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Saturday, December 23, 2017 Vol. 13 No. 73

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AT LEAST 5 MULTIBILLION-PESO PROJECTS TO BE ROLLED OUT FOR PRIVATE-SECTOR FUNDING IN 2018

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It’s back to center stage for PPP

By Lorenz S. Marasigan

T least five multibillion-peso deals under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program are expected to take center stage in 2018, as the government tries to accelerate infrastructure development via privatesector funding next year.

Ferdinand A. Pecson, who sits as executive director at the PPP Center, said his office has identified several projects that could “probably” be rolled out throughout 2018. These, he said, include unsolicited proposals that require competitive-challenge mechanisms before being implemented. “The PPP Center continues on its commitment to fast-track the delivery of quality infrastructure via three main strategies: pipeline

development, focus on local PPPs, and implementation and monitoring,” he said. PPP Director Lawrence G. Velasco listed the five projects as the operations and maintenance of the Clark International Airport, the San Ramon New Port, the East-West Railway, the Manila Bay Flood Control and the New Manila Airport. The last three are unsolicited proposals from various players in the private sector. They are currently in the Investment Coordi-

nation Committee (ICC) of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda). “The unsolicited proposals are in the ICC level. They will seek the approval of the ICC and then go through negotiation, then Swiss Challenge—that is something that we will do next year,” Velasco said. East West Rail Transit Corp. submitted early this year its proposal for the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the East-West Rail, a

mostly elevated 9.4-kilometer railway line from Diliman, Quezon City to Lerma, Manila. It is envisioned to have 11 stations and provide interconnecting facilities with neighboring rail systems. San Miguel Corp., on the other hand, submitted the unsolicited proposal for the P339-billion Manila Bay Flood Control deal, which involves the construction of a coastal sea barrier through the northern part of Manila Bay covering the Continued on A2

TRAIN impact won’t derail inflation from projected path

By Bianca Cuaresma

lthough worries over inflation pressures surfaced after the signing of the first tranche of the tax-reform package, international think tank Capital Economics said the impact of the socalled TRAIN, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, is not likely to derail inflation from its projected path next year. In Capital Economics’s most recent review of Philippine economic dynamics, the research firm said the signed tax-reform pack-

age—which will lower income taxes but increase a host of indirect taxes—will have minimal effect on the overall inflation direction,

PESO exchange rates n US 50.1940

as the introduction of new taxes will be gradual.

‘Revenue building’

ON Tuesday President Duterte signed into law the first tranche of the country’s tax-program overhaul, with its most salient feature being the exemption from income tax of all annual salaries worth P250,000 and below. Despite the lower personal taxes, the government still sees the tax package as “revenue building” for project funding, as it also raised levies on some sectors—including automobiles, sugary drinks, cosmetic procedures, coal and petroleum products. Capital Economics said Duterte’s move to encourage the speedy approval of the bill, as well as his signing of the bill into law, marked “his most important legislative achievement since coming to See “TRAIN,” A2

President Duterte leads the ceremonial signing of the 2018 General Appropriations Act and Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion bill as members of Congress stand behind him at Malacañang in Manila on December 19, 2017. AP/Aaron Favila

n japan 0.4431 n UK 67.1947 n HK 6.4202 n CHINA 7.6219 n singapore 37.3690 n australia 38.6544 n EU 59.6255 n SAUDI arabia 13.3851

Source: BSP (22 December 2017 )

A2 Saturday, December 23, 2017

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It’s back to center stage for PPP Continued from a1

coastal areas of Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan. it also has an expressway component that aims to connect Bataan with Metro Manila, providing direct access to the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga. The food-to-infrastructure conglomerate is also the proponent for the new Manila Airport deal. it involves the construction of a $10-billion, 1,600-hectare international gateway somewhere in the south of Metro Manila. The airport, which would have doubled the capacity of the ninoy Aquino international Airport (naia), would have included the construction of a low-cost carrier terminal, a train system and a dedicated tollway. “it all hinges on the proponents being able to comply as to what the iCC is asking them to submit. it is a matter of them complying,” Pecson said.

TRAIN…

“on the solicited front, one project we are excited about is the San Ramon new Port Project. The feasibility study of that project is something that we’ll finish by January,” Velasco said. The port deal involves the construction and operations and maintenance of a seaport that will help decongest the existing Zamboanga Port, and further uplift trade within the Southeast Asian region. “one thing that’s in the pipeline is the operations and maintenance of the Clark airport and that is something that the BCDA [Bases Conversion and Development Authority] is eager to have rolled out by next year,” Velasco added. The project involves the operations and maintenance of the existing and the proposed new passenger terminal buildings of the Clark international Airport. Currently, there are 15 proj-

Continued from a1

office 17 months ago.” “The changes include reductions in income tax alongside hikes in indirect taxes on items such as fuel, automobiles and cigarettes. The increases in indirect taxes are likely to push up inflation. That said, the overall impact is likely to be relatively small, given that the changes are set to be phased in over several years,” Capital economics said.

Transitory

Solicited deals

The Department of Finance (DoF) has estimated that the tax hikes will only add 0.4 percentage points to the headline rate next year. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipi-

nas (BSP), meanwhile, retained its 3.4-percent inflation forecast for 2018, saying that the projection already includes the potential effect of the higher tax rates brought about by TRAin. The BSP also regards the tax-related pressure as “transitory,” thus, bringing their inflation projection for 2019 back to 3.2 percent. Both forecasts are within the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent from 2017 to 2019. “While there may be potential transitory effects on consumer prices from the tax-reform program, various mitigation measures

ects in the PPP pipeline. This is a staggering decline from the 53 deals that the current administration inherited from its predecessor. The Duterte administration took an apparent shift in bias toward developmental financing from private sector-led funding on infrastructure development, which was the cornerstone infrastructure-development program of the previous administration. Aside from pronouncements from different economic managers, government data will prove that it has indeed changed its preference on project financing toward official development assistance and state coffers. This does not mean that the projects were awarded to their respective winners, but most of them were simply snatched from the pipeline, and was added to the Duterte government’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program. Touted as the government’s

“most ambitious infrastructure plan,” the BBB program lists 70 priority infrastructure projects that are seen to solve the infrastructure crisis that the Philippines faces today. The new infrastructure thrust was born out of President Duterte’s policy on increased infrastructure spending, an avenue wherein the previous administration failed miserably with underspending plaguing government agencies tasked to develop crucial infrastructure, such as roads, rails and ports. The majority of the projects under the newly minted program— roughly 39 of 70 deals—were contracts either signed, implemented and started during the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino iii, according to estimates made by the BusinessMirror. Likewise, a thorough analysis of the project pipeline under the BBB program would show that in

and the resulting improvement in output and productivity are also expected to temper the impact on inflation over the medium term,” the BSP said in its most recent monetary-policy meeting. “Meanwhile, the proposed reforms in the rice industry involving the replacement of quantitative restrictions with tariffs and the deregulation of rice imports could serve to reduce inflation,” it added. The DoF also said earlier this week that reforms in the process of rice importation could bring down rice prices by as much as P7 per kilo. Rice is one of the major drivers of inflation in the country, being the staple food of every Filipino household, as it weighs heavily on the local

consumer price index basket.

International praise

The current administration’s ability to deliver the tax-reform program into actuality has received acclaim from several researchers and analysts outside of the country, the latest of which is international credit watcher Fitch Ratings. The passage of the TRAin, Fitch said, has been one of the considerations behind its latest upgrade on the Philippine sovereign rating to “BBB.” “Fitch expects the Philippines’s fiscal profile to improve as a result of the government’s taxreform initiative…. We estimate the bill to be net revenue positive, reflecting an expansion of the VAT [value-added tax] base and higher

terms of financing options, a majority of the projects will be funded by the General Appropriations Act (GAA). This is followed by oDA grants and loans, and private-sector funding comes in last. Former PPP chiefs, economists and representatives from business chambers agree that the current government must ride on the momentum built by the previous administration on the PPP Program. The impact of the program to the local and national economy can be clearly seen in the four completed and operational projects, with a total project cost of P31.77 billion, as follows: the MuntinlupaCavite expressway Project, the PPP for School infrastructure Project Phase i, the Automatic Fare Collection System Project and the naia expressway Phase ii Project. Aside from the completed projects, the 11 other ongoing awarded projects, which include the Metro

Manila Skyway Stage 3, MactanCebu international Airport new Passenger Terminal Project, PPP for School infrastructure Phase ii and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7 are expected to provide significant contributions to the economy.

taxes on petroleum products, automobiles and on sugar-sweetened beverages, which would more than offset a lowering of personal income taxes,” Fitch Ratings said. “Passage of the first part of the tax package would bode well for progress on the rest of the package over the next couple of years. The government previously estimated that a full set of tax-reform packages would boost revenue by 2 percent of GDP by 2019, with administrative measures to add another 1 percent of GDP over this period,” it added.

months. in november this year, for example, foreign portfolio investments (FPi) to the country yielded a net inflow of $108 million, a reversal from the net outflows recorded in october 2017 of $563 million. The BSP said the development may be attributed to positive investor reaction, particularly to three recent developments, including the then Senate’s approval of a higher personal income-tax exemption of P250,000 annually, as part of the Senate version of the government’s tax-reform program. FPi are more popularly known as hot or “speculative” money because they are easily pulled in and out of the local platforms, depending on the winds of global and local sentiment.

‘Hot’ money inflow

FoReiGn investors have also expressed optimism in the passage of the tax-reform program in the country, which translated to higher “hot” money inflows in recent

LGU-led projects

ASiDe from national projects, the PPP Center will also be busy with the rollout of deals in the local level, Velasco said. “We still have local government projects. one that’s very imminent is the Baggao Water Supply Project in Cagayan. We are confident that, as we speak, we are talking about the schedule for its procurement,” he said. other deals include the Solid Waste Management Project in Cebu City, the Cagayan de oro Water District Septage and Sanitation Project, and the Los Baños Public Market Project.

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Saturday, December 23, 2017 A3

LANCASTER NEW CITY

MAKES EVERYTHING EXTRAORDINARY

NOT ONLY THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON

By Kathryn Jose

EYOND houses, perpetuity is the frame that keeps residents and visitors of Lancaster New City together every day and during special occasions like the Christmas season. “Perpetuity symbolized in our monument is about the Filipino family—the closeness and love of the family. When people go around this property, they see other components of a community, such as the commercial-retail buildings, clubhouses, church, transportation hub and schools, where they can do things together and get their various needs,” Lancaster New City AVP for Marketing David Michael T. Amor said. The golden monument, which was recently unveiled and designed by renowned sculptor Merlito Gepte, serves as a reminder for the residents and visitors of the development’s mission: Everything we do is for the Filipino family. Thus, more than a subdivision or residence, Lancaster New City is a township. “Township provides everything. In Lancaster New City, we design the development for families to have avenues to Live, Learn, Work, Play, and Pray. Part of it is providing common areas and various activities that families will enjoy,” Amor said. For the season of merriment this month, Lancaster New City indulged residents and visitors with a free OPENAIR cinema event, music performance and games at The Square. Families snuggled on their picnic mats and chairs at the Central Greens, The Square to watch Director Antoinette Jadaone’s “Love You to the Stars and Back”, which stars Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, and Mae Cruz Alviar’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, which features Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, last December 9. The cinema event was organized for the second time in

partnership with Cinema One of ABS-CBN© television network. “We are happy to have Cinema One stage the cinema event here in Lancaster New City for the second year. We are confident that the guests will reach at least 4,000 as our number of residents is continuously growing,” Amor said. “I already saw the two movies, but I came here to spend time with my grandchildren for the Christmas season. Apart from the film viewing, I came here to watch after my three grandchildren who also wanted to play at the playgrounds nearby,” 65-year-old Amelia Bravo said. Being with the family is also a priority for 18-year-old Eizyl Dizacai. “I also had watched both movies before, but I came here to have a fun time with my aunt and my two cousins,” she said. Before the second movie started to roll on the huge projector screen, families gathered at the stage area near the main entrance of The Square to witness 23-year-old actress, cosplayer, host, singer and songwriter Myrtle Sarrosa sing and dance. It was also the first time Lancaster New City treated

the residents with a music performance. In November rock band Rocksteddy blasted their songs in front of a jam-packed crowd. Host of ABS-CBN’s noontime variety show “It’s Showtime” and comedian Teddy Corpuz led the crowd into singing and jumping as the band vocalist. Aside from the movies and concerts, Lancaster New City treated families to its synchronized Christmas Light Show. “Every year the lights show becomes more beautiful because Lancaster New City installs more lights. It also relocated the venue to The Square, so other residents can watch the show closer and more conveniently, especially for senior citizens like me,” Bravo said. The Christmas Lights Show

has been the most-awaited event in Lancaster New City both for the residents and visitors. The show starts at 6 pm every weekend from November 25 to December 26. Amor said the company has been overwhelmed by the response of the show’s viewers. “We developed the show with families, especially the children in mind. We wanted the holidays to be a memorable and magical event for the family. That is why we chose Santa’s Workshop theme complete with dancing lights, popular Christmas medleys, candy canes, and Santa’s little elves. We intend the kids and the young at heart to experience a fun and warm Christmas with us,”

Amor said. Thus, the show was organized for the third time this year. During the OPENAIR cinema event, Lancaster New City also set up Christmas-themed games that included “Poke a Tree” and “Christmas Wreath Toss.” For photo-taking activities, Lancaster New City also brought Santa Claus to The Square and hanged a mistletoe for loved ones to share a kiss with each other. Aside from the Christmas season’s celebrations, all the events organized this year form part of Lancaster New City’s 10th year anniversary to show PRO-FRIENDS’ gratitude for the success of its township and flagship project.

“As part of the 10th year anniversary, we also organized a Grand Family Weekend last April and a Kasalang Bayan last May,” Amor said. For the wedding, Lancaster New City treated 17 couples in a solemn ceremony at its Parish of the Holy Family. “Lancaster New City assures the residents and visitors of memorable family activities and events that will become traditions within its community,” Amor said. Lancaster New City is a 1,600 hectare project of the Property Company of Friends, Inc. (PROFRIENDS) that covers areas of Gen. Trias, Kawit, and Imus Cavite. It is Your Family Friendly City where families may Live, Learn, Work, Play, and Pray.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

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No foreign trips for Executive branch officials starting January 1–Duterte

By Manuel T. Cayon | Mindanao Bureau Chief

AVAO CITY—President Duterte said he would ban all foreign travels of government personnel and executives under the Executive branch, and would leave it to the other branches of government to decide on their own.

linked the absence of the executives to the continuing complaints of people “who are looking for them to sign important documents.” “When they are asked to return the next day, no one is still there to sign it, only to turn out that they were abroad. And when you look at their records, they were there seven, nine times abroad,” he said. “Enough of that.” He said these junior and middle-level executives “feel as if they would not go any higher than what they are now.”

“So, sometimes, not all, even in Manila, they are deadwoods,” he said. And many are political appointees, he added. “You know this bureaucracy, this is how it works. When you enter government, they start from lower echelon until the time they have supervisory authority. When they reach the top, they maximize what is there for them,” he added. “Now it has always been the practice,” he said. “That makes me mad. That’s why, beginning January 1, I told [Executive Secretary

They go there [abroad] spending the money of the people for a flimsy reason to go there.”—Duterte

Salvador] Medialdea. I would not interfere with the Supreme Court or Congress. But in my area, except for the diplomats, ambassadors, no more travel,” he said. “I don’t like people to wait,” he said, while these government executives, “every time they go out they get the per diems, hotels.” He added: “All those who have traveled several times already have to go. You have to go.” Only last week he fired the top-ranking officers of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor and has dangled the post to CNN 2009 Hero of the Year, Efren Peñaf lorida, and to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender sector. He linked these travels to corruption, as he also warned that even those close to him have

But for the Executive branch, Duterte said, “on January 1, there will be no more travels abroad.” The order would not cover the diplomats and the ambassadors, the President said, who ranted

anew on the practice of government executives to go abroad “for a flimsy reason.” “They go there spending the money of the people for a flimsy reason to go there,” he said, as he

Nlex, SCTEx operator ready for surge in traffic volume during holidays

Peso tipped as Asian whipping boy for 2018 as deficit widens

he operator of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) has placed traffic-management measures on the said thoroughfares to mitigate the expected surge in traffic volume during the Christmas rush. Nlex Corp. President Rodrigo E. Franco said his group has started enhancing the traffic management and toll-collection services, as part of its “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” (SMSK) Motorist Assistance Program on Friday. The program will go on until January 2. “It’s all systems go for the rise in traffic volume this Christmas season. Our team has always been prepared to assist our motorists and manage the traffic flow,” he said. Since December 16 traffic operations have been on heightened alert and have deployed additional traffic personnel to closely monitor traffic conditions at Nlex Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, San Fernando, Santa Ines and SCTEx Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas. Mainline road works will, likewise, be suspended until January 2, unless safety repair is required. During the critical hours of December 22, 23, 29 and 30, the Nlex Balintawak Toll Plaza will open 24 toll-collection points instead of the usual 18, while the Mindanao Avenue Toll Plaza will increase its toll-collection points to 10 from seven. The SCTEx Tarlac Toll Plaza will also have 20 collection points for northbound motorists. By Christmas, the Bocaue Toll Plaza will open 48 toll-collection points to accommodate motorists returning to Metro Manila. The setup will be the same on January 1 and 2. Portabooths and portable tollcollection equipment will be used to further increase the capacity of the toll plazas. Towing and emergency medical services will also be augmented to provide quick motorist assistance. “We are hoping that with all these preparations, we will be able to help lessen the travel time of our motorists so they can spend more quality time with their loved ones,” Franco said. Lorenz S. Marasigan

nvestors rejoicing over the peso’s rally to a six-month high should beware: the currency is predicted to be Asia’s worst performer next year. The peso will slide to 51 per dollar by end of 2018, a loss of 1.5 percent from current levels, according to the median estimate of a Bloomberg survey, with a most bearish projection of 56. The currency will be undermined as the current-account deficit widens, while the Central Bank is slow to raise interest rates from a record low, strategists and fund managers say. “ The peso remains vulnerable,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. in Manila. “ The external payments position will likely deteriorate further as more economic activity fuels demand for capital equipment and consumer goods,” he said, forecasting the currency will end next year at 52 per dollar. The peso has whipsawed this year: sliding to an 11-year low of 51.85 per dollar in October before

paring losses to trade at 50.250 on Friday. It is still down 1.1 percent since the start of January. The Philippines will post a current-account deficit of $100 million this year and that will swell to $700 million in 2018, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) forecast this month. The shortfall is set to increase as President Duterte’s $180-billion infrastructure plan pushes up imports.

‘Biggest problems’

“The Philippines doesn’t get a lot of investor inflow, and this is one of the biggest problems and why it tends to weaken off more aggressively than its regional peers when sentiment dies,” said Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia Pacific at Oanda Corp. in Singapore. “It is still going to be the local whipping boy in the region.” A forecast of 51 per dollar for year-end 2018 may be a bit optimistic if anything, he said. Philippine policy-makers have been in no rush to raise rates even after the Federal Reserve increased its benchmark this month

for the third time this year. Central Bank officials have defended their position by saying annual economic growth in excess of 6 percent is unlikely to cause overheating. ‘Incredibly attractive’ Not everyone is bearish. The peso has strengthened 3.1 percent from its October low as year-end remittance flows kicked in and Duterte signed a package of tax cuts into law. “If you look at the valuation of the peso, it’s increasingly attractive,” said Roy Teo, a currency strategist at LGT Bank AG in Singapore. “Once Asian currencies in general do appreciate in 2018, the BSP’s fears of peso appreciation versus the dollar should be less, given that Asia accounts for about three quarters of their exports.” LGT predicts the peso will strengthen to 50 by June 30, and reach 48 by the end of December. The peso’s year-end rally is set to wane as remittance flows start tapering, said Irene Cheung, a currency strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore.

“The strongest inflows usually happen in November and the early part of December,” she said. “The remittances’ support to the peso would weaken and so the strength of the peso that we’ve seen has probably run its course.” Aberdeen Standard Investments see plenty of reasons for the peso to keep falling, one being the Central Bank’s tolerance for a weaker currency. Declines in the peso have helped to bolster the nation’s export competitiveness, BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. said in September, when the currency completed its sixth straight quarterly loss. “ The increasing current-account deficit—especially now that the tax-reform bill has been passed—and a governor who believes that the exchange rate acts as an effective shock absorber for the economy are both negative for the currency,” said Lin Jing Leong, an investment manager in Singapore for Asia fixed income at Aberdeen. “The peso is likely to once again underperform the broader Asia block.” Bloomberg News

Marsh named Asia’s best insurance broker again

arsh was named Asia’s “Best Insurance Broker” for the fourth consecutive year at the CFO Innovation Awards ceremony held in Singapore earlier this month. Marsh Asia CEO David Jacob said: “This is our fourth consecutive win at these awards, and reinforces our reputation as a trusted advisor to our clients, particularly at the C-suite level.” “The CFO Innovation Award is a resounding vote of confidence from finance professionals, giving further testament to our work being instrumental in helping our clients to unlock value in spite of the increasing complexity of risks,” he added. The CFO Innovation Awards recognizes Asia’s leaders in all aspects of financial management. Nominated and voted by readers of CFO Innovation, the annual awards ceremony acknowledges not only CFOs and their teams, but also the companies that provide them with the services, support, and technology that enable their success.

“I wou ld l i ke to t ha n k a l l colleagues across A sia for t h is w in. It is hea r tening t hat ou r ha rd work a nd ded icat ion cont inue to be recog ni zed by c l ients a nd t he indust r y. You r

ef for ts have helped ma ke 2017 a sol id a nd produc t ive yea r for Ma rsh, a nd I look for wa rd to sust a ining t h is success in 2018 ,” Jacob sa id. Ma rsh i s a globa l leader in insu ra nce

brok ing a nd innovat ive r iskma nagement solut ions, help ing c l ients to nav igate a n increasingly dy na m ic a nd comple x env ironment by del ivering mea ning f u l c l ient va lue.

‘CHRISTMAS FOR ANIMALS TOO’ Malabon

Zoo founder Manny Tangco holds a tiger cub named “Lenlen” with an orangutan named "Pacquiao" during a Christmas party with around 200 orphans and Roman Catholic nuns on Thursday in Malabon City. Tangco said the interaction of the people with animals is because “Christmas is for animals too.” AP/Bullit Marquez

been axed. He said among those he fired “were those who were with me since 1988 [when he was first appointed as caretaker vice mayor during the revolutionary government established by the late President Corazon Aquino] and who campaigned for me for the presidency.” “It was just unfortunate that those who wanted me to run are those who are also tainted,” he said. Also on the sidelines of his speech, he announced he would be removing 49 policemen and police superintendents. He did not elaborate, but said: “ You should have already sensed how I protected these men in uniform. This is the time to stop. Even for just four years, I will give the Filipinos a taste of how it is that their money is not corrupted.”

Floirendo to push through with his projects despite zero allocation

ep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. of the Second District of Davao del Norte on Friday said the decision of Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez to reallocate the budget for his district to other administration priorities will not prevent him from pursuing his projects for his constituents. Floirendo noted that there are “numerous ways to look for sources to fund projects for my district.” “I have always promised my constituents that no matter what, I will always ‘bring home the bacon’ for them. Bringing home the bacon would mean bringing in projects to the people,” Floirendo said in a statement. Alvarez on Thursday admitted that Congress has reallocated the infrastructure funds of several lawmakers to finance the free college education and salary increase of military and uniformed personnel next year. He issued the statement after the opposition bloc bewailed the “zero infrastructure funding” they received in next year’s General Appropriations Act. “I also wish to emphasize that the funds slashed from some projects of the opposition and even those in the supermajority have been reallocated to free college education in state universities and colleges, and to augment the salaries and benefits of our men and women in uniform who are in the frontlines of the government’s war against terrorism and criminality,” Alvarez added. But Floirendo said that, while this will be a big setback to his promise to bring home the bacon, “the action of Alvarez will not hinder me from delivering my promise to my people.” He added: “I am sure there are still people who would want to ensure that the delivery of government services to the Filipino people would not be taken hostage by some heartless politicians like the Speaker.” He continued: “The zero budget given to my district by no less than House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez clearly speaks how he looks at the people of Davao del Norte—as sacrificial lambs to his ultimate goal of bringing me down. Alvarez is willing to sacrifice the welfare of the people of Davao del Norte just so he could hit back at me. This kind of leader is a great disservice to the people who voted for him and a heavy burden to the Duterte administration that is known to be pro-people.”

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

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Thomas could be playing for Cavaliers in a week’s time

BASKING in the spotlight of a glitzy ceremony under the Eiffel Tower, Cristiano Ronaldo feels confident enough to put himself at the pinnacle of the sport, ahead of Lionel Messi and other greats like Pelé and Diego Maradona. AP

‘BEST IN HISTORY’ PUT TO ACID TEST B

By Joseph Wilson The Associated Press

ARCELONA, Spain—Cristiano Ronaldo has made his claim. Now he has to live up to it. Ronaldo will face Lionel Messi on Saturday for the first time since the Portugal forward declared himself “the best player in the history” of soccer after equaling the Argentine’s five Ballon d’Or awards this month. Basking in the spotlight of a glitzy ceremony under the Eiffel Tower, Ronaldo felt confident enough to put himself at the pinnacle of the sport, ahead of Messi and other greats like Pele and Diego Maradona. “You will go and say that I have a big head, but when you’re at the top, it’s normal that you’re criticized,” he told France Football. “I am the best player in history, in both good and bad times.” Personalities aside, Ronaldo has a tough case to make.

He and Messi both have four Champions League titles, but Messi’s eight Spanish league titles double Ronaldo’s tally for Madrid and Manchester United. Messi also has the edge in their head-to-head duels. Messi has outscored Ronaldo 19-17 since Ronaldo joined Madrid in 2009. Prior to that, Messi scored in a 2-0 win over Ronaldo’s Manchester United in the 2009 Champions League final. The Barcelona-led Messi has also had a clear advantage over Ronaldo’s Madrid. Messi has helped Barcelona beat Ronaldo’s side 13 times, to eight wins for Madrid and seven draws. Overall, Messi holds the “clasico” record with 24 goals in 36 matches. Ronaldo is one goal shy of matching Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano’s 18 goals against Barcelona. The camera-shy Messi insisted again on Monday when he was recognized for leading the Spanish league in goals last campaign that he put more value on team

titles than individual honors. “Titles are our goal,” Messi said. “If individual statistics are there also, that’s even better, but they are not the objective.” Ronaldo has no doubt closed the gap with Messi after he led Madrid to back-to-back Champions League titles in the last two seasons. But for Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres, this past decade is still set to bear Messi’s mark. “If it wasn’t for [Ronaldo], Messi would have won twice as much,” Torres said on Wednesday. “What Ronaldo has done in the age of Messi says a lot about him.” Ronaldo will need to be at his best on Saturday because anything other than a victory will deal a huge blow to Madrid’s title defense before the season reaches its midway point. Madrid enters the match in fourth place and trailing Barcelona by 11 with a match in hand. Atletico Madrid and Valencia are in second and third.

“Given the situation we are in, we are obligated to win,” Madrid defender Sergio Ramos said. Messi had one of his most memorable performances at Madrid last season when he scored his second of two brilliant goals in stoppage time to silence the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid got revenge with wins of 3-1 and 2-0 in the Spanish Super Cup in August, when Barcelona was reeling from the departure of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona Coach Ernesto Valverde, however, quickly rallied his team and the Catalan club has not lost since, a run of 24 matches. With Neymar gone, Valverde has succeeded in tightening up Barcelona’s defense. “It would be important to win for everything that would represent, since the match is so special, and we are playing at their ground,” Messi said. “There would still be a long way to go for the league title, but a victory would be nice before the Christmas break.”

PRADERA VERDE LADIES CHALLENGE UP IN LUBAO I

INDONESIAN Michela Tjan (right) and local ace Annyka Pineda-Cayabyab are the anchors of their respective teams in the Pradera Ladies Challenge.

NSPIRED by the huge success of its inaugural staging, the Pradera Verde Ladies Challenge braces for a second blockbuster edition from January 15 to 17 next year, with Team Southeast Asia seeking back-to-back championship and Team Philippines raring to get even at the Pradera Golf Club in Lubao, Pampanga. Team Southeast Asia (SEA), bannered by the leading amateur players of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, dominated the hosts in four-ball, foursomes and singles competitions and ran away with a 19 1/2-10 1/2 romp last year. To underscore its readiness for a repeat, the visiting side toughened up its cast, adding Singapore’s Shannon Tan to a talent-laden roster vying in the unique championship pitting the country’s leading jungolfers and amateurs against the top players from neighboring Southeast Asian countries in a Ryder Cup-style format event. “With souped-up squads, we expect a solid showing for both sides, guaranteeing a thrilling battle in all three days among the best young players in the region,” said Archen Cayabyab, who with Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab and

swing coach Norman Sto. Domingo drew up and came up with the event last year as part of their effort to boost the country’s junior and amateur golf program. Thailand will be bannered by its youth brigade composed of Kultihda Pramphun, Phannarai Meesomus, Pimkwan Chookaew, Pinkaew Trachentong and returning Onkanok Soisuwan, with Team SEA beefed up by Malaysians Winnie Ng, Ashley Lau, Audrey Tan and Zulaikan Nurzian and Indonesian Michela Tjan, also a member of last year’s winning squad. But Team Philippines will be coming into the event brimming with confidence, its side reinforced by a slew of top-notch players, led by former World Junior Girls champion Yuka Saso, former national champion Harmie Constantino and The Country Club mainstays Mikha Fortuna, Bernie Olivarez-Ilas and Sofia Chabon. Thirteen-year-old Annyka Cayabyab is also all geared up for the event, eager to chip in her share with a solid showing on a course she calls

home, along with Nicole Abelar, Laurea Duque, Tomi Arejola and Kayla Nocum. Action is expected to be fierce right in the opening day with the Scramble format in the morning and the alternate shot in the afternoon among five teams on each side. Play shifts to best ball in the second day then back to alternate shot format in the afternoon, with the deciding singles (10 matches) set on January 17. The team to score 15.5 points will win the perpetual Pradera trophy, according to the organizing Forthinker Inc., headed by chairman Marilen Nunez. Team SEA is headed by team captains Phunampa Pornperapan and Jantsonn Kan, while the hosts will be handled by skippers Rolly Romero, Daisy Reyes and Sto. Domingo.

IGLUPAS, PATROMBON SHARE DAGITAB OPEN HONORS K HIM IGLUPAS cranked up her game midway in the second set then dominated Shaira Rivera in the decider to fashion out a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the women’s singles final of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala (PPS-PEPP) Dagitab Tennis Festival Open in Naga City, Cebu, recently. Jeson Patrombon, on the other hand, ended veteran

Johnny Arcilla’s reign with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 romp to claim the men’s singles title and complete the Iligan City bets’ sweep of the season-ending Open tournament, sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and the local government unit of Naga City, led by Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong. Patrombon, a former Australian Open boys’ singles quarterfinalist, proved steadier against Arcilla in the

tiebreaker after the top two ranked players held serves in the first 12 games of the opening set, hinting at a tight, grueling finish. But the 24-year-old Patrombon pressed his bid after breaking Arcilla in the third game of the second frame, holding serve in the fourth before breaking his rival again to go up, 4-1.

Arcilla, who has dominated the Open tournaments of the annual PPS-PEPP circuit the last three years, snapped his slump and took the sixth game but Patrombon easily won the next, yielding just one point to annex the crown worth P30,000.

NDEPENDENCE, Ohio—Isaiah Thomas played Santa Claus on Wednesday. Soon, he’ll be playing point guard for the Cavaliers. Thomas said he could be on the floor in games as early as next week for Cleveland after being sidelined with a hip injury that knocked him out of last season’s playoffs. Thomas has progressed to the point where he will be scrimmaging five on five in the next few days, with the possibility of playing in games with the Cavs before the year ends. “When that time comes to where I’ll be out there, I’m sure everybody is going to know and I’ll be out there playing the way I’ve always played,” said Thomas, who hosted a holiday party for some area kids at the team’s training facility. “I’m just trying to get as close as 100 percent as possible and to be out there to be special. Not just to be out there and be another body. However long that takes—it might be next week, it might be a week after that. We don’t know and we’re really not trying to put a date on it because it just depends on how my recovery is. “I’m ramping up my workouts but, at the same time, it’s how I feel the next day, and it’s getting lighter and lighter, which is a good sign.” Thomas is as close as ever to making his debut with Cleveland, which acquired him last summer in the blockbuster trade that sent Kyrie Irving to Boston. Since training camp opened, the Cavs’ timeline for Thomas was for him to be playing games by the end of December. That now seems possible. The Cavs, who have won 18 of 20, host Chicago on Thursday and are expected to practice twice before their Christmas Day matchup against the Golden State Warriors, whom they’ve met in three straight Finals. Cleveland has games in Sacramento and Utah next week before returning home on January 2 against Portland. The next day, the Cavs will play in Boston, where Thomas spent more than two seasons and where he hoped to play longer before being traded. Since the deal, Thomas has talked about being motivated to show the Celtics they were wrong to let him go. Although he has not suited up for the Cavs, Thomas has been embraced by the city’s fans. As a way of giving thanks for their support, he teamed with World Vision—a humanitarian aid organization he has partnered with for seven years—to host children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland at the party. “The biggest thing is just putting smiles on these kids’ faces,” said Thomas, who played basketball and video games. “You really don’t know what they’re going through or what they don’t have. It’s about having fun today.” Thomas said he has been touched by the warm welcome he’s gotten in Cleveland. “It’s genuine,” he said. “I just like giving back no matter where I am. That’s just who I am and that’s what I’ve always been about, so I just try to reach kids and touch kids and show kids I’m just like them. I’ve come from a similar background and especially in the holiday season, it’s about making others happy and putting smiles on other people’s faces.” The 5-foot-9 Thomas blended in easily with the kids, some of whom weren’t much smaller than him. At one point, he joined a game of “knockout” and was quickly eliminated. “I expected that,” he said. “Every time I play knockout with kids they try their hardest to beat me and I always seem to lose. That wasn’t my first loss.” AP

Isaiah Thomas says he could be on the floor in games as early as next week for Cleveland after being sidelined with a hip injury that knocked him out of last season’s playoffs. AP

BusinessMi

A6 Saturday, December 23, 2017 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

UCI donates more than 200 bikes worldwide in 2017

CYCLISTS in Durban, South Africa, pose with the newly donated bikes from the Union Cycliste Internationale.

VERY year, in collaboration with its partners, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) sends bikes, clothing and accessories to national federations in need. Throughout 2017, a record of 121 road bikes and 81 track bikes have been shipped to countries on four continents as part of the World Cycling Centre’s (WCC) UCI-supported “Bikes for the World” program. In addition, clothing, wheels, other bike components and accessories have also been donated to ensure national federations are able to equip their national cyclists. UCI WCC Director Frédéric Magné explained that while athletes training at the WCC headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, are equipped with all the necessary equipment on their arrival, the support from the UCI allows the WCC to also help cyclists who are developing in their own countries. “In some cases, very talented young riders do not have access to adequate equipment, which is a disadvantage when they find themselves in international competition,” he said. Mr Magné added that the donations were possible thanks to

the cooperation of the WCC’s different partners, who offered bike frames and components so that the WCC mechanics could assemble the new bikes. The mechanics then send the bikes to countries worldwide. Occasionally, shipments are made for specific events, as was the case in March this year with a donation of 20 track bikes to South Africa for athletes to use at a training camp then the African Continental Track Championships in Durban. The bikes were then transferred to the WCC South Africa in Potchefstroom. Other donations are made at the request of national federations whose athletes need bikes to train correctly. In some countries, young riders are obliged to share their equipment. Previously, the largest number of donation in one year, under the Bikes for the World program was 114, in 2014. These activities are set to amplify in the coming years as the newly elected UCI President David Lappartient begins to implement the UCI’s Solidarity Program in early 2018. In

fact, through this program and as marked in his manifesto, the UCI will commit 2M CHF in 2018, which should reach 4M CHF by 2022, to support the developmental efforts of the 190 national federation members worldwide. This solidarity will be in addition to the UCI’s overall plan to finance the UCI WCC’s missions through an investment of 3.8M CHF in 2018 to enhance its operations. Solidarity and support for development within all National Federations and Continental Confederations across the five continents are key priorities for the UCI. National federations that received bikes and/ or equipment in 2017 are as follows: Africa: Senegal, South Africa, Niger, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Morocco, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Tunisia and Mauritania America: Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Paraguay, Uruguay, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Honduras Asia: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Europe: Armenia, Georgia and Albania UCI News

DUMOULIN TARGETS GIRO 2018

OM DUMOULIN will target the Giro d’Italia once again in 2018, the wellinformed Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf said and confirmed by Cyclingnews sources. Dumoulin won the Sportsman of the Year award in the Netherlands on Tuesday night, crowning a successful 2017 season that also include victories at the world time trial championships and the BinckBank Tour WorldTour race. Dumoulin said he had decided his Grand Tour goals for 2018 at the presentation of the Giro d’Italia route on November 29 but insisted he would only reveal his final decision at the Team Sunweb presentation in Berlin in the New Year. Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested in the immediate aftermath of the Giro d’Italia presentation that Dumoulin would line out for the 101st edition of the Italian Grand Tour. However, there were other indications that Dumoulin would opt to target overall victory at the Tour de France for the first time in his career. De Telegraaf journalist Raymond Kerckhoffs cited sources in Italy in his report, saying that both Team Sunweb and Dumoulin have confirmed with Giro d’Italia organizer RCS Sport that the Dutchman will be on the start line in Jerusalem, Israel, on May 4. Cyclingnews has since had confirmation that Dumoulin will indeed again target the Giro d’Italia in 2018. Dumoulin explained at the route presentation that any decision would be based purely on logic. “I go wherever I think I have the best chance of winning,” he told Cyclingnews. “Any course in Italy is tempting for me; I love the country, so it’s really hard to say no to the Giro. “The course is nice, it’s a good mix of everything but it’s not perfect for me. I would have liked more time-trial kilometres but I can understand the race organizer, they want to have an exciting race where anybody can win.” Dumoulin is the latest rider to commit to the Giro d’Italia following announcements in recent weeks from the likes of Esteban Chaves and Simon Yates at MitcheltonScott, Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana, and Chris Froome, who is aiming for a Giro-Tour double. Froome’s 2018 plans, along with his 2017 Vuelta a España title, are currently in doubt following his adverse analytical finding (AAF) during the Vuelta. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale), Rigoberto Uran (EF Education Frist-Drapac) and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) have all confirmed they will target the Tour de France in 2018. Dumoulin won the 2017 Giro d’Italia ahead of Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali in May, claiming two stages en route to overall victory. It was the first Grand Tour victory for the 27-year-old Dutchman. Cyclingnews

TOM DUMOULIN: I go wherever I think I have the best chance of winning.

VIOLA BRAND shows her world championship form.

Two new indoor cycling world champions crowned

HE UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships in Dornbirn crowned two new world champions on Saturday. Germany’s Milena Slupina scooped the rainbow jersey in the Women Elite event, while compatriots Serafin Schefold and Max Hanselmann secured gold in the Pairs Open competition—and the scoring in these two disciplines could scarcely have been any more exciting. The thriller that began in the women’s event during Friday’s preliminary rounds continued unabated the next day. First up was Swiss contender Seraina Waibel, who was unable to deliver a flawless program and missed out on a medal with a score of 140.63. Austrian rider Adriana Mathis fared better and was on track for a result around the 180-point mark for much of her routine before suffering a fall. Nevertheless, her score of 170.10 was enough to secure the bronze medal. The 2015 world champion was happy with this result after missing the event through injury last year—not least because she almost missed out on a place in the final round. Next up on the competition floor was a top-quality duel between two German athletes separated by the smallest of margins in the preliminary round. First Viola Brand threw down the gauntlet with a score of 183.29.

“I was glad that it went so well,” Brand said. “I definitely could have won, but after coming away empty-handed from two World Championships, I’m happy with my silver medal.” Novice Milena Slupina from Bavarian club Bernlohe ultimately emerged as champion after responding to her teammate’s program with a score of 184.22. “I rode without fear in the final,” the new world champion said. “The pressure was much greater in the qualification round because I was determined to get to the medal round no matter what. Once I did that, I didn’t mind which medal I won. I was extremely focused but could feel the atmosphere while I was riding. It was a fantastic feeling, and for it to have resulted in a gold medal is just the icing on the cake.” She attributed her success to her improved preparations this season, before disappearing into the crowd at the Dornbirn post-event party with the words: “I won’t be going to bed for a while yet!” The Final 4 of the Pairs Open event was full of drama. While local heroes Marcel Schnetzer and Jana Latzer (Austria) improved on their own personal best in the preliminary round, several mistakes in the final meant they had to settle for 128.89 points at their home World Championships after winning bronze in 2016.

Serafin Schefold and Max Hanselmann (Öhringen) put holders André and Benedikt Bugner (Klein-Winterheim) under pressure in the first round, with the Bugners narrowly edging out their rivals by 163.09 points to 162.67. Schefold and Hanselmann raised their game once again to 164.28 in the Final 4. The Bugner brothers fought back magnificently before making a decisive error. With the clock ticking down, the final exercise ended in a fall and a score of 153.76. “We have continually improved in a season that got off to a rocky start for us,” said Max Hanselmann as the Bugners began to process their first final defeat. “This obviously hurts after winning four World Championships in a row,” André Bugner said. “But Schefold and Hanselmann rode much better than us in the final and we made a crucial error at the end.” Lukas Burri and Fabienne Hammerschmidt were over the moon with their bronze medal. The Swiss mixed pair improved significantly on last year’s performance, setting a new national record in the preliminary round. The duo was then rewarded for another strong program in the final with a place on the bottom step of the podium. Lukas was even serenaded by the 3,500 spectators to mark his birthday.

UCI News

TONY MARIN says he now understands that “the International Cycling Union is managing this case in accordance with the rules.”

ONY MARIN (Katusha-Alpecin) has walked back comments that Chris Froome received special treatment from the International Cycling Union (UCI) surrounding his adverse analytical finding for salbutamol. In a Facebook post over the weekend, Martin said he has received “a lot of feedback” to his original post from last week that said the treatment Froome was getting from the UCI was scandalous and created a double standard. Martin said Froome should not have been allowed to compete in the World Championships after an antidoping test taken on September 7 during the Vuelta a España revealed Froome had twice the legal limit of the asthma drug in his system. Froome has not been suspended and will have an opportunity to explain why his salbutamol level was so high. In his most recent statement, also posted on Facebook, Martin said he now understands that “the UCI is managing this case in accordance with the rules and that Chris Froome did not get any special treatment. According to the rules, in a case involving a specified substance, every athlete shall have the chance to explain whether the numbers can be due to natural causes.” Because there are legitimate medical reasons why Froome uses the drug, which is not on the Wada banned list, the Team Sky leader will be

afforded the opportunity to explain why his levels reached 2,000 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml), or twice Wada’s threshold of 1,000 ng/ml. While backing off his initial claims of a double standard in the Froome case, Martin said he is “always very angry when another case in relation to antidoping happened in our sport. I will, as I always did, continue to take a strong position regarding the fight against doping, and I will always remain an outspoken advocate for a 100% clean sport.” Froome, who won the Vuelta for the first time in September, has denied any wrongdoing or any violation of the antidoping rules in regard to his adverse analytical finding. The four-time Tour de France winner says he has suffered with asthma since childhood and was allowed to take salbutamol during the Vuelta. Froome has claimed he followed the advice of his doctor to increase the use of an inhaler when his symptoms worsened. “My asthma got worse at the Vuelta so I followed the team doctor’s advice to increase my salbutamol dosage,” Froome said in a team statement released previously. “As always, I took the greatest care to ensure that I did not use more than the permissible dose. “I take my leadership position in my sport very seriously. The UCI is absolutely right to examine test results, and, together with the team, I will provide whatever information it requires.”

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, December 23, 2017 A7

REFLECTIONS

Geraint Thomas, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, and Chris Froome are reflected in a pond as they ride in the pack during the fifth stage of the Tour de France approaching the finish in La Planche des Belles Filles in France in July. AP

OVISTAR has achieved seven successful seasons as part of the men’s WorldTour under their current title sponsor, but that isn’t enough for parent company Telefónica. The Spanish multinational broadband and telecommunications provider has duly recognized the importance of fostering inclusion and gender equality, factors that have sparked the creation of their new UCI women’s team in 2018. “I was surprised Telefónica wanted to build a women’s cycling project and that a huge company like that would go to bat for women’s cycling, especially here in Spain. It has been amazing and incredible,” the team’s appointed director, Jorge Sanz, told Cyclingnews. Sanz acknowledged several factors that came into play with Telefónica’s decision to support women’s cycling. That included a new generation of talent in Spain over the last four years, the UCI’s increased support to developing women’s cycling and a general shift in societal attitudes toward women in sport. “A few years ago Spanish women’s cycling sunk into one of its worst levels in history, with no representation in the women’s road race at the 2012 Olympic Games, in the top 100 of the UCI ranking or the top 30 of the UCI country ranking. It was a very bad situation. “But in the last four years, a young and talented generation has emerged, headed by Sheyla Gutierrez [Cylance Pro Cycling] and flanked by Eider Merino, Alicia Gonzalez and Alba Teruel. And add to that Ane Santesteban [Ale Cipollini], and older riders who had a later start in the sport like Mavi Garcia and Lorena Llamas, and suddenly it has improved. “Next year, Spain will have one woman in the top 50 of the UCI ranking, two women in the top 120 of the UCI ranking and Spain will sit in 16th on UCI country ranking. So you can see that change is happening. “We now have the UCI making some needed improvements for the development and professionalization of women cycling. And we can also find similar movements of equality happening in society.” The UCI has made some progress in developing women’s cycling standards with the creation of the Women’s WorldTour and building better event coverage and media

‘CHANGE IS HAPPENING’ AT MOVISTAR presence, among other solutions. There has also been the creation of the Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) women’s chapter and recently announced group called The Cyclists’ Alliance, headed by former and pro riders Iris Slappendel and Carmen Small, and Gracie Elvin (Orica-Scott), which both serve to educate women and improve working standards within the sport. Telefónica has supported the men’s WorldTour program, Movistar, for eight years (in 2018). Carlos López-Blanco, Telefónica’s global public affairs and regulations director, said one of the company’s initiatives is to foster inclusion and gender equality. Sanz elaborated on the importance of supporting the progress of professional women’s cycling. “Telefónica’s sponsorship of a women’s team is a reflection of one of its own values toward equality,” Sanz said. “It decided that now is the moment to support women in sport, and specifically cycling. “Luckily, social values and development are changing step-by-step. Not as fast as we wish, but hopefully now without pause. Traditionally, cycling has been considered [by some] a ‘men’s sport’ because of its association with suffering and strength. Society has changed or is changing, at least. Society must forget stereotypes like these because they are wrong.” Movistar women’s team are built on the same management, sponsors and staff as the men’s WorldTour outfit, with Eusebio Unzué as their general manager. Sanz is a cycling coach who started working with women’s teams five years ago, taking on a directing and coaching role with the Lointek Team. He will direct the 10-woman team in what he says is a solid two-year commitment, and he is convinced that Telefónica envisions a long-term program beyond 2019. The team include Spanish riders Mavi García, who was second at the Spanish national championships in the road race behind Anna Sanchis and fifth overall at the Tour de l’Ardeche. Alicia González was third at the nationals road race and stood on the podium in a stage of the BENE Ladies Tour. Eider Merino was fourth in the road race at nationals and third at Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria. The team also includes Lourdes Oyarbide, the Spanish

time-trial champion, Gloria Rodríguez and Alba Teruel, who was 10th at the Madrid Challenge, and Lorena Llamas. The team hired French rider Aude Biannic, who was third in the overall classification at the Route de France in 2014 and 10th in the women’s road race at the 2012 Olympics. Australia’s Rachel Neylan has spent the last three seasons with Orica-Scott. She was second in the road race at the world championships in 2012, and more recently had a string of second places at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and Erondegemse Pijl. Poland’s Malgorzata Jasinska joins the team from Cylance. She twice won the overall title at the Giro della Toscana and was second overall at the Tour Femenino de San Luis. Sanz admitted that the team are relatively inexperienced, and that might be their biggest weakness, but he believes that what they lack in experience they make up for in potential. “We are very happy about our team,” Sanz said. “We have a capable team, without a big leader, but with a mediumhigh level of talent. I think our weakness is inexperience, but our undeveloped talent is our strength.” “The team will give all the women the professional facilities and support needed to develop and reach the level we know they have. It will be a great year; I’m very sure because we know we have the talent.” Cyclingnews

WIND TUNNEL TESTING

Riders from UAE Team Emirates—Rui Costa and Filippo Ganna—go through the paces during a recent wind tunnel testing at Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. The riders are supervised by UAE Team Emirates staff and are tested bikes, components and accessories over two days. UAE Team Emirates has high hopes for Ganna, a 21-year-old Italian who signed his first contract with the team this season after riding as a stagiaire with precursor Lampre-Merida. Ganna, a track rider and time trial specialist, earned his top result in 2017 with fifth in the individual time trial at the Tour of California. He was also ninth in the 2017 European championships time trial.

DOUBLE STANDARD FOR FROOME? SKY TOLD: SUSPEND FROOME

THE Movement for Credibility in Cycling (MPCC) has called on Team Sky to provisionally suspend Chris Froome until the case around his abnormal test for salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta a España is settled. “Chris Froome’s abnormal test result triggered a huge public outrage,” the MPCC said in a statement sent to the media. “When it comes to ‘specified substance’, such as salbutamol, provisional suspension is not mandatory and the rider is free to choose it or not. Nevertheless, MPCC wishes to make a statement on this topic.” The MPCC is a group that teams join voluntarily. Currently Team Sky is not among the seven WorldTour teams that have joined the program. In all, 43 teams have signed up to follow the MPCC’s standards, which include an article that urges teams to “take responsibility to immediately suspend a rider receiving his first positive testing result. Each member team will inform the President of MPCC as soon as they acknowledge a positive test result sample A.” “These rules that the team members commit to were made with a clear purpose: transparency,” the MPCC said in its Monday statement. “This is for the benefit of all, and to

benefit cycling, as well. “This is the reason MPCC and its board of directors, without making any assumption toward the final decision, asks Team Sky to suspend its rider on a voluntary basis, until the end of the procedure. This measure would allow the rider and its team to focus on their defense with serenity, but also to avoid tension among many managers and riders.” MPCC rules require any rider who needs corticoid treatments, even if authorized by a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), to sit out of competition for eight days. The group also took aim at former Team Sky and British Cycling coach Shane Sutton’s comments that use of medicine via TUE was a way to gain a performance advantage. “MPCC also requests that UCI opens an inquiry following Shane Sutton’s statements. The former Team Sky and UK’s national team’s coach admitted that some of the medicine requiring a TUE might have been use to enhance performance,” the MPCC said in its statement. “Given the zero tolerance that everyone advocates and the necessity for transparency, MPCC renews its wish to see Team Sky and all the other teams, sponsors, organizers, national federations, agents, etc...to join MPCC on a voluntary basis. MPCC’s philosophy, alongside

the UCI, can make a real difference in the fight against doping.” Cyclingnews contacted Team Sky but the team did not wish to comment.

Cyclingnews

VAN MOORSEL: NO PROOF IN EPO USE

EONTIEN ZIJLAARD-VAN MOORSEL is back in the news reiterating that she did not take EPO during her illustrious professional cycling career. “I cannot come with proof, because there is no proof,” the former Dutch racer told Wielerflits.nl. Van Moorsel raced in the 1980s through 2005, briefly leaving the sport to treat an eating disorder, anorexia nervosa. Returning to cycling, she later won three Olympic gold medals in the road race (2000) and twice in the time trial (2000 and 2004). She won world titles in on the road (1991 and 1993) and in the time trial (1998 and 1999), in addition to winning major women’s stage races Grand Boucle and Tour de l’Aude. In an interview published in Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant in September, Dutch doctor Peter Janssen stated that he purchased and then administered EPO to Van Moorsel ahead of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. “She made an appointment because she sought guidance for her anorexia. She wanted her weight to be checked,” Janssen said in the September interview. “Leontien’s husband, Michael Zijlaard, was always there. They came outside the

office hours. I think they might have been six times. There was often a long time between, and at the last of those consultations it was then asked if it was possible to try a cure.” She has always denied the claims saying that she visited Dr. Janssen’s practice to receive advice about her diet and training plans, and added, “I am very grateful to Dr. Janssen. He gave me the motivation when I made my comeback to believe in myself again.” In a new interview, Van Moorsel vehemently denies allegations of EPO use, and told Wielerflits.nl, “he says I did it, and I say I did not do it. But I cannot come with proof, because there is no proof.” She also said that after Dr. Janssen’s claims were published, she was forced to remove herself from the spotlight so that the allegations did not affect her family. “Go and explain to your 10-year-old daughter that the world is so hard. That hurts yourself and your family a lot. So we deliberately opted to take a break from the picture. If I had not had a child, I certainly would not have done that.” She said she has not considered taking legal action against Dr.

LEONTIEN ZIJLAARD-VAN MOORSEL vehemently denies allegations of EPO use. Janssen over the allegations because she does not want the issue to continue. “Then you let the issue live longer,” she said. “And then it is your family, because your child is also burdened with that. Moreover, it becomes a game of he said, she said.” Cyclingnews

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, December 23, 2017 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

you old and infirm? For more retirees in China, new Are Then kindly disappear sunny escape is now within reach L

ANYA, China—While the white-sand beaches and five-star international resorts are meant to be the main attraction, for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese retirees who descend upon this tropical city every winter, dancing on the seaside boardwalk is often the real draw. On a recent, balmy morning, palm trees swayed along the beachfront promenade as gray-haired dancers twirled and sashayed about. Retired men in head-totoe Hawaiian print and women in floppy hats and flowery skirts sat on wheelchairs and folding stools, exchanging gossip over card games. Nearby, singers took turns belting out Mao-era favorites on an outdoor karaoke machine. Nearly every corner of the promenade was occupied by older snowbirds looking to escape the dreary, bone-chilling winter of the north. And here, in this seaside city on Hainan island, the southernmost edge of China, was their wintertime paradise. Welcome to China’s Florida. “Oh, we absolutely love it here,” said Xu Yan, 70, sporting a dyed perm and big sunglasses as she sat beneath a palm tree near a gaggle of ballroom dancers. Splayed out on a pink towel next to Xu was her companion, a toothless white Chihuahua named Maomao, who was burying his snout into a mound of torn-up hotdog pieces. Every winter for the past 13 years, Xu, a retired airline worker, and Maomao have left their home in the frigid northeastern city of Harbin to stay in Sanya.

Like Xu and Maomao, more than half the nearly 400,000 retired snowbirds who flock to Sanya every year, are said to hail from China’s northeast. China’s population is rapidly aging. Experts predict that by 2055, 400 million Chinese—or about a quarter of the country’s population—will be older than 65. And dramatically improved life expectancy and rising incomes have afforded these older people a freedom to enjoy life postretirement in a way that would have been unthinkable for their parents’ generation. “Retired life is better than we could have ever imagined,” said Sheng Shengmin, 67, a retired building contractor from Beijing. Last year Sheng joined the wave of snowbirds who have laid down roots here, buying an apartment in the city for the equivalent of $272,000. After years of living in Beijing, Sheng said, “the pollution, the migrant workers, and the cold” had made the capital city uninhabitable. “Once you retire and you’ve saved up enough money, you don’t want to go back to living in the big cities,” Sheng said as he took a sip from his tea thermos, a common accessory for many older Chinese. That so many Chinese retirees

would leave behind their homes to live in an unfamiliar city is all the more remarkable given China’s tradition of filial piety. For generations, children in China have grown up with the expectation that they would one day care for their aging parents. But there are growing concerns that responsibility may be too much for the generation of only children produced by the “one child” policy to handle on their own. As a result, more empty nesters in China are adopting the snowbird lifestyle with the aim of easing the burden on their children. “Right now, it’s fine because we’re healthy,” said Zhao Kaile, 62, a retired railway bureau administrator and a native of Mudanjiang in northeastern. “Before, we thought retired life would be very dull, just sitting on little stools in the sun and shriveling up and growing old,” Zhao said. “But our lives have transformed. We had no idea that after coming here we would be so happy and have so many friends.” Not everyone is happy with the presence of Sanya’s snowbirds. The annual influx, which began in the early-2000s, has created tensions with local residents, who are increasingly outnumbered by their seasonal visitors. Locals complain that the retirees have driven up the cost of housing and food while simultaneously taking advantage of public services like transportation and hospitals. They find peace only in the offseason summer months, when the snowbirds retreat to their homes up north to escape the sweltering temperatures and monsoon rains. Several years ago, the local government began razing large tracts of housing in the city, in what many see as an ongoing effort to drive out the often frugal snowbirds by denying them places to rent. Oth-

ers say the goal is instead to attract high-spending vacationers to boost local tourism, already one of the city’s main industries in addition to agriculture. “Sanya wants to be known as an international tourism destination, not as an elderly retirement community,” said Huang Cheng, a lecturer at the University of Sanya who has studied the local snowbird phenomenon. Several months ago, Wen Zhiguo, manager of a local hotel that caters to aging snowbirds, was forced to move to the outskirts of the city after the local government tore down his seaside facilities. Despite the change in location, Wen continues to run a brisk business renting out rooms to retirees who pay about $350 a month in exchange for simple accommodation and three meals a day. On a recent afternoon, the lobby of Wen’s hotel began to stir as guests rose from their lunchtime naps. The choice of activities was plentiful—calligraphy, mahjong, cards and table tennis—and the faint scent of medicinal ointment infused the sunlit room. A stately looking man with a snow-white coif sat quietly at a table playing a game of mahjong solitaire. A retired soldier in the People’s Liberation Army, Wang Xingeng, 89, remembered the first time he visited Sanya more than a half-century ago, just after the Communist Party’s 1949 takeover. “Back then, the island was all shabby little huts, there were no buildings,” Wang said. “It was the poorest place I’d ever seen. It’s where they sent criminals.” “I never thought I’d be back here,” he added, looking around pensively at his fellow snowbirds. “But now I’ve come full circle.” New York Times News Service

Rebuilding Puerto Rico, one small gesture at a time

TUADO, Puerto Rico—Tito El Bambino, one of Puerto Rico’s best-known reggaeton singers, picked up the donated cases of water and bags of food, hugged the grandmother and walked the supplies up the stairs of her floodedout duplex. “Que Dios te bendiga”—May God bless you—said the woman, Rosa Torres Rental, 70, teary-eyed, as the two embraced. “You don’t forget about the forgotten.” “I’m here to help,” Tito said, flashing her a grin. In the weeks after Hurricane Maria steamrollered Puerto Rico in late-September, breaking cement poles in half, sweeping away bridges, soaking houses and flinging roofs, the island collectively shouted for help until, gradually, it arrived. Relief workers began to distribute food, water and medical care. Water came back online little by little. Electricity remains the last holdout; 68 percent has been restored and nine of 78 municipalities remain without. But the day-to-day task of looking after each other and digging out from the storm, sometimes block by block, has fallen largely to Puerto Ricans, and most have done so with intimate gestures of compassion and solidarity. “That is the beauty of this,” said Carmen Velez, 53, who motioned recently toward the mud around her house, her broken fence, the mound of unwashed clothes and the lanterns she relies on for light. “We all come together like one big family.”

Velez, and other residents of Bubao, a fleck of a town in mountainous Utuado that was cut off by damaged roads and bridges, had little choice but to rely on each other. After the storm, they stepped out of their washed-out houses and began to shovel and sweep and mop even as they waited, forever it seemed, for help to arrive. They worked for days to try to make the town’s main road passable. “It took everyone two weeks,” Velez said. “They finally sent a tractor to help move all the dirt and debris.” The small kindnesses came daily. A neighbor with bottles of water always made a point of leaving a few at Velez’s doorstep. A relative with ice, a precious commodity, would give her a bag now and again. In turn, if someone needed a lantern, she handed over one of hers. Mothers cared for each other’s children and took turns waiting in lines at banks and gas stations. Teachers clambered into the bed of pickup trucks and traveled as far as they could along muddy, washed-out roads to check on their students. Torres had been saved by two neighbors as floodwaters filled her home. She was dazed and could not get out, so the men had lifted her through a window. Around the island, doctors have teamed to make forays into hard-toreach towns in the interior, jumping in cars and SUVs with whatever supplies they could muster. New York Times News Service

‘LOLA’-MADE CHRISTMAS TREE Nana Cenia of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur sells a Christmas tree she made from scrap bamboo for only P650.

LAILA AUSTRIA

ITCHFIELD PARK, Arizona— Nancy Root remembers when she vanished. Not the exact date, but the occasion: She went shopping for a mattress. This was a few years ago. Because the mall was so big and her legs were so weak, she used a wheelchair, which was new to her, and had a friend push her. Their wait for service was unusually long, and later, as she used the wheelchair more and more, she understood why. In the chair she became invisible. In the chair she turned radioactive. People looked over her, around her, through her. They withdrew. It was the craziest thing. She had the same keen mind, the same quick wit. But most new acquaintances didn’t notice because most no longer bothered to. She told me all of this recently not in anger, but in bafflement. Could I explain why her infirmity and her age—she’s 82—erase her? She has her own theories. Maybe strangers worry that she’ll need something from them. Maybe they see in her their worst fears about their own futures. Probably they extrapolate from her physical diminishment. “They think I’m mentally incapacitated,” she said. “I’m sure of that. I’d stake my life on it.” “Doctors’ offices are the worst,” she added, describing how receptionists address whoever’s pushing her. “I’m not acknowledged. ‘Does this lady have an appointment?’ ‘Does this lady have her medical card?’ They don’t allow this lady to have a brain.” But it’s not just receptionists. It’s flight attendants. Movie-theater employees. They make dismissive assumptions about people above a certain age or below a certain level of physical competence. Or they simply edit those people out of the frame. I met Nancy on a Baltic cruise in September, and I couldn’t edit her out of the frame because she was smack in the middle of it, right in front of me, asking smart questions and making even smarter observations. I was one of five speakers giving lectures to a group of about 60 passengers, including her, who’d signed up for them. She traveled with two younger friends who helped her negotiate the ship’s narrow corridors. But after chatting extensively with the three of them at an initial cocktail-hour reception in one of the lounges, I didn’t spot them at our group’s subsequent social gatherings there. An e-mail that she sent me the following month solved that mystery. “On our cruise,” she wrote, “I again experienced the uneasiness of people toward us ‘physically challenged’ types. Even among our educated group, people ignored me.” So she parceled out her exposure to them. She and her companions did their own thing. The more I thought about her experience, the more I realized how widespread it undoubtedly is, and how cruel. The Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention estimate that more than 2 million Americans use wheelchairs for their daily activities and 6.5 million depend on canes, crutches or walkers. And the country is getting grayer and grayer. There are roughly 50 million Americans age 65 and older, representing about 15 percent of the population. According to projections, there will be 98 million by 2060, representing nearly 25 percent. Nancy’s infirmity is unusual and goes back to when she was a 2-yearold in the Pittsburgh area in the late 1930s. She had polio, though her parents, knowing how ostracized children with the virus could be, kept that a secret. “They destroyed all the evidence,” she said, “and they never told me.” Only many decades after the fact did she figure out the truth, and only in recent years did post-polio syndrome—a condition that afflicts many childhood survivors of the disease—degrade her muscles to a point where was forced to use a cane, then a wheelchair. Her health was good for most of her life, as she attended Oberlin College, married, had a daughter and went to work for the National Science Foundation and then the Department of Agriculture, where she was an analyst. Her career, she said, made her as conspicuous in her suburban Washington neighborhood as she is invisible in other settings now. “It was frowned upon,” she told me, noting that most of the other mothers back then stayed home. “But I loved it.” She and her husband retired to the Phoenix suburb of Litchfield Park, where she now lives alone in their three-bedroom apartment. About five years ago, he felt a twinge on the treadmill and was found to have pancreatic cancer. Three months later, he was dead. That sped her decline. Her arms grew feebler, her legs wobblier. Her pain intensified. Vanity be damned, she wore one of those pendants to be pressed if she fell. But she once forgot to put it on, tripped and lay on the living-room floor from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., when a housekeeper happened to arrive. She recounted the episode to me in a tone of wonder at life’s freaky occurrences and at our ability to get through them. There wasn’t a scintilla of self-pity in her voice. She considers herself lucky because her daughter is nearby. She has all the money she needs. “I have my mind,” she said, “and I see where others are losing theirs.” She reads for many hours every day. Books were a big topic for us when I visited her a few weeks ago. It frustrates her that she has never finished Ulysses or Finnegans Wake. We talked about politics, too. About Singapore, where she traveled— with a wheelchair and helpers— about two years ago. About her job with the agriculture department and how ethical and underappreciated she always found farmers to be. New York Times News Service

Divorce is making American families 66 percent bigger

HIS holiday season, many Americans may need a flow chart to figure how they’re all related. What do you call, for example, your stepmother’s son’s livein girlfriend’s 11-year-old son? As family structures become more complicated, a new body of new research is attempting to quantify the trend. The proliferation of stepchildren, half-siblings and other extended relationships has important implications for how American families function. Almost a third of US households headed by adults under age

55 have at least one stepparent, according to a recent analysis of survey data by University of Massachusetts Boston Professor Emily Wiemers and others. Similarly, the study found that, looking at couples over age 55 who have adult children, 33 percent have a stepchild. These step relationships can stretch both the size and definition of family—researchers included both married and unmarried cohabiting couples in the analysis. For Americans with grown children, counting stepchildren boosts the total number

of adult kids by 66 percent, the study found. The rise in divorce and remarriage is driving this growth in family size. Over the past two decades, the divorce rate has doubled for older Americans. Almost 30 percent of people over 50 had been married more than once, according to a recent study by scholars at Bowling Green State University. About 40 percent of older Americans with children are in stepfamilies, according to survey data. “People in stepfamilies are often unsure of what their ob-

ligations are to their stepkin,” Bowling Green sociolog y professor K aren Benjamin Guzzo said. “It’s not uncommon for ind iv idua ls to feel l i ke t hey have to choose how to spread resources across their biological and step-relatives.” These questions come up when planning vacations, paying for college, and especially as parents and stepparents age. Couples can fight about how much money or time they owe to children from their previous vs. current relationships. Bloomberg News

The Millennials BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, December 23, 2017

Offered a chance, Chan wants to return the favor Part One

challenge. But I, together with my team, always come up with fresh ideas for start-up programs and get feedback on what works, as well as finding ways to engage an everincreasing number of partners and organizations. It’s been a great privilege to have had the opportunity to execute and turn this idea into a reality and continue to build on it.

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

@brownindio

OWER cranes lured her back. Ten years ago, Katrina Rausa Chan graduated at the Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in materials science and engineering with additional major in business administration.

But the United States was still reeling from an economic recession and tensions against immigrants were running high. A Christmas trip to her homeland one day gave her a different view: tower cranes everywhere, she said. In an e-mail interview with the BusinessMirror, Chan, now 28 and the current executive director of Qbo Innovation Hub, bared her journey from an atmosphere of recession to a budding ecosystem of start-ups in the Philippines. In this question and answer, Chan also shared the roots of her patriotism, planted during her life as a student of the Philippine Science High School (PSHS) fondly called by alumni as “Pisay”.

You had the chance to stay in the United States, the land of opportunities, but you came back. Why?

Around the time that I graduated and while I definitely had good career prospects, the US economy was still in the early stages of recovering from the recession and there was a generally negative sentiment, fear

and anger about jobs going to immigrants. (But when) I went home for Christmas break there were literally cranes, cranes and cranes everywhere. The Philippine economy was experiencing rapid growth. Our (credit) ratings had recently been upgraded to investment grade and optimism was palpable. There was so much potential. I think I made the decision then to continue my journey in the Philippines. I’d also seen so many things that I understood could be implemented here but weren’t yet being done. Start-ups were one of those things. In the US my smartest, most accomplished friends were turning down massive offers from Wall Street and corporates to work in tech or put up their own companies. I came home and start-ups weren’t even a thing. In classic millennial fashion, I just felt like the work I would do here would be more meaningful and impactful. I could actually make a difference or introduce something

Purpose

Maxine Mamba

inspired

APPINESS is sweet and cloying. It is sunshine and roses. Even if I never got that analogy of roses being all that great, for one, they are so thorny. If anything, happiness as sunshine and roses should be an analogy for purpose. Purpose is deep. Purpose is about grit. Grit is the new word that determines success. It is the one word that seems to determine if your child will have a future or not. The funny thing is, you don’t have to be a child grit-bearer to have grit. I got mine in adulthood. I think it is the very challenges of “adulting,” that is, the demand on an adolescent or young individual to fulfill his or her obligations to his or himself and society at large that produce this grit. Grit isn’t something you are born with. I was a spoiled child in so much as I had all the love I wanted. I never needed anything I didn’t already have or could have and I was happy. Then adulting came, and wreaked havoc on my pretty little world. Then it became a choice: Get some grit, or lose to life. That is all it is really: Happiness is a choice. Yet, the more you choose to fight, to be more than you’ve ever been, to heed the call of reality, that’s when you start having grit. You take grit with every step that you take. Like the military, the badges of honor are received after the war, after the fighting, after the mud and blood have all been washed away. That’s when you can say that you are a champion. Where is purpose then? Purpose is your flag across the line of fire. It is the beat of the war drums in your heart that keeps you taking one step after another, even long after your body has been shod with bullets. It is the mad love that drives you to live when all logic of past experience is telling you that you should be dead by now. Purpose is the soundtrack to your movie. And during your lowest moments, those few strings of music are enough to fill your heart

Do you sometimes feel frustrated the way the local economy goes as far as the start-ups are concerned?

katrina rausa chan

new versus being an indistinguishable cog in a giant machine. What really tipped the scales, clichéd as that sounds is, is that I really did want to try and make a difference for this country. In Pisay we were taught about being an iskolar ng bayan and were instilled with a sense of patriotism. The Philippines and the Filipino people have so much more to offer than just good beaches, karaoke, domestic helpers and Manny Pacquiao, which are basically the things people would respond with whenever I’d mention I was a Filipino. I chose to come back because I, perhaps naively, believed I could achieve something meaningful, especially in science and technology, and, of course, for personal reasons, so I could be with my family and enjoy home cooking.

So you joined Qbo. What do you really do there?

(As) director of QBO, I lead our team’s overall operations, strategy and partnerships. In addition to managing our stakeholders, growth and fund-raising, I also work with and advise start-ups directly. In a lot of ways, QBO is actually my “start-up”. And as with any other startup, everyone in the team has to be scrappy and wear multiple hats. I’m the occasional web-site developer, HR head, tech support or marketing and social-media manager, too. I see my main role as figuring out how we can develop and sustain QBO and ultimately achieve our vision of “Filipino start-ups changing the world” by “growth-hacking” the start-up ecosystem in the country. Every day presents a different

Absolutely. As Uri Levine, the cofounder of Waze, has been quoted as saying: “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution”. The problem we’ve fallen in love with at QBO—to build a thriving start-up and innovation ecosystem in the Philippines—is a complex one because in a way, you’re working against the established status quo, in daring to say that anyone who can execute on an idea and solve a problem, even a couple of kids in a garage, or a kubo, can create a dent. The way I see it, there was never a shortage of talent or passion—of skilled entrepreneurs, gifted inventors, and minds bent on changing the world. But often, start-ups died along with their ideas in the early stages of their growth. Starting and growing a business was hard enough but, in the Philippines in particular, there was an incredible amount of friction. There’re people (who) wanted to lend a hand to start-ups but no straightforward way of figuring out how to connect them. There isn’t very much risk capital available, especially for founders who didn’t have the right last name or connections. There were ambiguous policies and complexities in both setting up and shutting down businesses that made it more difficult for

start-ups to achieve some velocity and break through. For the few that are making it, (we’ll) be doing more to highlight and celebrate success stories. It can definitely challenge your patience when you know you’re on the verge of something and also know you’re yet to realize its full potential. Finding solutions to these challenges was the very motivation behind setting up QBO, the country’s first public-private initiative for start-ups and key to it all is the very Filipino term of bayanihan. Collaboration is at the core of everything that we do. Involving the government, for example, was a key piece that I believe is important if we were to achieve broad, systemic change at scale. I knew of initiatives, such as Spring in SG and Start-up Chile, which is the largest LatAm start-up program. Both were quite successful and fully government driven. Of course, we also drew inspiration from Silicon Valley, an ecosystem/environment that’s produced some of the most successful startups in the world. What was valuable about hubs and what they all have in common is that, they “seeded” the momentum and created a pull that drew in and brought together not only the founders but also the entire support ecosystem to cater to the start-ups: companies to work with them, investors to fund them, professionals to service their needs, students to work for them and so forth. We realized that what the Philippine startup ecosystem needed was something that acted as this focal point for dynamic collaboration to develop a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, assist startups a nd encou ra ge t he i r g row t h. To be continued

Hey, ‘budtender,’ over here with a fire to carry on. So, what if you haven’t found happiness? In the path of life, sometimes all you have to do is follow your duties and desires. That’s right I said duties. Sometimes people think that their purpose is something far away that they have to find. It’s some rare gem in the middle of the temples of the Tibetan Himalayas or hidden in some Asian continent for white people, and in the heart of a white guy for most Filipinas. Yet, purpose sometimes can take on the color of your favorite house rag. Sometimes what we have been used to doing every day for the people we love is part of our purpose. We see it as common place, because we think that purpose is a many feathered rainbow pheasant that flies into our lives and changes everything around us. The truth is, sometimes it is. But sometimes, purpose comes in solid and somber tones like duty, devotion, loyalty, faithfulness and sacrifice. That doesn’t sound sexy to the generation that loves selfies and traveling the world, but there it is. Sometimes our purpose is simply to love the people that are closest to us. Sometimes our purpose is defeating the sin that has lived in the dark corners of our families for years. Sometimes it is waging a war against the demons of lust, greed, sloth, selfishness and ego. If you think that purpose should be unique to you, think about your family and everyone around you. There are reasons that they are “stuck” with a person, such as you. There is something you can offer them that would catapult their growth greatly. Now some of you are thinking that I’ve digressed. You want to find your purpose, not make other people happy, right? Why am I talking about the needs of others? Shouldn’t it be all about you? Should it? It really shouldn’t be all about you. Really. That is what suicidal people have in common. They are stuck in the state of entropy. The vacuum inside their soul is only aware and sucks the life out of them. Your purpose is to be a gift to this world and, most of all, the people around you. Maxine Mamba is a regular contributor to the Millennials page of the BusinessMirror. The views expressed in her column, however, do not necessarily reflect those of the BusinessMirror’s. E-mail her at millennialuniverse@yahoo.com.

OS ANGELES—Carli Jo Bidlingmaier was talking to a group of 20-somethings in a living room in the Bel-Air neighborhood here, weeks before the wildfires. She was explaining that consuming marijuana allows a woman to awaken her yoni, a Sanskrit term for vagina favored by Hollywood bohemians. “Everybody stand up!” she shouted. The crowd, all women seated on pillows on the floor, leapt to their feet. Bidlingmaier, a former casting producer for The Bachelor, vigorously shook her hips. She was leading the women in a so-called cannabis sensuality circle that seemed like something out of 1960s Esalen: joints, frank talk about sexuality, meditation and—at the end of the night—a headlong plunge into a big bowl of strawberries and dark chocolate. “It is our divine right to enjoy our pleasure,” Bidlingmaier said. No one disagreed. In January California will join the list of states where recreational marijuana is legal, among them Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Alaska. With researchers tallying California’s marijuana sales at $7.7 billion last year, the socalled green rush has already turned gold. Next year, the Standard hotel in Hollywood plans to open a dispensary for edibles. “It’s exploding in a good way,” said Emerald Castro, a brand ambassador for cannabis start-ups. “There are a lot of professionals on board.” Cannabis sales, currently for medicinal purposes, are primarily a cash business. (Federal laws prohibit the use of banks for illegal drugs.) And with restrictions on advertising, the industry retains something of a quaint dorm-room vibe. That means parties. Lots of them. Parties to educate and inform new users. Parties to connect to friends who partake. And parties to sell, sell, sell cannabis to an unfamiliar public, most of whom still think “Girl Scout Cookies” are for eating, Moby-Dick is a novel and Skywalker is Luke’s last name, rather than chic new strains. Along with the sensuality circles, there are get-togethers for gamers who smoke pot, marijuana Christmas parties, classes where artists can puff and paint. There are studios where yogis smoke sensimilla with their shavasana and members-only coworking spaces where entrepreneurs can enjoy a dab of hash while poring over data-flow diagrams and accounting receipts. “It all comes down to not feeling like a criminal, being seen as a criminal,” said Doug-

las Dracup, 31, whose Hitman Coffee Shop on South La Brea Avenue is one of these spaces. Parties, he said, have “set the stage for the industry to flourish.”

A different kind of high tea

IN a gated office building off Sunset Boulevard, tucked between a parking lot and two motels, about 25 people gathered on one recent Saturday for “White Rabbit High Tea.” Jessica Cole Eriksen, 34, began hosting tea parties in April 2016 after working as a nanny in Ireland, where brew was a daily ritual. “I’m rolling joints so, everyone, let’s get rolling,” said Eriksen, who brought a box filled with masks and hats for people to wear. “I’m so happy you are here on this lovely afternoon.” Some were friends or guests who read about the tea party, which cost $65, online. “I saw it on Instagram last month, and I thought I would come,” Bridgett Davis said, in between puffs under her leopard-print hat. “In December I’m going to pull out my mink. It’s a different kind of crowd, not teenagers or millennials.” Holden Jagger, a former executive pastry chef at the Soho House who started a cannabis cooking and cultivation business last year, prepared the meal. The table was set with place cards, gold lace paper napkins and strategically arranged ashtrays. There was no pot in the roasted corn and buttermilk scones. But there were plenty of joints, vape pens and edibles on the table. A server wearing a crimson dress and rabbit ears poured peach green tea. Tara Dawn Roseman, an eyebrow aesthetician, examined a bottle of lotion infused with medical marijuana. “My dad loves this stuff,” said Roxanne Dennant, whose company, Fruit Slabs, makes cannabis-infused fruit leather. “He rubs it on his hands. My hands are always hurting,” Roseman said. “Then use some!” Dennant said. “They are on the table to be used.” There were a lot of products to try: cannabis-infused cellulite cream, lip balm, chocolate cookies and small bottles of artisanal buds from Northern California. Roseman brought some pot from home, which she dumped on a plate so she could roll a joint. Platters of finger sandwiches were passed. “Do you find yourself with friends that want to talk about something else?” Dennant said. “We can’t. We are passionate.”

Sufficiently stoned

ERIKSEN refrained from smoking because she was pregnant. She watched as guests eyed the buds on the table. “You get a gift bag so you don’t need to pocket anything,” she said. As caramel popcorn and apple-pie cookies were passed, the table grew silent. A man put a zebra mask over his face and scrolled through his cell phone. “I was just staring off into the sky and thinking, ‘I am sufficiently stoned,’” Dennant said. Davis said, “You feel like not talking so much anymore.” Jagger joined the table. “I had a mom give me a cookie once,” he said, recalling his early 20s. “I just couldn’t talk for a while. My arms were moving, but my mouth wasn’t working. She put a whole plant into butter, and it was pretty strong.” When he was a younger man, Jagger said, he prided himself in baking potent cookies. Nowadays, cooks are better at tempering the high. “The idea that we can manage it,” he said, “takes the fun out of it.”

Taking care of the stars

MAYA Cooper was dressed in raspberry tights, gold chains and a blue kufi, a tableau that looked vaguely like vintage MC Hammer. It was the day before Halloween, and Snoop Dogg was hosting his wife’s birthday party, a 1980s-themed bash in an industrial building near the airport. “It’s my job to know everybody,” Cooper said, holding court in a hazy, smoke-filled lounge packed with couches and a bar crowded with jars of marijuana bud, rolling papers and smoking accessories. Cooper, 31, is the associate director of marketing for Merry Jane, a digital media company started in 2015 by Snoop Dogg to promote marijuana culture. She is better known, though, as a “budtender” to the stars. An Ohio native who once worked for Rolling Stone, she said she taught Gwyneth Paltrow how to use a vape pen. She has hosted bud bars at parties for Diplo and Calvin Harris, the music producers. Cooper has even spun cannabis-infused sugar into cotton candy for Miley Cyrus at a birthday party for Cyrus’s boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth. These days marijuana is marketed like coffee beans. Humboldt’s Finest, a collective from Northern California, was that night’s sponsor. Among the strains scrawled on a menu were Sunset Sherbet (“luscious melty treat”), Cookies (“an uplifting, potent high”) and OG Kush (“for total body melt”). A guest sidled up to the

bar and asked for six joints and some buds for a bong. On the dance floor, where Snoop Dogg was twirling with his wife, trays of pre-rolled joints were passed by female servers. In January Cooper teamed up with a dispensary to host a bar at the 30th birthday party for Cade Hudson, a talent agent who works for Creative Artists Agency. The party was held on the roof of an apartment complex in Beverly Hills, and about 200 people showed up. Singer Nick Jonas asked for a joint, Cooper said. Others kept their distance. “Sometimes celebrities will pass by,” she said. “They aren’t interested in coming to the station. So we bring the gift bag to them.”

Notoriously grabby

COOPER said sponsors don’t get paid to give away product, which makes a bar a costly proposition. The average price of a joint is about $3.50; small batch or craft cannabis costs twice that. “It’s hard to regulate celebrities,” she said. “They are used to having whatever they want.” The music crowd is notoriously grabby. So much so, she toyed with the idea of making people who give parties pay. Cooper said they ran out of pre-rolled joints halfway through the night at a Def Jam event during Grammy week. “People kept coming back to the bar,” she said. “They try to pretend like they are someone else. They kept stuffing their pockets. Someone even came over to the table, but this time with his hat off. I said, ‘I still recognize you.’”

A bake sale, so to speak

WHEN Jessica Assaf talks about marijuana, she always uses the word “she.” “It is the female plant that creates this precious flower,” she said one evening at a party in Venice. The booming cannabis market is filled with female entrepreneurs. “We are a community,” said Assaf, a former beauty and marketing executive. “And we show up for each other.” Indeed. About 100 people crowded a fencedin yard at the home of Abby Gould, an acquaintance of Assaf’s who works for a firm that invests in the cannabis industry. Lit candles were placed on wooden railings. A singer playing acoustic guitar serenaded guests gathered on the front lawn under a string of lights. No one was sipping chardonnay. The crowd was there for a “Bake Sale” sponsored by Cannabis Feminist, the company Assaf founded a year ago to sell marijuana-wellness products at home. New York Times News Service

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WOMEN, famous and otherwise, made their voices heard loud and clear, and they became Time’s Person of the Year.

‘Feminism’ is the word of the year PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez

luckydinna@gmail.com NOKIA 8, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6

THE BEST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH NOKIA HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, partners with global consumer finance expert Home Credit to make holiday gift-giving much easier and fun. Make the most of the gift of tech with the latest Nokia smartphones. Grab a Nokia 3, Nokia 5 or Nokia 6 on six-month installment and the Nokia 8 on 12-month installment with zero-percent interest at participating dealers nationwide. To make this Christmas treat even more exciting, a free JBL GO Bluetooth Speaker worth P1,599 will be given for every purchase of any Nokia Android smartphone. The promo is ongoing until December 31. Consider the Nokia 5 and 6—these Android phones use high-quality Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor, making them always ready to entertain and capture great moments. The Nokia 5 has a bright 5.2-inch HD display with sculpted Corning Gorilla Glass laminated and polarized to 500 nits to minimize reflections. The Nokia 6, with a vibrant 5.5-inch full HD IPS laminated display, offers a truly immersive audio experience with dual speakers with Smart Amplifier with Dolby Atmos. Meanwhile, the Nokia 8 flagship smartphone marks three world firsts for Android smartphones: a debut collaboration with ZEISS optics, Dual-Sight technology and Nokia OZO spatial 360° Audio, a match for today’s young, tech-savvy adults who love to create fresh and innovative content. The Nokia 8 features 13MP front and back cameras with ZEISS optics that let young creative storytellers capture both sides of every story in Dual-Sight mode and broadcast directly to Facebook live and YouTube. This is the first smartphone to have a one-touch button for sharing within the camera app. It also offers a new dimension of sound with its OZO spatial 360° audio. Nokia 8 units are available in both steel and polished blue.

OBODY is really surprised that MerriamWebster’s word of the year for 2017 is “feminism.” It’s been a good year and also a bad one for women. Good because after centuries of struggling for equality, they finally got the world’s attention, thanks to social media and hashtags like #MeToo. Bad because accounts from Hollywood and other corridors of power revealed influential, powerful men abusing women, and their victims understandably felt helpless, unable and, ultimately, unwilling to complain. Until now. The hashtag #MeToo has been used millions of times in 85 countries. A friend of mine, who was a victim of abuse, had to uninstall her Twitter app on all gadgets because it was all too much for her. And I understand her. Nobody really gets over sexual abuse. It’s a pain that lives in your heart and mind forever. Another female friend, meanwhile, said all the noise about sexual abuse on Twitter was making her head spin. “It’s too much for me, honestly,” she said. I’m not surprised that some of the choices for Word

of the Year included “complicit” and “empathy.” They are, somehow, related to feminism and sexual abuse. But feminism is not confined to speaking out against sexual abuse. It is, to me, a state of being. It represents a movement about women demanding the same rights men have enjoyed for generations. Merriam-Webster defines feminism as “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.” Time Magazine gave the honor of Person of the Year to the “The Silence Breakers,” who drove a worldwide conversation that continues today about sexual harassment and assault. In my opinion, it has never been a better time to be a woman. A lot of things online may be noise but now, a woman can post a picture of herself in a bikini on Facebook or Instagram and only someone who is sick in the head will call her a “slut.” In the future, women can post whatever they want without any fear. I’ve said to close friends that we may not be the ones to benefit from #MeToo and other feminist movements online, but our children and our children’s children will have better lives. Our daughters and granddaughters will have better lives because of this. But more than the stories of abuse and manipulation of women by powerful men, women stood out in 2017 because many of them finally came into their own, thanks to the Internet. The Internet gave so many women a voice. I have seen so many of them call out men who catcalled them on the streets, fondled them on the MRT, or said something inappropriate in the workplace. They’ve finally found the courage to say, “It wasn’t

my fault.” I admit that in the past, I have been guilty of saying things like, “She shouldn’t have worn that if she didn’t want the wrong kind of attention.” No one wants the wrong kind of attention, and guess what? She and any other female didn’t wear that pair of short shorts to be catcalled or fondled. It’s not anyone’s fault when men don’t respect women, save for the parent(s) who raised such men. When a man sexually assaults or abuses a woman, it is not because she wore something revealing or behaved inappropriately. It’s the man who didn’t behave inappropriately. I remember how this young man would tweet about being depressed and suicidal. Of course, a lot of females responded to his tweets. They said he could message them if he wanted to talk. Well, guess what? Depressed and suicidal guy only wanted to talk to the beautiful ones, many of them minors. He victimized so many girls, sliding into their DMs and saying inappropriate things. He got called out for that. Thankfully, this stopped him cold. I’m glad that social activist and former Social Welfare Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo is still around to witness everything that’s happening. Taguiwalo has been a feminist long before many people knew the word existed. A senator came under fire when he brought up her being an unmarried mother, calling Taguiwalo as someone “na-ano.” If you read interviews about Taguiwalo, you’d be pleasantly surprised at how feminism comes so naturally to her. Her guiding principle is, “A woman’s place is in the struggle.” It is not easy being a woman, even in this day and age. But it is better that our voice is now heard. We cannot be ignored. ■

Apple orchestrates deal for song-recognition app Shazam SAN FRANCISCO—Apple has bought Shazam, the maker of a song-recognition app that Apple’s digital assistant Siri has already been using to help people identify the music playing on their iPhones. The companies didn’t disclose the price of the acquisition announced on Monday. Technology news site Recode previously reported Apple is paying about $400 million for Shazam, citing three unidentified people familiar with the deal. Apple Inc. issued a statement describing Shazam as “natural fit” with its services. “We have exciting plans in store, and we look forward to combining with Shazam,” Apple said. The Cupertino, California, company declined to say whether Shazam’s app will still be available after the deal closes. Some of Shazam’s features conceivably could be blended into Apple’s music-streaming services, which has accumulated more than 27 million

subscribers since the company created it in 2015. Siri began drawing upon Shazam’s technology to answer questions about songs as part of a 2014 update to the iPhone’s operating system. The Shazam deal marks Apple’s biggest acquisition in music since paying $3 billion for Beats Electronics’s line of headphones and music service in 2014. Digital services have been playing an increasingly important role for Apple as the sales of iPhones—the company’s main moneymaker— have slowed. Software and other services generated $30 billion in revenue during Apple’s last fiscal year, a 23-percent increase from the previous year. Shazam was founded in 2002 and made one of the first apps for the iPhone. It has about 250 employees working at its London headquarters and seven other offices in the United States, Australia and Germany. AP

THE Apple logo looms over a store-location entrance in Dallas. The tech company has bought Shazam, the maker of a song-recognition app that Apple’s digital assistant Siri has already been using to help people identify the music playing on their iPhones. AP

Globe and SM team up for seamless digital experience in Supermalls through GoWiFi

FROM left: Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls; Jeffrey Lim, president of SM Prime Holdings; Hans T. Sy, chairman of the executive committee, SM Prime Holdings; Ernest Cu, president and CEO of Globe Telecom; and Willy Ocier, president of Philippine Global Communications.

IMAGINE seamless digital connection while shopping and dining in SM Supermalls. Through the partnership and collaboration of Globe Telecom and SM Supermalls, mallgoers will now be able to experience quality connectivity with GoWiFi Auto. This premium GoWiFi service allows customers to surf all day in 34 selected SM malls nationwide. Ernest Cu, president and CEO of Globe Telecom; Hans Sy, chairman of the executive committee of SM Prime and Willy Ocier, president of Philippine Global Communications Inc., signed a memorandum of agreement on November 23 at China Blue, Conrad Hotel, to roll out GoWiFi Auto. “The new GoWiFi access in SM Supermalls is in line with our company’s mission to create wonderful experiences for customers that include premium connectivity even while they are

out with their family and friends,” Cu elaborates in a statement. He says having GoWiFi access in all 34 SM malls gives customers a swift and dependable option when they connect to the Internet while shopping, dining inside the mall. The landmark partnership was witnessed by Globe Telecom executives, including Don Rae, head of the WiFi Business Group; Christopher Cheng, vice president of the WiFi Business Group; Adrian Te, director of the WiFi Business Group and Dominador Perez, head of rollout and deployment, WiFi Business Group. SM top executives who joined Sy included Jeffrey Lim, president of SM Prime and Annie Garcia, president of SM Supermalls. Globe GoWiFi Auto is a seamless way to connect to WiFi automatically while in a GoWiFi coverage area. Customers who avail

themselves of the GoWiFi Auto will be able to connect automatically to the Internet and enjoy uninterrupted browsing without ads, and without having to enter usernames and passwords. GoWiFi Auto also allows customers to connect automatically when moving to other locations within the mall and extends browsing time beyond the free daily time allotted to users. A one-time free trial allows new users to access GoWiFi Auto for three days from the moment of successful activation on the GoWiFi portal. The free three-day trial promo runs until December 31. GoWiFi Internet access can be used by Globe and TM customers, as well as customers from other networks. Both prepaid and postpaid users can use the paid premium GoWiFi service where charges can be deducted through their load and postpaid bill.

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5 things you should avoid posting on social media to have a ‘Merry Techmas’ Santa Claus has the right idea—visit people once a year.

—VICTOR BORGE

E’RE two days away from Christmas, that “most wonderful time of the year,” according to that song they keep playing at the malls and lead people straight to the payment counter. Those who say that people will be doing a lot more shopping online than in stores this holiday season probably haven’t been to Divisoria or even at the malls these past few weeks. You spend around two hours just to get to the mall, another hour to find parking, and add another hour and a half or so to find a place to eat—and you haven’t even bought a single item yet! But, hey, what would Christmas be without the mad dash of crowds and the chaos that goes along with Christmas shopping? Don’t get me wrong, I love Shopee and Lazada, but somehow it takes away the spirit—or the challenge—of hunting for gifts. Online shopping makes it too easy, and for a lot of Filipinos, finding that one great item on sale and scrutinizing the shopping cart of others is just as fun as humming collectively to Jose Mari Chan’s “Christmas in our Hearts.” So despite the warnings of Waze, we braved the horrendous traffic and went to the mall with my mom and dad to get them gifts and do a little bit of shopping myself.

BASEUS BY DIGITS GADGET accessory shops are my favorites, and I discovered a new store called Baseus at the third level of TriNoma in Quezon City. Baseus, or “Based on User,” is a new tech accessory brand that is gaining popularity among consumers around the world who are looking for good quality products at a reasonable price. The shop’s bright interiors and streamlined shelves make it easy to find the accessory you need. Among the dozens of products you can find in the store are car chargers, multifunctional cables, car mounts, flash drives, wireless chargers, powerbank cases and cable adapters. If you are an iPhone user, be sure to ask about the Backpack Power Bank Case—the world’s biggest powerbank case (from 2500 mAh to 7300 mAh) it can charge your iPhone 7 Plus/iPhone 8 Plus up to 4 times. I got mine for just P990 from its original price of P1,790. Another item that caught my eye is the Flexible Certified Cable. This official MFI (Made for iPhone) product is perfect for travelers who don’t want to bring long messy cables. Its small and compact and both the USB and Lighting plugs remain hidden in sight, but the 75cm cable can be pulled out or retracted easily when needed. For drivers who rely on Waze as much as I do, they also have several items for your car such as the Gravity Car Mount. It has a unique autolocking and unlocking cradle that can easily be used with just one hand without the need to press buttons or use an adhesive or magnet to install. They also have a mount for tablets so your kids can comfortably watch at the back seat. Another unique device they have is the Baseus Wireless Earphone Car Charger. This 2-in-1 device lets you charge your smartphone and also comes with a wireless mono-earpiece that you can hide and charge just by plugging it back into the

THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

main charger. Finally, for those who always seem to break their cables, the Confidant Anti-Break Cable may be the perfect gift. It is made up of three main components—a pair of aluminum alloy heads, 1.5 length nylon weave cord and nine layer SR antibreak neck piece on both ends to make sure it lasts. They also have almost all types of adapters to connect your devices (Type C to HDMI, microUSB to Type C, etc.), and if you love listening to music on your smartphone, you have have to checkout their HiFi earphones/headphones which cost a fraction of the price compared to other brands. I later found out that Baseus is also part of Digits Trading and was discovered by Charles Paw during one of their quarterly buying trips around Asia. He shared that each Baseus product goes through different steps. From observing a consumer’s daily life, creating innovative and patented designs, reasonable prices and even adjusting designs to fit each market in the world, Baseus ensures that the accessories make each consumer’s life easier. Originally from Shenzhen, China, Baseus, has already established its presence in eight different countries such as Korea, Dubai and Australia with their innovative and affordable products. Check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ O��icialBaseusPh for updates and promotions.

ALL-YEAR OUTLET SALE NOW if you are looking for really big discounts on branded items and don’t mind going on a bit of a road trip south of Metro Manila, you might want to head over to the Paseo Outlets of Greenfield City, Santa Rosa, Laguna (which I did last week). Paseo Outlets is the country’s biggest retail park, and as the establishment name suggests, every store there is an outlet store for premier brands, making it a haven for discounted shopping. Established in Santa Rosa, Laguna, in the 1990s, Greenfield City’s Paseo Outlets has become the go-to destination for everyone looking to score products from premium global brands at a lesser price compared to what’s offered in regular stores at the mall. Among the brands that can be found within the 15-hectare shopping district are Adidas, Aeropostale, Bally, Beauty Bar, Charles & Keith, Crocs, Debenhams, Giordano, Grendha, Gola, Ipanema, Levi’s, Marks & Spencer, Mizuno, Nike Factory Store and Nike Park, Mothercare, Nine West, Oakley, Pottery Barn, Samsonite, Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, Tutto Moda, UnderArmour, and Yard, just to name a few. And once you’ve finished shopping, you can grab a bite or enjoy a feast from restaurants and cafés, such as Café Breton, Kanin Club, Ryuma Robata Grill, Two

Saturday, December 23, 2017 A11

Style in sharp focus

Cold (yoghurt bar), Umenoya (Japanese restaurant), and Wheely’s Cafe (all-organic and vegan) and lots more. So its never too late for some Christmas shopping even beyond the holiday season because at Paseo Outlets, everything is on sale everyday.

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER POST THIS CHRISTMAS AS a final note, here are the things you should never post on social media during the holiday season. 1. THE GIFT YOU DIDN’T LIKE, AKA #WORSTGIFTEVER: They say it’s always better to give than to receive, especially if you are on the receiving end of a mirrorhairbrush combo. So even if you received a note pad instead of a Samsung Note 8, try not to show your frustration by posting it on social media. Posting petty comments about gifts you didn’t like, or who was the cheapest Secret Santa even if you don’t name them, can be very hurtful and may even lead to future conflicts. 2. ALL THE GIFTS YOU BOUGHT OR RECEIVED #BLESSED: Unless you are 10 years old, you should already know the difference between being grateful and just bragging. It can be fun to talk about what you’re planning to buy or what you bought for your family, but bear in mind that not everyone has had a great year as you did, and the holidays make it even more difficult for them. Be grateful and enjoy what you have, yet be sensitive to what others lack. 3. FAMILY DRAMA: Whether it’s an argument with your significant other or any family member, avoid posting any drama on social media. No matter how tempting it is to update your status with a snide remark or some sarcastic quote about some screwup. Christmas is for family reunions and not family squabbles. If you have problems with other family members, social media is definitely not the place to resolve family conflict. 4. PHOTOS OF OTHERS WITHOUT PERMISSION: OK, this is a bit tricky especially with all the parties you probably will be going to. But remember that the only person you truly have permission to share a photo of is yourself. It may not be a big deal to you but it’s always a good idea to tell everyone that you will be posting their photo on social media and ask for their permission. They might have their reasons for not wanting to be seen. Oh, and another thing: Stop tagging people who are not even in the photo! 5. ANYTHING YOU WOULDN’T WANT YOUR BOSS TO SEE: Even if you change the audience settings of your posts and photos, remember that friends-of-friends could still see them and they could easily get a screen cap and show it to your boss or anyone else that isn’t supposed to see it. Learn to censor yourself, especially if you’ve had too much to drink—and make sure your friends won’t be posting anything stupid on your behalf either. You might want to be the next viral social media superstar, but not because of some dumb post that got you fired. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

/ FINAL THOUGHTS: “Christmas is the season when you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money.”

—AUTHOR UNKNOWN

THE moto x series has always represented the best of what Android has to offer. Motorola Philippines ensures that through the moto x franchise, consumers get a uniquely intuitive experience with the powerful combination of pure Android and Moto Experiences. Building on this strong brand heritage, the new moto x4 is a smartphone crafted to perfection. With smarter software, the latest camera technology and a beautiful design, the smartphone has been put together to be unlike any other. The moto x4 features a smarter camera that can do more than just capture photos. The new Landmark Detection feature lets the camera serve as your eyes to the world—just point the lens at an object of interest and it will automatically ask if you want to learn more about what you’re seeing. It can even scan a business card and quickly add the info to your contacts. Now offering twice the camera, you can capture and do more with the combined capabilities of dual 12MP and 8MP rear cameras and advanced camera software. Add a blurred background to take professional-looking portraits and be among the first to experiment with new beta features that let you use selective black and white or color or even change the background. Dual Autofocus Pixel technology also means a faster focus in low light so you get professional quality pictures, and the wide angle lens lets you capture even more. Selfies take on new meaning with the moto x4, which has a 16MP front camera with an adaptive low light mode for the selfie you meant to take, while the new Panoramic Selfie feature provides a broader background so no one is cut out of the photo from your next family outing. The smartphone is armed with robust protection allowing you to tackle whatever your day may call for without worry. The IP68-rated water-resistant design keeps it protected from accidental spills, splashes and even puddles, so whether you’re mountain biking in the rain or there’s an accidental beverage spill in your kitchen, you can say goodbye to water damage. And when paired with the 3D rear contoured design, an anodized aluminum frame and Corning Gorilla Glass protecting the front and back of the device from scratches, moto x4 is as strong as it is beautiful. Equipped with powerful performance capabilities, streaming is now more efficient than ever with moto x4, which is driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 2.2 GHz octa-core processor, giving you all the performance you need to watch videos and play games free from annoying stutters. Inside, a 3,000 mAh battery will power you through your day, and the TurboPower charger gives you six hours of power in just 15 minutes. Now available in all Motorola experience stores, the first 100 of the moto x4 buyers will be entitled to a special freebie: a Motorola Pulse Escape Bluetooth over-the-ear headphone. How that for some additional Christmas cheer?

THE sleek new moto x4

Apple orchestrates deal for songrecognition app Shazam A10

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

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Saturday, December 23, 2017 A12

Twitter suspends white nationalists as it enforces new rules BY ALEXANDRA OLSON The Associated Press

EW YORK—Twitter suspended the accounts of well-known white nationalists on Monday, moving swiftly to enforce its new rules aimed at reducing what it deems abusive content. The account of far-right group Britain First, a small group that regularly posts inflammatory videos purporting to show Muslims engaged in acts of violence, was among the first to go dark. The individual accounts of two of its leaders, Jayda Fransen and Paul Golding, were also suspended. US President Donald J. Trump caused a stir last month when he retweeted a post by Fransen, drawing criticism from British Prime Minister Theresa May. Fransen and Golding were arrested in Belfast last week for allegedly stirring up hatred. Twitter said it would not comment on individual accounts. The company has emphasized that it takes into account many factors before making any enforcement decision, including context of the post, cultural and political considerations and the severity of the violation. Twitter’s actions drew praise from civil rights groups. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the AntiDefamation League, commended Twitter “for taking these significant steps to tackle hate on their platform.” The group Muslim Advocates, which had publicly called for the removal of Britain First’s account, applauded Twitter for “updating its policies and taking steps today to remove violent and hateful accounts from its platform.” The guidelines, announced a month ago and put into force this week, address hateful images or symbols, including those attached to user profiles. Monitors at the San Francisco company will weigh hateful imagery in the same way they do graphic violence and adult content. If a user wants to post symbols or images that might be considered hateful, the post must be marked “sensitive media.” Other users would then see a warning that would allow them to decide whether to view the post. Twitter is also prohibiting users from abusing or threatening others through their profiles or usernames. The company also now bans accounts affiliated with “organizations that use or promote

violence against civilians to further their causes.” The account for Jared Taylor, who heads the New Century Foundation, was among those suspended, along with his organization’s flagship online publication, American Renaissance. Taylor said he immediately appealed the suspension but swiftly received a reply from Twitter informing him that his account would not be restored, which he interpreted to mean he had been permanently banned. He said Twitter determined his account was “affiliated with a violent extremist group,” an allegation he denied. “Of all the preposterous things they could have said about me or American Renaissance, I can’t think of anything more preposterous,” Taylor said. New Century Foundation has been recognized as charity by the IRS, a decision that has drawn criticism from civil rights advocates. Taylor has said his group raises money for the benefit of the “white race.” Brad Griffin, who blogs under the name Hunter Wallace on the website Occidental Dissent, said in blog post that he was also suspended, along with Michael Hill, president of the League of the South, the Traditionalist Workers Party and others. American Renaissance and Occidental Dissent both referred readers to an online chat site frequented by white nationalists. The white nationalist Richard Spencer, whose account was not suspended, tweeted that he had lost more than a hundred

AFTER HUGE 2017 LINEUP, SMART ENTERTAINMENT BRANDS TO DELIVER MORE NEXT YEAR IT’S been quite a conquest for Smart’s entertainment offerings this year, as Smart Music Live and Smart Giga Movies bannered some of 2017’s biggest concerts and box-office hits. Britney Spears was 2017’s biggest international artist to do a Manila concert with her June 15 concert. Smart Music Live also brought in other big names in the world music arena with concerts from Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony,

BRITNEY SPEARS was among the blockbuster music stars that Smart brought to the Philippines.

David Guetta, Shawn Mendes, Liam Gallagher, Two Door Cinema Club, Zara Larsson, Daya, DNCE and Dua Lipa. Subscribers were treated to free tickets, exclusive minitours (via Smart Music Live Party Bus), perks and exclusive concert deals. In 2018 Smart Music Live will turn the heat up anew with the concerts of no less than Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, both happening this coming summer. For Smart Giga Movies, Logan opened Smart Postpaid’s year-long sponsorship of red-carpet screening events, social-media engagements and exclusive perks related to some of 2017’s mainstream Hollywood releases. Apart from Logan, Smart Giga Movies hosted events for Fast and Furious 8, Ghost in the Shell, Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle, Justice League and Wonder Woman. To enjoy such entertainment treats, follow Smart’s Facebook, Instagram (@livesmart) and Twitter accounts. Subscribe to GigaSurf packages or visit www.smart.com.ph to know more about the next perks from Smart Music Live and Smart Giga Movies.

followers in the past 24 hours and noted that he didn’t “see any systematic method to the #TwitterPurge.” There appeared to be some inconsistencies. Twitter allowed David Duke to keep the message “It’s Ok To Be White” as his header, even though the same phrase was hidden by the “sensitive material” warning on his pinned tweet. Emma Llanso, director of the free expression project at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said the new guidelines represent a substantial change for Twitter’s policies. But, he added, it’s not going to be immediately clear to all users what falls within the new prohibitions.

“It’s essential that they provide clarity to the users whose content is removed,” said Llanso, whose nonprofit is a member of the Trust and Safety Council group of outside organizations advising Twitter. While the new guidelines are now in play, the social media company continues to work out internal monitoring tools and it is revamping its appeals process for banned or suspended accounts. Users can now report profiles, or users, that they consider to be in violation of Twitter policy. Previously, users could only report individual posts they deemed offensive. While more content is banned, the company has provided more

leeway for itself after it was criticized for strict rules that resulted in account suspensions. There was a backlash against Twitter after it suspending the account of actress Rose McGowan who opened a public campaign over sexual harassment and abuse, specifically naming Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. Twitter eventually reinstated McGowan’s account and said that it had been suspended because of a tweet that violated its rules on privacy. “In our efforts to be more aggressive here, we may make some mistakes and are working on a robust appeals process,” Twitter said in a blog post on Monday. ■