Businessmirror february 03, 2018

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Miascor employees face dire prospects as Duterte orders end to all shenanigans at airports

By Recto Mercene

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he possible closure of a company that employs thousands is no laughing matter in a country like the Philippines, where the number of jobless people is estimated at about 2.5 million.

More so if the company has been in existence for 44 years, and had developed deep-rooted connections with many other firms that it has served in various ways over the years.

This is the fate that could befall Miascor Ground Handling Corp.

(MGHC), whose ground-handling contract was not extended by the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa).

Miascor employees at the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) figured recently in a luggage-pilferage incident, and an irate overseas Filipino worker (OFW), Jovenil de la Cruz of Pandi, Bulacan, posted his traumatic experience on social media. The post went viral, even right at the doorsteps of the Palace by the Pasig River.

How it happened

Cunaplus | Dreamstime.com

The price of luggage pilferage

The real story behind the pilferage was narrated to this reporter and was confirmed by several airport sources.

De la Cruz arrived last December 23, but it was only on January 10 that he was notified to claim his luggage, only to find the contents of his suitcases missing.

“Our bags were robbed by airport personnel in Clark International Airport Philippines,” the OFW said.

Showing the torn zipper of his empty suitcase on his Facebook post, de la Cruz said he lost about P80,000 worth of personal belongings, including gifts given to him by fellow migrant workers.

As of press time, the video has Continued on A2

Conditions rife for first BSP rate hike since 2014

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By Bianca Cuaresma

fter months of reiterating the “appropriateness” of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s monetarypolicy stance, the latest statement from the BSP governor may have raised the possibility of a rate hike sooner to address inflationary pressures in the economy.

BSP Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. said inflation pressures brought about by the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act and rising oil prices will be “at the center” of their discussion in the next monetary-policy meeting.

“There’s been a lot of significant developments since the December policy review that we need to consider in the coming February

review. We have been updating the data and evaluating various price surveys to gain insight on the overall impact on the inflation outlook,” Espenilla told reporters.

“We continue to continue to see the upward inflationary effects as transitory. However, we are carefully assessing nextround effects and how inflation expectations could be affected. These considerations will be

PESO exchange rates n US 51.4910

at the center of the coming policy discussions,” he added.

Inflation has been in check in 2017, averaging at 3.2 percent— well within the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

However, economists have flagged risks to inflation coming into 2018, due to the effects of the TRAIN implementation and rising oil prices, plus taking into consideration the weaker peso.

In particular, for January, the BSP sees inflation hitting 3.5 percent to 4 percent, nearing the ceiling of the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year.

“The ability to meet the inflation target comfortably and mitigating the upside risks is very important to the BSP,” Espenilla said.

ING Bank Manila economist Joey Cuyegkeng said there is growing concern, not only about the direct impact of higher excise taxes, but also about secondround effects.

“BSP turned cautious a few

weeks back. And the recent statement seems to have raised such concerns with the combined price pressures of higher international oil prices, weaker peso and excise taxes,” Cuyegkeng told the BusinessMirror.

“We have raised the possibility of a March rate hike, although our current base case is for a tightening in the second quarter [May meeting],” he added.

Cuyegkeng further said these concerns, taken with the “surprisingly high” BSP January inflation forecast, may presage a BSP action sooner.

The BSP has been keeping monetary-policy rates unchanged since 2014 to also mitigate inflation pressures. Inflation has averaged 4.1 percent during that year.

Moody’s Analytics economist Veasna Kong also told the BusinessMirror that, in addition to the impact of the weakening peso and tax increases, demand-side pressures are likely to pick up on the back of President Duterte’s infrastructure-

“There’s been a lot of significant developments since the December policy review that we need to consider in the coming February review. We have been updating the data and evaluating various price surveys to gain insight on the overall impact on the inflation outlook.” —Espenilla

development program.

“We expect these developments to increase price pressures, with inflation likely to test the upper end of the Central Bank’s target range in 2018,” Kong said via e-mail.

The economist added that the strength of the economy is such that it no longer requires accommodative monetary policy, especially in light of looming cuts to the reserve requirement ratio.

The BSP will be having its next monetary-policy meeting on February 8. This will be the first monetary policy-setting meeting of the BSP for 2018.

In its last policy meeting for 2017, the BSP decided to keep the 3-percent rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility, with unchanged settings on corresponding interest rates on overnight lending and deposit facilities.

The much-talked-about reserve requirement ratio of banks was also kept steady at 20 percent.

The BSP also maintained its inflation forecasts unchanged from its last meeting, particularly at 3.2 percent for last year, 3.4 percent for 2018 and 3.2 percent for 2019.

All forecasts are within its target range.

n japan 0.4711 n UK 73.4931 n HK 6.5849 n CHINA 8.1777 n singapore 39.3722 n australia 41.4091 n EU 64.4461 n SAUDI arabia 13.7313

Source: BSP (February 2, 2018 )

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The price of luggage pilferage Continued from a1

reached 2 million views, 32,000 likes and reactions and 70,981 shares.

“The fault of Miascor is that, instead of bringing the luggage to the bonded warehouse, de la Cruz’s luggage was brought up to the Miascor office on the second floor of the building. Because of the long Christmas holidays, some other employees took advantage [of the holidays] and ransacked the contents,” according to some airport sources, who declined to be named.

This time, however, no less than President Duterte intervened, as he called for an urgent meeting of several key Cabinet members.

He warned that he does not want a repeat of the “shenanigans” being done on returning OFWs’ belongings at the airport, “or else, heads will roll.”

Contract termination

MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal naturally had to do something drastic to penalize the erring service provider. The Miaa board agreed not to extend Miascor’s contract as a ground service provider that was due to expire in March.

“Based on the [Miaa] order, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport [Naia] contract will not be renewed. The Clark contract was terminated, but in Cebu, Davao and Kalibo, [it will be] business as usual,” said one of Miascor’s consultant, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak on behalf of the company.

Bargain sale

The blow to Miascor, assuming

the company will fold up, is hard to gauge at this time, especially on how the company will now dispose of its multimillion-peso worth of equipment and machineries.

“A tow truck alone for a B747 or A380 costs P1 million per piece,” said a Philippine Airlines (PAL) executive, Jonathan Gesmundo. And Miascor has several pieces of this heavy-duty tug that can push and pull a 155-ton jumbo jet.

Miascor describes itself as a “full aviation service provider” and is therefore armed with a complete array of machineries and related equipment. These ground support equipment (GSE) are fielded once an aircraft has landed.

A typical aircraft has to be provided with the following machines: cargo loading and unloading, passenger loading and unloading, potable-water storage, lavatory waste tank drainage, aircraft refueling, engine and fuselage examination and maintenance, and food and beverage catering.

Airlines employ especially designed GSE to support all these operations. Moreover, electrical power and air-conditioning units are generally required all throughout gate operational periods for both passenger and crew comfort and safety. Often, these services are also provided through GSE.

Luckily, however, other service providers have come to the rescue to help beleaguered employees.

Skylogistics, one of about six firms doing business at the Miaa, came out with an announcement on the morning radio that it is accepting employees that would be dislodged

by Miascor.

The other airport-service

“The fault of Miascor is that instead of bringing the luggage to the bonded warehouse, de la Cruz’s luggage was brought up to the Miascor office on the second floor of the building. Because of the long Christmas holidays, some other employees took advantage [of the holidays] and ransacked its contents.”

—Sources providers are MacroAsia, PairCargo, Dnata and Philippine Skylander Inc.

Miascor counts about 40 clients, among them PAL, Cebu Pacific, KLM, United, Qatar, Qantas, Japan Airlines, Air China, Delta, Jet Asia, China Airlines, Emirates and FedEx. Other not so famous airline brands include Air Busan, Air Hongkong, SriLankan, Aircalin, Sichuan Airlines, TransAsia, Air Astana, Vanilla Air and TansAsia T’way, among others.

Immediate action

In light of the pilferage incident that occurred in Clark, it has been agreed upon by aviation authorities that, from now on, check-in luggage should be on the baggage carousel 14 minutes after the plane has landed.

Normally, pieces of luggage start coming out of the carousel 30 minutes after landing. Sometimes,

it reaches an hour if the pieces of luggage had to be subjected to xray, like those flights coming from the United States.

“This short time interval would prevent thieves from ransacking the luggage of passengers,” according to sources.

Several sources were interviewed by BusinessMirror for this piece, but some have requested that their identities be withheld because of the rather “shaky” status of Miascor.

If any passenger lodges a complaint with the airlines related to tampered, looted or broke-open luggage, “airport authorities must make sure that the complaint is acted upon before the passenger leaves the airport,” Monreal ordered, apparently to discourage any complaining passenger from resorting to social media to air his or her grievances.

Aviation authorities also or-

dered that employees who are assigned at the “baggage breakdown,” the area where arriving cargoes are unloaded from containers into the luggage carousel, must be bodily frisked before and after duty.

Earlier, Monreal ordered that employees engaged in baggage handling should be armed with body camera and that their attire should be devoid of pockets.

As this develops, flag carrier PAL said it does not rely entirely on Miascor for its Manila operations.

“Our passengers and ground handlers at the Naia are Sky Logistics and MacroAsia,” according to PAL Spokesman Cielo Villaluna.

She said for the Davao, Kalibo, General Santos and Clark operations, the passenger and ramp operations are handled by MacroAsia for PAL.

“For Cebu, it is Sky Logistics for passenger handling, while ramp operations is a mixture of Sky Logistics and MacroAsia.”

Villaluna issued the statement to correct earlier reports that Miascor handles all PAL requirements.

“In Cebu, PAL relies on Miascor only for international flights for their service, providing push back and lavatory or potable services, which means water for brushing and flushing, but not for drinking,” she said.

Miascor remains the secondlargest aviation-service provider in the country, with about 40 air carriers as its clients. Following close behind is PairCargo with about 3,000 employees.

All the Naia service providers have a combined employment of close to 10,000, according to Miaa board member Onie Nakpil.

Miascor provided the BusinessMirror with a background sheet of the company, which said it was founded in 1974, offering clients a complete suite of services, “ranging from below- and abovethe-wing services.” Its core businesses are in ground handling, cargo handling and warehousing, and in-flight catering.

Above-the-wing services include food catering, lavatory and passenger cabin cleaning and provision of potable water.

Below-the-wing services are related to loading fuel, loading and unloading cargo, towing, providing staircase and servicing engines, among others.

Expanded portfolio

Miascor claims to have expanded its portfolio that now includes a wide range of ancillary services, such as fixed-based operations, into-plane refueling, general sales agency and training.

“With close to four decades in operation, the Manila-based company is now the largest and most experienced airport and airline services company in the country,” according to the background sheet.

It is currently the leading aviation-services company in terms of market share for its passengers, ramp handling and in-flight catering services.

The company handles ground operations of 60,000 commercial flights, assists about 12 million passengers yearly, serves 3 million meals in the in-flight facility, and accommodates and serves about 276,000 guests in its four VIP lounges.

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Valdez: Gradual hike in contribution rate to increase benefits of SSS members

By Rea Cu

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he Social Security Commission (SSC) said the proposed three-percentage-point increase in the monthly contribution rates for its members planned for this year will level the difference in the contribution rates of the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

According to SSC Chairman Amado D. Valdez, the proposed hike in SSS members’ monthly contribution rate, from 11 percent to 14 percent, as well as the increase in monthly salary credit (SMC), will foster pension equity among workers in the government and in the private sector.

“We are pushing for a gradual increase in the contribution rate and monthly salary credit because we want pension equity among workers in the government and in the private sector.

Government retirees have higher pension because their contribution rate is at 21 percent of their actual salary, as compared with those working in the private sector, whose SSS contributions are only 11 percent of their salary capped at P16,000,” Valdez said.

A private-sector employee who earns P25,000, for instance, only contributes P1,760 based on a P16,000 maximum MSC to the SSS, while a government employee who earns the same amount contributes P5,250 to the GSIS. “This results in a significant difference between t he a mou nt of pension being received by a private worker and a government employee. And this is what we want to address to make the pension of private workers on a par with those in the government,” he added.

The SSS is proposing for the increase to be shared equally by the employer and employee, br ing ing the effective contribution rate at 8.87 percent for the employer and 5.13 percent for the employee. He added that the SSS is also

recommending increasing its minimum MSC from P1,000 to P4,000 and its ma x imu m sa l a r y cred it from P16,000 to P20,000.

The proposal to increase t he m i n i mu m M S C t o P4,000 and the maximum MSC to P20,000, plus with the contribution rate hike, will increase the minimum and maximum contributions to P560 from P110, and to P2,800 from P1,760, respectively.

“The increase in contribution is only about P450 for those who will pay at the minimum MSC of P4,000, wh i le t hose ea r n i ng at least P20,000 will only add P1,040 to their monthly SSS contributions. We wish to thank in advance our employers who will share half of the increase in their employees’ SSS savings,” he said.

T he m ajor it y of S S S members who pay at P10,000 MSC will have a corresponding increase of P300 in additional contribution under the proposed pension-reform agenda.

SSS President and CEO Emmanuel F. Dooc pointed out that the contribution increase will translate to higher benefits for members and pensioners, since benefit computation is based on the number of credited years and MSC. Dooc ex plained that, under these reforms, the monthly pension of a member who retires with 35 paying years and P20,000 average MSC will be at P15,300; whereas under the current MSC ceiling of P16,000, they will receive a lower pension at P12,500.

In addition, other benefits will consequently increase, such as for maternity

by P10,400, or from P41,600 to P52,000 for caesarian delivery, and by P8,000, or from P32,000 to P40,000 for normal delivery.

The daily maximum benefit for sickness will be computed at P600 per day from the current P480; and funeral benefits will increase from P29,600 to P32,000 for those who paid at least 120 contributions with an average MSC of P20,000.

American kids get crash course on PHL

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BY Recto Mercene

he Philippines gave a crash course on location and geography, history, languages, endemic species, festivals, cuisine and music before American fifth- and sixth-grade students of LaSalleBackus Education Campus on Thursday.

The students actively participated in the discussion by posing questions and sharing observations and comments.

This is the first of three activities under the 2018 Embassy Adoption Program (EAP) according to Third Secretary and Vice Consul Darell Artates of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. When asked about their initial impression on the Philippines, students and teachers mentioned the words “cool,” “active,” “vacation,” “tropical,” “Manny Pacquiao,” “exotic” and “paradise,” among others.

The students expressed excitement about the next activities, which will revolve around Philippine food, games and fiestas.

“We’re pleased to have this chance to share our culture with kids in their formative stage and have them also exchange views with us.

Knowledge facilitates understanding and appreciation of each other’s differences, as well as similarities,” Artates said.

Established in 1974, the EAP is a partnership program of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and Washington Performing Arts.

The EAP is a unique education initiative that exposes DCPS students to international perspectives and cross-cultural lessons. Through direct interactions with diplomats and global representatives from around the world, fifth- and sixth-grade students attending DC Public Schools can learn about the language, customs, history and culture of their partner’s home country or region.

This is the fourth year that the embassy is participating in the EAP.

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Policy rates okay for now, but BSP should be ready to tweak–IMF

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By Bianca Cuaresma

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’s (BSP) current monetary-policy settings, which has been in place since 2014, remain appropriate for the recent economic developments.

The global monetary authority, however, warned that the BSP should stand ready to tweak its monetary-policy settings should inflation get out of hand.

In a response to a quer y, IMF Resident Representative to the Phi l ippines Yongzheng Ya ng told the BusinessMirror that t heir c u r rent forec a sts st i l l yield a within-target inf lation for the year.

This is despite the recent forecast of the BSP indicating inflation could fall within 3.5 percent to 4 percent in January, due to the rising price pressures in petroleum rates, as well as the first impact of the recently implemented tax-reform program.

“We still believe that the current monetary-policy stance is appropriate,” the IMF official said.

“Our current forecast is that inflation will stay within 2 percent to 4 percent for the year. We have noticed the latest BSP update on the inflation outlook and continue to think that the BSP should stand ready to tighten monetary policy should inflation pressures build,” he added.

ING Bank Manila economist Joey Cuyegkeng also said last Friday that the high forecast of the BSP for January may be a precursor to an earlier-than-expected tightening move from the country’s monetary authority.

“The BSP surprised markets with its 3.5-percent to 4-percent January inflation forecast, which is higher than the government’s 3.3-percent forecast. We expect a moderate impact of higher excise taxes from the tax-reform package in the first month of implementation,” he said.

“With such a high January inflation forecast, the market may

become worried that inflation will accelerate faster than expected in the coming months. Second-round effects are still to be determined in March to June. Significant secondround effects could cause inflation to breach the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent,” he added.

As such, he said that should inflation, indeed, hit anywhere between 3.5 percent and 4 percent as the BSP forecasted, inflation expectations will rise and may prompt the BSP to tighten

In this January 15, 2018, file photo, lava cascades down the slopes of Mayon Volcano as seen from Legazpi City, Albay province, around 340 kilometers (210 miles) southeast of Manila. More than 9,000 people have evacuated the area around the Philippines’s most active volcano, as lava flowed down its crater in a gentle eruption that scientists warned could turn explosive. AP/Earl Recamunda

as early as the March meeting.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is expected to release the January inflation data on Tuesday, February 6. The BSP, meanwhile, is expected to meet for its first monetary-policy setting meeting for 2018 on February 8.

The BSP earlier said that recent inflation developments, including the tax implementation and its second-round effects, will be at the center of their discussions in the upcoming meeting.

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In unquestioning US embrace, autocrats steamroll opposition W

hen it comes to securing a second term in power, Egypt’s president is leaving little to chance.

Potential rivals in the March election have been sidelined, jailed or threatened with prosecution.

The news media is largely in his pocket. On polling day, Egyptians will have a choice between President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and one of his most ardent supporters—an obscure politician drafted at the eleventh hour to avoid the embarrassment of a one-horse race.

As he cruises toward victory, elSissi need not worry either about foreign censure: President Donald J. Trump has hailed the Egyptian leader as a “fantastic guy,” and most other Western leaders have been largely silent.

Across the world, autocratic leaders are engaging in increasingly brazen behavior—rigging votes, muzzling the press and persecuting opponents—as they dispense with even a fig leaf of democratic practice once offered to placate the United States or gain international legitimacy.

The global tide is driven by a bewildering range of factors, including the surge of populism in Europe, waves of migration and economic inequality. And leaders of countries like Egypt, which had long been sensitive to Washington’s inf luence, know they run little risk of rebuke from a US president who has largely abandoned the promotion of human rights and democracy in favor of his narrow “America First” agenda.

In Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 33 years, has led a sweeping crackdown on opponents before elections this summer. Last November Trump flashed a big thumbs-up as he posed for a photo with Hun Sen, who later praised the United States president for what he called his lack of interest in human rights.

In Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernández was inaugurated for a second term last Saturday, amid uproar from opposition figures who accused him of rigging the vote, and despite calls for a new election from the Organization of American States. Washington ignored the OAS findings, with the US chargé d’affaires offering

only tepid statements calling on all sides to behave peacefully.

And the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who was once forced to surrender power for four years to respect his constitution, has barred the main opposition challenger in the March election, virtually assuring that he will win a fourth term. Trump has repeatedly expressed his desires for closer ties with Putin.

Despite decades of lof t y A mer ica n t a l k of democrac y and human rights, espoused by ever y president since Jimmy Carter, policies have prioritized security and strategic considerations over principle. And the CIA torture program after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks further undermined the United States’s standing.

Tr ump has barely paid lip ser v ice to t he promot ion of universa l human r ights, and ex perts say his warm embrace of hard-line leaders like President Rodr igo Duter te of the Philippines, whose anti-dr ug drive has killed thousands of his ow n citizens w ithout due process, has only encouraged their worst excesses.

“The issue is a troubling one,” Stewart M. Patrick, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said in an e-mail. “Trump’s lionizing of the ‘strong’ leadership qualities of authoritarian personalities like Putin, Erdogan, Duterte and Sisi—as well as his own attacks on free press at home—cannot help but to embolden their efforts to crack down on civil society and crush dissent in their own countries.”

Tr u mp ad m i n ist rat ion of f icia ls question the va lue of publicly lectur ing fr iend ly autocrats about their record, arg uing t hat such cr iticisms are more effectively made in private. Last year Secretar y of State Rex Tillerson said that, while A mer ican “va lues” like f reedom a nd hu m a n d ig n it y still under pinned U.S. policies abroad, insisting that others ado pt t hos e v a lue s “c re ate s obstacles” to advancing US security and economic interests.

President Donald J. Trump departs the White House in Washington on Thursday.

Trump’s lionizing of the ‘strong’ leadership qualities of authoritarian personalities like Putin, Erdogan, Duterte and Sisi—as well as his own attacks on free press at home—cannot help but to embolden their efforts to crack down on civil society and crush dissent in their own countries.”—Patrick Trump, however, has not hesitated to use human rights as a cudgel against unfriendly countries like Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, whose records he criticized in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday.

Critics say that by not confronting allies, Trump is ceding valuable leverage over strongmen, who, despite their worst actions, still care about their international image. “ Bad gover n ment s beh ave badly, no matter what,” said Tom Malinowski, who was assistant secretar y of state for human rights in the Obama administration. “But they take the expected

American reaction into account when making decisions.”

Citing the example of Egypt, Malinowski added: “If you’re going to send your security forces out to kill a bunch of Muslim Brotherhood leaders, knowing the US is going to be in your face when it happens, and that it could have an impact on security cooperation, that’s a factor. It doesn’t mean you’ll do everything the Americans want. But it does probably mean that fewer people get killed.”

T he US rhetoric on human rights is seen cy nically in parts of the world where Washington has a histor y of selectively embracing despots.

Du r ing t he Cold Wa r, t he United States a l lied w ith Mobut u Sese Se ko i n Z a i re, now t he Democ rat ic R e pub lic of Congo; t he sha h of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlav i; and Gen. Aug usto Pinochet of C h i le. More rece nt ly, P resident Barack Obama was openly d isd a inf u l of el-Sissi ’s harsh tactics yet lef t untouched t he United s $1.3 bi l lion in annua l mi litar y a id to Eg y pt. Even so, a US president ’s rhetor ic can ma ke a sig nif icant d if ference.

“Yes, realpolitik often wins out over values, and it often seems steeped in hypocrisy,” said Michael Wahid Hanna of The Century Foundation in New York.

But, he added, espousal of those values by United States officials “is neither 100 percent cynical, nor is it inconsequential.”

One good example of that is in Egypt where, although US policy has long been driven by security concerns, activists say there was traditionally a valuable margin for human-rights issues.

“Maybe 85 percent of the time they were supportive of the regime and stability,” Heba Morayef of Amnesty International said. “But there was a lot we could do with the other 15 percent.”

But under Trump, that margin has drastically shrunk, and now el-Sissi is heading for reelection in what the Project on Middle East

Democracy this week called “the most repressive political environment in Egypt’s modern history.”

In the past month four prominent challengers to el-Sissi have quit the race. Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister, withdrew after being held for a month at a Cairo hotel where security officials threatened to prosecute him on corruption charges.

Last week Sami Anan, a former army chief with long-standing ties to the United States, dropped out after being imprisoned by the military on charges of forgery and incitement. Days later Anan’s running mate was beaten up outside his home by pro-government thugs.

In a muted response, a State Department spokesman noted Anan’s arrest with “concern” and said officials were “watching the situation very closely.”

Now el-Sissi’s sole challenger is Moussa Moustapha Moussa, an architect with long-standing loyalties to Egypt’s security services.

Moussa is best known for helping President Hosni Mubarak split a small opposition party in 2008, in part by leading a gang of thugs that smashed the party’s offices and set it on fire.

The Trump administration did rebuke el-Sissi last summer when it froze or canceled more than $290 million in military aid over concerns about Egypt’s covert ties to North Korea and a law passed by el-Sissi sharply restricting aid work in Egypt, especially by Western organizations.

But any critical message for el-Sissi was overshadowed by Trump’s praise for his rule.

Trump’s priorities are further underscored by his failure to appoint an assistant secretary of state for human rights, and

by Tillerson’s unusual snubbing last year of the presentation for the release of the State Department’s annual report on global human rights.

Trump is not alone in his silence over countries like Egypt.

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany, also grappling with the surge in populist politics in their own countries, have said little about el-Sissi’s election crackdown, as well.

The most senior Western visitor to Cairo of late was the French spy chief who, according to the Egyptian presidency, expressed his appreciation to el-Sissi for his efforts in bringing peace to the region. New York Times News Service

Fidel Castro’s son killed himself–Cuba state media

UK starting salaries rise to highest since before Brexit vote as labor market tightens

he oldest son of late Cuban leader Fidel Castro killed himself last Thursday after months of treatment for depression, state media reported. He was 68.

Official web site Cubadebate said Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart had been in a “ deeply depressed state.” A brief note read on state telev ision said his treatment had “required an initial hospit a l i z at ion t hen out pat ient follow-up.”

The oldest son of Cuba’s late revolutionary leader was known for his resemblance to his father, earning him the nickname Fidelito or Little Fidel.

Castro Diaz-Balart studied nuclear physics in the former

tarting salaries in the United K ingdom have climbed to the highest level since before the Brexit vote— a further indication that the tightness in the labor market is starting to lift pay growth.

Advertised salaries climbed 1.9 percent i n t he yea r to December and are star ting to “show sig ns of su st a i ned g row t h,” employ ment sea rc h company Ad zuna said in a r e p o r t l a s t F r i d a y. T h e i n crease takes the average advertised wage to £32,940 pounds ($ 47,0 0 0), t he h ig hest le ve l since May 2016.

Ad zuna sa id t he improve ment may prompt workers to seek more attractive packages

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Sov iet Union and ser ved as scientific adv iser to the Council of State. He was v ice president of the Cuban Academy of Sciences. He prev iously led Cuba’s nuclear program.

Castro Diaz-Balart was born to Fidel Castro’s first wife, Mirta Diaz-Balart, a woman from Cuba’s aristocracy who Fidel married in his youth before beginning the revolutionary struggle that later brought him and his brother Raul to power.

Because of his maternal lineage, Castro Diaz-Balart is cousin to Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, who represents Cuban exiles in Florida.

Fidel Castro, the father, died in November 2016 at age 90.

S

In this February 9, 2007, photo, Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, the oldest son of Cuba’s President Fidel Castro, addresses the International Economists Conference on Globalization and Development Problems in Havana, Cuba. AP

by looking for new jobs. Bank of Eng l a nd ( B OE) G ove r nor Mark Car ney made a related point this week, telling a Parliament committee there’s been a definite improvement in pay for people changing employ ment. “ T he labor market has continued to tighten,” Carney said. “ We see it in a gradual firming of wages, particularly privatesector wages. A nd particularly a firming of wages for people who are shifting work.”

W hi le inf l at ion, cur rent ly running about 3 percent, continues to outstrip pay gains, the decline in real income may soon come to an end. Carney sees it happening later this year, as pr ice grow th cools and wage

growth slowly improved. “ We’ve w itnessed a few false st a r t s w it h s a l a r y i mprove me nt s, but t he y a re f i n a l ly show ing a solid growth trajector y that is worth pay ing attention to,” said Doug Monro, cofounder of Adzuna.

Official data show that annual earnings growth has quickened to 2.4 percent, the fastest in almost a year, and BOE policy-maker Michael Saunders said last month it could accelerate to 3 percent or above in 2018. T hat means stronger domestic inf lation, increasing the chance of interest-rate hikes.

BOE of f ic i a l s w i l l a nnou nce their next policy decision on Februar y 8. Bloomberg News

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Saturday, February 3, 2018

A5

LADY SPIKERS OPEN ‘THREE-PEAT’ BID

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin provides words of inspiration for Russian athletes. AP

Putin tells Russian athletes to ignore doping scandals

M

OSCOW—Russian President Vladimir Putin has told the country’s athletes to forget about doping scandals when they compete at the Pyeongchang Olympics.

As punishment for what it deemed a doping scheme during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited 169 Russians to compete under a neutral flag using the name “Olympic Athletes from Russia.”

“I wish you not to think about anything which has recently accompanied your preparation for these Olympics,” Putin told a gathering of athletes at his presidential residence outside Moscow on Wednesday.

He added he hopes they “focus on sporting competition, and that you know that following you, as usual, are hundreds of thousands, millions, of fans who love you and hope you win.”

While the athletes wore their IOCapproved “neutral” uniforms without the Russian flag—gray for men, red for women—the event was full of patriotic gestures.

Hockey players Pavel Datsyuk and Ilya Kovalchuk stepped up to present Putin with a Russian jersey bearing his name and players’ signatures along with the slogan “Russia in my heart.”

Several athletes wore their neutral jackets open to show a Russian-flag shirt underneath.

Russian athletes won’t be allowed to display the flag in Pyeongchang, or to celebrate with Russian flags given by fans.

If they win, the Olympic anthem will be played.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), meanwhile, has recommended to the IOC that it use 2016 doping sample bottles for the upcoming Winter Olympics after the agency’s inquiry into the 2017 version showed the bottles could be reopened after a sample was produced.

On Tuesday the IOC said it was “very concerned” about claims the new sample bottles, provided by Swiss manufacturer Berlinger, could be opened, and the Swedish anti-doping agency said it would stop using them.

Wada said in a statement on Wednesday it had confirmed that a proportion of the new generation of Bereg-KIT Geneva security bottles were “susceptible to manual opening without evidence of tampering, whether they have been frozen or not.” Those security bottles were introduced in September 2017.

After determining that some of the newer bottles could be “manually opened after initial proper locking,” Wada said it had sourced enough of the 2016 doping sample bottles, which were first used at the Rio Olympics, to cover the entire testing

program for the Pyeongchang Games, which start February 9 in South Korea.

“At this stage, our clear recommendation to the IOC is that it continue to use the earlier model, which is still used by a number of testing authorities around the world. This should be seen as a precautionary measure that guarantees the integrity of the doping control process at the games,” Wada Director General Olivier Niggli said.

“For the longer term, Wada will continue to gather information and explore solutions with Berlinger and others in order to maintain the integrity of the process. Berlinger has already agreed to restart production of the 2016 model pending other development.”

The newer doping bottles were introduced last year to increase security after investigators found Russians were able to surreptitiously open bottles at the Sochi Olympics and exchange dirty urine samples with clean ones previously provided by the same athlete.

The IOC said in a statement it was “very concerned about this issue” and asked Wada to ensure the integrity of testing in Pyeongchang.

“From the moment we learned about it, we immediately turned to Wada and asked them to ensure that the anti-doping tests in Pyeongchang can be conducted in a credible and reliable way,” the IOC said on Tuesday.

“Wada informed us that they were in contact with the bottle manufacturer Berlinger. We have full confidence in Wada that they will find a solution for this issue.”

Peter Strom, the acting manager of the Swedish Sports Confederation’s anti-doping department, said his organization has stopped using the new bottles. AP

D

E LA SALLE starts its quest for a third consecutive women’s crown with a Season 90 opening match against the Lady Spikers’ Final Four victims last year—University of Santo Tomas (UST) Tigresses—in the opener of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) volleyball tournament today at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The new season opens with an explosive quadruple-header in both the men’s and women’s tournaments with De La Salle opening a campaign without three-time Best Setter Kim Fajardo in its 4 p.m. clash with UST. All eyes will also be on Jaja Santiago as she plays the first game of her final playing year with National University (NU), which takes on dark horse Adamson University at 2 p.m.

The men’s action also opens with three-time runner-up NU facing Adamson University at 8 a.m, and De La Salle taking on UST at 10 a.m.

It has yet to sink into Santiago’s mind that her days in the UAAP are numbered. But once she starts playing and facing the Lady Falcons, who have become contenders almost overnight, despite winning only of last year’s 14-game elimination, she will be ready.

“It’s not yet sinking in that this is my last playing year. But once the UAAP starts, when I play every game, every spike, I will cherish it for my last playing year,” said Santiago, last year’s Best Scorer, Best Spiker and Best Blocker.

She will face a Lady Falcons side, led by Jema Galanza, rookie Chiara Permentilla, Ex-Lady Spiker El Soyud and returnees Mylene Paat and Fen Emnas.

De La Salle also has three graduating players— reigning

A

DE LA SALLE eyes a third straight crown without ace setter Kim Fajardo.

GOAL IN 10.5 SECONDS Tottenham’s Christian

Eriksen (center, back to camera) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday. Manchester United hasn’t even had a chance to touch the ball when Eriksen put the ball in the net after 10.5 seconds. AP

‘THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO BE’ UBURN HILLS, Michigan—Blake Griffin described his reaction when he found out he had been traded.

“Shocked is a good way to put it,” he said. “I didn’t know anything. I pretty much found out when everybody else found out. It just kind of took a second to realize, OK, like, everything’s changing.”

Griffin has arrived in Detroit now, and on Wednesday the Pistons introduced him and the two other players they received from the Los Angeles Clippers in the blockbuster deal earlier this week. Griffin, Brice Johnson and Willie Reed should be

Most Valuable Player (MVP) Majoy Baron, ace opposite spiker Kianna Dy and Asia’s second-best libero Dawn Macandili, and all will try to end their careers with a historic “three-peat” and the 11th title overall with Head Coach Ramil de Jesus.

Attention also goes to Finals MVP Desiree Cheng and Tin Tiamzon—and sophomore setter Michelle Cobb, who will fill in the big shoes left by Fajardo.

“Adjustment, it’s gradual. And, I’m taking it one game at a time,” Cobb said. “Given the legacy that Kim left, it comes with a lot of expectations. I can really feel the pressure, of course a lot of people look at our team, I was expecting it also.”

“But now, Coach Ramil made it clear that I should accept a very big role because someone left a really big mark,” she added.

UST, on the other hand, lost the majority of its core that played in last season’s Final Four—Pamela Lastimosa, Chloe Cortez and Alex Cabaños—to graduation. But the Tigresses did not expect to lose middle blocker Ria Meneses, who decided to forgo her final playing year, and star spiker EJ Laure, who suddenly suffered a chronic right-shoulder injury last December.

But UST Head Coach Kungfu Reyes is still optimistic and is pinning much hopes on Cherry Rondina, who is likely to double her production, and Carla Sandoval.

Opposite spiker Dimdim Pacres, skipper Shannen Palec, Tin Francisco, setter Alina Bicar and new recruit Filipino-Italian Milena Alessandrini are also expected to step up for UST this season. Lance Agcaoili

available to play on Thursday night when Detroit hosts the Memphis Grizzlies, and that’s when the idea of Griffin in a different uniform will really become a reality.

The Pistons sent Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic and two draft picks to the Clippers. The trade came seven months after Griffin signed a $171-million, five-year contract to stay with Los Angeles—a fact that’s been duly noted. LeBron James described the deal as “unfortunate”—pointing out that players are described as disloyal for leaving teams, but franchises don’t necessarily face the

BLAKE GRIFFIN says he will keep his focus on his future with his new team. AP

same criticism when trading players who have stayed committed to them.

When asked if he regretted not having a no-trade clause, Griffin kept the focus on his future with his new team.

“I want to play for an organization that wants me to play there,” Griffin said. “This is where I want to be, and this is the place that wants me.”

Detroit is in its fourth season with Stan van Gundy as coach and team president, and the Pistons—without Griffin and the newcomers—snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win on Tuesday night over Cleveland. If the season ended now, they would not make the playoffs, but they’re within striking distance with plenty of time remaining.

An injury to point guard Reggie Jackson has been a big issue, and van Gundy has cautioned against expecting any immediate surge after Griffin’s arrival.

The trade was a risk because of Griffin’s

Biles waiting to hear from USOC about sexual abuse

N

EW YORK—Simone Biles met the new president of USA Gymnastics but hasn’t heard from the US Olympic Committee (USOC) regarding the Larry Nassar sexualabuse scandal.

The four-time gold medalist at the Rio Olympics is among those who say they were sexually abused by Nassar, a former team doctor for the governing body for American gymnastics.

USA Gymnastics President Kerry Perry spoke with Biles at her gym in suburban Houston, where she is training for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

“I have not heard from the USOC, but the new president of USA Gymnastics did fly down and introduce herself to me, but not in regards to the whole entire situation,” Biles said on Wednesday in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done, like independent investigations. So they can ensure this never happens in any sport again.”

Nassar has been sentenced to 60 years in prison on child-pornography charges and 40 to 175 years for abusing young women and girls while working at Michigan State University.

He also is facing sentencing for molesting

big contract and his injury history, but owner Tom Gores indicated before Wednesday’s news conference that he understands it could take time for the deal to pay significant dividends.

“My job probably should be to be a little patient, although Stan and I did talk yesterday, and our biggest job up front is to adapt as fast as possible,” Gores said. “Our expectation was always to win this year, so, of course, we want to win this year, but whatever happens this year, we have an asset for the long haul. This deal does not happen if Blake was on a one-year deal.”

Gores said the deal wasn’t made to provide a short-term boost in fan support, although any added buzz is certainly welcome. The Pistons have played in front of plenty of empty seats at their new downtown arena this season, but a few more performances like Tuesday’s might change that. AP

gymnasts at an elite club in Lansing, Michigan.

USOC CEO Scott Blackmun wrote an open letter last week apologizing to the women and girls abused by Nassar. The entire USA Gymnastics board of directors resigned on Friday and Blackmun called for an independent investigation into how Nassar was allowed to abuse athletes for decades.

“Any of us girls that have gone through what we’ve been through are finally happy that [Nassar] will no longer be able to hurt anybody else,” Biles said. “But I feel like there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done so we can actually feel like this has gone somewhere. So we’re not stuck in the same place wondering who did this or when or why it happened.”

On January 15 Biles posted a statement on her Twitter account, saying she was sexually abused by Nassar but she “won’t let one man, and the others that enabled him, to steal my love and joy.” Fellow Olympic stars Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney have made similar disclosures of abuse.

Biles, the most decorated American gymnast with 14 world championship medals, thinks investigations, awareness and education are key to keeping kids safer in sports.

She called Raisman and Judge Rosemarie Aquilina her heroes—Raisman for joining the group of women who confronted Nassar in court last week and the judge for allowing so many to speak.

“It’s eye-opening and it’s very empowering and very inspiring to hear the other girls go out and speak so strongly about something so devastating,” Biles said. “That has happened not only to the athletes and the girls and the men, but also to our sport.”

USA Gymnastics recently severed ties with the Karolyi Ranch in Texas after Biles wrote on Twitter that she dreaded returning to the same training facility where she was abused.

Biles is currently working out at her home gymnastics facility in preparation for the World Championships in October. The 4-foot-8 powerhouse set the bar high for the Tokyo Olympics after her accomplishments in Rio. But she said on the Today show on Wednesday that she wants to improve on the balance beam, where she finished with a bronze. AP

A6 Saturday, February 3, 2018 | Editor: Mike Besa

Odyssey golf wants to put a mallet in your bag

Y

our putter is the one club in your bag that seems to defy the advancement of golf technology.

Yes, there are plenty of putters that have used science to make them roll the ball better, respond better on mishits and in theory, make you a better putter.

But that said, it is an indisputable fact that most golfers continue to play with putters that were fundamentally designed in the 1960s.

Heel-toe weighted putters (what we refer to as blade putters today) continue to dominate the golf bags of golfers around the world in spite of the available technology. Granted that putter makers are using technology to manufacture the best, most consistent blade putters ever made. Scotty Cameron, Bettinardi and others have elevated the manufacturing process to high art producing some of the most consistent, best-performing blade putters in the history of golf.

But that said, they’re still blade putters and as such, are limited by their design, which places feel ahead of forgiveness. That compromises the latter which works against you when you miss the sweet spot.

You might think that any twat that could miss the sweet spot on a stroke as short as a putt has no place in golf, but the truth of the matter is that we all miss more than any of us care to admit no matter how short or simple a stroke in golf might seem. The existence of a malady called “the yips” is proof positive.

I was a self-confessed blade junkie and continue to foster an appreciation for the finer examples, but my work as a golf journalist and tech head helped me understand that the science was good and that it worked. I needed to switch to a mallet to become a better putter.

The question was how to overcome the biases against the sometimes hideouslooking mallets.

Mallets work. The mass in all mallets has been distributed to manage ball performance on off-center hits. The increased moment of inertia (MOI) reduces the twisting that you immediately feel with a blade putter and, therefore, reduce the deflection of the golf ball from the desired line.

Even so, the way that most mallets sit with that double bend shaft intruding in on the sight picture was the obvious turnoff. TaylorMade had it figured out when they brought out the limited-edition versions of their Itsy-Bitsy Spider putter for DJ and JD. The short, slant neck Spiders offered a better view at address and the slight toe-hang (putter face pointing down somewhat when you balance the putter on your finger) seemed to help golfers accustomed to blades migrate to

A sampling of the head and neck combinations availble from Odyssey

the more forgiving head.

Having a number of mallets in its product line, Odyssey Golf took the idea and ran with it. While TaylorMade chose to keep the short, slant neck mallet for a few, Odyssey is taking it to the masses. In 2018, you’ll be able to get any Odyssey mallet with a short, slant neck on it. In color, too; they’ll all be available in your choice of red or black. The colors are all the rage on the professional tours of the world.

The effectivity of the short, slant neck boils down to the fact that most golfers don’t practice enough to get the most out of their blade putters. Misses on the green bloat your score quickly so when everything is on the line, you want a putter that will help you as much as possible. Mallets offer higher MOI, more intricate alignment schemes and a lower center of gravity—all of which should help make mallets easier with which to putt.

The slight toe-hang the slant neck provides helps blade putters transition their gated strokes to a mallet. It affords them the comfort and familiarity of their blade putters by allowing the clubhead to work to the inside (gate) slightly on the take away. In short, Odyssey is making mallets that feel more comfortable for the blade golfer.

This should be exciting news for all of us. What would you do to shave a stroke of two off your handicap? And you’d get a new golf club in the bargain!

I continue to fight my blade preferences in spite of currently gaming an Odyssey O-Works No. 7. I had to sift through four examples before I found one that sat the way I wanted. After testing a red #7s (with the slant neck hosel), I can say with confidence that this will pay off for Odyssey in spades.

Odyssey’s line of mallets provides differing levels of MOI and sight pictures, from the now-traditional look of the ubiquitous two-ball to the super-high MOI models, such as the Marksman and two-ball Fang; whatever your persuasion, that short, slant neck is there for you.

The Marksman is particularly appealing. The look is sleeker in the address position. The alignment aid is intuitive and effective. All these putters are only available with Odyssey’s O-Works microhinge insert, where the stainless steel Microhinge plate is co-molded into a Thermoplastic Elastomer Feel Layer. I’ve been playing one since they came out and am very satisfied.

The 2018 line of putters have just hit the retail shops. Check out the Callaway store at the Podium in the Ortigas Center and the flagship store that will be opening soon at Solaire. You’ll be glad you did.

Mike Besa

I

Story & photo

by Mike Besa

f you’ve been a golfer for any length of time, Luisita Golf and Country Club was almost akin to a unicorn—everyone knew and respected the golf course, but few had ever played it. The golf course was the private playground of the Cojuanco family and, unless you were with a member, the chances of you playing it were slim to none.

I first played it in 2006 and was instantly blown away.

It was an absolute joy to walk the fairways designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Sr., and play the golf course of his design. It gives you a sense of the greatness of the man, his knowledge or golf architecture and his savvy for the game of golf.

It was, therefore, a shame that we had such a great golf course in the Philippines and that so few ever got a chance to walk its fairways. That changed three years ago when Martin Lorenzo, in a landmark business deal, purchased Luisita from the Cojuanco family.

For those that are unfamiliar with Lorenzo, he is a quiet, almost introverted man that loves the game with a passion. His handicap is in the low single digits and two of his sons are on the verge of becoming professional golfers. When Lorenzo acquired Luisita, he made it his mission to bring the golf course back to its former glory.

To that end he enlisted the help of Jeric Hechanova, who later brought in course superintendent Ray Patricio to oversee the health and well-being of the golf course. Ray is a horticulturist and possesses a wealth of experience in the game. They consulted with the architect’s son, Robert Trent Jones Jr., who accompanied his father when they first came to Luisita in the 1960s.

Previous boards had planted trees along the sides of the many lakes on the golf course. This, unfortunately, obstructed the view of the water and by blocking the wind, changed the playability of Luisita. Jones Jr. told Hechanova and Patricio that a good part of Luisita’s charm was that you could stand on the veranda and see deep into the golf course; almost clear to the other end of the property.

So, they went to work, cutting down trees and revealing the lakes that define the golf course. The result is stunning. The Luisita of old was back.

Their work goes beyond aesthetics. The greens, which were mediocre at best when Lorenzo and his group took over, now regularly roll at 9 and roll true. We’ve had the pleasure of playing at Luisita quite regularly since they took over and we have never seen the greens this good.

Hechanova intimated that he and Patricio like to keep the golf course in this condition because of its distance from the city. Pity the poor golfer that makes the drive here to find the greens heavily aerated and sanded.

Then there’s the golf course itself—what a golf course it is.

The course was thoughtfully laid out so that the wind hits each hole from a different angle. With water in play on 11 holes, this is something that the golfer needs to consider when preparing for his shot.

Many golf courses today favor a fade since the great majority of golfers slice the ball. At Luisita, you’ll need to move the ball both ways to play well and the holes turn in both directions. Luisita demands a complete game from each of us.

The element that golfers will have to deal with is water. There’s water almost everywhere; it’s in play on 11 of the 18 holes and you’ll have to deal with it on all the par threes. On two of the holes (14 and 17), there are two water hazards with which to contend. So unless you’re out to challenge yourself, most golfers would do well to play the correct set of tees. It will add enjoyment to your round and lessen the number of golf balls you donate to the hazards. The second hole helps drive that home. It’s a 192-yard par 3 (165-yards from the blue tees) with very little between you and the green but water. Unlike its feared sibling (the 17th), there’s nowhere to lay up. You’re going to have to strike the ball well to score here.

There are so many memorable holes here that it’s virtually impossible to pick a favorite. The par 3s are all gorgeous, the second perhaps the most so. The seventh hole is a layup and a wedge if done properly but when the water in the hazard is high, those in the know will skip golf balls across the lake and onto the green.

The ninth hole is a monster. 623-yards from the tips makes this a par 5 to be reckoned with. The severely elevated green makes the approach shot very difficult to judge. As this is the 1-handicap hole, bogey is a good score here.

It is the closing stretch that is the most memorable.

14 is a great hole. The tee shot must cross two bodies of water. The hole doglegs to the left and water remains in play with the approach, as well. The green is shallow and difficult to hold. It’s just a great golf hole. But as good as it is, 15 is up there with it. This sweeping dogleg to the left is a bit shorter but no less difficult. An array of bunkers guard the ideal landing area off the tee. A miss to the right will result in a long shot into a green that slopes away in the back.

Then there’s the 17th. 214-yards from the tips and just 20-yards shorter from the next set of tees, this is the most difficult of the par 3s. There is scant area on which to miss but shorter hitters will be gratified to know that they can lay up to an island where the forward tees are located. The hole is much more manageable from there.

There is so much to love about Luisita. The magnificent clubhouse takes you back to the time of the grand hacienda. It is a window in time to a genteel time in history and a taste of what golf and life were like back in the day. The golf course is in great shape today, and Hechanova and Patricio are working to make it even better in the future.

It is, therefore, no surprise that Luisita Golf and Country Club is our traditional golf course of 2017.

Congratulations to Martin Lorenzo and his crew not only for resurrecting one of the great golf courses in the Philippines but also for making it more accessible to us all.

Golf Course

Best Tra Course: and Cou

Advice for the Parent of a J

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, February 3, 2018 A7

e of the Year 2.0

TOUR NOTES

aditional Golf : Luisita Golf untry Club

The view from behind the 16th green.

Junior Golfer

By David MacKenzie

1. HOW A PARENT OF A JUNIOR GOLFER CAN HELP LOWER EXPECTATIONS Expectations and goals are two different things. Future goals, which represent improvement, are a good thing. Expectations to achieve goals and go out and shoot a good score are not. This is why performance in golf is usually cyclical—a player will shoot a low score, or win a tournament, and then expect that same success in the next round or tournament. The bar gets raised, and finishing below it is viewed as a failure. Expectations create pressure and put too much focus on the result and future outcome, which as you’ll know if you’ve read my Ultimate Mental Game Training System, increases pressure, tension and panic (performance anxiety).

When a parent of a junior golfer tells their child: “I think you’ll win today,” they think they are helping them feel confident. But what they’re actually doing is increasing expectations, and the chances of a poor performance.

As part of my mental coaching for junior golfers program, we set goals (and measure the success of rounds) that have nothing to do with score. When a player sets out to achieve these goals, instead of shooting a good score or winning a tournament, the results are significantly better.

2. HOW A PARENT OF A JUNIOR GOLFER CAN SHIFT FOCUS AWAY FROM [UNCERTAIN] OUTCOMES One of my students called me before a tournament last week,

and told me how afraid he was of not playing well in front of the dozen or so Division 1 National Collegiate Athletic Association college coaches that were going to be watching.

I reminded him that who was watching, and the final outcome was out of his control, and the only thing he needs to focus on was the process goals we set, controlling his nerves and staying present in between shots. Through the confidence we had built in this process over the past year, he was able to stay focused on what was most important, and he succeeded. But who knows what the college coaches took away from it!

When you find your junior focusing too much on what will happen if they play well or poorly, it’s important to remind them that they can’t control the future and, instead, to focus on those things that they can control.

3. HOW A PARENT OF A JUNIOR GOLFER CAN BE SUPPORTIVE AFTER A ROUND Many parents of junior golfers invest heavily in their child’s game, and there’s obvious frustration when they don’t see progress in the results. I know one parent who spends in the region of $60k to $70k on his son’s golf game each year (coaching, equipment, travel, hotels and tournament entry fees).

Hence, I hear this a lot: “Coach, I know my son is way more talented than most of the other juniors in his age group, but they always beat him in tournaments. We need to change this!”

Kids are smart, and can sense this frustration.

The time that it’s usually most apparent is during the car ride home. The parent’s frustration of yet another disappointing tournament after all the time, money and

energy that goes into it is, more often that not, guiding the conversation and untimely criticism. Why is it you can’t play like you do in practice during these rounds?” is a question that gets asked.

The junior typically withdraws, gets more frustrated and feels even worse than they do already.

The best thing a parent of a junior golfer can do in these situations is let the junior initiate a conversation about their performance. If they want to talk about it, fine, but if not, allow them to change the subject to something that will make them feel better. If they want to talk about the round, try to be as compassionate as possible and listen! Allow them to feel frustrated and don’t try to fix anything. Constructive feedback is better received the next day when the emotions have subsided.

What’s most important is to not allow a junior feel like they are letting you down by their play. It’s isn’t about you, the parent. If a junior ties your happiness to how well they play, this will massively increase pressure, and they will struggle to perform to their potential. It’s far more important to ask them what they learned than focus on their score.

4. PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THEM DURING PRACTICE Learning how to overcome adversity and cope with/ reduce performance anxiety is an important part of the process of succeeding in tournaments. We can use the feedback from their rounds to improve these skills, but they can also work on it during practice. The practice sessions I set up for my junior players involve focusing more on the process (routines) and putting them under

pressure to improve how well they control tension, heart rate and their focus when under pressure on the course.

Tiger Woods’s dad, Earl, would try to distract Tiger and put him under pressure when trying to hit shots in practice, the goal being to to increase Tiger’s focus and ability to handle pressure on the course (which obviously worked). He said, “I put Tiger through a mental-training program that I built from scratch, using my experience in Vietnam, prisoner of war interrogations and psychological warfare.” In my opinion, Tiger’s mental game was undoubtedly why he was so successful.

I often spend hours with a junior until they complete pressure practice drills like 20 up-and-downs or the 10 consecutive putts drill.

Work on these four areas, and I’m confident you’ll see an improvement in your junior in tournaments.

David MacKenzie is a performance coach and the founder of Golf State of Mind.

Throughout David’s playing career, he learned quickly how attitude, self-belief and mental toughness affect performance in golf. He knew that was the difference between his average and great rounds. But the question was, how did one improve these valuable skills and feel more confident more often?

While studying at the University of Saint Andrews in Scotland, David began in-depth research into sport psychology and how elite performers apply their minds to practice and play. He interviewed hundreds of elite golfers and sport psychologists. He shared what he discovered via his web site, Golf State of Mind, and it quickly resonated with golfers of all levels.

W

hen it comes to World Golf Championships (WGC) events, Dustin Johnson probably provides the best description.

“They are very important Tournaments. They are big Tournaments. They bring together the best players in the world,” the 17-time Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour winner and current world No. 1 said.

It is no wonder these factors have driven the longhitting American superstar to five WGC titles, where he is second after Tiger Woods for most WGC career victories. Beating the best of the best has pushed him to excel and the mantra appears to be driving Asia’s band of new glory seekers on the WGC frontier.

The region’s flagbearers will get a crack against Johnson and the world’s elite when the first WGC Tournament of 2018, the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship, takes place at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City from March 1 to 4. Johnson is the defending champion at the $10-million showpiece, which is supported by the Salinas family who are intent to help grow the game further in Mexico.

While WGC Tournaments have been held with great success for nearly two decades, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has only burst through the gates recently as Asia’s most successful golfer following standout triumphs at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in 2016 and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational last year.

At 25, Matsuyama has entrenched himself as being among a new wave of ultra-talented golfers dominating the global golf scene alongside the power hitters, such as Johnson, reigning FedExCup champion Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Spanish sensation Jon Rahm.

Beyond Matsuyama, Asia is counting on the likes of China’s Haotong Li, 22, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, 28, and 24-year-old Gavin Green of Malaysia to become world-beaters.

Each have shown glimpses of greatness and the trio will get their chance to underpin their credentials in Mexico, which is not lost on them.

Li, a product of the China Golf AssociationHSBC Junior Golf Programme and a graduate of PGA Tour Series-China, boosted his credentials last Sunday when he took down Rory McIlroy in a head-to-head duel to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for his second European Tour triumph.

“I’m really excited about the WGC-Mexico Championship. It is always my ambition to play and compete against the best players in the world, so to get into the elite field is a special feeling,” said Li, who burst into global prominence with an impressive third place finish at The Open Championship last July.

“As it is also my first WGC appearance outside of China, I am determined to make it a memorable week. Hopefully, I can contend for a win,” added Li, who is expected to become the new world No. 32 when the ranking is released on Tuesday.

Green, who starred for the University of New Mexico during his amateur days, created a slice of golf history at the end of last year when he became the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, which earned him his maiden appearance at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

“The World Golf Championships are all big events...all the best in the world will be there,” Green said.

During his rise in 2017, Green featured in the PGA Tour’s events across Asia last fall, namely the CIMB Classic in Malaysia, CJ CUP at NINE BRIDGES in South Korea and WGC-HSBC Champions in China. And the Malaysian said those events “opened” his eyes to top level golf, which he believes will make him a better golfer.

“Playing in the WGC opened my eyes, as well as playing in the CIMB and CJ too,” Green added. “I know what to expect, I know what to do. You’ll get all the good guys in the top events, so I just hope to use these events to better myself.”

Kiradech, Asia’s No. 1 in 2013, is keen to lift his game a notch higher as well, which means improving on his WGC record and ultimately playing his way onto the PGA Tour. In 11 starts, Kiradech’s best is a T18 at the 2016 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play and he hopes his appearance at the WGC-Mexico Championship will lead to a breakthrough.

“It is fun to have the opportunity to play in big Tournaments. Being the first World Golf Championships event of the year, I will be very motivated to produce a strong performance in Mexico and, hopefully, I can challenge for the title,” said Kiradech, who made a welcome return into the world’s top-50 following five top-10 finishes at the end of last year.

All eyes will surely be on Kiradech, Li and Green as they attempt to follow in Matsuyama’s footsteps and conquer the world in Mexico City.

The golfing world awaits with bated breath.

Chuah Choo Chiang is the senior director, PGA Tour and is based in TPC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, February 3, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Gift of tech for #SmartMillenniors

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HRISTMAS came early for the seniors of Barangay 734 in Paco, Manila, the first batch of #SmartMillenniors to successfully finish the three-day short course on the basics of smartphones, social media and cybersecurity.

The #SmartMillenniors program, a play on the words “millennials,” who are known to be tech savvy, and “seniors,” aims to teach technology to the elderly.

The seniors, who were used to attending the sessions in their barangay plaza, were in for a treat: This time, they had to dress their best and head over to Adamson University for their graduation rites, where they received certificates of recognition and other special awards and items from Smart and Adamson.

For many of them, it was their first time in a long time to attend a recognition ceremony; for some, it was their first time ever to receive certificates. Many could not hold back their tears, like the oldest graduate of the program, 80-year-old Virginia Pangilinan. The others, meanwhile, beamed brightly as they filed in slowly into the venue, assisted by their own children, and officials of Barangay 734.

“I’m still teary-eyed,” said Maria Paz Pangilinan, who also received the Most Active Millennior award for being consistently energetic through all the sessions. “The last time I received a certificate was in 1976. Then there was a fire, and all my certificates got burned. With these new certificates, I now have new things to put in frames and hang on our walls. I just hope there won’t be another fire.”

“Many of our elders feel they will

no longer be able to catch up with technology. Through this program, we are able to help them overcome their technophobia and make technology truly for all,” said Father Atilano Fajardo, CM, director of Adamson’s Integrated Community Extension Services. Also present to give out awards during the ceremonies was the chairman of Adamson’s Computer Science Department, Raquel Bermudez.

“I’m really very happy to be here,” said Luz Beribu, one of the graduates.

She said she bought a special dress for the occasion. “I’m glad that, even if I’m now a senior, I am still able to receive a certificate like this.”

Aside from a certificate of completion, Nanay Luz also received another citation for her perfect attendance.

“What pushed me to be present in all sessions? I really wanted to learn more about these new touchscreen phones and about Facebook!” she said, smiling. “Nowadays, before going to sleep, I check my Facebook first.”

Nanay Luz admits she hasn’t completely mastered everything.

“I still have some things I don’t quite get yet, but in time, I believe I will learn all of that, as well,” she said. “I hope Smart continues to teach senior citizens like me.”

For Natividad Fami, the most important thing she learned in the program was all about connection.

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Baguio solon seeks senior citizens’ discount hike on utilities

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NANAY Paz takes a “groufie” (group picture) with her fellow graduates and Smart and Adamson University volunteers.

“I learned that technology can be really good, and that you can use it to connect to your loved ones, even if they’re far away. I’m really happy I learned how.”

Finishing on top of the class was Benjamin Pura Sr., 63 years old. Aside from being awarded top honors and receiving the “Smart Millennior Award,” Tatay Benjamin was also cited for being Best in Mobile Phone Navigation—an honor awarded by the program to the senior who was able to master the smartphone the fastest.

“I’m really thankful that Smart and Adamson took the time to teach us seniors,” said a teary-eyed Tatay Benjamin. Today, he says he has more than 20 friends on Facebook and has been using it to talk to his neighbors.

His favorite chatmate?

“The barangay chairman, of course,” he said.

For being the top graduate, Tatay Benjamin also received a Smart Re-

tailer package and a new smartphone, courtesy of Smart.

Aside from having new certificates to hang on the walls, Nanay Paz also won her own smartphone in the raffle. In her shock, she could not speak immediately when interviewed after the ceremony.

“Wow,” Nanay Paz said, moments later. “Until now, I really can’t believe I actually won the raffle.”

Over the course of the sessions, Nanay Paz has been wishing for her own smartphone, since she used to only borrow from her grandchildren. Now, things are about to change.

“What we learned here in the Smart Millenniors program—they are really important,” she said. “Because we now have this knowledge, we are no longer left behind.”

Aside from certificates, load cards and premium items from Smart, the graduates also received Christmas packages courtesy of Adamson’s Com-

puter Science Department.

This first round of #SmartMillenniors sessions was in partnership with Adamson University, Starmobile and Barangay 734.

During the first session, the participants learned about the basics of smartphones, mobile data and Facebook, while during the second session, they were taught how to use Facebook Messenger, group chat and Youtube. During the last session, the seniors participated eagerly in a Cybersecurity Quiz Show, to test concepts about how to stay safe while online and avoid being victimized by online scams. They were also assisted in making stronger passwords and briefed about social-media etiquette.

Those interested to host a #SmartMillenniors program with seniors in their area may send a message to Smart Communities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ SmartCommunities.

AGUIO CITY—A bill increasing the discount rate of senior citizens on utilities from 5 percent to 10 percent has been filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. Mark O. Go of the Lone District of Baguio City.

In a press release to the media, Go said House Bill 5960 seeks to grant senior citizens a 10-percent discount on their monthly electric and water consumption, provided their electricity and water consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours and 30 cubic meters, respectively.

Go’s bill is in recognition of the important role of the senior citizens in Philippine society.

He said “most of the seniors who are working under the informal sectors are not covered by pensions and health-care benefits.”

The measure will amend a provision of R A 9994 or the Senior Citizens Act of 2010, which touches on the grant on monthly utility consumption.

The existing law provides that, in order for the discount to be granted, individual meters of the utilities must be registered in the name of the senior citizen residing in the house where the utility connection is found.

“It remains a fact that this sector of society is having difficulties to keep up with the relatively rapid economic growth where prices of medicines, health care, basic goods and commodities and house utilities are constantly increasing through time,” the proposed measure said.

“This discount increase as an additional relief is what our elderlies have been waiting for,” Go said. PNA

Septuagenarian tour Deadly fire undermines S. Korea leader’s vow to make country safer guides add richness to Cavite museum’s stories

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AWIT, Cavite—Walking into the historic Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo (MEA) is a pleasure, even as one gazes at the historical artifacts inside.

Going around the museum is doubly pleasing with two elderly, white-haired volunteer museum caretakers—72-year-old Lolo Antolin and 75-year-old Lolo Vener—who have been working as guides in the museum for almost four decades and still counting.

Meeting the two senior museum tour guides brings amazement to guests, as they exhibit their expertise in telling stories about the mansion, such as the life of General Emilio Aguinaldo, the weapons he used, the artifacts and even the clothes that Aguinaldo wore.

Lolo Vener and Lolo Antolin have an extensive knowledge on such topics, and they are willing to share all the stories countless times.

All these years, the two have been ushering visitors who come to the mansion, showing the secret passages of the house and where the old documents and weapons were stashed.

They also guide guests to the historical residential mansion’s family dining room, bedrooms and even the seventh floor’s secret watchtower.

They offer visitors an interesting description of the location, its history and what effect it has had on past and modern society. Lolo Antolin and Lolo Vener also answer visitors’ questions and keep the tour organized and efficient.

Proceeding into the galleries, one would notice the exhibit halls all spruced up and the ground-floor room now being fully air-conditioned—unlike before, according to the two elders.

The first gallery showcases “Aguinaldo’s Early Years up to the Katipunan.”

The second gallery shows the “Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.” The third exhibits “The Road to the First Republic.” The fourth gallery depicts the “FilipinoAmerican War.” Touring visitors within the museum has brought Lolo Vener and Lolo Antolin hundreds of friends from across the country and even foreign visitors, who come and stop by Cavite’s historical museum. The two senior citizens are delighted when museumgoers also take the chance to learn more from their own experiences—something that even adds to the richness of stories behind the place.

MEA, known as the “House of History,” opened last Friday its rerun of the 12 “talking” artifacts with an interactive exhibit dubbed “Repaso: Hablamos in Retrospect,” which runs until February 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patricia N. Villadolid and Gladys Pino/PNA

EOUL, South Korea—When President Moon Jae-in took power in South Korea last May, he vowed to make his disaster-prone country a safer place to live. But public skepticism over his ability to deliver has deepened with a string of tragedies in recent weeks, including a hospital fire that killed dozens of people on January 26.

The fire that engulfed Sejong Hospital in the southern city of Miryang was the deadliest fire in South Korea in a decade. It also came barely a month after another fire killed 29 people last December.

Both accidents revealed deep flaws in the country’s safety standards, like the lack of fire sprinklers in the hospital, problems that are likely to further erode public confidence in Moon’s ability to deliver his campaign promises just as the country prepares to host the Winter Olympics.

In Friday’s fire, the government even had trouble delivering an authoritative death toll, a common problem in South Korean disasters. The local police, Fire Department and health authorities announced 41 had died, but later revised that number to 37, saying some bodies were counted twice.

But they said the death toll could rise again because more than 100 people had been injured, 10 of them seriously.

On January 26 officials were still investigating the cause of the fire, which they said started on the hospital’s first floor. Toxic smoke quickly spread through the rest of the hospital, which was filled with older patients, many of them unable to move on their own when the fire broke out, they said.

Twenty-six of the 37 dead were in their 80s or 90s, including a 99-year-old woman. All of the fatalities apparently died of inhaling the smoke, police Detective Kim Han-soo told reporters.

Like other rural towns in South Korea, Miryang has seen its population rapidly age in recent decades as

its young have abandoned farming and migrated to cities.

Miryang residents who have used the hospital reported that its intensive care unit was typically overcrowded with aging patients. South Korea’s rich prefer big university hospitals in major cities that attract patients with modern equipment, while smaller provincial clinics are often poorly staffed and equipped and often squeeze as many beds in as possible to remain financially viable.

The Miryang hospital even lacked fire sprinklers, said Choi Man-woo, chief of the local Fire Department. He said many of the victims were believed to have died from inhaling smoke. The dead included a doctor and two nurses, Choi added.

“Many of the patients could not move on their own and were ones who had difficulties breathing,” Choi said, adding six of the people who died were found in an elevator. “The hospital was not protected from a fire.”

While tackling the blaze at the hospital’s five-story main building, where all the deaths occurred, firefighters also had to evacuate patients from an annex that operated as a nursing home, carrying some of the patients on their backs because few of them were able to walk.

“That I covered myself with a wet towel and thick blankets was all I remember,” Lee Ok-soon, 78, a Sejong Hospital patient, told the national news agency Yonhap after she regained consciousness in another hospital.

Ha Yong-gyu, 89, was hospitalized on the fifth floor with a cold when the fire erupted.

“I was coming out of the restroom when I saw the thick smoke in the hallway and heard people shouting for help,” Ha told Yonhap.

With its death toll, the Miryang accident was the most deadly fire since an inferno engulfing a cold-storage warehouse killed 40 people in 2008, including 13 ethnic Korean workers from China who migrated to their ancient homeland

for better pay. In 2003 192 people died in a subway arson.

South Koreans’ concern over their country’s safety standards has become a major political issue since an overloaded, poorly inspected ferry capsized in 2014, killing 304 passengers, most of them teenagers on a school trip.

Moon, then an opposition presidential candidate, rode a wave of public anger over the alleged corruption and shortcomings of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye, whose government was widely accused of not only failing to respond adequately to the sinking of the ferry Sewol but also of whitewashing the investigation. In the initial hours, the central government and the local authorities issued confusing data on the death toll, including announcing that all onboard had been rescued.

Public anger over the disaster loomed large during huge demonstrations that led to Park’s impeachment. During the election to choose her successor, all candidates, including Moon, vowed to make South Korea “safer.”

Moon’s credibility on that front was dented when 29 people were killed and 40 injured in a fire that gutted a sports center in the town of Jecheon, about 75 miles southeast of Seoul, last December. Most of the victims in that fire were trapped in a public sauna on the second floor of the building. Fire engines had trouble reaching the blaze because so many illegally parked cars blocked the narrow alleyways.

“I am too ashamed to say again that this kind of thing will never happen again,” Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, the No. 2 official in Moon’s government, said last Friday while visiting Miryang, about 170 miles southeast of Seoul.

The latest fire came as Moon’s popularity ratings have been slipping over his government’s decision to form a joint women’s ice hockey team with North Korea for next month’s Winter Olympics. In a deal that Moon’s govern-

ment has billed as a major step toward improving ties on the divided Korean Peninsula, the two Koreas also agreed to march together, carrying a “unified Korea” flag, during the opening ceremony in the South Korean town of Pyeongchang on February 9.

Many South Koreans agreed with Moon that North Korea’s Olympic participation would help calm jitters after a year of acute tensions spurred by the North’s nuclear and missile tests and President Donald J. Trump’s threat to rain down “fire and fury” on the country.

But Moon’s decision to form a joint hockey team with the North after it threatened its neighbors with nuclear weapons has proved vastly unpopular, particularly among young voters, Moon’s traditional supporters, according to recent surveys.

His approval ratings slipped to 64 percent this week, 3 percentage points down from last week, according to a survey published by Gallup Korea last Friday. It was the lowest Gallup Korea rating since Moon took office.

The survey was taken before Friday’s hospital fire.

The pushback against Moon’s North Korea initiative has caught his administration off guard.

Progressive politicians affiliated with Moon have hoped that the Olympics will help create a political thaw, adding momentum to Moon’s policy of promoting dialogue with North Korea, as political parties gear up for mayoral and governors elections in June.

Moon’s Democratic Party remains the most popular political party, although its approval ratings, too, have declined in recent weeks.

Moon convened an emergency staff meeting last Friday in response to the fire and “expressed deep regrets” over the high death toll, his office said. He also ordered a thorough investigation and called for measures to prevent similar fires. New York Times News Service

BusinessMirror

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

POWER MAC CENTER OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE iPHONE BATTERY SERVICING

IN light of Apple’s official communication regarding the chemical aging issue of batteries on older iPhone units, Power Mac Center, being an Authorized Service Provider, is committed to provide efficient and professional service through a strict set of protocols, which consists of the following: ■ Devices must undergo diagnosis to check the battery condition and other internal and external physical/accidental damage or unauthorized modification that may or may not be visible to the naked eye.

■ If such issues are found, the iPhone will be ineligible for the battery replacement.

■ If, during the diagnosis, we also find other hardware issues, our Apple Certified Engineer will recommend a part/ unit replacement accordingly.

■ Customers may or may not proceed with the recommendation, but if they decide to pull out, they have to settle the diagnostic fee if the unit is out or void of warranty.

The battery replacement fee is P1,500 for eligible units out of warranty, inclusive of labor. This price may change due to importation costs and without prior notice.

This is Apple’s current and official procedure in all of their partner service centers.

Apple’s local Authorized Service Provider underscored that Power Mac Center Service Engineers are Apple-certified.

Since the announcement of the battery-servicing program two weeks ago, Power Mac Center has successfully replaced the iPhone batteries of over 150 customers, according to the distribution/servicing channel.

Ride-sharing pioneer utilizes technology to enhance rider safety SINCE its inception, technology has driven Uber to help users get from one place to another and from there, create lasting memories. More important, updates and innovations have enabled Uber to create safer experiences for both its riders and drivers.

The tech company is rolling out another in-app feature that will further enhance the user experience: Rider Identification. Through this add-on, new riders who do not own credit cards or any electronic payment method can instead verify their identity by connecting their app to their Facebook account. This will not only allow riders who prefer cash-based trips to register with the app, but also assure drivers of who their riders are.

Created in partnership with the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and other government agencies, Uber’s Rider Identification also stems from the feedback given by their driver-partners.

“The LTFRB is supportive of Uber’s initiative to launch Rider Identification, as this is one of the outcomes of our Safety and Security Technical Working Group meetings conducted together with the transport network companies, transport network vehicle service [TNVS[ leaders, Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Red Cross,” LTFRB Board Member Aileen Lizada said. “This will hopefully provide an additional layer of security for our TNVS drivers who provide service to the riding public.”

With the Philippines leading the rollout of this new feature in Asia, Uber continues to strengthen its commitment to help keep all their users safe before, during and after every trip.

Saturday, February 3, 2018 A9

The bargain phone that isn’t cheap but gets the work done very well PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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HE OnePlus 5T has been called 2017’s Phone Bargain of the Year by Tomsguide.com, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s also been called a better version of the iPhone X. I only know of one person who uses this and she paid a not-so-bargain price for it. “I love it,” she said. Before the OnePlus 5T, she was using an Android from another brand and an iPhone (“Not going back to iOS again.”)

She describes the OnePlus 5T as being a combination of the iPhone X and the Google Pixel 2 at half the price. She got the 124GB unit for P31,000.

The OnePlus 5T was released only months after the OnePlus 5, making it the fourth phone to be released by the company in less than two years.

Compared to the OnePlus 5, the 5T has a larger and more impressive display. It measures 6 inches as compared to the 5’s 5.5 inches. It’s taller, of course. Let’s bring out the cons first: The phone isn’t waterproof, and it doesn’t support wireless charging.

The screen’s resolution aspect ratio has gone from 16:9 to 18:9, the same as that of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ and the Google Pixel 2 SL. It has Face Unlock which, according to reviews, isn’t as seamless as the iPhone X’s but isn’t bad at all.

The phone runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is scheduled to get Android 8.0 Oreo soon enough.

(According to online reports, OnePlus is already pushing the Oreo upgrade to users—Ed.) As for the camera, it isn’t the best, according to reviews, but it’s not bad either.

It’s in the battery that the OnePlus 5T excels—on Airplane Mode with video playback, it lasts over 17 hours. If you’re an iPhone user, you know how amazing that sounds.

With a Snapdragon 835 processor and 8GB RAM, the OnePlus 5T will not likely beat the iPhone X’s speed but it’s pretty fast (the same as the Samsung Galaxy S8, which is one of 2017’s best phones).

Since we weren’t able to get our hands on the OnePlus 5T, we relied on online reviews and that of the only person we know who uses it. Here are some we found online.

“Let’s not forget that for £449, the OnePlus 5T is an

exceptionally well-rounded smartphone.

It is at least £100 cheaper than similar handsets, and sometimes close to £300 less,” Henry Burrell said on Techadvisor.co.uk.

According to Cnet.com, “The OnePlus 5T is a superb, affordable phone for new buyers, despite only minor changes from the OnePlus 5.”

“OnePlus did it again. Its latest phone, the OnePlus 5T, pairs the right high-end hardware and software with the right price, making it one of the best value phones you can buy anywhere. It remains one of those rare devices that can take on phones with slightly brawnier specs and higher price tags,” the Cnet.com review said.

“The OnePlus 5T remains one of the best phones on the market, and for the £449 starting price I don’t think there’s a better option out there,” Max Parker said on Trustedreviews.com.

Here are the phone’s specifications: ■ OPERATING SYSTEM: Android 7.1.1 Nougat/ OxygenOS. ■ DISPLAY: 6.01-inch Full HD+ (1080 x 2160) AMOLED/401 ppi/18:9 aspect ratio/2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

■ PROCESSOR: 2.45 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 10nm/Adreno 540 GPU. ■ RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X. ■ STORAGE: 128GB. ■ REAR CAMERA: 16 MP Sony IMX 398 sensor/1.12 µm/f/1.7 aperture + 20 MP IMX 376K sensor/1.0 µm/f/1.7 aperture.

■ FRONT CAMERA: 16 MP Sony IMX 371 sensor, 1.0 µm, f/2.0 aperture.

■ BATTERY: 3,300 mAh/Dash Charge (5V 4A).

■ DIMENSIONS: 156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm.

■ WEIGHT: 162 ggram.

Apple’s stock sinks as high hope for iPhone X sales fade SAN FRANCISCO—Apple’s stock is backtracking from its recent highs amid mounting concerns that iPhone X sales will fall short of the high hopes for a device that brought facial-recognition technology and a $1,000 price tag to the company’s flagship product line.

Speculation about disappointing demand for the iPhone X have been swirling for the past week, contributing to a 6-percent decline in Apple’s stock since it hit an all-time high of $180.10 on January 18. The shares lost $3.55 to close on Monday at $167.96, translating into a nearly $60-billion loss in the company’s market value since the stock last peaked.

Concrete evidence of how the iPhone X is faring should emerge on Thursday when Apple is scheduled to release its fiscal first-quarter earnings. The period spans from October through December, covering the early-November release of the iPhone X and the holiday-shopping season that typically brings Apple’s

APPLE shares have been falling in early 2018 on fears that the iPhone X has not been a hit with customers. AP

biggest iPhone sales of the year.

Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment on Monday.

For now, many investors appear to be focusing on analyst comments and media reports that Apple is dramatically reducing its iPhone X orders with its suppliers.

J.P. Morgan analyst Narci Chang said last week that manufacturing of Apple’s flagship phone could be cut in half during the first three months of this year in reaction to weakening demand.

But RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani believes Apple’s reported iPhone sales during the past quarter will be higher than anticipated and the projections for the current quarter won’t be as lackluster as many people fear.

The iPhone X is unlike anything Apple has ever made in the product line’s 10year history.

It features an OLED screen that spans from one edge of the device to the other,

and displays images in more vibrant colors. It also relies on technology that recognizes a user’s face to unlock the device and animate emoji’s.

Investors have been counting on the iPhone X to be a huge hit, despite its unprecedented starting price of $1,000.

Apple also released two other new models last September, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which are similar to its 2016 models, but sell for 20 percent to 30 percent less than the iPhone X. Neither of those phones has the fancier display screen or facial-recognition technology featured in the iPhone X. Analysts, on average, estimate that Apple sold 79 million iPhones in the past quarter, generating revenue of $60.1 billion, according to FactSet. That translates into an average sales price of $760 per iPhone, a 10-percent increase from the same time in the previous year when Apple sold about 78 million iPhones at an average price of $694. AP

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, February 3, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph

HMD Global, Chicago Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen ink long-term partnership

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HMD Global has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with Finnish basketball player Lauri Markkanen, who is playing his first season in the NBA as power forward for the Chicago Bulls. The newest brand ambassador for Nokia phones, Markkanen embodies HMD Global’s core values of persistence, winning together and Finnish sisu (guts), and will be sharing his rookie season with NBA followers using the Nokia 8.

“Lauri Markkanen is an incredible talent and an excellent brand ambassador for us,” says Pekka Rantala, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for HMD Global. “He knows what he wants and is willing to work hard to achieve his goals. We look forward to following Lauri’s career and, are pleased to offer devices, such as the Nokia 8, with which he can share moments from the NBA and his day-to-day activities with his fans around the world.”

Markkanen, who was born in 1997, played college basketball with Arizona Wildcats of the University of Arizona in the 2016-17 season, before joining the Chicago Bulls.

Despite being a rookie, he is starting to make a name for himself, sinking 56 three-point shots in his first 25 games.

“I am very proud of this opportunity to work with a big Finnish brand. I hope to use this opportunity to let more people learn more about Finland. It is cool to be part of the team working for Nokia phones,” says Markkanen.

With its Dual-Sight mode, the Nokia 8 lets basketball fans livestream games, special moments and other day-to-day activities as #bothie content on social media using both the front and back cameras simultaneously.

The Nokia 8 also delivers a truly immersive audio experience, which means watching every basketball game feels like being there. The phone’s OZO Audio technology features top-level spatial 360° audio and provides great audio to complement 4K video on any device. This means NBA enthusiasts can hear the clarity of Lauri’s fans cheering whenever makes a three-point shot.

“As a human brand, Nokia resonates with the character of Lauri Markkannen in terms of hard work and persistence to always perform at best,” shared Shannon Mead, HMD Global Philippines country manager. “It will surely be an exciting year ahead, especially as Filipinos are so passionate about NBA. Capturing Lauri’s story and the entire NBA season with the Nokia 8 will truly be an elevated experience.”

CHICAGO Bulls power forward Lauri Markkanen

ALEXIA MARMARA, a staff member at the Hyman Archive, the world’s largest private magazine collection, with a copy of Zoom Magazine in London last December LAUREN FLEISHMAN/THE NEW YORK TIMES

All good magazines go to heaven

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BY DAVID SHAFTEL New York Times News Service

ONDON—When James Hyman was a scriptwriter at MTV Europe, in the 1990s, before the rise of the Internet, there was a practical—as well as compulsive—reason he amassed an enormous collection of magazines.

“If you’re interviewing David Bowie, you don’t want to be like, ‘OK, mate, what’s your favorite color?’” he said. “You want to go through all the magazines and be able to say, ‘Talk about when you did the Nazi salute at Paddington Station in 1976.’ You want to be like a lawyer when he preps his case.”

Whenever possible, Hyman tried to keep two copies of each magazine he acquired. One pristine copy was for his nascent magazine collection and another was for general circulation among his colleagues, marked with his name to ensure it found its way back to him. The magazines he used to research features on musicians and bands formed the early core of what became the Hyman Archive, which now contains approximately 160,000 magazines, most of which are not digitally archived or anywhere on the Internet.

It was frigid inside the archive during a recent visit—a good 10 degrees colder than the chilly air outside—and staffers were bundled up. Space heaters illuminated a nest that Tory Turk (the creative lead), Alexia Marmara (the editorial lead) and Hyman had made for themselves amid boxes of donations to the collection. It lines more than 3,000 feet of shelving in a former cannon foundry in the 18th-century Royal Arsenal complex in Woolwich, a suburban neighborhood abutting the Thames in southeast London.

The Hyman Archive was confirmed as the largest collection of magazines in 2012 by Guinness World

Records; then, it had just 50,953 magazines, 2,312 of them unique titles. Now, a year and a half after Hyman was interviewed by BBC Radio 4, donations are pouring in, and amid them Hyman and his staff have carved out space for an armchair and a snackladen desk. (The rest of the foundry is a storage facility used mostly by media companies to house their film archives and the obsolete technology with which they were made.)

At a moment when the old titans like Condé Nast and Time Inc. are contracting, shape-shifting and anxiously hashtagging, herein lies a museum of real magazine making, testament to the old glossy solidity.

The price of admission, however, is stiff: Visitors can do research with a staffer’s aid for 75 pounds per hour (about $100), with negotiable day rates (and a student discount of 20 percent), or gingerly borrow a magazine for three working days for 50 pounds.

“I always knew it was a cultural resource and that there was value in it,” Hyman said of the archive. But having the collection verified by Guinness was about validation, he added, “because then people might take it more seriously than just thinking: ‘Some lunatic’s got a warehouse full of magazines.’”

Turk has a knack for repackaging Hyman’s animated monologues into what in the trade are called sound bites. “I maintain that James always had the foresight that this was going to be something else, more than just a sort of collector’s dream,” she said.

“The archive is all about preserving and documenting the history of print.”

Hyman has kept magazines in various storage spaces since the late 1980s, and had many, many magazines at home, in his spare room. But in 2010 his wife was expecting a baby. “I wasn’t given any ultimatums,” he said, “but it was like, ‘You’re going to have to sort this out.’” (At that time, Turk also helped Hyman pare down his collection of about 40,000

compact discs, like a scene out of the Nick Hornby novel High Fidelity.)

From 2012 the magazines sat nearly untouched in storage, including at an idle meat factory in Islington, during which time Hyman acquired another 30,000 to 40,000 magazines, he said. Some 90,000 were shelved in alphabetical order at Cannon House in 2015, but the collection is too big to shift when, say, they get a set of 60 rare Playboys or a camper van full of issues of Athletics Weekly from the 1970s, as they recently did. Instead, another area of the archive is dedicated to magazines that have been acquired since the move.

The archive is still peppered with periodicals from the MTV days, marked “James.” To illustrate the point, Hyman, 47, pulled from the shelves a 1995 issue of the defunct FactSheet5—“The definitive guide to the zine revolution”—with his name scrawled on the cover in black marker. After all these years, Hyman is still intimately familiar with its contents. “This is a phenomenal publication. It listed zines, just a quirky catalog that reviewed fringe zines. It was sick,” he said, before seeking out and indicating a surprisingly positive review of a zine dedicated entirely to its founder’s genitals.

Each member of the team has a particular familiarity with the archive’s contents and has an institutional knowledge of certain titles and their whereabouts. Hyman is great on music, with a particular fondness for New Musical Express. Turk is strong on fashion, and Marmara is especially good at unearthing what Hyman calls “visual gold”—weird or unsung design elements, photo shoots or ads.

“If we all died tomorrow, it would be over,” Turk said.

No donation is turned down, and Hyman described the archive as a final resting place for printed matter.

“We’re heaven for magazines,” he said. ■

Huawei Philippines pursues video content development

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES HUAWEI Philippines, the local subsidiary of information communications technology (ICT) giant Huawei, will embark on video-content development as part of expanding its footprint in the local market.

Richard Chang, head of Huawei Philippines Consumer Cloud Service, said it will introduce VidPlus to Filipinos to enable them to experience entertainment on the mobile platform.

VidPlus is a subscription-based service that allows users to view content on the road. “We provided samples for the viewers for free. After that, they can opt to pay,” he said in a recent interview.

VidPlus was created by Huawei Technologies Inc. to enable subscribers to watch and enjoy the most popular Hollywood movies, funny videos, music videos, as well as highly rated documentaries and the best of Chinese entertainment. Developed to attract all social classes in the Philippine market, VidPlus also offers world-class children’s content for the family for their bonding moments.

Chang said VidPlus is one of the pioneer projects for video showing in the country. With the introduction of the new service, he added Huawei will

build an ecosystem for the new service. To reach out to more users, Chang said the company recently formed a partnership with Globe Telecom to distribute the content. He added Huawei will also form future partnerships with other brands.

“The translation of the content will be handled by the local companies. Our goal is to bring good content to users,” Chang said.

Aside from the Philippines, Huawei has also set its sights on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations market. With a population of around 600 million, the Chinese technology giant wants to get sizeable share of the market.

Edison Le, regional head of Huawei video team, said the company is also active in delivering and aggregating content around the world. At the same time, he pointed out that Huawei is localizing the content from video, music, games and applications.

“In the future, we will provide app stores for such products,” he said.

“These stores will also serve as a gateway for Huawei devices to access thousands of applications,” he added, saying the company is encouraging content developers from the Philippines and other Asean countries to promote theirs outside the region.

RICHARD CHANG, head of Huawei Philippines Consumer Cloud Service

“We plan to bring lateral content to the Chinese market. Asean is one of the closest regions to China.

Aside from that, the Chinese are almost present in every region of the world,” Le said, At the same time, he added Huawei is also helping the Chinese developers to expand their presence in the overseas market.

As an international company, Le said Huawei is serious in helpings its Chinese partners to bring their content to the Philippines and other markets. “We also want to help Filipino providers bring content overseas where there is a big presence of Filipinos.”

In Europe and the United States, Huawei is offering Huawei Movie. Nevertheless, Le said the company will consolidate VidPlus and Huawei Movie later.

Aside from the Asean, Huawei is also present in 27 countries in the South Pacific region.

“This is a trend that has been going on. But localization is not only translation. You’ve got to love and adapt to the local culture,” continued Le. Le said the regional office of Huawei will push the development of video content in the Philippines this year, adding the company has sent in a team to inform the market of what Huawei can offer to local users.

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, February 3, 2018 A11

Style meets function for tech warriors

Microso�t and LinkedIn: Is their marriage working?

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BY MATT O’BRIEN The Associated Press

T’S been just over a year since Microsoft swallowed the career-networking site LinkedIn. That’s long enough to start asking: Was the $27-billion deal worth it?

Critics warned at the time of the deal that Microsoft was overpaying for a declining business.

Others argued that Microsoft’s largest-ever acquisition fit into a strategy of building up the company’s Office suite of workplace-productivity products and its cloud-computing business.

“I don’t think we’ll know for a couple years if this will really pay off, but the signs thus far are positive,” said Jillian Ryan, an analyst for eMarketer.

Most people who use LinkedIn to connect with colleagues or search for career opportunities could be forgiven if they haven’t noticed many changes since the acquisition closed in December 2016.

LinkedIn’s longtime CEO Jeff Weiner continues to hold that title. Its cofounder, Reid Hoffman, now sits on Microsoft’s board. The LinkedIn brand is operating with a “great level of autonomy,” Ryan said.

“Microsoft hasn’t really intervened that much, considering the vast scope and price tag of this

integration,” she said.

Microsoft on Wednesday posted second-quarter revenue of $28.92 billion, a 12-percent increase over the same quarter a year earlier. The company also reported a loss of $6.3 billion, tied to a $13.8-billion tax charge related to the new federal tax law signed last December.

LinkedIn’s contribution to quarterly revenue was $1.3 billion, the highest it’s been since the acquisition closed in December 2016, though it’s still too early to compare year-over-year growth.

Still, Microsoft CFO Amy Hood and CEO Satya Nadella were effusive about the network’s performance in a conference call with investors on Wednesday.

Hood said the acquisition is “performing better than we expected, and I think today we would even say it’s a more strategic asset than we even maybe thought a year ago.” She referred to its power to add to the company’s understanding of its customers and their connections with one another.

LinkedIn boasts of more than 530 million users on its professional network, most of whom use it for free. But the service also contributes to Microsoft’s bottom line through its three business divisions. The biggest, dubbed “talent solutions,” helps recruiters

attract and find jobs for workers. It also makes money from advertisements on its platform and offers paid subscriptions for online courses and premium access on its network.

Among those buying into the platform are sales representatives using it as a tool for “social selling,” or targeting prospective customers through their trusted social networks and connections.

Another of LinkedIn’s cofounders and its first chief technology officer, Eric Ly, said in an interview on Wednesday that this is “really just the beginning” of what LinkedIn could offer as Microsoft taps into the professional network’s database of work histories and other detailed information that users share about themselves. “There was a lot of value in the data alone,” said Ly, who now runs a new company called Hub. “Microsoft’s going to be able to recoup its investments and get a lot more back.”

Nadella also says the integration fits into a larger strategy. In an autobiography published last year , he wrote that he has a “bias” for driving investment toward advancing services, such as LinkedIn and Office, that help people create and “become more productive rather than software that is simply entertaining—memes for conspicuous consumption.” ■

A BAG is every modern gentleman’s staple accessory, especially now that technology has significantly altered the way he conducts his day-to-day business.

Multitasking highly mobile young professionals now bring along all manner of gadgets—cell phones, chargers, tablets, power banks, laptops—and they need sleek but roomy bags to stash them in.

If clothes make the man, the kind of bag he uses reveals his personality. A corporate type may get a bag that can carry his hoard of gizmos anytime, but choosing one that also complements his fashion image is something else.

A trusted brand known for its authentic leather goods and stylish accessories, McJim Classic Leather offers a wide selection of classic yet modern-looking leather bags that a man can pair with any item from his wardrobe.

When it comes to form, these bags are finely crafted, using classic lines and lasting color. Adhering to international standards and trends, the bags are also made from durable and refined materials that mature elegantly.

As for function, the bags are sturdy, durable, wellbalanced and come in international standard sizes that accomodate all kinds of gadgets.

Start with the classic McJim shoulder bag that hardworking students and young professionals could use to replace their tattered old backpacks.

This bag has room for any number of gizmos—and keep school stuff or office documents and files neatly organized. Thanks to its adjustable leather strap, the classic shoulder bag is comfortable to lug around wherever you go.

Next is the stylish cross body bag that millennials can’t do without. It features multiple compartments for stashing gadgets, school and work essentials, and even lunch bags.

Last but definitely not the least is the McJim’s gadget bag, the ultimate carrier for the tech-savvy guy. This handy, lightweight bag is sturdy enough to stow all the gadgets Mr. Techie might needs when on the road.

When ‘Black Mirror’ tech becomes reality CONTINUED FROM A12 is the Pizza Tracker, which allows customers to fully interact with the ordering process. This has been brought to the virtual world when customers order through its web site.

Instead of having to ask the staff repeatedly, or calling back to follow-up on your order, the Pizza Tracker allows you to monitor each stage of your order, allowing customers to see the real-time status of their order. “Has the pizza been made? Is it now in the oven? Is it already being delivered? For dine-in customers, the pizza tracker experience is complemented by the wide-open pizza theater and kitchen, which lets diners see for themselves how their pizza is made.

“You’ve all heard the expression ‘knowing is half the battle?’ Well, the Domino’s Pizza Tracker does just that, and it has been a game-changer in terms of elevating our customers’ experience,” Yee points out.

The Domino’s delivery system has also been finetuned by the latest technology, and every aspect of its “store-to-door” operation is based on precise metrics and supported by the most up-to-date mapping technology to make it as efficient as possible. “We limit deliveries only within a certain radius and distance from the store because we have to make sure the pizza is still hot when delivered to a customer. So, to access a bigger market, we really need to make our presence felt all over the Metro,” Yee said, adding that they want to have at least one Domino’s store in each city of Metro Manila.”

So while we won’t see the Domino drone, the Domino Robotic Unit or the DXPs—well, at least not any time soon because of obvious logistic limitations—it doesn’t mean that Domino’s isn’t fully

utilizing its tech expertise here in the Philippines.

Oh, and we did have Darna (Liza Soberano) giving out free pizzas that one time to commuters on the Light Rail Transit Line 1, which I think is waaaay better than seeing a faceless robot, right?

Liza, who recently renewed her endorsement with Domino’s, has literally become the face of the brand, as her photo is now featured prominently on Domino’s limited-edition pizza boxes—which I’m pretty sure would put a smile on anyone’s face.

SEEING RED THIS VALENTINE’S

BECAUSE nothing screams “Happy Valentine’s!” like the color red, Oppo is making the season of love fiercely more stylish with the release of the Oppo F5 Red. Living up to its Selfie Expert handle, the Oppo F5 Red is the latest addition to the F5 line-up which boasts of the AI Beauty Recognition Technology, designed to capture the real you and help selfies look more attractive and natural.

Now available in the so-called fierce red color, the Oppo F5 Red is the ideal smartphone for users who aspire to create a statement through the phone they carry. It highlights Oppo’s advanced beauty technology in a more fashionable and lifestyle approach through its distinct color.

The Oppo F5 Red shares similar features with the Oppo F5—from camera specs and beauty technology, speedy facial unlock and performance.

It features a 20MP front camera and a 16MP rear camera with a higher resolution (2160x1080) and better photo quality. In addition, it has 4GB of RAM, best for multitasking, and a 64GB storage for apps, videos and selfies.

Another new addition to the growing selfie expert family is the Oppo A83. The fourth member of the

A.I. Beauty and Full Screen technology smartphones, the A83 features a 5.7” HD+ Full Screen display, and a powerful 2.5GHz octa-core processor performance, similar with the famous Oppo F5 series. Accompanied with 3GB RAM, the A83 is the perfect smartphone for multitasking. Surprisingly, the A83 fits at the palm of your hand at a 5.2” smartphone footprint, making it easy to carry around at just 143g.

Living up to its Selfie Expert handle, the A83 carries the leading AI Beauty Technology with an 8MP front camera that can detect more than 200 facial recognition spots for more personalized beautification based on your facial traits. This results to natural-looking selfies without the hassle of adjusting camera settings. It even features an auto mode for AI recommended beautification.

The Oppo A83 is priced at just P9,990 while the Oppo F5 Red and F5 Red 6GB retails for P15,990 and P21,990 at all Oppo concept stores nationwide.

ARC NEW PERKS FOR 2018

IT’S the new year once again, and it’s time to say good-bye to the year that was and look forward to all that 2018 has to offer. This year Ayala Rewards Circle (ARC), Ayala’s premier rewards program, seeks to further enrich their members’ experience.

Summer is the next big season, and ARC Concierge can help you plan your next adventure. Available 24/7 for your airline, hotel and dining bookings both here in abroad, the concierge can help you get better deals for your next destination with these ARC-exclusive privileges. Get 20-percent off on best available rates and 10 percent off on food and beverage outlets at Seda Hotels nationwide.

On top of Seda’s seven existing branches (Seda Vertis North, Bonifacio Global City, Nuvali, Abreeza,

Atria, Centrio), Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod is also now ready to welcome ARC members.

Make your Palawan visit even more worth your while. Stay at El Nido Resorts (El Nido Apulit Island, El Nido Miniloc Island and El Nido Lagen Island) or the newly opened Lio Estate Resorts (Casa Kalaw, Balai Adlao, El Nido Cove Resort, Hotel Covo) and enjoy a range of benefits, from complimentary room upgrades to a private dinner setup just for you and your guests.

For flight options, Air-SWIFT, the Philippines’s only boutique airline offering daily roundtrip flights from Manila to El Nido, also has treats for ARC members: additional allowance of 5 kilos of check-in baggage (more pasalubong!) and waived rebooking fees.

Apart from El Nido, Air-SWIFT also flies to Caticlan, Clark, Basco and Cebu. Watch out for new flight destinations in the coming months.

Those who love to shop can check out Ayala’s new customer destinations, such as Ayala Malls Cloverleaf in Balintawak, Quezon City, Ayala Malls Feliz (Marcos Highway corner JP Rizal in Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig) and Ayala Malls Marikina (Liwasang Kalayaan, Marikina). Parking has always been a hassle in malls.

Fret not, ARC members, as free valet parking is now available in even more malls across the country.

Members enjoy free valet parking at select Ayala Malls, namely Alabang Town Center, Ayala Malls The 30th, Greenbelt, UP Town Center and now Solenad and TriNoma. Five free valet parking e-vouchers are available for each member which they can redeem via the ARC mobile app.

The voucher entitles the member to four hours of valet parking at these malls, except in Alabang Town Center (three hours), and in malls with fixed rates.

This benefit is available until December 31. ■

Apple’s stock sinks as high hope for iPhone X sales fade A9

The bargain phone that gets the work done A9

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

All good magazines go to heaven A10

BusinessMirror ❷

Microsoft and LinkedIn: Is their marriage working? A11

Saturday, February 3, 2018 A12

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When ‘Black Mirror’ tech becomes reality THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“If any of these [Black Mirror] episodes come true, then the world is really �***ed.”—CHARLIE BROOKER

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ELL, Mr. Booker, I just hope we get San Junipero first (or maybe Hang The DJ).

From dating apps to virtual reality, the afterlife, video games and social media, no other TV show can leave you with goosebumps and cold sweat as you ponder in frightful awe of the future than the sci-fi drama Black Mirror on Netflix.

Many have compared it to Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s brilliant black-and-white series that aired from 1959 to 1964. And though a lot of sci-fi shows have tried to interpret the future in varying ways it’s only Black Mirror, which premiered in 2011, which has truly rivaled the original series in terms of fueling your paranoia.

Part of what makes the series “so good its scary” is because all of the episodes take place in a world that could easily pass for our own, except for some leaps in technology. With Netflix serving as the platform for the latest season of the British series, it gives Charlie Booker even more freedom to stretch the limits of his (and our) imagination.

So it’s no surprise that a lot of people had a “Black Mirror” moment at the recent CES when a pizza company announced that they were exploring the “future of pizza delivery” through self-driving delivery vehicles.

As everyone who’s caught up on the latest season

knows, the self-driving pizza-delivery vehicle concept bears a striking similarity to the technology featured in the episode “Crocodile.” It features a scene in which an autonomous delivery van of Fences Pizza gets involved in an accident that eventually leads to some next-level carnage.

While we won’t see any self-driving pizza cars until 2020, there’s another autonomous vehicle that’s been unveiled by a couple of ex-Googlers that’s personalized for delivering groceries, dry-cleaning and, yes, pizza.

The company, called Nuro, was founded by two former lead Google engineers, Dave Ferguson and Jiajun Zhu, and unlike the plethora of selfdriving start-ups out there, Nuro isn’t focused on reconfiguring robot taxis or autonomous trucks, but on designing a new type of vehicle altogether.

Rather than dress up an existing vehicle with their self-driving hardware, Nuro engineers have built something entirely new from the ground up. The Nuro “R1” prototype looks way different than any vehicle you see on the street; it is about the height of a sport-utility vehicle but far narrower than a typical car resembling more of a giant lunchbox on wheels, or maybe even a big mobile toaster, as some writers have described it.

Nuro is also focusing on deliveries, specifically the kind that are low-speed, local and last-mile: groceries, laundry or even takeout orders. The company believes that automating these services could help shoulder the sharp increase in last-mile deliveries (to consumer’s homes), while also reducing traffic accidents and boosting local businesses who are looking for ways to thrive and compete in the age of online shopping.

Their timing couldn’t be more perfect: As more and more consumers are making online purchases, there’s a growing expectation for shorter and shorter delivery windows. A recent study put the global price tag of last-mile delivery every year at around $86 billion, with staggering year-over-year growth rates.

While its very unlikely to see any driverless cars on Edsa in the near future, as we have yet to find a solution to our mindless drivers to begin with, there’s

DOMINO’S Pizza celebrity endorser Liza Soberano and Domino’s Philippines’s Pinky Yee showing off the limited-edition pizza boxes bearing the actress’s likeness.

no denying that autonomous vehicles have indeed become a reality, and we can expect to see more of them sooner than never.

PIE-TECH DELIVERY

ANOTHER pizza company who’s introduced a lot of digital innovations is Domino’s Pizza. Did you know that the American pizza chain is actually considered “a technology company that sells pizza” because of its passion to deliver an amazing customer experience through technology?

Do you know of any other pizza brand that delivers by robot or by drone?

Recognizing that the future of fast-food was no

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RESEMBLING more of a giant lunchbox on wheels, Nuro is focused on deliveries, specifically the kind that are low-speed, local and last-mile: groceries, laundry or even takeout orders.

longer just anchored on offering end products to consumers, Domino’s has adopted a progressive, digital-first and technology-enabled mind-set in order to fulfill this need. And while they are perfecting their self-driving delivery vehicles, the company already has the Domino DXP (Delivery eXPert)—a modified Chevrolet Spark tricked out with a warming oven and space for 80 pizzas, sides, soda and dipping sauces and DRU, the delivery robot to bring hot pizza to their customers.

Other Domino’s tech innovations include their GPS driver tracker, SMS ordering, mobile app, Offers app, Pizza tracker, iPhone and Apple watch app, quick ordering, mobile pay, zero-click ordering, Domino’s instagift, Facebook messenger bot and a lot more.

If you recall, Domino’s first made its presence felt in the Philippine market as early as the 1990s, but it wasn’t until Goldilocks Bakeshop acquired its country franchise and Pinky Yee took over that the pizzadelivery expert truly started making its mark. From having only 11 stores in 2014, Domino’s now has 35 stores all over Metro Manila.

Yee admitted it was initially a bit challenging for Domino’s technology-empowered behavior to be fully adapted locally. “Technology is the heart of Domino’s. That’s hard to implement and maximize if the Internet connectivity and network infrastructure is subpar, especially since Domino’s entire system is interconnected to a central, cloud-based network to allow seamless communication, analytics and performance tracking,” Yee explained.

But as more Filipinos get better and faster Internet access, Domino’s is now focusing its efforts on making ordering and delivery services even more accessible and efficient.

“Our dominant selling idea is to use technology to uplift customer experience, and to allow them to engage with our brand in an interactive way across all digital touchpoints, and I think we are leading the way for the industry in these aspects.”

One innovation Domino’s Philippines is proud of

CONTINUED ON A11

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JUST in time for Valentine’s Day is Oppo F5 Red, the latest addition to the F5 line-up, which boasts of the AI Beauty Recognition Technology designed to capture the real you and help selfies look more attractive and natural.

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ANOTHER new addition to Oppo’s growing selfie expert family is Oppo A83, also with the AI Beauty and Full Screen technology, plus a 5.7” HD+ Full Screen display.