Businessmirror December 22, 2018

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WHY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ‘GALUNGGONG’

The iconic Filipino seafood staple, long the barometer of commodity prices, has gone from being abundantly available to at risk of depletion. Some people are working to make sure it doesn’t become a dying breed.

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By Stephanie Tumampos

ACKY GALLARDO, not his real name, has been selling fish at a local wet market in Quezon City for five years. His display of fresh seafood ranges from shrimp and squid, to big catch such as tuna already chopped to smaller pieces, and to smaller ones such as the red snapper, locally known as maya-maya. At the far end of his table, the Filipino staple round scad, or galunggong, is also displayed, but only in amounts one can count.

This author asked how much a kilo of galunggong is. “I can give P160 for that, ma’am,” Gallardo said in Filipino. Other stalls also sold round scad but Gallardo’s stall had the cheapest price per kilo.

“It’s getting more expensive by the day, especially that Christmas is near,” Gallardo noted. He told the BusinessMirror that almost all of the stalls in that wet market sell galunggong,but stocks have been declining ever since.

Data showed by Undersecretary Eduardo Gongona of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) during the Science Policy and Information Forum

2018 on November 7 showed local production of galunggong in the country has declined for the last five years and, since 2008, it hasn’t met the local demand of 300,000 metric tons (MT) of round scad.

The need to import

THERE is no question that galunggong is a Filipino fish staple. It definitely hits right in the Filipino taste buds. “Especially when it’s [galunggong] smaller, you can even eat the scales right away because it is crunchy when fried,” Gallardo told the BusinessMirror.

But having no other sources of galunggong despite the vast wa-

A MAN tends his fish stall at a local wet market in Quezon City. He says that round scad, or galunggong in local terms, is a Filipino staple and a favorite. While galunggong is still in demand, local production has been depleting and importation has been high. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

ter space around the islands of the archipelago, the country has to import round scad from Vietnam, Taiwan and China to maintain the steady supply.

“We have a demand of 300,000 MT but we only produce about 125,000 MT of galunggong locally, so we really have to import,” Gongona said. He further explained that importation is important because local canneries employ a lot of people. According to Gongona, there is nothing wrong with importation as long as what the country

imports are less than what is produced locally.

Food security, food availability

GONGONA told the BusinessMirror that in order for the country to address food security, production must be increased. “If we produce more, we have income that can be generated and we can pay for the jobs of the people,” he said. But for Dr. Nygiel B. Armada, chief of party of the USAID FishRIGHT Project, food security isn’t just about

increasing production and feeding the current population.

“You have to look at what’s left in the sea because that’s what gives you the future catch for the future generation,” Armada told the BusinessMirror. “If you don’t think about what’s left there [in the waters], that’s the problem.”

Armada explained that most people equate food security only with supply, but stressed that Filipinos need to change their perspective toward it. “If you look only at how much you catch, you will think

that it’s [production] is still okay,” until it no longer is.

In a presentation during the forum, Armada showed a saturation point graph where stocks of galunggong, according to their research and fishing closure projects, are already at a certain steady point of production. He explained to the BusinessMirror that if stocks continue to go down, the decline in recruitment will not be felt right away. In biology terms, recruitment refers to the number Continued on A2

Biblical Dead Sea: The otherworldly beauty of a dying sea

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By Sara Toth Stub | New York Times News Service

AKE BEN ZAKEN steered his boat along the western shore of the Dead Sea, cut the motor, and bobbed amid the white towers of salt rising out of the turquoise water. Just last year, many of these circular towers, their bumpy surfaces now glistening in the afternoon sun, were beneath the water in this shrinking salty lake.

“I look for the beauty in this environmental crisis,” said Ben Zaken, whose Salty Landscapes boat tours take travelers out onto the surface of the Dead Sea, where the water level is falling by more than 3 feet a year as human consumption depletes its sources. “I’m trying to the see the light, because the

darkness is always there.”

The tours—the only current commercial option for boating on the Dead Sea—are part of a tourism industry that, paradoxically, is growing, even as the sea, famous for its highly salinated water, mud and minerals and for being the lowest place on Earth, dries up.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 53.1730

“The Dead Sea is truly a unique phenomenon, one that has drawn explorers and scientists for a long time,” said Yehouda Enzel, head of the Fredy and Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “But now the landscape around it, and under it, is exposed more and more.”

STEPS show the dropping levels in the Dead Sea, in Israel, on November 12, 2018. The Dead Sea is falling by more than a meter a year, and paradoxically, its destruction is revealing an eerie, enchanting world below the waters. TZACHI OSTROVSKY/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Sinkholes

BECAUSE it is not connected to an Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4781 n UK 67.3596 n HK 6.7908 n CHINA 7.7247 n SINGAPORE 38.7954 n AUSTRALIA 37.8379 n EU 60.9416 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.1711

Source: BSP (December 21, 2018 )

A2 Saturday, December 22, 2018

News

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Biblical Dead Sea: The otherworldly beauty of a dying sea Continued from a1

ocean, the Dead Sea is not technically a sea, but a lake. For the last 60 years, it has been shrinking as the surrounding populations of Syria, Israel, Jordan and the West Bank have depleted its main water sources—the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee (also a lake)—and as fertilizer and chemical companies in both Israel and Jordan evaporate its water to extract minerals, scientists say. The surface area of the lake has contracted by about a third to its current 243 square miles, or 629.367 square kilometers, according to the Geological Survey of Israel.

Hotels and spas that once lined the waterfront are now hundreds of yards from the shoreline, and some resorts and beaches have been forced to close in recent years because of the thousands of sinkholes that have resulted from the drying up of the water and the ground around it.

Fences with signs warning of sinkholes line much of the western coast, whose dry brown expanse is also dotted with abandoned date palm groves, closed roads and shuttered buildings, including a defunct gas station.

In many places the shoreline is covered with crusts of salt. Pillars and blobs of salt rise from the shallow edges of the water.

Tourism draw

THE eerie, yet enchanting, landscape is increasingly drawing visitors. In 2017, the number of overnight stays in Israeli hotels on the Dead Sea rose 35 percent compared to 2016, according to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics. Betting on continued growth, Israel’s tourism ministry recently spent 500 million shekels, or about $13 million, to renovate beaches and build a waterfront walkway at the resort area of Ein Bokek on the Dead Sea’s southern basin, where a new shopping mall opened in November. Two new hotels are also in the planning stages, the first significant develop-

ment in more than 30 years.

The southern basin—always shallower than the deep northern basin where Ben Zaken runs his boat trips—would be completely dry now if the companies harvesting salts and minerals from the Dead Sea didn’t pump water into it, according to scientists.

In Jordan, where the number of tourists rose about 8 percent in 2017 compared to 2016 and is on track to increase at a similar rate in 2018, a new Hilton Hotel opened last year on the Dead Sea, and $1.5 billion joint Kuwaiti-Jordanian government project is underway to build more hotels, an amusement park and other tourism infrastructure along the seashore.

here, Ben Zaken’s Nefeli—and the fleet of kayaks he began operating last year—were the only vessels on the Dead Sea.

Lot’s wife tour’s demise

Unique phenomenon

WHILE the northern basin will likely not disappear any time soon, it is expected to become shallower and to lose an additional 10 percent of its surface area in the next 50 years, said Nadav Lensky, the head of the Geological Survey’s Dead Sea Observatory, which researches evaporation and other dynamics of the sea.

The falling water level also means that the salinity of the water has increased, and since the 1980s, the water has become so concentrated that crystals of salt now accumulate on the bottom in a process called halite precipitation.

“The Dead Sea is the only place in the world where we see this phenomenon in modern time,” Lensky said, explaining that millions of years ago, halite precipitation in many of the deep saline lakes that once covered the Earth led to the creation of massive, thick salt deposits in places like Poland’s Wieliczka salt mines and the oilrich Delaware Basin under Texas and New Mexico.

It is also halite precipitation that has created the salt sculptures that first began peeking out above the surface of the Dead Sea about 10 years ago, Lensky said. Because the shape, size and number of salt

EMERGING underwater salt formations called “salt chimneys,” revealed by dropping sea level in the Dead Sea. TZACHI OSTROVSKY/THE NEW YORK TIMES

crystals piling up on the sea bottom vary with the water’s salinity, evaporation rate and temperature, the resulting structures also vary in shape, he said.

With much of the sea’s western shore off limits because of sinkholes, Ben Zaken’s blue and red Dutch-made boat—named Nefeli after a cloud nymph in Greek mythology—is the only way to see this otherworldly salty landscape up close.

“It was like being on the moon,” said Natali Tamir, a smartphone photography instructor from Tel Aviv who was inspired to take the boat ride in October after seeing photographs that one of her

students had taken on a previous tour. “I have been to the Dead Sea many times and was aware of what was happening there, but on this boat I suddenly understood how dramatic it is, and how sad it is seeing things that won’t be there in five years.”

The tours, which require reservations, leave from the Dead Sea shore near the Mitzpe Shalem settlement on the Israeli-occupied West Bank, about 45 miles, or 72 kilometers, from Jerusalem. An hour and a half tour is 180 shekels and a three-hour tour is 250 shekels per person. The boat holds up to 12 people.

Bobbing among the salt towers, Ben Zaken pointed out similar structures on the shore, where the water has receded, now brown and gray, and some toppled over.

“Those are dead,” he said, before starting up the boat’s engine and motoring past islands of salt that resembled heaps of melting snow or piles of shiny pearls.

Ben Zaken, 54, who lives in Mitzpe Shalem, served in Israel’s navy and worked on a commercial crab boat in Alaska. He cranked up the motor and headed to deeper water. The salt formations faded into the distance, as did the desolate brown beaches beyond them.

Across the water to the east rose Jordan’s pink Abarim mountains.

“I am all alone out here,” Ben Zaken said as he reached a speed of about 25 knots, fast enough to leave a wake on the water, which reaches depths of about 1,000 feet.

Aside from a scientific research boat located several miles south near Ein Gedi, and not visible from

MILITARY restrictions, a constantly receding shoreline and expensive maintenance to prevent salt buildup on the bottom of vessels all make boating here difficult.

Ben Zaken said that contributed to the discontinuation about 15 years ago of tours on a large wooden ship named Lot’s Wife (she famously turned into a pillar of salt in the Bible). But historical texts and archaeological finds of ancient anchors and harbors indicate that the Dead Sea had a thriving maritime culture for thousands of years.

“Like any other sea, it should have boats,” said Ben Zaken, who bought his first boat in 2011, when he was working as an auto mechanic, then waited two years for military permission to start using it and build up a tour business. Last year, he added kayak tours, bought a second boat, and is looking to hire an additional skipper to meet growing demand.

Out on the water, Ben Zaken slowed his boat near what looks like a wall of brown stairs on a nearby shore. “Each one of those steps is a year of losing water,” he said.

Continuing south, the last stop on tour was his kibbutz’s Mineral Beach resort, which was forced to close in 2015 after a large sinkhole opened up, swallowing palm trees, the parking lot and some buildings.

The air smelled like sulfur, and the water was the color of pea soup. The lifeguard stand had collapsed onto the gray sand, and empty lounge chairs sat under thatch palm huts.

Ben Zaken pointed to a wooden shed that used to serve as his boat house. After the beach closed, he lost access to the boat shed, and now has to launch his tours from a point further south, reachable only with an off-road vehicle. At the end of each day, he pulls his boat out of the water, loads into on a trailer, then hauls it with a tractor more than half a mile through the desert, over dry land that was once underwater, and rinses the salt water off the boat each night.

Why we need to talk about ‘galunggong’ Continued from a1

of fish that has reached maturity or reproduction stage.

“This means that you become at ease because you don’t see or feel this kind of situation and this becomes a dangerous condition,” Armada explained. He also said that since fish can reproduce a lot, and if you reach that critical point, a little difference in the number of stocks can have a big effect on the availability of round scad in the waters.

Fishing closure

TO date, there are 24 major fishing areas of galunggong around the country, with Palawan as one of the top suppliers. A study conducted by Armada’s team that involved three-month closures from November to January in the waters of Palawan for commercial fishing showed the efficiency of the project in terms of production. “It is the peak time for spawning [for galunggong], a time where you allow them to lay their eggs,” Armada said.

Through satellite images, the team of Armada identified the location of fishing bans since 2014 and have implemented closures since 2015. Satellite images, according to Armada, can provide information on where chlorophyll is abundant.

Chlorophyll helps photosynthesize algae or phytoplanktons, which, in turn, become food for the fish.

“Fishing closure is a tool to revive the resource because we have already decimated parent stocks, such that the young that comes out of it are no longer enough for the harvesting of the various fishers,” Armada shared.

At present, Armada said most of the stocks for galunggong are still at the critical point and underscored the need to bring down the number of boats engaged in galunggong fishing.

“With our data, maybe you have to reduce about 20 percent of the commercial fishing boats at a minimum to be able to sustain galunggong resource,” Armada said. He added that once resource is revived, data can show the ideal number of fishing boats allowed to harvest galunggong because “this will become your basis of unsustainable levels and production can be now maintained at a certain level.”

Fish: A renewable resource

ARMADA hopes that the Filipino’s favorite seafood staple will go back to its normal production state.

In general, he told the BusinessMirror, “The fishes are the last wild animals, the group of animals that we are hunting on a large scale.” He added that it is a renewable resource because “if you only fish what is enough and right, you can still harvest in the future.”

All of the fish we have left in

the waters, for Armada, are on the verge of being harvested. Fish stocks have been definitely depleted through a number of factors, such as climate change or the rise in the volume of plastics in the ocean. Armada explained, however, that even with climate change, as long as parent stocks are in good levels, it means fishes can buffer climate change. “If they can still reproduce and even with the effects of climate change, such as deaths of some stocks, the remaining fishes can still rebuffer,” Armada said, noting that parent stocks must be harvested at the right amount.

Galunggong mostly spawn in municipal waters. Municipal waters, which are 15 kilometers from the shore, are under the protection of the local governments and Gongona said they constantly ask LGUs to take good care of the municipal waters. “If the municipal water is rich, there will be a lot of galunggong, sardines and, eventually, tuna. If they can take care of it [municipal waters], they [LGUs] are contributing much to the economy of the Philippines.”

Still, without the collective efforts by both the government and the industry, backed by sacrifice based on good science and research, galunggong might just be another Filipino staple that is, as how Gallardo puts it, “a dying breed.”

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GATWICK AIRPORT CHAOS EXPOSES THE HAVOC DRONES CAN CAUSE

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HE disruption to hundreds of flights at London’s Gatwick airport after it was buzzed by miniature drones shows just how easy it can be to disrupt advanced aviation networks with simple, inexpensive devices.

Airports have been raided by drones before. Dubai International was briefly closed in 2016, and Wellington, New Zealand’s main hub was shuttered for 30 minutes this year when a mystery craft was spotted close to the runway.

But as thousands of travelers at Britain’s second-busiest airpor t tr y desperately to salvage their holiday plans, the incident reveals how tough it is for authorities to combat the problem created by this game-changing form of aviation technology. Gatwick was still closed Thursday evening, about a full day after the drone sightings first shut down commercial flights.

While airfield operators around the world have been girding for more drone disruptions and safety issues, the length and severity of the chaos at Gatwick is a stunning eye-opener, said Christopher Oswald, vice president for safety and regulatory affairs at the Airports Council International, a trade group in North America.

“It just represents all of these very thorny challenges, which Gatwick does really bring into very stark relief,” he said.

The law already is clear in most jurisdictions and penalties for violation can be severe. In the UK, drones aren’t allowed to fly within 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) of airports

and can’t climb above 400 feet, to avoid conflict with flight paths. Aviation Minister Liz Sugg said the operators of the Gatwick craft could face five-year jail terms if caught.

That’s a big “if.”

Modern airports rival the size of some cities, making their perimeters almost impossible to permanently police. And surrounding buildings offer almost limitless opportunities for drone operators to hide while maintaining line-of-site control of their troublesome devices.

The latest drone technology adds a new dimension. Relatively affordable unmanned devices can be flown miles away from an operator using remote video that shows the equivalent of a plane’s cockpit view.

British police said the Gatwick incursions were clearly deliberate, as the drones variously appeared, vanished and then emerged again from Wednesday night through most of Thursday. That could shift attention from how best to regulate drone flights to practical ways of neutralizing the threat and finding scofflaws.

US law enforcement and homeland security agencies are drafting standards that would require all but the tiniest drones to broadcast their identity and position so authorities could identify operators who have crossed the line. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies blocked aviation regulators from moving ahead two years ago with rules allowing more unmanned flights over crowds until authorities could move ahead to address security concerns. Bloomberg News

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bringing troops home, but in 2017, at the request of Mattis, he begrudgingly pledged an additional 4,000 troops to the Afghan campaign to try to hasten an end to the conflict.

Though Pentagon officials have said the influx of forces—coupled with a more aggressive air campaign—was helping the war effort, Afghan forces continued to take nearly unsustainable levels of casualties and lose ground to the Taliban.

The renewed American effort in 2017 was the first step in ensuring Afghan forces could become more independent without a set timeline for a withdrawal. But with plans to quickly reduce the number of US troops in the country, it is unclear if the Afghans can hold their own against an increasingly aggressive Taliban.

Currently, American air strikes are at levels not seen since the height of the war, when tens of thousands of US troops were spread throughout the country. That air support, officials say, consists mostly of propping up Afghan troops while they try to hold territory from a resurgent Taliban.

Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the incoming commander of US Central Command, told lawmakers during his confirmation this month that the Afghan military would dissolve if not for American support.

“If we left precipitously right now, I do not believe they would be able to successfully defend their country,” he said. “I don’t know

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Trump’s demand for wall moves government closer to shutdown

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ASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump’s demand for border wall funds hurled the federal government closer to a shutdown as House Republicans approved a package on Thursday with his $5.7 billion request that is almost certain to be rejected by the Senate.

The White House said Trump will not travel to Florida on Friday for the Christmas holiday if the government is shutting down.

More than 800,000 federal workers will be facing furloughs or forced to work without pay if a resolution is not reached before funding expires at midnight Friday.

The shutdown crisis could be one of the final acts of the House GOP majority before relinquishing control to Democrats in January. Congress had been on track to fund the government but lurched

America to pull half its troops from Afghanistan A S H I N G TO N —T h e Tr u m p administration has ordered the military to start withdrawing roughly 7,000 troops from Afghanistan in the coming months, two defense officials said Thursday, an abrupt shift in the 17-yearold war there.

Trump made the decision to pull the troops—about half the number the United States has in Afghanistan now—at the same time he decided to pull US forces out of Syria, one official said.

On Thursday, Jim Mattis, the secretary of defense, announced that he would resign from his position at the end of February after disagreeing with the president over his approach to policy in the Middle East.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the development.

The whirlwind of troop withdrawals and the resignation of Mattis leave a murky picture for what is next in the United States’s longest war. The reduction of forces in Afghanistan, one official said, is in an effort to make Afghan forces more reliant on their own troops and not Western support.

But some fear the move could only imperil the Afghan troops, which have struggled in the field against the Taliban and have suffered high casualty rates, even with the current level of US support.

Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to comment on the plan to remove troops from Afghanistan.

The president long campaigned on

Saturday, December 22, 2018

how long it’s going to take. I think that one of the things that would actually provide the most damage to them would be if we put a timeline on it and we said we were going out at a certain point in time.”

The plan to reduce US forces in the country comes just days after the United Arab Emirates hosted two days of talks between the United States and the Taliban.

Z a l m a y K h a l i l z a d , t h e Tr u m p administration’s special representative i n c h a rg e o f t h e t a l k s f o r Af g h a n reconciliation, speaking to Afghan news outlets, hinted toward progress during the discussions.

Khalilzad said the Taliban’s demand remained an agreement over the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan, while the United States has sought assurances from the militant group that Afghanistan would not become a haven for terrorists.

It remains unclear how the newly planned troop drawdown could affect the administration’s negotiations with the Taliban.

Besides the current contingent of roughly 14,000 US troops, there are also 16,000 Nato and allied troops deployed in Afghanistan tasked primarily with training and advising the Afghan forces.

If American troop levels drop to around 7,000, they will be at their lowest since March 2002, when the largest ground assault of the war at that time began during Operation Anaconda. New York Times News Service

Thursday when Trump, after a rare lashing from conservative supporters, declared he would not sign a bill without the funding. Conservatives want to keep fighting. They warn that “caving” on Trump’s repeated wall promises could hurt his 2020 reelection chances, and other Republicans’ as well.

The House voted largely along party lines, 217-185, after GOP leaders framed the vote as a slapback to Nancy Pelosi, who is poised to become House Speaker on January 3 and who had warned Trump

in a televised Oval Office meeting last week that he wouldn’t have the votes for the wall.

Trump crowed about the vote on Twitter, saying: “Nancy does not have to apologize. All I want is GREAT BORDER SECURITY!” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Republican-California, said: “Now we find compromise. We have time right now to get it done.”

The government funding package, which includes nearly $8 billion in disaster aid for coastal hurricanes and California wildfires, now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are grim amid strong opposition from Democrats. Sixty votes are needed to approve the bill there.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican-Kentucky, warned senators they may need to return to Washington for a noontime vote Friday.

Many senators already left town for the holidays. The Senate approved a bipartisan bill late Wednesday to keep the government temporarily funded, with

border security money at current levels, $1.3 billion, and no money for the wall. The House had been expected to vote on it Thursday.

The most likely possibility on Friday is that the Senate strips the border wall out of the bill but keeps the disaster funds and sends it back to the House. House lawmakers said they were being told to stay in town for more possible votes.

With Pelosi’s backing, the Senate-passed bill likely has enough support for House approval with votes mostly from Democratic lawmakers, who are still the minority, and some Republicans. Others were not so sure. “I don’t see how we avoid a shutdown,” said retiring Rep. Dennis Ross, Republican-Florida.

Rep. Mark Meadows, Republican-North Carolina, the chairman of the conservative Freedom Caucus, said he was not convinced after a White House meeting with GOP leaders that Trump would sign the Senate bill.

“I looked him in the eyes today, and he was serious about not folding without a fight,” Meadows said. AP

U.S. DEFENSE CHIEF JIM MATTIS QUITS

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ASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, whose experience and stability were widely seen as a balance to an unpredictable president, resigned on Thursday in protest of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw US forces from Syria and his rejection of international alliances.

Mattis had repeatedly told friends and aides over recent months that he viewed his responsibility to protect the United States’s 1.3 million activeduty troops as worth the concessions necessary as defense secretary to a mercurial president. But on Thursday, in an extraordinary rebuke of the president, he finally decided that Trump’s decision to withdraw roughly 2,000 US troops from Syria was a step too far.

Officials said Mattis went to the White House on Thursday afternoon with his resignation letter already written but nonetheless made a last attempt at persuading Trump to reverse his decision about Syria, which the president announced Wednesday over the objections of his senior advisers.

Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, was rebuffed. Returning to the Pentagon, he asked aides to print out 50 copies of his resignation letter and distribute them around the building.

“My views on treating allies with respect and also being cleareyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held,” Mattis wrote. “Because you have the right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position,” the letter read.

His resignation came as Congress appeared to be hurtling toward a government shutdown and a deep market slump became even worse over fears of continuing government turmoil. With the ousting this month of fellow retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, the outgoing White House chief of staff, Mattis is the last to depart among the old guards of Trump’s national security team— leaving it in the hands of Mike Pompeo, the president’s second secretary of state, and John R. Bolton,

the third White House national security adviser.

Trump said Mattis will leave at the end of February and promised to name a replacement shortly. He said Mattis “was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations.”

The resignation came as the Pentagon prepared to draw down forces in another global conflict.

Two defense department officials said about 7,000 troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan in coming months, cutting in half the number of US forces there, in an early step to ending the United States’sw involvement in the 17-year war.

“This is scary,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a Twitter post. He called Mattis “an island of stability amidst the chaos of the Trump administration.”

“As we’ve seen with the President’s haphazard approach to Syria, our national defense is too important to be subjected to the President’s erratic whims,” Warner wrote. New York Times News Service

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BusinessMirror

3 govt agencies sign MOU to promote, assist start-ups

By Kristina Noelle Andaya

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Trade Industry Development Specialist (TIDS) Knowledge Processing Division, DTI-EMB

N an effort to strengthen efforts to promote and assist Philippine start-ups, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the second National Technology Business Incubator Summit on December 19 at the Manila Hotel’s Centennial Hall.

The MOU aims to promote, assist and support Philippine start-ups, with the three government agencies implementing projects, events and/ or endeavors by way of tie-ups, joint program activities, or cost matching in future events and activities.

The MOU is based on the Action Plan of the Startups Assistance Program 2019-2023. It is initiated

by DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) and co-developed with the DOST, DTI, and DICT in partnership with the 14 DOST Technology Business Incubators (TBIs), including QBO Philippines and AIM-DBI, private partners such as Ideaspace,

Launch Garage, Startup Village, PhilDEv, Trade Lawyers and government partners such as the Office of Senator Bam Aquino and CHED. Highlighted in the action plan are the major issues that will be addressed by the body over the fiveyear period such as the disconnect between government programs and private initiatives; limitations in terms of access to funds; policy issues such as the definitions and metrics to be applied to the start-up community; the current mindset being risk-averse and the fear of failure; and the necessary skillset for startups to succeed.

The proposed action plan and road map recommends four strate-

gic priorities (collaboration, policy, promotion and education) as its major themes and suggests a lineup of activities for 2019 to 2023 which includes, but not limited to: establish a working group and a Philippine Business Incubator Network, Build an online information system for start-ups, benchmark ecosystems, digital campaigns, organize conferences, and create a more robust road map, among others.

1 The action plan revolves on a roadmap of activities that may lead to a much firmer and stronger Roadmap for Philippine Startups and allows key partners and stakeholders to work together separately but cohesively for a stronger, inclusive and sustainable start-up ecosystem.

The second National TBI Summit aimed to feature the initiatives and cooperation of both private and university-based incubators, the various start-up communities and organizations involved in enabling and supporting start-ups. The TBI Summit started as small tea sessions among TBIs and private accelerators and initially advocated for enhanced connectivity in the start-up community.

From the little tea sessions, the event has grown to a 300-strong summit with the first one held in Cebu City in November 2017. This year, the event was scheduled backto-back with an international event, the Asean Technology Business Incubator Network Forum (December 15 to 18, Jen Hotel, Pasay City).

For the second National TBI Summit, the event featured panel discussions with the DTI, DOST and DICT in supporting start-ups and with private accelerators. There is also a sharing of best practices.

Philexport sees ‘golden age’ for MSMEs

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XPORTERS are optimistic about the start of a so-called golden age for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on the back of laws, legislations and government initiatives to facilitate and support business and trade.

Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) President Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. said the group welcomed the signing of Republic Act (RA) 11032, or the “Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act,” that mandates government offices to complete simple transactions within three working days, while seven days for complex transactions and 20 days for highly technical transactions.

“This streamlining of government transactions in all government agencies will help business enterprises in getting access to government services at the shortest possible

time,” he said during the group’s general membership meeting.

In line with the law, Ortiz Luis cited the TradeNet project, a platform that will make it easier for businesses to acquire import and export permits and clearances, as the system will allow government sharing of information.

He said the Department of Finance (DOF) has announced that the online trade facilitation platform will soon be pilot-tested.

The Philexport chief also underscored the recent signing of RA 11057, or the “Personal Property Security Act,” that particularly addresses the perennial problem that cripples the agriculture sector and micro, small ad medium enterprises (MSMEs) - access to finance.

Through the law, MSMEs and farmers will now be able to access least-cost finance using movable assets such as accounts re-

ceivable, inventory, warehouse receipts, crops, livestock, machinery and equipment, he said.

“This huge step towards greater financial inclusion will help businesses and farmers gain much needed funds for growth and expansion,” he added.

Ortiz-Luis further noted the fast-tracking of two proposed legislations, namely Senate Bill 1908 or “Philippine Warehouse Receipts Act,” and Senate Bill 2017, known as “Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso.” “[These] give us more hope that a golden age for MSMEs is indeed dawning,” he said.

Ortiz-Luis is also optimistic these complementary bills to Secured Transactions Law, along with other legislations such as those that would provide weather-based crop insurance, will “financially and strategically empower MSMEs and farmers.”

TRI-AGENCY START-UP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

In line with the policy thrust of President Duterte to create an environment conducive for creative and innovation-led business models to help accelerate Philippine economic growth, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez (third from left), Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña (fourth from left)) and Information and Communications (DICT) Acting Secretary Eliseo M. Rio Jr. (third from right) joined forces in promoting and strengthening Philippine start-ups through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed on December 19. The MOU on Startup Assistance Program 2019-2023 covers the development of the ICT ecosystem in the countryside and of local ICT start-up businesses through DICT’s seedPH program; financial assistance for technology transfer support and nurturing tech-based start-ups through DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development; and scaling up Philippine start-ups through the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) outbound business missions and international pitching competitions. The program plans to have 1,000 start-ups by 2020. Earlier this year, the three government agencies also signed the formulation and implementation of Inclusive Filipinnovation and Entrepreneurship Roadmap to develop Philippine innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem by enhancing linkages between the government, industry and academe. Also present during the MOU signing were DTI Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado (second from left), DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevara (left), DICT Undersecretary John Henry Naga (second from right) and Monchito Ibrahim (right).

Shippers of strategic goods required to register beginning first quarter of 2019

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HE Philippine Strategic Trade Management Office (STMO) has released implementing guidelines for the registration of traders, transport companies, and other service providers that import, export and move strategic goods.

Registration will be required beginning the first quarter of 2019.

Strategic goods are products considered to be of such military importance—due to security reasons or international agreements— that their export is either subject to specific conditions or prohibited altogether. Under the National Strategic Goods List (NSGL), these goods come under three categories: military, dual-use and nationally controlled goods.

The impending registration requirements for shippers and service providers is in keeping with Republic Act (RA) 10697, “An Act Preventing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) by Managing the Trade in Strategic Goods, the Provision of Related Service, and for Other Purposes.

A lso called Strategic Trade Management Act (STMA), the law was signed in 2016 to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. The resolution

bound states to adopt legislation that would “prevent proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery, and establish appropriate domestic controls over related materials to prevent their illicit trafficking.”

The law aims to regulate the export, import, transit and transshipment, reexport and reassignment of strategic goods, software and technology and provision of related services to prevent proliferation of WMD. Under the supervision of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Strategic Trade Management Office serves as the government’s executive and technical agency in establishing management systems for the trade of strategic goods pursuant to STMA. Registration is required before a shipper or service provider can apply for an authorization to export, import, reexport or provide services related to strategic goods.

Any person who engages or intends to engage in the export, import, and reexport of strategic goods, or provides related services such as brokering, financing, transporting, or giving technical assistance must register directly with STMO prior to

applying for an authorization or a governmental end-use assurance.

The authorization allows only a specific transaction, or a series of transactions, as described in the application and any supporting documents. An application may be approved in whole or in part, or limited by conditions.

Military goods refer to goods, software, and technology designed, developed, configured, adapted, or modified for military-end-use.

Dual-use goods refer to items, software, and technology intended for both civil and military-end-use, or are used to develop, produce, handle, operate, maintain, store, detect, identify or disseminate WMD or their means of delivery.

Nationally controlled goods refer to strategic goods placed under unilateral controls for reasons of national security, foreign policy, antiterrorism, crime control and public safety.

The STMO, in consultation with the National Security Council – Strategic Trade Management Committee (NSC-STMCom), will issue an enduse assurance, considered a formal security guarantee, upon the request of the country where the strategic items originated.

Carriers eye full adoption of automated empties return under GoFast in 2019 Malaysian houseware, small home

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EMBERS of the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) are looking to fully implement in 2019 an automated empty-container returns system under GoFast. This would help address difficulties in the return of empties currently being experienced by logistics stakeholders.

Right now, only one AISL member is pilot testing GoFast’s emptycontainer return feature.

GoFast is an online reservation and appointment system for empty-container returns that interconnects all stakeholders directly involved in the activity, including shipping lines, truckers, customs brokers and depots. Aside from automating the return of empty containers, GoFast’s other functions digitize some processes of shipping lines, including online payment of the administration fee for equipment insurance clearance.

A system owned by AISL, GoFast also features a Web-based inven-

tory system for off-dock container yard/container freight station (CY/ CFS) and the acceptance by terminal operators of GoFast-generated electronic delivery order (DO) as web-CRO (container release order).

From 2019, these two functions will be expanded.

The expansion of GoFast features is part of a five-year development plan to automate processes of shipping lines, said Leo Morada, CEO of Cargo Data Exchange Center Inc. (CDEC), who spoke during a presentation at the recent Chamber of Customs Brokers Inc. (CCBI) 28th annual convention in early November. CDEC is the GoFast developer and maintenance provider for AISL. AISL General Manager Maximino Cruz, in a speech during the same CCBI conference, said that when fully in place, “GoFast will eliminate faceto-face transaction among truckers, shipping lines and personnel of the container yard.”

“The trucker is guaranteed that the empty container to be returned will be accepted by the designated depot. This will also result in savings for the trucker as he will be saving on fuel cost due to better management of truck trips,” he explained.

Cruz said “enrollment at GoFast is ongoing and hopefully, we will be able to roll it out within the first half of 2019,” referring to the full adoption of GoFast’s empty-container returns feature.

Cruz said AISL is pushing to fully implement GoFast features “as soon as possible,” as these are seen to remedy problems encountered with returning empty containers Meanwhile, GoFast’s online payment platform for the shipping line equipment insurance clearance administration fee will be expanded from Manila to other regions next year.

Morada said with the online payment processors such as those in Cebu, for example, will no longer

need to go to the Cebu Business Park just to make payments, eliminating transport costs and the need for faceto-face transactions.

Another plan is to implement the Web-based inventory system for other terminal operators based in Davao and Cebu, as well as for other cargo warehouses. GoFast’s electronic DO will also be accepted as web-CRO by the Cebu International Port and Davao International Container Terminal by next year.

Morada said GoFast is being assessed to provide a facility for the online payment of local charges of foreign shipping lines and as an acceptable basis for determining the refund of container deposits.

“We need stakeholders to push for such a system that connects everyone and to trust a system so that wala na ’yung mga magbayad ka ng fee na walang change, walang resibo [you do away with paying a fee without change or receipt],” Morada said.

appliances market demand rising

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OCAL exporters and manufacturers of houseware and small home appliances may consider penetrating the huge Malaysian market.

A report released by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) said urban lifestyles and health awareness drive growth in modern and innovative products.

“Along with ongoing urbanization, the rising number of residential developments in Malaysia has boosted the demand for houseware and small home appliances in the major cities. With growing economic affluence translating into rising purchasing power, more mid-to-high income consumers are looking for modern, high-quality, durable homeware products, manufactured without the use of harmful chemicals,” it said.

It forecasts the retail sales volume of household appliances in Malaysia growing to 16.4 million units by 2022.

The report noted the growing popularity of online recipe-sharing platforms, YouTube cooking tutorials and cooking blogs have led to more young Malaysian adults becoming interested in cooking and baking.

Likewise, in-store demonstrations and online marketing by kitchenware brands have raised consumers’ awareness about new types of cookware and ovenware products, while young adults are especially interested in new kitchenware brands.

“Price, product design and color are the main factors that influence their purchasing decisions. In general, the product cycle for kitchenware lasts about six months to one year,” it added.

With urban Malaysian consumers becoming more health-conscious and their lifestyles getting busier, the HKTDC report said the demand for small home appliances that offer convenience and efficiency is rising. Philexport News and Features

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

Sports

BusinessMirror

Saturday, December 22, 2018

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BLAZING VICTORY HEAT COOL DOWN ROCKETS M

THE Petron Blaze Spikers could not be denied of the All-Filipino Conference crown in Game Three.

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WEEP or no sweep, it’s still very much “Mission accomplished!” for the Petron Blaze Spikers.

Petron creamed bitter rival F2 Logistics, 25-22, 26-24, 25-23, in Game Three of their best-of-three showdown to retain the Philippine Superliga AllFilipino Conference crown on Thursday night at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Playmaker Rhea Dimaculangan was at her best elements in the do-or-die duel and ran away with the Most Valuable Player trophy, while Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and Bernadeth Pons displayed firepower and finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively, for the Blaze Spikers, who roused back on track after a four-set loss in Game Two. “This is a great Christmas blessing,” Petron Coach Shaq de los Santos said. “Honestly, we really never thought of completing a sweep. We know how tough the competition is and winning all of our games will be very impossible.”

“So instead of eyeing a sweep, what we did was to prepare hard each day, give our best and respect our opponents,” he added moments after their title conquest in the tournament bankrolled by Isuzu, Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Mueller, UCPB Gen and Bizooku with Genius Sports as technical sponsor.

De los Santos said their journey in the conference also supported by ESPN5, Hyper HD and Aksyon TV may have looked easy, but it took a lot of hard work and sacrifices before reaching the top—especially in the finals where the Cargo Movers pushed them to a do-or-die affair.

The pressure to sweep weighed down on the Blaze Spikers in Game Two and the result was a 25-21, 19-25, 20-25, 17-25 defeat.

But instead of fading, the Blaze Spikers went back to the drawing board and jot down the winning solution.

“I just told them to bring back the old fire that made Petron successful in the past,” said de los Santos after capping a successful campaign of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) clubs this year following the victory of San Miguel Beer, Ginebra and Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“We don’t have to be pressured. This is just volleyball. We have

to play our normal game if we want to win the crown.”

Also instrumental in Petron’s rise were star middle Mika Reyes, Remy Palma, Ging Balse-Pabayo, Frances Molina, Pia Gaiser, Chloe Cortez, Angel Legacion, Sisi Rondina, Mela Tunay, Ria Duremdes and Jasmine Alcayde.

Assistant Coach Ian Fernandez was also credited for coming up with a solid scouting report on the Cargo Movers.

“This is a total team effort,” De los Santos said.

“This victory will not be impossible without the support of the players, coaches, staff and, of course, the SMC management. We won’t be here without them.”

“This crown means a lot. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for all of us.”

Longtime Clippers fan Crystal will be analyst for one game

BILLY CRYSTAL, a longtime season-ticket holder for the Clippers, asks if he could call a game on television. AP

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OS ANGELES—Los Angeles Clippers announcer Ralph Lawler was approached two months ago with a special request. A longtime season-ticket holder asked team president Gillian Zucker if he could call a game on television with Lawler and honor his 40 seasons with the club.

Lawler apprehensively said yes, until he found out it wasn’t just any season-ticket holder. It happens to be one that has hosted the Academy Awards nine times.

Billy Crystal, who has been the team’s most well-known fan through the good times and bad, will be the analyst for the January 31 game against the Lakers.

“They told me he really wants to do it,” Lawler said before the Clippers faced Dallas on Thursday night. “He has been a fan forever and he wants to take his time to pay his respects for my longtime service to the club.”

Crystal has been a season-ticket holder since 1985, when the team played at the old LA Sports Arena. Lawler said the two have spent a lot of time over the years talking basketball and that it will be a fun experience doing it on television.

“It will be a big game and the building will be electric.

He’s done the Academy Awards for nine years so he can handle our broadcast,” Lawler said.

Crystal isn’t the only guest analyst who will work with Lawler this season. Mike Fratello, Hubie Brown and Bill Walton—who are all former partners of Lawler—will return for some games.

“Ralph is a fantastic broadcaster and a wonderful man,” Crystal told the Clippers’ web site. “I’m looking forward to calling a game with him. He’s a Hall of Famer in my book.” AP

GERMAN FOILS BIADO IN DOHA WORLD 9-BALL

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ERMANY’S Joshua Filler beat the Philippines’s Carlo Biado, 13-10, on Thursday night to capture his first World Pool Association World 9-ball Championship in front of a big crowd at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qater.

The title victory came as Filler and his wife, Pia, celebrated their first year wedding anniversary.

Playing in his typical fast and loose fashion, the 21-yearold German battled his way against Biado, who tried to become the first man since Earl Strickland 27 years ago to win back-to-back world 9-ball titles.

The victory was extra special for the German considering that he was nearly left for dead in his semifinal match against Greece’s Alexander Kazakis earlier in the day.

Biado started the day with a showdown against the USA’s

Shane Van Boening. The American had been playing marvelous pool all week in Doha, and fans in person and online made him the betting favorite to take his first world title.

The Filipino, however, put on a class act and literally mastered the break shot, always getting a ball or two down and leaving a shot on the one ball en route to an 11-6 victory.

“Hats off to Carlo Biado for getting back into the final,” Filler said. “That’s an amazing accomplishment and he could have very easily been the winner. For me it’s a dream come true and I am still overwhelmed with the situation, I’m the No. 1 in the world, I can’t believe that.”

As expected Biado was nothing but class in defeat. He could look back on an amazing 12 months where he won his first title and very nearly won another one.

PHILIPPINE Paralympic Committee President Michael Barredo and Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed celebrate the new partnership.

Citi partners with PHL Paralympic Committee

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ITY has recently entered into an agreement with the Philippine Paralympic Committee to become an official partner through 2020 as part of a global partnership agreement between Citi and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The international agreement supports 18 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) as they prepare for the World and Regional Championships, as well as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

“Citi Philippines is exceptionally proud to be part of the global Paralympic Movement,” said Citi Philippines Country Officer Aftab Ahmed at a signing ceremony at the Citi Plaza in Taguig.

“Our goal is to make a difference as a responsible

IAMI—The plan for the Miami Heat on the game’s final play was simple: Do not let James Harden win the game for Houston.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat pulled it off.

Wade ran at Harden and got him to give the ball up as the clock ran down, Eric Gordon missed a three-pointer—one that Wade said he tipped ever so slightly—as time expired, and the Heat held off the Rockets, 101-99, on Thursday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

“If somebody else hit it, we would deal with it,” Wade said. “But it wasn’t going to be James Harden.”

Harden scored 35 for the Rockets, whose five-game winning streak was snapped. The worst part of the night for Houston, however, will likely be the loss of point guard Chris Paul in the second quarter to a strained left hamstring.

All the Rockets know, for now, is that Paul will miss time. He will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity and likely timetable for returning.

“We lose a guy of the magnitude of Chris, now we’re fighting again,” Rockets Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “And the flaws that we have are going to come out again and we’ve got to overcome those.”

Josh Richardson scored 22 points and Tyler Johnson added 19 for the Heat, who were up by 16 early, then wasted an 11-point lead in the fourth before rallying.

Gordon’s three-pointer with 37 seconds left got Houston within two, and the Rockets got a stop on a long ensuing Heat possession. Wade missed, Hassan Whiteside got the offensive rebound and Wade wound up missing again, with the Rockets finally corralling the ball with 3.8 seconds left.

The last play eventually went to Gordon, and his 3 three—Houston’s 54th attempt of the night from beyond the arc—was off, and Miami escaped. The Heat are 4-4 this season when shooting under 40 percent; the rest of the NBA, combined, is 9-103 in such games.

“Our identity is trying to make it ugly,” Tyler Johnson said. “A lot of teams aren’t used to that.”

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 15 for Miami, which got 11 from James Johnson and 10 from Wade. Gordon scored 20 for the Rockets, who got 14 from PJ Tucker and 10 from Danuel House Jr. The Rockets set a National Basketball Association (NBA) record with 26 makes from threepoint range in Washington on Wednesday, and connected on another 18 in this one. The 44 made threes in a two-game span are second-most in NBA THE Rockets’ James Harden tries to shoot against the history over such a stretch— Heat’s Bam Adebayo. AP Houston made 46 in a twogame stretch of the 2016-17 season—and are the most ever posted in consecutive days.

But in this one, the Rockets needed one more.

“In those situations you’ve always got to be ready and I’ve hit those shots many of times,” Gordon said. “It just didn’t go in for me.”

Houston led by 16 early, then used a 13-1 run to erase an 11-point deficit in the fourth.

Tyler Johnson got a lay-up to snap Miami’s six-minute field-goal drought, then blocked a lay-up try by Harden and followed that with a three for a four-point edge. And with 1:20 left, Wade used the same move he’s used for 16 seasons—the shot fake on the wing—to induce Gordon into a foul that he turned into two free throws for a 101-96 lead.

Boston Celtics center Aron Baynes, meanwhile, has had surgery on a broken left finger and will be out four to six weeks.

The team made the announcement on Thursday, a day after Baynes left early in the game against the Phoenix Suns after deflecting a pass with his left hand.

Baynes shook his hand in visible pain and went to the locker room when play stopped.

Celtics Coach Brad Stevens said after the 111-103 loss on Wednesday night that he could see the break on the x-ray.

Big man Al Horford has also been ruled out for Friday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Guerschon Yabusele, Daniel Theis and rookie Robert Williams are expected to have increased responsibilities at center. AP

corporate citizen by helping to promote inclusiveness and equality for all. We very much look forward to supporting the nation’s talented para-athletes,” Ahmed added.

“We are delighted that Citi joins the NPC Philippines as a corporate partner and we look forward to working together to further awareness of how our para-sports program drives social inclusion,” NPC Philippines President Michael Barredo said.“This new partnership will catalyze our efforts in pursuing our vision of enabling our Filipino para-athletes to achieve sporting excellence and excite and inspire the world.”

Citi began its global relationship with the Paralympic Movement in 2012 with its sponsorship

of the US Olympic and Paralympic Teams. This year, Citi sponsored the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation Wheelchair Rugby World Championship in Australia, World Para Swimming Allianz European Championships in Ireland, Asian Para Games in Indonesia, and Para Powerlifting Americas Open Championships in Bogota.

Through the partnership, Citi Philippines will help engage fans through integrated marketing campaigns to generate excitement and national pride around the extraordinary accomplishments of the country’s paraathletes.

Citi will also work to help support the NPC through employee volunteerism and other activities.

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BusinessMi

Saturday, December 22, 2018 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

COLOR IT RED A

S the teams begin to gather with their 2019 rosters for training camps, press conferences and official presentations, the 2019 kits are also among the unveilings this week in the pro cycling world.

Team Sky, AG2R la Mondiale, Lotto Soudal, DeceuninckQuickStep, Team Sunweb, Katusha-Alpecin, Cofidis, CCC Team, Bahrain-Merida, Roompot and Trek-Segafredo have all

Rather than the sponsor quitting being a shock announcement, Alberto Contador said, it was only to be expected, given that Team Sky had achieved so much in cycling.

shown off their new colors for 2019, with Sunweb’s switch from black and blue to red; Cofidis’s move from red to white; and Team Sky’s switch from white to black marking the biggest changes.

The new Jim Ochowicz formulation at CCC Team retains the orange from the previous Pro Continental team, and most of the other new revelations look similar to 2018. Cyclingnews

EX-WORLD CHAMP GETTING ITCHY FEET L

IZZIE DEIGNAN says that she could make her racing return earlier than the June deadline she had set herself.

Nearly two months into training after giving birth to her first child, things are progressing nicely and the former world champion says she might get itchy feet as she

waits on the sidelines to get racing again.

Deignan, who will race with TrekSegafredo in 2019, had her first child in September. She has her sights set on her home World Championships in Yorkshire next year and had placed a deadline of June to get back to racing so that she can be in shape for that.

However, she doesn’t think she will be able to wait that long.

“I’m already really surprised with how I’m feeling on the bike,” Deignan told Cyclingnews at Trek-Segafredo’s training camp in Sicily last week.

“I’ve only been training for six weeks now but I think I’ll probably be tempted to start racing before June. That’s the latest that I’ve said. If I feel good, I can’t see myself not racing earlier than that.”

While she’s eager to get back racing, Deignan is cautious about giving her body a proper chance to recover. While she was pregnant, she kept up regular training and was on the bike up until three days before she gave birth. Keeping as fit as she could during her pregnancy was important for her postnatal recovery.

“I was really conscious going into that period that prior to giving birth I was going to be at my best and that the period after giving birth

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would be the hardest,” Deignan explained.

“I had six full weeks off the bike. Looking after a newborn baby is very hard work and I was very aware that I didn’t want to rush back into things with my body. It’s quite a traumatic thing to go through so I gave myself enough time.”

RED is the “in” color for 2019 pro teams, including Lotto Soudal.

During her maternity leave, Deignan admitted she had fallen out of love with cycling after 10 years as a professional. At times, she said, it felt like she was just going through the motions.

However, the time out has given her a chance to rekindle the romance.

“I really love it again. It feels like I’m starting all over again. When I’m out on the bike, I feel like a junior again and that’s really exciting,” Deignan said.

“I’ve been doing professional cycling for the last 10 to 15 years of my life. That’s been good, but I had come to a point in my life where it wasn’t enough, and I needed something else.

My husband and my baby at home are just magic and it makes everything...you’re happy, and when I’m happy I race fast.”

NEARLY two months into training after giving birth to her first child, things are progressing nicely and Lizzie Deignan says she might get itchy feet as she waits on the sidelines to get racing again.

A NEW TEAM AND A NEW CHALLENGE DEIGNAN is not just getting used to life as a new mother but is coming into a new team upon her return. The Brit got her first opportunity to spend time with her Trek-Segafredo team at their training camp last week. She only spent a few short days there before returning home to her family, but it was a chance to get to know the people she would be working with over the coming year.

“It’s nice to be looked after and to focus on the bike again. It’s obviously been a life-changing couple of months. It’s good to be somewhere where I can focus a bit,” Deignan said.

“I’m excited to meet everybody, the staff, the riders. I think that it’s really important to spend time with my teammates because I won’t get to race with them straight away.

It’s important to see them.”

The Trek women’s team will be one of

the larger rosters in the women’s peloton, with 13 riders in total. With size comes the ability to balance the team and that’s what they’ve done, with a mixture of Classics riders, sprinters and climbers on the squad. Deignan had a small part to play in helping Trek choose their riders but she was happy to leave the selection process down to new directeur sportif Ina-Yoko Teutenberg.

“I think it’s really important to have someone like Ina to make those decisions at the head of the team,” she said. “You need someone who can lead the talent and the characters that you put together.

I was asked on occasions and I was pleased to be asked but I didn’t want that responsibility.

“I think it takes time [to gel together], for sure, but there is a really nice mix and balance of women in the team. In terms of talent, there are sprinters, climbers and everything, but also personalities. There are a lot of different nationalities, which I think is an important thing.

I definitely feel that the best teams that I’ve been on have had a good mix of nationalities and culture and we definitely have that.”

Deignan parted ways with her Boels Dolmans team early in her pregnancy and was soon snapped up by the nascent Trek women’s project. She was taken on as their headline rider and has been an ambassador for the team and brand since the project was announced during the Tour de France.

Deignan has been a part of many teams throughout her career but believes that Trek is a major step forward, and that Trek coming into the women’s sport on this scale is a huge boost.

“It’s really important. Women’s cycling really needs it and I think that Trek have come in at the right time,” she said. “They’re doing it at the right level. They’re not doing it half-heartedly, they’re really supporting us wholeheartedly. I’m delighted that they’ve come into the sport.

“I’m so impressed so far, I can’t complain about anything. Every aspect of performance has been broken down and looked at and taken care of. I’ve been busy with lots of different appointments but it’s all about getting the best out of the riders. It’s the most professional setup that I’ve ever been a part of. It’s exciting.” Cyclingnews

ORMER Tour de France winner Alberto Contador said it was “no surprise” to him when he learned that Sky would end its sponsorship of Team Sky after the 2019 season, given the length of time the British team has been in cycling and the scale of its achievements.

Viewed as one of the best stage racers of his generation before he retired in 2017, and now a regular TV commentator on racing for Eurosport, Contador was one of Team Sky’s most tenacious and unpredictable rivals over the years in the Grand Tours.

Contador, among others, provided the team with plenty of challenges at the Vuelta a España, the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.

He also masterminded the breakaway at the 2016 Vuelta a España in the stage to Formiga—a move that sank Froome’s bid to win the Spanish Grand Tour that year and enabled Nairo Quintana (Movistar) to retain his overall lead all the way to Madrid.

Rather than the sponsor quitting being a shock announcement, Contador said, it was only to be expected, given that Team Sky had achieved so much in cycling. He also argued that with more than a year until the team’s main backer quits, there was still a lengthy margin for the team to find new financial support.

“It’s not like they announced it in August and told the riders to start looking for a new squad for the next season,” Contador pointed out.

“It’s no surprise, given Sky have been in the peloton since 2010, that they are quitting,” Contador told Cyclingnews on Wednesday morning. “Most title sponsors come in, become a familiar part of the peloton and then, after five years or so, they’re gone and try another sport. I wish all the sponsors lasted nine or 10 years [like Sky].

“And, of course, they’ve done a great job in road racing, with a lot of their initial management and some of their riders coming over from a more track-based focus and [nonetheless] managing to win a lot of the top road events. Particularly, of course, the Tour de France, and on more than one occasion. So Sky have decided to go, but they’ve done a great job, and other sponsors will come in.”

TEAM SKY’S DOMINATION, FINDING SPONSORSHIP

CONTADOR said Team Sky’s era of domination had coincided with the rise of the power meter— which Contador believes should be banned—as a key part of cycling’s technological armoury and that “although they [power meters] had been around before, they weren’t so important”.

“But you have to recognize Sky were— and are—really good in all sorts of areas.

They’ve invested and researched a heck of a lot,” he said. “On a personal level, I had to train harder to get even better than I already was if I wanted to remain competitive against them.”

Contador himself knows what it is like to search for a new sponsor, and was also in teams where the sponsorship ended at the close of

SKY ‘NO

the season. His foundation—the Alberto Contador Foundation—remains on the hunt for long-term backers in the hope that in the future they can expand their Kometa-sponsored Continental team. At the same time, back in 2015, Contador tried to gain backing to create a WorldTour squad for the following season.

“It’s one thing trying to form a team from scratch, but another when you’ve already got something up and running. All three of us—me, [foundation co-director] Ivan Basso and my brother, Fran, are trying to get more backing for my foundation further down the line, while always keeping in line with our underlying philosophies for the team. But that’ll happen if it happens, and if it doesn’t, we’re already very happy with how the foundation’s teams are looking right now.”

Contador views the sheer size of Team Sky’s budget—around £34 million for 2017 alone—as having advantages and drawbacks for a potential new sponsor.

“These are really big numbers, and when you go to a multinational to ask for backing, they look even bigger, because they know they’ve got to sign a deal for, normally, three to five years,” he said.

“If Sky have such a big budget, it’s because they’ve had some results that are virtually impossible to improve upon, and that’s a guarantee to any big backer. Of course, you think that’s a heck of a lot of money, but Sky have those results that really

FROOME TARG C

CHRIS FROOME: We’ve got big goals next year to win a lot of bike races.

HRIS FROOME has pinpointed his goal for next season firmly on the Tour de France, while commenting on the departure of Team Sky’s title sponsor after 2019.

“We’ve got big goals next year to win a lot of bike races. My target will be on the Tour de France and I’ve got every confidence if we can have a season next year that’s similar to previous seasons, we’ll be able to find another sponsor,” Froome said, according to the BBC News.

During the presentation of the Giro d’Italia route in October, Froome diplomatically left open the door for the defense of his 2018 title in the Italian Grand Tour, saying that his schedule would not be decided by the team until December.

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, December 22, 2018

Y PULLOUT SURPRISE’

2019 Vuelta has 8 mountaintop finishes, goes off road for 4 kms

BRITISH rider Luke Rowe is confident Dave Brailsford could save the team.

Rowe: Team Sky spoiled us over last 10 years L

back them up.”

At the other end of the operation are the riders themselves—some with contracts for a lengthy period of time.

“The good news is that they’ll know about the likelihood of a new sponsor with some advance warning. It’s not like they’ve been told in August that the squad was going to end at the end of the year,” Contador reiterated.

He warned, however, that if a new sponsor doesn’t sign on soon, as the 2019 season progresses, the riders would likely try to secure contracts elsewhere.

“I’ve experienced it a few times when I’ve known the sponsor was stopping: that as the season goes on, and the months go by, and nothing gets sorted out, people can get nervous.

“The riders at Sky are all high quality, and lots of teams will be interested in them.

So, logically, if the season gets under way and there’s no sign of a new sponsor, the phone calls to the riders will start.” Cyclingnews

IVAN BASSO (left) and Alberto Contador take a selfie at a ceremony welcoming Gruppo Uvet to Contador’s Foundation.

GETS TOUR

“The Giro is an important race for the team and it’s the 10th anniversary of Team Sky, so I think it’s really important to target the Giro d’Italia, as well,” Froome said in October. “We’re all going to sit down in December and decide who’s doing what. If I’m not there to defend my title, then there will be one of my teammates doing the same thing for the team.”

Froome’s target on winning his fifth Tour de France has been widely discussed, with 2018 champion Geraint Thomas also aiming to defend his title.

Earlier this month, Thomas indicated he expects to be racing the Tour with Froome, saying, “If we both wanted to go to the Tour 100 percent,

as long as we both ride like we did this year, we can both do really well. As long as we don’t race against each other, we both have our ambitions and that works well in training because we both push each other.”

The departure of Sky means the possibility that both riders could be looking for new teams if Team Sky principal David Brailsford cannot nail down a new sponsor before a self-imposed deadline of the Tour de France. Froome told the BBC that the news will give the team extra motivation to perform.

“Nothing’s changing in the team right now,” he said. “We’ve got one more year to race, and I think, if anything, it’s given us even more motivation to go out and have the best season possible next year.”

Cyclingnews

UKE ROWE is confident that Dave Brailsford could save Team Sky after the broadcaster Sky announced last week that it would sever its long-term sponsorship with the team at the end of the 2019 season.

The news of Sky’s departure was met with shock, with the riders and staff notified

by Brailsford at the Team Sky’s winter training camp in Mallorca, Spain.

“Dave stood up on stage and told us all to our face. I think that’s a good way to it. If you tell people individually then word is going to get around through other sources,” Rowe told Cyclingnews from camp.

“It came as a shock. I didn’t see it coming but, at the same time, we’ve been spoilt over the last 10 years in having such a good backer, and we’ve got that backer again for next year.”

Team Sky came into the WorldTour at the start of the 2010 season and have gone on to become the dominant force in stage racing, with six Tour de France wins in the last seven years. They have the largest budget in the WorldTour—a reported €35 million—while the Sunday Times has reported that Brailsford has returned to London to meet with prospective replacements.

Team Sky have given themselves until next year’s Tour de France to find a new backer, and Rowe—who recently signed a contract extension into 2020—believes that the team can secure their future.

“Again, I think we’re spoilt as a team to have one sole backer who puts in the

majority of the money. Of course, we’ve got other sponsors who contribute but to have that one consistent backer is a great position, and we’re lucky to have had that, but a lot of teams have been in this position, year in and year out for the last five or six years, and they’re still here. Whilst it’s a shock that Sky are going to pull the pin in 12 months’ time, once you sit down and rationalize it, it’s quite normal for sponsors to come and go.

“I’m very confident in Dave, Fran [Millar], and the senior management team that they’ll go out and get another sponsor. That’s what we’re all hoping for.

It would be a sad day if this team were to shut down and fold at the end of next year. I don’t see it happening. It could happen and then you’ve got all the riders and staff on the market looking for jobs. I think that would affect the whole market.

We’ve been one of the best teams in the last decade.”

Rowe will kick start his season in Australia next month. While the news of Sky’s departure is certainly a shock to him and the rest of his teammates, he is determined to keep his focus on racing and the things he can affect.

“You’ve got to put it to the back of your mind. Hopefully it won’t drag on and we can secure a new sponsor. We want to make it our best year to date and I think we’ve got a great team. We want to get it done. For me, I’m just going to ride it like it’s another contract year.” Cyclingnews

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T

HE 2019 Vuelta a Espana will trim back on its trademark summit finishes but the route remains just as mountainous as in previous years.

To add to the challenge, the peloton will be treated to an unprecedented section of 4 kilometers of off-road racing.

Eight summit finishes is one less than in 2018. But there are four of them in an unusually hard first week, culminating in a brutally difficult stage in Andorra—which has that off-road section, just before the final mountain ascent, too—to keep the climbers satisfied.

In comparison, the race’s one medium-length individual time trial in Pau, France, at the start of week two is unlikely to intimidate the outand-out mountain specialists.

Unveiled recently in the southeasterly coastal city of Alicante, close to where it will start August 24, the 2019 Vuelta a España route draws a large anti-clockwise semicircle north and west up through Catalonia, Andorra, France, the Basque Country, Cantabria and Asturias.

The final, comparatively easy, third week then takes the Vuelta south toward the sierras of Avila in western Spain, with a short transfer returning the race to Madrid for a final sprint stage on September 15.

The Vuelta will notably avoid all of the south of Spain for the first time in several years, but the summer heat will likely prove, as ever, a major factor, particularly in the first week on Spain’s southereasterly coastline and the third week in Spain’s sunbaked central sierras.

And while the climbers will likely be more than satisfied with the return of the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa in northern Spain, the sprinters have an unusually high ration of opportunities, too with at least seven flat stages favoring the fast men. Only the breakaway specialists will have limited opportunities to shine.

The 2019 Vuelta kicks off with a flat, fairly lengthy, team time trial around the salt marshes of Torrevieja near Alicante to establish the race’s first leader. But after a further two mass start stages round the Alicante region—the first, to Calpe, could well pare down the bunch to 70 or 80 riders—stage five sees the Vuelta dive inland to the remote Alto de Javalembre climb in the remote region of Teruel, and its first summit finish.

A single 12-kilometer climb, averaging 7 percent, Javalembre should provide a more serious sortout than the Vuelta’s usual first uphill finish. The climbs come two days before the short but ultra-difficult Mas de la Costa, as well.

Mas de la Costa is just 4 kilometers long but given its steepness and technical difficulty, there is a good reason why “Hell Starts Here” graffiti was daubed repeatedly at its foot when the Vuelta last tackled this ascent back in 2016.

By far the most difficult stage of the first week, and arguably the whole race, is saved for the Vuelta’s return to Andorra on Stage Nine, a year after Simon Yates (MitcheltonScott) sealed his overall victory there in 2018. Cyclingnews

UCI to closely monitor Sky sponsorship search T HE International Cycling Union (UCI) will closely follow the evolution of Team Sky after team owners and sponsors Sky and 21st Century Fox announced they would stop backing the team after the 2019 season.

Sky had been expected to fund Team Sky at least until 2021, but changes in ownership of the broadcaster have apparently led to a change of strategy. Sky was bought by Comcast in September for close to $40 billion after a fierce ownership battle with 21st Century Fox. Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas and Giro d’Italia winner Chris Froome both have contracts that last until 2021, while Egan Bernal signed a five-year contract that runs until the end of 2023. Cyclingnews sources say that 10 Team Sky riders earn more than €1 million per season.

Team Sky have said they hope the team’s future will be secured by the time the Tour

de France comes around in July. However, changes in team ownership and major changes in sponsorship and team structure can result in rider contracts being annulled.

Team Sky are managed by the Britishregistered company Tour Racing Limited, which is 85 per ent owned by Sky, with 21st Century Fox owning the remaining 15 percent. If they fail to find new owners and new title sponsors, or reach a deal with the riders involved, Tour Racing Limited could be liable for the outstanding rider contracts that go beyond 2019.

Under UCI reforms to the WorldTour, new three-year WorldTour licences will be awarded for 2020-2022, with the application process carried out in the second half of the 2019 season. The UCI will scrutinize all WorldTour applications and is ready to take action via its Licence Commission if needed.

“In relation with Sky’s leaving as

the team main sponsor, while it appears premature to make projections at this stage, the UCI will closely follow the evolution of the situation and assess whether concrete risks may be identified and take action if appropriate,” the UCI told Cyclingnews in a brief statement.

The UCI was forced to spend a significant amount as it fought a legal battle with Team Sky and Chris Froome after he returned an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol after the 2017 Vuelta a España. The UCI and the World Anti-Doing Agency (Wada) eventually cleared Froome and accepted his explanations for the high level of the asthma drug in his body.

UCI President David Lappartient has often criticized Team Sky and clashed with team manager Dave Brailsford during the Tour de France after Brailsford suggested the head of the global governing body had a “local

French mayor kind of mentality.”

Lappartient suggested that Brailsford’s attack was not very clever and that he had criticized “35,000 mayors, and then all the people who support them.” Team Sky subsequently came under fire from a section of French fans at the Tour de France.

Lappartient has not commented publicly on Sky’s announcement, but the UCI congratulated Sky for its support of professional cycling in the past 10 years.

“Sky’s presence in cycling since 2008 has contributed to the development of our sport, both in Great Britain and beyond,” the UCI said.

“Team Sky has become a highperforming team on the road, clocking up success after success, including several victories at the Tour de France. We congratulate Sky and the confidence it has put in cycling over the last decade.”

Cyclingnews

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, December 22, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Albay senior citizens’ group getting stronger each year

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By Manly Ugalde | Correspondent

EGAZPI CITY, Albay—A group of senior citizens who banded and called themselves Barangay McDo celebrated their seventh Christmas party on December 18, this time expecting more than 50 participants in the province of Albay.

Retired US Navy officer Ben Roquid, 72, of Oas, Albay, and a resident of Legazpi City, said they christened their group Barangay McDo simply because their favourite hangout was McDonald’s Food Court that eventually developed at the Pacific Mall Legazpi outlet in 2011.

Following the opening of the Ayala Mall in Legazpi two years ago, however, the senior citizens group shifted to the McDo Ayala Mall outlet where they meet regularly early in the morning over a cup of coffee. Aside from being at the center of the Legazpi central commercial district, the local food court featured

popular restaurants, such as Jollibee, Chowking and McDonald’s located at the mall’s ground floor, and also opens at 6 a.m. to serve coffee and breakfast.

“Barangay McDo is not a formal organization of senior citizens. Because of the regularity of our visits, the management of McDo reseved a senior citizens’ corner, said Eduardo Jovero, a retired businessman and native of Davao now residing with his family in Camalig, Albay.

Roquid, the designated coordinator of the group, said that the 2018 Christmas party was held at La Roca Restaurant in this city, owned by a retired official who

is himself an active member of Barangay McDo who regularly attends breakfast or coffee with the group.

The contribution for each senior member for the Christmas party was pegged at P500, and more than 30 members have already given their share. During last year’s Christmas party, every senior member shared for the occasion that included a raffle with a surprise sponsor from the group. The scheduled time of the party was 4 to 8 p.m.

Last year, Barangay McDo’s Christmas party was held at the Jennifer Garden Hotel at the old Albay District, with more than 50 certified seniors attending. The place is owned by a senior citizen himself.

Wilfredo M. Santos, 76, who lived in Chicago for 30 years working as a bartender, said he is a native of Tuy, Batangas, who returned home as a balikbayan in 2016.

He followed his only son to Legazpi who married to a Bicolana. Having no more family, Santos said he was a complete stranger in Legazpi who got acquainted with the group of fellow senior citizens.

He became a habitue at the McDo Ayala.

Santos said the friendship of the senior citizens meeting at Ayala Mall McDo relieves him from stress. “The group is my barometer about what’s going on in our country.”

Roquid said the McDo food court at the Ayala Mall Legazpi is the most convenient location for the seniors. Not only does the restaurant serve breakfast and coffee early; they also supply the early-morning crowd with free newspapers supply given free of charge for early customers. From McDo Ayala Mall Legazpi in the morning, the group usually moves to the nearby McDo outlet at the Pacific Mall 40 meters away to enjoy coffee again, Roquid said.

The group said that with the opening last month of SM Legazpi where another McDo outlet is available, they intend to have a separate time schedule for SM Legazpi senior citizens to meet as the group’s membership is growing.

“Any senior citizens can join our group regardless of identity and profession without fee or qualification,” Jovero said.

They have made McDo a favorite hangout because McDo staff no longer requires them to wait in line or show their senior cards and automatically gives them their discount.

Not all restaurants in this city are as enlightened as the Mc Do staff, lamented Jose Tuazon, 75, a retired policeman. Tuazon said the food court of a prominent mall in Legazpi persistently refuses to give senior citizens their discount and still does not have a priority lane for the seniors.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

QC designates converging area for elderly, PWDs

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HE local government of Quezon City is pushing for a converging area for senior citizens and persons with disability (PWDs).

The Quezon City Council passed a resolution requesting barangays and homeowners’ associations (HOA) in charge of city-built covered courts to prioritize senior citizens and PWDs in using these places as a converging area for their physical, moral and social well-being.

Quezon City has 142 barangays and a population of about 3 million, 51,000 of whom are considered PWDs. Authored by Councilor Melencio Castelo Jr., City Resolution 7487-2018 requests all barangays, HOA and other entities in charge of the administration of city-built covered courts and areas in the city to give priority to senior citizens and PWDs in using these as points of convergence from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., Monday to Friday, free of charge.

“It’s very important to have a converging area for the senior citizens and PWDs because there are barangays here in our city with no sufficient areas to converge,” Quezon City Office of the Senior Citizen Affairs (Osca) personnel officer Erlinda Bañego said in an interview on Thursday.

Based on Osca statistics, 375,000 senior citizens live in Quezon City.

“In our place in Barangay Tatalon, we could not use the facilities of the barangay hall. Hence, we hold our meetings on the street and conduct physical fitness activities,” Bañego added.

The resolution noted it is the policy of the government to extend full support for the betterment of the physical, moral and social well-being of senior citizens and PWDs in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 7432, or the “senior citizen law” as amended, and RA 7277, or the “Magna Carta for Disabled Persons,” as amended.

“Senior citizens and PWDs should be provided an area in their barangay or community that will serve as their converging area in order to nurture and foster their capacity and ability to attain a more meaningful and productive life,” the resolution added. PNA

BOJ’s $3.5-T cash changes little for ordinary Japanese I

T has been the most radical cash injection in history—a staggering $3.5 trillion, pumped into Japan’s economy over more than five years to slay deflation and kick growth into higher gear.

That’s still not enough to save Tomoaki Nagai’s metal parts factory near Osaka and it’s a similar story throughout the world’s thirdlargest economy.

North of Tokyo, Hiroyuki and Machiko Hayashi of Utsunomiya worry about Hiroyuki’s lack of job security as a wedding photographer. And in Akita, taxi driver Takeshi Kikawa struggles to make ends meet when interest rates on low-risk investments are near zero.

Their stories, and those from two dozen interviews with young couples, factory owners, financial planners and taxi drivers from Akita to Okinawa reveal a sobering reality for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Abenomics revival plan: The BOJ’s massive monetary experiment just hasn’t been the game changer Governor Haruhiko Kuroda was tasked to deliver.

True, some people are breathing a bit easier. Since Kuroda launched the BOJ’s radical stimulus, the economy has grown around 1.2 percent an-

nually, moderately better than its potential rate. The yen’s steep fall versus the dollar, which exceeded 60 percent from its strongest level, has helped the Toyotas of the world, pushing corporate profits to record levels and, earlier this year, stocks to 27-year highs. Worker pay adjusted for inflation has fallen 0.7 percent a year—which is actually progress after years of declining nominal pay.

But the Japanese people’s “deflationary mindset,” partly a result of the dark cloud cast on their economic future by an aging and shrinking population, has proved too tough to overcome. As the focus turns to its end game even though inflation remains only halfway to its 2-percent target, the BOJ’s ultimate job—selling a growth story to the Japanese people—remains unfinished.

You can actually count the Hayashis among the more upbeat. They took out a 35-year mortgage to build a new house near Utsunomiya station last year. An interest rate of 0.7 percent helped, but the biggest reason for their confidence is that Machiko is a teacher in a public high school, which gives her nearly unbreakable job security in Japan’s two-tier labor market, where more than a third of the work force is largely stuck in

PROTECTION FROM THE COLD Lola Gloria Bitaga, a stall vendor at the Burnham Park in Baguio City, arranges her bonnets and other cold-weather gear after temperature in the City of Pines went down to 12 degrees Celsius. MAU VICTA

lower-paying, temporary jobs.

“I’ll be working until I’m 60, so that really gives me a sense of security,” she said. “But we’ll have some money in retirement, so I’m optimistic.”

Their biggest worry? Hiroyuki’s job as a wedding photographer puts him on the other side of that labormarket divide. Even with unemployment near a quarter-century low, the insecurity that hangs over those workers makes it tough for them to get married and have children, or to plan for any future at all.

This is one reason the lack of deep restructuring of the labor market that was urged by so many economists ranks among the Abe government’s biggest failures—a missed opportunity for lasting, consequential change.

Hiroyuki says his work has given him an up-close view of a growing economic divide in Japan, one reflected in the weddings he photographs. Some people spend lavishly, while others can’t afford a reception at all. Hiroyuki got a raise last year but “non-regular” workers still have a long way to go to catch up.

“There’s really some growing distance between the upper and lower classes in Japan,” Hiroyuki said.

One person who says she is definitely better off now than when Kuroda took over the BOJ is Mami Ichikawa, a financial planner at Mitsui Sumitomo Aioi Life Insurance Co. in Tokyo. Ichikawa said she feared a dark future when she lost her sales job after the global financial crisis, but she began studying investing so she could be better prepared financially.

This led to her current position helping others with financial planning. Her commission-derived income has doubled over the past five years and she’s spending a little more as well, she said.

“Both in terms of my financial situation and time, I have more room to breathe now,” Ichikawa said.

Give a little credit to the BOJ for helping to drive Ichikawa into more

GRANDMA’S CHRISTMAS SALE Mely Abalos, 66, of Santiago City, Isabela, sells varieties of Christmas décors at the city public market. She has been in the business for 45 years. CEASAR M. PERANTE aggressive investments, including mutual funds and stocks. Ichikawa said she became convinced that mild inflation is taking hold in Japan, but that interest rates on savings accounts will remain stuck near zero.

So she looked for higher returns.

“I thought my savings would keep losing value if left on their own,” she said. That’s just the kind of thinking Kuroda was looking for when he drove interest rates to record lows.

Ichikawa’s experience also showed how a historic labor shortage is helping many workers: It is more possible than ever to switch jobs and careers as companies that would previously hire only fresh graduates find themselves forced to turn to mid-career applicants.

At 39, Ichikawa is a member of Japan’s “lost generation,” which came of age in the long, grim aftermath of the nation’s asset bubble. Many missed out on the entry-level career-track positions that have been so crucial to long-term prosperity in Japan. Now, though, Ichikawa said there are more flexible options for work and for earning extra money, giving her more confidence about navigating the future.

“If you make the effort, you can get results,” she said.

Near Osaka, factory owner Nagai tells a different kind of story: one about a long decline that hasn’t been noticeably slowed by the BOJ’s policies or Abenomics.

While big exporters’ profits have swelled due to a weaker yen, many of the smaller manufacturers such as Nagai who remained onshore and who have traditionally supplied parts to the big ones are struggling.

Nagai, who came to Osaka to join Japan’s post-war industrial revival a half century ago, says bigger companies are relentless in demanding ever-cheaper parts, slashing into his income for years. Every year, more and more shops around him shut their doors, he says. “I’ve gained nothing from Abenomics,” he said.

Nagai said he’s down to five part-time workers and even with interest rates at rock-bottom levels it’s too risky to invest in the business. He depleted most of his savings getting through the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Now he’s just holding on.

“I used to think there is no way I will end up at a nursing home but now I’m jealous of those who can afford to get in,” said Nagai, who is 68.

“I don’t have that money. I’ll have to

work as long as I can.”

In Akita, taxi driver Takeshi Kikawa faces a common struggle among the elderly: making ends meet when interest rates on low-risk investments are near zero. Kikawa lives in the prefecture with the oldest population, lowest birth rate and highest death rate.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, he said, about 4 out of 5 passengers are other elderly people going to or from the hospital for appointments.

At 73, Kikawa still wants to work as long as possible, and lives with the worry that the government will cut his monthly pension payments as it grapples with its massive debt. That puts him in good company. Many people in Japan, including the young, are frugal because of concerns about surviving in retirement.

A robust economic revival—particularly the return of a healthy rate of inflation, a key BOJ goal—could bring some relief to all pensioners by letting the government “outgrow” its debt, the biggest in the world as a share of the economy. But there is no sign of that happening. The BOJ simply can’t fix the demographics that, without deep spending cuts and steep tax hikes, would eventually bring about fiscal ruin. Bloomberg News

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, December 22, 2018 A9

Technology and tourism PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez jtnisay@gmail.com

TIGBAUAN officials receive the municipality’s tourism QR code from representatives of the Iloilo tourism office, Smart and InnoPub. Nineteen other LGUs received their own tourism QR codes, including Miagao, Oton, Leon, Leganes, Badiangan, Cabatuan, Passi City, Dingle, Carles, Concepcion, San Joaquin, Alimodian, Ajuy, Igbaras, Janiuay, Banate, Santa Barbara, Guimbal and Tubungan.

B

UDGET airfare has enabled Filipinos to see more of the world, and it has changed so many people’s lives. Travel is always good because it gives us a chance to catch glimpses into other cultures and how other people live.

But admittedly, I wish we booked more flights to local destinations than cities abroad. At least, an equal ratio would be great. In the past three years, I’ve traveled to different spots in the Philippines for work and I’m proud to say that our country is indeed very beautiful.

Boosting local tourism shouldn’t rely solely on the efforts of airlines and the hospitality industry.

It is our duty as citizens of this country to help improve tourism in a responsible way. I use the word “responsible” because we don’t want all beautiful spots in the country turning into another Boracay.

Every little bit of help counts.

In 2012 Smart Communications and InnoPub launched a digital tourism program, a nationwide initiative that harnesses technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information to mobile users. It has since been implemented in Antique, Baguio City, Cebu, Davao and Metro Manila, among other areas.

The government of Iloilo, in partnership with Smart Communications and InnoPub Media, has also presented the interactive tourism markers that will be installed at town halls and select tourist destinations all over the province.

These markers are equipped with quick response (QR) codes and near field communication (NFC) chips. When scanned through a mobile app, the QR and NFC devices will activate a browser window that will provide detailed information about the site on the user’s smartphone.

“These QR codes can help maximize tourist visits in the areas where these are deployed. We thank the Iloilo Provinicial Tourism Office, our LGU [local government unit] tourism partners, Smart and InnoPub for this initiative,” said Department of Tourism-Western Visayas’ Rene Cortum during the launch.

“By making information on travel and culture accessible to more people—that is, through their

phones—the digital tourism program can help further enhance tourism here,” said Smart Public Affairs Visayas-Mindanao head Maria Jane Paredes.

Through the markers, tourists can discover information on Iloilo’s LGUs, such as local history and best destinations in the area. For instance, travelers to Carles may learn more about Islas de Gigantes, with its aquamarine waters, lush greens and stretches of white sand. Students and design enthusiasts, for their part, may read about the Rendicion de Tetuan or the 1859 Spanish victory over Moroccan forces, which is depicted in bas relief at the San Joaquin Church, among other cultural and historical trivia.

QR and NFC readers are either preinstalled on most smartphones or available as free apps. This makes it easier for most mobile users to access information through the interactive tourism markers, according to InnoPub cofounder Max Limpag.

The markers are part of the Iloilo Digital Tourism

Program, which was unveiled during the 117th Semana sang Iloilo earlier this year. The program includes the Iloilo Guide app, a mobile guide that features information useful to visitors and students, such as historical background, local folklore and other interesting cultural trivia. It also lists things to do and places to see.

The Iloilo Guide app, as well as the other digital tourism guides developed by InnoPub and Smart, may be downloaded for free on both Android and iOS devices.

Moving on to another topic, I heard that the newest trend among influencers is faking it but in a different way than what we’re normally used to.

Apparently, up and coming influencers are buying stuff from brands and passing off their posts as paid content just so they would look like they are in demand and that they’re working with premium brands.

Another reason for this is so that when big brands are having major campaigns and working with top

YouTube Rewind celebrates videos that entertained Filipinos AS the year comes to a close, YouTube reveals the top trending videos that made Filipinos laugh, sing and dance in 2018. Local song covers, music video parodies and dance fitness videos place high in this year’s list. Taking the No. 1 spot is an easy fitness video by Netherlands-based dance group Saskia’s Dansschool.

Here are the Philippines’s top 10 trending videos: 1. Dura-Daddy Yankee-Easy Fitness Dance VideoChoreography #durachallenge Earlier this year, Puerto Rican singer Daddy Yankee climbed the music charts with his song “Dura,” giving rise to the challenge that invited young and old fans to groove to the beat. Dance group Saskia’s Dansschool uploaded their own choreography to the viral song, which has garnered more than 60 million views. The group has been sharing easy-to-follow dance moves for kids and adults on their channel since 2007.

2. Tawag ng Tanghalan-Janine Berdin-Bamboo Medley (Final 3 Performance) The second season of Tawag ng Tanghalan, a segment of noontime show It’s Showtime, culminated with a powerful performance from Janine Berdin. The 16-year-old Filipina singer wowed the audience with her signature husky voice as she sang a medley of Bamboo’s iconic songs. She ended the competition as the grand champion of the season.

3. Bboom Bboom by Momoland-Live Love PartyZumba-Dance Fitness-Kpop Zumba dance group Live Love Party once again made the list with their energetic performance of Momoland’s “Bboom Bboom.” Recently, the group received their Gold Play Button for reaching 1 million subscribers on their channel.

4. Tagayan Mo Sila (Hayaan Mo Sila)-Ex Battalion-Bhebheboyz Parody and rap group

influencers, they won’t seem like they’ve been left out.

Normally, this is something I would ignore but hearing students say their ambition in life is to be an influencer really makes me sad and this “faking it” trend will only make them even more eager to follow in the footsteps of people they see online having a great time and making a lot of money.

First of all, the likes of Cecile Zamora (also known as Chuvaness), Laureen Uy, Janina Manipol and many others have been bloggers and/or influencers for a good number of years. They didn’t set out to be influencers. Blogging was a passion for most of them and they’re now reaping the rewards via paid collaborations and amazing freebies. Most of them have college degrees and I do know that they spent money to buy a lot of those outfits and accessories you see them in.

So I say this to kids: Being an influencer is not something you can achieve easily. It takes years and a lot of hard work. Don’t make it your day job.

IT expert cites perils of digital addiction

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

THE Netherlands-based dance group Saskia’s Dansschool won 2018 with the mostwatched YouTube video by Filipinos.

Bhebheboyz took to YouTube their playful creativity with their own version of the popular music video “Hayaan Mo Sila” by Ex Battalion. The boys have been sharing entertaining videos to the online audience since 2014.

5. Bubble Gang-Gayahin Mo Sila by Class B Tayo (Hayaan Mo Sila Parody) Long-time comedy TV show Bubble Gang also uploaded their own version of “Hayaan Mo Sila”. The spoof video featured actor and comedian Michael V singing along to his own funny lyrics.

6. Pilipinas Got Talent 2018 Auditions-Mary Grace-Comedy Act Mary Grace surprised the judges of Pilipinas Got Talent during her audition with her eerie Sadako costume. Despite her ghostlike appearance, she won over the viewers with her comedic acts and tricks that drew laughter and three yeses from the judges.

7. Pilipinas Got Talent 2018 Auditions-MakataPoetry Another Pilipinas Got Talent hopeful moved on to the next round as he charmed the crowd with his poems and witty comebacks. Ferdinand Clemente, also known as Prinsipe Makata, earned unanimous approval from the four judges as he took the stage with his spoken performance.

8. Break-Up Prank! (Unexpected) Vloggers and real-life couple JaMill continue to show their mischievous sides in their video “Break-Up Prank.” The playful antics and daily vlogs of Jayzam Trinidad and Camille Manabat have made them among the fastest rising creators. They earned their Gold Creator Award surpassing 1 million subscribers less than a year after starting their channel, and now have more than 2.8 million subscribers.

9. Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho-Misteryosong “Monster Ferris Wheel” ng Siargao This episode of the popular Sunday newsmagazine show told a true story of an unfortunate accident that happened in an amusement park in Surigao. In this video, the team checked up on the victim and sparked discussions on the safety of various rides for the public.

10. Best Despacito Covers in The Voice | The Voice Global Undoubtedly one of the most streamed songs of all time, “Despacito” made headlines, became a staple in most people’s playlists, and became a go-to song for auditions in The Voice. The global singing competition put the spotlight on some of the best “Despacito” covers in this compilation video.

EXPOSING children to digital technology could result in dire consequences as it can create a negative impact on the minds of people, especially the children, according to an American IT expert.

“Don’t let any addiction stand in the way of going through a digital rescue. We need to act on this tsunami of technology,” said Brad Huddleston, consultant and author of Digital Cocaine: A Journey Toward Balance and The Dark Side of Technology: Restoring Balance in the Digital Age, in a recent talk held at Bonifacio Global City Huddleston, also a pastor, commended parents who have never introduced computer games to their children, pointing out they are on the right track because this is a major step to preventing them from becoming digital addicts in the future.

In an interview in 2007, Gates told the reporters that he disallowed his children to use a mobile phone until they turned 14. Jobs, meanwhile, revealed in a 2011 New York Times interview that he did not allow his children to use an iPad. Meanwhile, Huddleston suggested children from ages 0 to 11 should be discouraged to use gadgets and television. “From 12 and up, you can gradually introduce it to them,” he said.

“Bill Gates and Steve Jobs love their children and that is the reason they limit the use of the technology devices by their children,” Huddleston said.

“We need to set the crooked things

to become straight. I know these are unintended consequences. We need to act with regards to this tsunami of technology,” Huddleston added.

Although they are aware of the dire consequences, Huddleston lamented that tech companies are not yet making warning labels on games.

He said parents have to bite the bullet as they cut off totally the use of digital devices. He added a moderate exposure on a computer game is like saying the offer is for half a line of cocaine, instead of the whole line. “It’s that addictive,” he said.

Huddleston said a user could be detoxed in a moderate way. But before jumping into moderate use, he said the patient must first enter rehabilitation.

Moreover, digital addicts are prone to anger, anxiety, depression and guilt.

He warned digital addiction can have an emotional impact on the frontal lobes of the brain. Moreover, Huddleston noted there will be a decline of the attention network which will probably result in more cases of Attention Deficit Disorder.

The result is an adrenal shutdown with the effects being cycles of mania, depression and anxiety. It hampers an individual’s ability to learn.

“Digital addiction has been likened to cocaine addiction. It hooks in very quickly and rewires the brain,” he said.

“The Internet part of it makes the problem worse. Social media, games and pornography are the biggest challenges in digital life,” he added.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, December 22, 2018

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Infor GT Nexus feted for ability to execute, completeness of vision

CUSTOMERS look at new Apple watches including the Series 4 at an Apple store in New York.

The new Apple Watch model, called Series 4, has built-in EKG sensors so you can share detailed heart readings with your doctor without visiting a clinic. Doctors get a PDF file showing the peaks and valleys of your heart rhythm, just as they would with an EKG on paper.

AP

By Roderick L. Abad Contributor

Gift guide: Some tech gadgets that actually fill a real need

By Anick Jesdanun

N

The Associated Press

EW YORK—Sometimes you can sense that tech products are striving to solve problems that are manufactured by their manufacturers. Smartwatches, for instance, have long been a nifty idea—but they’ve offered few tangible benefits for anyone but health and fitness enthusiasts.

That’s why it’s notable when a particular gadget finally breaks through. The latest Apple Watch, for instance, has heart-monitoring features that will appeal to those who aren’t active. Likewise, an Amazon digital video recorder makes cable cord-cutting far more practical.

Others remain hanging in not-quite-there limbo. A miniature smartphone from the revived brand Palm has the germ of a good idea, though it can still leave you feeling perplexed.

If you’re still considering tech gifts in your last-minute holiday shopping, bear these items in mind. And when looking at other products, ask yourself if they’re really ready for prime time or destined to gather dust somewhere.

APPLE’S SMARTWATCH

THE newest features in the Series 4 Apple Watch are actually anything but flashy.

But they could save lives.

With a built-in EKG feature, you can share detailed heart readings with your doctor without visiting a clinic. Doctors get a PDF file showing the peaks and valleys of your heart rhythm, just as they would with an EKG on paper.

Apple’s EKG sensors take measurements only on your wrist and finger, while EKG machines in clinics typically measure 12 points. That means the watch can’t detect heart attacks and other conditions. But Apple says it can provide early detection of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that increases the risk of stroke and heart failure. The company tested the watch against standard EKGs to win US regulatory clearance.

The new watch can also tell if you take a hard fall—and it will call 911 if you can’t get up. If someone on your gift list is elderly, you might enjoy greater peace of mind.

The Series 4 watch starts at $399 and requires an iPhone. The EKG feature is for US customers only.

AMAZON’S DVR

DVRs have lost their allure in the streaming age, when entire TV seasons drop at once on Netflix. Still, some broadcast shows aren’t available for streaming at all, or without a significant delay. If you’ve dropped cable TV service, you can still watch those shows for free with an old-fashioned TV antenna—but then you’re back to watching only when they air.

Enter Amazon’s Fire TV Recast DVR. It will record over-the-air programs and let you watch on your TV, Amazon’s Echo Show or an app on the go.

You need to buy an antenna, which could be the rabbit-ear kind or an indoor one you stick on your window. Thanks to Wi-Fi, the Recast can be near that window rather than your TV. While the Recast can technically work with just a phone app or the Echo Show, you need a separate Fire TV streaming device ($40 and up) for full functionality. Among the limitations: You can’t delete shows through the app. The Recast itself is $230 for 75 hours of storage and two simultaneous recordings, $280 for double the storage and simultaneous recordings.

TiVo, the gold standard in DVRs, has easier ways to skip commercials and more flexible options to record. But TiVo also gets expensive. A model aimed at cord-cutters, the Bolt OTA, costs $250—but then you have to pay either a recurring fee of at least $70 a year or another $250 a single time to get the program guide. Recast doesn’t carry ongoing fees.

Amazon collects data on the shows you watch to personalize and improve its services. If you find that creepy, Recast won’t be for you.

PALM’S CONNECTED COMPANION

BEFORE smartphones, there was Palm and its hand-held digital assistants,

Alipay, WeChat Pay now accepted at Okada Manila AT Okada Manila, paying for a wealth of luxury dining, leisure and entertainment is now even more convenient, flexible and secure.

This landmark partnership with Asia United Bank (AUB) empowers Okada Manila’s guests from mainland China to use Alipay and WeChat Pay for their entertainment, lodging, dining and more.

These instant payment platforms, increasingly popular across Asia and fast becoming the preferred mode of payment for Chinese tourists, can now be accessed by Chinese guests through AUB. All it takes is a couple of seconds on their smartphone to make payments, so Chinese guests can enjoy spending more quality time at the largest entertainment resort in the heart of Manila.

“Our partnership with AUB couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Ivaylo Ivanov, vice president of hospitality operations and hotel administration at Okada Manila (www. okadamanila.com). “Apart from developing and operating one of the Metro’s most exciting destination resorts, we are strongly committed to consistently deliver memorable experiences to our patrons in very secure and technologically advanced ways.”Through AUB, Okada Manila’s Chinese guests can enjoy all the benefits that Alipay and WeChat Pay offer.

Alipay is the largest mobile payment platform in the

world with over 870 million active users together with its strategic partners overseas, support for 27 currencies, and over $1.2-trillion transactions in 2016. Apart from being accepted at Okada Manila in the Philippines, this platform is supported in over 200 countries and works with over 250 overseas banks and financial organizations to enable convenient cross-border payment both offline and online globally. WeChat Pay is borne from one of the world’s biggest social-media apps, WeChat. Embedded in the wildly popular app, this payment functionality empowers millions of customers in China and the rest of Asia to make cashless payment transactions both online and offline. WeChat Pay customers typically use it to pay for rides, food deliveries, online shopping, movie tickets and utility bills—and even send money to other app users. Like Alipay, this platform empowers users for cross-border transactions in the Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Canada and South Africa.

“Embracing digital payment options such as Alipay and WeChat Pay allows us to make our facilities, services and amenities even more accessible to a wider range of guests, so all of them can spend even more time of having fun at the resort,” added Ivanov.

which offered e-mails, calendars, notepads and many of the functions seen in apps today. Under new owners, Palm is back with a mini smartphone designed, it says, to let you leave your bigger phone at home and enjoy the moment—without cutting yourself off completely.

The new phone, simply called Palm, is about the size of a credit card, but nearly as thick as a regular phone. It’s meant as a stopgap for when your main iPhone or Android phone isn’t with you, so battery and speeds are just good enough. It’s great for the essentials, such as maps, Yelp lookups or texts to coordinate meetups with friends. The water-resistant phone fits in running shorts during workouts.

The Palm is premised on the idea that you can—or need to—leave your main phone behind. The company says you can rely on just the Palm as you attend a kid’s soccer game or meet friends at a bar. You’re still connected, on your terms, to pay someone back with Venmo or request a ride on Lyft. Verizon, the exclusive seller of this phone in the US, syncs phone numbers, so calls and texts to your main phone automatically reaches this mini phone.

When people are out on the town, they aren’t necessarily worried about missing out on calls and texts, but rather missing the shot to post on social media. Photos from the Palm camera range from blurry and dark to adequate— nowhere near the quality of an Apple or Android smartphone. Palm says the photos are good enough for online posts, but the quality isn’t there should you want to feature one on your next holiday card or family photo book.

And notifications don’t sync, unless you manually install the same app on both.

The $350 phone is available only if you have another phone on Verizon, and Verizon charges another $10 a month for service. If you’re already paying as much as $1,100 for a top-end phone, you might not want to spend another $590 over two years just to leave it behind.

A better solution: Activate some of the screen-control features now found on iPhones and Android phones. Though that takes discipline, it’s free.

ENTERPRISE software provider Infor announced that its cloud-based commerce platform has been named a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Multienterprise supply chain business networks this year.

Infor’s GT Nexus Commerce Network was cited for its ability to execute on a global scale and completeness of vision.

Today’s business environment is so complicated and hyper-pressured, it calls for the deployment of customer-focused supply chains capable of delivering value and innovation from origin to the customer.

To increase velocity and ensure on-time customer delivery, it needs a digital foundation that aligns and orchestrates the whole community of trading partners and streamlines multi-enterprise business processes.

Infor’s GT Nexus was established to enable complex, multiparty processes and orchestrate global supply chains.

As enterprises undergo digital transformation to cope up with the speed of commerce, they need to be connected to their ecosystems. With Infor GT Nexus, it’s easier to do so since it provides a hyperlinked network that gives visibility, collaboration and automated execution of global supply chain processes that allow companies to digitally shift their supply chain end-to-end.

Enterpises then gain vast insights and make smarter decisions based on live visibility and networkwide intelligence.

“Collecting data and sensing signals in real time, and then coordinating, executing and resolving issues quickly, will allow companies to operate their supply chains more effectively,” Gartner Inc. said in the Magic Quadrant report.

According to the world’s leading research and advisory firm, “only a few companies have had success with multi-enterprise process management because organizations must be willing to work in partnership — sharing information, redefining processes and implementing mutually beneficial governance.”

Infor EVP and General Manager for Manufacturing and Supply Chain Rod Johnson believes such recognition shows their unique ability to connect firms to their supply chain allies and orchestrate multienterprise processes.

“Traditional supply chain solutions have been hindered by an enterprise-centric approach that fails to engage and align with trading partners,” he said.

“GT Nexus’ approach, from day one, has been to untap value and insights historically locked up in the supply chain network, and place the end-customer at the center of an ecosystem that flows as one to deliver customer value,” he added.

Infor builds business cloud software for enterprise and small and medium businessses worldwide.

Manned by 17,000 employees, it serves more than 68,000 customers in over 170 countries worldwide.

The Infor GT Nexus helps 25,000-plus companies move $500 billion in goods across the world’s largest supply chains. With over 100,000 people using this platform, the network is an engaged community of manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers, carriers, suppliers and banks In the Philippines, the multinational has over 300 customers in various industries, such as food and beverage, fashion, logistics, and manufacturing and distribution, among others.

Facebook shared private messages with partners FACEBOOK gave some companies more extensive access to users’ personal data than it has previously revealed, letting them read private messages or see the names of friends without consent, according to a New York Times report.

The newspaper on Wednesday detailed special arrangements between Facebook and companies such as Microsoft, Netflix and Spotify, in the latest revelations on how the social network shares user data.

Here are highlights from the report.

THE DEALS: Facebook shared data with more than

150 companies—not only tech businesses but automakers and media organizations—through apps on its platform even if users disabled sharing.

Apps from many of these “integration partners” never even showed up in user application settings, with the company considering them an extension of its own network. The deals dated back as far as 2010 and were all active in 2017, with some still in effect this year.

PRIVATE MESSAGES: Spotify, Netflix and the Royal

Bank of Canada were able to read, write and delete Facebook users’ private messages, and to see everyone on a message thread. Spotify could look at messages of more than 70 million users a month and still lets users share music through Facebook Messenger, while Netflix and the Canadian bank have turned off features that incorporated message access.

FRIENDS: Facebook let Microsoft’s Bing search

engine see the names of “virtually all Facebook users’ friends without consent,” the paper said.

Microsoft officials said Bing was using the data to build Facebook user profiles on Microsoft servers but the company has since deleted the data.

Yahoo had the ability to show Facebook users’ news feeds, including posts by their friends, on its home page. The search company eliminated the feature in 2012 but still had access last year to data for nearly 100,000 people a month.

RUSSIA: Facebook designated a Russian search

site, Yandex, as a partner, giving it access to unique user IDs as recently as 2017 after it stopped sharing them with other applications because of privacy risks.

SOURCES: The New York Times says it obtained

more than 270 pages of Facebook documents and interviewed more than 60 people, including many former Facebook employees.

FACEBOOK’S RESPONSE: Facebook responded

to the report in a blog post, which said the partnerships did allow features like “messaging integrations,” but nearly all have been shut down over the past few months, except for deals with Apple and Amazon. None of the deals gave outside companies access to data without user consent, it said. The company also said a separate product called “instant personalization,” which powered Bing’s features, was shut down in 2014, though it acknowledged it should not have left the data-exchange interface up. AP

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Saturday, December 22, 2018 A11

Elon Musk’s new tunnel ‘a little rough around the edges’ Elon Musk, cofounder and chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., arrives in a modified Tesla Model X electric vehicle during an unveiling event for the Boring Company Hawthorne test tunnel in Hawthorne, Calif., on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. Musk unveiled his underground transportation tunnel on Tuesday, allowing reporters and invited guests to take some of the first rides in the revolutionary albeit bumpy subterranean tube—the tech entrepreneur’s answer to what he calls “souldestroying traffic.” ROBYN BECK/POOL PHOTO VIA AP

By Amanda Lee Myers

L

The Associated Press

OS ANGELES—Elon Musk unveiled his underground transportation tunnel on Tuesday, allowing reporters and invited guests to take some of the first rides in the revolutionary albeit bumpy subterranean tube—the tech entrepreneur’s answer to what he calls “soul-destroying traffic.”

Guests boarded Musk’s Tesla Model X and rode along Los Angeles-area surface streets about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away to what’s known as O’Leary Station.

The station, smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood—“basically in someone’s backyard,” Musk says—consists of a wall-less elevator that slowly took the car down a wide shaft, roughly 30 feet (9 meters) below the surface.The sky slowly fell away, and the surprisingly narrow tunnel emerged.

“We’re clear,” said the driver, who sped up and zipped into the tunnel when a red track light turned green, making the tube look like something from space or a dance club.

The car jostled significantly during the ride, which was bumpy enough to give one reporter motion sickness while another yelled, “Woo!” Musk described his first ride as “epic.”

“For me it was a eureka moment,” he told a room full of reporters. “I was like, ‘This thing is going to damn well work.’”

He said the rides are bumpy now because “we kind of ran out of time,” and there were some problems with the speed of his paving machine.

“It’ll be smooth as glass,” he said of future systems.

“This is just a prototype. That’s why it’s a little rough around the edges.”

Later in the day, Musk emerged from the tunnel himself inside one of his cars. He high-fived guests and pumped his fists in the air before delivering a speech in the green glow of the tunnel about the technology and why it makes sense.

The demo rides were considerably slower—40 mph (64 kph)—than what Musk says the future system will run at: 150 mph (241 kph). Still, it took only three minutes to go just over a mile from the beginning to the end of the tunnel, the same amount of time it took to accomplish a right-hand turn out of the parking lot and onto a surface street even before the height of Los Angeles’s notorious rush-hour traffic.

The tunnel is just a test to prove the technology works and could one day cure traffic.

Tuesday’s reveal comes almost two years to the day since Musk announced on Twitter that “traffic is driving me nuts” and he was “going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging.”

“I am actually going to do this,” he added in response to initial skepticism. Soon after, he began The Boring Company, tongue in cheek intentional.

Since then, Musk has only revealed a handful of photos and videos of the tunnel’s progress.

On Tuesday, he explained for the first time in detail just how the system, which he simply calls “loop,” could work on a larger scale beneath cities across the globe. Autonomous, electric vehicles could be lowered into the system on wall-less elevators the size of two cars or spiral ramps. The elevators could be placed almost anywhere cars can go.

A number of autonomous cars would remain inside the tunnel system just for pedestrians and bicyclists. Once on the main arteries of the system, every car could run at top speed except when entering and exiting.

“It’s much more like an underground highway than it is a subway,” Musk said.

Cars would have to be fitted with specially designed side wheels that pop out perpendicular to the car’s regular tires and run along the tunnel’s track. They would run about $200 or $300 a car, Musk said.

The cars would have to be autonomous to work in the system but not Teslas specifically, and they would have to

be electric because of the fumes from gas, Musk said.

He said tunnels are the safest place to be in earthquakes—sort of how a submarine during a hurricane is safest beneath the surface—and addressed other concerns such as the noise and disruption of building the tunnels, which he completely dismissed. When workers bored through the end of the test tunnel, for instance, the people in the home 20 feet (6 meters) away “didn’t even stop watching TV.” Musk said it took about $10 million to build the test tunnel, a far cry from the $1 billion per mile his company says most tunnels take to build.

Musk has cut costs by improving the speed of construction with smarter tools, eliminating middlemen, building more powerful boring machines, and instead of hauling out all the dirt being excavated, Musk is turning them into bricks and selling them for 10 cents.

“I really think this is incredibly profound,” he said.

“Hopefully that is coming across.”

He reiterated the simplicity of all his ideas.

“No Nobel Prize is needed here,” he said. “It’s very simple.”

And he’s not doing it for the money, he said, adding that it’s for the greater good. In his 16 years in Los Angeles, he said, traffic went from “the seventh level of hell to the eighth level of hell.”

“Traffic is soul-destroying. It’s like acid on the soul,” he said to party guests who snacked on marshmallow treats and hot dogs and hoped for a turn in the tunnel.

The tunnel will not be open to the public for the foreseeable future, just for invited VIPs, Musk said, adding that regulations wouldn’t allow for it to open widely for demo rides just yet.

Steve Davis, head of The Boring Company, said the interest in the tunnel systems has been significant — anywhere from five to 20 calls a week from various municipalities and stakeholders.

One project Musk is planning on, known as the Dugout Loop, would take Los Angeles baseball fans to Dodger Stadium from one of three subway stations.

Another would take travelers from downtown Chicago to O’Hare International Airport. Both projects are in the environmental review phase.

Musk said he thinks the Chicago project has the most potential to open soonest and that he’s hoping an extensive network opens in Los Angeles before the city hosts the 2028 Olympics.

“Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could travel around LA, New York, D.C., Chicago, Paris, London—anywhere— at 150 mph?” Musk said. “That’d be phenomenal.”

The Boring Company canceled its plans for another test tunnel on Los Angeles’s west side last month after a neighborhood coalition filed a lawsuit expressing concerns about increased traffic during construction.

Musk’s vision for the underground tunnels is not to be confused with another of his transportation concepts known as hyperloop. That would involve a network of nearly airless tubes that would speed special capsules over long distances at up to 750 mph (1,200) kph), using a thin cushion of air, magnetism and solar power.

Turn up the fun with new Huawei tablet THE Christmas break is right around the corner, and it’s a fine time to plan out how to spend all that vacation time with friends and family. While every friend or relative might be on their smartphone surfing their social media feeds, nothing beats a dedicated media tablet in terms of all-out entertainment.

The Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite is a media powerhouse on its own, sporting a bevy of features that’s a feast for the eyes, ears, and touch. As such, here are a couple of activities best experienced with the MediaPad M5 Lite to fill your vacation time this holiday season.

Mitch Carson’s weeklong conference prepares speakers and business owners for the global digital arena

BINGE-WATCH FAVORITE MOVIES AND TV SERIES WITH a brilliantly crisp and expansive 10.1-inch 1080p display, it’s really easy to lose hours of your holiday break with the M5 Lite. Streaming the latest blockbuster films and trending shows are a real treat with the tablet’s incredible high-definition capability and exceptional color reproduction. Moreover, the slim profile and portable size makes the M5 Lite a miniature theater screen you can bring anywhere, so no worries about missing a thrilling episode outside the house.

GAMING MARATHONS GAMING on the new tablet offering from the global electronics giant is an exceptional experience, as it offers all the power needed to run all the graphics-heavy titles today with ease. Featuring a 7,500 mAh battery, the M5 Lite has no trouble helping you blast through an absorbing single-player adventure or a competitive online battle arena with buddies. Charging the tablet fully takes less

than 2.9 hours, so the M5 Lite is always ready to go for another round after a hearty Christmas meal or two.

DJ-ING FOR CHRISTMAS PARTIES EVERY party needs great music, and the M5 Lite delivers this in spades, especially in intimate spaces. Grace your Christmas playlist with some fine-tuned Harman Kardon audio, and let the rich sound fill your gatherings through the Huawei Histen 5.0 stereo speakers for some exciting 3D surround-sound action. Whether you’re hosting a pumping

dance party or a soulful Christmas dinner, the M5 Lite’s audio is sure to provide the atmospheric sound you need.

There’s plenty more to do with the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite, thanks to its powerful hardware, exciting features and wonderfully intuitive interface. It’s a pure entertainment machine that keeps giving—a perfect companion for anyone on Christmas break.

Better yet, in celebration of the brand’s successes this year, Huawei is giving away amazing free gifts with every purchase of selected devices (bit.ly/2GFIhwD).

A MOTIVATIONAL speaker as well as a trainer who teaches the art of public speaking, Mitch Carson will be holding a four-day conference, “Speak in Manila” (www.speakinmanila.com), which will prepare professionals and business owners how to present themselves in the international arena. The event will take place from January 15 to 19, 2019, at Discovery Suites Manila, Ortigas Center, Metro Manila. It will also highlight how those who want to become thought leaders and influencers can position themselves powerfully in the digital age by leveraging on its many platforms.

The acceleration of globalization, which has lowered previously strong barriers to entry into foreign markets, has also opened opportunities for brands to make their presence felt on other shores.

With authenticity now becoming a buzzword and a requirement for companies that do want to make an impact, especially among millennials, the owner or

marketer of a brand can no longer hide comfortably behind his advertisements and marketing campaigns, but must take the lead in representing them.

This is where mastery in speaking comes in.

Carson says, “Speaking overseas grows a person’s brand and his celebrity status. To be effective internationally, a speaker must know how to be effective on camera, using a microphone, and in presenting before a live audience. He must also be adept in presenting and selling through webinars.

Mastering social media and launching concise messages through it is also something he must be skilled at personally.”

Topics that will be covered in the conference include creating and promoting one’s unique selling proposition; crafting the messages that can sustain that awareness among the target publics; and enhancing one’s presence and communication skills using current digital tools.

A12 Saturday, December 22, 2018

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A techie gift guide: Part 2 THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

wherelseduy@gmail.com

L

AST Saturday, despite reeling from the effects of MDDS, or Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, I found myself driving to Santolan Town Plaza to check out the Digital Walker (DW) Madness Sale.

We had been on a fabulous weeklong cruise aboard Superstar Virgo, visiting Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, and Sanya, China, and though the tito in me was still feeling seasick, I couldn’t resist my techie desires, and I just had to check out one of the most anticipated gadget sales of the year.

Well, it turned out to be a good decision, as I was able to score a lot of steal deals from powerbanks, cables and iPad sleeves/cases at 90-percent off! I even bought smartphone cases for as low as P50, and these are branded ones (some drop-proof), which used to cost around P1,000 to P3,000.

Some of DW Madness deals they highlighted included: Braven 705 BT Speaker (from P4,950 to P1,950); Motorola Hint Earbuds (from P5,450 to P1,635); the strongest iPhone cable you can buy in the Fuse Chicken, Armour Travel Lightning Cable (now just P500); Fuse Chicken Bobine Auto (P500); Marshall Major II FX Headphones (from P5,450 to P2,500); Motorola Verve Ones (from P9,950 to P2,985); Scosche GoBat 3000 mAh (P550) and all UAG cases for just P300.

If you’re still looking for stocking stuffers, such as earphones, car chargers and other accessories, you might want to check out the DW Madness Sale happening till the end of the month.

To complete our techie gift ideas for this year, check out these other products from DW, as well as other devices I ordered from online stores.

FOR THE FITNESS ENTHUSIAST

n Amazfit Bip: If you are looking for a stylish fitness tracker that looks great and has one of the longest in battery life, you have to try the Amazfit Bip. Considered as the layman’s Apple Watch, the Bip offers plenty of reasons to buy, especially because of its price and excellent battery life.

Bip features an astonishing 30+ days of battery life on a single charge, a reflective always-on color touch display, GPS, barometer, geomagnetic sensor, PPG heart-rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer for activity, sports and sleep tracking, while weighing only 1.1 ounces (31 grams). It comes in four vibrant color options and allows you to receive e-mails, text messages, calls and app notifications on the watch display. You can track your runs (indoor and outdoor), cycling and other sports with detailed GPS routes and stats. n Amazfit Stratos: Amazfit Stratos is a premium multisport GPS smartwatch with 5 ATM water-resistance, VO2max fitness level analysis, heart-rate sensor and transflective always-on color touch display. The rugged carbon fiber design case features a polished ceramic bezel, scratch-resistant tempered glass, three stainless steel physical buttons for easy navigation and an exchangeable 22-millimeter durable silicone watch strap. The watch supports detailed sports and GPS tracking for running, walking, cycling, swimming, elliptical machine, mountaineering, trail running, triathlon, tennis, soccer and skiing. Through a partnership with Firstbeat, this watch also measures maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), exercise load (TD) and recovery time. All data can be synced and made available in Strava. n Fitbit Charge 3: The latest fitness tracker from Fitbit has an upgraded heart-rate sensor, for better accuracy this time around, and now has an SpO2 (oxygen saturation) sensor as well. Battery life has been upped to seven days instead of five on the Fitbit Charge 2, and the physical button has been replaced with a new “inductive button,” which has haptic feedback. Other features include goal-based exercise modes; water resistant to 50 meters; female health tracking: gain a deeper understanding of your menstrual cycle by using the Fitbit app to log your period; personalized insights about your activity, heart rate, nutrition and sleep to help you reach your goals with positive reinforcement and tips; and social motivation: connect to one of the largest health and fitness social networks in the world with more than 25 million active users for added motivation to reach your goals when you engage with friends, family and others through Feed, Groups and Challenges in the Fitbit app. n Fitbit Ionic Adidas: If the Apple Watch has its Nike version, the Fitbit Ionic smartwatch has a special Adidas Edition. This version of the device stands out above all with its design, and the Adidas Train app, which gives users access to special training in addition to the exercises available with Fitbit Coach. It has a 1.42-inch LCD touchscreen with a resolution of 348 x 250 pixels. There is 2.5GB of internal storage, NFC, GPS, optical heartrate sensor, gyroscope, barometer and accelerometer. The Ionic Adidas Edition is also waterproof up to 50 meters and features Fitbit Pay. n Trekz Titanium Aftershokz: Probably one of the best headphones I got this year, Aftershokz uses Bone Conduction Technology to deliver great sound without the discomfort of earbuds. If you love listening to music and also enjoy being active and the outdoors, you should ditch your old earbuds for a totally different audio experience. It’s comfortable, wireless, lightweight and water-resistant, and because the Trekz doesn’t physically stick in your ears, they have the added advantage of letting you hear ambient background noise keeping you a lot safer. Originally developed by the company for military use, Aftershokz audio delivery uses futuristic bone conduction technology. Instead of the traditional method of drivers blasting audio into your ear canal, the headphones transmit sound through your cheekbones to your inner ear. And, yes, they actually look way cooler!

FOR THE ROCK STAR

EVERYONE dreams of being a rock star, but for those who were not gifted with the talent, you can enjoy the best of rock music with these Marshall speakers. n Marshall Woburn II Bluetooth: The largest speaker from Marshall is designed to deliver a robust sound, hit high trebles cleanly,

handle low bass with ease and have a clear, lifelike midrange. It’s two tweeters and dual 5.25” subwoofers are powered by class D amps for a total of 110 watts of power. n Marshall Kilburn II: This portable speaker has multidirectional Blumlein Stereo sound allowing you to immerse in sound indoors, outdoors, or via Bluetooth without the confines of wires and cords, and with over 20 hours of portable playtime. n Marshall Stanmore II Bluetooth: The most versatile speaker in the Marshall lineup, it’s suitable for any room, big or small, and delivers the Marshall promise of high-performance sound. It has advanced components featuring two 15-watt class D amplifiers to power its tweeters and a 50watt class D amplifier for its subwoofer. n Marshall Acton II Bluetooth: The smallest speaker in the Marshall lineup, this dynamic compact speaker features three dedicated class D amplifiers that power its dual tweeters and subwoofers for a sound that’s well-balanced and powerful. n Marshall Major III Bluetooth: The next chapter in the revolutionary history of Marshall, this modern go-to classic has been reengineered for a cleaner, more refined design, while the silhouette stays true to its original form. Major III Bluetooth offers you the freedom and convenience of wireless Bluetooth aptX technology and 30+ hours of playtime on a single charge. It features 40mm dynamic drivers that are custom-tuned for enhanced bass, smooth mids and clear highs. Its control knob allows you to play, pause, shuffle and adjust the volume. It also includes phone functions so you can wirelessly answer, reject or end a call.

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS VIDEOGRAPHER

n DJI Ryze Tech Tello: Those who are looking for a drone that’s falls more into the “budget” and “toy” category, look no further than the Ryze Tech Tello. It looks uncannily like a smaller brother of the DJI Spark. It features 720p

HD Transmission; 5MP photos; max flight distance of 100 meters and speed of 8 meters per second; two antennas for Smart Switching Electronic Image Stabilization; an Intel Processor; and about 13 minutes of flight time. n DJI Mavic 2 Zoom: Considered as the one of the best drones available, the Mavic range is like the premium compact cameras of its drone lineup, sitting in between the more point-and-shoot Spark and pro-friendly Phantoms. Powerful but small due to its foldable design, the Mavic 2 Zoom has a 12MP 1/2.3 CMOS Sensor; 24 Optical Zoom Camera; 48MP Super Resolution Photos; 4x Lossless Zoom FHD Video; Dolly Zoom; 3 Axis Gimbal with Hyperlapse to create professional timelapse and enhance image to reduce noises; 72-kilometer-per-hour Max. Speed; 8KM 1080p Video Transmission; and 31 minutes in maximum flight time. The Mavic 2 Pro, meanwhile, differs because of its Hasselbald L1D-20c Camera; 20 MP 1” CMOS Sensor Adjustable Aperture, f/2.8- f/11; and 10-bit Dlog-M Color Profile, which records over 1 billion colors and retains more in-depth details in both highlights and shadows.

ALL SCREEN PHONE WITH A MAGNETIC SLIDER

AFTER months of waiting, Xiaomi finally announced the availability of its latest premium flagship, the Mi Mix 3. You can get it at Mi Authorized Stores, or preorder it from Lazada for its December 21 sale.

The Mi Mix 3 is the newest device in the company’s award-winning Mi Mix series, which is known for merging technology and art. The Mi Mix 3 sports a beautiful ceramic back, and has an extreme 6.39” full screen display (absolutely no notch!) made possible by an innovative magnetic slider design.

Mi Mix 3’s patented slider incorporates neodymium magnets that have been carefully calibrated. Once the screen is pushed down, the magnetic mechanism immediately kicks in and finishes the opening in a snap with just the right amount of force. Xiaomi has dedicated substantial resources to the production process to ensure the slider has

a life expectancy of 300,000 cycles in lab tests.

The slider design not only creates space for front cameras and antenna, but also allows for the maximum full-screen display. Mi Mix 3 employs a 6.39-inch, 2340 x 1080-pixel FHD+ Samsung AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Its bezels have been further reduced from the its predecessor to achieve an extremely high screen-to-body ratio.

The full-screen slider is fully customizable. Users can slide open the phone to answer calls or customize it to launch different functions.

It features a 12MP + 12MP rear dual camera and uses the same sensors as the Mi 8. To further improve low-light performance, Xiaomi introduced a steady handheld night-photography mode, bundling various useful software features.

Coupled with the rear camera’s 4-axis OIS, Mi Mix 3 is Xiaomi’s best smartphone for low-light photos to date. The rear dual camera also features 4K video recording and 960 fps slow-motion video capture.

The 24MP + 2MP front module sports a Sony IMX576 main sensor that can capture more details than ever before. In low-light conditions, the sensor uses Super Pixel technology to combine the information of four pixels into one 1.8µm large pixel, greatly improving clarity. The secondary 2MP sensor captures depth information to facilitate an AI bokeh effect.

With these enhancements, Mi Mix 3 achieved a DxOMark photo score of 108, ranking among the world’s best smartphones for photography.

Mi Mix 3 continues the series’ tradition of using unique materials with artistic design, adding a new Sapphire Blue version inspired by Chinese ceramic crafts. These ceramic pieces are renowned for their beauty and were meticulously made using a complex production process with very precise temperature control. n Tech Thoughts: “You can’t upload love, you can’t download time, you can’t Google all of life answers. You must actually live some of your life.” Merry Christmas to all!