists from 13 countries shows few single-year dramatic changes, unlike other years.
Oil and coal prices down
As oil prices continue falling, now reaching levels not seen since the financial crisis of 2008-09, coal prices have also been dropping, signaling a cooling down of both industrialized and emerging economies.
Biodiversity Sunday BusinessMirror
By Jonathan Fahey | The Associated Press
E1
arctic loses snow, ice www.businessmirror.com.ph
Quimbo said this tax measure will be prioritized in the chamber, and will be passed before the second regular session ends in June 2015. He said the bill lowering income-tax rate for individuals will be out in his committee by March next year. “Our next battle [in the House of Representatives] is lowering income tax for individuals,” Quimbo said. The lawmaker added that the current income taxes imposed on individuals have become uncompetitive and unresponsive. “Our tax system’s failure to keep in step with global corporate trends and to adapt with rising inflation rates must be resolved,” Quimbo said. Quimbo’s House Bill 4829 is among the 14 pending bills that See “Tax rate,” A2
Who’s hurting, happy, hopeful
E1
HAVE goodwill gourmet and share it with the ones you love this Christmas. The Blackboard by Chef Michel, the fun-dining restaurant and bar for fine gourmands at The Podium in Ortigas Center, is preparing a Christmas feast that will put the holiday cheer on your tables. Chef Michel Cottabarren has prepared a variety of Christmas party buffet options that are perfect for those who are planning their holiday thanksgiving celebrations but want to give. For a minimum of 15 people, the four Blackboard Christmas Buffet set menus (from P600 to P850 per head) feature a variety of exquisitely prepared items, complete with soup, appetizers, main dishes and desserts that come with freeflowing brewed iced tea. Its function rooms—like the Sensory, Meeting and Library Rooms—are also available on a first-come, first-served basis that also include free use of projector, wide screen, white board, sound system and Wi-Fi connectivity. Also, The Blackboard is offering a lineup of holiday gourmet deli items available for preorder. Make your Christmas extra special with Chef Michel’s Foie Gras with Mango Chutney and the enticing Gravadlax, a Nordic dish of raw salmon, cured in salt, sugar and dill. Also great for party pica-pica are the delightful bite-size slices of assorted homemade sausages, like Chorizo with Roasted Garlic, Black Pepper Pork Sausage, Smoked Bacon and Walnuts, and Salmon and Shitake Mushroom, perfect with your choice of bread or table wine. Thinking of a different Christmas centerpiece dish this time? Try Chef Michel’s whole-roasted US turkey with bread and herb stuffing with oven-roasted carrots, sweet potato, rich turkey gravy and cranberry sauce. Finish it with any of Chef Michel’s superb array of specialty cheesecakes with such fantastic flavors, like Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and Quezo de Bola and Walnut.
Completing the big picture
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that, after the passage of a measure seeking to increase the tax-exemption ceiling of the 13thmonth pay and other bonuses from P30,000 to P82,000 in Congress, lawmakers are now studying all the measures in the Lower House that seek to lower individual income-tax rate. “[However], it takes us [House] a time to work on the income tax, but it’s true that we really need to amend our tax law…. I agree that we should lower the tax rate,” Belmonte said. Liberal Party Rep. Romero Quimbo of Marikina City, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, has said that the House, particularly his panel, has already started working for the passage of the bill lowering income-tax rate for individuals.
Global oil impact
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY IS DOG-FRIENDLY »E2
Sunday
P25.00 nationwide | 7 sections 32 pages | 7 days a week
House leadership vows to pass bill lowering tax rate for individuals
PAPAL VISIT 2015
Journey
B2-3
09
10
11
12
13
14
Graphic: Tribune News Service
N
EW YORK— Oil’s plunge is spreading both pain and gain across the globe. The price of a barrel has fallen by about half since June, punishing the economies of some major exporters. Russia’s currency has nose-dived, for instance, and investors worry Venezu-
ela could default on its debt. For countries that consume a large amount of the world’s oil, it’s a different story. The world’s four biggest economies—the US, China, Japan and that of the European Union—all benefit from lower oil prices. “Economically this is a good thing for the US, it’s a good thing for Europe, it’s a good thing for China and it’s a good thing for most consumers,” says Sarah Ladislaw, director of the energy and national security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Continued on A8
PESO exchange rates n US 44.7490
The U.S. and Cuba begin
restoring relations 52 years ago, the world faced nuclear war during the
The roots of the crisis began years before it flared. The disastrous CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 made Cuban President Fidel Castro paranoid about US efforts to overthrow his regime. Also, the big advantage the US had in long-range ballistic missiles pressured the Soviets to counter by trying to build launch sites for medium-range missiles closer to US territory.
President John F. Kennedy
Soviet SS-4 medium-range ballistic missile
Wary of the U.S. Cuban President Fidel Castro agitated for a preemptive attack on the US
Map key Intermediate-range site
SAM surface-to-air missiles
Medium-range site
US ships at height of crisis
IL-28 bomber airstrip
Key US military bases
Homestead ARB Naval air station
U-2 photography
Oct. 16, 1962 President Kennedy informed of U-2 photos, gathers advisors Oct. 22 Kennedy alerts US public over television Oct. 23 He signs order for naval blockade of Cuba Oct. 25 Adlai Stevenson shows photo evidence of missiles to UN assembly
Krushchev makes proposal involving US Jupiter missiles in Europe
Gulf of Mexico
Miami Flor
Guanajay
ida
Ke s o ait Str
Atlantic Ocean
Nassau
Sagua la Grande Havana
SS-4
Remedios
CUBA
San Cristobal
Flyovers locate nine bases being built Source: George Washington University, Library of Congress, Natural Resources Defense Council, globalsecurity.org, Kennedy Library, The Miami Herald Graphic: Robert Dorrell © 2012 MCT
100 miles 100 km
SS-5
BAHAMAS
Guantánamo Bay Naval Base (US)
Bay of Pigs
Reconnaissance
Oct. 28 Soviets agree to remove their missiles if US promises it will not invade Cuba
Route of Soviet freighters
FLA.
Oct. 14, 1962 Spy plane takes photos of SS-4 launch site near San Cristobal
Chronology
Oct. 27, “Black Saturday” Missiles considered operational;
fF lor id a
2006, 2010, 2012
ys
three-time rotary club of manila journalism awardee
Santa Clara
Holguin
Caribbean Sea
The Jupiter deal This missile design was outmoded; their removal from Europe became a behindthe-scenes part of the settlement over the Cuban missiles
Jupiter sites
ITALY
U.S.S.R.
Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev
Moscow
TURKEY
T
he United States and Cuba on Wednesday took their most assertive step in several decades 43.4% 36.9% toward normalizing relations. The most important announcements concerned 19.7% the resumption of high-level political discussions focused on renewing formal diplomatic ties between the countries, which have been nonexistent since 1961. GlobalEye»C2 Cuban relations poll Should the U.S. establish diplomatic relations with Cuba?
Should
Not sure
Should not
Source: Reuters Graphic: Tribune News Service
n japan 0.3766 n UK 70.1396 n HK 5.7703 n CHINA 7.1986 n singapore 34.0737 n australia 36.5387 n EU 54.9831 n SAUDI arabia 11.9219 Source: BSP (19 December 2014)