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House okays bill expanding PCIC coverage to shield farmers from impacts of climate change

Blackphoenix1980 | Dreamstime.com

Reinventing crop insurance in PHL

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

ilipino farmers need not fear a total loss of their resources after every calamity once the proposal of Rep. Arthur C. Yap of the Third District of Bohol becomes a law.

House Bill (HB) 6923, which calls for an overhaul of the cropinsurance system of the Philippines by allowing it to provide index-based direct insurance and reinsurance policies, has been approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives. Yap noted that the Philippines needs a law strengthening the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.

(PCIC), because the country’s farm sector is constantly under threat of climate change. The PCIC’s coverage, he said, should be expanded to allow it to engage in index-based insurance and reinsurance. “There’s a lot of effort on infrastructure spending, on technology, on farm-to-market roads, but without agricultural financing, it

would be very difficult to sustain the growth of Philippine agriculture,” Yap stressed. Index-based insurance is an innovative and technically sound approach to manage risks, especially for poor and highly vulnerable farmers in the Philippine rural countryside, Yap said. “Unlike traditional crop insurance, in which indemnity payments

are linked to individual farmer yields and losses, index insurance links payments to independently established data, such as local rainfall, wind speed, temperature, typhoons, cyclones and historical yield data as trigger events to release payments and compensation to affected farmers and fisherfolk.” But while the bill has hurdled Continued on A2

Naia Terminal 2 to become domestic hub of PAL, Cebu Pacific ven before House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez’s rant at a congressional hearing on Wednesday on the sorry state of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), the keeper of the Philippines’s main gateway has already initiated a program to fix the airport’s mess. Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) General Manager Eddie V. Monreal, for one, told the BusinessMirror that they are embarking on a P600-million renovation of the Naia Terminal 2. This is meant “to enlarge it and

accommodate PAL [Philippine Airlines] and Cebu Pacific, purely for domestic operations.” “The Naia 2 and Naia 4 [Manila Domestic Airport] would be for purely domestic flights, while Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 would

PESO exchange rates n US 52.0240

be purely for international flights,” Monreal stressed. He said the face-lift is scheduled for completion in 18 months from the awarding of contract. “We’re in the process of procurement; there is no definite date yet,” Monreal said, adding that the fund would be sourced from Miaa’s purse. Alvarez was apparently not aware of this, as he threatened to sue Monreal and other airport officials for graft should they fail to take “appropriate steps” to decongest passenger and air traffic in Manila’s airport within 45 days. “They have to comply, otherwise we will file graft cases against them for failure to do their job in protecting the welfare of the public,” Alvarez told the BusinessMirror.

ALYSA SALEN

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By Recto Mercene

Continued on A2

n japan 0.4866 n UK 72.9272 n HK 6.6508 n CHINA 8.2057 n singapore 39.5921 n australia 41.2550 n EU 64.8479 n SAUDI arabia 13.8727

Source: BSP (February 15, 2018 )

NewsSunday BusinessMirror

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Reinventing crop insurance in PHL Continued from A1

the House, it has no counterpart measure yet in the Senate. According to Yap, HB 6923 will set up weather index-based parameters on winds, water and sunlight. “The ability to pay out cash early, at different stages of an unfolding calamity, without having to wait for a wipeout, is what will give our farmers and our vulnerable poor the chance to save what they can and prevent more losses and damages,” Yap said, adding, “millions of farmers are just exposed to the ravages of climate change.” “With no real and expansive agricultural, property or life-insurance protection, farmers just watch helplessly, as the weather comes to take away the sweat and tears of investments that farmers have planted,” he added. The lawmaker said many global companies “want to do this in the Philippines. In fact, in Africa, in Mexico, in India and in Vietnam—they are implementing it.” Yap explained that the measure is aimed at mandating the PCIC and encouraging private insurance companies to offer indexbased insurance as one of their products. He cited the practice in Africa, where “payouts are what prevents farmers from selling their livestock and moving to cities.” “By purchasing risk-insurance, nations can now shift disaster risk and associated economic, social and medical costs away from LGUs [local government units] and governments to the global capital market. In a case like this, the government can instead focus on disaster preparedness and a system for saving lives and distributing aid and payouts in times of calamities and disasters,” Yap noted. The former secretary of the Department of Agriculture also said the move is a clear signal to the private sector and capital markets that the Philippines is serious in helping Filipino farmers, as well as secure food production in the country. “This move will clearly signal to the private sector and capital markets that the Philippines is serious about this program to help our farmers, and secure food production in our country. We must also do a good job to promote a buy-in into this project with the government, primarily the DA, the DAR [Department of Agrarian Reform], DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and DOST-Pagasa [Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration], legislators, LGU heads, farm stakeholders, co-

RICE fields, with the famed Chocolate Hills in the background, in the town of Carmen, Bohol. Clicktrick | Dreamstime.com

operatives and mainstream finance entities,” he said. Yap added that in India, millions of farmers are insured, not only for crop wipeouts, but also for crop damages throughout the planting season. “This happens when changes in the weather and water tables are beached. It triggers payments to farmers so they have enough time to act right away to save their farm investments,” he said. He added that farmers need not wait for the wipeout of their crops to get paid. In Mexico LGUs are taking out index-based insurance for their constituents. In Africa the African Risk Capacity, which has for its members African countries, is using sovereign funds to insure 160 million African farmers against weather-borne and related diseases, as well as damage due to drought, flooding and cyclones,

Yap added. “Last March 2017 the African Risk Capacity and the African Development Bank partnered exactly for this purpose: To help strengthen African countries in planning and implementing timely and targeted responses to natural disasters, thereby reducing the risk of loss and damage caused by extreme weather disturbances. What was once a program for just five countries will now be ramped up to include the whole of Africa. This is indeed stunning and a welcome news,” Yap said. The bill also seeks to expand the types of agricultural crops that can be insured by the PCIC, and to include life and accident insurance to farmers and fishermen and their dependents. It also aims to strengthen the financial and organizational capacity of the PCIC, while encouraging private insurance companies to of-

fer crop insurance. The measure said the type of crops that can be insured aside from rice include corn, high-value commercial crops, livestock, aquaculture and fishery, agro forestry and forest plantations. It also requires farmers obtaining production loans for rice and other crops essential to food security to insure their crops with the PCIC. The bill also authorizes the PCIC to extend life and accident insurance coverage for farmers and fishermen. It mandates the PCIC to insure properties and facilities of the government used in agri-fishery projects, including reinsurance coverage to agri-fishery-forestry properties underwritten by private and government insurance companies. Under the bill, the PCIC shall offer weather index-based insur-

ance, specifically for excessive or insufficient rainfall. The measure also authorizes the PCIC to offer crop reinsurance to encourage private commercial banks to sell crop insurance. Meanwhile, the measure also increases the authorized capital stock of PCIC from P2 billion to P10 billion. It also increases the penalties against persons who institute spurious crop-insurance claims or allow others to do so. Yap said for the few farmers who actually understand and take out insurance coverage for their crops, the mode and indemnitybased system of agricultural crop insurance is dismally outdated. He added the indemnitybased insurance system that may work for other accidents is woefully wanting when applied to the agricultural setting, and that the amount of payouts, which is less

than 15 percent of total damages in the sector, speaks volumes of the inadequacy of agri-based insurance system in the Philippines today.

Commitment

In 2000 Yap said the Philippines signed its commitment to join the United Nations efforts at achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals. Among its 17 avowed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to meet head-on and reduce significantly hunger and poverty, and ensure healthy lives and promote the well-being of its citizens, he said. “In a sector gravely reeling from the impact of underinvestment in rural infrastructure, it is heartening to note that the government is set on spending significantly more on domestic infrastructure in the urban and rural settings,” Yap said.

Naia Terminal 2 to become domestic hub of PAL, Cebu Pacific Continued from A1

When asked to comment, Monreal said: “The face-lift is a separate issue from the 45-day deadline.” PAL top honcho Jaime J. Bautista welcomes the announcement of Miaa to make Terminals 2 and 4 as domestic hubs. However, there seems to be confusion on the order of Alvarez for PAL and Cebu Pacific to relocate excess flights to Clark in 45 days. “If I understand it correctly, [the directive] is to convert the Naia 2 into all-domestic flights. If we cannot be accommodated there, then we transfer to Clark,” Bautista said during the demonstration flight of A350-1000, the latest model in the Airbus family of twoaisle airplanes. A fuming Alvarez directed Miaa to put its operations in order within 45 days and transfer excess local flights to Clark International Airport. He even berated Cebu Pacific

President Lance Gokongwei for suggesting 100 days to transfer to Clark during the hearing of the Committee on Transportation that the Speaker heads. When the BusinessMirror asked Bautista if PAL would be able to obey the 45-day deadline, he said: “I think they will study it very carefully. That’s what they said. It’s difficult to say.” He noted that PAL has already transferred some of its domestic operations to Clark last year. He said they were told that once completed, Terminal 2 would be able to accommodate 12 million passengers annually. “Our international flights will transfer to T3 [Terminal 3] and T1 if we follow their [Miaa] plan. To us it’s more favorable operating only in two terminals.” Bautista said PAL is the only airline that operates in three terminals: T1 for Middle East and arrival from the United States, T2 for domestic and international, and T3

for domestic. “You know the cost of operations is much, much higher compared with the other airlines because airplanes move from one terminal to another.” “As a result, PAL is not able to maximize utilization of our aircraft. To move one airplane from one terminal to another takes about one hour from T1 to T2, so instead of flying, our airplanes are parked then towed.” Bautista endorsed the A3501000 as a better version of the A350-900, six of which PAL expects to be delivered this year. Asked if PAL would buy A3501000, which can seat 370 passengers against the 295 that A350900 can seat, he said it is possible. “The six on order cannot be replaced because four are already in the production line, but the remaining two could be converted into the A350-1000. But we need six, so maybe additional order of six more A350-1000,” he added,

saying that PAL has six more additional options that it can exercise in 2019. He said Airbus imposed no deadline on when to deliver the six more options, but added, “probably for the 2020 delivery.” Airbus invited 70 airline executives, Department of Transportation (DOTr) officials and members of the media for an hourlong demonstration. The take-off at the Naia was a spine-tingling 45-degree angle, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent engines. The front fan is just less than 10 feet across (9.8) and sucks in up to 1.3 tons of air every second at take-off.

Here are the stats:

• High-pressure turbine blades inside the engine rotate at 12,500 rpm, with their tips reaching 1,200 mph—twice the speed of sound. • At take-off each of the engine’s 68 high-pressure turbine

blades generates around 900 horsepower per blade—similar to a Formula One racing car. • At full power, air leaves the nozzle at the back of the engine traveling at almost 1,000 mph The plane took the passengers from Manila to Pangasinan, back to Lubang island before touching down at the Naia at 12:30 p.m. The touchdown was noticeable with a loud thump but immediately cushioned by the two pairs of six landing gears on each side, compared to the two pairs of four landing gears on the A350-900. “The Rolls-Royce engines are so large you could fit the fuselage of the Supersonic Concorde inside it,” said Akila Hamadas, communications manager for Asia Pacific. She said in the next 20 years, almost 35,000 aircraft would be sold all over the world and 45 percent of them would be going to the Asia-Pacific region. Aside from its roominess, the new plane’s wings are designed to

be flexible, adjusting to the atmospheric condition, contributing to less bounciness in any kind of weather. The manufacturer called this “biomimicry,” imitating a bird’s wings, not a straightaway, rigid piece of metal sticking out of the fuselage, but gracefully sweeping back wings that end on upturned wingtips, “which is like a bird, that gives maximum lift and minimum drag.” The cabin configuration seats nine abreast in business class, premium economy and economy” Aside from PAL, which has a fleet of 70 from Airbus alone, leading budget carrier Cebu Pacific “has placed a firm order for 80 aircraft, including a recent order of seven A321ceo,” Airbus said. Cebu Pacific is currently operating 39 A320 family aircraft and eight A330 for long-haul flights to the Middle East. AirAsia Philippines currently operates 17 A320s.

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Abe nominates Kuroda for another term at BOJ

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rime Minister Shinzo Abe nominated Haruhiko Kuroda to lead the Bank of Japan (BOJ) for another five-year term, with the Cabinet forwarding the nomination to parliament on Friday. Central bank insider Masayoshi Amamiya and university professor Masazumi Wakatabe were tapped to be deputy governors. The appointments—among the worst-kept secrets in Japan—provide stability for the world’s third-largest economy and mean aggressive monetary stimulus will stay in place for now. Kuroda also offers global continuity in a year of transition for other central banks, with Jerome Powell newly installed at the helm of the Federal Reserve and People’s Bank of China chief Zhou Xiaochuan thought likely to step down. “The choices point to continuity in policy, with an implicit message that Japan will do what it takes to ref late the economy, even as other major central banks start to withdraw stimulus,” Bloomberg Economics’ Yuki M a suji m a w rote. Ku rod a and executive director Amamiya have worked closely together in crafting the current policy framework, and Wakatabe is a committed ref lationist who has written books on policy with other advocates of stimulus, such as Koichi Hamada. Former BOJ board member Takahide Kiuchi noted a similarity between the three nominees and the current leadership trio. “You have Governor Kuroda, a deputy governor who’s a BOJ insider, and another who is a reflationist academic,” said Kiuchi, whose term ended last year. “In financial markets, there may be some thinking that Wakatabe will be able to influence the direction of monetary policy toward more easing, but I think the chance of that is low.” Kuroda declined to comment to reporters after the nominations were announced. Masujima said the early nominations—Kuroda’s term doesn’t end until April—suggest Abe is signaling a determination to counter a recent surge in the yen. “The move could work as a sort of stealth intervention in the super-volatile FX market, countering yen strength to keep inflation on track to a still-distant 2-percent target,” he said. The yen has gained about 6 percent this year, making it one of the strongest performers among major currencies. It appreciated to 105.81 versus the dollar as of 1:10 p.m. in Tokyo. The BOJ’s next policy meeting is on March 8 and

9. Kuroda’s new term starts on April 9. The two deputies will take up their duties on March 20, after Hiroshi Nakaso and Kikuo Iwata step down. The new leadership will begin deliberating policy at the April 26 and 27 gathering. Of 43 economists surveyed by Bloomberg last month, none projected change in March, two expected policy tightening in April. Eighteen forecast tightening sometime later in the year, while 21 see it coming in 2019 or later. Still, Kuroda has a habit of surprising investors. He did so by introducing a massive stimulus plan at his very first meeting in April 2013, then with an acceleration of asset purchases in October 2014, the introduction of a negative rate in January 2016, and again with the adoption of yieldcurve control. While Kuroda, 73, has repeatedly said it’s vital to continue current “powerful” stimulus with yield-curve control, the policy is likely to evolve as conditions change. Abe’s picks are subject to confirmation by upper and lower houses at parliament, where his ruling coalition holds a majority. Wakatabe, 53, said last December that changing Japan’s expansionary monetary policy now would be premature. He’s also indicated that additional stimulus could be needed to overcome the negative impact of a sales-tax hike planned for 2019. Amamiya, 62, brings almost four decades of experience inside the BOJ to the deputy role. Flexibility has been a hallmark of his approach, having served under governors with starkly different approaches to policy. Some economists have said Kuroda’s age is a concern. He would be 78 and the longestserving governor in BOJ’s 135year history if he serves the full term through April 2023. Even as the economy enjoys its longest stretch of uninterrupted growth in 28 years, challenges are mounting. Japan’s inflation rate remains far from the BOJ’s target, while a stronger yen threatens export competitiveness and weakens the inflationary impact of import costs. Wage gains are tepid. With the Federal Reserve already well into a rate-hike cycle and the European Central Bank moving closer to tapering, Kuroda will face more pressure to unveil his plans for how to eventually wind back stimulus and shrink the BOJ’s balance sheet, which has swollen to almost the same size as Japan’s ¥549-trillion ($5.2-trillion) economy. Bloomberg News

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Gun sales are down, so why did gun stocks just go up?

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hares of firearms companies rose on Thursday morning after a gun-fueled massacre at a Florida high school left 17 dead and 14 injured. At first, gun stocks reacted in their usual macabre fashion, climbing on expectations of a feardriven surge in firearms purchases. But after jumping 4.3 percent in early trading, American Outdoor Brands Corp., formerly known as Smith & Wesson, was up only 1.6 percent by the afternoon. Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc. erased early gains. Even more surprising was the rally in the debt of Remington Outdoor Co., the company that earlier this week said it plans to file for bankruptcy. The bonds jumped 7 cents on the dollar on Wednesday, their largest-ever intraday gain, and continued to rise on Thursday. There hasn’t been any significant new gun-control regulation since President Barack Obama’s 2016 executive order regarding background checks. Now, with Republicans in control of Congress and the White House, there’s little chance of any new laws until 2021, at the earliest.

So why was Wall Street’s initial reaction to buy? Muscle memory, in part. “A knee-jerk reaction,” said Kevin Cassidy, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, who

rates Remington two steps above default. “Investors are thinking this could be the turning point, but from a consumer perspective, they won’t be going out and buying more guns. Once things calm down, investors will see that the threat of increased regulation is not there, then you’ll see a closer correlation between fundamentals and prices.” Since the 2016 election, gun stocks have largely sold off. American Outdoor has lost 62 percent of its value, Vista Outdoor Inc. is

A knee-jerk reaction. Investors are thinking this could be the turning point, but from a consumer perspective, they won’t be going out and buying more guns. Once things calm down, investors will see that the threat of increased regulation is not there, then you’ll see a closer correlation between fundamentals and prices.”—Cassidy

down by half, Sturm Ruger is off 23 percent. Background check data, a barometer for gun sales, also shows a decline in purchases. Last month’s background check numbers were the lowest for any January since 2012. Retailers simply aren’t ordering firearms products as they used to. In some cases, they have too many on hand. “Everyone thought Hillary was going to win. These retailers and distributors stocked up on the product before the election. They were really expecting a dramatic surge,” said Rommel Dionisio, a managing director of equity research at Aegis Capital who focuses on publicly traded firearms companies. “The scenario didn’t materialize, so after the election, they’re stuck with excess inventory. They’ve been trying to work down that inventory, bring them down to normal levels, and in the meantime not ordering from manufacturing.” Dionisio added that an additional factor may have contributed to this morning’s rally: Vista Outdoor Inc., which owns a variety of firearms manufacturers, reported earnings February 8 that beat expectations, sending its shares soaring 14 percent since. Bloomberg News

Polluters’ EPA penalty burden is lightened under Trump era

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he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has collected roughly half as much in civ il penalties from polluters during President Donald J. Trump’s first year in the W hite House than it did under the past three presidents in the same time frame, according to research released on Thursday. The assessment by the nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) also found that Trump’s EPA settled roughly 44 percent fewer civil cases involving violations of environmental laws. Penalties collected totaled 49 percent of the average of the three previous presidents’ first year in office. Eric Schaeffer, head of the Environmental Integrity Project and a former director of the EPA’s Office of Civil Enforcement, said the declines send the wrong signal to would-be polluters, coming amid cuts in agency staffing that may reduce the agency’s ability to pursue violators. “President Trump’s dismantling of the EPA means violators are less likely to be caught, making illegal pollution cheaper,” Schaeffer said. According to his organization’s analysis, the Trump administration lodged consent decrees for 48

civil cases involving environmental violations and collected $30 million in penalties from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2018. That compares with 71 cases and $71 million under President Barack Obama, 112 cases and $50 million under President George W. Bush and 73 cases and $55 million under President Bill Clinton. The decline in cases comes on top of a backlog of violations of air, water and other environmental laws that haven’t yet led to civil claims or settlements, including many from facilities in the Rust Belt, where voters helped elect Trump, Schaeffer said. “These are the very people President Trump said he would help, and they are the ones getting hit the hardest,” Schaeffer said. Vigorous enforcement of environmental laws is important to deter potential polluters, said Judith Enck, a former administrator of EPA’s region 2, which encompasses New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. “If you don’t have strong enforcement, it’s unfair to the many companies that invest the time and training to comply with our nation’s environmental laws,” Enck said in a call with reporters on Thursday. “It’s no longer a level playing field if penalties

are not assessed or they are so small that they are just viewed in corporate boardrooms as the cost of doing business.” Environmental enforcement trends can vary over time. Because cases take years to develop, the bulk of the EPA’s caseload during Trump’s first year in office would derive from violations and enforcement actions started under Obama—and the numbers now may reflect a steady decline in federal inspections and evaluations since fiscal year 2012. According to EPA data released last week, the agency initiated more than 1,900 and concluded nearly 2,000 civil judicial and administrative cases in fiscal 2017, reflecting a downward trend that goes back at least nine years. The EIP analysis also did not include criminal environmental cases, matters involving toxic Superfund sites and administrative actions that EPA uses to resolve smaller violations. In a news statement, EPA Spokesman Liz Bowman said the agency “works with state partners on enforcement oversight.” “Results of the agency’s enforcement work are reliant upon work that takes place over multiple years,” Bowman said. “We appreciate enforcement staff ’s

continuous and consistent hard work to ensure compliance of environmental laws and hold people accountable if the violate the law.” And EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has vowed to get tough on corporations violating environmental laws, telling Bloomberg News in an interview last October that “we’re going to do enforcement—to go after bad actors and go after polluters.” T he cost of pollution control steps that defendants have agreed to in settlements with the Tr ump administration is also down by comparison to the first year of the Obama and Bush administrations, according to the assessment. The value of that relief can swing dramatically depending on the timing of big settlements. And critics say at least some of those settlement estimates have been inflated, citing an October settlement with Ex xon Mobil Corp. in which the oil company agreed to pay $300 million to resolve air-pollution violations tied to eight chemical plants in Texas and Louisiana. But that $300-million estimate includes money the company has spent since 2011 to comply with permit requirements—well before the case concluded. Bloomberg News

Trader charged with stealing $2 million in cryptocurrencies

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An Intel Corp. heat sink and fan (HSF) for a central processing unit (CPU) sit inside a “mining rig” computer, used to mine the Electroneum cryptocurrency, in Budapest, Hungary, on January 31. Cryptocurrencies are not living up to their comparisons with gold as a store of value, tumbling on Mondayas an equities sell-off in Asia extended the biggest rout in global stocks in two years. Akos Stiller/Bloomberg

C h i ca g o t r a d e r wo r k i n g f o r Consolidated Trading Llc. faces charges he stole $2 million in cryptocurrencies from his firm to cover his losses and then lied about it to cover gambling debts. Joseph Kim, 24, was charged with one count of wire fraud on Thursday in the first criminal prosecution involving the cr yptocurrenc y trading industr y to be brought by John Lausch, the US attorney for Chicago. Kim is scheduled to appear in federal cour t in Chicago on Friday. Consolidated formed a cryptocurrency group last September to engage in currency trading and that same month moved Kim to the unit. Kim had worked as an assistant bond trader for the Chicagobased company, according to the criminal complaint. Kim’s crime appears to have

started within weeks of his transfer to the new division, according to the US. Kim told a superior that he held personal cryptocurrency accounts and was ordered to cease all personal trading outside of his work to avoid a conflict of interest, prosecutors said. He agreed to do so, the US said.

Digital wallet

Nonetheless, on a weekend just after joining the unit, Kim transferred about 980 Litecoins valued at $48,000 from a Consolidated account to an account that wasn’t affiliated with the company, the US said. Days later, a supervisor discovered the Litecoin transfer and questioned Kim, who claimed that he’d moved the funds to his “personal digital wallet for safety reasons.” Kim claimed it was intended to serve as “an intermediary holding

space” to avoid issues he claimed to be having with the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, located in Hong Kong. When super visors questioned Kim about the transfers, Kim repeatedly claimed he sent the Litecoin to a Consolidated wallet where he said they were being securely held, according to the US. Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched currency-exchange records and determined the Litecoin were never transferred into a Consolidated wallet. In a second instance last November, a supervisor noticed that Kim transferred about 55 Bitcoins valued at about $433,000 from a company account into an unrecognized account. Kim claimed the transfer of the Bitcoin had been “blocked” and he had taken steps to unblock them. The supervisor understood that to

mean the Bitcoins would be returned to Consolidated’s account.

Margin calls

While Kim later transferred 27 Bitcoins back into Consolidated’s account last November 20, 28 Bitcoins remained missing into the weekend of November 25, according to the US. Prosecutors allege Kim had actually stolen the Bitcoin, secretly transferring about 284 Bitcoins worth about $2.8 million from Consolidated’s account to a personal wallet he controlled. Records show that Kim later transferred about 102 of those Bitcoin— worth more than $1 million—back into a Consolidated account during the same period. He also transferred the remaining 182 Bitcoins from a wallet he controlled, losing a portion by personally trading. Bloomberg News

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US Senate rejects immigration plans, leaving fate of ‘Dreamers’ uncertain

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Displays showing social-media posts are seen during a House Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on November 1, 2017. The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee berated lawyers today for social-media giants Facebook, Twitter and Google for a lethargic response to Russian interference in US politics, as the companies' lawyers faced a second day of grilling in Congress. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Facebook, Google could face tighter rules on political ads

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acebook Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and other online platforms would face stricter rules for political advertising, according to a proposed framework that will be considered by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). The proposal, written by Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat and vice chairman of the commission, would require online advertisements to carry the same disclaimers from their sponsors as do radio, television and print ads. The commission will consider the framework, known as a notice of proposed rulemaking, at its next public hearing on March 8. T he move comes as tech compa n ies face g row i ng sc r ut i ny i n Wa sh i ng ton ra ng i ng f rom concer ns about m a rket dom i n a nce to concer ns t h at on l i ne pl at for ms a re u sed for se x t ra f f ic k i ng of c h i ld ren.

Congress has been examining how Russians used social-media platforms to inf luence the 2016 election, and bipartisan bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate that would require companies li ke Facebook and Google to d isc lose i n for m at ion about s pon sors of politica l ads on t heir sites, i nc lud i ng how muc h t he y ’re spend ing and what aud iences t he ads are focusing on. T hough the FEC proposa l, which was shared by Weintraub, would apply to campaigns, political parties and other organizations that try to influence federal

elections, tech companies could also be affected. They might have to adapt their platforms to accommodate the kind of disclaimers the FEC envisions. In 2011 Facebook asked the FEC for an exemption from disclaimer rules because its ads used a “sponsored” tag that did not identify the sponsor, and did not necessarily link back to the sponsor’s web site. The election commission deadlocked on granting an exemption. In the wake of revelations that Facebook, Google and other online sites were used by Russians in 2015 and 2016 to influence Americans on hot button social and political issues, the FEC reopened the rulemaking process to require more disclosure for online ads. The draft rule would require text and graphic ads to include the name of a sponsor “in letters of sufficient size to be clearly readable.” Political ads on streaming music services or Internet radio stations would have to include oral disclaimers, while candidates buying online video and audio ads would have to state their

Jihadists close Mali schools as revolt vs state intensifies

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hen Isl a m ist m i l itants came to his village school and threatened to kill the teachers if they didn’t leave, Moussa Diallo wasn’t surprised. “They’d already been to nearby villages,” Diallo, a 33-year-old teacher, said in the central Malian town of Sevare, where he has lived since the gunmen’s visit. “They said they don’t want French schools anymore. They want Koranic schools.” Almost 400 schools have closed in central Mali since Islamist militants expanded their area of operation from the desert north, where they settled in the aftermath of a 2012 insurgency, toward the more densely populated regions of Segou and Mopti. Scores of soldiers and United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in ambushes in an area that has a population of 6 million. Today, there are more attacks in the Mopti and Segou regions than in the five northern regions combined. While it’s been five years since a French military intervention quashed the revolt in northern Mali that was fueled by the collapse of the government in Libya, the increasing number of attacks in central regions highlight the instability of the West African nation. The campaign of violence and intimidation hasn’t only spread to neighboring countries; it’s gaining support locally from those who feel marginalized by a government they perceive as ineffective.

Murders, kidnappings

“Central Mali is now a priority,” said the governor of Mopti, SidiAlassaneToure. “There’s been some hesitation in the past because all eyes were on the north. We’ve lost ground and the terrorists have had time to settle.”

Mali’s government has been struggling to assert its authority since it was elected in 2013, as the insecurity keeps officials from returning to their posts. Murders and kidnappings of state representatives increased last year, according to the UN, citing an ambush targeting the president of the nation’s High Court and the abduction of the head of a smaller court. Less than a third of publicworker posts in Mali’s northern and central regions were filled as of late last year, the UN said. That’s left a vacuum militants exploit by establishing Islamic courts and collecting taxes, according to analysts and government officials. One of the most influential homegrown militant groups in the Mopti region is the Macina Liberation Front (MLF). Dominated by the Fulani, the biggest ethnic group in central Mali, it merged with three other organizations last year to form the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims, an affiliate of al-Qaeda.

Local grievances

The MLF is tapping into grievances among the Fulani, who typically herd cattle, that are rooted in disputes over access to land and the way the state has historically handled intercommunal conflicts, said Amadou Degueni, director of education for the Mopti region. The Fulani feel particularly stigmatized, but there are many others with grudges against the state, he said. “What we’re seeing is a revolt against the authorities,” Degueni said. “These are people who feel they never derived any benefit from the state. It’s different from the north, where it was about independence. This is a protest against the system.”

Militants organize prayer sessions in small villages and tell people to stop paying taxes to the government, said Fatou DiengThiam, who heads the UN mission’s office in Mopti. “Then they threaten every symbol of the state: teachers, administrative officers, mayors.” The government says it can only enable officials to return by increasing its military presence, which it plans to do this year. There are already more than 13,000 UN peacekeepers in the country, and a West African military force will be stationed near its borders. Mi l ita r y operat ions a ren’t enough to pull Mali from the “deepening quagmire,” according to Corinne Dufka, West Africa associate director of Human Rights Watch. Many villagers have welcomed the presence of the Islamist groups because they see them as a benevolent alternative to a state they associate with abuse, Dufka said in a report on the group’s web site.

Koranic schools

Improved governance and investments that benefit local economies are also touted by authorities as part of a plan to restore stability. During a visit to Mopti last week, Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga said he’ll consider integrating Koranic schools into the national education system. Presidential elections are scheduled for July. Such changes are needed if Mali’s government wants to restore its credibility, said Degueni. “In the past, a judge would come to a village and simply do as he pleased. That has to change. We need a state that’s more empathetic.” Bloomberg News

names and add, “And I approve of this message.” The notice, which will require the support of Republican commissioners to be adopted, also tries to anticipate how developing technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, should be regulated. The last time the FEC issued a ruling on Internet advertising was in 2006, the year after YouTube was founded. That ruling required individuals and committees buying online political ads to disclose the spending. The disclaimer provision applied to “paid Internet advertising placed on another person’s web site,” like banner ads, but exempted other forms of Internet communications. The six-member commission, which enforces election laws, can include no more than three members from one party. Currently there are three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent, Steven Walther, whose last day is Friday, which will create two vacancies. FEC rules will require four votes to adopt or propose rules. Bloomberg News

A S H I N G T O N —T h e Senate summar i ly blocked three measures on Thursday, including one backed by President Donald J. Trump, to resolve the fate of the “Dreamers,” leaving hundreds of thousands of them facing an uncertain future. As senators struck down measure after measure, a week that began with the promise of a rare open, free-ranging debate on the issue crashed headlong into the same divisions that have prevented Congress from fixing the nation’s immigration system for decades. The lack of consensus left in question whether any solution on the Dreamers can be reached. In a rebuke to the president, senators voted overwhelmingly, 39-60, against the White Housebacked bill, which would have committed $25 billion for a wall along the border with Mexico, placed strict limits on legal immigration, ended the diversity visa lottery and offered 1.8 million Dreamers an eventual path to citizenship. Senators were 21 votes short of the 60 required to open debate, and the rejection of the president’s plan was bipartisan: Democrats refused its get-tough approach to legal immigration, while many conservative Republicans derided it as amnesty. Before the vote on Trump’s plan, senators rejected two bipartisan measures, including one written by Sens. John McCain, Republican-Arizona, and Chris Coons, Democrat-Delaware, and another drafted by a broad bipartisan group of centrists calling themselves the Common Sense Coalition. The votes were a stark reminder that Congress remains paralyzed by the immigration issue. Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush both tried to overhaul the system, but were stymied by lawmakers frozen into inaction, in part because of powerful interests on both sides. What will happen now is unclear.

An estimated 690,000 young immigrants living in the country illegally have been protected from deportation by an Obama-era program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or Daca. Another 1.1 million would be eligible. But Trump has rescinded the program, which offers temporary, renewable work permits. It expires on March 5. The White House had worked vigorously to oppose the centrist bill, which the Department of Homeland Security labeled “a mass amnesty for over 10 million illegal aliens.” Senators of both parties said afterward that the Trump administration was instrumental in its defeat. “I don’t think the president helped very much, but the bottom line is the demagogues won again on the left and the right,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, RepublicanSouth Carolina, a key sponsor of the Senate measure. S ome D re a me r s , m a ny of whom have known no country other than the United States, are hopeful that the judicial system will protect them. Two federal courts have issued injunctions ordering the Trump administration to keep Daca in place for those receiving its protections, but the Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to intervene and overturn lower court rulings. Thursday’s votes came after Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican-Kentuck y, the major it y leader, had set aside this week for senators to try to write a bill from scratch. Some senators said it was possible that lawmakers would attach an immigration bill to a catchall spending measure that must pass by March 23, when funding for the federal government expires. Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said he did not envision McConnell allowing more time for lawmakers to debate the issue. New York Times News Service

Party rift widens in Australia govt amid sex-scandal fallout A

ustralia’s coalition government is in danger of fracturing over the fallout from Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce’s extramarital affair with a former staffer. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has lambasted Joyce over the affair that ended his 24-year marriage and accused him of making a “shocking error of judgment.” Joyce, 50, who leads the junior party in the coalition, hit back on Friday saying the criticism was “inept” and “unnecessary.” “This breakdown in the relationship puts Australia in uncharted waters—it’s not just about these two men but the fates of their parties,” said Martin Drum, a senior political lecturer at Notre Dame University in Perth. A breakdown in the coalition agreement and the government was “very unlikely” but couldn’t be ruled out, he said. “At the least, this public fighting has completely derailed any momentum Turnbull was looking for.” The war of words between Australia’s two most senior lawmakers risks undermining the LiberalNational coalition, which already trails in opinion polls ahead of elections due by next year. While

Turnbull’s Liberals are the dominant force in the partnership, the party relies on support from Joyce’s rural-based Nationals to govern. The saga has played out on the front pages of Australia’s newspapers for days, with Joyce confirming that his now partner Vikki Campion is pregnant with his child. The revelations have damaged father-of-four Joyce’s credibility as a family man and he’s also facing claims he allowed Campion to work in his and another ministerial office during the affair—potentially breaching the ministerial code of conduct. In a break with tradition, Turnbull on Thursday told parliament that Joyce wouldn’t serve as acting prime minister when he visits Washington next week for talks with President Donald J. Trump and would instead be taking leave to consider his position. He later heaped criticism on Joyce, saying the affair had caused “terrible hurt and humiliation” to his family and new partner. The prime minister also announced an overhaul of the ministerial code and barred senior lawmakers from sexual relations with their staff.

This breakdown in the relationship puts Australia in uncharted waters—it’s not just about these two men but the fates of their parties.”—Drum

Joyce returned fire on Friday, saying the comments had “caused further harm” and signaled he’d resist any attempts to force his resignation as Nationals leader. Only a vote of his own lawmakers could oust Joyce and none of them have publicly asked for his resignation. “There is nothing that we dislike more than implied intervention into the party processes of the National Party,” Joyce said on Friday. “We are an independent unit and make our own decisions.” Bill Shorten, the main opposition Labor Party leader, said the public squabbling showed the government was in disarray and challenged Turnbull to fire his deputy. The deputy prime minister position is traditionally given to the Nationals leader under long-standing arrangements between the parties. “This is an absolutely full-blown political crisis,” Shorten said. “If the No. 2 in the government says the No. 1 in the government is inept, we’ve got a big problem.” The spat risks returning Australia to political turmoil that voters had hoped was behind them. The nation has churned through six prime ministers since 2007, amid infighting in both the Liberals and Labor. “The Liberal-National relationship has been very close and very successful, because it’s enabled conservative factions to form governments,” Notre Dame University’s Drum said. “It’s more likely than not that Joyce will eventually have to resign because his moral authority looks gone. But the damage done to Turnbull’s government from this issue could be irreversible.” Bloomberg News

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Sunday, February 18, 2018

A5

‘BECOMING KAREEM’

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will embark on a crosscountry tour as part of “Becoming Kareem,” a stage show in which he’ll discuss his life, answer audience questions and talk about the key mentors he says helped him achieve his goals.

By John Rogers

The Associated Press

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EWPORT BEACH, California— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been a best-selling author, civil-rights activist, actor, historian and one of the greatest basketball players who ever lived. One thing Abdul-Jabbar has never been— at least not in public—is chatty. “I’m not known for being a blabbermouth, you know?” the soft-spoken Abdul-Jabbar concedes with a smile, something else he was never particularly known for during his playing days. But, he adds, still smiling, his public can expect to see that change—and soon. This fall, Abdul-Jabbar will embark on a cross-country tour as part of “Becoming Kareem,” a stage show in which he’ll discuss his life, answer audience questions and talk about the key mentors he says helped him achieve his goals. Among them: civil-rights heroes Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, his legendary college coach and lifelong friend John Wooden and fellow superstar athletes Muhammad Ali and Wilt Chamberlain. The tour was inspired by the 2017 bestseller Becoming Kareem, a memoir of his years from childhood to age 24. Inspirational, poignant, funny and occasionally heartbreaking, it recounts the coming of age of a bright and hardworking but painfully introverted kid, one who was always the tallest in class. And although he didn’t realize it until looking closely at a class photo taken in the third grade, he was often the only black kid in class, a circumstance that in later years would expose him to repeated episodes of ugly racism, no matter his fame or success, that would leave deep emotional scars that

ONE thing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has never been—at least not in public—is chatty. AP

sometimes took decades to heal. So he kept his game face on, both on and off the court, and persevered through setbacks and successes. “I did the book because I thought that the process that I went through could be very useful for young people right now,” Abdul-Jabbar told The Associated Press

during a wide-ranging interview this week at the offices of the Skyhook Foundation, the charitable nonprofit he created several years ago to provide educational opportunities for elementary-school children, the same group he targeted his book for. After its publication, sports broadcaster Roy Firestone, a longtime

friend, suggested he share those experiences directly with live audiences, telling him his words would not only resonate with young people today but provide a chance for Abdul-Jabbar to clear up some lingering misconceptions dating to his playing days. The clipped, seemingly curt answers he often gave during postgame interviews, for example, frequently came across not as shy but as surly, especially coming from someone who stood an intimidatingly tall 7 feet, 2 inches. “And that was very unfortunate,” AbdulJabbar says softly now. “I think it kept me from a head coaching job and commercials and stuff because people wanted to assume the worst.” Not that he hasn’t had a storied life and career before and after basketball. Abdul-Jabbar played on six National Basketball Association championship teams, was an assistant coach for two others, won a record six most valuable player awards and is the leading scorer in NBA history with 38,387 points, a mark that’s never been seriously challenged in the 29 years since he retired. He’s written more than a dozen books, ranging from children’s adventure novels to histories of prominent African-Americans to crime novels featuring the adventures of none other than Mycroft Holmes, older brother of Sherlock. “I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes from when I was a kid,” he recalls, adding with a robust laugh that, until high school, he actually believed the master detective was a real person. Learning he was Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation, he concluded the author gave short shrift to Mycroft and set out to fix that a few years ago. His second Holmes book came out last year, and he’s working on another. “That and this tour will hopefully keep me

NASCAR searching

pretty busy,” he said as he sat in a chair in his spacious office. It’s an office filled with memorabilia commemorating not only his basketball career but his African-American roots and his work as a civil-rights advocate. Sitting near NAACP Image Awards are dozens of basketballs, many autographed by members of the Showtimeera Los Angeles Lakers teams he helped lead to five championships in the 1980s. On the walls are posters of him launching his signature skyhook shot over the likes of Charles Barkley and guarding Bill Walton. The sounds of jazz, the beloved soundtrack of Abdul-Jabbar’s life, play softly through the office until he silences them to talk. (His father, Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, whose name he shared before changing his in his early 20s upon his conversion to Islam, was not only a New York City police officer but a talented jazz musician.) If not as shy as he once was, Abdul-Jabbar is still somewhat guarded in conversation, although he can be playfully funny, as well. Yes, he confirms with a grin, it’s true that, after President Donald J. Trump sent him a name-calling note for criticizing Trump, he crumpled it into a ball and skyhooked it into a wastebasket. Although he suffered from leukemia that’s now in remission and underwent quadruple bypass surgery three years ago, Abdul-Jabbar looks little different than he did during his playing days, appearing trim and athletic in Tommy Hilfiger jeans and an open-necked shirt. “Well, you know, seeing how there is no alternative—I’ll take it,” he says of turning 70 last year. “But I don’t know about that ‘life begins at 40’ stuff. What happened at 40 is I started getting old. “There is something wrong with that scenario,” he adds, laughing again.

Rosauro gets chance to introduce Yaw-Yan on international stage

for more female drivers A D

UNIVERSITY of Santo Tomas’s Milena Alessandrini could miss the rest of the first round because of a recurring shoulder injury.

CLASH OF UNBEATEN TEAMS

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E LA SALLE and National University (NU) part ways in what could be a preview of the Finals of Season 80 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball action today at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. Only one team will remain undefeated after the 4 p.m. clash between the early leaders who are unscathed in three matches. Adamson University (2-1), meanwhile, shoots for its third straight win against a bounce back-seeking University of Santo Tomas (UST) (1-2) at 2 p.m. But bad news for UST, Head Coach Kungfu Reyes might rest Milena Alessandrini for the rest of the first round because of a recurring shoulder injury. He could also miss libero Rica Rivera, who hurt her knee in the first set of their 25-16, 22-25, 22-25, 23-25 setback to Ateneo last week. Thus, Reyes will be leaning on Cherry Rondina, Dimdim Pacres and Carla Sandoval when they face the Lady Falcons. The De La Salle-NU match could go down into a chess battle between longtime Lady Spikers Head Coach Ramil de Jesus and

first-time NU women’s mentor Babes Castillo, one of the most successful coaches in the highschool division. “I don’t want to say this is a preview of the Finals because it’s too early to say that,” said de Jesus, whose wards beat UST, University of the Philippines and Far Eastern University. “For me, NU is the most complete team in the UAAP with the same core from last year, plus a new system under a new coach.” “I think they are the most successful because 10 championships crowns is not a joke. ‘Hats off to coach Ramil. I saw how resilient his system is,” Castillo said, adding that they will employ the same strategy they used in beating Adamson University, Ateneo and University of the East. “We’re just here to challenge it.” The matchup between Most Valuable Player Majoy Baron of De La Salle and the NU star she beat for the award last season, Jaja Santiago, will also be an interesting sidebar in today’s match. In men’s play, NU (2-1) takes on De La Salle (1-2) at 8 a.m., while UST (2-1) battles Adamson University (1-2) at 10 a.m. Lance Agcaoili

AYTONA BEACH, Florida—Danica Patrick and Natalie Decker shared a hug and a little chitchat as they crossed paths at Daytona International Speedway last week. They wished each other luck in their respective races during the brief exchange. Decker probably could have tossed in a hearty “thank you.” Although Patrick’s Nascar success never matched the attention she received for standing out in a male-dominated sport, her six-year stint in the Cup Series seemingly set the groundwork for other women to follow. “There’s so many younger girls that are fast—they’re like 10 years old, 12 years old—and they’re racing everything and anything,” said the 19-year-old Decker, who started on the pole and finished fifth in the ARCA Series season opener at Daytona. “Dirt cars, go-karts, full-size cars already. They’re coming up and they’re going to be here faster than you know it.” Probably not fast enough to avoid having an all-male Cup lineup in 2019. But several female drivers believe Patrick will end up playing as prominent a role in Nascar history as trailblazers Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson. “Let’s face it: Racing has been a man’s sport for many, many years, and there’s been very few women that have ever made it to the top level,” said 43-year-old Leilani Munter, a part-time driver in the Arca Series since 2010. “Of those, very few girls have actually had an opportunity to run full time. To get a win, you need to be out there on a regular basis. For me, the biggest challenge has always been finding sponsorship.” That’s the case for every driver, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity. A lack of sponsorship ultimately cost Patrick, once among the most marketable drivers in motorsports, her ride at StewartHaas Racing last season. Patrick, 35, is making her final Nascar start at the Daytona 500 and will end her racing career altogether after returning to IndyCar and competing in the Indianapolis 500 in May. “I think Danica being out there definitely

has planted the seed in a lot of little girls across the country that are now thinking about becoming the next female Nascar driver,” Munter said. “There’s going to be a lot more women coming into the sport.” It might take some time. There are no women in the second-tier Xfinity Series this season, and 44-year-old Jennifer Jo Cobb is the only woman racing full time in the Truck Series. Patrick’s legacy might be better measured years from now, long after people stop debating whether she even belonged in the Cup Series. “There’s no doubt that she brought more eyes on Nascar and continues to bring more eyes on Nascar from maybe the typical stereotype, which is good,” said 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, who credited Patrick for “clawing her way” to the top. “But then on the flip side, when you look at it from just a pure ‘Who’s the best racer in the world that doesn’t have a Cup ride that wants to have a Cup ride,’ those are the people that you hope kind of get

Natalie Decker: There are so many younger girls that are fast—they’re like 10 years old, 12 years old—and they’re racing everything and anything. AP

the empty seats. “I think there’s an argument to be made that they’re not getting those seats at the expense of people like Danica getting those seats. And that’s not necessarily healthy.... It seems like there’s not a lot of people that can see both sides. I know that, but I think it’s important to see both sides.” AP

FTER years of strutting his wares in the local ranks, Filipino martial artist Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro finally gets his long-awaited break into the international scene as he is set to make his promotional debut in ONE Championship on February 23. Rosauro is slated to square off with Chinese prospect Li Kai Wen in a three-round featherweight bout on the undercard of ONE: Quest For Gold, which takes place at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. The 29-year-old native of Cebu stepped in as a replacement for compatriot Rodian Menchavez, who was forced to withdraw from his clash with Li at the aforementioned event due to an injury. Rosauro is the fifth Cebuano to showcase his skills on Asia’s premier martial arts stage, following in the footsteps of Cary Bullos, Vaughn Donayre, Eugene Toquero and Jimmy Yabo. “I was shocked, but I’m very happy because this is what I have been dreaming of, to reach this level,” he said. “I have waited for this opportunity for so long. This is a dream come true for me to compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages. I will fight not only for myself but also for the pride of my country.” Holding a professional record of 4-1, Rosauro is a practitioner of the Filipino martial arts discipline Yaw-Yan, which was derived from the last two syllables of Sayaw ng Kamatayan, meaning “Dance of Death.” Yaw-Yan is a Filipino style of kickboxing, which was developed by the late grandmaster Napoleon “Nap” Fernandez to specifically suit the smaller Filipino body frame.

Faith

Sunday Bishop to faithful: F Fight indifference

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

A6 Sunday, February 18, 2018

Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto, the children of Fatima By Corazon Damo-Santiago

A

n official of the Catholic Church called on the faithful on Ash Wednesday to fight indifference to extrajudicial killings and corruption and even the bad mouthing of government officials, labeling it as a sin of omission.

Celebrating Mass to usher the beginning of Lent, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said “grave sin” is also committed when people turn away from the needs of others or when they grow indignant at evil but do nothing about it. “One of our biggest sin of omission is our neglect of our nation. We refuse to be vigilant,” Pabillo said in his homily at the Manila archdiocese’s chapel in Intramuros. “It seems that it is okay for us that there are still corrupt officials out there, that there are several killings, that there are people uttering foul words. We do not say anything and just allow it to continue,” he said. T he prelate said the season of Lent offers an oppor tunit y for Christians to ref lect and repent on their sins, particularly their failure to exercise their socia l responsibilities. “We have a social responsibility, which if we fail to do, is a grave sin. So let us open our minds and hearts during this time of repentance,” Pabillo said. But the bishop said concern for other people and the society goes beyond the Lenten season. “We hope the period of repentance will not just last for one or two weeks, or while we are observing the Lenten season only,” he added. Ash Wednesday is a day when the Catholic faithful receive ashes on their foreheads, which begins the 40-day period of fasting and repentance for Christians before the Holy Week and Easter.

Meaning of ‘ash’

A priest in the Archdiocese of

Palo urged churchgoers in Leyte to reflect on the real meaning of “ash.” “ASH stands for alms giving, sacrifices and holiness that each Catholic must practice during the Lenten season,” Santo Niño Parish Priest Fr. Rommel Taboso said in a homily. He emphasized the need for the Catholic communit y to ref lect on the real meaning of the ashes that mark the faithf u l ’s foreheads at the star t of the 40 -day liturg ica l season. The parish priest also noted that fasting may simply mean “to minimize using unnecessary things in our lives.” The Santo Niño Church has launched a one-month calendar of acts of charity that encourages parishioners to observe the season of Lent more meaningfully through good deeds to God, family, friends, strangers and to oneself. Hundreds of Catholic devotees in Leyte, particularly in Tacloban City, flocked to various churches to attend Mass and to have their foreheads marked with ash, braving heavy rains brought by Tropical Depression Basyang.

Not an extracurricular activity

“It will be Lent again, there will be a lot of people going to confession

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass at Manila archdiocese’s chapel in Intramuros on February 14. ERIC PAUL GUANLAO/RCAM-AOC

again. How many will actually confess, ‘I threw trash just any where I please’? Do we even look at that act as something against our faith?” asked Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, DD, during his keynote message for the Ecclesiastical Province of Manila’s Laudato Si conference held at the De La Salle University early this month. Speaking before more than 1,000 delegates from the suffragan dioceses of Manila, the prelate focused on a Laudato Si’s theme, “the interconnectedness of all.” “Sometimes we see our behavior, our actions that affect ecology as something not linked to our faith, that it’s not linked to our discipleship—our following of Christ. It’s as if ecological concern is an extracurricular activity,” he said. The Caritas Internationalis president explained that when Laudato Si speaks of the interconnectedness of all created things, it pertains to “the worth of every creature,” and means that “the foundational source of all connectedness is our faith vision.” “If we go to the Book of Genesis, interpreted by Laudato Si, leading

One of our biggest sin of omission is our neglect of our nation. We refuse to be vigilant.” —Pabillo

to the New Testament, everything is related to one another,” he said, “What are our fundamental relationships? Our relationship with God, our relationship with people—other people, our relationship with the Earth—the world of creation and—I want to add—our relationship with ourselves.” He suggested how the faithful should start repenting of the habit of buying unnecessary things they want to have simply for bragging rights. He said this is the reason “why Laudato Si invites specially Christians to recover this interconnectedness of relationships.”

Relationship with God, relationship with others

According to the prelate, the relationship with God cannot be separated from one’s relationship with others. “My relationship with God and other people is connected to my relationship with the Earth. And my relationship with them also determines the way I relate to myself,” Tagle noted. This all-encompassing relationship with God, he said, is the reason for caring for creation. “So this relationship with God is important. I am not the owner and so I humbly take care of God’s creation knowing that I have been created with intelligence, with responsibility, with self-knowledge so that I could be a trustworthy caretaker, custodian or steward…,” he added. CBCPNews

Bishop declares nun’s recovery as 70th Lourdes miracle

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ARIS—A French bishop declared last Sunday that the recovery a longdebilitated nun made after she visited the shrine in Lourdes was a miracle, the 70th event to be recognized as an act of divine intervention at the world-famous Catholic pilgrimage site. Beauvais Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonin proclaimed the miracle nearly a decade after Bernadette Moriau attended a blessing of the sick ceremony at the Lourdes sanctuary in southern France. The bishop of Lourdes, Nicolas Brouwet announced the declaration during Mass at the shrine’s basilica. The shrine in southern France where apparitions of Mary, Jesus’ mother, appeared 160 years ago to a 14-year-old girl is considered a site of miraculous cures. Water running from a spring in the sanctuary’s Grotto of the Apparitions is purported to have curative powers and millions of pilgrims visit the sanctuary every year. M o r i a u’s e x p e r i e n c e u n d e r we n t ex tensive studies and tests by the International Medical Committee of Lourdes. The bishop has the last word on whether to approve a reported cure as a miracle.

Pilgrims queue to visit the grotto at Lourdes, southwestern France, on September 12, 2008. A French bishop on February 11 declared as a miracle the cure of a Roman Catholic nun who was an invalid for nearly four decades and recovered after making a pilgrimage to Lourdes. AP/Bob Edme

Moriau had four operations on her spinal column between 1968 and 1975 and was declared fully disabled in 1980. One foot was permanently t wisted, requiring her to wear a brace and use a wheelchair. She took what she said were

significant doses of morphine for pain. “I never asked for a miracle,” the nun, now 79, recounted of her July 2008 pilgrimage to Lourdes. After returning to her home convent near Beauvais and praying in the chapel, “I

felt a [surge of] well-being throughout my body, a relaxation, warmth....zI returned to my room and, there, a voice told me to ‘take off your braces,’” she said in a video posted on the Beauvais diocese web site. “Surprise. I could move.” Moriau said she immediately did away with all her aids, from braces to morphine— and took a 5-kilometer hike a few days later. The bishop said the nun’s “sudden, instantaneous, complete and durable change” alerted him to a possible miracle. The Lourdes medical committee said the changes were unexplainable “in the current state of our scientific knowledge,” he added. A miracle at Lourdes last was declared in 2013. It involved an Italian woman who visited Lourdes in 1989, suffering severe high blood pressure and other problems. Not all declared miracles pass through Lourdes. A French nun, Marie Simon-Pierre, was declared cured of her Parkinson’s disease after praying to the late Pope John Paul II, who suffered from the same neuro-degenerative disorder. That helped fast-track the pope’s canonization as one of the two miracles needed for him to become Saint John Paul II in 2014. AP

rancisco and his younger sister, Jacinta, with their cousin, Lucia de Jesus dos Santos, have wa lked on holy grounds at Cova da Iria, saw and spoke with the Angel of Peace thrice in the fields of Casa Velha, spoke several times with the Blessed Mother on the holm tree at Cova da Iria and witnessed the miracle of the sun at Fatima. But it is the vision of hell that Our Lady showed them on July 13, 1917, that left a great resolve for them to live a life pleasing to God. Of this experienced grace, Lucia said: “ The two things that sanctified her cousins Jacinta and Francisco were the vision of Hell and the sadness of Our Lady.” The two de Jesus Marto children were canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, the First Centennial of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. Francisco, with a streak of truancy, preferred to pray to Jesus in the Tabernacle and console the Lord and His Mother. When asked what he desires to be when he grows up, he would answer, “I do not want to be anything. I want to die and go to heaven.” So affected by the apparitions, he nurtured a fervent desire to console the Lord. If missing, he would be found praying behind a rock. Francisco would climb trees to gather acorns, pine cones, collect roots and blackberries for lunch, because Lucia, Jacinta and he shared the food packed for them to the poor. Talks about the apparitions displeased Arthur Oliveira Santos, a mason and chief magistrate of the county of Qurem to which Fatima belongs. The three children were ordered to testify that the apparitions were not true. The children refused despite threats of imprisonment and death by boiling oil. Spending August 13 in prison, they knelt and prayed. The other prisoners joined them. Lucia told them to offer their heroic sanctity for love of Jesus or conversion of sinners. They consoled each other and prayed the offering prayer the Lady taught them: “O my Jesus, it is for love of thee, for the conversion and reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary and for the Holy Father, I offer this sacrifice to thee.” Born on June 11, 1908, Francisco was only 9 years old then, but had a lready vowed to pray as many rosar ies and console Jesus, as wel l. Jacinta was born on March 11, 1910. Affectionate with a sweet singing voice, she is a dancer, too. When her brother Francisco would play the flute, she would dance with gusto. Like many children in the village, she could not read and write. Lively, hopeful and vivacious she could also be a “little vain and slightly temperamental.” On Aug ust 19, freed from imprisonment in Qurem, the three children found a rough cord, cut it into three as a belt which they would wear around their waist day and night for the conversion of sinners. W hen Jacinta tried it, she cried, because it hurt her so much. W hen Lucia told her not to wear it, Jacinta replied, “No, I want to wear it. I want to offer this sacrifice for the conversion of sinners.” Like her brother and cousin, sleep was elusive that night for Jacinta. For the love for the Blessed Mother and salvation of souls, they suffered in silence that on September 13, Our Lady told them: “God is pleased with your sacrifices but do not wear the cord at night because that is too difficult for you.”

Jacinta and Francisco Marto, two of the three children whom the Virgin Mary revealed her famous “three secrets” in Fátima, Portugal. Wikimedia Commons

Heroic death

Both Saints Francisco and Jacinta died in 1919 and 1920, respectively, of the influenza epidemic that struck Europe. Francisco’s last visit to Cova was in January 1919. His condition became worse that he could not even pray the rosary on April 1. The next day he had his confession and communion in bed. It was his first and last communion. But he managed to ask the priest: “When will you bring me the hidden Jesus again?” At night, he called his mother and remarked: “Look at that lovely light by the door. Now I can’t see it anymore.” At 10 in the morning of April 4, 1919, his face lit up, he smiled and died. He was 10 years old. Our Lady appeared to Jacinta and told her to pray generously for the conversion of sinners. The Blessed Mother revealed she would be sent to two hospitals, not get cured but suffer more and in the second hospital, she would die without her mother at her bedside. Jacinta was deeply moved for she loved her mother very much but accepted the revelation whole heartedly. She was moved to another hospital because she developed pleurisy, or inflammation of tissues in the chest and lungs, causing the removal of two of her ribs. Hav ing a hear t cond it ion, she cou ld not be f u l ly anesthetized that she had to endure excr uciating pain and conscious du r i ng t he su rger y. But she never complained. The doctor heard her say: “Now Jesus you can save many souls because I suffer very much.” On February 19 she requested for the hospital chaplain to hear her confession, give her communion and administer extreme unction because she will die the next day. Although the priest commented her condition is not serious, she died on the night of February 20, 1920, at the age of 9, and alone. In 1920 the law that would not allow any church bells to be rung in Lisbon was still reinforced. All bell towers in Libon were then locked. But the bells in the church of the Angels where Jacinta’s body was brought rang by themselves. In 1935, when Jacinta’s body was exhumed, it was incorrupt. She was buried in quicklime to avoid the spread of influenza. Quicklime would speed up decomposition, but her body did not decay. In 1952, when Francisco’s body was exhumed, people were surprised to see the rosary embedded in his fingers. Francisco certainly “kept his promise to say as many rosaries as Our Lady wanted.” The two saints were beatified on May 3, 2000, by Pope John Paul II and canonized by Pope Francis on May 13, 2017, the First Centennial of the Apparition of Our Lady of Fatima. Their feast day is February 20. Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, February 18, 2018 A7

Isabela’s dancing scarecrows…and more

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By Bernard L Supetran

ubbed the “Queen Province of the North,” Isabela is regarded as the country’s agriculture powerhouse being the biggest producer of corn, the second-largest producer of rice and a host of other major crops. Sandwiched by the Sierra Madre and Cordillera mountain ranges, it boasts of vast fertile plantations as far as your eyes can see.

In the middle of these sprawling farms are the ubiquitous scarecrows or straw human effigies, the old-fashioned figures used to keep birds away from feasting on the crops to ensure a bumper harvest. So, when Isabela decided to throw a party to celebrate its bountiful yield, it can be no other than a tribute to its unlikely hero, which has been quietly helping them since for ages—the scarecrow, known locally as “bambanti.” Thus, in 1997, the provincial government under then-Gov. Benjamin Dy formally introduced the Bambanti Festival to pay tribute to the farm icon through a colorful and well-choreographed parade of contingents from the towns mimicking the animated dance of the scarecrow if he is to come to life. But what makes this festivity unique is the massive parade of some 1,000 dancers around the Isabela Sports Complex in a spectacular multimedia production putting the spotlight on the role of the tell-tale bambanti. A fusion of synchronized dance, and an opera- and ballet-type musical purposely-written for the event, the show could be easily compared to an opening number to the Olympic Games. Coupled with cartoon animation, techno-pop music, and capped by a pyrotechnics display makes the show a cut above the rest, enough to make it a perennial winner in the

Cauayan street-dance contingent

municipality of Ramon

Bambanti from Burgos

Naguilian Agri Booth

Queen Isabela Park Lagoon

Aliwan Fiesta competitions. Held originally in May to coincide with the provincial founding day, it was moved to the fourth week of January a few years back to time it with the harvest season. Adding spice to the festival is the agri-ecotourism exhibit at the Bambanti Village at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in Ilagan City, which showcased a giant scarecrow, tourist spots, farm produce, handicraft, native delicacies, processed food and souvenir items from Isabela’s various towns and cities. The municipalities of Naguilian and Burgos topped the agri-ecotourism booth and giant bambanti

contest, besting some 30 entries. A make-shift purpose-built theme park, which overlooks the recreational lagoon of Queen Isabela Park, the Village was abuzz with food samplings, shopping galore and the Makan ken Mainum Culinary Competition, where the locals brought their best food forward, dominated by goat meat, which is an Isabelino staple. Another interesting fringe event of the weeklong fest is the choral competition, which pitted the various vocal groups in a grand auditory feast featuring the best musical instrument—the human voice. After the dust of the tightly fought contests has settled, the

City of Cauayan emerged overall winners in the festivity with their Gawagaway-yan Festival, which is based on the city’s humble beginnings as a vast bamboo plantation. But with the feast for the senses the Bambanti offered, every political leader, participant and spectator went home a winner with the great show of unity displayed in the conduct of the festival. According to Gov. Faustino G. Dy III, this year’s fete is special because of the string of awards earned by the province in 2017, most notably the Gawad Kalasag where Isabela was adjudged the Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and

was elevated to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s elite Hall of Fame. He said that the province is also recipient of a wide array of awards from various national government and private bodies recognizing Isabela’s excellence in good governance, cooperative development, agro-industry, business-friendliness, education, entrepreneurship and revenue collection, among others. Dy added that the Bambanti serves as an invitation to explore Isabela’s diverse attractions, which are largely uncharted in the archipelago’s tourism map. With the lush biodiversity of

the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, a 113-kilometer stretch of the Pacific Ocean, and everything in between—Spanish-era churches and ancestral homes, adventure parks, a food bowl which never runs empty and a warm people—Isabela is a tourism frontier worth discovering. And by the way, their official mascot, Bambanti the Scarecrow, will welcome you with open arms. Getting There: The province can be reached by bus or private vehicles via the Cagayan Valley Road, which is part of the Maharlika Highway system. The southern towns can be reached by air via Cauayan, while the southern towns can be accessed via Tuguegarao.

DOT lauds Asean Tourism Standard awardees

Get set for the country’s biggest night run to take place at McKinley West on February 24.

Color Manila’s cm blacklight Run to be held at McKinley West

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he country’s No. 1 fun-run organizer Color Manila, which kick-started 2018 with its successful CM Paradise Run campaign last month, is gearing up for another massive “concept fun run” on February 24, at McKinley West in Taguig City, with CM Blacklight Run, copresented by Brother International Philippines. CM Blacklight Run will be Color Manila’s first night run for 2018, and will be first of a series for this year, which will be held in various cities nationwide. ColorManila vice president Justine Cordero says, “We are happy to be working once again with Brother for the CM Blacklight Run. Night runs are perfect for people who are working and need to cap their week with a bit of a workout, which they can do with their family and friends. It will also be held at McKinley West, so those who

just stay at BGC, Makati, Pasay or other parts of the Metro, can just easily join the event.” Cordero continues, “Participants can choose from three race finishes—3K, 5K and 6.5K; while they have three race categories or kits to choose from—Deluxe, Rockstar and VIP. Deluxe is priced at P950 and includes a drifit shirt, headlamp, race bib, color packet and a finisher’s medal. While the Rockstar Kit, which is priced at P1,500, comes with a dri-fit shirt, headlamp, race bib, color packet, finisher’s medal, drawstring bag and a foldable water bottle. Finally, the VIP Kit is priced at P2,500, comes with a dri-fit shirt, headlamp, race bib, color packet, finisher’s medal, drawstring bag, foldable water bottle, finisher’s pillow, P1,000 worth of CM Merchandise GCs and a VIP Pass. Kids below 7, by the way, get to run for free.”

Awardees include green hotels, MICE venues, clean cities and sustainable tourism models.

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he Department of Tourism (DOT) acknowledged note wor t hy rec ipients of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Tourism Standards Awards in simple rites recently held at the Diamond Hotel in Manila. A prior recognition ceremony during the Asean Tourism Forum in Chiang Mai, Thailand from January 22 to 26, was attended by awardees from other Asean member-states, also nominated by their own respective national tourism offices. In an effort to establish the Asean as a Quality Single Destination, the ten member-states set the Asean Tourism Standards to serve as guidelines for tourism service providers to ensure that they are performing according to international standards. In accordance with the criteria and requirements provided in the

Undersecretary Alma Rita Jimenez underscores infrastructure development and intangible factors that contribute to the destinations’ branding and excellent quality of services.

Director Danilo B. Intong provides an overview of the processes of evaluation for the Asean Tourism Standards Awards.

Asean Tourism Standards Handbook, 11 hotels from around the country successfully met the criteria for the Green Hotel category, which focuses on sustainability. Meanwhile, 11 hotels were also given the Asean Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE) Venue Award. Following the recent launch of the MICE Roadmap 2030, the DOT further

reinforces its goals and mandate to let the country be known across the globe as a preferred venue for businesses and events. Three cities were given the Asean Clean Tourist City award, namely: Davao City, Pasig City and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental for maintaining beautiful, environment-friendly and properly maintained spaces.

The complete list of awardees can be found at: www.facebook.com/ DepartmentofTourism. In her keynote address, DOT Undersecretary Alma Rita D. Jimenez commended the ever-improving services of Philippine hotels, acclaiming them as assets in the country’s growing economy. “Our tourism partners like you are the backbone that make quality visitor experience tangible,” she said. The Asean Sustainable Tourism Award was also given to tour packages for both urban and rural category, namely, “Walk on the Wild Side” and “Palina Greenbelt River Cruise Experience Along the Landscape of Three Coastal Ecosystems Operated by a Fisherfolk Organization,” operated by small and medium enterprises in cooperation with local government units, effectively showcasing natural landscapes in their respective area.

Science

BusinessMirror

A8 Sunday, February 18, 2018

Study of forest vines in Bicol for handicraft materials set

Sunday

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

PHL to harness wave energy for hybrid trimaran vessels

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nergy from ocean waves? Yes, the Philippines will harness energy from ocean to provide energy for hybrid trimaran cargo vessels.

At the same time, the project is expected to improve the country’s maritime industry: It will have a modern design and will be environment-friendly, safe and unsinkable. The P76-million project will be funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). “By 2020 the Philippines will get a glimpse of the finished hybrid trimaran fast craft passenger cargo vessel that harnesses energy from ocean waves,” said the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) of the DOST.

The project, a brainchild of shipyard owner Engr. Jonathan Salvador, will be implemented by the Aklan State University, with the Maritime Industry Authority

(Marina) and Metallica Shipyard as its partners. Marina will ensure that the vessel will be compliant with international safety and emission standards. Having seven years of experience in shipbuilding, Metallica Shipyard will provide the hybrid craft’s design and specifications. The cargo vessel is envisioned to carry 100 passengers, four vans and 15 motorcycles. Steel will be used to build the vessel to ensure higher structure efficiency and better wave resistance. The construction will start this

By 2020 the Philippines will get a glimpse of the finished hybrid trimaran fast craft passenger cargo vessel that harnesses energy from ocean waves.”—PCIEERD

year and will be monitored by the PCIEERD. Wave-energy double-action hydraulic pumps will be integrated in the outriggers of the hybrid craft. The mechanical movements in the pumps will be converted to electrical energy that can be used to provide additional power to the vessel. The more waves that the vessel encounters, the more power will be produced, PCIEERD said. This technology is expected to improve the vessel’s energy efficiency, making it not only costefficient but also environmentfriendly. The vessel will utilize multi-engine technology that will prevent it from encountering total engine failures while at sea, minimizing maritime accidents. It will also be constructed with a specifically engineered design to address the possibility of capsizing, making it practically unsinkable and able to withstand harsh environments at sea, the council added. S&T Media Service

How cockroaches crash into walls and keep going

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Forest vines can be turned into beautiful handicrafts that are in demand locally and abroad.

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andicraft artisans will soon have new sources of raw materials with the research on forest vines in Bicol that kicks off this year. The Department of Science and Technolog y-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI) will undertake the research, titled “Biological Studies of Economically Important Forest Vines in Camarines Sur and Albay Provinces.” The three-year project will be funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development. It w ill determine the volume and location of significant forest v ines in the Bicol region. It w ill also study the factors affecting their natura l g row th and regeneration.

DOST-FPRDI’s Forester Jennifer M. Conda said, “The supply of raw materials for handicraft production cannot rely on natural regeneration. Nursery or plantation establishment is necessary to support the needs of the handicraft industry.” Conda added, “This study will also evaluate the nutritional requirement, preferred environmental condition and appropriate propagation techniques of forest vines.” According to Conda, forest vines are among the least-studied plant groups, despite their promising use as raw materials for handcrafted items. Propagation and use of these materials for handicraft production can be an added source of income for rural and forest dwellers Apple Jean Martin- de Leon/S&T Media Service

nyone who’s tried to kill a cockroach knows that the ancient pests have some world-class evasive maneuvers. Or, at least, they appear to. The agility of cockroaches may owe less to lightning-fast reflexes and fancy footwork than to their tough, shock-absorbent bodies. According to a new study, American cockroaches can run full speed into walls and other obstacles because their exoskeletons allow them to recover quickly with hardly any loss in momentum. “Their bodies are doing the computing, not their brains or complex sensors,” said Kaushik Jayaram, a biologist at Harvard University and lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. The findings—which were further validated by a tiny, cockroachsized robot—could influence the design of the next generation of robots that run, jump and fly. The escape methods of the American cockroach are legendary among scientists. Studies have shown them to be among the world’s fastest insects, reaching speeds of up to 3.4 miles per hour (or about 50 body lengths per second).

American cockroach Wikimedia Commons

They can pivot quickly, scamper across ceilings and disappear into tiny crevices. But they are also known to frequently collide with obstacles. Jayaram wanted to know whether those collisions counted as missteps or were part of a strategy that favored speed over accuracy. To find out, he and a team of researchers focused on one of the insect’s signature moves: the blink-of-an-eye transition from running along a floor to scaling a vertical wall. Using high-speed videography, the researchers recorded

18 male American cockroaches repeatedly running across an acrylic track with only one climbable wall (other walls were coated with petroleum jelly). When they viewed the tapes in slow motion, the researchers were surprised to discover that 80 percent of the time, the insects were simply crashing headfirst into the wall at top speed before making the transition. Other times, they were angling their head upward and using their legs to slow down before reaching the wall. It turns out, the cautious approach wasn’t necessar y. The

roaches that ran headlong into the wall could make the upward shift just as quickly—in about 75 milliseconds—the researchers found. Apparently, the roaches preferred to run full speed knowing their exoskeleton could take the hit. To be sure the roaches were relying on their bodies and not their wits, the researchers ran similar tests with a tiny, cockroach-inspired robot that had no sensors or feedback mechanisms. The results were similar, appearing to confirm Jayaram’s conclusions. The findings could prove helpful to engineers as robots become smaller, softer and lighter, Jayaram believes. “There is an increasing trend to make robots smarter and more capable, so that they can operate effectively indoors or within cluttered natural environments,” he said. If the current study is right, “small robots can be built with simple, robust, smart bodies to safely bump into obstacles instead of using complex and expensive sensing and control systems,” he added. His message to engineers? Just follow the cockroach. New York Times News Service

Searca draws in Taiwan for agri, rural development in Southeast Asia

PHL innovation week kicks off

aiwan officials explored with visiting high-level de legates f rom a Ph i lippine-based Southeast Asian research center possible collaborations in research, graduate education and institutional de ve lopment a nd k nowledge management initiatives. The Taiwan Council of Agriculture (COA) Executive Yuan, National Taiwan University (NTU) and the Taiwan-based Food and Fer ti lizer Technolog y Center (FFTC) discussed with officials from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca), led by Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., areas of common interest and priority concerns that will be the basis for collaborations. Searca’s visit to these major agriculture-focused institutions in Taiwan was on the heels of separate visits of NTU and COA officials to the center in 2017 as they sought to renew ties with Searca in light of the Taiwanese

nnovation is the lifeblood of today’s rapidly changing and globalizing environment. Ideas, both old and new, are being applied at unprecedented rates toward better solutions that meet new requirements and unarticulated needs, or bridge existing market gaps. Innovation is as much a process as an attitude that emphasizes greater efficiency and effectiveness, making its impact even in the most mundane of tasks and things. The week starting on February 19 has been declared Philippine Innovation Week to gear the general public to this new reality. Bannered by the theme, “Innovation for Learning and Development,” this weeklong event is jointly celebrated by the Benita and Catalino Yap Foundation (BCYF), the Department of Science and Technolog y (DOST) and Sycip, Gorres and Velayo. “ I a m ple a se d to s up p or t any initiative t hat high lights

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government’s New Southbound Policy which seeks new regional partners to enhance economic cooperation, talent exchange and resource sharing between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Australasia. COA and NTU are pivoting their expertise and resources to benefit developing countries in the Southeast Asian region in support of the New Southbound Policy. As such, they are looking at Searca as a major partner and a window to the region. Searca is mandated to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development in the Asean countries, plus TimorLeste, through its core programs on graduate education and institutional development, research and knowledge management. On the other hand, COA is the authority in Taiwan on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry and food affairs, while NTU is the most prestigious university in the country with

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen among its alumni. In a planning workshop held early this month, NTU and Searca agreed to support scholarships for MS and PhD in biotechnology tenable at NTU’s Institute of Biotechnology. Moreover, both institutions are interested in jointly developing and offering training course on sustainable ecological environment, bio-fertilizers, plant factories and biotechnology regulations and policy-making, with a view to draw in COA and FFTC into the collaboration. NTU a lso ex pressed interest to join the Searca-initiated Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC). As the consortium secretariat, Searca will facilitate conveying such interest and invitation of NTU as observer in the next UC Executive Board Meeting. In the meantime, NTU will consider possible areas for joint

research with Searca and the UC members. These may be in food and nutrition security and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Searca Director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. (left) presents to Dr. Chung-hsiu Hung, director general for international affairs of Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture Executive Yuan, a copy of the book Searca’s Fifty Years: Pushing the Frontiers of Agricultural and Rural Development at their meeting in Taipei.

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t he impor tance of innovation in dea ling w it h t he cha l lenges and uncer ta inties of t he prese nt , w he re i n c h a n g e i s t he nor m,” Science Secretar y Fortunato T. de la Peñzza sa id. “ T he Philippine Innovation Week dovetails with the DOST ’s advoc ac y tow a rd h a r nessi ng the forces that w ill enable us to use our collective S&T [science and technolog y] talent on the road to national growth and the buildup of our technological capability,” he added. For his par t, BC YF Cha irma n A ntonio S. Yap emphasized t he key impor tance of educ at ion a nd h igher lea r ning as t he found ation for t he countr y’s innovation system. “The country’s most important resource is its people, and the sooner they are trained and immersed to become innovative and forward-looking, the better our country’s chances in catching up with the rest of the developed world,” Yap said. S&T Media Service

Journey

»life on the go

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Sunday, February 18, 2018

A9

Come Sail Away

Hobie Cats at the Philippine Hobie Challenge

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By Bernard L. Supetran

HE American band Styx captured in its 1977 hit perhaps the best rock song about the age-old art of sailing. But that song applies better to the Philippines—an archipelago of 7,641 islands, a coast longer than that of the United States, and formed through centuries of maritime heritage.

Paraw at Iloilo Sailing Club

on lesser-known coastal areas through corporate social responsibility programs. This year’s Philippine Hobie Challenge unfolds in Coron and Busuanga towns in Palawan from March 11 to 17. Organizers call it a “rebooted” tourney, as the fleet almost got wiped out due to a sea mishap last year off the coasts of Occidental Mindoro. The hard-core aficionados that they are, they are raring to take to seas once again, living up to their maxim, “Life is short, sail fast.”

Subic Bay

Standard Insurance Centennial Yachts racing for the Subic Bay Boracay Race

This rich legacy is, unfortunately, largely unappreciated as a recreation and a sport, which can bring back the glory days of sailing dating back to the arrival of the first recorded migrants in the islands aboard the legendary balangay boats in the 1200s. Thanks to sailing aficionados, this ancient mode of transport is being revived using various sailboats—from the do-it-yourself Oz Goose to the yachts who cruise in the open seas. And since it is the so-called month of love, romantics should look at sailing as an outof-the-box couple’s date that will surely earn you valuable brownie points. Here are some places and events where you can get your feet wet, quite literally, in sailing. First, a passenger, and later, a sailor.

Taal Lake Yacht Club (TLYC)

Dubbed by the Lonely Planet as the country’s “sailing mecca” because of ideal winds the whole-year

round, it is not as snobbish as it name sounds. Located at the Talisay town side of the placid lake, it is actually like a no-frills lakeshore resort, minus the trappings of the real “yacht club.” Here, you can learn the ropes of the sport through the small Oz Goose wooden sailboat, which virtually, anybody can maneuver. If you’re up to the challenge, you can actually build or own one at a cost cheaper than the latest IPhone model. Along with the Philippine Homebuilders Yacht Club, Taal Lake Yacht Club has been holding Family Boatbuilding Weekends for the past few years to offer a morethan-the-usual getaway for people of all ages. Just this weekend, they conducted the boatbuilding activity, which will be the first for the year. The group also conducts clinics and regattas to give joiners their baptism of fire in competitive sailing. TLYC is also the home of the Philippine Hobie Fleet, the country’s

I’m sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea, ‘cause I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me, On board, I'm the captain, so climb aboard, we'll search for tomorrow on every shore. biggest assembly of Hobie Cat 16s, a sleek, twin-hull, fiberglass windpowered boat, which has become standard aquasport equipment in many luxe resort hotels. This 16-foot-tall vessel is piloted by two persons, and would be an ideal romantic cruise for a couple. Every second Sunday of the month, you will see these colorful boats slicing on the water in a friendly competition, and as preparation for major tournaments such as the Round Taal Volcano held in November, the Hobie Nationals and the Philippine Hobie

Challenge which are both held usually in February, before the amihan winds die down. The Challenge, now on its 18th staging, is regarded as the most extreme watersports adventure in the country as it takes on five days of sailing, hopping from one island to the next, across rough waters. Organized by the Philippine InterIsland Sailing Federation (Phinsaf), it is an international regatta attended by veterans from Australia, the United States, and various countries in Asia and Europe. The event aims to take the spotlight

Punctuated by naturally deep harbors, protected coves, lush underwater marine life and tropical rain forests, its history revolves in maritime exploration dating back to the pre-colonial period. Hence, it is safe to say that one has not been truly in Subic if he hasn’t explored its waters, which is steeped in rich maritime tradition. This historic bay is the birthplace of the Saturday Afternoon Gentleman Sailors (SAGS) in 2003, an informal club of enthusiasts who would find any excuse to sail around Subic for bragging rights. More of a fellowship than a competition, the SAGS is instrumental in organizing the annual Standard Insurance Subic Bay to Boracay Race, the longest in the archipelago, which takes more than 24 hours of sailing in the West Philippine Sea. To sail away on Febraury 23, the SBBR transforms into the Boracay Cup Regatta once it drops anchor on the popular beach island. But, for this year, the race will explore other equally challenging sea routes to comply with the required 240-nautical-mile voyage. Inshore races will run until March 2. SAGS, now the Subic Sailing Club, also put in place the summer time Commodore’s Cup, which is part of the Asian Yachting Circuit.

Set on April 2, it will gather veterans from prestigious tilts in Asia, such as the Rolex China Sea Race, Thailand’s King’s Cup and Malaysia’s Raja Muda Cup. For this year’s Commodore’s Cup, the group plans to bring in the now-iconic balangay boat, which sailed across Southeast Asian waters to drum up interest in the Philippines’s maritime heritage and other issues on the marine environment. In between the competitions, leisure cruises around Subic Bay are offered by The Lighthouse Marina Resort, a leading proponent of the sport in the free port. The nautical-themed boutique hotel offers sunset cruises with cocktails or dinner, as well as or even daylong expeditions to the charming coves in the Zambales coast, which are inaccessible by land. Basic lessons on the “Flying 15s” tandem boat or the 36-footer Selma Star Beneteau can be given by the resort for guests who want to take their sailing experience to the next level. Down south, you can check out Puerto Galera Yacht Club in Mindoro, Iloilo Sailing Club in Oton, and the Cebu Yacht Club for their sailing offerings. Puerto Galera, which literally means “port of galleons,” is a cozy venue to learn the sport because of its protected coves where the Spanish merchant ships sought shelter in the 1800s. Meanwhile, Iloilo Sailing Club makes use of the paraw, the signature indigenous outrigger sailboat of Panay. Ancient navigators, who eventually became our colonizers, have conquered the country through our shimmering waters. It’s about time we Filipinos rediscover our charming chain of islands the way they did—by sailing. And as Dennis De Young would say in his song, “Come sail away!”

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»life on the go

A10 Sunday, February 18, 2018

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Discover Hong Kong like a local

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AKE 2018 a year of family fun and wanderlust with exciting deals and discounts for Asia’s World City. There’s definitely more to shopping at Harbour Plaza, eating siu mai and drinking milk tea, or enjoying Hong Kong’s numerous attractions that can make up the perfect family getaway.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, take a quick shuttle ride to Lantau Island and act like royals at the happiest place on earth, as Hong Kong Disneyland Resort offers an experience that families are sure to never forget. Explore seven diverse lands from fantasy to space, stuff those stomachs with extensive choices of cuisine, and complete your stay at its hotels and get exclusive privileges and special recreation activities. For a feel of refreshing cultural and entertainment experience over Lantau Island, get on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car and enjoy the 25-minute ride as you feel the thrill of flying over seas and mountains. Curious to know what’s on the other side of Hong Kong? Ride the Star Ferry to find out what’s in store for you in Hong Kong Island. Explore Hong Kong Island in style and enjoy a 360-degree view of Victoria Harbour aboard an

authentic Chinese junk, otherwise known as Dukling Harbour Cruise; an open-top bus tour on a Big Bus that goes around Hong Kong’s most magnificent sights; then head over to the Sky 100, a 360-degree indoor observation deck on the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre— all these attractions for an impressive deal of one free child ticket for every two regular priced tickets. If you’re in for an educational field trip about the evolving connection between Hong Kong’s colorful history and modern culture, then travel from Kennedy Town in the West to Shau Kei Wan in the East (with over 100 stops in between), then hop onboard a 114-year-old ding-ding tram, because families traveling with children aged 4 to 11 years old are entitled to get a free ride at HK Tramway for every regular priced ticket. For families that love leisure

Ngong Ping 360

Hong Kong Disneyland

and amusement, Travel Tour Expo is offering amazing deals for your favorite activities and must-see attractions in Hong Kong Island. Pay a visit to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and mingle with celebrities from around the world with a deal

of one regular ticket and one free 4R photo with a Madame Tussauds cover. From there, take the Southern Island Line and you will find yourselves in Ocean Park Hong Kong as thrilling deals await you, as well.

Star Ferry

Keep those favorite attractions in mind because the Travel Tour Expo has exactly what all families need to create fond memories while in Hong Kong. It’s the perfect place to discover Hong Kong like a local and enjoy everything,

as there are just too much shop, eat and play activities families can do together. Book your next flight to Hong Kong via Philippine Airlines or Cathay Pacific and enjoy special airfare deals starting from $164.

Ocean Park

New year, new things with ARC

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T’S the new year once again and it’s time to say good-bye to the year that was and look forward to all that 2018 has to offer. The new year signals a fresh start for everyone and ushers in even greater things ahead. With the new year comes new goals, new resolutions and new ambitions for all. It’s no different at Ayala Rewards Circle (ARC), Ayala’s premier rewards program, as they seek to enrich their members’ experience even more.

Park with ease in more Ayala Malls

Parking has always been a hassle in the malls. Fret not ARC members, as free valet parking is now available in even more malls across the country! Members enjoy free valet park-

ing at select Ayala Malls, namely, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Malls the 30th, Greenbelt, UP Town Center and now Solenad and, starting January 15, TriNoma. Five free valet parking e-vouchers are available for each member, which they can redeem via the ARC mobile app. The voucher entitles the member to four hours of valet parking at these malls except in Alabang Town Center (three hours) and in malls with fixed rates. This benefit is available until December 31, 2018. Terms and conditions are also found in the mobile app.

New shopping destinations across the country

Ayala has opened new customer destinations in more locations

around the Philippines. Cloverleaf mall in Balintawak, Quezon City, has recently opened and members can enjoy lounge access when they need a break from shopping. Other Ayala malls that also opened last December are Ayala Malls Feliz (Marcos Highway cor. J.P. Rizal, Bgy. Dela Paz, Pasig) and Ayala Malls Marikina (Liwasang Kalayaan, Marikina).

Never too early to plan a getaway

After Christmas, summer is our next big season to plan for. Let the ARC Concierge help you! Available 24/7 for your airline, hotel and dining bookings both here and abroad, the concierge can help you get better deals for your next destination with these ARC-exclusive privileges.

Call-CENTER workers use futuristic interface hologram

Get a 20-percent discount on best available rates and a 10-percent discount on food and beverage outlets at Seda hotels nationwide. On top of Seda’s seven existing branches (Seda Vertis North, BGC, Nuvali, Abreeza, Atria, Centrio), Seda Capitol Central in Bacolod is also now ready to welcome ARC members. Make your Palawan visit even more worth your while. Stay at El Nido Resorts (El Nido Apulit Is-

land, El Nido Miniloc Island and El Nido Lagen Island) or the newly opened Lio Estate Resorts (Casa Kalaw, Balai Adlao, El Nido Cove Resort, Hotel Covo) and enjoy a range of benefits from complimentary room upgrades to a private dinner setup just for you and your guests. For flight options, Air-SWIFT, the Philippines’s only boutique airline offering daily round-trip flights from Manila to El Nido,

also has treats for ARC members: additional allowance of 5 kilos of check-in baggage (more pasalubong) and waived rebooking fees. Apart from El Nido, Air-SWIFT also flies to Caticlan, Clark, Basco and Cebu. Watch out for new flight destinations in the coming months. Want to know more? Check the ARC mobile app and visit www.ayalarewardscircle.com or www.facebook.com/ayalarewardscircle.

Journey

»life on the go

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

Sunday, February 18, 2018 A11

Toward better market connectivity

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By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes @brownindio

oday’s connected world has spawned unique partnerships between organizations that otherwise, would not have materialized in the past. For instance, a payment center has formed a partnership with a public transport company to sell its beep cards. Moreover, the more connected a business, the more opportunities are there to be tapped in the economic horizon. Gas and technology leader Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) recently signed a partnership with Ayala Corp.-led Globe Telecom to set up new cell sites in 14 retail stations in the country. Total investment cost for each site is P15 million. The locations will be in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. Cesar Romero, president and CEO of PSPC and chairman of Shell Companies in the Philippines, said the partnership with Globe Telecom aims to develop stronger market connection with the public. “Our partnership with Globe is in line with our vision for nation-building that includes developing smarter cities and smarter infrastructure,” he said. He also pointed out that providing stronger connectivity is going to boost progress. Romero explained that the partnership with Globe supports the company’s drive and advocacy toward nation-building by helping people connect with each

other. Being a country with an archipelagic structure, he said, connecting people throughout the country can also be an engine toward inclusive growth. Once finished, Shell’s network of strategically located stations shall become Go WIFI hot spots that will provide customers with better connectivity. The sites are expected to be installed along major thoroughfares and areas where there is a high population density. With the business alliance with Globe, Romero added that Shell will also become the first petrol station to offer the scan-to-pay facility of Globe’s GCash. Shell is also in discussion with GCash for the adoption of cashless payments using quick response (QR) codes. GCash is a mobile wallet service offered by Mynt, a financial-technology company owned by Globe, Ant Financial and Ayala Corp. In August last year GCash introduced the scanto-pay feature in the GCash App,

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu (third from left) and Pilipinas Shell President and CEO Cesar Romero (third from right) shake hands following the signing of partnership on co-location of Globe cell sites in Shell-owned retail stations, as well as implementation of Go WiFi in select Shell gas stations. They are joined by (from left) Globe Chief Commercial Officer Albert de Larrazabal, Globe Chief Technology and Information Officer Gil Genio, Shell Vice President for External Relations and Government Relations Ramon del Rosario, and Shell Retail Network Delivery Manager Jodicel Gesmundo.

allowing customers to pay by simply scanning QR codes of merchants using their smartphones. E-payments provide safety and convenience when shopping for goods and services as people need not carry around loads of cash anymore. “The availability of connection and payment facilities is well in line with our objectives,” Romero said. As far as the ignition risk of mobile phones is concerned, Romero said the advances in technology have made the risk minimal. He added Shell is quite progressive in studying the issue in Europe. Globe President and CEO Er-

nest Cu said the collaboration will help lessen the pressure on the company in addressing the challenges in expanding its network infrastructure. Moreover, he added that the partnership with the energy and gas titan will enable Globe to broaden its network build, amid ravenous demand for mobile services, particularly data. “This collaboration with Shell is breath of fresh air considering the enormous challenges we encounter in establishing network infrastructure such as cell sites. This also supports our commitment in continuing to build a robust and reliable network for

our customers’ expanding data needs,” Cu said. The collaboration with Shell is expected to help ease the growing need for more telecommunication infrastructure necessary for Globe to provide sufficient coverage and capacities. For several years now, Globe has been aggressive in seeking partnership with government institutions, as well as with privatesector organizations, in a bid to expand its network reach. “We are constantly seeking ways to improve customer experience, especially in high-traffic and strategic areas. The partnership, which we project will lead

to improved mobile services, is a win-win collaboration for the two companies, benefiting both our customers,” Cu emphasized, adding that Globe is hoping to replicate such partnership with other private-sector organizations. Globe has been trying to expand its network infrastructure for the past several years. Nevertheless, it has been hampered by permitting challenges. At least 25 permits are needed to put up one cell site and the permitting process takes at least eight months to complete, barring major concerns from various agencies, including local government units and homeowners associations, among others.

World Merit 360 kicks off I

Marco Polo brings hope to kids

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TART the year with nothing but hope and positivity as Marco Polo Ortigas Manila handed over Philippine Eagle stuffed toys to the little tots at Riversprings School recently for its Wings of Hope campaign. Launched during the hotel’s 2016 Christmas Tree Lighting with the Wings of Hope tree, the campaign invited guests to purchase a Philippine Eagle stuffed toy, with their written heartfelt messages attached to it, during the duration of the holidays. The toys will be donated to indigent kids, and proceeds will be given to the Philippine Eagle Foundation. With the success of the first year, it has been relaunched the second time during the 2017 Christmas Tree Lighting held last November 21. And on January 31, 80 toys were turned over to the kids of the Riversprings School, together with books and school supplies from different partners. “It is very inspiring seeing the kids’ reactions as they get their stuffed toys. At the same time, we help the country preserve its culture with the

eagles,” General Manager Frank Reichenbach said. Philippine Eagle Foundation is a non-governmental organization that focuses on Philippine eagle survival through a conservation breeding program that reintroduces species to their natural habitat to avoid extinction. Started in 1965, it aims to raise awareness and address one of the wildlife conservation crisis that the Philippine Eagle Foundation is facing today—the survival of the national bird, the Philippine Eagle. With its possible extinction in the future, if not taken care of, the bird would be a decrease not just in the culture but also in the quality of Philippine environment. As of 2015, around 400 Philippine Eagle were estimated to be left in the world. The Philippine Eagle stuffed toy is available at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila for P600. To know more about the signature dining outlets of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, visit www.marcopolohotels.com. Follow the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award Winner on Facebook at facebook.com/ MarcoPoloOrtigasManila or @MarcoPoloManila on Twitter or Instagram.

N 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs range from ending poverty, providing quality education, achieving gender equality and taking action to combat climate change. Over the past years various individuals and organizations have started taking steps to hit the targets and achieve the goals by 2030. This year World Merit and World Merit Philippines bring you Merit360 Philippines—a program for global citizens who will work together to create projects to tackle the SDGs. From April 9 to 21, 180 changemakers from all over the world will gather in Bohol and Manila for a two-week program that culminates with a pitch of their action plan to influential leaders from various sectors. The program will kick off in Bohol with an opening campfire and meeting the other members who will be together for the next two weeks in creating

an action plan that will tackle a certain chosen SDG. Throughout the 10 days, the participant will learn from talks and workshops from local and international speakers on various topics, such as effective leadership, design thinking, social enterprises, and communities and culture. Not only that, they will get to travel to various towns in Bohol for a community project and a tour of the beautiful sights of the province. Rock out with musical performers during the SDG concert to cap off the Bohol leg of the program. The next day, participants will fly to Manila to get ready for the big event—the pitching session with leaders from the corporate world, the social enterprise arena and the government sector. The program will close with a tour to experience Manila’s amazing culture. After the two-week program in the Philippines, participants will continue to collaborate for nine months through the online program. The first four months will focus on testing and improving the

chosen action plan, with the help of various trainings on fund-raising and project marketing. The next five months will be for the actual implementation of the pilot version of the project. Applications are open for all youth participants aged 18 to 35 years old. Be one of the 180 changemakers who are about to have the experience of a lifetime by signing up now at https://worldmerit. org/merit360/application. World Merit is a global community of millennials committed to make a positive impact in their local communities and all over the world. Together with the United Nations, World Merit is focused on empowering the youth to connect and collaborate in tackling the SDGs. World Merit Philippines is the national arm of World Merit, composed of Filipino youth working together on bringing the SDGs to the local sphere. http://worldmerit.org/merit360/philippines

Grand Hyatt Manila opens its doors

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Federal Land Inc. Chairman Alfred V. Ty (second from right) and Grand Hyatt SVP of Operations for Asia Pacific Tom Smith lead the soft-opening event.

HE Grand Hyatt Manila recently opened its doors to the public via a soft opening that gathered top executives of Federal Land Inc., Orix Corp., Metrobank and Bonifacio Landmark Realty and Development Corp.—the movers behind this iconic development. Poised to be the new benchmark of grand living, Grand Hyatt Manila is nestled within the 66-story Metrobank Center. The Grand Hyatt Manila beckons guests to come and experience moments of more with the Grand Hyatt’s version of personalized sevice and accommodation, dining at the Grand Kitchen and The Cellar, and entertainment and drinks at the Lobby Lounge.

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»life on the go

A12

Sunday, February 18, 2018

BusinessMirror

Editor: Tet Andolong

From tourist to traveler Teaching Buddhist monks English in Thimphu Bhutan

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Buying my first indigenous house in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato

THE TOURISM ADVOCATE

HIS being the month of love, I thought I would make a list of the places I have come to love both locally and overseas and the trips that have defined my transition from tourist to traveler.

The top 5 local destinations

1. Lake Sebu and the T’boli region in South Cotabato. Perhaps the first time I became truly Filipino was when I traveled to South Cotabato and immersed myself with the T’boli’s. Together with the community, we championed the promotions of the T’nalak, which is now known as the Hermès of Philippine fabrics. From the devastatingly beautiful seven falls to its deep sense of environmentalism, South Cotabato will always be the crown jewel of Mindanao. 2. The Caves of Biri Northern Samar and Basey in Samar Province.

Playing with the kids in Lalibela Ethiopia

The Rock formations of Samar is to Water what the Grand Canyon is to Land. Walking through the rock formations of Biri reminds me of the Wadis of Petra, and the almost alien landscape makes you imagine what it might be in outer space. 3. Makati City. It’s a city that does sleep, but it is home—and work—to me. During weekends, it’s most serene. When you get to experience the real humans of Makati, it doesn’t hurt that two of the best markets in Manila are here—the Salcedo and Legaspi Markets. Hence, when we were tapped by Ay-

Exploring the mangroves in the pink beaches of Santa Cruz in Zamboanga City

ala Land to create a city-branding campaign for the country’s financial district, the Make it Happen Make it Makati flowed effortlessly. 4. Iloilo City. I would never pass up any opportunity to travel to Iloilo. Perhaps the most elegant City in the Philippines with the most number of extant art deco buildings in the country, Iloilo’s food culture is unparalleled. From the Chicharrón trimmings from panaderia de molo, to the bountiful seafood, you just want to take a bite of Iloilo every single time. 5. Siquijor. I believe that superstitious lore developed about the place was intended to prevent people from visiting—and marring— this remarkably beautiful place. Her beauty is in her endemicity for flora, thus making it the favored haunt of healers all over the Philip-

Wondering for whom the bells toll in Havana

Flirting with the man of my dreams, Jose Rizal in Dapitan Zamboanga del Norte

pines. I still believe that the secret to cancer lies in the trees and plants that lie undiscovered.

The top 5 international destinations

1. Pamukalle, Aprodite and Dydyma in Turkey, following my trip to Italy, I was prompted to hunt for some of the most well-preserved Roman ruins in the world, and this quest brought me to Turkey. While, indeed, I have seen perfectly preserved cities of marble in Aphrodite, with sewer and road systems in marble, the greatest takeaway for me was my introduction to Islam—perhaps one of the kindest religions I have ever encountered. 2. Delhi, India, and Lourdes, France, in terms of spirituality. The energy of the rivers of India (yes, I have drank from its spiritual wa-

ters and survived!) and the caves of Lourdes is unparalleled. I have been to both multiple times and, in the latter, every prayer and favor answered. I have experienced streaming tears in the presence of grace that will be with me forever. 3. Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Everyone who knows me knows my fascination for public baths, from onsens to jimjilbangs and even Russian Turkish baths in New York. The oldest public bath, or hammam, is in Bukhara, a city that has remained unchanged from the time of the Silk Road. They speak about Tamerlane like it was just yesterday. 4. Palestine region. While travel to Jerusalem has been primarily about the search for Christianity for most, oddly enough, the Christian tradition actually represents a minor footnote compared to its

other great cousins, Hebrew and the Islamic tradition. My trip to Jerusalem was primarily to search for a better understanding of Palestine, often misunderstood and misrepresented. Between the Bullet marks also lie great art by the likes of Banksy showing us that it’s more than meets the eye. 5. Trinidad, Cuba. My search for the romantic inspiration of my life, and for many others, Che Guevarra, the inspiration for the revolutionary in me led me to a newfound love for his soul brother Fidel and what I have come to discover is the alternate-reality twin of Manila—Havana. At the end of the day, travel is a matter of perspective, and keeping a childlike awe about you is crucial. Perpetually curious and hungry, the street you grew up in can hold wonders that can only reveal itself with time and experience. Who would have thought that the street I was born in housed the creator of the famed “empanada de kaliskis,” which can hold its own against the mighty croissant in terms of flakiness and more savorily satisfying than any pie I have had. The pieces only fell into place after close to 20 years of being uprooted and traveling. Hungry can be both literal and figurative. Food is the best harbinger of culture. I have travel to Pasig in Greater Manila and have discovered artisanal bakery that’s still wood-fired. Did you know that the Tipas hopia is made just in the same zip code as Bonifacio Global City? Travel not only is the greatest reminder of why we are alive and life’s greatest teacher but also, as an advocate, it creates the greatest multiplier for social good, as every peso spent on travel creates a x 45 ripple effect in the value chain.

Exploring and wondering how far I can go with the Great Wall