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Piñol eyes ‘tokhang’-like inspection of rice warehouses to avert manipulation of price and supply

‘Rice shortage is just fake news’

IN this May 7, 2014, file photo, workers unload bags of rice imported from Vietnam at North Harbor in Manila. ROY DOMINGO

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By Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

he Department of Agriculture (DA) is recommending the inspection of rice warehouses in the country to make sure there would be no rice shortage in the local market.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol stated that “greedy” rice cartels are “operating again” to create an artificial “rice shortage” to justify increases in prices in the local market.

“As early as three weeks ago, I already had the suspicion that there was a conspiracy to launch a media propaganda about a ‘rice shortage,’ which I knew was in-

tended to create panic,” Piñol said in a social-media post.

“I suspected that the plan was to use the ‘rice shortage’ propaganda as an excuse to increase the price of rice in the market and allow importation. Rice importation has always been a lucrative business for several big traders, including several people in government in the past,” Piñol added.

Piñol: “As early as three weeks ago, I already had the suspicion that there was a conspiracy to launch a media propaganda about a ‘rice shortage,’ which I knew was intended to create panic.”

Due to this, Piñol is mulling over the “actual” inspection of all rice warehouses in the country to prove that the country’s stockpile is more than enough to feed the Filipino people.

“In the face of this brazen attempt to mislead the policymakers of this country simply because of greed for money, I am recommending that Continued on A2

Is Asean wasting time on sea code of conduct with Beijing ignoring pact?

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By Rene Acosta

sean countries have been pushing for a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea (SCS), but there is great skepticism if such a regional maritime agreement can be hammered out. But even if Asean succeeds, can it force China to abide by it?

The COC is meant to set the rules by which Asean members, particularly the states involved in the maritime dispute, should conduct themselves in an effort to bring order in the contested SCS, and prevent escalation into direct military confrontation.

A negotiating framework for the COC has been adopted by China and the Asean states in Manila in August last year, which prompt-

ed President Duterte to issue a riposte that hailed Beijing’s stance of “graciously” agreeing to commit itself to the preliminary framework.

A statement by regional officials released by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at the end of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat held in Singapore this week underscored the importance of a binding code, by calling out for restraint in activities in

PESO exchange rates n US 51.3030

In this July 14, 2016, file photo, a woman walks past a billboard featuring an image of an island in South China Sea on display with Chinese words that read: “South China Sea, our beautiful motherland, we won’t let go an inch” in Weifang in east China’s Shandong province. Chinatopix via AP

the SCS and the non-militarization of the area.

The position was issued just as China and the Asean were to start the negotiations for the COC next month.

However, there were prevailing thoughts against the success of the negotiations with China, given its previous history in the disputed portion of the SCS and its continuing actions in the area that have given birth to man-made islands that were in the nature of fortified military bases.

While China can participate in the negotiations, it does not automatically mean that it will accept its outcome, especially if it will go against its “sovereign rights” position, a stance that has kept it solidly afoot on the islands that it has occupied.

Even if the Asean would succeed in crafting and adopting a “binding” code of conduct, it does not automatically bind China. The Asean cannot even coerce or force Beijing to follow the agreement.

“In the first place, there would Continued on A2

n japan 0.4719 n UK 71.3214 n HK 6.5598 n CHINA 8.1195 n singapore 38.5215 n australia 39.8932 n EU 62.8257 n SAUDI arabia 13.6808

Source: BSP (February 9, 2018 )

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‘Rice shortage is just fake news’ Continued from a1

an actual inspection of all rice warehouses in the country be conducted by the proper government agencies,” he said.

“This is the best counter-attack to the attempt to sow panic among consumers by spreading the fake news that there is a rice shortage,” he added.

Estimated production

The agriculture chief said based on the data of the DA’s Field Operations Office the country is expected to produce about 3.067 million metric tons (MMT) of milled rice, which Piñol noted would be good for 96 days of national staple requirement.

“The 96-day buffer stock is one of the biggest rice inventories of the country in recent years, and this was the result of a bumper harvest of 19.4 MMT for 2017, a record harvest for the country. By the end of 2017, rice stocks in warehouses and home storages were placed at 2.7 MMT, which would be good for 88 days of supply,” he said.

“In the first quarter of 2018, the production forecast is placed at

3.067 of milled rice, which, when added to the buffer rice stocks carried over from 2017, would place the first-quarter rice supply at 5.8 MMT,” he added.

Mandatory inspection

As early as April 2017, Piñol has floated the creation of an interagency group that would conduct mandatory inspection of all rice warehouses in the country, following the country’s decision not to import the staple while harvest is ongoing.

One of the objectives of the what-would-be “Task Force Bigas,” Piñol said, is “to avert any attempt at hoarding rice to create an artificial shortage.”

“The new policy declared by the President is aimed at protecting Filipino rice farmers from price manipulation. Historically, paddy rice-buying prices would fall from a high of P18 per kilogram [before the start of harvest] to only about P10 to P12 per kg during peak harvest, a result of the inshipment of imported rice,” he said in April 2017.

“The task force will conduct a nationwide inventory of all rice

A worker loads sacks of rice into a van for delivery at a National Food Authority warehouse in Quezon City, in this April 2, 2008, file photo. Enrique Soriano/Bloomberg News

stocks, including those that entered the country through the backdoor by a well-organized rice-smuggling syndicate, which receives the rice from other countries in the waters off Malaysia and transferred to small boats that bring the stocks to Zamboanga City and other small ports in the peninsula,” he added.

Nearing depletion

Reports have indicated that the retail prices of commercial rice in the market have increased by as much as P5 following revelations by the National Food Authority (NFA) that its stockpile is nearing depletion.

The current buffer stock of the NFA is pegged at around 1.2 million 50-kilogram bags, which is equivalent to two days of national

daily rice requirement.

The state-run food agency has already suspended its distribution of rice to almost all retailers across the country due to the depletion of its stockpile.

The remaining stocks of NFA are reserved for the needs of calamity-prone areas and rice requirements of island municipalities and provinces.

Because of this, he said, the NFA slashed its daily rice withdrawal to 34,000 50-kg bags, from 64,000 50-kilogram bags, effectively stretching its current stockpile to last for 35 days, according to NFA Administrator Jason Aquino.

Price hike

Grains Retailers’ Confederation of the Philippines Inc. (Grecon) said the price of commercial rice

rose by P2 to P3 per kg in recent days due to the high farm-gate price of local paddy.

Magbanua warned that once the NFA’s stockpile is completely depleted, local rice prices could go up further, as 10 million Filipinos would have no other recourse but to purchase the commercial variant.

This, he added, could cause the price of commercial rice to go up by P5 per kg in the coming weeks.

“The poorest of the poor depend on NFA rice. Because they cannot buy it anymore, they will buy commercial rice. Going by the law of supply and demand, the price of commercial rice would surely increase,” Magbanua added.

The Grecon chief said consumers would have to shoulder the burden of any increase in rice prices sold by traders. “We have no choice but to pass on the additional cost of rice to consumers.”

Aquino assured, however, that there is no rice shortage in the Philippines, as the country’s total inventory is enough for 88 days.

Stocks held by commercial warehouses and households would be good for 34 days and 52 days, respectively.

He added that the agency was not able to beef up its buffer stock through local palay procurement, as the prevailing farm-gate prices—ranging from P19 to P19.50 per kg—are higher than the NFA’s buying price of P17 per kg.

The NFA management has been proposing to import 350,000 metric tons of rice as early as December last year.

In January, the NFA Council, the food agency’s highest policy-making body, has approved a standby authority of 250,000 metric tons of rice.

Since then, the volume has remained as a “standby authority,” as there has been no recommendation from the interagency food security committee for the government to

import rice.

Import permit

But on February 8, one phone call changed everything.

NFA Spokesman Rex Estoperez confirmed to the BusinessMirror that the food agency has been allowed to import 250,000 metric tons following Duterte’s directive to Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco to green light the importation.

In a television interview on Thursday, Evasco, who chairs the NFA Council, disclosed that Duterte called him on Wednesday evening to activate the 250,000 MT of rice standby authority of the NFA.

“NFA is proposing to buy rice via government-to-government, [because] we have a standby for 250,000 metric tons. The President called me last night, giving us the order to buy,” he said. “We have no option but to follow the President to activate the 250,000 MT, which is currently on standby."

Piñol is also urging Duterte to cap the price of commercial rice.

“I will recommend [to the President] that there should be a cap on the price of commercial rice.

The price of rice in the market now is not acceptable anymore,” Piñol told the BusinessMirror in an interview. “The rule of thumb in pricing rice is that it should be double the buying price of palay. Right now we have not heard of reports that palay is being bought at P25 per kilogram, the highest now is P20. So, the price of rice should not be higher than P40,” he added.

He said the price of commercial rice should be capped at P42 to P44 per kg, while the regularmilled variety should not exceed P40 per kg. “Prices should not be higher than these figures as no one is buying paddy at P25 per kg.”

Piñol said the Department of Agriculture will open a rice outlet on Valentine’s Day, where farmers’ groups would be allowed to sell rice at P38 per kg.

Is Asean wasting time on sea code of conduct with Beijing ignoring pact?

Continued from a1

be no code of conduct to talk about if China will not agree to it, being the other party,” a military analyst from Camp Aguinaldo said. “But if it agrees, then it means the code of conduct is in its favor.”

In the case of the Philippines, China does not even acknowledge the ruling of the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration, which recognized Manila’s maritime claims against Beijing.

The COC aspired by the 10-member Asean, especially by the smaller countries, including the Philippines, which are pitted against China in the maritime dis-

pute, is fast-becoming a mere afterthought, with Beijing’s behavior in the contested territory.

When China and the Asean signed the Declaration of Conduct (DOC) in 2002, Beijing dismissed it by way of its nonstop construction and improvements in the features that it has occupied. The same case happened in the islets and reefs that it contests against the other claimants, but which it has also already occupied.

China’s activities even became bolder and bigger that it gave way to artificial islands now housing its military installations.

The DOC, although considered as a nonbinding pact, was supposed

to have halted or imposed a status quo on any development activity in the SCS, as what the Philippines did, in regard to the areas that it has occupied. But not in the case of China.

“The code of conduct may already be an exercise in futility, not after China’s spit on the spirit and intent of the DOC, and certainly not after China has nearly completed its construction of its military bases in the South China Sea. The COC will govern the hapless, smaller states, but not China,” the military analyst said.

American maritime expert Gregory Poling said that, while the Asean can attempt to work for the governing conduct with China, it

is doubtful whether such an agreement would be responsive, and if it would bring Beijing into it “fair and square.”

“The evidence of the last 18 months or so does not support the idea that China is willing to negotiate the binding code of conduct that brought all parties. This is not to say that the code-of-conduct talks are a waste of time that we shouldn’t be reaching out to China automatically,” said Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative.

“Simply, we should be doing this with open eyes and recognize that the Chinese built thousands of square meters of military facilities over the course of 2017,” he added, referring to the massive reclamation and construction activities that China undertook and is still taking in the disputed SCS.

“While the Philippines and everybody there are talking about the code of conduct, China was building bunkers, missile shelters and radar facilities, all of which are meant as a coerce tactic. Even if you haven’t put the footage in there yet, it’s like waving around an empty gun and it’s inherently threatening,” Poling added.

The Southeast Asia fellow from the Center for Strategic and International Studies noted Beijing’s skirmishes with rival claimant-states in the past, its attacks of its neighbors’ fishermen, and its continuing coercive stance against the contending smaller states in the SCS by deploying its naval vessels.

“These are not the actions of a country that is serious with peaceful negotiations,” Poling said, although adding that there may be some in China “who really want the code of conduct, but there may be just as many who don’t and are banking on using force.”

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Tokyo still beating Beijing in Asean infrastructure race

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hina may steal all the headlines when it comes to its infrastructure push across Southeast Asia, but data from BMI Research show Japan is still well ahead in funding projects in the region.

As Japan’s population ages, the government and companies are searching for new markets overseas. Japan dominates infrastructure investment in the

Philippines and Vietnam, among the world’s fastest-growing economies.

But China is ramping up competition with a sweeping push in nations

GOVT VOWS MEASURES TO SPUR MANUFACTURING RECOVERY THIS YEAR T he government will aggressively implement measures to ensure the recover y of manufacturing this year, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said, as it notes the four-month decline of manufacturing from September to December 2017.

In the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries (Missi), the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the Volume of Production Index (VoPI) for manufacturing contracted by 9.7 percent in December 2017, a reversal from the 21.7-percent growth in the previous year.

The Value of Production Index (VaPI), likewise, decreased by 10.3 percent, resulting in the yearto-date growth of VoPI and VaPI by 0.4 and -0.5 percent, respectively.

“The recent declines in manufacturing are a cause for concern, but we are also fully aware of the opportunities that lie ahead: robust domestic consumption demand, increased demand from the government, and the government’s resolve to improve the ease of doing business,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said.

“With the higher take-home pay of around 99 percent of Filipino income taxpayers because of the TRAIN law, household consumption will likely increase,” Pernia added, referring to the recently passed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

He said the continuous rollout of infrastructure projects and programmed increase in social spending, among others, will also increase domestic demand for manufactured goods.

“To enable the manufacturing sector to take advantage of the increased demand, the government will continue to pursue policy

reforms to facilitate business transactions,” Pernia added.

However, the Neda chief said the government must remain cautious on the short-term upward inflationary impact of TRAIN, as this may largely affect the cost of production, particularly of those energy-intensive manufacturing firms.

“Inflationary pressures, higher global raw material costs and peso depreciation will continue to be a challenge to the sector’s growth,” Pernia added.

To support the growth of manufacturing, Pernia said local suppliers of raw materials and intermediate goods, especially the small and medium enterprises, must enhance their production capacity so that they can meet the expected higher domestic demand and recovering external demand. This can be done by expanding technology diffusion programs, such as the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program and the Shared Service Facility Project.

Pernia also said it is important to construct road networks and rehabilitate damaged roads for linking sources of raw materials and intermediate goods to processing sites.

“In terms of expanding market reach, we are continually pushing for the National Single Window and integrate it with the Asean Single Window. This will effectively reduce the cost of doing business,” he added.

Pernia, likewise, emphasized the need to encourage competition in telecommunications by easing or lifting relevant restrictions on foreign par ticipation. “Fast, reliable, and affordable Internet services are needed for efficient business transactions and government services online,” the Neda chief said.

‘Salisi’ member operating in Naia nabbed

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By Recto Mercene

joint airport and Pasay City police entrapment team nabbed on Thursday an alleged notorious Salisi Gang member who tried to victimize a departing passenger anew at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 2.

The suspect, Rhey Asumbrado, was collared while in the act of accepting the marked money in exchange for the Seaman’s Book of Bonifacio Legazpi.

Legazpi narrated to the police that he noticed his backpack was missing while at the public area of Naia 2 departure level. He said his backpack contained an iPad and important seaman’s documents.

He repor ted the incident to airpor t policemen, who immediately planned the entrapment operation when Legazpi infor med them that the suspect ca l led him demanding for P15,000 in exchange for his Seaman’s Book.

According to Legazpi, the suspect initially wanted him to send the money through “Smart Padala” via LBC. The airport police helped him to negotiate for a meeting instead.

The venue chosen was a burger outlet in Pasay City. At 10:50 a.m. on February 8, the suspect was apprehended after he received the marked money. According to Asumbrado, he sold Legazpi ’s Swissgear backpack for $120 (P6,000) and his iPad for $700 (P35,000).

along the route of President Xi Jinping’s signature “Belt and Road” initiative.

“While Japanese companies and government agencies have had a long head start, Chinese companies have key advantages that could see them overtaking Japan in specific sectors,” Christian Zhang, an infrastructure analyst at BMI Research in Singapore, said in an e-mail this week. He cited financing of coal-fired power plants, as multinationa l ba n k s a nd development

agencies increasingly restrict lending for coal projects.

A si a’s t wo big gest econo m ies a re jost l i ng to e x pa nd i n f luence i n t he reg ion, one of t he world ’s br ightest eco nom ic s p ot s a nd home to h a l f -a-bi l l ion people. Gover nments f rom gl it z y Singapore to com mu n ist V iet n a m a re bu i ld i ng a i r por t s, tol lways a nd m a ss rapid t ra nsit to at t rac t i nvest ment a nd c reate jobs.

Infrastructure is increasingly among the region’s main

g row t h eng ines. Indonesi a boasts a pipeline of over 250 projects, while the Philippines plans to spend $180 billion on rails, roads and airports. Singapore is doubling the size of its mass-transit system.

To reduce strain on government budgets, countries are turning to their richer neighbors, who are only too willing to strike deals.

Japan’s infrastructure investment since the 2000s— both completed and ongoing— totaled about $230 billion,

while that of China reached about $155 billion, according to BMI. More than 90 percent of the projects have actual or planned construction dates after 2013.

The race is far from over.

Government finances aren’t strong enough to fund all the projects, HSBC Holdings Plc. said, and China can catch up.

“Beijing sealing a series of infrastructure deals under its Belt and Road initiative in the past two years is a good sign.”

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US Senate passes budget bill to raise spending, reopen govt

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he Senate early on Friday easily approved a far-reaching budget deal that would reopen the federal government and boost spending by hundreds of billions of dollars, but only after enduring a oneman blockade by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who had held up the vote and forced the government to close.

The House was expected to vote before daybreak, although the outcome in that chamber was less certain. If the House approves the deal, the government will reopen before the workday begins.

But Paul, a Republican, will have made his point. Angered at the huge spending increases at the center of the deal, Paul delayed passage for hours with a demand to vote on an amendment that would keep in place strict caps on spending that the deal would raise.

“The reason I’m here tonight is to put people on the spot,” Paul said on Thursday night. “I want people to feel uncomfortable. I want them to have to answer people at home who said, ‘How come you were against President Obama’s defi-

cits and then how come you’re for Republican deficits?’”

The shutdown came on the heels of a t hree - d ay c losure brought about by Senate Democrats last month. As midnight approached, Paul did not relent, bemoaning from the Senate floor what he saw as out-of-control government spending and repeatedly rebuffing attempts by his fellow senators to move ahead with a vote.

“I think the country’s worth a debate until 3 in the morning, frankly,” he said. Senate leaders were left helpless.

“I think it’s irresponsible,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, lamenting what he described as “the act of a single senator who

just is trying to make a point but doesn’t really care too much about who he inconveniences.”

Paul’s ideological opponents were not buying his fiscal rectitude either. Sen. Brian Schatz, Democrat-Hawa i i, posted on Twitter: “Rand Paul voted for a tax bill that blew a $1.5-trillion hole in the budget. Now he is shutting the government down for three hours because of the debt.

The chance to demonstrate fiscal discipline was on the tax vote.

Delaying a vote isn’t a profile in courage, it’s a cleanup.”

Around 1:45 a.m., the Senate finally passed the measure, 71-28.

Before Pau l waged h is assau lt on t he budget dea l, t rouble was a l ready brew ing in t he House, where angr y opposition f rom t he R e publ ic a n s’ most ardent conser vative members, coupled w it h Democrat ic d issenters dismayed that the dea l d id not h ing for you ng u naut hor i zed imm ig ra nts, created new tension as the clock ticked towa rd m id night.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the Democratic leader, told a closed-door meeting of House Democrats that she would oppose the deal and said Democrats wou ld have leverage if they held together to demand a debate on immigration legislation. But she suggested she would not stand in the way of

lawmakers who wanted to vote their conscience.

The struggle to push the bill through the House highlighted the divisions within the Democratic caucus over how hard to push on the issue of immigration, as Congress prepares to focus on that politically volatile subject.

The text of the deal, stretching more than 600 pages, was released late Wednesday, revealing provisions large and small that would go far beyond the basic budget numbers. The accord would raise strict spending caps on domestic and military spending in this fiscal year and the next by about $300 billion in total. It would also lift the federal debt limit until March 2019 and include almost $90 billion in disaster relief in response to last year’s hurricanes and wildfires.

Critically, it would also keep the government funded for another six weeks, giving lawmakers time to put together a long-term spending bill that would stretch through the rest of the fiscal year, which ends September 30.

The previous temporary funding measure, which was passed to end the past shutdown, expired at midnight on Thursday.

The deal had been expected to sail through the Senate, and the House had planned to vote on it later on Thursday, until Paul took his stand.

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Oil set for worst week in year as rout inflames US supply fear

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The White House Office of Management and Budget instructed federal agencies to prepare for a possible lapse in funding, a spokesman said on Thursday night. Even with a technical lapse in government funding, the effect of the shutdown could be minimal if lawmakers approve the deal before the workday Friday.

As the midnight deadline approached, Senate leaders from both parties nudged Paul to stop holding up the vote. And his colleagues had little to do but wait.

“It’s just further example of the dysfunction of this place,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, Republican-Wisconsin. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Sen. Johnny Isakson, Republican-Georgia, offered a succinct account of his evening: “Living the dream.”

Among the Democratic ranks in the House, the objections were also strenuous, but for reasons very different from Paul’s.

With the monthslong budget impasse appearing to be on the cusp of a resolution, lawmakers were girding for a fight over the fate of young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, known as Dreamers, as well as President Donald J. Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico and other possible immigration policy changes. New York Times News Service

il headed toward its worst week in almost a year, as the global risk-asset rout further rankled investors already concerned over growing US supply.

Futures traded in New York are on track to post a 7.5-percent slump this week, as everything from equities to currencies tumbled. Adding to the alarm was data that showed US oil production at a new high, and key technical indicators pointing to a further retreat in prices. Now West Texas Intermediate is spiraling toward $60 a barrel, all but erasing this year’s gain.

Oil’s weakness so far this month follows the best start to the year in over a decade, which was largely driven by gains in the US dollar. Yet, fears that American shale production will outweigh efforts by the Organization of Petroleum Expor ting Countries (Opec) to cut global inventories have been brought back to the forefront of investors’ minds, as data show US output now eclipses Saudi Arabia’s.

“The markets are concerned that domestic oil production in the US has continued to rise and put pressure on Opec to perhaps break its current compliance with its ceiling,” said David Lennox, a commodity analyst at Fat Prophets in Sydney. Following the selloff in equity markets, “there’s a little bit of risk off the table. In the short term, we’ll see oil prices below $60.”

WTI for March delivery fell as much as 79 cents to $60.36 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange before trading at $60.57 at 3:21 p.m. in Singapore. Prices are on course for their biggest weekly loss since March 10. Total volume traded was about 0.6 percent above the 100-day average.

Brent for April settlement dropped 44 cents to $64.37 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark traded at a $3.98 premium to April WTI. Bloomberg News

Kim Jong Un’s sister begins unprecedented SoKor visit I

n a stunning turn of events, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s younger sister arrived in South Korea on Friday to be her brother’s special envoy to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Kim Yo Jong, who is probably Kim’s closest confidant and is a senior cadre in North Korea’s ruling party, is the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea, though her grandfather, Kim Il Sung, traveled to areas occupied by his troops south of what is now the Demilitarized Zone during the 19501953 Korean War. The trip has the potential to become something of a coming-out party—certainly for Kim Yo Jong, but also for her deeply isolated country.

Kim Jong Un hasn’t set foot outside North Korea or met a single head of state since he assumed power upon the death of their father, Kim Jong Il, in late-2011. His single-minded pursuit of a nuclear arsenal to counter what he sees as the threat of invasion by the United States has ratcheted up tensions not only with his rivals but also with primary trading partner China and with Russia, once a key benefactor.

The arrival was broadcast live on South K orea n te le v i sion. L ook i ng con f ident a nd rel a xed, she had a br ief meet ing w it h Sout h Korean of f icia ls, inc lud ing Unif ication Minister Cho Myoung-g yon, before being whisked away in a blac k limousine and catching t he high-speed tra in to P yeongchang.

Kim Yo Jong, who is believed to be about 30, has been rapidly rising within the North ’s power structure and is believed to be in charge of shaping her brother’s public persona. But she has generally remained safely cloaked in her brother’s shadow.

This is her first high-profile international appearance at center stage, though she is technically just a member of a delegation headed by the North ’s aging senior statesman, 90-year-old Kim Yong Nam. For security reasons, few details of Kim’s three-day itinerary have been made public.

After arriving on Kim Jong Un’s personal jet at the South’s ultramodern Incheon In-

A North Korean delegation, including Kim Yo Jong (left row, center), arrives at the Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea, on Friday. AP

ternational Airport—the North’s flagship airline is subject to sanctions—she traveled to Pyeongchang to attend the games’ opening ceremony, where the North and South Korean athletes will march together behind a blue-andwhite “unification” flag.

That promised to be an emotionally charged moment.

The two Koreas, which remain technically at war, have cycled through countless periods of chill and thaw since their division 70 years ago. North Korea boycotted the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and blew up a South Korean commercial airliner the year before. The past year has been particularly acrimonious as the North has accelerated its nuclear weapons development and test launches of missiles that are now believed to be able to reach most or all of the United States, South Korea’s most important ally.

T he delegation’s most substan-

tive event may come outside of the Oly mpic ambit on Saturday.

Along with the rest of the North’s senior delegation, Kim is to have lunch with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the presidential Blue House.

The meeting could turn out to be just a lunch, a photo op or a nicety. But it is so unprecedented, and its announcement on Thursday was so sudden, that rumors are already swirling it could open the door to much more—perhaps even an offer for Moon to travel to Pyongyang.

The North and South held summits in Pyongyang in 2000 and 2007, both hosted by Kim Jong Il. Caution is in order here: Considering the depth and complexity of the very real problems that keep the Koreas apart, it’s highly unlikely a luncheon would lead to an immediate breakthrough on something like the North’s nuclear weapons development. Vice

President Mike Pence is also here to attend the opening ceremony for the United States, and he has publicly and repeatedly warned South Korea not to let down its guard to a North Korean charm offensive.

Even so, just holding such a meeting seemed unimaginable only a few months ago. During the rest of her stay, Kim will have ample opportunity to play up the feel-good side of her country’s participation in the games.

The first hockey match featuring the joint North-South women’s ice hockey will also be held on Saturday—they play Switzerland—and that would be an event she might want to see. The North has also sent a several-hundred-women-strong cheering squad, an orchestra with singers and dancers and a demonstration taekwondo martial arts team that will perform in Seoul and places near the Olympic venues. AP

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

Saturday, February 10, 2018

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CANADA’S Kaetlyn Osmond performs her routine during a practice session at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea, on Wednesday. AP

GETTING FLEXIBLE S

THE SISTER

EOUL—From smartphones to ship fuel, South Korea is wrestling how to balance international sanctions on North Korea with its desire to show the Olympic spirit as it welcomes hundreds of North Koreans for the Winter Games.

Spearheaded by the US, the international community has been imposing tougher sanctions designed to punish North Korea’s economy in an effort to rein in its nuclear program. But South Korea has been flexible with these rules as it accommodates the North Koreans to the Pyeongchang Games.

South Korea sent a chartered plane to bring North Korean skiers. It allowed North Korea to use a 9,700-ton ferry to transport more than 100 artists to perform at the Olympics and says it’s considering whether to accept the North’s request to supply fuel for the ship.

South Korea says the decisions were inevitable for the success of the games, which it sees as an opportunity to revive meaningful communication with the North after an extended period of animosity and diplomatic stalemate. But critics say South

Korea is playing into the hands of North Korea as it tries to use the Olympics to poke holes in sanctions.

A look at some of the concessions South Korea has made as it greets the North for the Olympics:

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Knicks hopes on hold after Porzingis tears ACL

EW YORK—Without Kristaps Porzingis, there’s no reason for the New York Knicks to be thinking about the postseason.

It’s time to look to their future.

That’s all that’s left after Porzingis was lost to a torn ACL, ending his All-Star season and probably any hopes the Knicks had of making the playoffs.

They say they’ll keep playing hard, but the first trade they made after Porzingis’s injury showed they aren’t loading up for a playoff push.

“Look, we want to compete every night,” General Manager Scott Perry said on Wednesday.

“We want to continue to fight.”

Porzingis had hoped they would fight all the way to the playoffs for the first time in his career.

But those plans were derailed when Porzingis crashed to the court, punching the floor in pain after a dunk in the second quarter of a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

An MRI revealed a torn left ACL, an injury that will sideline Porzingis for the rest of this season and perhaps a good deal of the next.

“Obviously he was devastated that he has that injury and so are we,” Coach Jeff Hornacek said. “It’s a tough thing to have happened. He’s had such a great year and we’re trying to grow with him.”

Disappointment could be felt not only in New York but around the NBA. Porzingis is a popular player for his wide array of skills at 7-foot-3 that led Kevin Durant to nickname him a “unicorn,” but also for the personality he brought to New York when he arrived in 2015 as a teenager from Latvia.

“Was hoping for the best news when I saw the play after the game,” LeBron James wrote on Twitter. “Best wishes and have a speedy healthy recovery.”

Porzingis was set to play on James’s team next week when he made his debut as an All-Star, and he was also set to defend his title in the Skills Challenge. He hoped to return from Los Angeles to a playoff race after not coming close in his first two seasons.

New York was already facing a tough climb from 11th place in the Eastern Conference,

THE PLANE

THE Koreas agreed to open their conciliatory gestures over the Pyeongchang Games with joint practices and friendly competitions between their skiers at North Korea’s Masik winter resort.

But the January 31 trip wasn’t official until less than two hours before the chartered Asiana Airlines flight carrying the South Korean skiers took off for the North’s Kalma Airport.

Seoul needed until the last minute to persuade Washington to consider the flight an exception to sanctions announced by President Donald J. Trump’s administration last September that include banning vessels and aircraft that have visited North Korea from traveling to the United States within 180 days.

The South Koreans were accompanied by a 32-member North Korean delegation,

and that would have been difficult even with Porzingis carrying them.

The Knicks probably would have needed to find some help by Thursday’s trade deadline, and perhaps they would have tried given Porzingis’s stated desire for a playoff push. But now they are better off playing for the lottery than the playoffs, and any moves they make would likely be with that in mind.

That appeared to be the case on Wednesday when they sent Willy Hernangomez, voted to the All-Rookie first team last season, to Charlotte.

The Knicks got back a pair of second-round picks along with forward Johnny O’Bryant, who Perry said would be waived.

“We were without second-round picks,” Perry said, “and we value first-round picks and secondround picks, but we were without picks in 2020 and 2021. So this deal allowed us to do that.”

For now, the Knicks will likely give more time to rookie guard Frank Ntilikina, and Perry and Hornacek said players from the team’s G League affiliate could get opportunities.

Porzingis had at least given New York reason to entertain playoff hopes in a season that started days after Carmelo Anthony was traded to Oklahoma City. Even the Knicks didn’t know if Porzingis was ready to flourish in the No. 1 role at 22.

But he wanted the challenge and has been up for it, averaging 22.7 points and a leagueleading 2.4 blocked shots per game.

The only thing he couldn’t really do is put to rest injury concerns that often follow players at his age and size. He had missed at least 10 games in each of his first two seasons and will finish with only 48 games played in this one.

He had come back stronger this season in hopes of becoming more durable and better handling the pounding in the post.

Now he will have to work even harder to come back from a serious injury. AP

including 10 athletes invited to participate for the Olympics, on their return flight the next day.

It was the first direct South Korean flight to North Korea since 2015, when South Korean labor unionists flew to Pyongyang for a goodwill soccer match.

THE FERRY

SOUTH Korea accepting North Korea’s offer to send its artists to the games by sea has triggered debate in the South, where conservatives saw the move as a sure-fire sign that the North is trying to use the Olympics to ease pressure against the country. The Mangyongbong-92 arrived at an eastern South Korean port on Tuesday afternoon with 114 members of an art troupe that will perform in Gangneung on Thursday and Seoul on February 11.

To allow the ship to travel to the South, Seoul treated it as an exception to sanctions. Critics say Seoul is sending the wrong message to North Korea and also the international community.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said on Wednesday that the government is reviewing whether to meet North Korea’s

request to provide fuel to the ferry.

THE PHONES

THE Pyeongchang Organizing Committee is refraining for now from giving out a premium smartphone to athletes from North Korea and Iran, not to step over the global sanctions designed to pressure their governments from developing nuclear weapons.

Olympic sponsor Samsung Electronics donated 4,000 Galaxy Note 8 to all athletes and International Olympic Committee officials.

The limited edition is not for sale but the Galaxy Note 8 phones are among the most expensive mobile devices in the market. Its price starts at about $1,000.

But North Korean athletes won’t have the fun of taking selfies and filming their time in the South with the Samsung phone. The United Nations bans sending luxury items to North Korea or to North Korean nationals.

The IOC advised the Organizing Committee that North Koreans can use the Samsung phone during the games that start on Friday and return them before their departure. But the organizer decided not to give out the devices, rather than risking violating sanctions.

NORTH Korea informed the South on Wednesday that leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, an increasingly prominent figure in the country’s leadership, will be part of a high-level government delegation traveling for the Olympics. Kim Yo Jong, believed to be around 30, will be the first member of North Korea’s ruling family to visit South Korea since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. South Korea expressed delight that she’s coming, saying it shows North Korea’s sincerity for improving relations. The North Korean delegation will also include Kim Yong Nam, the country’s nominal head of state, and Choe Hwi, chairman of the country’s National Sports Guidance Committee.

South Korean media had speculated North Korea would create another sanctions-related headache by insisting on sending its senior officials via the USboycotted Air Koryo. However, North Korea informed the South on Thursday that the delegation including Kim Yo Jong will arrive on a private jet on Friday hours ahead of the Olympics’ opening ceremony. AP

DLSU, FEU eye win No. 2

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EFENDING champion De La Salle and Far Eastern University (FEU) try to force a triple tie for the lead when they face separate foes in Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball action today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Spikers and Lady Tamaraws were impressive in their season debut over the weekend after they beat the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Lady Spikers (25-20, 17-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-8) and Ateneo Lady Eagles (19-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-20, 15-9), respectively.

A victory by FEU against Adamson University at 2 p.m. and De La Salle against University of the Philippines (UP) at 4 p.m. would push both teams into a tie for first place with idle National University, which dealt Ateneo a second straight setback on Wednesday.

“It was a big boost to our team. We need a good start for a good foundation in this long season,” FEU Head Coach George Pascua said.

Pascua is again expected to rely heavily on veterans Bernadeth Pons and Toni Rose Basas and Jerrili Malabanan, Jeanette Villareal, Celine Domingo, setter Gel Cayuna and libero Ria Duremdes.

Adamson University Coach Airess Padda, on the other hand, hopes that Jema Galanza, Eli Soyud, Mylene Paat, setter Fen Emnas and rookie Chiara Permentilla would bounce back from their 15-25, 23-25, 25-16, 13-25 defeat on opening day.

De La Salle, meanwhile, will face a UP side that made the Lady Spikers suffer a 25-22, 25-21, 25-19 upset in their first-round meeting last season.

Lady Spikers Head Coach Ramil de Jesus said they are facing a different UP team because Kathy Bersola, Nicole Tiamzon and libero Pia Gaiser are no longer around.

“They lost Tiamzon, Bersola and Gaiser, that’s big, but they are still a young promising team so we’ll see how we fare against them,” de Jesus said. Lance Agcaoili

PHL Cuppers take on Thais

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AFTER Kristaps Porzingis goes down with a torn ACL, it’s time for the Knicks to look to their future. AP

GSW boss featured speaker in leadership series

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OLDEN State Warriors (GSW) executive chairman and coowner Peter Guber will be the featured speaker in ANC, ABS-CBN News Channel’s Leadership Series, on March 20 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila.

The sports mogul, who is also the chairman and CEO of media giant Mandalay Entertainment, will adress the country’s business executives, sports and entertainment industry leaders, and members of academe about his experiences as an executive and

entrepreneur in various industries.

In addition to his ownership of reigning National Basketball Association champion Golden State Warriors, Guber also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers and executive chairman of Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC). He is chairman of the Strategic Advisory Board and an investor in NextVR. Guber is an owner and co-executive chairman of the new esports ownership group, aXiomatic, which purchased the

controlling interest in Team Liquid, one of the most successful global esports franchises.

Guber is also a member of the University of California board of regents and has been a professor at UCLA for 40 years.

The ANC Leadership Series is part of the country’s premier all-English cable news channel’s efforts to raise the level of discourse on global affairs and business issues in the country by bringing renowned international speakers for a one-day speaking engagement.

HE country seeks redemption as it hosts Thailand in a grudge match in the semifinals of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group II Tie on April 7 and 8.

This year’s Davis Cup team eyes sweet revenge at home, exactly a year since PJ Tierro, Jeson Patrombon and AJ Lim absorbed a 0-5 beating from the Thais at the National Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi.

The squad limped badly after its mainstays Treat Huey, Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales succumbed to injuries last season.

The pullout of the three topnotch players came in time of the middle of the leadership turmoil in the Philippine Tennis Association.

Just last weekend, the group of Lim, Alcantara, Patrombon and newcomers John Bryan Otico and Jurence Mendoza made waves in Jakarta as they dismantled Indonesia, 4-1, to advance to the semifinals.

Lim sealed the tie via a 6-3, 6-4 thrashing of veteran David Susanto. Before that, Lim booked a 6-3, 6-2 mastery of Althaf Dhaifullah, while Alcantara teamed up with Mendoza to defeat the tandem of Susanto and Justin Barki, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Only Patrombon dropped his match, 2-6, 5-7, to Susanto, while Otico won his nonbearing duel with Anthony Susanto, 6-3, 6-3, in the closing singles.

Lebanon hosts Hong Kong in the other semifinal. The winner in the crossover finals will earn a spot in Group I of the Davis Cup. Ramon Rafael Bonilla

BusinessMi

A6 Saturday, February 10, 2018 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

Cycling now Rivera, Team Sunweb set to defend Flanders crown a must-watch C sport Down Under

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AST month the Santos Down Under in Australia opened proceedings for the 2018 UCI WorldTour.

Local riders were constantly in the action up front, and it was enough to see the crowds lining the streets of Adelaide to understand that cycling in Australia is a passion. And we’re not talking just about road cycling.

Last year Cairns hosted the International Cycling Union (UCI) Mountain Bike World Championships, while the Gold Coast is currently preparing to welcome the Commonwealth Games (April 4 to 15), which will include road, track and mountain bike.

Across all the 2017 UCI World Championships, Australia’s Elite, under-23 and junior cyclists and para-cyclists raked up 14 rainbow jerseys, 19 silver medals and 13 bronze.

But one of the statistics of which Cycling Australia (CA) Chairman Steve Bracks is most proud is that there are now 5 million active cyclists in Australia.

“That’s the highest it has ever been,” Bracks pointed out.

The popularity of the sport means that cycling is now a must-watched sport, particularly with young people.

However, there is always room for improvement, according to the former Premier of Victoria, who was elected CA chairman in February 2017.

“We always want to do better, and that relies on making sure the organization is effective, that it is running well and that it has a clear strategic direction for the sport,” Bracks stated in CA’s 2017 Annual Report.

He would like this strategic direction to be common across all peak sporting bodies, including BMX Australia and MTB Australia.

When it comes to the elite side of the sport, CA last year announced a new High Performance Strategy under the leadership of high performance Coach Simon Jones, also appointed last February. The goal is to win four to six gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and four and five gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

“Our recent results at Olympic Games were not where we wanted them to be, and change was necessary,” Bracks says.

“We are working within a set of guidelines and rules that rewards gold medals and so we are now focusing on track, where the majority of the medals can be won. This means we have to reallocate funds and, in some cases, change the focus of how we spend the funds we have.”

There was good news as this year’s Santos Tour Down Under drew to a close in the South Australian capital of Adelaide.

After the sixth and final stage, the South Australian

CORYN RIVERA will surely have her hands full at the Tour of Flanders.

government announced an A$11.2-million investment in cycling in Adelaide. This will be used to undertake a complete overhaul of the Adelaide Super-Drome.

The velodrome will include a wind tunnel for testing body position, equipment and bike setup and an adjacent A$2-million national BMX training facility in addition to the A$3.5-million world-standard Sam Willoughby International BMX Track being built in Adelaide’s south.

The South Australian government also announced equal prize money for the Santos Tour Down Under and the parallel women’s event.

UCI President David Lappartient applauded these initiatives, pointing out that the equal prize money was in line with the men-women parity the UCI had already introduced at its UCI World Championships and World Cups.

Concerning the investment in Adelaide’s facilities, Lappartient said: “The South Australian capital will be truly unique in terms of the facilities it offers cyclists and cycling fans. I congratulate the South Australian government on this announcement and all it does for our sport.”

Australia has no shortage of cycling stars across the different disciplines and they have their part to play in inspiring the rest of the population to get on their bikes.

Fans like nothing more than to see their cycling heroes live in action.

Bracks became fully aware of Australians’ appetite for big cycling events when he chaired the Organising Committee for the 2010 UCI Road World Championships in Victoria.

“Australians have access to some fantastic cycling events that really showcase the sport locally, like the Tour

Down Under, the Herald-Sun Tour and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, all UCI events that give Australians the chance to see some of the biggest names in world cycling in action in their own backyard.”

He continued: “Australians really embrace outdoor leisure activities, and cycling presents opportunities for people to compete, train with a goal, get fit, commute or do things as a family. It is also a very social activity and the community solidarity and goodwill is amazing within the cycling community.”

To encourage recreational cycling, the federation has set up two specific programmes: “She Rides” was established in 2014 to encourage more women to ride regularly. The program is divided into different levels.

The Let’s Ride program for children was set up two years later and has already taught more than 11,000 children to ride safely. In 2017 Cycling Australia ran more than 160 programs across the country, thanks to the support of over 50 accredited coaches. With emphasis on having fun, the program teaches children to ride safely by developing their knowledge, skills and confidence.

For the chairman of the Federation, one of the big priorities now will be to get more people commuting by bike. This will not only benefit community health and improve traffic flow, it will also lead to more harmony on the roads, according to Bracks: “More people commuting, means there are more people who are both motorists and cyclists. These people tend to share the road more empathetically and respectfully,” he explains. UCI News

TO NEUTRALIZE OR NOT TO NEUTRALIZE T

HE Herald Sun Tour peloton got a surprise on Stage Two when they had to ride over gravel roads after roadworks forced organizers to take a diversion. The riders were originally scheduled to head along Foxhow road over Lake Corangamite, en route from Warrnambool to Ballarat, but that became untenable due to some roadworks being brought forward ahead of schedule.

The new route included a 7-kilometer sector of dirt and gravel road. Coming halfway through the 208.9-kilometer stage, the sector was neutralized by commissaire Greg Griffiths when both the breakaway and peloton was on the gravel, the main issue being that the dirt surface was too soft for the riders to navigate safely.

At the finish of the stage in Buninyong, which was won by Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) in a bunch sprint, opinions were mixed as to whether the right call had been made. For race director John Trevorrow, “it was the right decision” but not necessarily the one he wanted.

“It wasn’t planned. We never planned to put the gravel in, but because of the roadworks, it was forced upon us. So that is what happened, a deviation because of roadworks,” Trevorrow told Cyclingnews.

“I thought it was the right decision. It was disappointing, of course. We don’t want to neutralize a bike race but that sometimes happens. Even in Milan-San Remo a few years ago, things like that [happen]. That is bike racing, as they say.”

Griffiths provided an explanation about his decision to CyclingTips post-stage.

“We were informed that the road would be firm enough to ride on, and maybe it was for the first few riders, but once they broke the surface then the road virtually collapsed,” he said. “Once I could see the riders in so much difficulty and gaps opening.... We had riders spread over one kilometer—I don’t think it was sporting that the race continued, so I neutralized it. We timed the gap at the start of the dirt section, gave the breakaway riders that same gap at the end and you know the race continued on. I think it was the fairest thing to do.”

Race leader Lasse Norman Hansen (Aqua Blue Sport) was against the decision, explaining he believed that without the neutralization, the general classification would have been blown wide apart.

“We had the front as a team and had Trek with us like yesterday and if we would have raced from there, we would have had 10 guys left at the finish just like yesterday and I am sure I would have been there,” Hansen said.

“It wasn’t dangerous. There were some soft patches but as long as you straight lined them you were fine. I imagined some of the riders haven’t tried racing a road bike on dirt before. We do it a lot on Denmark so I was used to it and I have done it a lot earlier.”

Hansen’s sports director Nikki Sorensen told

ORYN RIVERA’S Team Sunweb is one of the 24 teams confirmed for the 15th edition of the Women’s Tour of Flanders.

Rivera was the surprise winner at last year’s race when the climbers failed to shake her in a fast finish into Oudenaarde. It was her second WorldTour victory of last spring after she won the Trofeo Alfredo Binda just a few weeks earlier.

The 24 teams is a reduction from the 28 that contested last year’s event, matching the men’s race in reducing the size of the peloton. As well as Team Sunweb, the lineup includes the squads of several other past champions with Lizzie Deignan’s Boels Dolmans and Elisa Longo Borghini’s Wiggle-High5 also set to be on the start line over the Easter weekend, along with Marianne Vos’s Waowdeals.

Three Belgian teams have made the cut for De Ronde with Lotto-Soudal their headline squad. The newly named Experza-Footlogix squad has earned an invitation along with the Doltcini-van Eyck Sport team. Parkhotel completes the Netherlands’s offering of teams, while Italy has a strong representation with Ale Cipollini, Aromitalia-Vaiano, Valcar PBM, Astana and BePink headed to the race.

Mitchelton-Scott, which won with Judith Arndt in its debut season in 2012, will be there as will FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope. Canyon-SRAM, Cervelo-Bigla, Cylance and the nascent Movistar women’s team will be expected to mix things up in the race, while Team Virtu Cycling Women, Hitec, TrekDrops, Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank and BTC City Ljubljana complete the list of 24 teams.

The 2018 women’s Tour of Flanders will take place on April 1, starting and finishing in Oudenaard. Cyclingnews

DISASTRO FOR CYCL

THE peloton tackles 7 kilometers of rough and sandy road.

Cyclingnews that “it was probably the right decision, especially because it wasn’t planned to start with.”

For the stage winner Pedersen, the call was the right one considering the 100 kilometers still to race.

But, he made clear that he isn’t against the inclusion of gravel in races in general.

“It was so far out that in the end, it was a good decision. If it was with 40k to go, I would totally disagree to neutralize a race,” he said. “But with 100k to

go it is ok and everybody came through safe. For me, it was fine to do it today.

“It is gravel, it is not like asphalt, so it is a little bit more difficult but it is the same for everyone. It is not that big of a problem. We also do Strade Bianche and do 80 kilometers on it so that is racing.”

Colombian climber Esteban Chaves, who Hansen was hopeful of eliminating in the GC battle, was one rider in full support of the neutralization, as he told Cyclingnews and

the Herald Sun after crossing the line in Buninyong.

“Of course, mate,” Chaves said when asked if neutralizing the stage was the right call. “That is a pretty dangerous place because it is soft. It is too dry. If it rained more here in Victoria in the last week, it would be awesome but it is too soft and too dangerous. It was a really good decision by the organization,” he said.

Chaves’s teammate Alex Edmondson was also in favor of the neutralization. The national champion was

careful not to ignite any polemics, choosing his words with consideration when asked of the decision.

“I don’t really want to get into it. It was a bit of a shame and obviously there are road works so we couldn’t go down that road,” Edmondson said. “There was only one way to do it and that was that. In an ideal world, you would have just gone straight down the highway but what they did was the right decision just for safety.”

Cyclingnews

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, February 10, 2018 A7

JERSEY, BIKE FOR POPE FRANCIS

Three-time world cycling champion Peter Sagan presents Pope Francis with a World Champion rainbow jersey and a bicycle painted in the colors of the Vatican flag during the pontiff general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican recently. AP

Brailsford: At this moment, we totally back Froome

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ave Brailsford has spoken publicly for the first time about the anti-doping case currently hanging over Chris Froome and Team Sky, defending the Tour de France champion and the team’s handling of the situation in the face of widespread criticism from the cycling community.

Brailsford’s input on Froome’s adverse analytical finding for salbutamol had thus far been limited to a few sentences across a pair of news releases—one when the news was first revealed in December, and the other on Monday when it was announced that Froome would return to racing this month at the Ruta del Sol. On Tuesday, however, he addressed questions from the media in Palmira, Colombia, where he has flown out to spend the week with the Sky team at the Colombia Oro y Paz race.

“For me, there’s no question, he’s done nothing wrong—no question, no question, no question,” Brailsford said, in front of a huddle of Colombian broadcast microphones.

“This situation, it’s difficult—I’d be crazy if I didn’t say it was difficult. We want the UCI [International Cycling Union] to lead the sport, we’ve got the Wada rules, then obviously we’ve got the team and the individual, and my role is to look after the team and the individual, but also I’ve got to think about the sport in general. But I believe he’s innocent.”

“It should still be confidential—it should never have been made public at this point—and everyone is entitled to a fair process. That’s why I think, at the minute, the approach we’ve taken is to support him and make sure we do what we can to have a fair process, even though I do understand it’s a very difficult situation for everyone.”

Froome and Team Sky have come under scrutiny in recent weeks over their handling of the case. As a specified substance, an adverse analytical finding (AAF) for salbutamol does not automatically trigger a suspension, but many riders, managers, race organizers and even the UCI president see it as damaging to the sport’s credibility, if Froome were to race ‘sub judice.’

The announcement that Froome will ride the Ruta del Sol—with the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France presumably still on his schedule—therefore confirmed

OUS IMAGE LING? F DEBATE goes on as Chris Froome’s doping issue remains unresolved.

RENCH national coach Cyrille Guimard has criticized Team Sky’s decision to field Chris Froome at next week’s Ruta del Sol and suggested other riders could refuse to compete against Froome or refuse to undergo anti-doping controls until the case is resolved. Froome returned an adverse analytical finding for salbutamol during the 2017 Vuelta a España, though news of the case only entered the public domain when it was reported by the Guardianand Le Monde in mid-December.

Froome risks a ban and the loss of his Vuelta title, but because salbutamol is classed as a specified substance, he is free to race until a verdict is reached. In order to avoid a sanction, Froome must provide an explanation for how his anti-doping sample contained twice the permissible salbutamol limit of 1,000nl/mg. Froome last week dismissed reports that he was willing to negotiate a reduced ban.

Team Sky announced recently that Froome would begin his 2018 season at next week’s Ruta del Sol. Although the rules allow Froome to participate, Guimard, who won the Tour de France as directeur sportif to Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon, maintains that Team Sky ought to withhold him from racing for the good of the sport.

“Sky are taking the liberty of playing with the rules that authorize them to let their rider take part in competition.

It’s nothing more or less than a provocation. It’s even worse than that, it’s cynicism,” Guimard told L’Équipe.

“Froome and his team are putting one over on us. The act of riding the Ruta del Sol is an act of self-importance, because they absolutely don’t care about the disastrous image that they are presenting of cycling.”

“They’re going to draw things out because the longer they take, the more chance they have of finding some technicality in the case that, in the end, will clear Froome. Sky are in the process of putting a well-oiled communications system in place, but nobody should be fooled.”

Froome will hope that the Ruta del Sol ultimately serves as the first part of his build-up to a tilt at May’s Giro d’Italia, but Guimard maintains that, with the outcome of the salbutamol case still pending, his appearance in Andalusia next week is also an act of public relations.

“Chris Froome is going to become a media star at the Ruta del Sol and, at the end of the day, a victim,” Guimard said. “The organizer is going to have all of the cameras of the world there, he’ll never have had so much publicity.

This is the aspect of it that shocks me the most: Making Froome a star on the roads of the Ruta del Sol is scandalous.

“The other riders perhaps have the key to the problem: They could refuse to ride alongside him or refuse antidoping controls until the affair is resolved.”

While Guimard argued forcefully against Froome’s return to competitive action in L’Équipe, Richard Virenque struck a more compromising tone in the same newspaper.

The Frenchman suggested that Froome should be free to ride in early season races, but added that he should make a point of pledging not to ride the Giro d’Italia or Tour de France if the case is still not resolved by then.

“I don’t see why he should withhold himself a race like the Ruta del Sol,” Virenque said. “I’m not talking about the Tour de France or the Giro, but an early season race.

It’s exactly this kind of race that he should ride as much as possible while waiting for the end of the affair.”

Virenque was part of the Festina team that was eventually expelled from the 1998 Tour de France as a consequence of the Festina Affair, and although he stressed that there was “no comparison” between his and Froome’s situations, he said that he regretted remaining in the race for as long as he did against that background. Virenque was later suspended after confessing to doping in November 2000.

“Not being welcome on the Tour is too heavy a weight to carry and persisting was an error that I made,” he said. “If I were in his place today, I’d announce that I would not be at the start of the Tour. That would allow him to relieve all of the pressure that he’s going to experience from here to the month of July.”

“He should take a very clear position while he waits to be cleared. He would then have the front doors open to him on the Tour after having a normal race program in the first part of the season, where he wouldn’t have had to discuss his participation in the Tour.” Cyclingnews

Team Sky boss Dave Brailsford breaks silence on Chris Froome’s case.

those fears, but Brailsford defended the decision in spite of its unpopularity.

“We’ve looked at it from the angle of the rider’s point of view, from the team’s point of view, from other teams’ point of view, from the fans’ point of view, from the organizers’ point of view and it’s difficult for everyone.

But, I believe in fairness, and I do believe that in this instance Chris has done nothing wrong and I think he should be given the opportunity to demonstrate that,” Brailsford said.

“The UCI have the rules and we’re abiding by the rules. They’ve decided how these situations should be managed. And while there’s a fair amount of discussion about this, we feel, on balance—on balance because there is good reason for a lot of discussion here, it’s not an easy one—but on balance I think it’s the right thing to do. For Chris to continue, and us to work in the background to support him and demonstrate there’s been no wrongdoing.”

Brailsford moved between groups of local Colombian reporters but refused to take questions from Cyclingnews.

In between requests to talk about his impressions of the country and Sky’s young rider Egan Bernal, he was asked about Froome’s case in the light of another Colombian on the team, Sergio Henao.

Henao was internally suspended by the team on two occasions due to abnormalities with his biological passport. On both occasions, the UCI dropped the case after physiological studies from Team Sky—the results of which are still be published, as promised.

Since Henao was pulled from racing, why is Froome allowed to continue?

“The two situations are quite different,” came Brailsford’s response. “With Sergio, we did some testing where he came back to Colombia, but the situation with Chris is...he’s not been charged with anything at the minute, he’s just been asked to provide information and it should be confidential.

“We’ve looked at each situation on its merits and let’s not forget, the reality is that the situation is dynamic, it’s changing, it’ll evolve, it’s moving, so we’ve got to be watching very carefully and make some very difficult decisions, but at this moment, we totally back him.”

“We feel he should have fair treatment, and we should stick to the process. We stick to the rules of the UCI—their rules. The rules of the sport are there, we follow the rules, so that’s why on this occasion we’ve taken the decision that we have.”

For those bemoaning the impact on cycling’s credibility, the longer this case drags on, the worse for the sport. And it could drag on for some time yet, with nine months needed to reach a conclusion to Diego Ulissi’s AAF for salbutamol in 2014. Froome and Team Sky are understood to be preparing their case as thoroughly as possible in order to convince the UCI that Froome’s level of the asthma drug—twice the allowed limit— was not caused by exceeding the permitted dosages, but was skewed by other factors.

The onus is on Froome and Sky to prepare their case and, in theory, they can wait as long as possible. Despite suspicions that Sky might purposefully drag it out— Froome could potentially complete the Giro and Tour and keep the titles even if he was later banned—Brailsford insisted a speedy resolution is in his interests.

“We want it to be as fast as possible. The longer it is, for us and Chris himself, the more difficult it is.

We want this sorted out and all done,” he said. “But, equally, it needs to be done correctly and there’s a process. So, on the one hand, we have to be fair and have the process, and on the other hand everybody wants this to be done quickly and to finish and have a decision, so we’re trying to move as quickly as we can to get to a situation where everyone can say ‘ok we can move on.’” Cyclingnews

Sport Directors in training at UCI World Cycling Centre

F

ORTY-NINE Sport Directors were in Aigle in Switzerland recently to train and study for the International Cycling Union (UCI) Sport Directors Diploma.

Introduced in 2010, the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC) training program is available to sport directors (in French directeur sportif or DS) across all divisions, as well as those aiming to join the profession. Participants who pass the written exam are awarded the UCI Sport Directors Diploma.

Sessions delivered by UCI staff and external experts covered topics such as team management and administration, UCI governance and judicial bodies, media, equipment and technical regulations, as well as anti-doping regulations and obligations. Regarding actual race situations, the course covered race regulations and officiating, race organization, the conduct of riders and race security.

Even the most experienced course participants appreciated the chance to get up to scratch with the latest regulations and DS techniques.

Belgium’s Axel Merckx, bronze medalist in the road race at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, quickly turned to a DS

role after retiring from racing in 2007. The son of five-time Tour de France winner Eddy Merckx is at the head of US development team Hagens Berman Axeon, which has been awarded UCI Professional Continental status for 2018.

“I certainly don’t know everything,” says the Belgian despite his nine years in the DS car. “The rules and regulations have evolved a lot and it’s good to have a reminder of the changes to refresh your memory and make sure you don’t get sloppy over the years!

“I wish I had had the opportunity to do this course when I started out. I learnt as I went, and I remember sitting in the car the first time and thinking ‘oh....”

“As a rider everything starts when you go to the car and get your bike. A DS must oversee the logistics, preparation, and mechanics beforehand.”

“It has also been good to see how the UCI works,” he added. “There are so many things that as an athlete you don’t learn.”

Italian rider Valentina Scandolara agrees. Former medalist on the track and road at European and UCI World Championship level, Scandolara applied for the DS course

while taking a break from riding to recover from a physical problem. She is one of six women who benefited from a scholarship offered by the UCI to attend the course.

Now back in training and envisaging a return to competition, she says the course has been invaluable.

“I am learning many things that as a rider I didn’t know. As an athlete you’re in your bubble and you don’t appreciate other people’s jobs, the responsibilities they have and all they do for us.”

A psychology student, Scandolara particularly enjoyed the sessions dealing with team management and team meetings. She says men and women didn’t necessarily have the same approach, and in an ideal world there would be a male and a female DS for each team.

The Italian cyclist said, she could envisage a career as DS when she retires from competition, and believes riders have the necessary baggage to take on the role.

“I think to be a DS you need to understand what the riders are going through, what it feels like when your legs are burning or you’re getting dropped on the last hill.”

UCI News

PARTICIPANTS who pass the written exam are awarded the International Cycling Union Sport Directors Diploma.

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Saturday, February 10, 2018 A9

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KLOOK hosted a sunset yacht party for influencers in Cebu as its way of introducing the travel app there.

THE area where Norliah’s house once stood was still considered a dangerous area by the military at the time of her visit to ground zero.

She hadn’t seen her house since she left Marawi, and wanted to see what happened to it. PHOTOS TAKEN ON THE LG V30+

Travel smart and see more of the world PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

T

RAVEL shouldn’t be expensive. It shouldn’t be a privilege. Thanks to budget fares, seat sales and travel apps, more and more Filipinos have had the opportunity to travel and see more of the Philippines and the world.

I’m amazed at how millennials can travel, for instance, to Japan on a budget of P40,000 per person largely by taking advantage of good deals on the Internet. The daughter of a friend recently went to Singapore on less than P25,000, booking almost everything online and that included her stay at a hostel.

Even friends my age make almost all their travel bookings online. So when I went to Hong Kong recently, I booked a number of tours and activities on the travel app Klook. That included a one-day pass

to Hong Kong Disneyland and the Octopus Card. I would’ve wanted to book a pocket Wi-Fi but there was none available for the dates when we needed it. I’d waited up to the last minute to book this.

One of my apprehensions was that it would be difficult to get the actual tickets/cards once we got to our destination but this fear was unfounded. Once we got to the airport in Hong Kong, there were counters where you could get, for example, the Octopus Card without any troubles at all.

Since its successful #GetKlookd Philippine launch last year, Klook has been doubly active in making itself more visible in the growing travel arena.

Klook kicked off Sinulog 2018 with a sunset yacht party along the Mactan Channel on January 19. The travel app has been exploring ways to expand in the Philippine market, and Cebu City is a key city the brand wants to tap due to its population and potential growth. Klook saw the Sinulog Festival as an opportunity to officially introduce the travel app to the Queen City of the South.

Various influencers from Manila and Cebu gathered to celebrate the start of Sinulog weekend with Klook. The yacht was dressed to fit the weekend festivities and to make each corner of the boat Instagram-worthy. Guests enjoyed good food and drinks while partying until sunset with live music provided by DJ Manolo Aballe.

Guests were encouraged to share their experience on social media with the hashtag #KlookItSinulog.

Klook is going offline! The travel app will be at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Mall of Asia Arena Annex Building with Klook N Go, a pop-up travel fair this coming weekend that runs until Sunday from 1:30 to 8 pm.

Enjoy really low deals on attractions, tours and activities in Asia. Exclusive discounts await visitors in the three-day offline event with Klook’s Buy More, Save More promos if you book on the spot.

Plus, avail yourself of exclusive special barkada bundles to Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Universal Studios Japan and many more. Klook has 25,000 activities in more than 120 destinations The event will also be graced by actress, host and vlogger Alex Gonzaga. She will be at the venue tomorrow, Sunday, at 4 pm. There will be an interactive booth with fun games, such as a spin-thewheel and a claw machine for chances to win special coupons you can use for your next travel adventure.

You’d also have every reason to go this weekend with an exclusive Grab offer. Just use the promo code <KLOOKNGO> and enjoy P50 off your Grabcar ride this weekend going to SM Mall of Asia Arena Annex Building C. Connect with Klook on www.facebook.com/ klookph and www.instagram.com/klooktravel. ■

SINCE their escape, Norjanah and her family have been living in an empty lot owned by a wealthy landowner, who generously provided the land and also pays for the electricity.

Showing the stories of Marawi through a smartphone AS the violence settles down in Marawi, its denizens stories of struggle and personal tragedy are finally starting to come to light.

To authentically capture these stories, CNN Philippines, in partnership with Havas Media Ortega, traveled to ground zero of the conflict, where they were given an unprecedented 45 minutes to explore the war-torn region and get a firsthand glimpse at what happened to the once-bustling city center.

They were accompanied by Moro millennials from Maradeca, a local nonprofit that had been sheltering refugees from the city. LG Electronics loaned out two units of its flagship smartphone, the V30+, given to the respondents so that they could capture a unique perspective on the ground.

While CNN provided traditional news media coverage of the site, the Moro respondents, equipped with the V30+ and its high-end camera, gave a more deeply personal look.

Norliah Deron, a young woman who lost her home in the siege, captured a beautiful photo of the lake near the city, across which she used to gaze as a child. She also took selfies of her and fellow Moros whose lives were disrupted by the war, eyes red and stained with tears but still hopeful for the future. Norjanah Cosain, a millennial mother and schoolteacher who evacuated her home along with her five children, took photos of the shacks that serve as the temporary homes of more than 30 families.

Through the lens of the LG V30+, these young women were able to not just tell, but also show, their story to the world, every detail captured in every shot. Their photos bear silent testimony to not only the terrors of war, but also the indefatigable human spirit, ready to pick themselves up once more even after such tragedy.

Will Disney’s streaming service roar—or squeak?

BY MAE ANDERSON The Associated Press NEW YORK—Will Disney’s upcoming streaming services be the mouse that roared...or squeaked?

Disney already owns enviable entertainment properties, including Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.

Now, it’s looking to add Fox’s TV and movie studios as it prepares to launch two streaming services, one for sports and another focused on entertainment.

In announcing first-quarter earnings on Tuesday, CEO Bob Iger said he was “excited about what lies ahead,” including the sports-streaming service and the pending deal for Fox. Adjusted income of $1.89 per share beat analyst expectations, as did revenue of $15.35 billion, a 4-percent increase.

But the same financial report hints at trouble with the lucrative ESPN cable channel. Revenue in the cable networks business fell 1 percent to $4.5 billion, hurt by an ESPN revenue decline. The ESPN decline resulted from lower ad revenue, though that was partly offset by growth in fees from cable distributors and lower programing costs.

Disney announced a $5-a-month price for the ESPN Plus streaming service, which is coming this spring.

The services represent Disney’s big bet on what the

next generation of entertainment will look like: more streaming and more choices. A streaming business is critical for Disney because the ESPN channel has been losing subscribers as more people ditch cable and satellite TV services and stream video on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu instead.

While Disney is trying to brace for the future with the streaming services, questions remain about whether they will offer enough to take on well-established services, such as Netflix. Rich Greenfield of BTIG Research said the ESPN streaming service seems more like a niche offering because it won’t have any content from the ESPN channel.

And while the Disney-branded entertainment service could be a hit, with classic and upcoming movies from the studio, shows from Disney Channel, and the Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar movies, that service isn’t launching until late-2019.

“Our fear is that they’re just not all in on streaming,” Greenfield said. “If they want to be successful, they have to bring all their content to streaming.” Instead, he said, Disney is dipping its toes in streaming while trying to preserve its traditional business models.

To boost revenue from theatrical screenings, studios, such as Disney typically wait months to sell or rent movies on DVDs and a year to make them

available through subscription services, such as HBO. But such a timeline is quickly becoming a relic of the past. People now expect things immediately, like being able to watch a Disney movie on an Xbox right after it is released in the theater.

“That’s very hard to balance and be successful,” Greenfield said.

The Fox content could help give viewers more reason to subscribe to yet another streaming service. Disney has offered $52.4 billion to buy the bulk of 21st Century Fox in a deal expected to close in the next 12 to 18 months.

When that happens, Disney will own the Fox movie and television studios, cable TV networks, such as FX and National Geographic, and 22 regional sports networks.

But many of movies and shows from those businesses are already licensed out in the short term; for example, HBO gets Fox movies until 2022.

In a call with investors, CEO Iger offered some details on what Disney’s streaming service might look like once it launches in late-2019.

He said Disney will “have an opportunity to spend more” on original programs for the service, but won’t have to be as aggressive as Netflix because Disney already has popular brands like Marvel and Pixar. He said the company is developing original shows around Star Wars, High School Musical and Pixar’s Monsters Inc.

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MVP: PHL market ready for e-commerce ecosystem

PLDT Group executives, led

by Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, gave a toast during the launch of its unified Most Valuable Partner rewards card.

BY PAULINE JOY M. GUTIERREZ

T

ELCO mogul Manuel V. Pangilinan said the Philippine market is now ready to enter a digitalized economy, making this pronouncement at the launch of PLDT Group’s converged rewards-card program, called Most Valuable Partner (MVP), at Makati Shangri-La on February 7.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reports that as of 2017, the majority of transactions in the country are still cash- and paper-based, but new systems are being created to facilitate cashless transactions to “potentially supplant the traditional check payment system.”

“The starting point is to give the Filipino customer as many options as possible with respect to these cashless payments,” Pangilinan said. “The penetration of cellphones in the country is more than 100 percent, and 99 percent of those phone users are on prepaid [subscription]. Everyone in this country knows how to load their phone. It’s merely a question of enticing the customer to load the phone beyond their telco requirements to say, ‘I’ve got to load P5,000 and use it to pay my Meralco or Maynilad bill.’ Ultimately, that day will come.”

According to Pangilinan, this was the inspiration behind the concept of a single rewards card that also functions as a Visa card.

The MVP card benefits PLDT, Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers whenever they pay their monthly bills on time and in full, or whenever they load their prepaid accounts. Points earned are as good as cash, and are consolidated in a single rewards wallet which comes with a virtual card powered by PayMaya.

Members can also get a physical card, which they can link to their wallet and use to swipe or dip at point-of-sale terminals when they go out to shop and dine at local and international establishments.

“We’re benchmarking on how India did it, as well as other emerging markets. With the use of the MVP card, sooner or later we’ll be completely cashless moving forward,” said Dindo Marzan, vice president and managing director of Voyager Innovations Inc., as he discussed projections of a digital ecosystem

with the PLDT Group taking the lead in the telcomedia market.

“We are actually bridging a digital environment,” PLDT and Smart CRO Eric Alberto added. “If you look at the financial market, we’ve already developed a group base that actually participates in the niche of e-commerce. By way of descending the cards through PayPal [is] how we socialize our ability, and why segments of the market participate in the inevitable future that is e-commerce.”

Given that the MVP reward points are regulated by PayMaya, it follows the same regulations as with any other banks mandated by the BSP. “It’s very much secure just like any e-wallet available in the country. In terms of loading your PayMaya e-wallet, you can use Unionbank, 7-Eleven, and Robinsons and SM business centers. We have

15,000 centers where you can load up your PayMaya account which, in effect, is your MVP e-wallet. The goal is to also make it available in other banks because that’s how we own the digital economy,” Marzan said.

Existing rewards from PLDT and Smart subscriptions can still be enjoyed by consumers.

Customers can enroll via www.mvprewards.com.ph their PLDT Home, Smart, TNT and Sun accounts, and then link their card to their PayMaya accounts.

FVP and Group Head of Loyalty and Rewards Anette Tirol, on the other hand, shared that there will be a 24/7 support team to assist cardholders regarding concerns through different channels like e-mail, landline and SMS. Any transaction made while using the card also warrants a notification from both the MVP Rewards program and PayMaya to ensure the security

of the consumers.

“We designed the card with one audience in mind—our customers. By providing them with their own virtual card powered by PayMaya, we are giving our customers more value and convenience in their rewards card. All you need now is in your mobile phone: one wallet where rewards are credited, seamlessly combined with the most convenient way to shop, dine and pay bills at your fingertips,” Tirol stressed.

“This is just the beginning of an even stronger partnership with our PLDT Group customers. We are opening up the MVP Rewards program to include more merchants and services this year,” Pangilinan said. As PLDT celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, with the MVP Rewards program at its helm, it ushers in a new era of a cashless service/retail market. ■

Woman at top of her game seeks girls with a cyber aptitude

BY PAT EATON-ROBB The Associated Press

WALLET-FRIENDLY VALENTINE TECH GIFT IDEAS

IN love but on a budget? Torn between breaking the bank or breaking your lover’s heart? Cursing the universe for scheduling Valentine’s Day on a petsa de peligro before sweldo?

Starmobile (www.facebook.com/starmobilephones) and Jumpu (www.facebook. com/JumpuJP) offers techie gift ideas that are both beautiful and useful, while still leaving you with enough funds for a candlelit dinner for two.

Equipped with a PocketPunch loudspeaker, the Starmobile UP Groove is a 5-inch dual-SIM Android Nougat smartphone for the music lover as it fills up a room with solid sound, or enjoy music even when outside.

A dual-SIM Android Nougat smartphone, the Starmobile UP Selfie is one of the most affordable dual-front camera phones out there. Featuring a 13MP StarSelfie cam, the UP Selfie can make anyone shine bright like a star with stunning selfies and groufies.

Meanwhile, you can never go wrong with a wireless speaker with clear audio and full bass like the Jumpu Ongaku-S. Enabled with Near Field Communication, it allows you to control your playlist using your smartphone even from afar.

The water-resistant and shock-proof Jumpu Tsuyoi-S can also be a great companion, as it would let you enjoy your favorite songs while camping, hiking or chilling after a swim.

HARTFORD, Connecticut—Dora Schriro, Connecticut’s public safety commissioner, knows what it’s like to be a woman in the male-dominated world of criminal justice, so she jumped at the chance to work with organizers of a national competition being held this month to find and attract young women to the field of cybersecurity.

The program, “Girls Go Cyberstart,” is being run by the SANS Institute, a security education organization. The online problem and puzzle-solving competition is open to high school-age girls in 18 states and American Samoa.

The game, which starts on February 20, has participants protecting an imaginary headquarters and moon base by cracking codes, plugging security gaps and creating software tools. It is designed to test aptitude in areas, such as cryptography and digital forensics. Only about 20 percent men or women have brains wired in a way that allows them to be good at this type of work and to enjoy it, said Alan Paller, the director of research at SANS. The game, he said, will help the organization find those people.

Winners get prizes that include a trip to a cybersecurity conference in Chicago, as well as computers and tablets.

But more than that, girls who show aptitude will continue to receive mentorship and opportunities, including scholarships, to continue along a career path, Paller said.

SANS decided to do a girls-only event after holding a similar competition last August. About 3,500 students signed up. Only 7 percent were female, Paller said. “There are big barriers to women getting into

this field, and we want to give them an on-ramp that is their own,” he said Most girls will spend between 10 to 20 hours over several days trying to complete the game, Paller said. Contestants don’t need any previous computer knowledge.

Schriro heard about the contest through the National Governor’s Association and decided to get involved. Her own decision to enter the field of criminal justice came from a 45-minute presentation in high school, she said.

“Sometimes all it takes,” she said, “is a couple of minutes.”

In addition to promoting the contest from her bully pulpit, Schriro also contacted the Girl Scouts of America and got the organization involved.

The Girl Scouts, which offer a badge in cybersecurity, are forming and sponsoring teams

for the contest.

“It’s really a way for these girls to get a taste of something, because maybe they don’t know they like it,” said Mary Barneby, the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

The state will get receive names of the girls who do well in the contest, said Schriro, who plans to make sure those who are interested are given resources and opportunities to continue their education.

“I have been selected by three different governors in three different states to be the first woman to take on a variety of criminal justice or law enforcement responsibilities,” said Schriro, who previously ran the New York City jail system and was the first woman to head corrections departments in Arizona and Missouri. “How much more exciting it might be to be the 50th or the 500th to be working in this field when it’s normalized and expected?”

BusinessMirror

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Saturday, February 10, 2018 A11

Globe beefs up initiative for ‘responsible digital citizenship’

I Helping parents save for college education through mobile app SAVING for college has just become easier. Manulife Philippines has launched GradMaker, the first mobile application in the industry that’s specially designed to help young parents start saving for their children’s college education. With this new app, saving for college is now at your fingertips.

Available as a free download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store, GradMaker enables customers to invest with a few easy clicks on their mobile devices. It was designed to meet the needs of parents who want to start planning for their child’s college education, but may be too busy to meet with investment counselors or financial advisors or think that investing is expensive. Parents can get started with GradMaker for only P10,000 and there is no lock-in period. This gives customers the flexibility to decide when they want to invest. With the app, parents can learn about projected education costs at their preferred local university by the time their child goes to college; then the app helps calculate how long and how much they need to save to get there.

When they are ready to invest, they can purchase the GradMaker plan in app.

In 2016 Manulife commissioned a regional study to look into key trends in connectivity, digital and social media to get a deeper understanding of its customers across 56 markets. In the Philippines most Filipinos have at least two digital devices (one being usually a smartphone) and spend an average of 3.2 hours a day online, 74 percent of the time using mobile Internet. The study also shows that 89 percent of the respondents own at least one digital device and still intend to get another.

“Being relevant comes from a deep understanding of our customers and allowing them to decide when and on which platform to engage with us,” said Ryan Charland, president and CEO of Manulife Philippines.

“GradMaker is intuitive, simple and designed from the customer’s perspective.”

GradMaker (www.manulife.com.ph/GradMaker) invests in professionally managed funds comprised of stocks and bonds to help customers achieve long-term growth. It also gives life-insurance coverage of at least 125 percent of the customer’s single premium.

“Education is one of the most significant investments many families will make, and on average, tuition fees increase by 10 percent annually according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” Charland said. “Through GradMaker, we aim to help parents be prepared by providing visibility on how much and how long they need to invest for their child’s college education.”

BY JT NISAY

N a recent forum at the Mind Museum in Taguig City, 100 public high-school students were asked to point their fingers at the stage, and to whirl it clockwise. The speaker plucked one student from the bunch and invited him onstage, while the rest continued to draw a loop.

The speaker asked the student to face the crowd, point his finger back to them, and to move it clockwise, as well.

The speaker asked the audience to which direction is the lone student circling his finger, and they answered, “counterclockwise.” He then asked the student to which direction is he going, and he said “clockwise.” The speaker repeated his questions, throwing the mic to the crowd then back to the student and so on, but both still had opposing answers despite convicted deliveries.

“This,” the speaker said, “is what happens in most arguments in social media.”

He asked the student to turn his back on the audience and to continue swirling. Finally, the audience and the student agreed on the same answer.

“Only when we start seeing things the way other people see it do we agree on things,” the speaker said.

More of the same interactive exercise comprised that pilot “Digital Discernment” workshop from Globe Telecom, Facebook and the Department of Education (DepEd). It was the fourth module of Globe’s Digital Thumbprint (DTP) program geared to promote responsible digital citizenship among teachers and students in public and private schools across the country.

There are more than 60 million Internet users in the country as of end 2017, and 52.2 million of which— or roughly half of the country’s population—are mobile Internet users who spend about 3.36 hours online daily. Data from a Philippine National Police (PNP) report revealed that half of Internet users are adolescents aged 17 years old and below.

According to the inaugural 2018 DQ Global Impact Report of the DQ Institute, an international think tank formed in association with the World Economic Forum, 56 percent of kids age 8 to 12 years old worldwide who go online are exposed to a variety of cyber risks. The same report tallied that in the Philippines, 73 percent of children in the same age bracket are exposed to cyber risks, such as cyber bullying, video-game addiction, online grooming, online sexual behavior and digital misinformation. That mark is the second highest in the study among 29 countries.

“From an early age, our children are able to access social media through personal mobile phones,” said Dr. Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute. “Before they start actively engaging in social media or owning their mobile phone, we need to empower our children with digital citizenship skills to mitigate cyber risks and maximize the opportunity of technology.”

Globe Telecom launched the DTP in 2016 with three initial workshop modules. First was “Digital Insight” (for Grades 7 to 10 students), where participants were taught to help discern proper online behavior. Another was “Digital Impact” (also for Grade 7 to 10 students), wherein issues on technology’s impact on students’ social activities were tackled.

Last, “Digital Ambition” (for Grades 11 to 12 students) sought to equip students with skills on how to use technology to help them achieve their life goals.

The most recent module, Digital Discernment, carries topics that teach online users how to think critically online, and effectively identify credible information from questionable information.

“Because of the changing times, we decided to create a fourth module,” said Miguel Bermundo, Globe citizenship and advocacy marketing division manager and the workshop’s speaker. “We want online users to intelligently decipher what is factual, what is an opinion and what is outright false, or what is intended to be false news. From there, it’s for them to appreciate and respect other perspectives and points of view.”

In terms of implementation, Bermundo explained that they have professional facilitators, and more than a thousand volunteers who they train along with Globe employees to readily conduct the workshops in

GLOBE President and CEO Ernest Cu (center) with Globe Senior Vice President Nikko Acosta (from left), DQ representative Galvin Ngo, Facebook Head of Community Affairs in Asia Pacific Clair Deevy and DepEd Undersecretary Tonisito M.C. Umali

case a school requests so. They also teach trainers and facilitators from the DepEd. Tonisito M.C. Umali, DepEd undersecretary for Legislative Affairs, External Partnerships and School Sports, underscored the internet’s “very large role” in the lives of the youth and students, saying that it seems impossible to restrain them from internet usage. “What we can do about this is to teach them how to use it properly,” he said. “It is our department’s responsibility to educate them to wisely use the Internet because this is exactly how we produce individuals who are responsible and critical enough to know the perfect time and way to consult the Internet. This is how we raise well-informed and insightful citizens.”

Clair Deevy, Facebook head of community affairs in Asia-Pacific, agreed, and said that digital literacy is critical to building informed and meaningful communities. “Working with partners like Globe, we hope to give people in the Philippines the skills and resources they need to help contribute to a positive online experience.”

The workshop coincided with this year’s observance of “Safer Internet Day.” Aside from Bermudo’s exercises that included the comparison of perception toward digital information to optical illusions, Facebook also reminded the students that false news on their platforms can be reported. They said there are three types of false news: malicious items, click baits and overly dramatic headlines.

Spotting these, they added, can be done through several steps, including being critical of headlines, looking closely at URLs, investigating the source, watching for unusual formatting, considering the photos, inspecting dates and verifying evidence by cross-checking with other reports from more established news sources.

At present, DTP has reached more than 17,000 public and private high-school students in the country, with more than 1,800 facilitators. The latest impact assessment done by the Karrikins Group showed that 94.4 percent of the participants found the DTP relevant, while 93.7 percent said it helped them build confidence in their online activities. Teachers also said their students displayed a high level of engagement in the sessions.

“Collaborating with Facebook and the DepEd to enhance our DTP is important to make sure we are putting in the right intervention to address responsible usage of the Internet,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe senior vice president for corporate communications. “By the first quarter of this year, we will determine the social impact of this program to students from Grade 7 to 12.”

■ For schools and other organizations that would like to avail themselves and schedule facilitation of the free workshops, e-mail bridgecom@globe.com.ph. Workshops also include a trainers’ program to equip aspiring facilitators to hold the workshops independently.

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, February 10, 2018 A12

HELO life-sensing technology, the next evolution for wearables?

THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

I

KNOW a lot of fitness buffs and have met many health advocates who have really committed themselves to help promote healthier lifestyles, but it’s not every day that you encounter someone who refers to herself as a health warrior—just as you don’t usually come across a piece of tech that claims to be years ahead of the current smart wearables, even more advanced than the Apple Watch.

I know it probably means the same but just sounds a little more feisty. But to be sure, I “googled” what health warrior exactly meant but the results kept redirecting me to a food company and the benefits of chia seeds. So instead I researched on “HELO,” a device unlike any other wearable that’s available in the traditional market space.

Joy Chua, the local distributor of HELO, said she has been a health warrior most of her life, and is constantly looking for products that could help improve our health and give people some peace of mind.

That’s how she came across HELO. HELO stands for HEalth and Lifestyle Oracle. It’s not a smartwatch (it has no screen and doesn’t show time), nor is it just a fitband. Instead, it’s a Life-Sensing Technology, or where technology meets wellness.

It’s a health band that you don’t just wear occasionally or just when you need it, because it can improve your lifestyle and health by offering a more comprehensive kind of personal monitoring.

Unlike ordinary wristbands, HELO is not limited to monitoring and reporting physical data. HELO has active sensors recording emotions, fatigue, sleep quality, exercise, blood pressure, heart rate and ECG, and add-ons such as Germanium that can directly benefit the human body. It is also the only device that can do noninvasive blood sugar monitoring, and this will be available in a few months through the HELO App Store, further increasing the potential of the HELO. Another feature worth mentioning is its built-in GPS with a panic button that can send out an alert signal, as well as the wearer’s location, in case they are in trouble.

When the first HELO was released in 2016, it created shockwaves in the wearable technology market. The HELO LX is the second iteration of the product and the newly designed model includes several powerful upgrades under the hood.

The HELO looks more like a bracelet instead of a watch, since the model shown to us had no screen.

All the information can be accessed through an app you have to install on your smartphone. It’s powered by a rechargeable battery that can last for a couple of days and comes with a proprietary charging cable, not microUSB or USB C. So, how does it work? According to its web site, HELO works using photoplethysmography (PPG).

Wait, photoplethyswhat? It’s a bit complicated so I’m quoting how it is explained on the product’s web site: “At the center of HELO LX technology is the App Lite Biosensor by Toshiba. The HELO LX uses PPG, which is a unique optical technique used to detect volumetric changes in blood in peripheral circulation.

“HELO uses LEDs to emit both green light and infrared light from the HELO LX into the body and then monitors the reflected light using optical sensors. It then uses computer-based pulse wave analysis techniques to detect volumetric changes in blood in peripheral circulation.

“The PPG creates waveforms that are comprised of a pulsating ‘AC’ physiological waveform in sync with changes in the blood volume with each

THE HELO LX wristband featuring the “life-sensing technology.”

heartbeat. This then is superimposed on a slowly varying ‘DC’ baseline with various lower frequency components attributed to respiration, sympathetic nervous system activity and thermoregulation.

Then using computer-based pulse wave analysis techniques, the data is processed and reported to you on your smartphone as figures that are easily recognized and understood.”

On paper, HELO looks really promising, especially since it is the only wearable I know that can monitor your blood pressure, heart rate ECG, blood sugar and even your mood.

Unfortunately, we were not able to try the HELO LX to experience just how it works, but initial reviews have been positive, and local doctors, they say, have been very receptive to using the readings and data from HELO for their patient records.

If you are interested to know more about HELO, visit healthwarrior.worldgn.com or contact Joy Chua at 0917-7928858.

GETTING RID OF GADGET RADIATION REMEMBER how our moms used to scold us for using our cell phones for far too long, and that it was going to give us headaches? Turns out she might have a point after all.

Have you heard about electrosmog?

Electrosmog is the invisible electromagnetic radiation resulting from the use of both wireless technology and main electricity. The most common sources of wireless electrosmog are cordless phones, cordless baby alarms, mobile/cellular phone masts/towers/transmitters, cellular phones and even Wi-Fi devices. Electrosmog is responsible for a condition known as electrosensitivity (ES) or electrohypersensitivity (EHS), and the symptoms include headaches, disruptive sleep patterns, chronic fatigue, depression, hypersensitivity and erratic blood pressure, skin complaints and even behavioral patterns in children.

To minimize the effect of electrosmog, there’s a product called BioZen that can protect you against mobile radiation. It’s like a sticker that you can just attach at the back of your mobile device to reduce magnetic field gradients, defend against changes in your blood profile, and lower your body’s stress levels.

EARN POINTS BY PAYING YOUR BILLS NO one’s ever excited about paying their bills, and maybe that’s why companies have been trying lots of ways to make it more convenient, if not accessible.

YOU can check your health details, mood and so on.

PLDT, on the other hand, gives you a bit more incentive and rewards you for being a loyal and paying customer as it introduced the Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Rewards Program.

“Our customers are our most valuable partners and they deserve nothing less than an innovative and unparalleled rewards program,” PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said at the launch held earlier this week at the Makati Shangri-La. “MVP Rewards is in a category of its own. We’ve taken what is best across industries and put it in one powerful program that offers more than just rewards.

And the PLDT Group has the unique ability to provide this level of convergence owing to the breadth of our combined services,” he stressed.

MVP Rewards is a product of the strategic collaboration of PLDT, Smart and Voyager Innovations through its digital financial services arm, PayMaya Philippines, and its digital marketing arm, Hatch.

Customers are rewarded by paying their monthly bills on time and in full, or whenever they load their prepaid accounts. Earned points are as good as cash and have no expiration date, so customers have the freedom to choose when and where to use their rewards.

Points earned are consolidated in a single rewards wallet, which comes with a virtual card powered by PayMaya. MVP Rewards members simply need to download the PayMaya app and activate their virtual card. Members can also get their own MVP Rewards physical card, which they can link to their wallet and use to swipe or dip at point-of-sale terminals anywhere here and abroad.

Members also enjoy special deals and privileges at various establishments nationwide just by showing their virtual or physical MVP Rewards card. Each month, customers are part of a members-only raffle where they can win bill rebates on so many everyday expenses. Rebates won are also credited directly to their rewards wallet.

Customers of PLDT Home, Smart, TNT and Sun can enroll their accounts via www.mvprewards.ph and conveniently link it to just one rewards wallet.

VALENTINE’S DAY AMONG THE STARS IT’S the Valentine season and everyone is getting in the romantic mood with candlelights, flowers, candy, and every shade of red and pink. But instead of spending the weekend of hearts under the stars, why not spend it among them?

On February 10, the stars will come down from the heavens and land straight at the Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair Love Notes Celebrity Bazaar: A Valentine’s Day Celebration.

Head over to the Greenfield District Central Park and get to spend the day with Megan Young, Troy Montero, Ara Mina, Aubrey Miles, Phoemela Baranda, Katarina Rodriguez, CJ Jaravata, Mikael Daez, Brent Javier, John James Uy, Dennise Oca, Janna Tee and many others, and find the perfect gift at their respective booths.

The event will be hosted by Mellow 94.7 radio jocks, and will feature original Pilipino music bands like About Radio and Bleu Rascals. There will also be giant board games and prizes to be raffled off.

“We’ve always believed that love does not discriminate. There’s something in store for everyone here. Greenfield District’s Sunset Fair Love Notes promises to be a truly memorable affair,” Atty. Duane A.X Santos said, executive vice president and general manager of Greenfield Development Corp.

NETFLIX TOP 10 MOST BINGE-ABLE SERIES THIS love month of February, Netflix wants to help you remember your first. Think back to the moment you realized you just can’t stop watching...what show was it? Where were you? How long did it take for you to finish an entire season? And if you say it took you less than a week to meet your first, you’re not alone: it only took an average of five days for Pinoys to start their first binge!

For most Filipinos, the love for Eleven and the gang is still going strong because Stranger Things is the most popular show that people binged on first. We also couldn’t wait to finish shows like 13 Reasons Why, Narcos and Riverdale. Pinoys are also falling for stories filled with exciting action and shocking plot twists, like Santa Clarita Diet, Marvel’s Iron Fist, Shooter and How to Get Away with Murder. Meanwhile, the badass ladies (and gents) from Orange Is The New Black and Breaking Bad round out the top 10.

Now you can stream or revisit your old favorites on the go with Netflix’s download feature. All you need to do is click the download button on the details page of the show, and you can watch your favorites anytime and anywhere, even without an Internet connection. Oh, and if you are looking for your next binge, might I suggest the dark and strangely romantic The End of the F***ing World. It’s just 20 minutes each episode, so you can easily watch it on your way to or from the office. ■