BusinessMirror February 03, 2019

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DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

2018 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

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2018 BANTOG DATA MEDIA AWARDS CHAMPION

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FOR CHANGE

D.O.S.T. DETERMINED TO MAKE PHL AN ‘ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT AREA’ WITH HIGHER INNOVATION INDEX RANK

By Stephanie Tumampos | Special to the BusinessMirror

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EYOND the stellar performance and numerous achievements of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in 2018, such as the launch of the country’s second microsatellite Diwata 2 and the signing of the Balik Scientist law, among others, Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña expressed his drive to improve three key areas: manpower, infrastructure and innovation.

The country’s top science official told the BusinessMirror Coffee Club Forum on Wednesday that the country’s indices in international rankings must progress in order for investors to appreci-

ate that the Philippines is ready for higher-level investments.

“One of the things to be considered by your investors is your ranking, whether it is the world competitiveness ranking or in-

(FROM left) Dr. Leah Buendia, Assistant Secretary for International Cooperation, DOST; Fortunato de la Peña, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., Undersecretary for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change, DOST; and Dir. Jose Patalinjug III of the DOST National Capital Region during the BM Coffee Club forum held in Makati City. NONIE REYES

novation index, and in all the indices, we [the Philippines] have always been in the middle,” he explained.

And this is why, according to de la Peña, the DOST is investing in the key areas because this is the country’s weakness.

De la Peña further explained that “it is very important for the Philippines to be an attractive investment area” because the country has the right manpower and expertise.

If the Philippines, through the DOST, could push and advance this and support more services for technology, then “there will be more investments, assuming that the Ease of Doing Business law will be in full operation.”

Empowering the regions

IN order to make the country a more inductive venue for investContinued on A2

Billionaires in Russia attempt building dynasties for post-Putin era

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ITH Vladimir Putin now in his last consecutive presidential term, post-communist Russia’s first generation of billionaires is starting to test his commitment to private property by giving parts of their wealth to heirs.

One of Russia’s oldest tycoons, Vladimir Evtushenkov, 70, led off last summer, ceding a stake in the AFK Sistema conglomerate to his son Felix shortly after Putin was sworn in. Lukoil PJSC cofounder Leonid Fedun followed, granting a total of $1.3 billion of the energy giant’s stock to his son and daughter in October, just before Evtushenkov doubled Felix’s holding to 5 percent.

Unique among the biggest economies, Russia last saw major fortunes change hands via inheritance more than a century ago, be-

fore the Bolsheviks seized power, according to the Skolkovo Wealth Transformation Center in Moscow. While most restrictions on free enterprise ended along with the Soviet Union, the unwritten rule book for amassing and transferring capital that’s developed under Putin remains a hurdle to the reemergence of dynastic wealth.

“It rests on the informal contacts of fathers, which are difficult, if not impossible, to transfer to children,” said Alena Ledeneva, a professor of politics and society at

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.1610

University College London. Ledeneva, who’s studied and written about Russian power networks for two decades, calls the informal relationships that govern both state and corporate structures simply “Sistema,” or “The System”—the same name Evtushenkov chose for his holding company.

Unlike the West, where independent judiciaries have long had the final say in matters of ownership, in Russia the ultimate arbiter is the Kremlin and the legions of bureaucrats and law-enforcement personnel it commands. Safeguarding wealth often hinges on personal ties and tacit agreements with officials that can touch on everything from taxes and favors to civic responsibility and patriotic duty.

Many Russian tycoons don’t want their kids to follow in their footsteps, with some even hiding the true extent of their holdings.

VIEW of the Red Square in Moscow, Russia. MIKHAIL LEONOV | DREAMSTIME.COM

For Evtushenkov, who’s widely Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4790 n UK 68.4300 n HK 6.6472 n CHINA 7.7858 n SINGAPORE 38.7526 n AUSTRALIA 37.9106 n EU 59.7243 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9088

Source: BSP (February 1, 2019 )

NewsSunday SCIENCE FOR CHANGE BusinessMirror

A2 Sunday, February 3, 2019

Continued from A1

ment, de la Peña is focused on giving the regions opportunities for growth.

Under the Science for Change program of the DOST, the Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER) Program is geared toward expanding the R&D pool by accrediting universities in the regions to be capable of doing research and development.

And, with DOST’s collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in providing funding for laboratory infrastructure, it’s not just students and researchers, but R&D work in the regions that is boosted.

Tech funding for MSMEs

ANOTHER important program that has been helping the rest of the country is the DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrade Program, or more commonly known as the SETUP, where they provide technology funding support to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Designed for the regions, de la Peña shares that this program has been a great avenue for creation of jobs and opportunities.

In a 2018 report of the companies themselves, the total number of jobs created in terms of number of people is 42,853 and for de la Peña, “it may not be big in terms of the statistics of DOLE [Depart-

ment of Labor and Employment], but this is really something we are proud of.”

In addition, the cumulative gross sales of all the companies they supported amounted to P8.344 billion in 2018, and the firms had a productivity of 41 percent from only 20, 635 technology interventions and 773 projects funded.

Balik Scientist

THE Balik Scientist law, which was only signed last year, is also helping the regions.

“We have a very good, shall we say, energized Balik Scientist program and all of them are serving the regions because, for me, that is the contribution that we have made now in really making the presence of the government felt in the regions through R&D and through the scholarships,” de la Peña said.

The Balik Scientist program also pushed for the accreditation of universities in the regions to deliver postgraduate programs and scholarships because for de la Peña, “they have the people and actually motivate scholars to really study because they don’t need to leave their families.”

These programs are also answers to the goal of the national government to distribute expertise around the country and decentralize Metro Manila.

Advances in science programs for a better PHL

NUMEROUS programs have already been implemented across different sectors. The DOST’s vision to make the Philippines a conducive venue for investment includes tackling agriculture, providing technology assistance to MSMEs, science education, disaster-risk management, research and development, and many more.

In 2018 alone, the biggest chunk of the department’s budget allocation went to business and development. One highlight of this would be in the area of space engineering where the country, through the DOST’s PHL-Microsat program, launched satellites in 2018.

For the agriculture sector, fertilizers and tissue culture of plants for massive production are some of the priority projects of the department; while in technology transfer, the hybrid trains, which were just recently turned over to the Philippine National Railway, offer another proof that locally produced technology can be cheaper but more efficient for Filipino use, the DOST chief pointed out.In science education, with the support of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), scholarships for students have doubled for college and graduate programs.

International collaborations in both the Asean and the rest of

the other countries have improved productivity and boosted intellectual exchanges, such as that of the Asean community, where the Philippines has played a key role in helping less developed states of the regional bloc by inviting their students to study in Philippine institutions.

Tracking risks

UNDERSECRETARY Renato Solidum also shared with the BusinessMirror Coffee Club Forum that project tie-ups with the academe and government agencies

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include the monitoring of the conditions of Metro Manila bridges.

This is done by premier engineering school Mapua University, the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the DPWH. The collaboration is meant to improve the scientific services of the department to ensure the safety of Filipinos, especially in Metro Manila, when the “Big One” happens.

For Solidum, creating these kinds of technologies can also attract industries because it gives them a clear idea of where their investments can be constructed.

This way, both the real-estate companies and people they sell units to can benefit.

De la Peña also shared that the DOST services, such as those by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, will be upgraded by building more synoptic weather stations that collect weather data, more Doppler radars to track storms and typhoons, and replicate the Phil-LiDAR (light detention and ranging) program, this time to focus on elevated areas to prevent landslides.

Billionaires in Russia…

Continued from A1

lauded by peers for his ability to succeed in multiple industries, navigating the nexus of power and money is so nuanced that he worries Felix, 40, may find it difficult to maintain, let alone grow, the investments he oversees as Sistema’s deputy chairman.

“If I were completely sure of this, I would have already transferred my entire business to him,” Evtushenkov said of his son, who’s worked for Sistema since 1999. “If Felix isn’t up to the task, then I’ll just have to find a random person who can preserve what’s been created.”

It’s an issue confronting an unprecedented number of billionaires and multimillionaires worldwide, as the current cohort of self-made titans ages along with those lucky enough to inherit riches. UBS Group AG estimates that $3.4 trillion of private assets will be passed on globally over the next two decades.

Of the world’s 500 richest people, 178 received the bulk of their fortune from relatives, including two from China, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index. They include seven Waltons with a combined worth of more than $150 billion; the Duke of Westminster, who inherited land that’s been in his family since 1677; and L’Oreal SA’s Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, the world’s wealthiest woman.

In Russia, some 189,500 people worth $1 million or more collectively control about $1.1 trillion of assets, Capgemini estimates. Surveys show that as many as 70 percent of these people consider “wealth succession” among the biggest problems they’ll face over the next 10 years, data compiled by Knight Frank show.

Evtushenkov’s on-the-record comments about his own succession plans are rare for a mogul in Moscow, where commercial and personal secrecy is prized. Just as unusual, given his past run-ins with authorities, is where he was when he made them—inside the Kremlin Concert Hall, at an event attended by Putin.

Back in 2014, Evtushenkov was placed under house arrest and shackled with a tracking anklet after investigators accused him of money laundering and other alleged crimes

connected to Sistema’s acquisition of Bashneft, an oil company that formed the bulk of what was then a $7-billion fortune.

Local media were quick to predict his doom, drawing parallels to the prosecution of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, then Russia’s richest man, a decade earlier. But those were different times. Evtushenkov’s legal odyssey began just as Western sanctions over the Ukraine crisis were beginning to bite and the Kremlin was determined to maintain unity among the elite.

Within three months, the Sistema chief was cleared of all charges, but only after Bashneft—and most of his wealth—was nationalized.

Four years later, right before the New Year, he was happily sharing a room with Putin, 66, during an awards ceremony for the Russian Geographic Society, an organization that he sponsors and is dear to the president’s heart.

Undeterred by having his fortune slashed to $1.8 billion, the serial investor is showing no signs of slowing down. A former engineer, he set up Sistema with partners after communism collapsed to trade oil and dabble in construction. He then started what became Russia’s largest cellular operator before branching out to banking, media and even retail. Now he’s moving into e-commerce and agriculture.

“Sistema isn’t like a single business,” Evtushenkov said, explaining the operational complexities confronting his son. “We’ve got 13 different companies ranging from textiles to who-the-hell-knows what. You need to understand all of this—and, of course, you need to have influence and so on.”

The financial elite are closely watching what happens with these interfamilial transactions.

Many Russian tycoons don’t want their kids to follow in their footsteps, with some even hiding the true extent of their holdings. One respondent to an anonymous questionnaire that Skolkovo sent to children of the ultra-rich said he had no idea his father was a billionaire until he happened to see a magazine article that identified him as one.

Other magnates are supporting their kids’ business aspirations in different ways. A son of Roman Abramovich, a longtime Putin ally, is overseeing a project to invest as much as $750 million in greenhouse projects in Russia’s Far East.

Abramovich’s partner in steelmaker Evraz Plc., Alexander Frolov, is an investor in Alexander Jr.’s Target Global fund, which has €700 million ($800 million) under management.

There are also practical reasons for so-called oligarchs to involve their children in business. Suleyman Kerimov, for example, ceded his controlling stake in Polyus PJSC, Russia’s largest gold miner, to his 23-year-old son Said, allowing the elder Kerimov to keep his seat in the upper house of parliament.

The financial elite are closely watching what happens with these interfamilial transactions, particularly at Sistema and, more strategically, Fedun’s Lukoil, which pumps about 2 percent of the world’s oil and operates across the globe, often in coordination with the state.

“This is a kind of pilot project,” said Ledeneva, the professor in London.

“They’re starting by transferring small stakes to see what will happen, whether the system rejects or accepts the outcome and how business will be affected.”

Fedun declined to comment on what role, if any, he sees his children having at Lukoil now that they own a combined 2.3 percent of the company. Fedun’s older and richer partner, Vagit Alekperov, 68, has given his son about $76 million of stock, though he’s ruled out ever asking him to do the kinds of things he’s required to do as chairman and chief executive officer of one of the biggest taxpayers and employers in the country.

The lifelong oilman told Bloomberg Television in 2017 that he planned to continue running Lukoil for another three to five years—the amount of time he predicted it would take to find and groom a successor.

“If I am asked if it will be my son, the answer is no,” Alekperov said.

“This work is too challenging to bequeath to my son.” Bloomberg News

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The World BusinessMirror

Amazon has another ‘Prime’ holiday: Profit tops $3 billion

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EW YORK—Amazon had another strong holiday s e a s o n : It s q u a r t e r l y profit topped $3 billion for the first time as revenue grew across many of its businesses, including online shopping, advertising and cloud computing.

The company, however, issued an estimate for the current quarter’s revenue that was below what Wall Street analysts expected, sending its stock down about 5 percent in after-hours trading on Thursday.

Amazon executives attributed the softness in this quarter to uncertainty about how new e-commerce rules in India could hurt sales in that country. They also said the company’s costs may increase this year from last year, as it spends on hiring, warehouse construction and other investments.

Amazon, which recently surpassed Microsoft as the most valuable company in the US, reported net income of $3.03 billion during the last three months of 2018. On a per share basis, it had earnings of $6.04, beating the $5.55 per share analysts expected, according to Zacks Investment Research.

Revenue rose 20 percent to $72.38 billion, which also beat expectations. The Seattle-based company has boosted its profits in recent quarters as it expanded into businesses beyond online shopping. Its Amazon Web Services unit, which provides cloud computing services to governments and companies, has become a big

moneymaker, helping to offset the high costs of the retail business.

Sales in the web services unit grew 45 percent in the quarter.

Its advertising division is now a multibillion-dollar business, selling ads to companies that want their products to show up first when shoppers search for things on the site. The company doesn’t say exactly how much its ad business makes, but its “other” revenue, which is mostly made up of the ad business, nearly doubled from a year ago.

During the holidays, Amazon said a record number of people signed up for its Prime membership, but it didn’t provide specific numbers. Prime members pay $119 a year for free, fast shipping and other perks. The service is a way for the company to strengthen loyalty with shoppers.

Amazon said that its voice-activated device, the Echo Dot, was its best-selling product, but didn’t say how many of the hockey-puck shaped gadgets featuring its Alexa voice assistant it sold.

“Alexa was very busy during her holiday season,” said Chief Executive Officer and Founder Jeff Bezos, in a news statement issued on Thursday.

Amazon has been making a big push into brick-and-mortar stores, buying up the Whole Foods grocery chain and opening bookstores and cashier-less convenience stores around the country. But sales at its physical stores slipped 3 percent from a year ago. AP

Sunday, February 3, 2019

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US envoy to Europe: Don’t let China control your networks

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HINA seeks to take control of Western data and networks, the US ambassador to the European Union said, in the latest warning from Washington to its allies that they should think twice before using equipment from companies such as Huawei Technologies Co. “China is working to establish itself as a cyber power through illegal frameworks and control over data and networks,” American envoy Gordon Sondland told a telecoms conference in Brussels.

Chinese laws “require it’s stateowned and private companies to cooperate with and share data with Chinese intelligence and security,” giving rise to US security concerns, he said on Thursday.

The US has been pushing European allies such as Germany to shun telecom suppliers “subject to foreign government control.”

Donald Trump’s administration in December sent officials to Berlin to step up pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government over Huawei, while the US Embassy

said allies and partners are being urged to be vigilant in ensuring network security, including when carriers award equipment contracts.

The warnings may be having an impact. Last week the EU’s digital chief urged the bloc’s member-states to consider the risk of partnering with Chinese companies like Huawei. In an interview, Andrus Ansip, European Commission vice president for digital affairs, said Chinese data laws have increased the risk in dealing with Chinese companies in Europe.

Controversial law

THE concern voiced by Sondland and Ansip center on China’s National Intelligence Law, passed in

LIGHT illuminates cables on an E9000 blade server rack, manufactured by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., at the CeBIT 2017 tech fair in Hannover, Germany, on March 20, 2017.

KRISZTIAN BOCSI/BLOOMBERG

2017. The law mandates any organization and citizen to support and assist national intelligence in their investigations and to keep information related to such investigations.

Huawei has fought back against allegations that it is an enabler for Chinese espionage, and that blacklisting the Chinese company without proof will hurt the industry and disrupt new high-speed technology. Huawei has previously said it had commissioned a legal opinion to analyze the consequences of the law. The opinion says the law doesn’t require it to cooperate with state intelligence if it would contradict the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations, a spokesman said.

On Tuesday US prosecutors filed criminal charges against Huawei, alleging it stole trade secrets from an American rival and

committed bank fraud by violating sanctions against doing business with Iran.

Huawei is one of the leaders in developing the next generation of network technology, known as 5G. Some countries have sought to limit the company’s influence, with Australia and New Zealand banning Huawei equipment from the planned 5G networks of carriers, and other nations, including Germany, considering restricting Huawei’s role.

The US has made the security of networks and services a priority—and this has implications for 5G, said Sondland. “This is not a decision about price or quality.

This is a decision about whether or not to allow malign actors take control of your national telecommunications system,” he said.

Bloomberg News

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The World BusinessMirror

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Trump’s bid for a hasty Taliban deal risks déjà vu in Afghanistan I

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A political prisoner is calling the shots in Venezuela uprising

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HE last time a foreign power withdrew troops from Afghanistan, peace talks collapsed and the Taliban dragged the body of the country’s former president through the streets in a gruesome public execution.

US negotiators seeking to end America’s longest war are trying to reassure current President Ashraf Ghani this time will be different as they near a framework agreement with the Taliban, which controls about a third of the country’s territory. It’s not going well.

“Peace talks with a minority group of Taliban behind locked doors won’t succeed,” Ghani told a group of 2,500 youths in Kabul on Wednesday, according to a statement from his office. “We are thirsty for peace at the earliest opportunity, but it should be sustainable so your children can’t be victimized by violence again.”

Ghani’s apprehension shows the difficulties President Donald Trump faces as he looks to withdraw some 14,000 American troops without plunging Afghanistan into a similar period of chaos that led to the Taliban’s rise in the 1990s. After losing more than 2,300 US soldiers and spending more than $900 billion in Afghanistan since 2001, the US risks losing hard-won gains—particularly regarding women’s rights and freedom of speech.

“A worst-case scenario could mean a rushed and irresponsible exit leaving the Taliban and other violent groups dominant,” said Omar Samad, a former Afghan ambassador to France and Canada now based in Washington. That would “lay the ground for chaos,” he said.

“We made significant progress on two vital issues: counter terrorism and troop withdrawal. That doesn’t mean we’re done,” Khalilzad said in a series of tweets on Thursday. “A forty year old war won’t be resolved in one meeting,” he wrote, ending on a note of optimism. “This is a moment for Afghans to begin to heal old wounds and chart a new course for their country.”

S t i l l , it ’s n o t c l e a r w h a t a p o w e r - s h a r i n g a g r e e m e nt wou ld look l i ke — a nd t h at ’s wh at h a s of f ic i a l s i n K abu l worried. Former Taliban officials say discussions have been held on the establishment of an interim administration that would facilitate direct talks between the insurgent group and the A fghan government before an election. Ghani, however,

has f latly rejected that idea.

“The Taliban has long rejected the Afghan political system as we know it, and has sought to overthrow it,” said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center.

“The notion of the group suddenly agreeing to share power and contest elections seems hard to believe.”

Attacks spike

WORSE for Trump, the Taliban are negotiating from a position of strength that all but assures the group a key role in any new governance structure. Attacks have recently spiked across the country, including a strike on a compound belonging to the country’s intelligence agency that killed 47 Afghan soldiers.

Ghani’s government found its control over the country slipping further in the final months of 2018, according to the latest assessment by a Pentagon watchdog.

It controls territory holding about 64 percent of the Afghan population as of October 31, down about 2 percent from the previous quarter.

Many of Afghanistan’s 35 million people just want to see the war end. It’s killed more than 100,000 Afghans, displaced millions and forced many to f lee abroad since 2001.

All players must act cautiously as a hasty deal wouldn’t produce a sustainable solution.”—Mujhda

“Afghans are thirsty for peace and tired of violence,” said Ahmad Shokur, a senior member of the Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society. “The talks for the first time ever have given people optimism and hope.”

‘Robust monitoring’

STILL, Ghani has good reason to be nervous about a shoddy peace deal. He has warned that his government will not repeat the mistakes of former President Najibullah, who was murdered by the Taliban when it overtook Kabul in 1996, seven years after Soviet forces withdrew.

After being briefed by Khalilzad this week, Ghani called on the Taliban to hold serious and immediate direct talks with the Afghan government. The militant group has long rejected similar requests because they view his US-backed administration in Kabul as illegitimate.

CIA Director Gina Haspel said “a very robust monitoring regime” would be necessary under a potential peace accord. “It’s very important that we maintain pressure on the terrorist groups” in Afghanistan and retain the ability to act against them, Haspel said in testimony Tuesday to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“All players must act cautiously as a hasty deal wouldn’t produce a sustainable solution,” said Waheed Mujhda, a former Taliban official who is now a Kabul-based political analyst. “The rights of women and most importantly freedom of speech will be potentially at risk.” Bloomberg News

Nerve center

IN 2015, after years of strident opposition, Lopez was sentenced to almost 14 years in prison on charges including inciting violence.

He was released to house arrest in July 2017 under orders to keep quiet.

But as his once-rich country spiraled into misery and starvation, Lopez kept his finger on its pulse. Though he’s prevented from leaving his property, those close to him say Lopez is in regular contact with heads of state, members of his Popular Will party and activists.

“At home, he works with all of the opposition, everyone,” his wife, Lilian Tintori, said in an interview this week while wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with his face. “He speaks with Juan Guaido, who’s now president,

Kabul concerns

OVER recent months, Trump has stepped up efforts to make the political case for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and other places like Syria. In a tweet on Wednesday, he said negotiations with the Taliban were “proceeding well.”

T he US and the insurgent g roup str uck “ag reements in principle on a couple of ver y important issues” during talks in Qatar, Zalmay Khalilzad, the Trump administration’s special envoy on Afghan reconciliation, said in a news statement this week. That includes a Taliban pledge not to allow terrorists to use Afghanistan as a base, the withdrawal of US and Nato forces, a cease-fire and direct Afghan-Taliban talks. Another meeting is set for February.

and all of the members of Popular Will, and members of all the parties—the big ones and the little ones. He’s taken charge of uniting the opposition.”

Lopez took Guaido under his wing more than a decade ago during protests against Hugo Chavez after the late president silenced critics by refusing to renew the license of Venezuela’s most-popular television channel.

In 2009, the men formed Popular Will, which was known for hard-line tactics, refusing to compromise or negotiate with the government and calling supporters into the streets.

Fortuitous rotation

IN recent months, this relationship was pivotal when Guaido became head of the oppositiondominated National Assembly. Thanks to a years-old power-sharing deal among the body’s four major parties, Popular Will was allowed to name its head. Lopez gave Guaido his blessing. (Other candidates were few, having been forced into exile or imprisoned.)

Days later, Guaido said a constitutional provision made him the nation’s acting head of state because Maduro stole his reelection.

In the weeks since, the US and Latin American neighbors have recognized him as Venezuela’s leader and made him the center of a concerted effort to oust Maduro.

Guaido said Wednesday that he and Lopez are in constant contact.

“We’re always trying to find the mechanism to keep in touch, because he’s not allowed to receive visitors and that complicates communication,” Guaido said. “But we are always in contact and always see eye to eye.”

Behind bars, and often in solitary confinement, Lopez never relinquished control of his party. He worked through his family and lawyers—sending messages written on scraps of paper and even scrawled directly on Tintori’s body.

Spousal emissary

LOPEZ became a cause celebre for rights groups and foreign governments that have long criticized the Maduro administration for silencing critics. Tintori traveled the world meeting with leaders, including Donald Trump, Germany’s Angela Merkel and Luis Almargo, secretary-general of the Organization of American States.

Last year, Tintori was prohibited from leaving the country, but she says she still keeps in regular contact with many officials, including US Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida Republican.

“The fact that Juan has spoken with about 20 heads of state in 20 days is due to more than just the work of Juan,” said Congressman Juan Andres Mejia, a member of Popular Will. “It’s due to the relationships that Leopoldo and Lilian made over time.”

Mejia said Lopez has had to become hard and wily.

“Leopoldo was never a political operator,” Mejia said. “He was a candidate known for hugging old ladies and kissing babies. Now he’s had to adapt.’’ Bloomberg News

U.K. LAYS GROUND FOR BREXIT DELAY AS PARLIAMENT HOLIDAY CANCELED

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SOLDIERS from 2nd Platoon Fox Co. of the 2-506th Infantry Battalion of the 4th Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division conduct a counter indirect fire patrol from their base at COP Sabari in the Sabari district of Khost province, Afghanistan. VICTOR J. BLUE/BLOOMBERG

US says North Korea promised to destroy enrichment facilities

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N two weeks, Juan Guaido has become the international symbol of Venezuelan revolt, projecting the image of a steely and unflappable operator.

But his out-of-nowhere rise is due in large part to his mentor, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who from his living room has unified and orchestrated the movement despite a house arrest that bars him from politics.

“At this point, I don’t think you can separate the two; they’re the same,’’ said Luis Vicente Leon, head of the Caracas polling firm Datanalisis.

Intelligence police monitor Lopez’s home around the clock, a tracking device is attached to his ankle and he’s prohibited from talking to reporters. Allies and members of his inner circle say the 47-year-old former presidential candidate nonetheless holds planning meetings and directs activists. His work assured Guaido’s ascent from littleknown congressman to foil of authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro. Lopez has stayed in constant contact as Guaido has rekindled street protests and rallied international allies, they say.

The emergence of Guaido at the head of an organized coalition is vindication for Lopez, a longtime activist who stayed in Venezuela when he might have fled—and spent more than three years in a military prison for his pains. More important, Lopez’s counsel has helped Guaido not only elude arrest by a socialist regime notorious for imprisonment and torture, but also to become Maduro’s instant nemesis.

To bolster Guaido, Lopez has used Skype calls, encrypted messages and face-toface meetings in his home in Caracas’s wealthy Chacao section, where he once served as mayor.

It’s a constrained existence for the scion of a family that dates to the country’s founding, went to Harvard University and is blessed with matinee-idol looks and vaulting ambition. His more-fervent fans have described him as a South American cross between John Kennedy and Nelson Mandela. His critics call him a blue-blood bent on power. He has clashed not only with the regime, but also allies he deems wobbly.

ORTH Korea has promised to destroy all its facilities for making nuclear-bomb fuel, the top US top negotiator said, in a sign that President Donald Trump is seeking clearer disarmament steps from his upcoming summit with Kim Jong Un. North Korea has committed “to the dismantlement and destruction” of all its uranium- and plutonium-enrichment facilities in talks with both Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and South Korean leaders, Stephen Biegun, the US’s special representative for North Korea, said in a speech on Thursday. The pledge goes beyond the Yongbyon nuclear plant, which Kim has previously offered to demolish, Biegun said at Stanford University in California.

“This complex of sites extending beyond Yongbyon represents the totality of the North Korean plutonium-reprocessing and uraniumenrichment programs,” Biegun said. He added that North Korea wanted the US to take “corresponding measures”, which he would discuss with North Korean officials in upcoming talks.

Biegun’s comments—his first public speech in five months as Pompeo’s special envoy—offered a rare insight into the administration’s approach to North Korea that officials had previously declined to provide. They appeared to be part of a coordinated rollout to signal that substantive negotiations with Pyongyang were under way ahead of a second summit between Trump and Kim in February.

Kim has made no commitments to let North Korea’s arsenal be inspected or dismantled since agreeing to “work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” in his first meeting with Trump in June. His agenda ranges from sanctions relief to restart economic projects to formally ending the 1950 to 1953 Korean War to weakening the US-South Korean military alliance.

Earlier in the day, Trump said he would announce next week the time and place of the summit, which is expected to take place in late February in Vietnam. As Biegun was speaking, the State Department announced he would fly to South Korea on Sunday for more meetings, including with his North Korean counterpart.

He’ll also visit Pyongyang on Wednesday, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported, citing a person it didn’t identify.

While the president continues to say that North Korea’s lack of missile and nuclear tests for more than a year were key achievements, leaked intelligence reporters and analysis of satellite imagery suggests he has used the time to stockpile more nuclear material and missiles.

“Time will tell what will happen with North Korea, but at the end of the previous administration, relationship was horrendous and very bad things were about to happen,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “Now a whole different story.”

Trump’s top intelligence officials, however, have expressed doubt that the US will ever achieve its goal of “total denuclearization.” Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats told a US Senate committee Tuesday that the intelligence community “continues to assess that it is unlikely to give up all of its weapons of mass destruction stockpiles, delivery systems, and production capabilities.”

Bloomberg News

H E U K g ove r n m e nt l a i d t h e groundwork for a potential Brexit delay, as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt became the most senior minister yet to suggest the deadline could be pushed beyond the end of March.

“It’s true that if we ended up approving a deal in the days before March 29, then we might need some extra time to pass critical legislation,” Hunt told BBC Radio.

“It’s difficult to know” how long talks with the European Union will last, he said, as the government seeks to renegotiate the terms of divorce.

Hours later, Andrea Leadsom, the minister in charge of the government’s legislative program, told members of Parliament they may need to work through a planned recess in February “to make progress on key business.” A government official later confirmed the holiday would be canceled.

Though Theresa May has repeatedly said she doesn’t want to delay Brexit, the prime minister is still trying to come up with proposals after Parliament voted in favor of ditching the most contentious part of her deal with Brussels—the arrangements for the post-Brexit Irish border, which will become the UK’s new land border with the EU. She’s spent the past two days talking to lawmakers— including opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

May is trying to find alternatives to the so-called Irish backstop, which aims to keep the border open even if the UK and EU are unable to reach an agreement on future trading relations. Detractors in May’s Conservative Party, as well as her Northern Irish allies in Parliament, argue the provision will create regulatory barriers between Northern Ireland and mainland UK, as well as keeping Britain tightly bound to EU rules.

May is looking at options to replace the backstop, whether a sunset clause, a mechanism by which the UK can leave it, or alternative arrangements such as technology to ensure physical checks are not needed. On Thursday, May met influential Conservative backbencher Nicky Morgan and four Tories who came up with a renegotiation plan to bridge divisions in the party.

But the EU is adamant it won’t reopen the withdrawal agreement or renegotiate the backstop, while even members of May’s own Cabinet have expressed doubts she can make headway. Business Secretary Greg Clark said late Wednesday the technology isn’t currently available that could solve the border issue.

Hunt told the BBC that the UK’s proposals for the Ireland border will take some time to pull together. “This is not going to happen in the next few days,” he said. “We have to put these proposals together, we need to work them up.”

Bloomberg News

Faith www.businessmirror.com.ph • Editor: Lyn Resurreccion

4TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: ‘LUKE 4:21-30’

A CLOUDED CONSCIENCE MSGR. JOSEFINO S. RAMIREZ SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

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HE gospel today shows us very strange reaction from the listeners of Jesus.

At first, they were all impressed by the words of Jesus. They marveled at His eloquence, grace and authority, (cf. Luke 4:22).

But their personal petty ambitions got the better of them. With a narrow provincial or regionalistic outlook, they wanted to use Jesus in a kind competitive rivalry with their neighbors. “Whatever things we have heard of as done in Capernaum, do it also here in your country” (Luke 4:23).

Jesus, of course, was not going to lend Himself to such an outlook. And so upon refusing, His own kababayan tried to put him to death—those very same persons who, at first, marvelled at his wisdom.

How often our self-interest gets in the way of our judgment! How sad it is that a man can silence and even deform the judgment of his own conscience, because he is not honest enough to summit and modify his personal interests to objective truth.

Conscience is the judgment of our mind on the goodness or evil of our actions. Like a good judge or referee, conscience does not set the rules or make the law. It only

applies the rules or the law, which comes from a higher principle, to the concrete and specific action.

Conscience tells us if an action is good or bad; it does not establish the principle of what is good or bad.

Now the judgment of our conscience can be clouded by other considerations.

Following the analogy of the judge, if the he is not honest and he has a personal stake in a case before his desk, then his sentence could very easily turn, then we could err easily, and convince ourselves that what is bad in reality is good for our particular case. And if this goes on too much, our moral judgment could be completely clouded.

We all have an obligation to form our conscience, so that our moral judgments can be correct. Otherwise, we shall fall into moral relativism and subjectivism—and that would be tantamount to a denial of morality itself. Because if what is good or bad depends solely on each person, then in the end, anything goes “as long as my conscience, a false and erroneous one, of course, tells me so.”

SAINT Blaise confronting the Roman governor, a scene from a stained glass window from the area of Soissons (Picardy, France), in early 13th century. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

SAINT BLAISE, BISHOP AND MARTYR

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

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QUEUE stands at the center aisle of the altar in churches ever y February 3. The faithful await for the Sacramental Rite to be administered by the priest. The priest rests two long candles in the form of a Saint Andrew’s cross on the neck, prays for the intercession of Saint Basil to heal sore and other throats ailments believers.

Bishop of Armenia

SAINT Blaise is one of the popular medieval saints. He had a good Christian education and became a doctor. He was ordained and appointed bishop of Sebaste in Armenia (Sivas, Turkey).

He became the only representative of the Armenian Church in Rome. The people loved him for he did not only cure ailments and comforted the sick. He also healed their spirits.

On February 313 AD, after Emperor Diocletian stopped persecuting Christians, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which decreed religious toleration.

It was signed by Constantine and Licinus.

However, Emperor Licinus continued to persecute Christians.

Saint Blaise left and settled on a cave outside Sebastea. Alone, he spent hours on his knees, praying. Animals frequent the caves, especially the sick ones, for seemingly he cured them of their ailments. Even those with bestial instincts were attracted to him. So, his

cave in Mount Argeus became a recluse for animals, as well.

Faithful to the Church

ONE day, huntsmen looking for wild animals to be used in arena entertainment, discovered his abode, and took him.

On the way, Saint Blaise met a woman with her son whose life was in danger because of a fishbone stuck on his throat.

The saint healed the boy, as noted by Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI, in Year of the Saints.

Told to give up his faith he repeatedly refused, so he was condemned to death.

In Sebastea, where he was imprisoned while awaiting death, a woman whose pig was returned to her by a wolf, brought him two candles to lessen the gloom of his dark cell, according to Saints and Angels.com.

His flesh was torn using wool combs before he was beheaded. His feast day is February 3 in the Western Churches and February 11 in Eastern Churches.

Saint Blaise is the patron saint of veterinarians. During his lifetime, cattle with foot and mouth diseases were healed after taking water that he blessed.

He is also the patron saint of wax makers and people who are associated with the wool industry.

Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Depar tment of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

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Pope against making priestly celibacy optional in Latin rite

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OPE Francis said he is opposed to the idea of optional priestly celibacy in the Latin rite, and he would consider it only for very remote places if a serious need existed.

“Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church,” the pope said this past week. “I would say that I do not agree with allowing optional celibacy, no.”

Speaking aboard the papal plane from Panama to Rome, Pope Francis said he think there is room to consider an exceptions for married clergy in the Latin rite in “very far places…when there is a pastoral necessity” due to a lack of priests, such as in the Pacific islands.

However, he said he has not thought or prayed sufficiently about the issue to come to a decision on it, and that he would not want to put himself “before God with this decision,” even if it suggests he is “narrow-minded.”

His comments were made ahead of a synod on the pan-Amazon region to be held in October, at which priestly celibacy is expected to be discussed as it pertains to the remote Amazon basin where there is often a shortage of priests.

Respond ing to a comment about the long tradition of married priests in the Eastern Catholic Churches, or in the case-by-case exceptions made for married Anglican ministers who convert to Catholicism, he said he was reminded of Pope Saint Paul VI’s

comment: “I prefer to give my life before changing the law of celibacy.”

Paul VI was the author of the encyclical, Sacerdotalis caelibatus,

which defends priestly celibacy, published in 1967. The pope commented that it was a “courageous phrase” of the pope that was said during a “more difficult” period.

In his response, Pope Francis also recalled the writing of German Fritz Lobinger, bishop emeritus of Aliwal, South Africa, who argues for the possibility of ordaining viri probati, or “proven men,” in places where there is a dire lack of priests.

These married priests could, he suggested, administer the sacraments and celebrate Mass, though

Personally, I think that celibacy is a gift to the Church.... I would say that I do not agree with allowing optional celibacy, no.”—Pope Francis

POPE Francis, with Vatican spokesman Alessandro Gisotti, gestures to describe snobbish, hypocritical Catholics as he answers reporters’ questions aboard the plane after taking off from Panama City last weekend. AP/ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

they would not have the full competency of ordinary priests.

Francis called this idea “interesting,” and said it could provide a basis for considering the question, but that it should be studied by theologians.

At the same time, he emphasized that his personal opinion was against making celibacy a choice candidates made as they prepared for ordination: “optional celibacy before the diaconate, no.… I would not do it. And this remains clear.”

“It is something to study, think, rethink and pray about,” he said.

The celibate priesthood has long been a tradition of the Latin Catholic Church, with exceptions made only in the cases of married ministers of other denominations who convert to Catholicism and then become priests.

Early on in the Church, bishops were selected from the celibate priests, a tradition that stood before the mandatory celibate priesthood.

As the “culture of celibacy” became more established, it increasingly became the norm in the Church, until married men who applied for ordinations had to appeal to the pope for special permission.

In the 11th century, Saint Gregory VII issued a decree requiring all priests to be celibate and asked his bishops to enforce it. Celibacy has been the norm ever since in the Latin Rite, with special exceptions made for some Anglican and other Protestant pastors who convert to Catholicism.

Catholic News Agency/CBCPNews

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Science

BusinessMirror

Sunday, February 3, 2019

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$1.5-B market seen once PHL science agency is created

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Story & photo by Stephanie Tumampos

PROJECTED captured market of $1.5 billion in the next 10 years is seen in aerospace, satellite manufacturing and launching once the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is established.

E xec ut ive Di rec tor En r ico Paringit of the Department of Science and Technolog y-Philippine Cou nc i l for Indust r y, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD) expressed optimism that having a space agency would contribute to the country’s growth and nation-building.

Paringit also projected a 0.57 percent GDP share in 2022 and over new 2,200 direct employment once PhilSA is established.

The bill creating the country’s space agency is being discussed in Congress.

Upstream and downstream business

PARINGIT said during DOSTPCIEERD’s Business Forum on Space Science and Technology this past week that the contribution of the setting up of PhilSA to the country’s economy is a combination of the upstream and downstream market.

“The thrust of the upstream market is to be able to provide us with the technology like the fabrication of space components,” Paringit said. He explained that fabrication of components and parts can be done in the country.

“We cannot be importing these all the time because of import restrictions or supply,” he added.

Local companies can build space-grade components and can spawn an industry that can provide more jobs for Filipinos.

These space technology components must pass certain requirements, such as vibration tests and thermal tests, to ensure that technologies put up in space will be durable enough for the harsh space environment.

“We can go to local companies and ask them if they can manufacture space technology parts or build a component for a satellite. This is the kind of ecosystem we want,” Paringit told the BusinessMirror.

For the downstream part, Paringit sees a change of the Filipino talent landscape and opportunities because of the amount of data satellites this can produce for the country.

“We will have a lot of data engineers and data scientists who will be working for these datasets

not only for the Philippines, but of course, for the rest of the world,” he explained.

Paringit highlights that having more skilled Filipino data scientists and engineers working on data analytics can ultimately be the next business-process outsourcing in the Philippines.

“Instead of voice and technical support, this could be your data scientist working on analysing the patters of the migration of birds of some countries or patters of urbanization in some places.”

Commitment of industries

PARINGIT told the BusinessMirror: “If we have the space agency, we can come up with the right policies and, possibly, incentives where we could incentivize the adoption of space technologies so that they can be supported and protected while it is growing.”

Some industries have already expressed their commitments toward the services they could offer in support of the establishment of PhilSA. Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Inc. President Dan Lachica told the BusinessMirror that the industry supports the initiatives of the government, including the establishment of a national space agency.

“We want to support inclusive employment and sustainable growth so this is a potential we see that could be good for the country,” Lachica said.

In 2017 alone, the semiconductor industry in the country had a

total export of $32.7 billion, and with a new space electronics sector in their field could contribute to sales.

While saying that “it’s not a step function right away,” Lachica noted that the fabrication of space-grade components will be a new sector for the semiconductor and electronic industry that would spur growth.

He explained: “Although some of the things we’ve built already like telescopes, controllers, telecommunication equipment can be used [in building space-related machines], I think the sophistication of what’s required in space would [need] another level of R&D and complexity.”

To see a significant growth, companies must demonstrate capabilities, certification and qualification before they land an order locally or from other countries that would pass the demands of space environment.

Lachica said it is definitely exciting to have this kind of industry, especially with a national space agency on the way to support local manufacturers, but “I don’t think we’re taking incremental steps.”

According to Lachica, investments and trial period are required to demonstrate the country’s capability before one can actually say that we have a legitimate space industry, such as a space electronics sector.

“In an area like this, with microsatellites, we need to sit down with [the] DOST, look where we at today and see what it needs to be done, what is our end goal and by doing that, we can define the specific milestones that we need to accomplish,” Lachica said.

Race against time

ALTHOUGH legislators at the House of Representatives have already passed the House Bill (HB) 8541, or the proposed Philippine Space Act on December 4 last year with a unanimous vote on its third and final reading, the country’s dream to establish a national space agency still hangs

as the Senate is still having its own deliberation.

On Monday, Febr uar y 4, the Senate w il l stil l have its second reading on the Senate Bil l 1211 pr incipa l ly sponsored by Sen. Bam Aquino, and it wou ld need a not her t h i rd read i ng.

T he Senate has only t wo more sessions left before a brea k for the election per iod.

Also, according to Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña, the House and Senate bills have different versions. The HB states that the PhilSA will be under the wing of the DOST, while the Senate emphasizes that the PhilSA will be under the Office of the President.

“Of course we need a unified version and the bicam [Bicameral Conference Committee] needs to be finished in a day,” de la Peña explained.

But the DOST executive said he is ready for anything. “Good or bad, as long as we have exerted all our efforts, it is fine with me.”

But of course, he expressed that whatever version the law takes, “as long as it will be finished and the space agency will be created, I am all for it.”

De la Peña, however, wishes that the Senate would be able to finish the deliberations of the bill, “otherwise, we will wait again for another cycle of new lawmakers next year and present again the bill.”

Philippine-made

IN the meantime, despite the absence of the law creating PhilSA, the DOST and University of the Philippines (UP) are already building the foundation of the human resources to sustain the future of the country’s space program.

De la Peña told the Coffee Club of BusinessMirror and Aliw Media Group on Wednesday that eight scholars are already accepted in UP to train in the making of Diwata-3 microsatellite.

Set to finish within 2019, de la Peña said that unlike Diwata 1 and 2 which were made by Filipino and Japanese scientists in Japan, Diwata-3 will be fully “made in the Philippines.”

Editor: Lyn Resurreccion • www.businessmirror.com.ph

Toward a sustainable bamboo enterprise

THE participants and training coordinators at the E-Bamboo production Center in Cardona, Rizal. DOST-PCAARRD PHOTO

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LTERNATIVE materials for wood for the handicrafts, furniture and construction industries are very much in demand. One of such materials is bamboo.

The high demand for bamboo is brought about by the scarcity of wood due to the depletion of timber resources, and the strict implementation of Executive Order 23 that bans logging in natural forest.

However, the growing interest in bamboo as wood alternative can lead to overharvesting, material wastage and other unsustainable practices.

With the growing importance of bamboo, there is a need to strengthen the capacity for operating the whole business of producing, harvesting, processing and marketing the material, while ensuring the sustainability of its resources and the enterprises that depend on it.

To address this concern, the Forestry and Environment Research Division of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCA ARRD) conducted a training-workshop.

Twent y-seven pa r t icipa nts representing various agencies and bamboo farm owners from different regions attended the five-day training workshop titled, “Sustainable Small and Medium-Scale Bamboo Enterprises for the Green Economy.”

Dr. Ramon A. Razal and Prof.

Rosalie C. Mendoza, both professors of the Department of Forest Products and Paper Science of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, served as the overall facilitators for the training-workshop.

The facilitators imparted to the participants various skills and techniques in establishing and marketing sustainable bamboo enterprises through lectures and hands-on training about nursery establishment and bamboo-plantation development, bamboo innovations for entrepreneurship and marketing of bamboo-based products, among others. “ The training-workshop provided us new knowledge on the production of various bamboo products, such as charcoal, musica l instr uments, f ur niture, wood carvings and even food from bamboo shoots,” Visayas State University instructor Andy Phil said.

Participants from the private sector, on the other hand, said they appreciated the training course because of the topics on marketing and cost-benefit analysis of bamboo-based products.

I n s up p or t of t he D O S TPCA ARRD’s capability building and R&D gover nance banner program, the training-workshop aimed to provide the participants knowledge on the use of bamboo for its various products, while sustaining our bamboo resources for a greener economy.

Eirene Grace C. Zaragoza/S&T Media Service

SCIENCE Undersecretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. and Executive Director Enrico Paringit of the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development in a discussion at the Business Forum on Space Science and Technology held at a hotel in The Fort, Taguig City, on January 29

D.O.S.T.-S.E.I. WELCOMES PIONEER BATCH OF ASEAN SCHOLARS

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HE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) welcomed 12 graduate scholars from Myanmar and Cambodia, which the Philippines sponsors for various advanced science and engineering degrees at the De La Salle University (DLSU) and some campuses of the University of the Philippines (UP).

The masters and doctorate students from the two countries who are beneficiaries of a program called “DOST Scholarship Offerings for Asean Researchers at Cambodia-Lao PDR–Myanmar [CLM]” talked about their experiences as scholars in the country.

Welcoming the Asean scholars were DOST officials led by Secretary Fortunato de la Peña; Undersecretary for Scientific and Technological Services Dr. Carol Yorobe; A s s i s t a nt S e c re t a r y fo r I nter n at i on a l Cooperation Dr. Leah Buendia; Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and D evelopment

executive director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora; and Science Education Institute (SEI) director, Dr. Josette Biyo. Representatives of the delivering universities were also present.

The scholarship program, which the DOST described as “the truest sense of Asean helping Asean,” is offered to the citizens of the three countries. The DOST had committed P50 million to the Asean Committee on Science and Technology for Human Resource Development to implement the program. SEI led in the coordination with the embassies of CLM as well as with the delivering institutions.

In 2017, SEI, together with university representatives, visited the three countries to interview applicants in which 14 masters students and four doctorate candidates passed.

About 14 scholars are currently hosted at DLSU, UP Diliman, UP Los Baños, and UP Manila for degrees in the fields of genetics, entomology, environmental science, environmental engineering, agronomy,

public health, clinical medicine, electronics and communications engineering, energy engineering, chemical engineering, among others.

Although included in the program, Laos has yet to send scholars for the program.

De la Peña described the program as “pioneering” for the Philippines, which normally is the one benefiting from scholarships offered by more developed countries.

“I think this is the first time that the Philippines is offering graduate scholarships to Asean partners and we are happy to extend this assistance to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar,” he said.

“Through this effort, we will be able to bridge the gap between Asean member-states in terms of science, technology and innovation.”

Buendia said the Philippine initiative is a big help in raising a critical mass of MS and PhD graduates in CLM, which shall ultimately help them address challenges in their areas.

Meanwhile, UPLB Graduate School Dean

Dr. Jose Camacho Jr. said the program is an important move for the Philippines, especially in the internationalization of its degree programs.

He then urged the DOST to further level up its scholarships to maintain the positive trend and recommended sending Filipinos for joint dual degree programs in strategic countries.

In their testimonials, the international s c h o l a r s t h a n ke d t h e D O S T a n d t h e government for letting them pursue their development in top universities here, which they claim will be very much helpful for their respective countries.

De la Peña encouraged the scholars to really give back to their countries and spread the word among their colleagues to invite them to pursue graduate degrees in the Philippines.

“We plan to extend this program and we invite you to serve as our promoters in your respective countries so that we can welcome more CLM scholars in the future,” he said.

UNESCO CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF CHEMISTRY’S PERIODIC TABLE

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ARIS—The periodic table of chemical elements is having its 150th birthday, and the UN scientific agency is holding a year of events to celebrate.

Anyone who has studied chemistry will recognize the table, which organizes all chemical elements by the number of protons in a given atom and other properties.

Russian scientist Dmitriy Mendeleev published the first such table in 1869.

The UN Education, Scientific and

Cultural Organization (Unesco) kicked off the “International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements” this past week with a ceremony, including a Nobel chemistry laureate and Russia’s science minister, among other dignitaries.

Other activities Unesco is organizing this year include an online competition to test high-school students’ knowledge of the table, and scientific experiments brought to schools around the world. AP

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

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PHILIPPINE RISE EXHIBIT CALLS FOR FURTHER STUDY AND CONSERVATION

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By Gelyka Ruth R. Dumaraos All photos from Oceana Philippines

HE Philippine Rise’s marine biodiversity and reefscapes were highlighted in an exhibit mounted recently at the National Museum of Natural History, as it aims to call for awareness and conservation of the marine resource reserve.

OCEANA Philippines spearheads the Benham Bank expedition in 2016.

A 3D Model of Benham Bank is displayed at the National Museum of Natural History.

Donated by international advocacy organization Oceana Philippines, the permanent exhibit features a 3D model of the 170-square kilometer Benham Bank, the shallowest point of the larger underwater plateau called the Philippine Rise.

Entitled “The Journey Towards the Protection of the Philippine Rise,” the images and videos were taken during the 2016 Benham Bank expedition conducted by Oceana Philippines, in partnership with the marine scientists from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

With over 200 fish species found and documented, the underwater plateau serves as a refuge and nursery for commercial fish, such as mackerel, marlin and bluefin tuna. It is also covered with coral assemblages, sponges and algae.

Philippine Rise conservation

ACCORDING to Gloria Estenzo Ramos, Oceana Philippines vice president, the exhibit is a representation of the collaboration between government agencies and institutions from all sectors that champion the protection of the Philippine Rise.

“We put up this exhibit to show

the unique beauty of the Philippine Rise and to let the public understand what this underwater plateau looks like,” she said. “Its conservation ushers in new hope for our food security, as well as ecological security.”

She added that the exhibit is also to document the journey toward Presidential Proclamation 489, declaring the 350,000 hectares of the Philippine Rise as a marine resource reserve and almost 50,000 hectares as a strict-protection zone signed by President Duterte in May 2018.

Amid the significant milestones that the government and its partners have reached for the protection of the Philippine Rise, Oceana Philippines believes that there is still a lot of work to do.

With only a portion of the Philippine Rise that has been explored, extensive marine research is the only way to discover all of what the marine reserve has. The underwater region measures up to 24 million hectares and covers the far off the

COLONIAL animals encrust corals and rocky surfaces

IMAGES of diverse marine life at Benham Bank

developing research and aid when it comes to future explorations in all parts of the Philippine Rise.

A long journey

REEF fish find home to a myriad of corals found in Benham Bank.

coasts provinces from Cagayan to Catanduanes.

For Mar Guidote, Government and External Relations director of Oceana Philippines, with the Philippines as one of the top fish-producing countries worldwide, people should start realizing that ocean conservation is a top priority.

“We are blessed that we have

these resources that’s why we’re pushing for sustainable management of our resources, most especially our key biodiversity sites,” she said.

Aside from protecting the Philippine Rise, Oceana Philippines is also pushing for the adoption and implementation of a management plan that will guide the agents in

IT was in 1933 when the Philippine Rise, formerly known as the Benham Rise, was discovered by American surveyor Andrew Ellicott Kennedy Benham. In 2004 the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) began a sevenyear survey to map the seabed beyond 200 nautical miles away and more than 5,000 meters deep.

The Philippines claimed the Philippine Rise as part of its continental shelf in a claim filed with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2009. The claim was approved in 2012 and is the first validated claim under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. In May 2017 President Duterte signed EO 25 renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise as an exercise of sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

Reasons you should not miss the Pasinaya this year W HETHER you are quite new in the arts, a casual fan or an art aficionado, you will surely find something that will catch your attention at the Pasinaya 2019, the largest multi-arts festival in the country organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Now on its 15th year, the CCP Open House Festival follows the theme “Karapatan, Kalayaan, Kultura,” putting the spotlight on basic human rights, freedom and cultures, and how they can help in community development and nation building.

Through the Pasinaya, the CCP aims to provide a platform for the artists to showcase their talents, nurture the public, and create new audiences through interactions and performances. For the past years, the Pasinaya has become bigger and better, attracting more than 27,000 people, with approximately 75,000 audience viewership. Through the festival, CCP makes art matters in

the life of every Filipino.

Here are the reasons you should not miss the Pasinaya and should visit the CCP:

1. Upsized celebration

SINCE the festival has grown leaps and bounds, the CCP has decided to make the open house festival not just a weekend affair, and added another day. This year, the Pasinaya was slated from February 1 to 3.

2. More shows, more fun

WITH a “see-all-you-can-and-paywhat-you-can” scheme, you can watch unlimited shows as much as you want. More than 3,000 artists from different art fields, such as music, theater, dance, spoken word and visual arts are expected to participate. Also, you can “experience-all-you-can, pay-what-youcan” at the Palihan scheduled on February 1.

3. Best of the regions

THE second day of the festival,

February 2, was dedicated to performing groups and individuals from the different provinces of the Philippines. Expect the palabas to showcase performances and cultural shows from Bulacan, Quezon, Boracay, Laguna, Cavite, Tarlac, Batangas, Bicol, Rizal, Pangasinan and other provinces.

4. World-class performances

CCP resident companies—Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theater, Philippine Madrigal Singers, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Tanghalang Pilipino, UST Symphony Orchestra and National Music Competitions for Young Artists— will highlight their season’s offerings on February 3.

5. A zone for little tots

PASINAYA will always be a family affair. Kids are always welcome here. Now, parents can bring their children and participate in the various activities, while their kids can

have fun and participate in interactive arts activities at the Kids Zone.

6. Free museum hopping

IF you have never been to any museums in Manila, or planning to visit some, this is your chance. The CCP partners with the Museum Foundation, whose museum members waive their entrance fee. There will be hop-on, hop-off shuttle vans that will go around the participating museums and galleries in Pasay and Manila for free.

Participating museums include: Casa Manila, Museo Pambata, National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Bahay Tsinoy, UP Manila Museum of A History of Ideas, 98B Collaboratory and Hub Make Lab, FDCP Cinematheque, Museo Marino, Galleria Duemila, Avellana Art Gallery and NCCA Gallery, among others.

WELCOME THE YEAR OF THE EARTH PIG AT DIAMOND HOTEL

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N auspicious year awaits you as the joyful and resilient Earth Pig draws success in all the spheres of life in its Yin form.

So don your new clothes and celebrate your way in the 12th sign of Chinese zodiac at Diamond Hotel Philippines with a Dragon and Lion dance, traditional lucky food, Feng Shui consultation and staycation packages for the entire family.

Welcome the Chinese New Year with a grand celebration of hope, abundance and prosperity.

Explore the excellent taste and aromatic flavors of Chinese cuisine at Corniche from February 2 to 5 for only P2,880 net per person featuring the

culinary specialties of the hotel’s Chinese Chef Yang Yong. Guests of Corniche with a minimum spend of P5,000 are entitled to Pick-A-Prize for a chance to win gift certificates from the hotel and more.

On February 5, get a free 10-minute Feng Shui consultation by Angel Macalino for a minimum spend of P5,000 at the Corniche lunch buffet. Also, catch the dragon and lion dance by the Philippine Ling Nam Athletic Federation and the performance of Chinese instrumental music by Kim Hwa Ensemble as they clear the path for prosperity and good luck this year.

Attract wealth and positive energy with

lucky charms available for sale at the hotel lobby. Make the celebrations more exciting for the family with the Chinese New Year Staycation promo at P8,000 net per night in a premier room from February 1 to 6. A shou sui “we time” overnight stay includes buffet breakfast for two, unlimited Wi-fi access, 30-percent discount at the food and beverage outlets except Corniche, room service, alcoholic drinks and on February 5, 20-percent off on laundry and massage services, and complimentary shuttle service during weekend to Intramuros and Mall of Asia. Use the promo code ‘LUCKY’ when you book via diamondhotel.com.

TRIPLE cooked crab with bee hoon

7. Market for the arts THERE will be an Art Market at the Little Theater Lobby where audiences can preregister for the various summer art workshops that the center will be offering. Aside from that, there will be tiangge or flea market, offering handicrafts, artistic products and what have you, located at the South Parking. The Eskinita will also house food stalls when you need to fill your hungry tummy after satiating your artistic soul.

8. Street parade

WHAT is a festival without a street parade and Street performances? The Pasinaya street parade will happen on February 3, along Pedro Bukaneg street of the CCP Complex. Be sure to get your camera ready because there will be tons of Instagram-worthy spots and scenes to bring out your artistic side and level up your social-media game during the parade.

FENG Shui Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing

USHER IN ABUNDANCE WITH FENG SHUI MASTER JOSEPH CHAU

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FLOW of luck and prosperity is coming as Marco Polo Ortigas Manila welcomes the coming of the Earth Pig with Feng Shui Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing this Chinese New Year, February 5, 11 a.m., at the hotel’s ground floor lobby.

As the hotel ushers abundance with the annual Chinese New Year celebration, Master Chau will be facilitating a Taoist Ritual Blessing Ceremony to guests attending the event. This will be followed by the dragon and lion dance, performing their way to bring prosperity.

Acknowledged as a primary figure in Chinese geomancy that goes from ancient practice, Master Joseph Chau Kam Shing, has been practicing Feng Shui for over 30 years, coming all the way from Hong Kong. He has mastered the ancient Asian tradition, designing and producing a Feng Shui compass that directs enthusiasts to prosperity from all over the world. He is a globally acclaimed expert, holding lectures and being featured in several programs across the globe.

In celebration of this auspicious time, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila also offers guests the opportunity to share their blessings through the gift of nian gao (tikoy). This year’s selection, available through Lung Hin, sees this traditional delicacy take the form of a gold bar and the round variant, both of which come in either brown sugar or orange flavors. These nian gao offers are available starting at P798.

Sports BusinessMirror

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Sunday, February 3, 2019

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

INTERNATIONAL Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (left) talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. AP

MICHAEL BUCHWALD, National Football League’s Senior Counsel, Legal, holds up Super Bowl 53 tickets as he explains the security features on the tickets. AP

THE United Arab Emirates soccer federation has now questioned whether Almoez Ali meets Fifa’s nationality requirements to play for the 2022 World Cup host nation having been born outside Qatar. AP

THE young members of National Confederation of Cooperatives for Pinoy Aflatouns: (from left) Children and Youth Program Associate Eniko Jaimee Reyes, Children and Youth Program Unit Head Ma. Lasalette Gumban, Children and Youth Program Officer Hazel Ann LeĂąida, and Children and Youth Program Officer III Hazel Ann Mangaya. OLIVER SAMSON

Young Pinoy savers called ‘aflatouns’ growing in number

By Oliver Samson

program to the regular classes, she said.

Preserving and safeguarding the environment and saving natural resources are taught to students during Science classes as part of the integration of the social literacy component of the program.

“It’s not a separate subject,” Gumban explained. “The teachers can integrate the social and financial literacy program to regular classes in the form of games and other activities.”

The resource book for teachers was developed by Aflatoun International in the Asian context, she said. The context depends on the region where the program would be implemented.

Nearly four years ago, Natcco has put the book into four local tongues: Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Tagalog and Cebuano, Gumban added.

Correspondent

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EEN as potential entrepreneurs, the number of active young savers in the country under the social and financial literacy program of Aflatoun International and National Confederation of Cooperatives (Natcco) grew to a total of 287,180 last year.

Most of the active Pinoy aflatouns are in the Visayas and Mindanao, according to Ma. Lasalette Gumban, head of the children and youth program unit at Natcco.

About 90 percent of aflatoun members in the Philippines go to state-owned and state-run schools, Gumban said. Inclusive of nonactive savers, the number of aflatouns in the Philippines has reached more or less 500,000 last year.

“The aflatoun members grow their money with local cooperatives affiliated with Natcco since 2007,” she added.

According to Gumban, the total cumulative savings of Pinoy aflatouns grew to P174,132,309 as of end-2018. The Natcco expects total savings to grow to P200 million this year.

The Natcco web site explains that “the word ‘aflatoun’ is of Arabic origin and refers to ‘the explorer,’ a person who thinks, explores, investigates and acts.”

Natcco is implementing the Aflatoun concept in the Philippines in partnership with Aflatoun Child Social and Financial Education Organization, formerly Child Savings International, based in Amsterdam. The program is being implemented in select schools in the Philippines in partnership with local cooperatives, the Cooperative Development Authority and the Department of Education, the web site said.

Saving, growing

SOME cooperatives require aflatoun members an initial deposit of P20, according to Natcco Children and Youth Program Officer III Hazel Ann Mangaya. The aflatoun member can deposit a smaller or a higher amount later, depending on the financial capacity of the saver.

The aflatoun members are taught to become responsible of the school allowances their parents give them, and encouraged to grow with the cooperative any amount they can save, she explained.

Recognition, motivation

YOUNG people participating in savings as aflatouns. OLIVER SAMSON “The interest rate depends on the cooperative,” Mangaya said. “Some cooperatives offer a 2-percent interest rate; others 3 percent to 5 percent.”

Based on the implementing guidelines, an aflatoun member can make his or her first withdrawal after six months from the date he or she started to save with the cooperative, Mangaya explained.

But the aflatoun can withdraw an amount anytime during an emergency, she said.

According to her, some aflatoun members who do not have enough money use part of their savings to fund school projects and expenses.

The cooperatives noticed that the number of aflatouns and the amount of withdrawals grow during holidays and graduation time, Mangaya said.

On a weekly basis, aflatoun coordinators go to partner-schools to collect the amounts the young savers are depositing with the cooperatives, she added.

Social entrepreneurs

AN aflatoun can later join a cooperative, and eventually, as Natcco dreams, become an entrepreneur, Gumban said.

The social and financial education at an early age is a preparation for an aflatoun to transition to becoming regular members of the cooperative, she explained. Natcco believes the cooperative is essential and one of the best enterprises.

“That’s the idea that we inculcate to the youth,” Gumban said. “Entrepreneurship is one of the core elements of social and financial literacy program.”

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The economic empowerment of a person should start early in life, she added.

“Most of us start learning financial literacy at a later age when are already employed,” Gumban said, adding that sometimes it’s too late.

When a person begins to get financially literate at an early age, he becomes a good manager of his finances and influences others to manage their resources as well, she explained.

If most of the people are socially and financially literate, “it can change the landscape of our financial future,” Gumban said.

Aflatoun members should treat the opportunity to learn social and financial literacy as a gift that would surely create a positive impact in their life, she noted.

Natcco also saw the need for cooperatives to engage aflatouns in more social activities to expose and try to help them understand relevant issues confronting their respective communities and the nation as a whole.

“This year we will try to balance social and financial education of the aflatoun members as we have promised to the DepEd and parents,” said Leñida. “In recent year, our partner cooperatives have focused more on savings.”

Integration to curriculum

THE Aflatoun social and financial literacy program has been implemented in partnerschools nationwide since 2007, two years after Aflatoun International was founded in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Gumban said.

Teachers are trained to integrate the

FEBRUARY 3, 2019

AFLATOUN members are motivated to save and grow more money with the cooperatives by providing recognition to top savers, according to Hazel Ann Leñida, children and youth officer at Natcco. The top savers are selected based on the frequency of saving remittance, not on the amount.

Since an aflatoun member from a welloff family can save a bigger amount of money than his poor counterpart, it will go unfair to select top savers based on the amount, she explained.

Natcco also provides recognition to top teachers who demonstrate outstanding commitment to the Aflatoun social and financial literacy program, Gumban said.

Natcco started to give recognition to topperforming teachers in 2012.

As of last year, the number of teachers trained on the integration of social and financial literacy rose to 7,581, a Natcco data showed. Natcco projects to grow the number of trained teachers to 7,900 before year-end.

Reaching more

THE program has reached a total of 1,467 schools across the country and trained 7,581 teachers in 2018, the Natcco data showed. The number of cooperatives reached by the program nationwide grew to 152 in 2018, and is tapping 12 more this year.

In 2007, the total number of active Pinoy aflatoun savers reached 267,289, according to the data. Their total cumulative savings was put at P137, 802,294. In 2008, a year after the program was implemented in the Philippines, the number of active Pinoy aflatoun savers was accounted at 12,060 nationwide.

Aflatoun International was founded by Jeroo Bilimoria in 2005. Seeking to help provide the young with social and financial as well as rights literacy, its program is currently implemented in 116 countries. Sixty percent of aflatouns worldwide are active savers.

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MUSIC

PRINT

PHOTO BY REY TEVES

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Joey “Pepe” Smith, 71

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FEBRUARY 3, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

MUS

ALL HAIL THE KING OF PINOY ROCK!

by Tony Maghirang

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PM legend and “guitarmeister” Joey “Pepe” Smith, revered as a pillar of Pinoy rock and one-third of the seminal Juan dela Cruz band of the late 60s and 70s, passed away in the morning of January 28.

He was 71 years old.

PHOTO BY CAROLE ADAWAG/Troika Images

His daughters confirmed his passing via social media. Desiderata “Daisy” Smith-Owen posted: “Thank you for everything, Papa Bear ko. Thank you for being the best dad in the world… I know you’re in the best place now. No more pains, papa. I will see you in few days. I love you to the moon and back.”

Meanwhile, Sanya Smith uploaded a photo on Instagram of she and her father locked in a tight embrace, captioned with heart and cloud emoticons. (That somehow hinted the cause of his demise: cardiac arrest.)

In death, Smith will long be remembered as the king of Pinoy rock. Bands in his circles know him by other names: “Pepe,” “Piyaps,” “’Tol,” and lately,

“Lodi,” among others.

Other times, he was referred to as “Speed” (while in an overseasbased band with Japanese mates) and “Juan dela Cruz”—pertaining to the groups he had been associated with around 40 years ago.

In life, Joseph William Feliciano Smith actually personified rock as a Pinoy experience, being the most visible quantity in the legendary Juan dela Cruz trio which produced the anthemic ballad “Ang Himig Natin.” According to anecdotes, he composed the haunting, airy song one fateful night in December 1974 at the Luneta Park.

The nationalisticnamed band would move Continued on page 6

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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | FEBRUARY 3, 2019

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SIC ON PRINT

Gig-print poster art makes local comeback

by Rick Olivares

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INYL RECORDS and cassettes aren’t the only mediums from the past that have made a comeback, as printed gig posters are starting to make a “resurrection” of sorts.

Locally, at least...

WHILE most bands still prefer digital posters to promote their shows, the actual printed ones are gaining popularity.

Furiosa, an independent promotion conceived by Romel Amoncio who is also with the shoegaze band Rave Tapes, is at the forefront of the revival of the print posters to promote their shows.

“I was blown away by the work of Frank Kozik during the 90s,” revealed Amoncio of the influence to produce his own gig posters. Kozik did the poster art for bands like the Melvins, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Helmet, Offspring, Nirvana, the Pixies, Beastie Boys and Newfound Glory to name but a few.

“I promised myself that when I start to do my own promotions, I’d also want to do my own posters. It is entirely ‘DIY (Do It Yourself)’, of course. But what we try to do are ‘posters on steroids.’”

The Furiosa gig posters— rendered by different artists: from Amoncio’s bandmate Neil Pagulayan, to Felix Taaka, among others—have become popular that fans buy them, or the posters decorate the walls of independent vinyl record stores such as Black Circles along Timog in Quezon City.

“Furiosa is a mix of grace and aggression, which is similar to the genres (of shoegaze, dream pop, or indie rock) that we promote,” elucidated Pagulayan. “We feel that the female luchador is the best embodiment of this and rendered in exploding colors.”

‘Special kind of connection’

KURVINE Chua of the band Memoryville, who owns and once promoted United Cassettes Philippines, also produces gig and event posters.

“I do print because it goes in-line with my belief in the analog format,” Chua explained. “I also think that in a world where digital is so rampant, print

does something different. It gives you a special kind of connection.”

The posters are placed in schools, independent music shops, and the rock clubs. They aren’t only souvenirs, but also signposts of the times.

In 2017, when the Ramones Museum opened as a tribute to the pioneering American punk rock band, one of the main features were the actual concert and gig posters, including the original artwork to their now-famous show in London which inspired people in the audience to form bands such as the Clash, the Sex Pistols, and the Damned, to name a few.

Also during last year’s 25th anniversary concert by rock band Sandwich, a poster of the show was also sold. According to organizers, it did very well among the fans who packed the venue.

‘Tangible remembrance’

DREAM-POP band Strange Creatures also used the occasion of their recent album launch for their debut album “Phantasms” to produce a gig-launch poster in conjunction with Furiosa. Taaka rendered the artwork (who also provided the album art for indie band Washington Drama Club’s cassette EP “Yada Yada Yada”).

“The first time I got to work with Furiosa was [on] a collaboration with music fan site The Flying Lugaw called ‘Elephant-Sized Hearts’ benefit gig,” shared the bespectacled Taaka. “I was stoked when [Amoncio] approached me to do the poster art because I love what they do as a promotion.”

“And I think that Furiosa is an excellent showcase for music and art.

If you look at their shows, they also have booths for artists to sell their indie comics, pin-ups, stickers, and others. [They also provide] the artists with a venue to reach out to different audiences,” Taaka added.

Added Strange Creatures’s Jon Tamayo during their album launch at Tomato Kick in Quezon City: “When the gig is special because of an album, video, or single launch, or it is highly memorable because of the performance, the poster adds to the special nature of the show.”

Tamayo concluded, “Since the indie shows don’t sell tickets per se, the poster is a tangible remembrance. You can say, ‘I was there.’”

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FEBRUARY 3, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

Sound trip BusinessMirror

MUSIC ON PRINT

SoundSampler | by Tony M. Maghirang

Sunday jamming with Weezer, IV of Spades, Dok Sergio, Josh Groban depar tment, especially when they tr y for poetic sleight of hand. For instance, a line in “Bawa’t Kaluluwa” goes: “Ang araw ay maghihintay sa sinag ng buwan...” Science says other wise.

IV of Spades has opened up a wide sonic space where they can play around with fresh ideas. Their live per formances will be eagerly awaited from now on.

jangle, hot Latin horns and chunky soul rhythms.

Once more, Dok Sergio sends out songs suffused with melody, empathy and above all, a firm commitment to a unique vision. Hooray for the indie aesthetic!

IV OF SPADES Clapclapclap!

JOSH GROBAN Bridges

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HE f irst album of highly touted IV of Spades comes amid surprises. It repor tedly dropped “in the middle of the night ” early this month. The four-piece ensemble is now down to a trio, af ter former member Unique lef t and released his own solo album.

There are 15 original tracks on the new album—an impressive feat in itself since the typical route of aspiring OPM bands is to produce an EP to introduce themselves to a wider audience.

Prior to their debut album, IV of Spades is reputed to be the most-sought party band in the metro. The new album entitled “Clapclapclap!” reveals that the trio is far more than the disco boys du jour. The dance rhythm is in most of the tracks and the remaining threesome of Zild Benitez, Blaster Silonga and Badjao de Castro exploit their disco-funk influences to fashion their own take on indie pop (My Juliana), electro pop (Take That Man), singersongwriter tradition (I Ain’t Perfect) and psychedelic rock (Sweet Shadow).

Ever y thing hangs together beautifully in Come Inside of My Heart, whose topnotch hooks, ass-shaking propensity and airguitar f illip makes it the f irst great single of 2019. I Ain’t…, with its hints of countr y rock and warm Beach Boys harmonies, is a close second.

That ’s not to say IV of Spades’ debut deser ves a standing ovation. The trio occasionally stumbles in the lyrics

C WEEZER Teal DOK SERGIO Like There’s No Tomorrow

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UPIL and Teeth mainstay Dok Sergio unleashes quaint yet magical songs every year or so. “Like There’s No Tomorrow” is his latest offering which on the whole belies the desperation intimated in the album title.

Instead, each track on the album appears to embody the present state of Sergio’s pop-rock mindset, which is happily on the hunt for the Big One. Of course, the ultimate goal of any artist is to craft the perfect pop song. In his current search, Sergio begins with the title track that leaps out without introduction, builds addictive riffs then at the final minute fades out to a psychedelic rumble. Amplified rock fuels Say Hello to an inspired chorus, while In Utopia posits that the truth becomes a lie when looked straight in the eye over Husker Du guitars and heaving drums.

There’s late ‘80s Swedish pop-rock simmering in the velvet guitar tones of Before You Go. On the other hand, Upside Down is one excellent radio-friendly song that proudly unfurls the very best from Orange and Lemons. Tonight whoops it up in anticipation of a massive score in a run of rock and roll

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COLLECTION of more popular ‘80s and ‘90s international hits, the latest from pop punk pioneers Weezer goes sing-along for the alternative set. The instrumentation is spot-on, and lead singer Rivers Cuomo maintains a noncommittal, almost unsympathetic treatment of the materials.

In a weird way, Rivers’ “duh!” vocal approach appeals to the non-singer in all of us: the other self who sings only in the showers. Suddenly, beloved songs like TLC’s No Scrubs and Tears For Fears’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World are wor th bashing out without shame at the nex t drinking binge with friends and of f icer mates.

Fans will naturally gravitate to the cover songs that are now gathered f inally together under one release.

Weezer per forms Toto’s Africa to open the album, but it comes of f fey to ears accustomed to the original big sound. The Euthr ymics’ Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These) and ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky fare better, despite their—or because of their— saccharine pop under tones. In Weezer’s post-punk remake, even Black Sabbath’s blues metal originator Paranoid comes of f ready for an alternative fun remix.

Pepe Smith...

LASSICALLY trained singer-songwriter Josh Groban returns with his eighth album of original compositions and a slew of collaborations.

It arrives at a time when his chosen genre operatic pop is apparently on a hiatus on the hit chart, which to be fair, is a mess of pop, funk, and rock pretenders with nowhere to go but one hit wonderland.

There’s much to be said about Groban’s enduring career. Upon the its release, he told the press the new album took him back to the spirit of how he made his first batch of songs.

As it “bridges” both his old and new worlds, the operatic singer hopes it plays a part in connecting people through music.

The hope for connection is, in fact, all over the album. Symphony lays down the premise that the melodies and words are written from the heart. Despite its rather trite lyrics, River passes on that communing with nature can be a source of healing at a time of deep personal crisis.

Groban’s impressive voice, however, makes a sappy interpretation of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water. He’s more comfortable jamming it up with the likes of flamenco bigwig Vicente Amigo, opera stalwart Andrea Bocelli and the MIA pop siren Sarah McLachlan. He gives rising country star Jennifer Nettles a huge lift with a pretty country-pop crossover in 99 Years.

His vocal signature is completely his own that it can only be interpreted as sincere and coming, as Bryan Adams once sang, straight from the heart.

Hear more from Josh Groban when he performs live for a post-Valentine concert at the Mall of Asia Arena on February 22.

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on to better sounding, harder rocking, bluesier masterpieces like “Balong Malalim,” “Beep Beep,” and “Kagatan.” The threesome also had up-tempo singles in “Titser’s Enemy No. 1” and “No Chance,” but “Ang Himig Natin” trumps them all by its original claim of being the true sound of a young Pinoy generation who found itself suddenly under the boot of ‘70s martial law.

More than the excellent interplay of bandmates Wally Gonzales and Mike Hanopol, Smith’s plaintive cry would define the essence of rock as a Pinoy musical genre.

In performance, Juan dela Cruz’ rhythm guitarist would just as easily descend from the throne,

pretending instead to be Pinoy rock’s first jester. Everyone and everything, from the front row audience and the latest gossips, to the recreational drugs du jour, was fair game to his comedic verbal swipes.

It was Smith’s combination of high-minded rock royalty and lowbrow antics in a live setting that drove crowds to a frenzy. These ploys also kept concert promoters coming back to produce more shows, despite the ever-present risks of the elderly musician not appearing on time, going on without prior rehearsals, or being under the influence of something heavier than beer.

In all, “Pepe” Smith embodied the bitter and the sweet sides of Pinoy rock. Long live the King! With a report from Mike Policarpio, PNA

Facebook kids game claims draw scrutiny from democratic senators

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WO Democratic senators are demanding answers from Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg over reports that the social media giant allowed kids to make purchases costing thousands of dollars on the platform’s games.

Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut told Zuckerberg in a letter dated Tuesday that internal documents detailed by the Center for Investigative Reporting “are alarming and raise serious concerns about whether your company and its employees knowingly harmed families.”

The January 24 report, which was based on documents that a court unsealed at the nonprofit investigative journalism outlet’s request, said that some children spent thousands of dollars of their parents’ money without parental knowledge or permission. Facebook internally called the practice “friendly fraud,” according to documents obtained by the news organization.

As Facebook pursued revenue, it declined to implement a fix that would have curbed the practice and often refused to return the money, the report said.

The company said in response that it updated its terms in 2016 and provided “dedicated resources for refund requests related

A FACEBOOK Game Card is shown in Sydney, Australia, on February 25, 2018. BUNDIT MINRAMUN | DREAMSTIME.COM to” minors’ purchases on the platform.

The high rates of unwitting spending, which often occurred because credit card information had been stored during earlier purchases, also raises “serious questions about whether your company has engaged in deceptive business practices and whether all of those affected have been made whole,” the senators wrote to Zuckerberg.

Markey and Blumenthal asked the chief executive officer to say by February 19 if the US Federal Trade Commission had asked

about the issue, whether the company would “commit to promptly refunding its users in full for money that was spent by children” and if he was aware of any other policies that might have led to similar spending. They also asked if Zuckerberg would “commit to requiring all youth directed content and services on your platform to be free of charge and without advertisements.”

The lawmakers said that the request for refunds of more than 9 percent for kids’ game purchases exceeds what the FTC, which poli-

cies deceptive business practices, has called a “red flag.” The agency is already investigating whether Facebook violated the terms of a 2011 settlement that required the company take steps to protect users’ personal information. The agency is investigating the disclosure that political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica gained access to information on about 70 million Facebook users and it is expected to issue a record fine in the case in coming months.

The revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a political consultancy with ties to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, had obtained data on millions of the site’s users without their consent has caused a spike in user and lawmaker anger and could lead to privacy legislation this Congress.

Also in light of the report, a coalition of consumer groups led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood sent a Tuesday letter to Zuckerberg reiterating an earlier call to shut down Facebook Messenger Kids.

“These practices, which include viewing children as easy marks to be mined for profit, make it clear that Facebook is unfit to create platforms or products for kids,” the letter says. It also suggested that the company “is willing to cause actual harm to children and families in its quest for profit.”

A Facebook spokesman said in a statement responding to letter from the consumer groups that the kids’ service “does not have advertisements or in-app purchase options” and the report on kids games is “completely unrelated” to the service.

Online kids gaming has been a concern of consumer groups, with Alphabet Inc.’s Google and makers of apps sold through its Android operating system both drawing FTC complaints from such groups in recent months. Bloomberg News

The 29-year-old who rocked FB has big data plans for H&M

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ASHION retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB wants to get a better sense of what makes its customers tick.

To help it, the Swedish company just hired a man best known for revealing a data privacy scandal that rocked Facebook Inc. and raised serious questions around how some corners of technology are shaping human existence.

At H&M, 29-year-old Christopher Wylie will help the company use big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to make sure it actually designs things shoppers want. If successful, the Cambridge Analytica whistle-blower might be able to help fix some of H&M’s most pressing issues, including getting its inventory under control and ultimately making the company more profitable.

“If you better understand what people like to wear, and how they like to wear it, and how they want to feel when they’re wearing it, you’ll naturally start to create

insights as to modernizing and updating your collection,” Wylie said in an interview at H&M’s Stockholm headquarters on Thursday.

Wylie says Cambridge Analytica - a political consulting firm used in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign - was “one of the worst examples of how data can be misused.”

The firm ceased its operations last year.

Compliance

BUT with H&M, “everything that it does when it comes to data goes through a compliance process and lawyers review everything,” he said. “Beyond that, there is an ethos within the company that really does boil down to ‘are we doing good and the right thing for our customers?’”

Before he was at Cambridge Analytica, Wylie worked as a fashion-trends forecaster. When H&M learned of his former life, it started talking to the Canadian about a

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potential collaboration.

Roasted cauliflower THE meetings between Wylie and H&M representatives went on for several months.

He even sat down with H&M Chief Executive Karl-Johan Persson, who joined the devout vegan for a roasted cauliflower lunch to discuss hiring him. The self-proclaimed poster-boy of data protection agreed, and started working at H&M in December.

Wylie’s job includes analyzing data from the 30 million members of H&M Club to get a better sense of how to cater to their demands. H&M hopes the process will help it avoid the kind of waste that builds when clothes don’t get sold, and old stocks get unmanageable.

Wylie says it was H&M’s focus on reducing waste and what he described as the company’s aim “to do good” that finally convinced him to join.

FEBRUARY 3, 2019

The critics CRITICS of AI have questioned its effectiveness. Investments are usually high up front and benefits can take long to realize, eating into profit margins. But according to H&M’s CEO, spending on AI is already paying off and the company is having to resort less often to discounts.

Last quarter, H&M managed to reduce its inventory. Its stock-in-trade fell to 17.9 percent from 18.9 percent in the third quarter, marking the first decline in inventory levels over a three-month period since the spring of 2017. H&M also said it expects markdowns in relation to sales to drop by about 1 percentage point in the first quarter from a year earlier.

“We’ve invested a lot in AI, and we’re still in the beginning of the journey,” Persson said. “Now we need to go from the test phase to scaling it out to different parts of our operation.” Bloomberg News

China’s Gen Z teenagers spend more and worry less than you do

PEDESTRIANS walk past a shopper taking a selfie photograph in front of a Bulgari SpA installation in the Dawanglu area of Beijing, China, on January 12, 2019. The luxury-goods industry’s fate is closely linked to the perceived strength of demand from affluent Chinese consumers. Most analysts expect the economy to cool amid a trade spat with the US. GIULIA MARCHI/BLOOMBERG

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HEY are confident, carefree and spend over $7,000 a year on luxury goods—even before they turn 21.

Meet China’s Generation Z. Spoiled by parents and grandparents for being the only child in their families, these youngsters are living it up compared to their cautious, conservative peers in the West, according to a new survey. They are pumped up about the future and not worried about their career prospects or international politics, notwithstanding a trade war at their doorsteps.

A study by research firm OC&C Strategy Consultants reveals marked differences in attitude and lifestyle among young Chinese adults.

The findings also help explain why the largest luxury brands are so dependent on continued splurging in Asia’s biggest economy.

“This is a generation that has never known worry, so they spend more and save less,” said Adam Xu, a partner at OC&C based in Shanghai. “We don’t know if they’ll grow up to be successful, but we do know that they are already a significant spending force that consumer brands must pivot toward.”

China’s Generation Z landed in an unusually sweet spot. Products of the country’s one-child policy and its astronomic economic growth in the 1990s and 2000s, these children didn’t have to share while growing up and saw only an ever-rising wealth creation.

By contrast, their peers in the US and Europe witnessed the 2008 financial crisis and its brutal aftermath, are graduating with historically high student debt, may not earn enough to afford a roof over their heads and are seemingly more politically conscious than in the past.

The survey, which defined Generation Z as those born in 1998 and after, questioned 15,500 people across nine countries including Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey, UK and the US. Almost 2,000 of those were from China.

Chinese Generation Z accounts for 15 percent of their household’s spending in

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the survey compared with 4 percent in the US and the UK. Although the vast majority are not yet drawing a salary, they’re big on consumption.

Jasmine Wang, 22, admits to a weakness for perfumes. The graduate student from Shanghai has 20 to 30 bottles of limited-edition scents from brands like Guerlain, Tom Ford and Chanel, which can cost more than 2,000 yuan ($295) per bottle.

Red packets

BESIDES a monthly allowance of 2,500 yuan from her parents, Wang says she has free use of their bank card and the so-called FEBRUARY 3, 2019

red packets, or cash gifts, from grandparents on either side.

“I think that it’s harder for families in the West because university fees are so expensive and they usually have more than one kid,” Wang said. Her parents only had to pay 5,000 yuan per semester for her time at Fudan University, a Shanghai college that’s one of China’s top schools.

In a separate survey last year, the same research firm found that over half of Chinese Generation Z shoppers spent more than 50,000 yuan on luxury goods last year, compared to their stingier elders. Only 32 percent of millennials spent that much, compared to 34 percent of Generation X. China’s slowdown is weighing on everyone from American farmers to Apple Inc. to Macau’s casinos, as GDP growth slows to its lowest level in a decade. But that hasn’t dented Generation Z’s desire to seek Yeezys, a limited-edition line from adidas AG, and cult skin-care brands so far.

The survey has uncovered two worrying trends. Youngsters in China seem to be turning their back on a habit treasured by their elders—saving—endangering their nation’s record of having one of the world’s highest savings rates. And they are willing to take on debt in order to fund their purchases, according to Xu. Wang said she tries to save but often spends more what she set aside on Singles Day—an annual shopping festival invented

by Alibaba Group Holdings Ltd. “Somehow I end up spending 20 percent or 30 percent more than what I planned.” Bloomberg News