BusinessMirror February 28, 2019

See “Farm growth,” A8

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PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

2018 BANTOG DATA MEDIA AWARDS CHAMPION

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Thursday, February 28, 2019 Vol. 14 No. 141

5 more contracts bid out in ’19 for PHL subway

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan @lorenzmarasigan & Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

HE Department of Transportation (DOTr) aims to auction off the remaining components of the P357-billion Metro Manila Subway System within the year to achieve its goal of full operability by 2025.

After the department broke ground for the first phase of the facility on Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said his group will bid out five more contracts for the construction of

the first fully underground railway system in the country.

“We will be bidding out five more contracts and we assure that there will be continuity and consistency in the construction because

we have hired a consultant that will ensure that the construction will be patterned to the flow of the detailed engineering and designed that we made for the subway,” he said in an interview.

30

The length of time, in minutes, the riding public will take to travel from Quezon City to Naia Terminal 3 on the subway trains, which will run at 80 kph, across 15 stations Tr a n s p or t at ion Unde r se cretary Timothy John R. Batan said the whole subway program is divided into six contracts, so as to hasten the construction of the whole facility, while ensuring partial operability in the coming years.

@caiordinario

& Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas

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@jearcalas

HE implementation of the rice trade liberalization law will not necessarily make imports cheaper, as the projected hike in the demand for the staple could make it more expensive and lead to another price crisis, according to a local agronomist.

The Philippines cannot simply depend on imports, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said, as thinning rice supply will not be enough to meet the requirements of the world’s expanding population.

Additional pressure on thinning rice supply, University of the Philippines Los Baños Agr icu lt ure Economist Teodoro Mendoza said, could jack up international and domestic prices as the Philippines is one of the biggest rice importers.

Higher demand for rice in countries like Africa, India and China could further exert pressure on international prices and lead to volatility, Mendoza said.

“It has already happened in 2008 when we imported 2.5 million metric tons [MMT]. We were the world’s largest [rice] importer at that time.

We also triggered the increase in rice prices which reached $1,000 per metric ton [MT],” he said.

“At that time, our exchange rate was at 47 to the dollar, but now, if rice prices will increase to $1,000 per MT, rice prices, including transportation costs, could reach about P65 per kilogram,” Mendoza added.

IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa told the BusinessMirror that, while it is hard to say that rice price crises could ensue after the law becomes effective, it could lead to supply volatility.

“Consumers are now even more vulnerable to price and supply shocks from foreign-exchange movements, unilateral decisions of a handful of major rice exporters, competition in tight global rice markets, and even rice trader exploitation,” Africa said.

Higher MAV

MENDOZA said the draft implementing rules and regulation (IRR) released by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) on Tuesday, which indicated a possible increase in the minimum access volume (MAV), could be a sign that the government is already anticipating an increase in rice prices.

The draft IRR stated that the Neda, upon the recommendation of the National Food Authority Council (NFAC), could adjust the MAV. Under the law, the country’s MAV would return to its 2012 levels at 350,000 MT once the law See “Rice trade,” A2

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Shaping the social contract for ILO’s second century Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS

I

N June this year, the tripartite representatives of governments, employers and trade unions of different countries shall gather in Geneva not only to hold the annual International Labor Conference (ILC) but also to mark the centenary of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The ILO is a product of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles that formally ended World War I. The winning Allied forces—United States, Great Britain and France—openly declared that there would be no closure to the war if the social and labor issues convulsing Europe were not addressed. Section II of the Treaty states: “Lasting peace can be established only if it is based on social justice.” In fact, most of the European governments then were worried over the possible spread of “bolshevism”. Two years earlier, in 1917, Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik Party successfully overthrew the Tsarist regime and installed a “Worker government” led by the Russian Communist Party.

Continued on A7

See “Subway,” A8

‘Rice price crisis could hit PHL despite rollout of rice trade lib law’

By Cai U. Ordinario

2017 EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS

MICP wants to hasten containers’ disposal

By Rea Cu

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right now. The challenge is to get them to produce right away,” Perlada told reporters on Wednesday.

According to the trade official, Ever Win is registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza), although investment figures have yet to be released by the agency.

“The reason that they gave us [why they are moving out of China] is that China is becoming more

HE Manila International Container Port (MICP) said on Wednesday that it has created an oversight committee to hasten the disposal of overstaying containers to decongest the yards.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC)MICP said in a statement that the committee will monitor and oversee the continuous action of overstaying containers.

MICP District Collector Erastus Sandino B. Austria cited the high number of overstaying containers as one reason for the delay in the release of shipments. The influx of imports, Austria said, also contributed to the problem since it increases the number of overstaying containers.

“MICP is closely working with the port operator, shipping lines and various stakeholders to address this issue,” Austria said.

He said the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is now repairing the bay doors of the Designated Examination Areas to allow the MICP to inspect more containers and hasten the release of shipments.

The BOC is currently crafting a memorandum order to address the return of empty containers and

Continued on A8

See “MICP,” A2

PAL IS 78! Four-star carrier Philippine Airlines on Wednesday announced product innovations it is rolling out to obtain 5-star quality service rating. It announced this and an eye-popping “P78, $78” promo to mark its 78th anniversary as Asia’s longest-operating airline, covering more than 2 million seats. At Wednesday’s press conference are PAL executives (from left) Eric Carl Tan, special assistant, Commercial Group-PAL; Ryan Uy, VP for Sales; Dr. Jaime Bautista, president and COO; Ria Domingo, VP for Marketing; and Jose Enrique Perez De Tagle, VP for Corporate Communications. They are holding a miniature of a PAL A-350 at the press conference at the Century Park Manila. Story on B1. NONIE REYES

DTI: Firms fleeing trade war relocate to PHL

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales

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@alyasjah

HE Philippines is starting to benefit from the trade conflict between the United States and China, as a manufacturing giant relocated to the country to avoid taking damage from Washington’s stiffer tariffs on Chinese goods.

Senen M. Perlada, director for the Department of Trade and In-

dustry’s Export Marketing Bureau, said electronics firm Ever Win International Corp. is closing down its shops in China. The firm is fleeing the rising cost of production, as well as the heavier duties imposed by the United States on products originating there.

In a move that benefited the Philippines, Ever Win relocated and opened a factory here.

“They are supposed to operate as soon as possible, and they are [here]

@ReaCuBM

n JAPAN 0.4706 n UK 68.9723 n HK 6.6293 n CHINA 7.7659 n SINGAPORE 38.6244 n AUSTRALIA 37.3947 n EU 59.2893 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8742

Source: BSP (27 February 2019 )

News

BusinessMirror

A2 Thursday, February 28, 2019

Markers to be injected in 15.2B liters of fuel to curb smuggling

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By Rea Cu

@ReaCuBM

HE government is targeting to mark around 15.2 billion liters of fuel for the first year of implementation of the fuel marking system, in a bid to help curb oil smuggling in the country.

On Wednesday the Department of Finance (DOF) said that with the fuel marking system on track for full implementation by March, it is eyeing to inject fuel markers to an estimated 15.2 billion liters of fuel, both imported and those stored in the refineries.

The 15.2-billion-liter fuel volume is based on consumption projections for the full year 2019, according to DOF Director Nina R. Asuncion.

“We will meet the deadline,” Asuncion said.

Of the total estimate, the volume of fuel to be marked by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) through imports is pegged at 6.8 billion liters for the year, while that of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) which will inject markers at the local refineries is seen to account for 8.4 billion liters.

The fuel marking program aims to mark imported and refined petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene using a covert and sophisticated marking and testing technology to ensure that all taxes and duties on downstream fuels are paid.

It is envisioned to plug tax leakages from oil smuggling and other

Rice trade. . .

Continued from A1

becomes effective. Currently, Mendoza noted that the MAV is at 850,000 MT. Adjusting the MAV means cheaper rice for consumers, which is crucial especially during the lean months of July and August.

“They are already anticipating that their base computation of $400 per ton would increase. It has already increased to $480 but by July or August, it could further increase to $700 per ton. If you will impose a 35-percent tariff, that will make rice more expensive,” Mendoza explained to the BusinessMirror.

“But more than that, if we experience a severe El Niño, farmers will not be able to plant in rain-fed areas and even irrigated areas because there could be a water shortage. Water in Metro Manila will be prioritized so the Angat dam cannot release water for farms; the same thing will happen to the Pantabangan Dam in Pampanga,” he added.

Mendoza said the law will eventually discourage farmers from planting rice as prices will go down. He noted that when the President signed the law, the prices of rice already have fallen to around P15 to P17 per kilogram, from P20 per kg.

Once implemented, he said the law will displace some 10 million Filipinos working as farmers and farm hands and other workers in allied industries.

This, Mendoza said, could cut rice self sufficiency level to 70 percent from the current 93 percent.

A 70-percent sufficiency level, he

MICP. . .

Continued from A1

free up space in the country’s container yards. The memo will include measures that will discourage the storage of empty containers at the container yards and the transfer of such containers to a separate depot outside the yards.

It will also introduce rules allowing only those empty contain-

₧27B-₧44B The estimated revenue loss to the government each year due to oil smuggling

forms of fuel fraud, as well as increase the government’s revenues.

“Although the program aims to curb oil smuggling and increase revenue collection, the policy-makers have always considered a seamless and efficient implementation of the program to be advantageous to both government and stakeholders,” BOC Deputy Commissioner Teddy S. Raval said.

Furthermore, a fuel marking fee amounting to P0.06884 per liter of fuel shall be paid by the government to the fuel marking service provider for the first year of implementation.

For the second to fifth year of implementation, the fuel marking fee shall be paid by petroleum companies on top of duties and taxes to be collected by BOC and BIR, respectively.

D OF R e ve nue O p e r at ion s Group Director Emee Macabales said the government has provided P1.960 billion as funding for the

first year of implementation of the fuel marking system, as well as establishing a fuel marking trust fund, wherein the collections from fuel marking fee will go to sustaining the program.

The rules for the trust fund was set up by the Permanent Committee, Macabales said. The Permanent Committee is composed of the DOF, the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). “So you see it is in place, the monitoring for this.

There are required reports that [must] be submitted to these agencies to make sure that the funds are used only for the purpose it was set up,” Macabales said.

The government estimates, she said, that around P20 billion to P40 billion in revenues can be collected with the implementation of the fuel marking system, as it was earlier reported that the government loses around P27 billion to P44 billion due to oil smuggling.

Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, the fuel marking system is to be implemented over five years.

“We will be providing the services which includes the security from the moment the marker arrives...I am extremely confident of the security,” said SGS Global Operations Manager Steve Harrison.

The winning bidder for the fuel marking system program is the Sicpa-SGS consortium, which will provide a unique chemical marker capable of being embedded at a molecular level to petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel and kerosene, thereby enabling authorities to test, identify and distinguish fuels being sold in the market.

“The markers will be coming from Switzerland and we ship them

said, translates to 3.5 MMT of rice imports to meet the country’s requirement for rice. Currently, he said, rice consumption per capita stands at 114 kg.

Appeal to farmers

DURING the Northern Luzon cluster public consultation on the IRR of the Republic Act 11203 on February 26, Piñol appealed to farmers to not abandon their farms once the law takes effect.

“The fear that we will be flooded with imported rice, the moment we open the gates of our country, may be true for the short term,” he said.

“But if the purchases of importers exceed 3 MMT, the price of rice in the world market would shoot up. And imported rice could become more expensive,” Piñol added.

He said the volume of rice traded in the global market is “too thin.” He noted that global rice production is estimated at 800 MMT, of which only 40 MT is exported or traded.

Of the 40 MMT, Piñol said about 37 MMT to 38 MMT is already committed to rice-importing countries, leaving at least 3 MMT for the additional purchases of any other interested country.

“The implementation of the law could send shocks to the local market, such as the decline in prices, due to the entry of imports. But that will not last,” he said.

“The Philippines is growing by at least 2 million annually and that’s a lot of mouths to feed. We cannot solely depend on the world market. Farmers need to continue planting rice. The Department of Agriculture will help them become competitive,” he added. ers that will be loaded on ships to be brought inside the yards.

Freeing up space in the container yard will allow the BOC to process more shipments at the ports and bring the MICP’s port utilization rate closer to the international standard.

In recent months, various groups have aired their concerns over the slow release of containers from ports, the longer lines of trucks outside the entrance of container

Philreca. . .

Continued from A8

He continued: “What I do not understand is why ECs, or Philreca, would just abandon the consumers in this.

While the consumers fight it out for their tax exemption, ECs want the easy way of passing on the burden to their supposed owners—the unfortunate consumers.

We hope there is no collusion among local officials, ECs and other distribution utilities [DUs] for this,” he said.

Meralco refund

LAST week, the ERC ordered Meralco, the biggest DU in the Philippines to refund consumers the estimated P4.41 billion left of the P10.8 billion it allegedly overcharged consumers from February 1994 to February 1998. In 2017, Meralco was also directed to refund P6.9 billion in overcharges collected over the previous three years, which included P1.08 billion in real property taxes.

“Despite the terrible underperformance of many DUs and ECs in delivering clean and affordable electricity in their franchises, Philreca shamefully has the nerve to pile on to the already overwhelming electric costs being shouldered by consumers,”Arances pointed out.

“Already, electric consumers are bearing the brunt of many ECs’ violation of system loss caps, mismanagement of financial liabilities, and the costly power supply agreements [PSAs] with dirty energy generation companies,” said Arances.

yards and the difficulty encountered by traders in returning empty containers.

The BOC has assured FilipinoChinese businessmen that the government is doing everything it can to address the crippling port congestion, which is seen to impede commerce and slow trade facilitation in the country.

One of the measures being explored to further ease congestion at the ports is to require international

to the Philippines...so the access to the markers are highly controlled,” Sicpa SA Senior Technical Manager Edmund Halasz said.

Unmarked fuel holders face raps

AFTER a three-month “flush-out period,” within which all downstream fuels are expected to have been marked, random field testing shall be conducted by BOC, BIR and the fuel marking provider on depots, tank trucks and retail stations to determine the presence or dilution level of the fuel marker on petroleum products subject to marking.

“Being a possessor of an unmarked fuel, a person or an owner of retail station with the untaxed fuel shall be liable to the excise tax and VAT due on such fuel, including penalties. This is without prejudice to the filing of appropriate criminal case against the owner of the retail station,” said BIR Large Taxpayers Document Processing and Quality Assurance Division Chief Danilo Pasiliao.

The detailed guidelines on the aforementioned processes are currently being finalized by the BOC, BIR and DOF, subject to further consultation with the oil industry and other stakeholders.

“Well, again just to reiterate the benefits of this program.

First of all, this is to strengthen our efforts against smuggling— whether it’s fuel or other products, cigarettes and the like—we want to make sure that our tax administration reforms are just as strong as our tax policy reforms,” DOF Assistant Secretary Antonio Joselito G. Lambino II said at a briefing at the Palace on Wednesday.

The group said many ECs are guilty of long and frequent interruptions in their respective franchises and failure to electrify areas within them.

The underperformance of ECs is now the subject of investigation in the Senate, as it reviews the financial and technical performance of the ECs to determine which franchises should be revoked.

“It eludes me why electricity in our province is so expensive,” said Msgr.

Meliton Oso, director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action, Iloilo Social Action Center.

“On top of the P8 our office has paid for generation last month, other charges have increased the rate we pay to more than P11 per kWh. Imagine now how ordinary Filipinos have to deal with this abusively high cost of electricity on a monthly basis,” Oso added.

Currently Iloilo has the most expensive generation cost of electricity in the Visayas and in the country at P6.82/kwh, bought by Iloilo I Electric Cooperative from the Panay Energy Development Company through an Electric Power Purchase Agreement. This rate from coal-based energy is significantly higher than the P2.99 kWh rate boasted by wind and solar energy GenCos. “We want electric cooperatives to practice integrity in their line of business, and not knowingly engage in contracts and dealings which will inevitably burden the people,” Oso continued. “It is quite appalling that Filipinos much poorer than them should foot the bill for their lawful duty of paying taxes,” he said. shipping lines to have their own depots outside of Metro Manila and not inside the terminals.

The container yards would be for the storage of their empty containers. The space allocation will be managed to maximize the storing capacity of the yard.

The government also wants to strictly enforce the 90-day rule on empty containers and penalize those that have remained in the country for more than 90 days.

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Neda: Laws, projects to stimulate growth of PHL economy in ’19

By Cai U. Ordinario @caiordinario

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HE passage of key laws such as the Ease of Doing Business law and 11th Foreig n Investment Negative List, as well as the approval of more big-ticket infrastructure projects, will boost growth this year, according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia said the passage of these measures and the increase in infrastructure investments will swell investments and boost consumption spending, the backbone of Philippine economy.

Pernia also said growth prospects for 2019 are “rosy,” given the downtrend in inflation that will result in higher spending by the government and household consumers.

“This would have a stimulus effect on the economy in terms of further growth, especially so that we expect more approved bigticket infrastructure projects to be implemented this year,” he said in a statement.

“What is more, with the passage of the Ease of Doing Business law and 11th Foreign Investment Negative List, we expect investors to pick up further, which should bring in more spending and, therefore, sustain growth at a higher level,” Pernia added.

Moreover, amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, the Foreign Investments Act, and the Public Service Act will provide an added boost to the country this year, he said.

The Retail Trade Liberalization Act seeks to do away with barriers to foreign investments by easing the

equity and capitalization requirements to create a more favorable investment climate in the country.

House Bill 4595 and Senate Bill 1639, both amending Republic Act. 8762, or the Retail Trade Liberalization Law, are at the committee levels.

Pernia said the amendments will boost investments in manufacturing, including small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs).

“We are also proposing modifications in the Foreign Investments Act to reduce the threshold for foreign investors investing $100,000 in SMEs from 50 to only 15 direct employees. It also proposes to exclude ‘practice of professions’ from the coverage of the Foreign Investments Act,” he said.

Pernia said the government is also seeking to amend the Public Service Act. Senate Bill 1754, which will amend Commonwealth Act 146 or the Public Service Act, is now pending on second reading.

It proposes to exclusively make the transmission of electricity, distribution of electricity, and water works and sewerage systems as the public utilities.

“Besides our growth story that tells of the Philippine economy’s higher growth trajectory, there are several policy reforms already in place to accommodate more foreign investors in the country,” Pernia said.

He mentioned this before a group of Japanese businessmen during the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB) Osaka leg, which was held on February 22, 2019.

Pernia was joined by Philippine economic managers and key members of the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” team, as well as Philippine private sector representatives at the Osaka PEB.

‘Death threats vs priests not due to Duterte’s jokes’

By Bernadette D. Nicolas @BNicolasBM

& Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

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ALACAÑANG said on Wednesday that President Duterte’s jokes on killing priests had nothing to do with the actual death threats received by some members of the clergy.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo made the statement after President Duterte publicly revealed that he was informed by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle of the death threats by some bishops purportedly from those working for Duterte’s family.

Asked if he thinks there is a risk that some sectors will take the President’s jokes seriously, Panelo said, “No, I don’t think so because the President has been like that for three years but no priest or member of the clergy has been harmed.”

When pressed further and told that a priest was already killed, Panelo shrugged this off and said this has nothing with the Church or the President.

Panelo said the slain priest, apparently referring to Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura, was killed because he had angered some people.

“During the investigation, it turned out that he was killed because of a personal grudge. It was found that the priest has many girlfriends and some of them are married. So this has nothing do with the Church or the President,” Panelo said in Filipino.

The Palace spokesman said the President has always been fond of jesting and that it is part of his leadership style for the last 30 years.

“He will really create a situation, and make a joke out of it, he jokes about me, he jokes about a lot of people,” he

said. “He is like a comedian that is why the audience is fond of him. People love him for his jokes.”

In a separate interview, Panelo called for a serious investigation into the death threat received by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Vice President Bishop Pablo David.

“That should be investigated if it is really true. But I think the threat was just fabricated,” he said.

Uncomforted CHURCH leaders, however, found little assurance in the President’s statement “discouraging” people from threatening members of the clergy.

Despite receiving death threats, CBCP Vice President Bishop Pablo David said he will continue to perform his Church duties.

“We draw strength and courage from God through prayer and discernment,” David said.

Duterte has also denied any involvement in the incident and had even warned that he will hold accountable those who will threaten or harm priests.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said he no longer takes Duterte’s words seriously. This sentiment was also shared by San Pablo Bishop Buenaventura Famadico.

Both prelates made the pronouncement after Duterte just a week ago urged the public to rob bishops, and kill them if they will resist.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, meanwhile, is more optimistic, when it comes with Duterte’s latest pronouncement.

“I hope he is not joking and is finally serious in his statement,” Bastes said.

Duterte has been making controversial remarks against the Church since its officials became critical of the mounting fatalities in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

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Start-up bill awaits Duterte’s signature after bicam approval

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

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HE proposed Innovative Startup Act, which seeks to strengthen start-up businesses, is now awaiting President Duterte’s approval.

This, after the House of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the “Innovative Startup Act” proposals of the two chambers.

The bicam report reconciled House Bill 8862 authored by Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte Jr. of Camarines Sur and Senate Bill 1532

by Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV. Villafuerte said the bill will help these small and medium enterprises (SME) and start-up firms to break into the lucrative e-commerce market by providing tax perks, streamlined business procedures and easier immigration to help start-up entrepreneurs and their investors flourish in the country.

The proposal seeks to grant incentives, and remove constraints aimed at encouraging the establishment and operation of innovative new businesses and businesses crucial to growth and expansion.

It also aims to strengthen, promote and develop an ecosystem of businesses and nongovernment institutions that foster an innovative entrepreneurial culture in the Philippines.

As defined under the bill, an innovative start-up refers to a registered business entity operating for no longer than 60 months in the country from the commencement of its business operation, and whose core business function involves an innovative product, process or business model.

It provides for the establishment of the Philippine Startup Development Program that will develop and unify programs, benefits and incentives for start-ups and startup enablers. The program will be spearheaded by national agencies and nongovernment organizations.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will be tapped as the lead

agencies to assess, monitor, develop and expand the Philippine Startup Development Prog ra m.

The bill also said that the DTI, in coordination with the DICT, DOST and Board of Investments (BOI), will also create the development plan that will spearhead initiatives to develop the short, medium, and long-term strategies to spur investment and promote the growth and development of start-up and startup enablers in the country.

The DTI and BOI will promote and facilitate the provision of applicable benefits to current and prospective investors of start-ups and start-up enablers.

Moreover, the BOI will assist the DTI, DICT, DOST and other host agencies in training their personnel tasked to assist current and prospective start-ups and start-up enablers to access and maximize benefits and incentives.

The DOST, DICT and DTI will each be provided with a start-up grant fund for initial and supplemental grants-in-aid to start-ups and start-up enablers. Each agency will propose in its respective budget under the annual General Appropriations Act the initial and succeeding appropriations for the creation and replenishment of its SGF. Also to be created under the DTI is the start-up venture fund, which will be used to match investments by selected investors in start-ups based in the Philippines. The SVF will be jointly administered in coordination with the National Development Co. The Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority are also mandated to contribute by developing and integrating in their respective curricula entrepreneurial programs that will foster an environment conducive to innovation and extending incentives to academic institutions that provide funds and/or grants for the research of their students and faculty.

Moreover, the Department of Foreign Affairs is mandated to create start-up visas for prospective or current foreign owners, employees, and investors of a start-up or start-up enabler registered in the Philippines.

Palace names 76 members of Bangsamoro transition body

By Bernadette D. Nicolas

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@BNicolasBM

ALACAÑANG has finally released the names of the 76 members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which shall be the interim government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region during the transition period.

The President, however, has yet to appoint four other members to complete the 80-man BTA, headed by interim chief minister Murad Ebrahim.

According to the appointment papers released by Malacañang dated February 22, the notable members of the BTA include: Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chair-

S

@butchfBM

EN. Grace Poe, citing new rounds of oil price hikes, is poised to press for expanded coverage of the government’s fuel subsidy for jeepney operators to include fisherfolks.

“That is what I want to focus assistance on: If jeepney drivers are being given fuel vouchers, is it not right to also grant fishermen the same subsidy given by government?” Poe pointed out in a dialogue with a Zambalesbased fishing community.

The senator noted that oil companies have increased fuel prices six times this year “but

By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo Special to the BusinessMirror

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HREE months after a government task force visited the resort destinations of Panglao, Bohol and El Nido, Palawan, violations of environmental laws and easement regulations continue.

This developed as Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the task force will soon be rehabilitating Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte and “also looking at Coron” in Palawan.

After a visit last November, the task force, composed of the secretaries of the Departments of Tourism (DOT), Environment and Natural Resources, and the Interior and Local Government (DILG), gave the mayors of Panglao and El Nido six months to address violations on environmental laws and other government regulations. The deadline falls in May 2019.

In a recent news conference, the DOT chief and Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año both issued warnings on possible punitive actions if said violations are not addressed.

imposed only a single rollback of oil prices.”

“The price of gasoline, which is essential in your fishing trips, had gone up,” Poe told the fisherfolks at the dialogue also attended by former Sen. Lito Lapid.

She suggested that the Duterte administration “should be ready to assist fishermen and provide them sustainable livelihood options.”

Poe acknowledged that many Filipinos heavily rely on fishing as their source of livelihood given the country’s vast coastlines and rich marine resources, but fisherfolk remain among the poorest sectors of society.

Citing estimates that there are around

“We gave them six months [to comply with easement and environmental regulations]. If they don’t comply, we will discuss the next steps [to implement],” said Romulo Puyat in the news conference.

“But we hope the mayors of Panglao and El Nido start complying—why will they wait until the end of six months [to comply. Pero matigas ang ulo din [They are very hardhearded]. They shouldn’t wait for what should happen. We hope they cooperate.”

She praised the private-sector stakeholders in both destinations “for complying on their own. We hope both mayors of Panglao and El Nido listen.” The mayor of El Nido is Nieves Cabunalda-Rosento, while the mayor of Panglao is Leonila Montero.

For his part, Año said the task force already has “an agreement with the local chief executives of El Nido and Panglao on what to do. In fact, that is one of the agreements, no closure [of their destinations], but they will start and initiate all the rehabilitation.

[Both local destinations] have numerous violations on easement [and have] high coliform levels. After six months,

1.8 million engaged in fishing in the Philippines, Poe added, “We should keep a keen watch on the economics of our livelihood, and I am one with all of you, fully cognizant on the impacts of the fishing industry to our everyday lives.”

As chairman of the Senate Public Services Committee, Poe’s office continues to monitor the implementation of social mitigating measures under the tax-reform package, even as she had urged the Department of Transportation to distribute the Pantawid Pasada cards to jeepney franchise holders amid reports that some 80,000 assistance cards are still unclaimed.

Raps vs firms, individuals behind South Korea garbage mess pressed

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NEW CEZA OFFICE

The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority opened last Tuesday its satellite office at the Tarigsur Regional Government Center in Tuguegarao City (top photo) to make Ceza “more accessible to potential investors and locators,” according to Ceza Administrator and CEO Secretary Raul L. Lambino. Above photo shows Lambino (second from right) leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony, joined by (from left) Ceza Board Directors Arturo Bautista and Jaime Escano, Acting Senior Deputy Administrator Raymundo T. Roquero, Tuguegarao City Mayor Jefferson Soriano and former Mayor Rodrigo de Asis of Solana, Cagayan. JOSEPH MUEGO

man and head of the now-defunct Bangsamoro Transition Commission Ghazali Jaafar, MILF peace implementing chairman Mohagher Iqbal, Office of the Peace Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Undersecretary Nabil A. Tan, MILF’s Commander Bravo Abdul Macapaar, and two members of the former Consultative Committee tasked to review the 1987 Constitution—Eddie Alih and Alih Balindong.

Murad has also named his two deputy chief ministers, Ali Solaiman of Lanao del Sur and Abdul Sahrin.

The names of Ali and Abdul were already included in the appointment papers’ list released by the Palace.

Ali, the MILF’s second vice chairman and member of the MILF Central Committee, was appointed by

Murad as the deputy for the Mainland, while Abdul, the secretary- general of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), was appointed as deputy for the Islands.

It was earlier reported that Ghazali was also named by Murad as Speaker.

For the meantime, however, Balindong willl be the Speaker while Ghazali is recuperating.

President Duterte earlier revealed there were “rumblings” happening within the rebel group amid reports that MNLF members were not happy with the composition of the BTA. Despite this, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. stood firm that the members of the MNLF have equitable representation in the BTA.

Tourists, visitors El Nido, Panglao LGUs face punitive actions if rehab not implemented—DOT, DILG chiefs flock to Bolinao

Poe pushes expanded govt fuel subsidy program to cover fisherfolk

By Butch Fernandez

Editor: Vittorio V. Vitug • Thursday, February 28, 2019 A3

HREE House committees have proposed the filing of charges against those responsible in the illegal entry and dumping of hazardous plastic garbage from South Korea.

During a hearing on Tuesday, the House Committees on Good Government and Public Accountability; on Ecology; and Local Government made the recommendation following a joint hearing on the basis of House Resolution 2317 calling for an investigation on the illegal entry and dumping of hazardous plastic garbage from South Korea at the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagaloan, Misamis Oriental.

Noting that a criminal case had already been filed by the National Bureau of Investigation against the “purported plastics recycler” Verde Soko Philippines, Rep. Juliette T. Uy of Misamis Oriental, author of the resolution, said she would not be surprised if the NBI would either amend the charges or file new ones to include officials of the Bureau of Customs and the Phividec.

Uy said it should be basic competency of any Customs officer to know the difference between fake and real import documents. She also asked the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit on Phividec.

For his part, Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate echoed the recommendation to file cases against officials of Verde Soko. “This is not the first time that this issue is brought to Congress—Canadian basura, Japan basura, South Korean basura—here we are again talking about this,” he said. Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

[violations are not addressed], appropriate actions will ensue.”

BothCabinetsecretariesalsoupdated reportersontheongoingrehabilitationof Boracay. “The first phase is completed.

TheDPWH[DepartmentofPublicWorks and Highways] is now actually about to finish the [road] repairs there before embarking on the next phase, which is cementing and repairing the road going to the timberland,” said Año.

Asked by the BusinessMirror to comment on reports from the island that no construction work is being done on the main road and drainage system, Romulo Puyat, said: “The last time we spoke to Secretary Mark [Villar of the DPWH], he’s on track with his projects.

By the end of March, all main roads will be fixed already. As for the drainage system, our goal [for completion] is December 2019. So we’re on track.”

The Boracay Interagency Task Force is set to meet on February 28, and Año said among the issues to be discussed are “feedback and reports of violations in certain areas.” “We will look into those reports. We will sustain gains we made in the last nine months,” he stressed.

DOJ chief reminds prosecutors to shun electioneering and partisanship in polls

By Joel R. San Juan

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@jrsanjuan1573

HE Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said it would impose sanctions against government prosecutors who will be found participating in partisan politics while performing their duties in relation to the 2019 local and national elections.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra issued Department Circular 001, reminding prosecutors that no less than the 1987 Constitution prohibits nonpolitical government officers and employees from electioneering and from engaging in partisan political activity.

Guevarra added that the same prohibition is prescribed under Executive Order 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987; Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991; the Batas Pambansa Blg. 861, or the Omnibus Election Code; and other pertinent laws and regulations.

“Please be reminded that electioneering or engaging in partisan political activities by one holding a nonpolitical office is a punishable offense,” the order read.

“Any violation of the foregoing prohibitory rule will be strictly and severely dealt with to the extent allowed by existing laws, rules and regulations,” it added.

Members of the National Prosecution Service serve as provincial, district, city and municipal boards of canvassers, or BOC, during elections.

The BOC’s main duty is to canvass the votes cast for each candidates and declare winners based on the result of the canvass.

anew after coastal cleanup campaign

By Jonathan L. Mayuga @jonlmayuga

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ORE tourists and visitors have started flock in Bolinao, Pangasinan, after various stakeholders worked together to conduct coastal cleanup and rehabilitation activities on some of the town’s beach resorts.

The rehabilitation was undertaken through the voluntary demolition of illegal structures near the shorelines, according to officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

It was learned that several resorts in Barangay Patar have voluntarily dismantled illegal structures built in their premises in response to the notices of violation issued by the DENR Region 1 office.

Among these resorts is the famous White Beach of Patar, which dismantled a structure built atop a natural rock formation in the area.

The coastal cleanup activities and voluntary demolition of illegal structures were also attributed to the agreement reached by various stakeholders during the Coast Watch Summit last year, and the ongoing coastal evaluation, monitoring and inventory by the DENR Region 1 Office.

DENR Region 1 Executive Director Carlito M. Tuballa was elated with the support and cooperation demonstrated by resort owners and various local government units in the whole of Pangasinan.

“It is better this way. No need for confrontation. We talked to them about their violation, and it is good that they cooperated with the agency to preserve the beauty of our beach resorts in Region 1,” Tuballa said in a news statement.

The DENR Region 1 recently visited the coastal communities in Patar and found the cottages along the shorelines gone.

Benjie Sarte, president of Patar White Beach Bolinao Community Association, said since they worked hand in hand with the DENR in cleaning up the beach areas, more tourists have frequented their place.

The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office here headed by Hipolito Salatan has vowed to strictly implement environmental laws and go after violators.

A day after the cleanup, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu dropped by to convey his appreciation and to provide further instructions related to the ongoing activity in the region.

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TheBroa

Business

Thursday, February 28, 2019

State support to families may allow P

By Cai U. Ordinario & Jovee Marie N. De la Cruz

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Reporters

HILIPPINE society’s foundation is built on the “F” word: Family That’s what the 1987 Constitution says so.

First time

DESPITE the challenges, there is a window of opportunity that opened five years ago when the country’s population breached the 100-million mark for the first time. Experts call this “demographic dividend” and they believe government support to families would help the country reap this dividend.

The demographic dividend window opened in 2015, the time when the median age in the Philippines is very young, at 24 years old.

This means half of the population is below 24 years old and the other half is above 24 years old. This was based on the 2015 Census of Population, which estimated that there were 100.98 million Filipinos.

Having a young population is one of three conditions to set in motion the country’s reaping of the demographic dividend. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) explained that the demographic dividend is the economic growth experienced by a country as a result of the change in the country’s population structure.

The Neda said this is the product of the demographic transition, which is characterized by markedly declining mortality and fertility rates, resulting in the shrinking of the dependent age (0-14) group and expanding of the workforce (ages 15-64).

A ‘double whammy’

THIS transition, Neda explained, leads to steadily rising savings and investment rates and, hence, faster economic growth and improved living standards. The Neda said demographic transition has three phases.

The first is marked by an initial

decline in infant mortality (death rate), with fertility rate remaining high. The second phase happens when the share of working-age population becomes large relative to the young dependent ages and the older population or 65 years and above. The third phase is increasing the number of productive working-age population at its highest level that will benefit the country’s economic growth.

In terms of timelines, for the Philippines, this means entering the first phase of the transition at the earliest in 2022 but no later than 2025. Under business as usual, the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III told the BusinessMirror it means reaching the demographic transition at 2035—the same time when the population of the country will start to age.

Perez said this will be a “double whammy” since the country will not only need to contend with higher fertility rates, it also has to invest heavily in long-term care for an aging population. This is why Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia is keen on doubling reproductive health efforts in the next 3.5 years.

“It’s a double whammy that we will have high fertility, higher need for long-term care. So we want to avoid that, push this dividend to be triggered by 2022 or 2025. That’s why Secretary Pernia is very concerned that this window is not going to be open all the time,” Perez said in an interview. “Now is the time to seize the day.”

More planning

PERNIA told reporters late February the government wants to usher in the “Golden Age of Population and Development” in the next three-and-a-half years. This means that the target is to bring down population growth rate to 1 percent or as close to zero from the current 1.7 percent, as well as total fertility rate (TFR) to 2 or the replacement rate from the current 2.7 percent in the next 3.5 years.

These are part of efforts to “vigorously implement” the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law and the Duterte administration’s Zeroto-10 point agenda that included the RPRH Law. Efforts to boost population and development were also behind the President’s decision to revert the Popcom to the Neda to emphasize that reproductive health is not just a health measure but also an effort to address population issues.

“When Filipinos are able to plan their families through easy access to sexual and reproductive health services, we will have healthier children, empowered women, prosperous families who are able to save and invest in their children more, a robust and young workforce, and a productive society—thus boosting economic output and employment generation,” Pernia said.

Instituting measures

FOR some lawmakers, additional laws are needed to support the family. For one, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo believes that when Filipino families are weak, the society begins to break down.

Castelo said that is why he filed House Bill 7002, or An Act Upholding the Sanctity of Family Life, which prompts the government to establish all manners of intervention with the end in view

CONGRESS.GOV.PH

The highest law of the land states that the government shall strengthen the Filipino family’s solidarity and actively promote its total development.

Still, Filipinos, more so the country’s lawmakers, admit that families are now facing several challenges such as responsible parenthood, increasing number of broken families, communication, balancing work, school and family life amid technological advancement.

Joanna Sanchez, 30, and Arnold Sanchez, 35, shared with the BusinessMirror that if given a chance to redo one thing, they would carefully plan the number of their children.

They were married for more than 10 years before they separated two years ago. They have four children.

“Mahirap pala talaga magkaroon ng sunod-sunod na anak ng walang plano, napaka-importante ng pagpaplano [It’s really difficult to have children in succession and without any plan; planning is very important],” said the former housewife.

Rodolfo Mendoza (not his real name), who was then working as a service crew, said he and his wife separated because of financial challenges.

“Lumalaki ang mga bata kaya nahihirapan ako magbigay ng sapat.

Naaawa ako sa mga anak ko pero wala na akong magagawa,” he said. “Mas mahirap kung magsasama pa kami mag-asawa na halos araw-araw ay nagaaway dahil sa problema sa pera [It’s getting difficult to meet the needs of my children as they grow. I pity them but I can’t do anything. It’s also difficult for me and my wife to stay together because we always end up fighting about money].”

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O honor and to instill in our people the importance of nurturing the most basic unit of the community, the family, the 14th of February is hereby declared as a special working holiday to be known as the National Family Day,” Abellanosa added.—Cebu Rep. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa

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Editor: Dennis D. Estopace | Thursday, February 28, 2019

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PHL to reap demographic dividend “UNMET need for family planning is decreasing across all wealth quintiles but is till highest among the poorest women.”—Esperanza Cabral, chairman of the National Implementation Team for the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law

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CONGRESS.GOV.PH

CCORDING to the Department of Health (DOH), family planning provides many benefits to strengthen the whole family.

The DOH said family planning lightens the burden and responsibility of the father in supporting his family.

The agency also said planning enables the father to give his children their basic needs such as food, shelter, education and a better future while giving him time for his family and own personal advancement.

For the mother, the DOH said family planning enables her to regain her health after delivery and find enough time and opportunity to love and provide attention to her husband and children. It said healthy mothers produce healthy children.

According to the DOH, family planning will allow the children to receive the attention, security, love and care they deserve.

In her presentation during the hearing of the Oversight Committee on Population, former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, who now chairs the National Implementation Team for the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law, said the number of people added to the country’s population remains at about 2 million annually.

The RPRH Law was signed in December 2012 but the Supreme Court issued a status quo order on its implementation. In 2015, the SC issued a temporary restraining order on the DOH and the Food and Drugs Administration.

In 2017, the TRO was lifted after the DOH promulgated the revised implementing rules and regulations of the reproductive health law and the FDA re-certified 51 contraceptive products to be non-abortifacient.

According to Cabral, fertility rate is highest in 2017 among women from the poorest households and lowest in women from the richest households.

“Unmet need for family planning is decreasing across all wealth quintiles but is till highest among the poorest women,” she told lawmakers.

Cabral said the least uneducated women have the greatest unmet need for family planning while the unmet need for family planning is highest in the 15-19 age group.

However, she said the percentage of teens who have already had a live birth or are pregnant with their first child declined from 10 percent to 8.6 percent in 2017.

She added fertility increased in teenagers with lower education attainment.

In the same hearing, Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of Population Commission and co-chairman of the NIT for the RPRH Law, said the Duterte administration has recognized the relevance of population interventions in his platform of national development.

Perez said the administration has displayed strong political will to fully implement the RPRH law.

With this, Cabral said there will be 11,340,000 women using modern family planning methods in the Philippines in 2022.

As a result, she said there may be 4,117,000 unintended pregnancies averted, and 2,429,000 abortions prevented; 2,160 maternal deaths could also be averted.

Government data show 1.4 million were given family planning services in 2017.

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O trial, trouble or tribulation should undermine the family. Their foundation should be the kind that withstands all kinds of hardship and adversity. And the government should establish all kinds of intervention in order to uphold the sacredness and inviolability of the family.”

—Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo

NEDA.GOV.PH

DOH: HEALTHY FAMILY, A HEALTHY SOCIETY of safeguarding the “sacredness and inviolability” of the family.

Castelo’s bill said “the government shall henceforth institute measures including but not limited to the periodic family forums, dialogues and/or counseling, family-oriented activities promoting health relationships and reasonable financial aid to support such activities.

“The family is the basic unit of society. No less that the Almighty God established it from the very beginning. The government should institute every measure to safeguard the sanctity of family life and work vigorously against its dissolution. When families are strong, society is strong,” he said.

“Hence, no trial, trouble or tribulation should undermine the family. Their foundation should be the kind that withstands all kinds of hardship and adversity. And the government should establish all kinds of intervention in order to uphold the sacredness and inviolability of the family,” Castelo added.

The lawmaker said couples should work together and exhaust all remedies to keep their marriage.

“Children should exercise at all times unconditional love and respect for their parents,” Castelo said. “The family should enjoy each other’s company and spend a lot of time doing things together. This promotes a good family life.”

In order to achieve this, he said there should be, among others, established in the community periodic family forums/dialogues and/ or counseling to prevent the breakdown of the family and nurture a healthy and harmonious life.

Legislating NFD

FOR his part, Cebu Rep. Rodrigo A. Abellanosa believes celebrating a National Family Day (NFD) will help strengthen Filipino families.

Abellanosa said he is pushing for the passage of House Bill 4845 declaring February 14 of every year to be the NFD. He explained that the NFD shall celebrate and strengthen the family unit’s contributions to the nation-building and shall aim to remind Filipinos of its rights, capabilities and responsibilities.

“February 14 has traditionally been celebrated as a day of love,” he said. “This bill seeks to expand the definition of love from more than just romantic love, into celebrating family love by declaring February 14 of every year as a special working holiday to be known as the National Family Day.”

“To honor and to instill in our people the importance of nurturing the most basic unit of the community, the family, the 14th of February is hereby declared as a special working holiday to be known as the National Family Day,” Abellanosa added.

Under the bill, all government offices, private entities and academic institutions are enjoined to extend their full support through the conduct of programs and activities to pay tribute to the family as the building block of a nation.

The bill said corresponding government agencies including, but not limited to, the Department of Education, Commission of Higher and Technical Education, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the local gov-

“When Filipinos are able to plan their families through easy access to sexual and reproductive health services, we will have healthier children, empowered women, prosperous families who are able to save and invest in their children more, a robust and young workforce, and a productive society—thus boosting economic output and employment generation.”—Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia ernment units shall prepare and adopt necessary policies for the observance of the NFD and to ensure the implementation of this act.

Threats to family–Atienza

AS more couples are seeking legal ways to dissolve their union, Buhay Rep. Lito L. Atienza Jr. said, “Love should be the foundation of marriage and family.”

Atienza believes divorce and the dissolution of marriage bill is shaking that foundation. “[There are] threats against the Filipino family; the difficulty of maintaining marriage comes from the Western culture primarily not the Filipino. Filipinos, basically, are very conscious on the need to protect the family through a solid marriage,” he said. “But because of movies, Internet, and the Western culture [we’re weakening the Filipino family].”

In March last year, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 7303, or the proposed “Act Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage In the Philippines.”

The bill seeks to give the opportunity to spouses in irremediably failed marriages to secure absolute divorce under limited grounds, as well as judicial procedures to end dysfunction of a long-broken marriage.

Authors of the bill said the divorce bill will save children from the pain, stress and agony consequent to their parents’ constant marital clashes; and grant the divorced spouses the right to marry again for another chance to achieve marital bliss.

Moreover, Atienza said the continuing attempt to legalize abortion will be a big threat to the Filipino family.

“The government has to wake up to the reality that they cannot continue leading us toward [the destruction] of families. Even the US declared we have to bring back prayers in the family; we have to now strengthen the family,” he said.

“Even America is realizing that [the destruction] of American family is one of the main causes of the problems today in the economy, the peace and order, security and safety of the people. [The] breakdown of marriage and family is one of the main reasons [we have] these problems. So now they want to go back and strengthen the American family,” Atienza added.

According to him, Congress should focus on measures strengthening Filipino families and reject all the anti-family bills, including divorce.

Resisting divorce

PROTECTING the dignity and sanctity of family remains a priority agenda of the Church now more than ever, especially amid pending government policies the Catholic institution believes is against it.

During the recently concluded three-day Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) National Conference in Cebu, Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) public affairs executive secretary Jerome R. Secillano said they are wary of attempts of lawmakers to push for the divorce bill.

However, despite their opposition to the proposal during its hearings at the House of Represen-

tatives, it was still favored by many lawmakers.

“We made efforts to somehow delay the plan to make this bill into law. But to no avail,” Secillano said. “The only reason it still did not make it to being a law is [it] still has yet to reach the [bicameral committee].”

He noted it will be up to the laity to organize to influence lawmakers so that they reconsider their support for the divorce bill.

“We need to make noise and we need to organize ourselves,” Secillano said. “It could not be the clergy since they will be accused of engaging in partisan politics.”

The concern of the Church on the welfare of family extends to their daily struggle, particularly poverty.

“The Church, of course, acknowledges such hardships,” Secillano said. “She is aware of the poverty afflicting many Filipino families.”

He noted their interventions to such families include providing them livelihood and building houses for them, especially for those affected by calamities, and scholarships.

Secillano said the Church also runs institutions that provide shelter to single and battered mothers, and orphaned children so they could become productive members of society.

Potentials for women

PERNIA believes the Philippines reaping “the demographic dividend will not only contribute to poverty reduction, but also help, build and then strengthen our science and technology innovation ecosystem as we work toward being a globally competitive knowledge economy,” he added.

Perez said this will require a budget of P11.4 billion in the next 3.5 years or an annual budget of P1 billion to P2 billion. He said this will enable the government to increase the number of women using modern contraceptive methods to 11 million from the current 6.5 million by 2022.

For the most part, efforts to reduce TFR and slow population growth rates have been successful.

Perez said for one that the average family size based on the latest demographic survey of 2015 was at 4.3, significantly lower than the 5.2 recorded in 2013.

This is a significant decline of almost 1 child and could be accredited to not only the increase in the use of contraceptives in rural areas at 44 percent, but also the increase in the population of working women in urban areas. The contraceptives use in urban areas was only around 30 percent but this is because employment acts as a natural contraceptive.

Perez said education and employment are important because getting pregnant will not allow women to “get the full benefits” of an education and continue with their careers—even for a short period of time.

“I would attribute much of it to women choosing to have fewer children,” Perez said. “If women are more educated, they choose to have fewer children, if you have more employment opportunity, they will also choose to have fewer children.”

With additional reports by Samuel Medenilla

A6 Thursday, February 28, 2019 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

editorial

A big thank you to MRT guards

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HEN was the last time you thanked a security guard for doing a good job?

In the Philippines, security guards wearing their customary blue uniforms are ubiquitous, especially in urban centers. The guards are there to maintain security and prevent crime.

Business establishments hire security guards because they can provide peace of mind and a sense of protection to employees and customers. Their service is also invaluable to city commuters, like those using the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT), because their presence alone sends a strong message to potential criminals.

Unfortunately, the services these blue guards provide are greatly unappreciated, especially by people who don’t know that these security guards sometimes put their own lives in harm’s way to protect thousands of passengers everyday.

What transpired on Saturday at the MRT 3 Cubao station where authorities nabbed a passenger who was found in possession of a live hand grenade is a classic example of how these security guards put their own lives on the line to provide protection to the public. In a statement, the MRT 3 management said security personnel found the grenade inside the baggage of a passenger at the inspection area.

“The live grenade was wrapped by a packaging tape and placed inside a cell-phone box. The incident was immediately reported by MRT 3 guards to police officers inside the station,” the statement said.

The confiscated grenade is a dangerous weapon that could kill and maim hundreds of passengers. Military experts said detonating fragmentation grenades are almost guaranteed to be lethal if you’re close to them and not behind decent cover. The generally accepted fragmentation radius is 30 to 35 feet, and the fuse length will be between 3 to 5 seconds, hardly giving anybody a chance to hit the deck for safety.

Following the incident, the Department of Transportation and MRT 3 management issued a joint statement saying they “will not take this sitting down.” The statement said: “We would like to stress that this matter will be taken seriously. We ask the patience and cooperation of our passengers as we further tighten the security measures being implemented in our stations. Please understand that these measures are being done to protect the safety and security of our passengers. We also want to encourage our passengers to remain vigilant and report immediately to our security personnel items, activities, and even individuals that they may find suspicious inside our trains or stations.”

For people who remember the Valentine’s Day bombings that happened on February 14, 2005, when bombs exploded almost simultaneously at a bus terminal in Davao and outside the Gaisano Mall in General Santos, and a third bomb exploded on a bus under the Ayala station of MRT 3, they know what potential grim incident was prevented by the guards at MRT 3 Cubao station on Saturday.

What is surprising is the absence of appreciation, especially on social media, for the good job done by the unsung security guards. These guards put their own lives on the line daily to protect thousands of passengers. They deserve a big thank you from all of us.

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OUTSIDE THE BOX

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F you follow the news coming from the United States, you know that there is a dedicated war on wealth and the people who own that wealth. There was a time not too long ago that the battle cry for the financial and economic system was that everyone should have an equal opportunity at being wealthier if not “wealthy.”

However, that has changed over time to be that everyone should have an equal outcome from his or her efforts. That ultimately is a bizarre and dangerous situation. The reason that it is dangerous is that the nuclear weapon of this war is the government.

In the early 1990s when the Philippines was still experiencing a massive shortage of power, there were individuals that believed the problem would never be solved. They imported literally tens of millions of pesos worth of generators of all sizes and types believing that there would be a huge and profitable market for their equipment.

While these entrepreneurs were buying home and commercial generators, the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos was doing whatever it could to mitigate the problem, including buying larger power generating barges.

Fast forward one year later and the power problem is still serious.

However, generators are flying out the door and our entrepreneurs are making money with both hands.

Since these businesses are profiting from consumer demand, should some—or even most—of their profits be taken back by the government as they benefited from increased consumer demand?

Cecilio T. Arillo

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Fast forward one year later and the power problem has been solved with enough electricity for all. Generators fill the warehouses and the entrepreneurs have suffered massive financial loses. Should the government bailout these businesses?

Wealth and income disparity is a social and economic problem.

However, the idea of “taking from the rich and giving to the poor” is also a grave concern. Does a nation truly want to both pull people up while also, likewise, pulling people down?

There is the call both in the Philippines and in the US to raise the minimum wage to a level that is considered a “living wage.” That seems to be a noble thought. Perhaps it might be an interesting idea to pay all legislators the same minimum living wage. That would certainly narrow the income disparity between representatives and senators and construction workers.

The focus though seems more to be on “wealth disparity.” In the year 2000, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison and Paul Allen were the richest people in the world. Each was a pioneer in the computer world. Bill Gates is still one of the richest people on Earth, thanks to his ownership of the corporation he started.

Famous Amazon rainforest at risk

Lourdes M. Fernandez

Ruben M. Cruz Jr. Angel R. Calso

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The war on wealth

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UMAN influences and global climate change have put the Amazon rainforest that has survived over millions of years and even through ice ages at risk of large-scale dieback— with major worldwide consequences for its capability as a global carbon dioxide sink.

A new research by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shared to Database and published in Nature Geoscience reveals a key player in shaping the resilience of the Amazon, and finds that regions with generally higher rainfall variability are more resilient to current and future climate disturbances.

However, despite this new research, the Amazon rainforest might not be able to keep up with the pace of ongoing climate change, the study shows.

“Considering the vital importance of the Amazon rainforest for our climate and biodiversity, it is astounding how much we still don’t know about its ability to adapt to changing

environments through the ages,” PIK lead author Catrin Ciemer said.

“We set to uncover a mechanism that increases the ecosystem’s resilience. It turns out that regions of the Amazon rainforest that were exposed to more variable rainfall conditions seem to be equipped with a higher ability to resist to and recover from climatic disturbances,” Ciemer said. With ongoing global warming there will probably be a higher frequency of droughts in the Amazon basin, which might increase tree mortality and fire risks.

Mapping out more vulnerable regions by combining nonlinear dynamics analysis with state-of-theart observations is still going on.

Covering about 2/3 of South America, the Amazon rainforest is the largest continuous rainforest on Earth, with an unparalleled biodiversity of plants and animals. Vast amounts of carbon are stored in the forest’s biomass, making the Amazon rainforest the most important terrestrial CO2 sink.

Based on precipitation and tree cover data in the Brazilian Amazon basin, the researchers constructed so-called potential landscapes to characterize the rainfall regimes where the ecosystems remain stable, and identify critical thresholds beyond which vegetation might switch from forest to savanna.

“The detection of this so far hidden dynamic stability behavior was mainly based on combining modern techniques of nonlinear dynamics analysis with state-of-the-art observations,” said Jürgen Kurths, coauthor and cochairman of the PIK research department for Complexity Science.

“We develop and apply advanced mathematical approaches to investigate real-world problems that have tremendous impacts on people all over the planet—the Amazon rainforest is of great relevance for global carbon and water cycles, and interacts with a number of other criti-

It is being proposed that there be a “wealth tax” to have the government confiscate a portion of accumulated wealth over a certain amount. The magic number being offered is $50 million. So, if this becomes law, a sensible person would limit his or her net worth to $49,999,999.

In 2000 Bill Gates’s net worth was $60 million. Suppose the government had said, “Bill, you are becoming too rich because your company is too profitable. Cut the price of Windows.” There would have not been any great incentive to innovate and move beyond “Windows 2000.”

Cornelius Vanderbilt, born in 1794, established a ferry service when he was 16, which he built into a nationwide steamboat business.

By the 1940s, Henry Ford was the world’s richest, selling millions of vehicles during his lifetime. In 1957, J. Paul Getty was the richest living American having opened the Middle East oil resources.

Do we want the government to decide who is too rich?

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com. Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stockmarket information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

cal elements of the Earth system,” explained coauthor Marina Hirota from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil.

“Our approach allows us to map out which regions are comparably more vulnerable to future precipitation changes,” said coauthor Ricarda Winkelmann, coleader of PIK FutureLab on “Earth Resilience in the Anthropocene.” Less “trained” regions that aren’t used to frequent changes in rainfall will be especially affected.

“Our analysis shows that in a business-as-usual greenhousegas emission scenario, a large coherent region in the Southern Amazon might be at risk of transitioning from forest to savanna,” Winklemann said.

The question is, how much change can the Amazon forest cope with? It turns out that while the Amazon is an ancient ecosystem with the ability to adapt over long time-scales, it might not be able to keep up with the pace of ongoing climate change.

Current forest policy of Brazil can make resilience obsolete: “No way to adapt to a chainsaw.”

Of course, climate change is not the only major stressor of the See “Arillo,” A7

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Opinion

My friend Nesting

Integrity based on truth

BusinessMirror

Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

Val A. Villanueva

BUSINESSWISE

A

LL of my friends, except him, call me by my second name “Val.” He called me by my first name “Mario,” because he said it was more macho and better-suited to my character.

He credited my parents for their creativity in naming me “Mario Val” since I could always switch names to remain enigmatic to girls whom I may wish to hide from, he ribbed me.

I met Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Nestor “Nesting” Aldave Espenilla Jr. in 1987, when our country was still riding high on the euphoria of having ousted a dictator. Although I was covering the stock market beat for The Philippine Star, I needed some cross-checking of data sources and a deeper understanding of the economy to make my stories solid and credible. For journalists like me, then and now, there should be no room for mistakes, and in-depth research and data validation were mandatory. Sadly, today’s newsmakers and pseudo-journalists who flood Facebook and other popular social-media platforms with misleading memes and information present the unknowing public with fake news or alternative facts.

Nesting and I hit it off the first time we met. He was the BSP’s debt analyst then. At first I visited him to help me spice up the stories I wrote.

He would oblige by teaching me to uncover a good story from cold numerical characters. My visits became frequent and we would discuss about things outside of our respective jobs.

We became friends.

After office hours, we would often have coffee in the lobby of Century Park Manila Hotel, chilling out and spending the time talking about life, from the mundane to the serious. We would celebrate simple milestones in our respective careers, such as his assignment to the BSP’s economic research and international operations office, and my becoming the business editor of Manila Times, which the Gokongwei group bought from the Roces family in 1988.

Things got busier for us when I quit the Times to become a freelance writer for different foreign publications in the early 1990s. We would crunch the numbers to come up with stories worthy of publication in Forbes, Euro Money, Business Week and the Financial Times of London.

Our meetings became less frequent as I took on other ventures,

Arillo . . .

continued from A6

Amazon rainforest. “Humans interfere on a yet more immediate level with the Amazon,” said Niklas Boers, coauthor of the study.

Large-scale forest clearance, primarily to convert land into pasture for cattle and cropland, is already a serious threat to the rainforest. Even if some regions in the Amazon are better equipped to cope with climate change due to the training effect, the current forest policies of Brazil and other countries can make any resilience capability of the rainforest obsolete. “With or without resilience to climate disturbances, there is no

but kept in touch from time to time.

I was watching the motorcade of Pope Francis when he visited the Philippines in January 2015 from my hospital bed when my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number, but instinctively answered the call. From the other line was the familiar soft, yet concerned, voice which was unmistakably Nesting’s. “Mario, I heard the sad news. Got your number from our common friend. I hope you’re ok.

Has it been 15 years already since we last talked?” It was the first call I got since I was successfully operated on for colorectal cancer, and I couldn’t help but cry. We promised to touch base.

There’s one incident that really gives me goosebumps each time I remember it. My good friend and mentor—the late Max Soliven, publisher and board chairman of The Philippine Star—and I were having a late lunch at Century Seafood Restaurant sometime in 2000, biding our time before watching Miss Saigon at the Cultural Center of the Philippines later that night. Nesting happened to be there, too, having lunch with some friends.

He approached our table and joined us for a brief chat on how the economy was doing. Max was so impressed with Nesting that he told him: “You know, my friend, you’re going to be the Central Bank governor one day.

Mark my word.”

Max’s “prophecy” came true.

Nesting’s sterling accomplishments as BSP governor speak volumes of his character, competence and commitment. But I’d rather talk about friendship untouched by time and distance. I know he had other friends who view him the way I do.

He is such a loyal, sincere, kind friend and much bigger than the office he last held, which he served with distinction and integrity.

I shall miss you my friend…until we meet again!

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at mvala.v@gmail.com

way to adapt to a chainsaw.”

Other scientists involved in the research are Catrin Ciemer, Niklas Boers, Marina Hirota, Jürgen Kurths, Finn Müller-Hansen and Rafael S. Oliveira.

The PIK is one of the leading research institutions addressing relevant questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. Natural and social scientists work closely together to generate interdisciplinary insights that provide a sound basis for decision-making for society, businesses and politics. PIK is a member of the Leibniz Association.

To reach the writer, e-mail cecilio.arillo@ gmail.com.

ALÁLAONG BAGÁ

R

EAL followers of Jesus are those who live by His word.

Formed by Him and becoming like Him, they then can be guides to others and models of goodness exhibiting integrity and truthfulness (Luke 6:39-45).

Begin with yourself HAVING underlined that they are children of the Most High and so must be loving and merciful to others like their Father (as in last Sunday’s gospel reading), Jesus proceeds next to his followers’ teacher-disciple relationship with Him. They are not above Him, but are only a work in progress trying to be like Him as their teacher. They still must fully qualify and be trained in order to be somehow a teacher to others, sharing with others things they have learned from Jesus. True followers of Jesus do not deserve His reprimand: “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I command?” (Luke 6:46).

His real disciples have a life task of listening to His words and acting on

them (Luke 8:15).

Concretely, they must be careful not to end up like a blind person trying to guide other blind persons and so together falling into a pit. Jesus must have observed in the circle of His disciples some attitudes and conduct that warrant censure, like being too critical of others and setting themselves up early on as judges pouching on the faults of their fellow beings.

Patronizingly calling someone “friend” and volunteering to improve that person, while unaware of one’s own need for obvious repair, is a type of blindness that spells untruth. Such condescending attitude deserves the charge, “You hypocrite.” Focusing on the tiniest faults of others and being blind to our own staggering imper-

Thursday, February 28, 2019 A7

fections reveals a basic lack of selfknowledge. Thus we tend to paint innocent pictures of ourselves, and view the outside world with disdain rather than with understanding and compassion, quick to judge rather than quick to forgive as the faithful disciples of Jesus are fashioned to be.

Integrity vs hypocrisy

ONE who is very critical of others but is not self-critical is accused of being a hypocrite. A hypocrite is one whose outer way of living does not conform to an authentic inner disposition, thus lacking integrity and wholeness. With examples from the natural world, Jesus illustrates His teaching. A tree is known by its fruits. And a tree brings forth fruits it is disposed to produce, according to its kind: a good tree, good fruit; a bad tree, bad fruit; a guava tree, guavas; a mango tree, mangoes. Applying the meaning of the metaphor to human beings, clearly a good person brings forth good fruits and deeds; an evil person, evil fruits.

Deeds and actions flow out of the inner dispositions of one’s heart.

Behavior is intimately tied to one’s sense of identity. Action is preceded by character. And while it is true that one can change one’s dispositions by altering one’s way of life, the point

Bloomberg Opinion

T

HE global economy may have already bottomed out, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chief Economist Jan Hatzius.

While growth remains soft, Goldman’s current activity indicator in February is slightly above the downwardly revised December and January numbers.

“Some green shoots are emerging that suggest that sequential growth

will pick up from here,” Hatzius and Sven Jari Stehn wrote in a note dated February 26. Still, the risk to Goldman’s global GDP forecast of 3.5 percent for 2019 “is probably still on the downside.”

On markets, Goldman remains positive on risk assets, although the upside is now probably lower as markets have become “more sanguine on recession.” It expects bond yields to rise, as it maintains a bearish dollar view, given a dovish Fed. Expectation for a pickup in global growth is modestly bullish on oil over the

Alálaong bagá, the schooling of the followers of Jesus aims at their integrity of character in imitation of the Teacher. There must be congruity and unity between the outer and inner aspects of their way of living.

Their fundamental identity as children of the Most High and as loved and transformed by the Savior and Teacher must define them. And they need still to fully qualify to “be like the Teacher.”

Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, from 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

Shaping the social contract for ILO’s second century Dr. Rene E. Ofreneo

LABOREM EXERCENS Continued from A1

I

N 1944, at the end of World War II, the winning allied forces were once again instrumental in the revival of the ILO. In the famous Philadelphia Declaration, the ILO reaffirmed that labor is not a commodity and that workers have basic human rights such as the freedom to associate freely and enjoy social and labor protection based on standards set by the ILO. Eventually, these labor standards became part of the tripartite Social Contract embraced by Western European governments, which pursued welfare capitalism as a counterpoise to the collectivist command economy promoted in Eastern Europe. Developing countries which joined the ILO after World War II also accepted the various labor standards developed by the ILO. The decades after World War II (1940s to 1970s) shall be remembered as the decades of economic and social stability in the countries that adhered to the ILO-inspired Social Contract.

However, the Social Contract has been eroding since the 1980s, the decade that the internationalization of industrial production became clearly prominent as a result of the increased outsourcing by the multinationals of laborintensive industrial processes in developing countries. This internationalization of industrial production was accompanied by the rise of the economic doctrine of neoliberalism that worships on the altar of unbridled free trade and preaches the policy of all-out privatization and deregulation of the economy. The

institutions associated with the post-World War II Social Contract, such as strong trade union movements, industrial peace through collective bargaining, comprehensive social protection for the working people, and insurance against unemployment and other risks, have either declined or have been under attack from rightwing policy-makers and neoliberal economists who see labor rules and institutions as “market rigidities.” The worst development: labor rights and entitlements are being rolled over or subverted by a veritable global Race to the Bottom as footloose multinational capital keeps hopping from one investment platform to another in search of cheap, malleable and nonunionized work force while countries hosting foreign investments turn a blind eye on labor abuses.

Today the biggest challenge facing the ILO is how to shape a Social Contract that can provide the economic, social and labor stability for ILO Member States in the next 100 years. It is abundantly clear that the old Social Contract is in tatters and not working in many countries.

For this pur pose, the ILO formed a Global Commission on the Future of Work headed by the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of South Africa. In their report Work for a Brighter Future (2019), the commission called on the ILO’s tripartite constituents (governments, employers and labor organizations) to “seize the moment” and “reinvigorate the social contract” by embracing a proposed “human-centered agenda for the future of work.”

Briefly, the human-centered agenda outlines the following doables for ILO Member States: n Increasing investment in people’s capabilities. The idea here is to enable people “to thrive in a carbon-neutral, digital age.”

This means widening the opportunities for lifelong learning, social protection and improvements of well-being, from birth to old age.

Gender equality measures need to be strengthened, while older workers shall be given expanded choices to be able to remain economically active. There shall be a social protection floor that provides a minimum level of protection to everyone in need. n Increasing investment in the institutions of work.

The idea here is to reaffirm and strengthen fundamental workers’ rights—collective bargaining right, living wage, health and safety, limits to working hours and so on. Additionally, there should be a “human-in-command approach” to artificial intelligence, meaning rights of workers and clients are protected and technology-related decisions are made jointly by workers and managers. n Increasing investment in decent and sustainable work.

The idea here is to develop incentive structures that promote investments advancing digital inclusion, gender equality, rural economy

Goldman sees signs global economy has bottomed out already

By Malcolm Scott

of the gospel is the importance of congruity and integrity between the inner and outer dimensions of a person; the absence of such integrity means hypocrisy. In each person is a spiritual center whose image is the heart, which further drives home the point Jesus is making. For as the hidden source of man’s speech, the heart contains the abundance or treasure the mouth draws from and makes available to the outside world.

When a person’s words spell out evil and hatred, we are sure the heart is corrupted; if from it flows out words of reconciliation and peace, we have assurance that the heart is in contact with the God of love and compassion.

next two to three months. For the remainder of the year, it sees a more bearish outlook.

The case for a pickup from the current pace is strongest in the United States as the drag from a tightening of financial conditions eases, according to Hatzius.

Goldman also sees tentative signs of a turnaround in Chinese growth. That’s in line with Bloomberg’s snapshot of early indicators of activity: Some executives remain cautious. Jamie Dimon, CEO of

Goldman reckons Europe looks like the weakest major region, “with Italy in recession, Germany close to it, and most other economies growing at only about a trend pace,” according to the note.

Goldman has pushed back its expectations for the first European Central Bank hike from late-2019 to mid-2020.

JPMorgan Chase & Co., used the bank’s annual presentation to investors to acknowledge a growing number of potential obstacles to the economy that carried his firm to record profits last year.

“We are prepared for a recession,” Dimon said. “We’re not predicting a recession. We’re simply pointing out that we are very conscious about the risks we bear.”

Goldman reckons Europe looks like the weakest major region, “with Italy in recession, Germany close to it, and most other economies grow-

and social equity.

Understandably, the commission calls on governments to develop national development strategies around the above human-centered development agenda. This is the Commission’s vision of the Social Contract for the 21st century.

The problem, however, is that the commission’s report does not touch certain realities in the labor market today. First and foremost, the report does not say much about the global Race to the Bottom, which is the principal reason for the erosion of the old Social Contract.

Arresting this Race to the Bottom requires reforms in the existing architecture of globalization. For example, should the World Trade Organization be transformed into an institution to promote fair trade rules, not simplistic one-sided allfor-one trade liberalization measures? After all, the preamble of the WTO is quite explicit on the importance of the principle of special-and-differential treatment that should be given to developing countries because not all countries are made equal.

Second, the commission’s report is still overwhelmingly Euro-centric, focused as it is on the formal employer-employee relations that predominate in the advanced or developed countries. The huge informal economy is virtually ignored.

The informal workers account for two-thirds of the labor force in Southeast Asia and as much as 80 percent in South Asia. If ILO wants to be a labor organization for all, therefore, it should develop new structures and new systems that give the informals a voice and proportional representation in the ILC. This means the ILO should graduate from the old tripartite system in favor of a more representative multipartite system where all major segments of the labor force are given recognition.

ing at only about a trend pace,” according to the note. Goldman has pushed back its expectations for the first European Central Bank hike from late-2019 to mid-2020.

As for the Fed, Goldman says the prospects for moves in the next six to nine months have fallen and an increase toward the end of the year would require a rebound in both growth and core inflation. It expects an announcement at the March meeting that the Fed will end balance sheet runoff later this year, probably in September.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Thursday, February 28, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Philreca bid to make users pay RPT scored

A

By Jonathan L. Mayuga

@jonlmayuga

NETWORK of power consumers, civilsociety organizations and advocacy groups engaged in issues of energy and electricity on Wednesday slammed the proposal of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association Inc. (Philreca) to add real property tax (RPT) to the monthly bill of consumers nationwide.

Philreca has filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to initiate and promulgate rules on its proposal to pass on RPT charges to member consumers.

The petition follows the Supreme Court ruling that transformers, electric posts, transmission lines, insulators and electric meters are not exempted from RPT under the local government units (LGUs).

“Local governments should not allow electric cooperatives [ECs] to

pass on RPT to their constituents, indirectly taxing the citizens for the property of ECs, which should be tax-exempt in principle in the first place,” Power for People Convenor and Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) Executive Director Gerry Arances said in a statement.

“Voters should take note,” he said, of who among the politicians “support this proposal, especially party-list groups who represent

“Local governments should not allow electric cooperatives to pass on RPT to their constituents, indirectly taxing the citizens for the property of ECs, which should be tax-exempt in principle in the first place.”—Arances

interests other than that of the consumers.”

For his part, Dr. Clint Pacana, convenor of the Mindanao Coalition of Power Consumers (MCPC), president of the Institute for Power Sector Economics and one of the founders of the Power for People Coalition, said, “In previous years, consumers have always been one with ECs to be recognized as taxexempt just like any other cooperative, since they are supposed to be people’s enterprises owned by the consumers they serve.”

See “Philreca,” A2

DTI: Firms fleeing trade war relocate to PHL Continued from A1

expensive to be a manufacturing location. Essentially, if you look at the so-called US-China trade war, [it] was incidental because, really, China was getting expensive,” Perlada explained.

He added two more American firms with manufacturing plants in China are looking at the Philippines as a possible safe haven should the trade conflict further intensify.

Ever Win, based in California, is a solutions provider to mobile communications and consumer electronics firms, according to its web site. It has partnered with leading technology companies,

such as Apple, Hitachi High-Tech, Fulton Innovation, Qualcomm and Texas Instruments, among others, in the delivery of its products and services.

Asked whether Ever Win has factored in the possible changes in the Philippine corporate tax and incentives regime, Perlada said the firm took this into consideration before infusing capital into the country.

“They have factored that in, [and it is still more competitive] compared to what they are actually experiencing in China. I think it was a very deliberate decision on their part to do that,” Perlada pointed out.

One concern commonly raised

NORTHEAST MONSOON AFFECTING THE WHOLE COUNTRY as of 4:00 pm - February 27, 2019

by investors before setting up shop in the Philippines is the life of tax perks, which could be overhauled under the proposed Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities bill, shortly known as the “Trabaho” bill.

The Trabaho bill will gradually trim corporate income tax to 20 percent in 2029 from 30 percent.

However, it will remove incentives, such as the 5 percent tax on gross income paid by economic zone firms in lieu of all local and national taxes, deemed crucial by investors for staying here.

The bill has hurdled third and final reading in the House of Representatives, but is hanging in the Senate.

AT the launch of the UST-Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Research Award for the Humanities are (seated, from left) D. Edgard A. Cabangon and Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, OP; (standing, from left) Prof. Giovanna V. Fontanilla; Asst. Prof. Joselito D. de los Reyes; T. Anthony C. Cabangon; Rev. Fr. Jesus M. Miranda Jr., OP; D. Edward A. Cabangon; Sharon Tan; Joel Pablo Salud; Levine Andro H. Lao; Paul A. Castillo; and Prof. Augusto Antonio A. Aguila.

ALC RESEARCH AWARD FOR HUMANITIES AT UST

T

HE University of Santo Tomas is expected to further strengthen and continue its distinguished tradition in the field of the humanities with the support from the family of Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, the late Philippine ambassador to Laos.

“ALC” or “Amba,” as the friends of the older Cabangon Chua fondly called him, was known to have been a devoted patron of the arts and a supporter of the Church.

On February 26, sons of the eminent philanthropist formally established the UST-Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Research Award for the Humanities in honor of their father. It was done through the signing of a memorandum of agreement with the University and the UST Research and Endowment Foundation Inc. (UST Refi).

“I know that our father is smiling right now because we are continuing his noble legacy of supporting and honoring our Filipino artists,” said son and ALC Group of Companies Chairman D. Edgard A.

Cabangon, who headed the Cabangon family in the affair. “It is also opportune that we are having this program with UST because our father was also very close to the Church.”

The Father Rector, Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, OP, signed the agreement for the University, while the director of the Office for Grants, Endowments and Partnerships in Higher Education, Rev. Fr. Jesus M. Miranda Jr., OP, represented the UST Refi.

“Today, in this signing of the memorandum of agreement between the University of Santo Tomas and the ALC Group of Companies, we are not only supporting, but also celebrating the Humanities,” the Father Rector said. “This partnership will push forth the arts’ noble mission.”

Also present at the event were Sharon Tan; B usiness M irror and Philippines Graphic Publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon; ALC Realty Corp. and ALC Industrial and Commercial Development Corp. President D. Edward A. Cabangon; and

Philippines Graphic Editor in Chief Joel Pablo Salud.

Research award

STARTING Academic Year 20192020, the UST-Amb. Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Research Award for the Humanities will annually have two recipient researchers. Their research subject must be one notable Thomasian artist who has contributed to the rich landscape of Philippine culture.

Each chosen researcher will receive a total of P150,000 for the conduct of their work, which must be completed within one year. Upon the completion of their research, they will have to present it as a public lecture in the University, preferably during the National Literature Month of April or the National Heritage Month of May. The full guidelines will soon be released by the lead unit for this program, the UST Department of Literature, chaired by Asst. Prof. Joselito de los Reyes, PhD.

Subway. . .

Continued from A1

“They will be segmented, but we will publish the project for bidding earliest before the end of the year. We will package each contract to have three or two stations each,” he said.

Appeal to successors

AS the country’s first-ever underground railway system in the Philippines finally broke ground on Wednesday, Malacañang appealed to succeeding administrations to continue what was started by the Duterte administration.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said the Office of the President will keep a close eye on the progress of the subway project until it is completed.

“The Metro Manila Subway has been dubbed as the project of the century as it is considered a major transformational project in mass transport in the country. Once it becomes serviceable, and with a speed of 80 kph, the riding public can travel from Quezon City to Naia Terminal 3 in 30 minutes. There will be 15 stations, and the first three stations will be operational in 2022, according to the DOTr,” Panelo said in a statement.

“With this foundation, we request succeeding administrations to exert the same effort until the railway system is fully completed.”

Malacañang’s appeal comes a week after constructors expressed a desire for passage of a law institutionalizing the “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program to ensure projects listed under it will be financed and completed by post-Duterte administrations.

Trade Undersecretary Rowel S. Barba said the government and constructors have approved a road map for the construction industry, with a recommendation for a law institutionalizing the BBB program.

This, he said, will secure funding and prioritization for transportation and public works projects listed under Duterte’s ambitious program.

Through the BBB program, the Duterte administration plans to usher in the “the golden age of infrastructure” as it aims to spend up to P9 trillion to roll out 75 flagship infrastructure projects.

GRACING the groundbreaking for the Metro Manila Subway Project are (from left) Sen. JV Ejercito, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim, PNR General Manager Jun Magno and DOTr Undersecretary for Railways Timothy John R. Batan. NONOY LACZA

3 initial stations

WEDNESDAY saw the start of construction of the first phase of the subway system, with three initial stations to be built: Quirino Highway, Tandang Sora and North Avenue.

It also involves building the facility’s depot in Valenzuela City, and the future Philippine Railway Institute. All these should be done by 2022.

“This pioneering project will be a game changer in the traffic situation in Metro Manila.

Japan will let no stumbling block hinder us from our commitment to the Build, Build, Build program of the Philippine government,”Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda noted.

The first subway contract was awarded to the consortium of Shimizu Corp., Fujita Corp., Takenaka Civil Engineering Co. Ltd. and EEI Corp.

The whole program will be funded by an official development assistance package from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The subway system will span 36 kilometers, with 15 stations, crossing seven local governments, passing three of Metro Manila’s business districts, and connecting all these to Manila’s main airport

in almost 30 minutes or less. Batan said the subway is the most expansive and most interconnected line that the Philippines will have once completed. It will be interconnected to the Metro Rail Transit Lines 3 and 7, and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1 via the common station.

It will also be linked to the LRT 2 in Anonas, Quezon City. It is designed to have a physical through-run into the future Philippine National Railways Calamba via FTI Station—meaning, one can board the subway in Valenzuela, then go to Calamba, Laguna, without changing trains.

The subway is designed to carry 1.5 million people per day through the initial 19 train sets configured with eight cars each. It will boast a speed of 80 kilometers per hour to cross multiple cities in just half an hour.

“There’s room to buy more trains in the future.

The stations are set already to accommodate 10-car trains, so we can expand to that in the future,” Batan noted. Tugade said his group also plans to bid out the operations and maintenance component of the subway system before the construction of the first phase has been completed.

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 28, 2019

B1

Ayala Land to raise ₧45B in debt and bank loans

P

By VG Cabuag

@villygc

ROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. (Ali) on Wednesday said it will raise P45 billion from the debt market and bank loans this year to service its maturing loans and finance its general corporate requirements.

March 13, 2019,” it said.

It also approved an employeestock ownership plan granting its qualified executives stock options of up to 14.43 million common shares at a subscription price of P44.49 per share.

The price is the average of its common shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange over the last 30 trading days as of February 26, 2019, it said.

Ayala Land earlier said it will spend P130 billion in capital expenditures this year, an 18-percent increase from last year’s P110 billion in actual spending.

Augusto Cesar D. Bengzon, CFO and treasurer of Ali, said 41 percent of this year’s capex will be for residential development, 23 percent for its leasing projects, 15 percent for land acquisition and the remaining will be for general corporate purposes.

Last year the company launched P139.4 billion worth of residential and office projects. Reservation sales reached P141.9 billion, 16 percent higher than the P122 billion attained

the previous year, driven by strong demand from local and overseas Filipinos which accounted for 82 percent of total sales. Net booked sales grew 14 percent to P110.8 billion, from P96.9 billion the previous year.

Revenues from the sale of residential lots and units rose 18 percent to P94.6 billion in 2018, while revenues from the sale of office spaces reached P11 billion, 16 percent higher and driven by bookings from One Vertis Plaza in Vertis North, Quezon City, and The Stiles Enterprise Plaza in Circuit Makati.

The company opened three new malls in 2018, namely Circuit Mall in Makati with 52,000 square meters of gross leasable area, Capitol Central Mall in Bacolod with 67,000 sq m and One Bonifacio High Street in Taguig with 23,000 sq m. This brings the total gross leasing area of shopping centers to 1.9 million sq m at the end of 2018.

Revenues from shopping centers reached P19.9 billion last year, 13 percent higher than a year ago.

In its disclosure, the company said its board has approved the three-year shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission of up to P50 billion in debt securities.

From the amount, the country’s second-largest property developer will immediately use P16 billion worth of retail bonds that it will also list at the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx).

It will also enroll P4 billion in qualified buyer notes with the PDEx, a debt exempt from registration with

the regulators. The remaining P25 billion will come from bilateral term loans, it said.

The company’s board also approved the declaration of dividends of P0.26 per outstanding common share.

“This first-half regular cash dividends reflect a 3-percent increase from last year’s first-half dividend per share of P0.252. The cash dividend will be payable on March 29, 2019, to stockholders of common shares as of record date

PXP awaits govt move on moratorium over SC 72

MVP group interested in Medical City

P

XP Energy Corp. continues to wait for the government’s next move after it asked the Department of Energy (DOE) to lift the moratorium on exploration and drilling works in Recto Bank under Service Contract (SC) 72.

“I understand the DOE has written the Department of Foreign Affairs because clearly it involves the relationship with China. I believe that’s where it is. We have not officially been advised what is the next step for us. All I know is we have written the DOE…. The DOE consults the DFA. What the DFA’s response is to the DOE, we don’t know, yet,” PXP Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

PXP Energy holds a 78.98-percent controlling interest in UK-based Forum Energy Plc., which has a 70-percent stake in SC 72, an oil-and-gasexploration permit covering the Sampaguita natural-gas prospect in the Reed Bank, to the west of Palawan.

In December last year, PXP asked the DOE to lift the force majeure via a letter, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and China over cooperation in the West Philippine Sea. Pangilinan is hoping the MoU for the joint exploration in the South China Sea “could lead to some positive steps we can take in respect of the work program the group has presented to the previous government in respect of the exploration and development work.”

PXP and China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) used to discuss a possible joint exploration of SC 72 to develop a part of the Reed Bank. However, talks did not prosper then after the Philippine government declared force majeure.

Even CNOOC remains quiet, Pangilinan said. “Radio silence on their part. I’m just assuming they have not gotten permission from their government. We tried to reach out to them several weeks ago.”

Once the moratorium is lifted, PXP will proceed to drill two wells within a period of 20 months at an estimated cost of $60 million. PXP is hoping exploration activities under SC 72 will yield positive results. Lenie Lectura

By Lenie Lectura @llectura

T

HE group of Manuel V. Pangilinan may yet acquire two more hospitals in a bid to scale-up its footprint in the healthcare industry.

This developed after Pangilinan expressed interest to take a look at The Medical City (TMC), which is under intra-corporate battle for ownership control, and Bethany Hospital Inc. in San Fernando City, La Union.

“Medical City is in the middle of a serious legal battle. So, we have to wait for the outcome. We remain interested in Medical City,” said Pangilinan, chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).

“We are also looking at several hospitals in Mindanao, like the one in Butuan,” he added.

Pangilinan said he has approached both camps of former Health Secretary Alfredo Bengzon and his nephew, Jose “Eckie” Gonzales, to relay his interest in one of the country’s most established health-care institutions.

“Yes, to both of them. I know Eckie. I’ve known him since 1977 in Hong Kong. He is the son of the former consul general in HK, the sis-

ter of Dr. Bengzon. Dr. Bengzon and I were colleagues in Ateneo. When I was in the board, he was the dean of the graduate school or professional schools. Of course, he attended board meetings. I’ve known him for quite sometime,” Pangilinan said.

In November last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Gonzales and his foreign partners had violated 3 sections in the Securities Regulation Code.

The SEC said Gonzales group failed to notify the commission of its significant acquisition of stock in Professional Services Inc. (PSI) and TMC, which Gonzales and Bengzon have been fighting over.

The SEC also noted the Gonzales group acquired a significant percentage of PSI through a series of transactions concealed from the company’s board of directors and PSI shareholders.

The SEC also said the Gonzales group failed to execute mandatory tender offers required when a group acquires control of a company.

In a report, Gonzales and his partners said they would contest the SEC’s findings.

In September last year, Gonzales’s faction installed him as TMC's

Acer to grow shipments by 10% this year, thanks to gaming computers

By Elijah Felice E. Rosales @alyasjah

E

LECTRONICS giant Acer is expecting to grow shipments by 10 percent this year on the back of an accelerating demand for gaming computers.

“Acer captured almost 20 percent [growth] in gaming, [and] the market share is actually 29 percent in 2018,” Acer Philippines Sales and Marketing Director Sue Cashmere Ong-Lim recently told reporters.

Acer is currently the second leading personal computer (PC) brand for gaming last year, trailing leader Asus that had a market share of 31 percent. However, Acer is still the top dog for the 10th straight year in the overall Philippine PC market.

Figures from intelligence firm International Data Corp. (IDC) reported the Philippines last year shipped 2.45 million PC units, of which 20 percent, or 490,000 units, were accounted for by Acer.

“We are foreseeing growth for Acer. We

are projecting maybe 10 percent [of growth in shipments this year],” Lim said.

In 2018, Acer’s shipments expanded 14 percent largely due to a contract with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the supply of PC units to public schools.

Lim said hundreds of public elementary and high schools have no computer laboratories, and the DepEd is beginning to fill in that gap. With an objective of one computer is to one student, Acer is trying to penetrate the public schools with their tablets and computers, she said.

The electronics multinational has yet to ink another contract with the DepEd, but Lim is optimistic the government will bid another set of PC requirements for public schools.

Acer’s operations comprise of 60 percent on consumer PCs, 30 percent on commercial computers and 10 percent on gaming units, Lim said. For the 10th straight year, Acer was hailed as the industry leader for PC with a market share of 20 percent, followed by Lenovo with 14 percent, HP 12 percent, Asus 11 percent and Dell 10 percent.

chairman and CEO, removing Bengzon from the company’s leadership.

The Gonzales group alleged Bengzon was legally voted out of management at the hospital for costly mistakes involving The Medical City’s expansion in Guam.

His group was also able to obtain an injunction from a Pasig Court to effectively stop the Bengzon group from challenging their control over the hospital.

Pangilinan said his group would want the dispute settled first before he makes any move. “We’re just bystanders. It’s a very interesting situation. For whatever reason and by whatever means, I hope it is settled.”

He added that his group may also consider to buy the foreign stake. He did not comment on the tender offer. “Clearly, that defect right, to the extent there was, the argument is that Eckie and Clarmont were partners—parties in interest of more than 35 percent.

Then there are concerned parties.

You breach the 35-percent rule, therefore you’re obligated to bid for the balance at the best price. Does that, by itself, cure the defects and effects? The other party says no; it’s more than that,” Pangilinan said.

Grab partners with PNP for safer roads

G

RAB Philippines has strengthened its partnership with the Philippine National Police (PNP), after donating the country’s first trooper-shooting simulator, a technology that essentially helps train law enforcers on quick response to real and imminent threats on the road.

Brian P. Cu, the company’s president, said the shooting simulator will help the PNP Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) be equipped with the right training and equipment necessary to enforce road safety and security along the major thoroughfares in the Philippines.

He said the facility will provide police personnel “with a sense of split-second life or death judgment on the use of force when responding to real and imminent threats that cannot be provided by training from normal shooting ranges.”

“As we continue to grow and expand our services, there is a need for us to constantly set a high bar for transportation safety standards in the transport network vehicle service industry,” Cu said. He noted that his collaboration with the police is an extension of Grab’s safety commitment cemented in 2018, when it launched its Safer Everyday Roadmap. Lorenz S. Marasigan

PAL launches massive seat sale to mark 78th year as Asia’s oldest operating airline

By Recto Mercene @rectomercene

F

OUR-STAR carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has launched its biggest sale promotion for the year covering 2 million seats in celebration of its 78th anniversary as Asia’s longest-operating airline.

The sale features fares as low as P78 for domestic flights and $78 for international flights from March 16 till end-December this year. Booking dates are from March 1 to 10, 2019.

The record sale campaign signals the determination of the four-star rated flag carrier to woo more first-time travelers, as well as seasoned flyers to “fly the flag” and enjoy PAL’s full-service travel experience, which offers free inflight meals, free checkedin baggage and free inflight entertainment.

The seat sale seeks to fill up the flights across PAL’s growing network of over 30 domestic and over 40 international destinations. The airline has recently announced opening more nonstop flights in the Asian region—Hanoi, Phnom Penh and New Delhi.

Meanwhile, PAL Holdings Inc., the operator of legacy carrier PAL, is still weighing on the prospect of conducting a so-called re-initial public offering (re-IPO) at the context of the need for an official order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on such an exercise.

Jaime J. Bautista, the company’s president, said his group is still evaluating if there is a need for the conduct of a re-IPO, noting that initiating this exercise may also help the company raise funds.

“We will study…if we will be required. For existing companies, we can stay in the minimum of 10 percent [public float],” he said.

Bautista added that a decision will be made on whether to conduct the re-IPO in light of the recent share acquisition made by Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways in the Filipino airline.

“If the SEC will require it to be mandatory by the end of the year, [then we will do it],” he said.

The Japanese carrier is investing $95 million into PAL Holdings Inc. to take a 9.5-percent minority stake in the Filipino carrier through the acquisition of the shares from Trustmark Holdings Corp. of billionaire Lucio C. Tan. It is expected to be completed within this quarter.

In a related development, PAL is also introducing a new Premium Economy experience that enables travelers to avail themselves of a high-value inflight alternative to

full business class or mainstream economy-class service.

Premium Economy is one of a series of product innovations being rolled out by the airline in an ongoing program to obtain a five-star quality service rating.

The PAL Premium Economy product features a complete international travel experience from priority check-in to extracomfortable premium seats and an enhanced meal service in a private cabin onboard Airbus A350 and selected A330 aircraft.

Domestic passengers may also avail themselves of upgraded service and extra-legroom seats on flights operated by A330, A321 Classic and Bombardier Q400 Next Generation aircraft.

Bautista said, “With the new Premium Economy experience, we are inviting our customers to enjoy an elevated level of comfort and convenience. This service innovation will build on the foundation of our solid network of international and domestic routes, which, in turn, are made possible by a fleet of versatile, advanced and customer-friendly airplanes.”

PAL Marketing Vice President Ria C. Domingo said, “PAL’s new Premium Economy Class is a smart choice that provides the best value for passengers looking for a more comfortable flight, whether they’re traveling for business or leisure. Our goal is to address the needs of all sectors of the aviation market, and this product offers the best of both worlds—a leveled-up experiencefrom economy class with a touch of comfort and convenience from business class.”

The new Premium Economy will be available on flights to and from New York, London and Toronto via the Airbus A350 and to and from Honolulu, Auckland, Melbourne, Tokyo from both Haneda and Narita, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong via the A330 Tri-Class aircraft.

The new Premium Economy will be available on flights to and from various domestic destinations utilizing the Bombardier Q400NG, Airbus A321 Classic and A330 Bi-Class aircraft.

Other recent or ongoing PAL service enhancements include an upgraded Business Class experience for long-haul flights, the introduction of nonstop flights to Auckland, New York and Toronto, the launch of new routes to Sapporo, San Vicente (El Nido), Antique, Hanoi, Phnom Penh and New Delhi, and the shift to a more advanced IT computer system powered by Amadeus for passenger transactions. With Lorenz S. Marasigan

Landmasters declares 20c per share dividend

C

EBU Landmasters Inc. (CLI), the leading land developer in the Visayas and Mindanao area, announced on Tuesday that its board of directors approved the declaration of cash dividends amounting to 20 centavos per share.

Shareholders on record as of March 26, 2019, will be entitled to such dividends and will be paid on April 24, 2019.

“Our board is very pleased to declare its regular cash dividend of P0.20 per share. It is a testament to CLI’s highest commitment to both its customers and shareholders.” CLI Chairman and CEO Jose R. Soberano III said.

Earlier this year, Cebu Landmasters announced its sales take-up sig-

nificantly soared by 86 percent, to P8.54 billion net from P4.58 billion last year. “The increase was brought about by land acquisition and project developments funded through proceeds from our initial public offering,” Soberano said.

The company continues to ramp up its office and commercial segments to contribute 10 percent to total revenue by 2023. For this year, CLI is set to complete the Baseline Center and Latitude Corporate Center with a combined leasable area of 22,260 square meters.

In 2018 the company declared P0.15 per share as cash dividends.

To date, CLI has a total of 58 projects in different stages of development.

B2

Companies BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 28, 2019

PSE STOCK QUOTATIONS

February 27, 2019

Net Foreign Stocks Bid Ask Open High Low Close Volume Value Trade (Peso) Buy (Sell) FINANCIALS

ASIA UNITED 59 59.35 59 59 59 59 500 29500 29500 BDO UNIBANK 133 133.5 132.3 134.7 131 133.5 5753770 770331221 159870548 BANK PH ISLANDS 86.25 86.5 85.05 87.2 84.8 86.5 1462120 126305348 -11902770.5 CHINABANK 27.55 27.6 27.65 27.65 27.5 27.55 61600 1699455 EAST WEST BANK 12.76 12.78 12.88 13 12.76 12.78 210400 2704110 -1290900 METROBANK 77.5 78 78.9 80 77.4 77.5 3694930 290373399 -96530668.5 PB BANK 13.94 14 13.94 13.94 13.94 13.94 10400 144976 -69700 PHIL NATL BANK 51 51.3 51.35 52.5 50.65 51.3 824160 42614600.5 16604115.5 PSBANK 59.5 59.8 59.3 59.5 59.25 59.5 1890 112362.5 RCBC 26.6 26.75 26.8 26.9 26.55 26.6 18300 488840 -2690 SECURITY BANK 171.8 172.2 173.3 173.3 170.5 171.8 221820 38135732 -111421 UNION BANK 62 63 61.8 63.5 61.7 63 15620 974997 3503.5 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.41 1.44 1.45 1.45 1.45 1.45 25000 36250 BDO LEASING 2.25 2.26 2.29 2.29 2.25 2.25 25000 57090 COL FINANCIAL 18 18.1 18.12 18.12 18.1 18.1 5700 103174 FIRST ABACUS 0.6 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 0.63 37000 23310 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.36 4.48 4.39 4.48 4.36 4.48 50000 218200 MEDCO HLDG 0.465 0.475 0.465 0.465 0.465 0.465 10000 4650 MANULIFE 800 810 800 800 800 800 700 560000 NTL REINSURANCE 1.04 1.05 1.01 1.05 1.01 1.05 777000 807820 -37350 PHIL STOCK EXCH 184.1 185 185 185 185 185 550 101750 SUN LIFE 1820 1840 1820 1820 1820 1820 260 473200

INDUSTRIAL ALSONS CONS 1.51 1.52 1.48 1.52 1.47 1.52 880000 1307450 457170 ABOITIZ POWER 35.95 36.2 36.95 37 35.8 35.95 816200 29483305 -11918225 BASIC ENERGY 0.24 0.245 0.248 0.248 0.238 0.245 5540000 1334760 FIRST GEN 21.25 21.3 21.1 21.3 21 21.25 1121300 23799005 19696400 FIRST PHIL HLDG 74.7 74.85 75 75.4 74.4 74.7 66710 4991176 -2163832.5 MERALCO 375.4 379 375.6 379 371 379 132180 49804608 23443286 MANILA WATER 26.95 27.05 26.9 27.05 26.85 27.05 1220500 32954470 434830 PETRON 6.67 6.74 6.86 6.87 6.67 6.67 10999000 74106965 24501470 PETROENERGY 3.8 3.83 3.8 3.84 3.8 3.82 18000 68500 PHINMA ENERGY 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.33 1.31 1.32 5935000 7840360 -653400 PHX PETROLEUM 11.7 11.88 12 12.2 11.7 11.88 411500 4903418 23960 PILIPINAS SHELL 47.5 47.55 47.95 48.1 47.45 47.5 418400 19909820 -7642095 SPC POWER 6.36 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.35 6.4 209500 1339759 AGRINURTURE 16 16.2 16.68 16.7 16 16.2 877900 14432976 4678186 CNTRL AZUCARERA 16.52 16.98 16.62 17 16.5 16.96 19000 314436 CENTURY FOOD 15.96 16 16.02 16.5 16 16 467400 7505718 61672 DEL MONTE 6.39 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.38 6.5 35000 224308 12800 DNL INDUS 11.68 11.7 11.52 11.78 11.5 11.7 3972900 46269142 -15956816 EMPERADOR 7.54 7.56 7.52 7.56 7.52 7.54 40500 305639 61155 SMC FOODANDBEV 100 100.5 103.7 103.7 99.55 100.5 1045520 105231482 -38744095.5 ALLIANCE SELECT 1.05 1.06 1.05 1.07 1.04 1.06 1240000 1304930 31460 GINEBRA 26.1 26.8 26.1 26.95 26.1 26.5 3100 82195 JOLLIBEE 308 308.2 314 314 308 308 1303210 403685414 -73354270 LIBERTY FLOUR 52 55 55 55 55 55 110 6050 MACAY HLDG 10.68 11 11.4 11.78 10.68 10.68 53200 592156 11000 MAXS GROUP 12.3 12.38 12.18 12.44 12.18 12.28 166700 2060634 511924 MG HLDG 0.2 0.205 0.201 0.201 0.2 0.2 1610000 322370 PEPSI COLA 1.43 1.45 1.43 1.5 1.4 1.43 12995000 18758010 -804900 SHAKEYS PIZZA 12.46 12.5 12.5 12.5 12.44 12.46 253800 3162790 114724 ROXAS AND CO 1.87 1.89 1.89 1.89 1.89 1.89 40000 75600 RFM CORP 4.71 4.72 4.71 4.71 4.71 4.71 1000 4710 ROXAS HLDG 2.7 2.82 2.79 2.79 2.79 2.79 2000 5580 SWIFT FOODS 0.131 0.132 0.13 0.138 0.13 0.132 180000 23670 10550 UNIV ROBINA 145.1 145.7 149 149 145.1 145.1 862720 125670220 37419368 VITARICH 1.68 1.69 1.69 1.7 1.66 1.68 2379000 4003530 -278840 VICTORIAS 2.7 2.73 2.79 2.79 2.64 2.7 3068000 8282790 8029800 CONCRETE A 65.65 73 65.5 72 65.5 72 20 1375 CEMEX HLDG 2.43 2.46 2.5 2.53 2.4 2.46 7963000 19575460 3332120 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.06 6.35 6.08 6.35 6.05 6.35 15300 92841 EAGLE CEMENT 15.9 16 16 16 15.9 16 95800 1527672 546240 EEI CORP 9 9.01 9.79 10 8.99 9.01 13611400 126,198,321( 19,507,322.9997) HOLCIM 9.44 9.48 9.44 9.48 9.34 9.44 3147500 29722398 16000134 MEGAWIDE 19.64 19.66 19.8 20.5 19.5 19.66 9633400 191920848 20716429 PHINMA 8.89 9.25 8.89 9 8.88 8.89 4600 40937 TKC METALS 1.05 1.08 1.1 1.13 1.02 1.08 1647000 1754030 VULCAN INDL 1.27 1.28 1.36 1.36 1.28 1.28 4555000 5963380 4580 CHEMPHIL 122 128 128 128 128 128 20 2560 CROWN ASIA 1.94 1.95 1.9 1.94 1.88 1.94 377000 724890 496880 EUROMED 1.66 1.82 1.83 1.83 1.66 1.66 17000 30840 LMG CHEMICALS 4.39 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.4 8000 35200 MABUHAY VINYL 3.52 3.69 3.69 3.69 3.69 3.69 1000 3690 PRYCE CORP 5.97 6 6 6.05 5.97 5.97 254700 1522637 -323144 CONCEPCION 40.1 42 39.2 42 39.2 42 67400 2702315 128530 GREENERGY 3.5 3.51 3.43 3.55 3.39 3.51 28658000 99930720 -10830 INTEGRATED MICR 13.04 13.06 12.6 13.04 12.6 13.04 2897400 37560938 21814278 IONICS 1.71 1.73 1.79 1.79 1.73 1.73 50000 87170 PANASONIC 5.92 6.16 5.9 5.92 5.9 5.92 6200 36644 SFA SEMICON 1.37 1.39 1.39 1.39 1.36 1.39 21000 28960 CIRTEK HLDG 29.5 29.9 29.9 29.9 29.6 29.9 103800 3096135 -438790

HOLDING & FRIMS ABACORE CAPITAL 0.7 0.71 0.73 0.73 0.7 0.7 7408000 5250630 -55150 ASIABEST GROUP 21.5 21.9 22.5 22.8 21.25 21.9 70000 1499710 2130 AYALA CORP 936 941.5 945 945 931 941.5 182310 170964205 -15393445 ABOITIZ EQUITY 62.65 63 63.8 64.2 62.5 63 994720 62731084 -33044355 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 13.98 14.04 14.22 14.24 13.94 13.98 11483700 161076182 -23693200 ANSCOR 6.53 6.6 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.6 31500 205946 102050 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 0.79 0.81 0.78 0.82 0.78 0.81 60000 47780 ATN HLDG A 1.4 1.41 1.39 1.41 1.39 1.41 2170000 3040450 ATN HLDG B 1.41 1.42 1.4 1.43 1.4 1.42 1235000 1753230 915020 COSCO CAPITAL 7.85 7.86 7.87 7.88 7.82 7.85 2666900 20938437 -827272 DMCI HLDG 12.1 12.28 12.4 12.4 12.06 12.1 4799500 58151862 -32529646 FILINVEST DEV 13.76 13.8 13.74 14 13.72 13.8 613600 8509308 -174340 FJ PRINCE A 4.5 5.7 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.2 100000 420000 FORUM PACIFIC 0.233 0.239 0.234 0.234 0.233 0.233 560000 130530 GT CAPITAL 955 965 999 1015 953.5 955 106680 102654740 -54906245 HOUSE OF INV 6.25 6.31 6.4 6.49 6.26 6.26 82600 526119 JG SUMMIT 67.9 68 69.5 69.75 67.05 68 3427070 234294101 49523633.5 KEPPEL HLDG A 4.71 5.56 5.56 5.56 5.56 5.56 100 556 LODESTAR 0.58 0.6 0.6 0.61 0.57 0.6 750000 434630 LOPEZ HLDG 5.18 5.2 5.28 5.3 5.16 5.2 1461400 7653352 -809061 LT GROUP 15.36 15.4 15.7 15.7 15.4 15.4 1072700 16764506 -10839964 MABUHAY HLDG 0.56 0.57 0.57 0.57 0.56 0.57 378000 212070 METRO PAC INV 4.87 4.88 4.89 4.89 4.85 4.87 4801000 23343820 -4807320 PACIFICA 0.04 0.041 0.041 0.041 0.04 0.041 35700000 1444200 PRIME ORION 2.96 2.97 3.03 3.03 2.93 2.97 2573000 7641110 11400 PRIME MEDIA 1.18 1.2 1.18 1.18 1.18 1.18 65000 76700 REPUBLIC GLASS 2.6 2.76 2.61 2.77 2.61 2.77 4000 10760 SOLID GROUP 1.34 1.39 1.37 1.39 1.36 1.39 53000 72430 SYNERGY GRID 449 459.8 449 450 449 449 130 58450 SM INVESTMENTS 966 968.5 970.5 980 960 966 231270 223806840 -138155640 SAN MIGUEL CORP 172 173 179.6 179.6 172 172 628630 109514360 -8240855 SOC RESOURCES 0.78 0.8 0.78 0.78 0.78 0.78 29000 22620 TOP FRONTIER 280 284 280 284.8 279 284 5220 1483716 5600 WELLEX INDUS 0.244 0.249 0.25 0.25 0.243 0.245 4180000 1029490 ZEUS HLDG 0.34 0.345 0.375 0.38 0.34 0.34 35110000 12646200 313400

PROPERTY ARTHALAND CORP 0.86 0.89 0.9 0.9 0.86 0.86 2446000 2139380 -187500 ANCHOR LAND 10.02 10.48 10.48 10.48 10.48 10.48 2000 20960 AYALA LAND 44.5 44.65 44.65 44.9 44.15 44.65 8828100 392804045 47840955 ARANETA PROP 1.85 1.95 1.94 1.95 1.94 1.95 19000 36890 BELLE CORP 2.54 2.55 2.61 2.61 2.54 2.55 901000 2298590 509659.9998 A BROWN 0.79 0.8 0.81 0.81 0.8 0.8 1482000 1188100 16000 CITYLAND DEVT 0.9 0.92 0.91 0.91 0.9 0.9 125000 113330 CROWN EQUITIES 0.248 0.249 0.255 0.265 0.249 0.249 62150000 16041700 -3319800 CEBU HLDG 6.5 6.7 6.6 6.7 6.6 6.7 37500 250393 195327 CEB LANDMASTERS 4.33 4.34 4.31 4.34 4.28 4.34 310000 1338280 60570 CENTURY PROP 0.5 0.51 0.5 0.52 0.5 0.5 8534000 4327400 -30100 CYBER BAY 0.435 0.44 0.45 0.45 0.43 0.445 400000 179300 DOUBLEDRAGON 21.5 21.55 22.4 22.5 21.4 21.5 764200 16604455 609335 DM WENCESLAO 10.02 10.04 10.1 10.14 10.04 10.04 479700 4831372 EMPIRE EAST 0.51 0.52 0.53 0.54 0.52 0.52 2304000 1202980 -1010800 EVER GOTESCO 0.131 0.138 0.133 0.133 0.131 0.131 1520000 200580 FILINVEST LAND 1.52 1.53 1.53 1.54 1.52 1.53 3040000 4638250 -1624290 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.26 1.27 1.27 1.28 1.24 1.27 2967000 3760500 8990 HLDG 12.06 12.2 11.82 12.2 11.82 12.2 3724600 44665726 -3812554 PHIL INFRADEV 2.12 2.15 2.21 2.21 2.1 2.12 4740000 10094300 -7900 CITY AND LAND 0.84 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.89 0.9 11000 9820 MEGAWORLD 5.15 5.2 5.3 5.31 5.15 5.15 23802600 122987023 -1435470 MRC ALLIED 0.425 0.43 0.425 0.43 0.425 0.43 5480000 2338950 -17000 PHIL ESTATES 0.46 0.47 0.46 0.46 0.455 0.46 180000 82700 PRIMEX CORP 2.84 2.88 2.85 2.88 2.81 2.88 249000 708600 -370100 ROBINSONS LAND 23.45 23.5 23.5 23.55 23.1 23.45 6517500 152538625 -9669525 PHIL REALTY 0.475 0.48 0.47 0.475 0.47 0.475 120000 56600 ROCKWELL 1.99 2.02 2 2.02 1.98 2.02 34000 67910 -11930 SHANG PROP 3.12 3.15 3.12 3.14 3.12 3.14 8000 25020 -12480 STA LUCIA LAND 1.48 1.49 1.45 1.5 1.45 1.49 2864000 4239240 -144340 SM PRIME HLDG 38.6 38.65 39 39.3 38.45 38.65 6346400 245316725 -66805585 STARMALLS 6.85 6.89 6.47 7.58 6.43 6.89 5961100 42614745 297082 SUNTRUST HOME 0.77 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 8000 6400 PTFC REDEV CORP 41.05 45.9 44.9 45 44.9 45 1400 62990 VISTA LAND 7.43 7.5 7.47 7.5 7.36 7.5 26032100 194618519 -85560183

SERVICES ABS CBN 22.1 22.2 22.35 22.75 22.2 22.2 74000 1653540 GMA NETWORK 5.71 5.73 5.73 5.73 5.7 5.73 68400 391240 MANILA BULLETIN 0.59 0.6 0.65 0.65 0.58 0.59 7144000 4319080 MLA BRDCASTING 16 16.5 16 16 16 16 500 8000 GLOBE TELECOM 1890 1896 1900 1911 1885 1896 37005 70226120 -72085 PLDT 1050 1052 1098 1098 1030 1050 181775 191367865 -45305780 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.047 0.049 0.048 0.049 0.047 0.049 15800000 747900 DFNN INC 7.19 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.24 7.24 14000 101360 ISLAND INFO 0.129 0.131 0.131 0.131 0.129 0.129 1480000 192790 ISM COMM 5.9 5.91 5.88 5.94 5.81 5.91 2193400 12862397 JACKSTONES 3.02 3.23 3.08 3.25 3.03 3.23 65000 198850 NOW CORP 3 3.01 3.06 3.06 3.01 3.01 1317000 3976460 3090 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.445 0.45 0.445 0.455 0.445 0.445 8370000 3745400 -180000 PHILWEB 3.06 3.1 3.16 3.2 3.05 3.1 597000 1864470 -28080 2GO GROUP 12.24 12.3 12.74 12.74 12.24 12.24 95200 1181690 4980 ASIAN TERMINALS 14.62 15.76 14.24 15.76 14.24 14.62 723100 10405912 -98210 CEBU AIR 86 87.1 87.7 87.7 84.85 87.1 80040 6852674.5 -264365.5 CHELSEA 6.09 6.1 6.1 6.12 6.07 6.1 550100 3347454 18300 INTL CONTAINER 119 119.3 119.6 119.9 118.9 119.3 4492040 535717088 150712980 LBC EXPRESS 15.76 15.8 15.76 15.76 15.76 15.76 700 11032 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.9 0.91 0.92 0.92 0.91 0.91 207000 189430 MACROASIA 18.84 18.9 19.22 19.34 18.82 18.9 1221600 23170258 -530274 METROALLIANCE A 2.02 2.05 2.04 2.05 2.03 2.03 146000 296980 PAL HLDG 10.94 11 11.44 11.44 11 11 81300 899126 22000 HARBOR STAR 2.86 2.87 2.85 2.87 2.83 2.86 675000 1919970 ACESITE HOTEL 1.28 1.33 1.32 1.32 1.28 1.28 54000 71120 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.067 0.068 0.068 0.069 0.066 0.067 52520000 3533610 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.16 2.35 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 1000 2150 WATERFRONT 0.67 0.68 0.69 0.69 0.67 0.68 3346000 2269740 -496400 CENTRO ESCOLAR 7.68 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 1600 12640 -12640 FAR EASTERN U 890 900 891 891 890 890 250 222520 8900 IPEOPLE 10.92 11.16 11.16 11.18 11.14 11.16 6400 71492 STI HLDG 0.72 0.73 0.72 0.74 0.72 0.73 1821000 1319540 77290 BERJAYA 2.9 3 2.9 3 2.85 3 596000 1742070 -97630 BLOOMBERRY 12.26 12.34 12.24 12.34 12.08 12.34 5546900 67714390 -15494690 PACIFIC ONLINE 9.24 9.35 9.28 9.28 9.24 9.28 11300 104682 LEISURE AND RES 3.31 3.32 3.37 3.38 3.31 3.32 186000 618120 3320 PH RESORTS GRP 4.99 5 5.04 5.04 4.99 5 386300 1938431 PREMIUM LEISURE 1 1.01 1.02 1.03 1 1 9263000 9350710 49930 TRAVELLERS 5.59 5.6 5.56 5.61 5.55 5.6 567300 3175404 -1589376 METRO RETAIL 2.98 2.99 3.04 3.04 2.98 2.99 1893000 5677360 108410 PUREGOLD 48.05 48.4 49.5 49.5 47.05 48.05 1183400 56823550 -9632325 ROBINSONS RTL 86.05 86.9 86.5 87.7 86 86.9 353670 30737728 570704 PHIL SEVEN CORP 133 133.5 133 133 133 133 60 7980 7980 SSI GROUP 2.28 2.29 2.28 2.3 2.26 2.28 3106000 7080600 3455040.0001 WILCON DEPOT 14.3 14.48 14.5 14.86 14.3 14.3 4037500 58696130 7835154 APC GROUP 0.44 0.445 0.44 0.44 0.44 0.44 820000 360800 EASYCALL 14.96 15 14.98 15.22 14.88 15 90700 1356498 7500 GOLDEN BRIA 400 415 359.8 540 359.8 400 98040 39946384 253270 IPM HLDG 7.14 7.2 7.15 7.15 7.14 7.14 5000 35725 PAXYS 3.12 3.23 3.21 3.23 3.21 3.23 31000 99890 PRMIERE HORIZON 1.27 1.28 1.34 1.35 1.24 1.28 73933000 94735090 1432770 SBS PHIL CORP 8.6 8.79 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.6 51500 442900

MINING & OIL ATOK 13.28 13.7 13.78 13.78 13.78 13.78 100 1378 APEX MINING 1.56 1.57 1.52 1.57 1.52 1.56 1237000 1916120 507170 ABRA MINING 0.002 0.0022 0.0021 0.0021 0.0021 0.0021 176000000 369600 ATLAS MINING 2.96 2.97 2.96 2.98 2.96 2.96 34000 100760 -5930 BENGUET A 1.33 1.41 1.35 1.41 1.35 1.41 116000 157560 COAL ASIA HLDG 0.3 0.315 0.3 0.31 0.3 0.3 490000 148300 CENTURY PEAK 2.2 2.22 2.2 2.23 2.19 2.2 395000 867750 DIZON MINES 7.79 8 8 8 7.79 7.79 200 1579 FERRONICKEL 1.5 1.52 1.52 1.53 1.5 1.52 668000 1009400 188940 GEOGRACE 0.245 0.25 0.265 0.27 0.245 0.245 3500000 877850 37750 LEPANTO A 0.127 0.128 0.128 0.128 0.128 0.128 130000 16640 LEPANTO B 0.128 0.133 0.133 0.133 0.133 0.133 100000 13300 MANILA MINING A 0.009 0.0096 0.009 0.0097 0.009 0.0097 201000000 1879700 MANILA MINING B 0.0092 0.0096 0.0092 0.0093 0.0092 0.0093 2000000 18500 9300 MARCVENTURES 1.09 1.11 1.11 1.12 1.06 1.09 207000 226140 NIHAO 1.04 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.05 1.09 143000 150270 105000 NICKEL ASIA 2.87 2.88 2.89 2.92 2.84 2.87 3915000 11236620 2806500 OMICO CORP 0.61 0.64 0.65 0.68 0.62 0.64 631000 398400 ORNTL PENINSULA 0.97 0.99 0.98 1 0.96 0.97 1445000 1407110 -9800 PX MINING 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.2 4.13 4.16 367000 1523060 -286510 SEMIRARA MINING 22.8 22.85 23 23.1 22.8 22.85 2700300 61594970 -946305 UNITED PARAGON 0.0081 0.0086 0.0083 0.0089 0.0079 0.0081 201000000 1694300 ORNTL PETROL A 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.013 33000000 428700 ORNTL PETROL B 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.012 0.012 6900000 82900 PHILODRILL 0.012 0.013 0.013 0.013 0.011 0.012 642200000 7724700 46000 PHINMA PETRO 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 4000 12800 PXP ENERGY 15.1 15.12 15.06 15.24 14.8 15.1 1186100 17824590 -1758962

PREFFERED HOUSE PREF A AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF SMC FB PREF 2 FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PNX PREF 3A PCOR PREF 2B SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

95.25 472 481.2 96.3 971 102 450 480.4 899 1 99 990 75.1 76.35 74.5 73.8 72.35

PHIL. DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS ABS HLDG PDR GMA HLDG PDR

20.2 5.63

96 480 490 97 980 104 476.8 495 900 1.01 100.9 1010 75.45 76.5 74.8 74.5 72.8

96 470 490 96.15 980 104 450.2 484 900 0.99 100 1000 75.45 76.4 74.4 74.5 72.75

96 480 490 97 980 104 450.2 484 900 1 100 1000 75.45 76.5 74.5 74.5 72.8

96 470 490 96.15 980 104 450 480.4 900 0.99 100 1000 75.05 76.4 74.4 74.5 72.75

96 480 490 97 980 104 450 480.4 900 1 100 1000 75.45 76.5 74.5 74.5 72.8

700 2100 690 590 50 10 40 140 50 29000 520 90 630 5100 30000 20440 15330

67200 1005296 338100 56813.5 49000 1040 18004 67358 45000 28990 52000 90000 47348.5 390130 2234000 1522780 1116019

-

20.55 5.82

20.7 5.72

20.7 5.83

20.7 5.71

20.7 5.82

100 25000

2070 143972

81137

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.91

SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES ITALPINAS 4.8 MAKATI FINANCE 2.69 XURPAS 1.44

1.95

1.93

1.95

1.9

1.91

266000

507260

-

4.87 2.9 1.45

4.84 - 1.42

4.88 - 1.49

4.78 - 1.42

4.8 - 1.44

323000 - 10238000

1552660 - 14830580

-120000 -855630

EXHANGE TRADE FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF

116.7

117

118.4

118.4

116.8

117

15010

1759006

-

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

Govt information company taps office tool from IPC

By Roderick L. Abad

T

Contributor

@rodrik_28

HE Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has tapped the office productivity solution of IP Converge Data Services Inc. (IPC) to further enhance its capability to provide the public with latest developments on government advocacies and programs amid the rise of social media.

This partnership, PIA DirectorGeneral Harold E. Clavite said, signals their initiative to embrace digitization, while performing their thrust to disseminate accurate, timely and relevant information to the public.

“It is our mandate to provide information about government programs, projects and services to improve lives and encourage an open dialogue between Filipinos and the

government. With this, the PIA is embracing digital tools to enhance how we do public service. We found a great partner in IPC,” he said.

Like in any other government agencies, the state’s chief information arm deals with materials that consume enormous e-mail and storage space, such as photos and videos.

Due to their limitation to attach files with their previous e-mail ser-

vices provider, he recalled they had to use USB flash drives and hard drives just to transfer large data.

“But as a national agency with 16 regional offices and 72 provincial information centers across the country, this was unacceptable so we decided to look for a better option,” Clavite said.

Being a longtime Google Cloud partner, IPC is capable to position and deploy G Suite to organizations of various sizes and goals.

With this tool, PIA’s employees now have 30GB for file and e-mail storage (15MB more than the free individual version) and an unlimited online storage for standard quality photos and documents in Google Drive.

This single package of various workplace productivity tools includes video and voice conferencing, chat messaging, sheets and slides created using the native apps, basic web site development and hosting, calendars and notes—all capable of sharing and collaborating online, anytime, anywhere, on any device.

“Its feature of seamless collaboration is a great help to ensure quality

in our releases,” said Buena Fe D. de Guzman, officer in charge of PIA’s Communications Group.

She emphasized that the G Suite has enabled them to not only perform their duties, but also reach out more to grassroots and far-flung areas and capitalize on the advent of social media.

Professional-wise, this solution added a sense of legitimacy and professionalism within the workforce.

If before PIA employees felt uncomfortable signing up with their personal e-mails, they now claim to have an increased sense of credibility and pride to represent the agency with their business e-mails.

Overall, IPC lauded the government’s advertising and pubic relations arm for its decision to adopt digital tools, such as G Suite, in support of its mandate and advocacy.

“IPC is proud to support the PIA in their ongoing efforts to keep the public well-informed and empowered. We laud the agency for embracing today’s technology to better serve the public,” said David R. de Leon, COO of IPC.

DOLE set to file worker regularization vs PLDT with SC

By Samuel P. Medenilla @sam_medenilla

T

HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will now be elevating to the Supreme Court its pending case on its regularization order against PLDT. This developed after the Court of Appeals (CA) finally junked earlier this month the Motion for Reconsideration filed by DOLE regarding the order it issued last year for PLDT to absorb its 7,344 contractual workers.

“We have already requested the office of the Solicitor General to file the appropriate pleadings with the Supreme Court,” Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III told reporters in an interview on Tuesday.

Bello, however, noted the outcome of their Motion for Recommendation in the CA is not a complete loss since it affirmed the validity of their regularization order.

The appellate court also reiterated its initial ruling that PLDT should absorb its contractual workers engaged in the installation, repair and maintenance of its communication lines since these are considered “core functions” of its business.

“This was a win for us,” Bello said.

These employees, however, comprised only a small number of the contractual workers covered by DOLE’s regularization order.

In their pleading to the SC, Bello said they will maintain that 7,344 contractual employees covered by their orders were deployed by illegitimate service contractors.

In such a case, Bello pointed out that PLDT is mandated to absorb the concerned workers. Once the case is brought to the SC, Bello lamented it could take a long time before they enforce their regularization order even for those in the “core business” which was approved by the CA. “It cannot be implemented unless the court decision is with finality,” Bello said.

Republic Cement housing program boosts earnings of local enterprises

R

EPUBLIC Cement has for several years supported the construction of affordable housing and access to housing loans for low-income families through its Tahanan Ko program in partnership with micro finance institutions (MFI). This program has benefited more than these families. Since its inception in November 2013, Tahanan Ko has generated a total of P675 million worth of revenues for its over 1,000 partner retail stores in Luzon and the Visayas.

In 2018 alone, revenues realized by local retailers attributed to Tahanan Ko amounted to P167 million, alongside the release of 7,436 housing loans.

“The impact of our Tahanan Ko Affordable Housing Initiative has gone beyond addressing the housing backlog in the country and providing access to low-income families to affordable housing loans,” Republic Cement CEO and President Nabil Francis said. “It has also boosted the

earnings of our local entrepreneurs.”

Through the partnerships inked with MFI who offer housing and home improvement loans to lowincome families, Republic Cement provides technical advisors and technical training to foremen and MFI employees on basic house construction and safety to ensure safe and better built homes. To ensure that loan proceeds go directly to the building of the loanees’ homes, Tahanan Ko introduced a key innovation to the process of acquiring the funds.

The MFI issue purchase orders for construction material requirements to local retail partners instead of releasing cash to the loanees. These retail partners then deliver the materials to construction sites and receive payment directly from the MFI. In an interview, Corazan Cortezano, one of Republic Cement’s retail partners in Nagcarlan, Laguna, said Tahanan Ko had significantly improved the earnings of their small business.

MUTUAL FUNDS

February 27, 2019

NAV ONE YEAR THREE YEAR FIVE YEAR Y-T-D

PER SHARE RETURN* RETURN STOCK FUNDS ALFM GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 267.25 -7.37% 3.69% 2.71% 5.95% ATRAM ALPHA OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 1.6113 1.36% 14.01% 4.75% 11.83% ATRAM PHILIPPINE EQUITY OPPORTUNITY FUND, INC. -A 4.1575 -8.66% 5.07% 1.5% 6.52% CLIMBS SHARE CAPITAL EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND CORP. -A 0.9524 -3.77% N.A. N.A. 6.95% FIRST METRO CONSUMER FUND ON MSCI PHILS. IMI, INC. -A 0.8663 N.A. N.A. N.A. 5.56% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN EQUITY FUND,INC. -A 5.5683 -4.52% 3.74% 2.22% 5.64% MBG EQUITY INVESTMENT FUND, INC. -A 125.06 7.55% N.A. N.A. 7.38% ONE WEALTHY NATION FUND, INC. -A 0.8851 -8.53% -3.23% N.A. 6.33% PAMI EQUITY INDEX FUND, INC. -A 52.4981 -5.96% 4.85% N.A. 6.69% PHILAM STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 548.43 -5.81% 3.61% 2.27% 6.55% PHILEQUITY DIVIDEND YIELD FUND, INC. -A 1.3197 -4.36% 5.1% 5.4% 5.24% PHILEQUITY FUND, INC. -A 38.9626 -4.57% 6.13% 4.7% 6.36% PHILEQUITY MSCI PHILIPPINE INDEX FUND, INC. -A,3 1.0424 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILEQUITY PSE INDEX FUND INC. -A 5.3088 -5.65% 5.76% 4.81% 7.06% PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND CORP. -A 885.99 -5.54% 5.53% 4.74% 6.94% SOLDIVO STRATEGIC GROWTH FUND, INC. -A 0.9151 -4.64% 3.38% N.A. 6.26% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE EQUITY FUND, INC. -A 4.3355 -4.49% 5.53% 3.49% 6.81% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY PHILIPPINE STOCK INDEX FUND, INC. -A 1.0192 -5.95% 5.45% N.A. 6.8% UNITED FUND, INC. -A 3.7033 -2.67% 7.01% 4.25% 5.78% EXCHANGE TRADED FUND FIRST METRO PHIL. EQUITY EXCHANGE TRADED FUND, INC. -A,C,2 118.4476 -5.28% 6.66% 5.84% 6.95% ATRAM ASIAPLUS EQUITY FUND, INC. -B $1.012 -11.4% 8.88% 1.71% 8.92% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY WORLD VOYAGER FUND, INC. -A $1.2509 -3.98% N.A. N.A. 13.19% BALANCED FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ATRAM DYNAMIC ALLOCATION FUND, INC. -A 1.7276 -5.38% 0.76% -0.52% 4.63% ATRAM PHILIPPINE BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 2.308 -5.08% 2.9% 1.41% 4.47% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN BALANCED FUND INC. -A 2.6523 -3.17% 0.99% -0.68% 4.27% GREPALIFE BALANCED FUND CORPORATION -A 1.3614 -5.73% N.A. N.A. 4.38% NCM MUTUAL FUND OF THE PHILS., INC. -A 1.9145 -2.81% 2.49% 2.09% 3.87% PAMI HORIZON FUND, INC. -A 3.6481 -5.47% 1.11% 1.05% 3.37% PHILAM FUND, INC. -A 16.5082 -4.58% 1.34% 1.16% 3.77% SOLIDARITAS FUND, INC. -A 2.1507 -3.22% 2.73% 2.91% 3.78% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BALANCED FUND, INC. -A 3.8434 -3.37% 2.78% 2.2% 5.26% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2028, INC. -A,D,4 0.9951 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2038, INC. -A,D,4 0.9924 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY ACHIEVER FUND 2048, INC. -A,D,4 0.9919 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DYNAMIC FUND, INC. -A 0.9725 -3.44% 2.33% N.A. 5.51% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES COCOLIFE DOLLAR FUND BUILDER, INC. -A $0.03574 1.48% 0.29% 1.65% 1.39% PAMI ASIA BALANCED FUND, INC. -A $0.9857 -8.31% 5.4% -0.03% 5.29% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ADVANTAGE FUND, INC. -A $3.622 -2.72% 7.12% 2.17% 9.48% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR WELLSPRING FUND, INC. -A $1.0714 -4.52% N.A. N.A. 6.08% BOND FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 345.65 2.45% 2.05% 2.1% 0.66% ATRAM CORPORATE BOND FUND, INC. -A,1 1.8632 -0.13% -0.52% -0.39% 0.22% COCOLIFE FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 2.993 5.39% 5.27% 5.26% 0.75% EKKLESIA MUTUAL FUND INC. -A 2.1483 2.11% 1.49% 1.83% 0.84% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN FIXED INCOME FUND,INC. -A 2.2271 0.66% 0.28% 0.76% 0.81% GREPALIFE FIXED INCOME FUND CORP. -A P 1.595 -0.96% -0.42% 0.24% 1.96% PHILAM BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.9222 -1.45% -1.07% 0.34% 0.06% PHILEQUITY PESO BOND FUND, INC. -A 3.5777 2.45% 1.2% 1.14% 1.72% SOLDIVO BOND FUND, INC. -A 0.9098 -0.01% -0.79% N.A. 1.93% SUN LIFE OF CANADA PROSPERITY BOND FUND, INC. -A 2.8346 1.77% 1.41% 1.49% 2.48% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY GS FUND, INC. -A 1.5737 1.41% 1.05% 1% 2.19% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES ALFM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $451.57 2.13% 2.15% 2.98% 0.73% ALFM EURO BOND FUND, INC. -A Є214.79 0.92% 1.38% 1.56% 1.01% ATRAM TOTAL RETURN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -B $1.1514 3.01% 1.48% 2.17% 2.27% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A $0.025 0.81% 0.81% N.A. 0.81% GREPALIFE DOLLAR BOND FUND CORP. -A $1.6989 -1.77% -0.93% 0.92% 0.51% MAA PRIVILEGE DOLLAR FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. MAA PRIVILEGE EURO FIXED INCOME FUND, INC. ЄN.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. N.S. PAMI GLOBAL BOND FUND, INC -A $1.0509 0.34% -1.02% -2.37% 1.28% PHILAM DOLLAR BOND FUND, INC. -A

$2.2255 2.16% 0.83% 2.76% 2.5% PHILEQUITY DOLLAR INCOME FUND INC. -A $0.0575444 1.34% 1.04% 1.78% 0.99% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR ABUNDANCE FUND, INC. -A $2.9333 - 0.42% 0.19% 1.98% 2.13% MONEY MARKET FUNDS PRIMARILY INVESTED IN PESO SECURITIES ALFM MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 121.82 3.42% 2.08% 1.7% 0.81% FIRST METRO SAVE AND LEARN MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A,5 1.0029 N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. PHILAM MANAGED INCOME FUND, INC. -A 1.1871 2.24% 0.87% 0.61% 0.44% SUN LIFE PROSPERITY MONEY MARKET FUND, INC. -A 1.2263 2.91% 2.38% 1.72% 0.6% PRIMARILY INVESTED IN FOREIGN CURRENCY SECURITIES SUN LIFE PROSPERITY DOLLAR STARTER FUND, INC. -A $1.0198 1.98% N.A. N.A. 0.38%

* - NAVPS AS OF THE PREVIOUS BANKING DAY ** - NAVPS AS OF TWO BANKING DAYS AGO *** - LISTED IN THE PSE.

**** - RE-CLASSIFIED INTO A BALANCED FUND STARTING JANUARY 1, 2017 (FORMERLY GREPALIFE BOND FUND CORP.).

***** - LAUNCH DATE IS NOVEMBER 6, 2017 ****** - LAUNCH DATE IS JANUARY 08, 2018 ******** - RENAMING OF THE FUND WAS APPROVED BY THE SEC LAST APRIL 13, 2018. ********* - BECAME A MEMBER SINCE APRIL 20, 2018. ******* - ADJUSTED DUE TO CASH DIVIDEND ISSUANCE LAST JANUARY 29, 2018

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Editor: Angel R. Calso

The World

Pakistan downs 2 Indian warplanes in worst escalation since 1971 war

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AKISTANI fighter jets have shot down two Indian aircraft in a significant escalation of tensions just a day after India said its Air Force had bombed a terrorist training camp inside Pakistan.

One aircraft fell inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, and the other crashed on India’s side of the Line of Control, said Military Spokesman Asif Ghafoor. An Indian pilot ejected over Pakistani territory and was arrested, he said.

Ind i a’s A NI news agenc y is repor t ing t hat a Pa k ist a n A ir Force F-16, wh ic h v iol ated Indian airspace was shot dow n in Ind i a n ret a l i ator y f ire 3 k i lo meters w it h in Pa k ist a n ter r itor y in L a m Va l ley.

“This is unprecedented territory, we haven’t had tit-for-tat air strikes between India and Pakistan since the 1971 war,” said Anit Mukherjee, a former Indian Army major and assistant professor at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, by phone. “We don’t know what will come from this. But it seems like Pakistan has given a response. And there have been casualties—captures, deaths.”

“We have had this sort of thing happening on the ground for the last 20 years,” Mukherjee added.

“It’s basically a shifting of the conflict to the air.”

India’s rupee reversed gains, while Pakistan’s benchmark stock index plunged as much as 3.8 percent in Karachi. Across the border, India’s S&P BSE Sensex dropped 0.2 percent in Mumbai after gaining as much as 1.1 percent earlier in the day.

I nd i a n D e fe n s e M i n i s t r y Spokesman Col. Aman Anand did not respond to calls or texts for

comment and there has been no statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

Diplomatic outreach

EARLIER on Wednesday it appeared the bitter rivals were looking to lower the temperature with renewed diplomatic outreach.

Pakistan has sought help from the United Nations to de-escalate the situation, while India—which is facing national elections in a few weeks—reached out to countries including the United States, United Kingdom, China, France and Russia and urged the government in Islamabad to take action against terror groups based in the country.

The diplomatic back-and-forth came after India’s Air Force said its jets bombed targets inside Pakistan, which scrambled its own jets in response, for the first time in nearly 50 years. The target was a camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed, which claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide car bombing in Kashmir that killed 40 members of India’s security forces.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the foreign ministers of both countries late on Tuesday. He stressed Washington’s “close security partnership” with New Delhi, while urging Pakistan to avoid any military response and take “meaningful action” against terrorist groups operating on its soil.

“They will not allow things to go out of control because both countries are facing tremendous pressure from global powers including China and the US,” said Rashid Ahmed Khan, head of politics and international relations department at University of Central Punjab, Lahore said by phone. “There will be a controlled and managed escalation.” Bloomberg News

RESCUERS DIG BY HAND TO FREE DOZENS TRAPPED IN INDONESIA GOLD MINE RUBBLE

IN this undated photo released by Indonesian Search And Rescue Agency, rescuers evacuate a survivor from inside of a collapsed gold mine in Bolaang Mongondow, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. BASARNAS VIA AP

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AKARTA, Indonesia—A collapse at an unlicensed gold mine in Indonesia buried dozens of people, and rescuers on Wednesday were desperately digging with their bare hands and farm tools as they tried to unearth victims calling for help from beneath the rubble.

Local disaster official Abdul Muin Paputungan said one person was confirmed dead and 14 people with injuries ranging from light to serious had been rescued. As many as 60 people were buried, he said.

“Unstable soil conditions make us extra careful lifting rocks because it can lead to new landslides,” Paputungan told The Associated Press. “We still hear voices crying for help from people beneath the rubble,” he said.

“Survivors estimated about 60 people are trapped in the rubble of the mining pit,” Paputungan said.

Makeshift wooden structures in the mine in North Sulawesi province’s Bolaang Mongondow district collapsed on Tuesday evening due to unstable soil and the large number of mining holes, burying people in the mine pit.

I n fo r m a l m i n i n g o p e rat i o n s a re commonplace in Indonesia, providing a tenuous livelihood to thousands who labor in conditions with a high risk of serious injury or death.

Miners often burrow straight into

hillsides with scant supports and children often are sent into the tunnels to dig and carry out ore hacked from rock faces.

Police, search and rescue agenc y workers, military and Indonesian Red Cross personnel were all taking part in the rescue effort, but the remote locale was complicating the operation.

Paputungan said the mine and a village connected to it are in a steep area that can only be reached by foot. Earth-moving equipment and ambulances can’t reach the location, he said.

Indonesia accounts for about 3 percent of world gold production. Most of that comes from the Grasberg mine in Papua province, said to be the world’s largest gold mine with $40 billion in reserves and up to 20,000 workers.

But small artisanal, often unauthorized mining is rising in many parts of Asia and Africa. A study by the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development found the number of people engaged in such mining had risen to over 40 million, up from 30 million in 2014 and 6 million in 1993.

Landslides, flooding and collapses of tunnels are just some of the hazards in such mining. Much of the processing of gold ore involves use of highly toxic mercury and cyanide by workers using little or no protection. AP

BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 28, 2019

B3

Trump hopes for ‘great things’ from nuclear summit with Kim

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ANOI, Vietnam—President Donald J. Trump hoped for “great things” from his second meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un as he paid a courtesy call on Wednesday on his Vietnamese hosts.

Kim remained in his locked-down hotel for a large part of the day but was expected to take in some sights before the leaders open their nuclear summit with private talks and a social dinner.

Anticipation for what could come out of the summit ran high in Hanoi. But the carnival-like atmosphere in the Vietnamese capital, with street artists painting likenesses of the leaders and vendors hawking t-shirts emblazoned with their faces, stood in contrast to the serious items on the agenda: North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“We have a very big meeting planned tonight as you know, with North Korea, Chairman Kim, and I think it may very well turn out to be very successful,” Trump told the top leaders of Vietnam.

“We’ll see what happens, but he wants to do something great,” Trump said, adding that Kim could use Vietnam as a model for economic revitalization. “If you look at what you’ve done in a short time, he can do it in a very, very rapid time—make North Korea into a great economic power.”

There’s growing worry among experts, however, that Trump will give Kim too much and get too little in return—a peace declaration for the Korean War that the North could use to eventually push for the reduction of US troops in South Korea, for example, or sanctions relief that could allow Pyongyang to restart lucrative economic projects with the South. Skeptics insist Trump must first get real progress on the North abandoning its nuclear weapons before giving away important negotiating leverage too soon.

Trump was eager to send a message about Vietnamese prosperity.

“Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and ver y quick ly, if it would denuclearize,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday, hours before he and K im were to meet again. “ T he potential is AW ESOME, a great opportunity, like almost none other in histor y, for my friend K im Jong Un. We w i l l k now fairly soon - Ver y Interesting!”

Trump said at a separate meeting with his Vietnamese hosts that “hopefully great things will happen” in the meeting with Kim. The leaders first met last June in Singapore, a summit that was long on historic pageantry but short on any enforceable agreements for North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal.

North Korea has spent decades, at great economic sacrifice, building its nuclear program, and there is widespread skepticism that it will give away that program without getting something substantial from the US. That could be a declaration to end the Korean War. Such an announcement would allow Trump to make history and would dovetail with his opposition to “forever wars.” But it wouldn’t amount to concrete steps toward denuclearization and could even turn the focus of discussions to removing or reducing the 28,500 US troops

stationed in South Korea. If there is no war, North Korea could ask why the US needs to have troops in South Korea at all.

The conflict ended in 1953 with an armistice, essentially a ceasefire signed by North Korea, China and the 17-nation, US-led United Nations Command. If made, the declaration would amount to a political statement, ostensibly teeing up talks for a formal peace treaty that would involve other nations.

While Trump wants Kim to

agree to dismantle his nuclear sites in a verifiable way, Kim is seeking relief from crushing US sanctions hobbling his economy.

Trump has been using Kim’s need for economic revitalization as leverage to get concessions on denuclearization.

Other items being discussed are opening liaison offices in both North Korea and the United States. North and South Korea also want sanctions dialed back so they can resurrect two major symbols of rapprochement that provided much-needed hard currency to North Korea: a jointly run factory park in Kaesong and South Korean tours to the North’s scenic Diamond Mountain resort.

Trump remains eager to claim an attention-grabbing victory at the summit to offset the political turmoil he faces at home.

With the president away from the US, his now-disbarred former personal lawyer was preparing to tell a House committee that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had e-mails damaging to the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival, and that Trump is a “racist,” a “conman” and a “cheat.” Cohen suggests in prepared testimony obtained by The Associated Press

for Wednesday’s hearing that Trump also implicitly, but not directly, told him to lie about a Moscow real-estate project. Cohen has pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about the project, which he says Trump knew about as Cohen negotiated with Russia during the election. Cohen is set to begin a three-year prison sentence in May. On WikiLeaks, Cohen says he was in Trump’s New York office in July 2016 when longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone called and Trump put the call on speakerphone. Cohen said Stone informed Trump that a “massive dump” of e-mails believed to be damaging to Clinton would happen “within a couple of days.”

The president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., accused Democrats of scheduling Cohen’s testimony to overshadow and distract from the summit.

“It just goes to show you how much those Democrats really disdain Trump but also America,” he told Fox News Channel.

The president jabbed at Democrats too, tweeting that they “should stop talking about what I should do with North Korea and ask themselves instead why they didn’t do ‘it’ during eight years of the Obama Administration?” AP

B4 Thursday, February 28, 2019

HYUNDAI VEHICLES RECOGNIZED IN INTERNATIONAL AWARD-GIVING BODIES ASCOTT MAKATI ATTAINS EDGE ‘GREEN’ CERTIFICATION

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[The year] 2019 has only just begun, yet we, at Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., welcome with great pride the multiple awards our vehicles have already earned internationally.”

The 2019 Hyundai Kona, along with the Kona Electric CUV, was named North American Utility Vehicle of the Year by a jury of independent American and Canadian journalists and analysts, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. This is the first time a Hyundai vehicle has won this prestigious award.

The Kona was also recognized as the Best Subcompact SUV for the Money in 2019 by the US News and World

Report, which judges vehicles of different classes on their quality and value for money. Finally, the Kona was among six models to earn the 2019 Car and Driver Editors’ Choice Award, which aim to provide car buyers with recommendations on the best vehicle options for each class.

This month the 2016 model of the Santa Fe was named the Most Dependable Midsize SUV by JD Power in their 2019 Vehicle Dependability Study, which looked into issues owners of 2016 vehicle models experienced over the previous year. This follows the results of the 2018 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report, in which the Kona, Santa Fe and Elantra received top marks for safety.

OUTSTANDING ISUZU DEALERS NAMED

SCOTT Makati has achieved green-building certification from the World Bank Group member International Finance Corp. (IFC) on February 26, a first to receive such global distinction in the Serviced Residence category of EDGE. EDGE is an innovative green-building certification system that helps reduce a building’s energy and water consumption, and decrease greenhouse-gas emissions which, in turn, drives operation efficiency and reduces environmental impact.

Ascott Makati further aspires on the sustainability of its properties. With the attained EDGE’s minimum standard of 20 percent in the reduction of energy and water use, the certification creates an opportunity for high-performing urban dwellings.

There are unique operational requirements and building elements for serviced residences, which affect consumption patterns. The Serviced Residence category of EDGE ensures an accurate benchmark against which properties surpass these requirements.

“Ascott Makati’s EDGE certification will pave the way for more properties to be certified under this international green [-building] benchmark, [which] has great potential for the serviced

residence industry,” said Philip Barnes, The Ascott Ltd. Philippines area head for Luzon. “[The] EDGE certification is a great beginning to our partnership with IFC, which includes expanding research and implementing sustainable design of serviced residences in emerging regions.”

“We want to be leaders in the serviced residence industry....,” said Daniel Wee, country general manager of The Ascott Ltd. Philippines. “We [are] rooted in our vision to uphold and advance our procedures for protecting the environment, for the

benefit of our customers.”

With an increasing global demand by corporate clients for properties with green features, obtaining EDGE certification status by Ascott Makati is a game-changer in the industry.

In photo are (from left) EDGE auditor Raymond Sih, International Finance Corp. senior investment officer Donna Gonzales, EDGE program director Engr.

Ramon Aguilos, Philippine Green Building Initiative President Engr. David Farala and Barnes.

STELLAR INTRODUCES JOHNSON CONTROLS’S AWARD-WINNING CHILLER TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

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SUZU Philippines Corp. (IPC) held its 14th Dealer of the Year Awards (Doya) on February 22 at the grand ballroom of Hilton Manila in posh Newport City.

Through the Doya, which IPC has been holding annually since 2004, the outstanding performance of Isuzu dealers and its sales force are recognized.

The 2018 edition of the Doya has been especially meaningful for the sales force of IPC. Despite challenges faced by industries in 2018, resulting in the dip in sales for the automotive industry, IPC still emerged as the country’s leading truck brand, extending its winning streak to 19 years, prompting IPC Executive Vice President Shojiro Sakoda to declare, “We are all here, standing and celebrating our success.”

In the presence of dealer principals and operators, branch, sales, and service and parts managers, supervisors and sales executives, IPC President Hajime Koso said in his welcome speech, “Now that Isuzu has already 43 dealerships operating nationwide, we know that all of you are doing your best to achieve our goals

each year, and we appreciate each one of you. We are working as one team, we are one Isuzu.”

The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the main awards.

Hailed as the 2018 Dealer of the Year Champion was Isuzu Iloilo (in photo), with Isuzu Cabanatuan and Isuzu Cagayan de Oro as first and second runners-up, respectively.

The Most Improved Dealership of the Year award was handed to Isuzu Bulacan, while the Sales Team of the Year was given to Isuzu Pasig.

The Sales Executive of the Year in the LCV Category was Gabriel Joshua Corro Jr. of Isuzu Iloilo, while the Sales Executive of the Year in the CV Category was Caren Pearl Gaspar of Isuzu Pasig.

The 2018 Doya Awards were also given to Isuzu Pasig for being Best in Sales Operations, Isuzu Bulacan for Best in Parts Operation, Isuzu Alabang for Best in Service Operations, and Isuzu Santo Tomas, Batangas, for Best in Customer Service Operations.

EXCLUSIVE VESPA NOTTE HAS ‘NIGHT TIME’ STYLE

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HE Vespa Notte special series is dedicated to those who love attention to detail and meticulous finish of high-quality products that are a pleasure to own. Vespa Notte is the special series available for Vespa Sprint (150-cc versions) and for Vespa GTS Super (300-cc versions) and is, therefore, based on the technical and mechanical foundation of the most recent large frame Vespa scooters.

The selected name for this series is a fitting introduction to its décor characterized by total black graphics. The “night time” style pairs the beautiful new opaque black of the chassis with numerous glossy black details, including the mirrors, ornaments of the classic “tie” on the front shield, the handlebar ends, the passenger handle and the extractable footpegs of the GTS Super Notte.

Refined details include a saddle dedicated to each model and a plate with the logo placed on the rear shield.

The rims and muffler guard are also glossy black.

Vespa Sprint Notte is available with 150-cc engine, which are part of the cutting-edge family of Piaggio i-get engines. The 150-cc is the head of the i-get engine family—a single-cylinder, air-cooled, four-stroke engine equipped with electronic injection and threevalve distribution. Each detail, from the exhaust to the inner structure of the transmission casing, is designed to provide a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride. A remarkably environmental-friendly engine capable of performance at the top of its category, the power and maximum torque of the i-get 150-cc engine are 9.5 kw at 7750 rpm; and 12.8 Nm at 6500 rpm—figures that work with the proverbially light weight of all Vespa scooters to give the Vespa Sprint Notte a particularly lively acceleration.

The Vespa GTS 300 Super Notte has a modern, high tech, single-cylinder, four-stroke, four-valve, liquidcooled, electronic injection engine capable of putting out 15.6 kW (21.2 hp) at 7,750 rpm and a maximum torque of 22 Nm at just 5,000 rpm. Such figures ensure prompt acceleration and particularly brilliant performance, making the large-frame special Vespa the perfect vehicle to move about comfortably, both in city traffic and for outdoor travel.

GLOBA L leader in aircooled c h i l ler tec hnolog y, t he York c h i l ler solut ions from Johnson Controls is at the forefront of providing efficient and sustainable cooling solutions. By offering the widest array of energye f f i c i e nt w a t e r a n d a i r - c o o l e d industrial and commercial chillers, the York stands by its commitment t o r e d u c e t h e e a r t h ’s c a r b o n f o o t p r i nt a n d c r e at e h e a lt h i e r indoor environments.

In line with its mission, Johnson Controls introduces anot her b r e a k t h r o u g h i n n o v at i o n w it h t h e Yo r k Y Z m a g n e t i c - b e a r i n g centrifugal chiller, the first chiller f u l ly optimized for u ltimate performance with a next generation low g loba l-wa r m i ng potent i a l (GWP) refrigerant. For its marked efficiency, safety, availability, low environmental impact and cost, the York YZ was recently awarded with t he 2019 A HR E x po Innovat ion Aw a rd , w h ic h honor s t he most e xceptiona l products, systems a nd tec hnolog ies t h at push t he boundaries of creativ ity, design, application, value and market impact.

To of f i c i a l l y u nv e i l t he a l l new York YZ, a f u l l-day business partners’ program and media launch were held on Febr uar y 21 at the Centur y Hotel. In partnership with Johnsons Control Inc. and York, the officia l distr ibutor of Stel lar Equipment and Machiner y Inc., a subsidiar y of the Pr imer Group of Companies, the event gathered a handf u l of representatives from t he med ia, as wel l as V IPs a nd company executives.

Select event attendees were taken on a tour to the facility area of Century Hotel, where York chillers are installed. At the tour a York representative provided an insightful discussion on the technology and benefits of the YZ chiller.

Later in the day, an exclusive talk was also held with Larry Kouma, the team lead of applied engineering at York Chillers, at the K achina room of Centur y Hotel, to further d i s c u s s t he t e c h nolo g y b e h i nd York ’s newest innovation. Kouma was also joined by Eu Boon-hoe, general manager for distribution

business on Asia; and Goh Chweeguan, regional manager of chiller channel sales.

As revealed on the brand talk, Johnson Controls applied a holistic approac h to s y stem desig n a nd eng ineer ing , optimizing ever y c o m p o n e nt a r o u n d a c a r e f u l l y selected next-generation refrigerant to ensure maximum sustainability and performance. For York, true susta inabi lit y means t he lowest tot a l em i ssions a nd ad apt i ng a chiller design to a new refrigerant is not enough. To attain the highest possible efficiency, York combines a low GWP refrigerant with design optimizations that are specifically meant to maximize efficiency and minimize operation costs.

Recognizing the growing need for cooling systems that take into considerat ion its impact on t he environment, the York YZ chiller uses an integ ra l, var iable speed dr ive and advanced mag neticbearing technolog y that features a single-moving assembly suspended in a magnetic field that does not require lubrication.

T h i s te c h nolog y re qu i res 8 0 percent fewer moving parts than t r a d it ion a l oi l - or re f r i ge r a nt lubr icated dr ivelines. T he result is en h a nced rel i abi l it y, reduced maintenance and improved efficiency. Compared to traditional fixed-speed oil-bearing chillers, the YZ chiller delivers up to 35 percent annual energ y savings.

Moreover, the YZ chi l ler can a l s o d e l i ve r s i g n i f ic a nt e ne r g y savings and lower operating costs by taking advantage of the off-design conditions where chillers operate 99 percent of the time. T he YZ operates with entering condenser water temperature as low as 40 d e g re e s Fa re n he it (4 . 5 d e g re e s C e l c i u s) , p r o v i d i n g e n h a n c e d per for mance in ever y operat ing condition and the widest operating envelope in the industr y.

Fina l ly, t he York Y Z uses an optimized single stage desig n to provide industr y-leading r e a l - w o r l d e n e r g y e f f i c i e n c y.

T his technolog y enables the chil ler to operate w ith condenser temperatures below the evaporator temperatures, eliminating the need for a water-side economizer, which simplifies the system, requires less mechanica l room space and saves mone y on comp one nt s , pipi n g , controls and maintenance.

T he a l l-new YZ chil ler br ings together over a centur y’s wor th of g roundbrea k ing innovation and commitment to sustainabilit y as refined through rea l-world u se a nd e x per ience at Joh n son Controls. A n embod iment of a s olut ion d e l i v e re d b y c h i l l e r ex per ts who are ded icated in providing technologies, ensuring a brighter future for the generations to come, the York YZ chiller is truly the best choice both for companies and the env ironment a like.

Sports BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, February 28, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

IN SUPPORT OFS SEMENYA CASTER SEMENYA says she just wants to run “the way I was born.”

PORTSWEAR giant Nike has released its latest advert celebrating the achievements of female athletes, as South African two-time Olympic 800 meters champion Caster Semenya awaits the verdict of her landmark appeal against the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

In the 90-second film released during the Oscars ceremony, a clip of Semenya winning an IAAF Diamond League race is played, over which 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion Serena Williams says “if we’re too good, there’s something wrong with us.”

It comes just two days after the end of a weeklong appeals tribunal between Semenya and the IAAF at the Court of Arbitration for sport (CAS), at which the IAAF argued 28-year-old Semenya has an unfair advantage over her rivals because of naturally occurring high levels of testosterone caused by differences of sexual development (DSD).

The IAAF has repeatedly claimed that in the interests of fair competition, Semenya and other female athletes with abnormal testosterone levels, who compete in track events between 400 meters and a mile, should be forced to take medication to reduce their hormone levels or compete against men.

Their stance has caused significant controversy, with many, including human-rights experts, feminism activists and women’s sports groups, calling for their proposed rule to be scrapped.

Semenya herself has said she just wants to run “the way I was born” and her sponsor Nike has now again publicly backed its athlete.

Semenya had been given her own advert by Nike last September demonstrating “her journey to success.”

Elsewhere in the latest advert, which takes aim at all stereotypical criticisms of female athletes, tennis great Williams also says “if we [women] show emotion, we’re called dramatic” and “if we dream of equal opportunity, [we’re

called] delusional.”

Williams herself caused controversy at last year’s US Open, where she lost her cool in the final and called the chair umpire a liar.

Some later questioned whether a man would have been treated the same way for such an outburst.

Nike has a history of creating adverts in support of its stars when they become embroiled in such controversial cases.

In September last year they released another called “dream crazy,” in which American football star Colin Kaepernick was shown as the narrator said “believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

He became famous worldwide for kneeling during the national anthem at National Football League games, protesting against alleged police brutality and racism in the United States.

Since sparking the protest, which critics have called unpatriotic and disrespectful to war veterans, the quarterback has been without a team.

Many now consider his career over and Nike has drawn a clear comparison to Semenya’s case, calling the new advert “dream crazier.”

Unlike Kaepernick though, Semenya may well compete again if the CAS rules in her favor.

Even if the CAS rules against her, Semenya could still compete with women if she takes medication to reduce her testosterone levels, but considering her stance to date it seems unlikely she would take that option.

A verdict in the case is expected by March 26.

The German television firm ARD has suggested the IAAF has inadvertently published data allowing for the jigsaw identification of athletes suffering from medical problems, including hyperandrogenism.

CHICAGO Cubs Manager Joe Maddon visits the mound during the second inning of spring training game against the Texas Rangers in Mesa, Arizona. AP

Major League managers, coaches adjust to get most out of millennials

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ESA, Arizona—In the aftermath of Chicago’s collapse last season, Cubs Manager Joe Maddon went looking for a deeper understanding of the players who dominate the major leagues these days.

Maddon’s search took him to Managing Millennials for Dummies, and the book reinforced what he already felt about the people he worked with every day.

“The big takeaway is that they’re no different than anybody else,” a chuckling Maddon said. “When you break it down and you go back to your own childhood, we all had inefficiencies as young people. The biggest takeaway, I think, are two things; that the propensity to be inclined to utilize technology, which is wonderful because I’ve done that anyway, and then, they as a group like wanting to know why.”

Millennials make up the vast majority of the majors today, and their influence is felt all over the sport.

They were the earliest adopters of the advanced statistics that have become commonplace throughout baseball, and they inform much of what they do on the mound or at the plate. They want to know the reasoning behind what their coaches want them to do.

“I’ve learned this generation is nothing like the generation I grew up in,” Royals Manager Ned Yost said. “Nothing like it. You have to learn and have an open mind to find out what makes these kids tick, how they grew up. They’re so diverse and their way of communicating is different in Southern California, kids in the South, kids in the East. It’s just taking the time to get to know them and how to communicate.”

The millennial generation became a hot topic in Chicago when the Cubs fired hitting coach Chili Davis after they struggled to score in the final few days of last season, culminating in their 2-1, 13-inning loss to Colorado in the NL Wild Card Game.

Davis told the Chicago Sun-Times that he needed

to make some adjustments to how he delivers his message to millennials, and he planned to know more about his potential players before he accepted another job. He was hired as hitting coach for the New York Mets in December.

“You learn from every place you go,” Davis said during spring training. “You know, there’s a lot of different personalities to try to connect with. And sometimes you connect with most of them, you hope you connect with all of ’em— that’s a rarity. But you know, I had great kids in Boston, I thought I had some really good kids over in Chicago last year and I’m really enjoying the guys I’m around this year.”

Defining a generation “is an art and a science,” said Kate Turkcan, who is the head of youth insights for Kantar Consulting. Turkcan said millennials were born between 1979 and 1996, and centennials—the next major generation for baseball—began in 1997 and ended between four and eight years ago.

Turkcan, who has worked with universities and companies like Samsung, Coca-Cola and Target, said the millennial stereotype of entitled young person is misguided.

“They’re not asking why to be difficult. They’re asking why because they’ve grown up in a generation or in a world where you need proof for everything, you need backup,” she said.

“They’re taught critical thinking skills...they’ve been taught you don’t take anything at face value and I think even coming from someone who’s experienced, like a coach or like a manager, it’s not that they’re doubting, but it is that they’ve always been taught like you don’t just take anything. You ask why.... You want to get really to the root of the issue.”

Maddon, who turned 65 on February 8, is the oldest manager in baseball, followed by the 64-year-old Yost and San Francisco skipper Bruce Bochy, 63. Maddon is

nearly 30 years older than Rocco Baldelli, who became the game’s youngest manager when he was hired by Minnesota in October.

Despite his age, Maddon has been known for his ability to relate to his players. The Cubs declined to offer him an extension after the tough finish last year, so Maddon’s ability to get the most of the younger millennials on his roster could help determine his future.

That’s just fine with Maddon, who thinks his style

works nicely for baseball’s most important generation at the moment.

“Quite frankly, when I started doing this in the mid-80s, I thought it was important to tell my players why,” Maddon said. “You want to know why, I don’t feel offended. I think sometimes it’s, when people ask you why there’s a defensive component to that that some people don’t like. I don’t mind it. So when they ask me that, why, I should be prepared to tell them why.” AP

In a piece broadcast yesterday, ARD claim they have been able to identify “approximately 50” female athletes and their rough testosterone levels, using the results of an IAAF-funded study.

They say while the athletes are not named by the study, their identification is possible as the data shows the exact times they have run, distances they have thrown and heights they have jumped.

They conclude therefore, that it is “possible” the rights of Semenya and other female athletes could be violated.

For confidentiality reasons, the results of gender testing Semenya has been made to take over the years have never been made public and IAAF President Sebastian Coe has called such confidentiality “absolutely vital.”

In a lengthy statement sent to insidethegames, the IAAF denied that any individual athlete could be identified from the data.

“Both of the studies concerned have been published by reputable international scientific journals and as such they have gone through a thorough and standardized peer-review process that ensures they meet the international ethical standards for medical research involving human subjects established under the Helsinki Declaration, including those that govern privacy protection,” they said.

“It is important that sport is able to conduct robust research that can be peer-reviewed and published as this is important to the development and evolution of rules in sport.

“Much of our research we are unable to publish as it contains specific and confidential information, and we have been frequently and publicly asked to share this and we have not.

“The research included in this paper has been carefully compiled to show ranges of recorded testosterone levels against performance levels in a range of events, dividing the field of athletes into three equal parts—the top third by performances, the bottom third by performance and the remaining third in the middle.

“The only accurate thing you could conclude from these tables is the athletes who have achieved the highest and the lowest performance results in the highest and lowest group can possibly be identified by their performance as belonging to this group which is made up of 11 to 37 athletes, so no individual athlete’s data can be identified.”

They added that the sports in which the relevant athletes take part is not mentioned in the study, so “it would be wrong to assume they are all from the sport of athletics.” Insidethegames

USE YOUR HEAD!

Newcastle United’s Salomon Rondon (left) and Burnley’s Jeff Hendrick battle for the ball during their English Premier League match at St. James’s Park in Newcastle, England, on Tuesday.

Newcastle secures a fourth straight home win by beating Burnley, 2-0, to further ease its relegation concerns in the league. AP

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CEBU CC AHEAD IN PAL INTERCLUB C

EBU Country Club (CCC) drew a pair of 50 points from Nonoy Tirol and rookie Eric Deen on Wednesday to emerge as the surprise leader at the start of the 33rd Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf team championships in Cebu City.

CCC collected 142 points at the Alta Vista Golf Club to open a three-point lead over defending champion Canlubang, Luisita and Del Monte, which all tied with 138.

“We are ready to win,” declared Tirol, who made three birdies against five bogeys and a double bogey.

Tirol said the entry of Deen, a three-handicapper, and Jufil Sato had added more depth to the team that won the Founders division last year in Bacolod.

Deen, a member of the CCC squad that won the regular PAL Interclub crown in 2012, had three birdies against seven bogeys, outplaying flight mate Tommy Manotoc.

“It was a privilege playing with Tommy who is one of the best amateurs. He has so much talent,” Deen said.

CCC’s third scorer was Korean Kim Kwang Seok, who turned in 42 points.

The 69-year-old Manotoc, returning for Canlubang after an absence of two years, started with three straight double bogeys before playing the rest of the round at two-over.

He buried a 30-foot birdie putt on the final hole to salvage 46 points, his worst score ever at the Interclub.

Two other teammates—Rolly Viray and Zaldy Villa— also scored 46. Mari Hechanova made the turn at eight-over and did not count with 44 points.

Sixteen-time champion Luisita also struggled, typified by Eddie Bagtas’ 48 points that was marred by five three-putts.

Also scoring for Luisita were Rafael Raymundo and Luis Laureta who each had 45 points.

“We played badly. We wasted a lot of strokes. Hopefully, we get to play better tomorrow,” said Luisita nonplaying captain Jeric Hechanova.

Del Monte made it a four-horse race behind Raul Minoza’s day-best 51 points.

Minoza, who used his driver four times, stayed away from trouble with one birdie against four bogeys.

Virgilio Adag and Arsenio Mondilla counted for Del Monte with 45 and 42, respectively.

In other divisions, Lanang led Sportswriter with 111 points at the Club Filipino de Cebu while Winners Circle Golf Club of LAX paced Friendship with 109 at Alta Vista.

This year’s Interclub is sponsored by Radio Mindanao Network, Asian Air Safari and Vanguard Radio Network. Also

extending support are ABS-CBN Global Ltd. (The Filipino Channel), Rolls Royce, Primax Broadcasting Network, UM Broadcasting Network (Mindanao), Fox Sports, Cignal TV, GECAS, Boeing, Lufthansa Technik AG, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Dusit Thani Manila and Casino Filipino. Official hotel is Quest Hotel Conference Center Cebu.

The partial results: Championship – Cebu Country Club 142, Canlubang 138, Luisita 138, Del Monte 138 Sportswriter – Lanang 111, Davao City 108, Bay Area Golf Association Team 2 108, Baguio Country Club 106, South Bay Golf 104, Mactan Island 103, Fil-Am Fairfield 101, Camp Evangelista 98, Bacolod Golf 98, Iligan Golf 98, Lumbia 98, Paoay Golf 96, Taotaomona 95, Honolulu Country Club 91, Via Verde Los Angeles 88, SF Heritage 88, Green Hills West 88, Guam Seals 87, Bay Area Golf Association Team 1 87, Cotabato Golf 87, San Juanico Golf 86, Mount Malindang 82, Parbreakers 78, Skywest Golf Club 73, Sienna Plantation 71, San Francisco East Bay 52 Friendship – Winners Circle Golf Club of LAX 109, Canphil Golf Association 108, Bay City Golf SF 104, EZ Par Golf Club 104, PGA-Qatar 99, MSU Marawi 98, Fort Bonifacio 95, Vancouver Golf of ABC 95, FilAm New Jersey 94, PhilAm

NONOY TIROL (right) and rookie Eric Deen scores 50 points each for Cebu Country Club. STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS

Central Florida 92, PGA-British Columbia Team 1 92, Bennet Valley Golf Association 87, Eastridge 86, Guam Compadres 84, Pinoy Vancouver Team A 83, PGA-British Columbia Team 2 82, West Covina Warriors 80, Seattle Golf Club 79, Mabuhay Golf Club of SFO 78, Fil-Am SFO 76, Travelers Golf Club 76, Pittsburg FilAm Golf 75, San Francisco Alliance of Golfers 71, Moffet Field Golf Team 1 68, San Francisco Peninsula 65, Guam Seniors 64, Melbourne Pinoy Golf 61, Richmond Driving Range Golf Club 50.

SASO, DIDAL FETED IN P.S.A. AWARDS

By Ramon Rafael Bonilla

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OMAN power was on full display on Tuesday night when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) handed the Athlete of Year award to five Filipina athletes who shone brightest in their respective fields in 2018.

In a lavish ceremony where sports luminaries gathered at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, Asian Games gold medallists Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting), Margielyn Didal (skateboarding); and golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go were hailed as the year’s best in sports.

Saso and Didal personally received their trophies from PSA President Eduardo Catacutan Jr. of Spin.ph. Diaz, Pagdanganan

and Go are abroad training and either sent videos thanking the PSA or their representsatives to receive their awards.

“I’m very happy and proud. We didn’t expect to win but we’re happy we made it. We just had fun that week,” the 17-year-old Saso said as she reminisced her Asian Games gold conquest in Jakarta where she won both the individual and team gold medals with Pagdanganan and Go. Didal said she was in cloud nine after receiving the award.

“I’m always giving my best when I compete because it is always for the country,” the Cebuana skater said. “This is for my family, supporters and the kids who aspire to be a successful athlete someday.”

Coming with little rest following his stint with the national team in Qatar and Kazakhstan, June Mar Fajardo personally took the Mr. Basketball award.

Teen sensation Kai Sotto, meanwhile, received the Mr. Fan Favorite “Manok ng Bayan” Award.

The National Sports Association of the Year award was given to the National Golf Association of the Philippines, the National University women’s basketball was cited with the President’s Award, while Enrique Razon was recognized as the Executive of the Year.

Bowler Bong Coo and cyclist Paquito Rivas were given Lifetime Achievement Awards.

NBA RESULTS New York 108, Orlando 103 Toronto 118, Boston 95 Denver 121, Oklahoma City 112

ATHLETES of the Year Yuka Saso (left) and Margielyn Didal are the stars of the night. ROY DOMINGO

Swimmer, four archery bets breach 4-gold medal mark

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NTIQUE’S Guilliver Clive Clemente claimed his fourth gold to join four other eagle-eyed archers as the first quadruple gold medalists in the Visayas Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy at the Iloilo Sports Complex on Wednesday in Iloilo City.

Clemente, 14, ruled the 200-meter breaststroke in two minutes and 37.46 seconds to add to his three golds—400m individual medley (IM), 50m breast and 200m IM—he scooped up in the first two days of pool competition.

The eighth-grader from Antique National School will have a chance to win a fifth as he plunges back into action in Thursday’s 100m IM. Clemente thus moved in the elite company of

four-gold medal winners, which included archers Naina Dominique Tagle and Prisa Heren Lofranco of Dumaguete, Aldrener Igot Jr. of Cebu City and Godwell Maloloy-on of Mandaue.

Tagle and Igot swept all golds in the 30m, 40m, 50m and 60m for boys’ and girls’ cub division, while Lofranco and Maloloy-on did the same in the cadet class.

All four have strong chances of getting the maximum seven gold medals if they could top the mixed team at press time and the team and Olympic Round events today.

Ormoc’s Coby Marcus Rivilla and Tagbilaran’s Anthony Jude Presas copped their third swimming gold in the boys 12-under 100m backstroke and boys 15-under 400m freestyle, respectively.

Rivilla timed in 1:17.84 and besting Tagbilaran’s John Sylvester Dequna (1:23.26) and Ormoc’s Amare Kobe Guadayo (1:28.40) while Presas checked in at 4:42.91 ahead of Negros Occidental’s Renji de Miguel (4:59.67) and Bohol’s Ralph Joshua Monje (5:01.51).

Alexi Kouzenye Cabayaran likewise splashed her way to a third gold in the girls’ 13-15 100m back in 1:10.64.

PRISA HEREN LOFRANCO of Dumaguete is hitting the target in Iloilo.

Jr. NBA PHL gets going in Cavite

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ORE than 3,000 boys and girls joined the Jr. NBA Philippines’s first open clinic for 2019 at the Sisters of Mary Boystown and Girlstown in Silang, Cavite, over the weekend.

As part of the league’s efforts to promote inclusion, Jr. NBA Philippines provided opportunities for young girls of Sisters of Mary Girlstown from Grades 7 to 10 to participate in basketball drills and skills development exercises.

A total of 2,248 female athletes experienced world class basketball instruction from Jr. NBA Coaches Natalia Dos Santos and Jeffrey Cariaso and other Alaska coaches.

The Jr. NBA Philippines program also hosted 1,060 kids who learned the fundamentals of shooting, passing, dribbling, defending and conditioning, while Alaska and Gatorade facilitated nutrition and hydration talks.

“Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska distinguishes itself by reinforcing an active lifestyle and instilling positive values for kids while enjoying the game of basketball,” Dos Santos said.

The Jr. NBA Philippines will stage Regional Selection Camps in Lucena (March 9 and 10), Baguio (March 23 and 24), Dumaguete (March 30 and 31), Butuan (April 13 and 14) and Metro Manila (April 26 and 27) to advance the top 40 boys and 40 girls in the National Training Camp from May 17 to 19.

As many as five boys and five girls from the National Training Camp will advance to the first Jr. NBA Global Championship Asia Pacific Qualifiers, a weeklong selection camp in June, featuring top youth players from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

The top performing 10 boys and 10 girls will represent Asia Pacific in the second Jr. NBA Global Championship set from August 6 to 11 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

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SOLID THAIS VIE IN T.C.C. M

ULTI-TITLED Yupaporn Kawinpakorn stands at the forefront of a solid Thailand side out to reassert its might on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour (LPGT), upbeat but wary of their chances against a star-studded field in the first The Country Club Ladies Invitational unfolding on March 6 at the TCC layout in Laguna.

The Thais nailed five of the 12 titles disputed in last year’s LPGT with Kawinpakorn winning twice at Beverly Place and Summit Point and Pavarisa Yoktuan reigning at Splendido, Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang edging Cyna Rodriguez in a

playoff at Luisita, Onkanok Soisuwan dominating the Mount Malarayat stop, and Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng ruling the rain-shortened Champion Tour at Manila Southwoods.

But the country’s perennial regional rivals expect nothing but three days of top-notch competition in the $100,000 event put up by the International Container Terminal Services Inc., which features world No. 2 Sung Hyun Park of South Korea and the cream of the country’s pro crop plus aces from Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia and two other talented Koreans.

While Yoktuan, Soisuwan and Wilairungrueng won’t be around to backstop Kawinpakorn, Pattaranakrueang is also in the fold, along with former LPGT leg winners Renuka Suksukont, who topped the 2017 Philippine Ladies Masters, and Wannasiri Sirisampant, who won at Southwoods in 2015.

Other Thais competing are Supamas Sangchan, Chonlada

RENUKA SUKSUKONT, the 2017 Philippine Ladies Masters winner, is joining the fray.

Chayanun, Nattagate Nimitpongkul, Jackie Chulya, Punpaka Phuntumabamrung, Wanchana Poruangrong, Thanutra Boonraksasat, Nathikarn Raksachat, Preenaphan Poomklay, Arpichaya Yubol, Trichat Cheenglab, Ornnicha Konsunthea, Waralee Atcharerk, Dussavi Soopimjit and veteran campaigner Mookharin Ladgratok.

Though Park, given her world-class skills and immense talent, remains the player to beat in the event organized by the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., the Pinays hope to cash in on the proverbial home-court edge and contend for the championship serving as the fifth leg of the sixth LPGT season and third stage of the Ladies Professional Golf Association of Taiwan.

But focus will surely be on the crack Thai squad with Kawinpakorn and the rest all ready to prove their worth against a stellar international field at one of the country’s toughest courses.

LADY SPIKERS UNBLEMISHED R

EIGNING titlist De La Salle was just too tough for a National University (NU) side, 25-10, 20-25, 27-25, 25-22, to stay as the lone unbeaten squad in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 81 women’s volleyball tournament on Wednesday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Spikers, however, needed to stop a second-set uprising by the Lady Bulldogs with Princess Robles and Ivy Lacsina initiating the rally after their team played sour in the opening frame.

But the Lady Spikers were quick to recover to stave off their opponents’ upset effort and notch their third straight victory.

Despite the win, Head Coach Ramil de Jesus slammed his team for its errors, especially in the service area.

“I told them to respect NU because they were solid against UE [University of the East].

They know their strengths. They are very familiar with each other, especially on floor defense,” de Jesus said.

ABS-CBN launches iWant Sports section

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BS-CBN’s popular streaming service iWant recently launched its newest section, iWant Sports, where passionate followers of different sports leagues could stream all kinds of sports content on whatever device, whenever and wherever they are.

Sports fans are now able to watch live games, revisit the highlights of the games they missed, get to know their idols, or catch up on the latest news updates in the sports world on the digital platform.

The section was launched during the opening of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) volleyball tournament on February 16.

The one-stop section on the streaming service will house various sports content offerings for fans of the UAAP, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Premier Volleyball League, Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, Asean Basketball League, Pinoy Pride, boxing events and national tournaments.

Beyond the games, sports aficionados could also access other sports content such as ABS-CBN S+A productions like flagship program The Score, UAAP special University Town, lifestyle show Upfront, sports documentaries like UAAP G.O.A.T, as well as sportsrelated ANC or ABS-CBN programs like motoring show Rev, sports talk show Hardball, and current affairs show Sports U. ABS-CBN Integrated Sports Head Dino Laurena said that the launch of a sports section on iWant, which started in 2019 with a whopping 11.3 million subscribers, enables them to reach, entertain and inspire more Filipinos in the digital space.

“We understand the desire of our diehard sports fans, and even casual sports enthusiasts, for intense and compelling sports content,” Laurena said. “We want to make it easier for them to catch the action and stories from the best tournaments in the country right now and witness great performances unfold in real time in one location, which is iWant.”

DE La Salle’s Desiree Cheng spikes against National University’s Princess Anne Robles. NONOY LACZA

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UP Maroons’ inspirational rise to be chronicled in new book

HE University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons surprised pundits by barging into the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball finals just four years after finishing the annual tournament with just one win—and now one of the rising young sports journalists in the county is going to explain how UP’s alumni engineered this amazing turnaround.

To be penned by columnist Naveen Ganglani, who has extensively covered the Fighting Maroons and the UAAP since 2009, the new book will provide readers with an in-depth look into the events leading to the humble beginnings of Nowhere to go but UP, a group of UP

Barking TESSA JAZMINES tessa4347@gmail.com

PART OF THE GAME IT’S not just for dogs. It’s not just for jeepney or bus rides either.

Barking is not just the sound dogs make or seals honk out by force of nature.

Barking, or better yet, barkers, are the modern umalohokans (town criers) and rabble rousers of yore. In fact, barkers have become an integral part of every basketball or volleyball game, at least in the Philippines. Filipinos who are such auditory and visual creatures love listening to sounds and being dazzled by color and design (think ornately designed and decorated jeepneys). So most events—sports first and foremost—are loud, upbeat and entertaining, as well.

If you’re a habitué of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines (NCAA), the professional volleyball leagues or even international sports tournaments, you most definitely know how a game barker ups the energy in the house while keeping the crowd informed about what’s going on, who scored what, who fumbled where and

“I also took notice of our mistakes in services. We can’t complain because it was our own errors. It was frustrating,” he added.

May Luna topscored for De La Salle with 14 points, while Aduke Ogunsanya chipped in 13 points on eight attacks, three blocks and two aces.

The Lady Spikers used a 9-0 run to make it look so easy in the opening set. But the Lady Bulldogs went to Robles and Lacsina to steal the second set and send the reigning champions reeling.

But NU had more problems avoiding errors, and De La Salle had the firepower in Luna and Desiree Cheng to start carving the victory in the third set.

Cheng and Jolina de la Cruz each had 12 points apiece for the Lady Spikers, while MIchelle Cobb contributed 33 excellent sets.

Robles tallied 18 points built on 17 spikes, and Lacsin added 16 on 14 attacks and two blocks for NU, which dropped to a 1-2 card.

Ramon Rafael Bonilla

what’s coming next in a sporting event.

Barkers are a relatively later addition to the sports scene, if you’re going to count the very early days of basketball. One of the earliest barkers—at least in my memory— was Vince de Guzman, known as Vince St. Price, who called out PBA games in the 1980s. He certainly made the games rock and the audience roll with his high-energy voice and basketball savvy.

I’m making the differentiation here between game barkers and sports commentators though. The late Joe Cantada was a sports commentator, not a barker.

He with the deep, dark chocolate voice took the art of commentating to a whole new different level. He was the first to give monickers to players, calling Atoy Co “Fortune Cookie,” for instance, or Samboy Lim “The Skywalker” and Jerry Codiñera “The Defense Minister” back in the day. He left quite a void in the sport when he passed on, as Vince St. Price did too when he migrated to the US. But eventually, others took up the torch and kept the art form alive.

Barkers, on the other hand, are those

alumni volunteers who dared to believe that they could reinvigorate UP’s resource-challenged sports programs.

“I’m incredibly lucky and grateful to the members of Nowhere to go but UP group, who have given me the opportunity to tell this amazing story,” Ganglani said.

The writer, an alumnus of De La Salle University who roots for his Alma Mater’s Green Archers, nonetheless acknowledges that “the rise of the Fighting Maroons in the past five years leading up to their trip to the UAAP Finals is nothing short of phenomenal.”

“As an outsider looking in, I hope to convey how the story of a rival school is incredibly inspiring, even to those who do not bleed maroon. I hope to do justice to their story by writing

who provide the on-court annotation of key points of the game. They speak through a mike that is for the game venue audience’s benefit, primarily, vis-à-vis commentators who speak directly to TV audiences, not necessarily to the live audience. Some of those who livened up the games as barkers in recent times are Boyet Sison (now with ANC), Sgt. Mark Luzon, Rob Evangelista, Noel Zarate, Rick Stryker, Noel Villar and the late, great Rolly Manlapaz.

Rolly Manlapaz is considered to be the gold standard in the art of barking (barkmanship? barkerhood?) Such that when he passed on just before the start of UAAP Season 81, the sound of the games—UAAP basketball in the first semester, and now volleyball—were never the same. There is talk that there were plans in the past to have Rolly begin a Barkers Academy to identify and train future would-be barkers to continue the gold standard. Sadly, he passed away before that could happen.

Now the UAAP has paraded a series of barkers, some of them—like Rick Stryker—a good fit for the energy and requirements of the job. Others are young and green, but show potential nonetheless.

Basically, a barker’s basic job is to do the team roll-call, announce the starting five, call out the fouls and the substitutions.

What distinguishes a barker’s quality from the rest is not what he does or doesn’t do, but more of how he does it.

If his/her fundamentals are good : a loud voice, proper enunciation of words, level of alertness and familiarity with the

game and the players, he/she’s going to make it. If he/she adds flourish and wit to his/her work, adds to the drama and excitement of what’s going on, he/she becomes an added attraction himself. The late Rolly Manlapaz had a fanhood, for instance. And people enjoyed listening to him give the game its additional dimension.

That’s how a barker makes some noise.

Usually baritones have an edge when it comes to the job. If he or she has wit, a little bit of theater and presence of mind in the midst of baffling circumstances in the game, then there’s showmanship besides and the job is elevated into a veritable art form.

The UAAP is at the moment testing out new Rolly Manlapazes to be in the ongoing volleyball season. Some of the tryouts are students or graduates from some of the member universities, which I think is a fresh idea. But “barkering” is an art that grows with experience and acquired knowledge.

It’s a skill that gets perfected with more trials and increased confidence.

Soon I hope the UAAP can find someone like Rolly Manlapaz again who will provide a consistent, go-to sound for every game experience. Part of the charm of watching sports is having a familiar voice that makes you want to “come home” to the games over and over again. It’s like having a favorite waiter or maitre d’ in a restaurant or a favorite barber in a barber shop. Familiarity is important.

Continuity is key. In the final analysis, it all boils down to branding. Who will be the new “voice of the league?”That’s going to be its brand. So hope they find him or her soon.

an accurate, comprehensive, well-researched book that will answer many questions about the rise of the Maroons,” Ganglani added.

“What were the early challenges the group faced as UP tried to rehabilitate its reputation as one of the UAAP’s cellar-dwellers?

What was the motivation behind the bonfire during a one-win campaign, which was celebrated in Diliman, but mocked outside of the university’s walls?”

LINDAY STALZER powers the Cargo Movers with her usual dominant form.

Petron takes on Sta. Lucia in PSL

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USTAINING their hot streak will be the order of battle when Petron, F2 Logistic and Cignal march to the court in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix on Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Reigning champion Blaze Spikers test the mettle of Sta. Lucia at 2 p.m. while powerhouse Cargo Movers collide with Foton at 4:15 p.m.

Also seeing action are the HD Spikers, who will stake their three-game winning run against dangerous United VC in the night cap at 7 p.m.

After recruiting two of the best imports the league has ever seen in Stephanie Niemer and Katherine Bell while bringing back the core of Mika Reyes, Remy Palma, Aiza Pontillas and Rhea Dimaculangan, Petron raced to a three-game winning streak to occupy the top of the team standings.

But the Blaze Spikers’ bitter nemesis, the Cargo Movers, refused to be outdone as they also plucked their third straight win, thanks to the arrival of former Most Valuable Player and three-time Grand Prix champion Lindsay Stalzer.

With Stalzer on board, F2 Logistics is now a complete team, leading to a 23-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22 win over United VC on Tuesday.

Stalzer, who just had two practice sessions with the Cargo Movers after arriving late on Sunday, erupted for 25 kills and five blocks to finish with 30 points while Becky Perry chipped in 16 points for the Cargo Movers, who are tipped to challenge the Blaze Spikers in another fierce title duel.

“We need a leader on the court, especially the imports. We look up to them because the Grand Prix is a battle of imports,” F2 Logistics Coach Ramil de Jesus said.

Cignal, however, should never be counted out.

The HD Spikers dropped their opening-day assignment to the Cargo Movers, but they were unstoppable since then, racking up three straight wins over PLDT Home Fibr, Sta. Lucia and Generika-Ayala to emerge just a spot behind Petron and F2 Logistics in the team standings.

Head Coach Edgar Barroga said their winning run should be attributed to a small adjustment he made following their setback to the Cargo Movers.

Sports

One Championship visits LA, considers global future

BusinessMirror

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| Thursday, February 28, 2019 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

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WILDER-FURY II OFF T HE World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title rematch between champion Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is off for now.

The two fought to a draw in December and were negotiating a rematch. But WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said on Tuesday he received confirmation from Fury that the challenger would look elsewhere for his next bout.

“Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury is officially not happening next,” Sulaiman tweeted. “The WBC Boxing has received communications as our process, and while WBC Champion Wilder confirmed its willingness to fight the rematch, Fury will take on another fight with expectations to do rematch at a later date.”

Wilder is now expected to take on Dominic Breazeale, who is the next mandatory WBC challenger.

Anthony Joshua, who holds the other major heavyweight belts, will take on Jarrell Miller in June in New York.

Wilder (40-0-1) floored Fury (27-0-1) in the ninth and 12th rounds on December 1, yet Fury outboxed Wilder for large portions of the remainder of their showdown at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Fury looked finished when Wilder put him flat on his back with two minutes left in the fight, but he rose and made it to the bell.

Judge Robert Tapper scored the fight, 114-112, for Fury, while Alejandro Rochin favored Wilder, 115-111. Judge Phil Edwards had it, 113-113.

The next day, Wilder in particular pushed for a quick rematch.

“I’m ready whenever he’s ready,” Wilder said. “I’m ready whenever he’s ready to do it. I’m ready to give the fans what they want to see and end this talk once and for all.”

The British challenger said the two would “100 percent” meet again in the ring, but Wilder said he doesn’t want to fight anybody else before a rematch.

“Everyone is talking about this fight. It’s only right for us to go back in and do it again,” Wilder said. “I don’t want any other fights to happen between him and I [meeting again].”

Looks like that won’t be the case.

SHIELDS VS. HAMMER

CLARESSA SHIELDS is participating in another first for women’s boxing.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist and Christina Hammer will be featured in All Access episodes on Showtime Sports’ social-media platforms.

Showtime announced on Tuesday that the episodes will premiere on March 29 and April 5 on SHO Sports YouTube and Facebook pages. Shields and Hammer will fight for the undisputed middleweight championship on April 13, broadcast live on Showtime from Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The episodes will show Shields preparing at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Hammer training in Seefeld, Austria.

Undefeated Shields (8-0, 2 KOs) and Hammer (24-0, 11 KOs) were supposed to fight on November 17, but Hammer postponed it because of illness.

Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza says the fight highlights “two of the elite athletes in boxing” in the network’s 10th women’s bout since 2017. That year, Shields became the first woman to headline a fight card on premium cable.

NEW UNIFORMS

THE International Amateur Boxing Association (Aiba) said it has approved new uniforms for female boxers to wear for religious reasons.

Aiba said “hijabs and full body form-fitting uniforms” have been designed “that do not compromise the competition and, therefore, the health of the boxers.”

Previously, the boxing association objected to the material of hijab head coverings “which was not designed to fit the body and had potential to come off and interfere in the competition.”

Aiba said the rule change highlights its “commitment to gender equity and religious tolerance.”

Aiba is currently under scrutiny by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which halted formal planning for men’s and women’s boxing tournaments at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

The IOC’s main issue is with Aiba President Gafur Rakhimov, who is on a US Treasury Department sanctions list. AP

THIS December 1, 2018, file photo shows Deontay Wilder (left, above photo) and Tyson Fury trade punches during their heavyweight match in Los Angeles last December, as undefeated women’s middleweight world champions Claressa Shields (left) and Christina Hammer face-down each other during a press conference to preview their upcoming fight. AP

OS ANGELES—Rich Franklin joined One Championship as a vice president nearly five years ago, and the former UFC champion has enjoyed the ride during the Singapore-based mixed martial arts promotion’s rapid growth across Asia.

After signing several American fighters and inking a new broadcast deal with Turner Sports’ B/R Live in the past few months, One’s ambitions are clearly becoming global.

While the promotion hasn’t scheduled any events in the US or Canada just yet, Franklin wants North American fans to keep their eyes on a company with a fresh approach to this inherently combative sport.

“We’ve got a different product than a lot of fans are used in this part of the world,” said Franklin, the former math teacher from Cincinnati. “This promotion really stands for the values of compassion, discipline, respect, honor—all the things that my dad wanted me to learn when he put me in karate.”

One is traveling the US West Coast this week, staging its first North American public appearances on turf long dominated by the UFC and Bellator.

Franklin and Miesha Tate— another former UFC champion now working for One as an executive— watched on Tuesday while Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez and Sage Northcutt threw punches and did backflips for a loud contingent of hard-core MMA fans enticed by free t-shirts and the chance to meet three well-known stars who left the UFC last year.

It’s tough to fully demonstrate One’s unique qualities in a brief open workout in a gym near the Los Angeles River’s famed concrete basin, but One’s shows are available online to any North American fan—and they could be even closer in the near future.

One doesn’t plan to schedule an MMA show in the US this year, and Franklin promised nothing—but he won’t be surprised if One takes a leap across the Pacific soon.

“I believe 2020 will be a good year for us to make some noise on this side of the world,” Franklin said.

One Championship is making stops this week in Seattle, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where it will appear on Thursday—just two days ahead of UFC 235 on the Strip.

One believes it stands out with a version of MMA less concerned with championships and trash talk than athletic inspiration and gracious behavior.

Those principles appealed to Johnson and Alvarez, two recent UFC belt-holders who eagerly agreed to join One last year.

“I think we’re doing something great that’s going to threaten the North American market eventually,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez, who lost his UFC belt to Conor McGregor in 2016, has already fought around the world for several promotions. The Philadelphia-based fighter said he had grown tired of “all the circus acts happening” in the UFC, from professional wrestlers getting prime promotional slots to the combative prefight posturing mastered by McGregor and others.

“There’s a lot of people who want a sport with integrity,” Alvarez said. “We have a want for honesty, and that’s gone missing. I can get a title shot here, and how many followers I have on Twitter and Instagram doesn’t matter. I don’t have to be a WWF wrestler. I can just be good at fighting. Imagine how good that feels to all the good fighters out there.”

Johnson was the UFC’s long-reigning flyweight champion before losing a decision to Henry Cejudo last summer. The 5-foot-3 fighter known as “Mighty Mouse” embraced the chance to have a new adventure, starting with his debut on March 31 in Tokyo on a card including Alvarez.

“I knew this was a company that I had a lot in common with, and I couldn’t pass it up,” Johnson said. “Also, I love to travel and see new things, and this is a chance to do that.”

The 22-year-old Northcutt is one of the most highprofile prospects in MMA, going 6-2 in the UFC before it declined to renew his contract. He jumped at the chance to move to One, where he can also compete in kickboxing and muay thai as he attempts to become a multidisciplinary champion.

“I just love everything about it,” Northcutt said, “and I really think all of the fans are going to love it, too.” AP

Healthy Wie back to defend title in Singapore S INGAPORE—The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour completes its four-week swing through Australia and Asia with a healthy Michelle Wie aiming to defend her HSBC Women’s World Championship title at Sentosa Golf Club’s Tanjong course.

Wie underwent surgery on her right hand earlier this month because of lingering issues from a car accident two years ago. She played in last week’s LPGA Thailand tournament, where she finished tied for 23rd behind winner Amy Yang.

“I feel extremely lucky to even be here this year, so I’m just soaking it all in and having

a lot of fun,” Wie told a pre-tournament news conference.

“Just the feeling that I felt after last year...I just felt so relieved. I knew that I had overcome a lot of stuff within the last couple of years.”

Wie fractured her hand and sustained extensive neck issues in the car accident. The 29-year-old American is taking precautions to work toward her 2019 goals— playing injury-free, making the Solheim Cup team for a sixth time and attempting to win another major to add to her 2014 US Open triumph.

“I guess as an old person now, a veteran out on tour, physio and recovery is key for me,” said Wie, who started on the LPGA Tour in 2009. “My life kind of revolves around

MICHELLE WIE underwent surgery on her right hand earlier this month because of lingering issues from a car accident two years ago. AP

it. I travel with my private physio and we have treatment every day, whether it’s getting needles in, whether it’s icing; I have my devices that I carry around with me.”

Wie will be playing for the 10th time in the Singapore tournament and she’s joined by world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn, along with the top 15 players in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, including No. 4 Inbee Park making her season debut.

Jutanugarn will tee off on Thursday in the last group of the no-cut, 63-player field with No. 3 Sung Hyun Park and No. 7 Minjee Lee. Nelly Korda, who won the Women’s Australian Open two weeks ago, leads the 2019 Race to the CME Globe with 780 points, followed by other 2019 winners Eun-Hee Ji (Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions) with 610 points and Yang with 576. AP

Compassionate God

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EAR God, You are slow to anger and abounding in kindness. We pray to You: Guide us by Your Wisdom, oh God. Help us to teach our children to seek peace and pursue it. Give courage and hope to the broken hearted and in despair. Rescue those who are tempted to harm themselves and others, and provide them with worthwhile activities to value themselves. May God show us the way to life and fill our hearts with peace and love, through Jesus our brother. Amen.

GIVE US THIS DAY, SHARED BY LUISA LACSON, HFL Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

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

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HERITAGE of Cebu Monument

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THE Yap-San Diego Ancestral House

Life BusinessMirror

MOMMY NO LIMITS: M2M2: WHAT ARE BIRTHDAYS FOR MOM? D3

Thursday, February 28, 2019

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CASA Gorordo

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DINING area at Yap-San Diego Ancestral House

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D.O.T. GEARS UP FOR MAJOR AVIATION CONFABS

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THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is gearing up for two major aviation events in an effort to boost the Philippines’s bid as one of Asia’s aviation hubs.

Slated from March 10 to 12 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, Routes Asia “brings together top-level speakers from across the sphere of aviation, including airlines, airports, destinations, aircraft manufacturers and more, to discuss the most pressing issues facing aviation now and into the future.”

Meanwhile, the CAPA Asia Aviation that will be held in June is expected to gather some 300 aviation executives and decision-makers. This will be the perfect avenue to converge and discuss new possibilities in mounting new routes to the Philippines. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat noted these upcoming events will showcase the newly developed Mactan-Cebu International Airport and will further bolster the country’s international networks and local tourism.

“It’s all system go for these two major aviation events. We are looking forward to boost not just the number of air seats but also that of new routes and development opportunities for smoother and faster travels to and from the country.

“We’re not only trying to increase the utilization of our secondary gateways like Cebu, but we’re also trying to decongest Manila, not only of its passenger traffic but also the aircraft movement,” Puyat said.

“Through both Routes Asia and CAPA Aviation Summit, the Philippine aviation industry looks forward to further capacity and infrastructure enhancements in the coming years,” added Puyat.

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A tour of Cebu’s Parian district T

BY BENJAMIN LAYUG

INTERACTIVE exhibit of prominent Cebuanos in Old Parian (Casa Gorordo)

HE genteel Parian of Cebu City, one of the several parians in the country, started as a small ghetto of Chinese traders in the 16th century. Located across an estuary on the north side of the Spanish quarters, by the turn of the 20th century it became a district where Cebu’s wealthiest founding families lived. Clustered within this district were a large concentration of the tiled-roof bahay na bato (stone ancestral houses) where lavish cenas and tertulias were once held by the buena sociedad cebuana.

A number of these ancestral houses were within a stone’s throw from the newly opened, three-star, Art Deco-style, 157-room One Central Hotel & Suites where we stayed in. During our free time, I, together with blogger Maria Rona Beltran and lifestyle and travel writer Rhea Tabora, visited three of these Spanish-Colonial era ancestral houses which have been turned into museums.

The historic, two-story Casa Gorordo, built in the 1850s, was originally owned by Alejandro Reynes y Rosales. In 1863 it was bought by Juan Isidro Gorordo, a Spanish merchant. Four generations of the Gorordo family, from 1863 to 1979, have lived in this house, including Bishop Juan Perfecto Gorordo y Garces (1862 to 1934), the first Filipino bishop of Cebu. In 1980 it was acquired by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi). Between 1980 and 1981, the house underwent extensive renovation and restoration works and, on December 15, 1983, was officially opened to the public as a museum. On September 24, 1991, Casa Gorordo Museum was designated as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute.

The house, showcasing mid-19th century and early 20th-century Philippine culture and lifestyle, has a rich artifact collection reflecting the lifestyle of Cebuanos from the late 1800s to the pre-World War II years. It has a courtyard, a terra-cotta tile roof with Chinese upturned eaves, bayong (mahogany) wood sidings, ground floor with coral stone blocks (glued with egg whites), tugas (molave) and narra hardwood flooring, and capiz windows.

The Yap-San Diego Ancestral House, also part of the Casa Gorordo Museum Complex, is said to be the first Chinese house built outside of China.

Often referred to by the locals as the Balay nga Bato ug Kahoy (House of Wood and Stones), this ancestral house was built, sometime between 1675 and 1700, and

TRUE-TO-LIFE CAREER-CHANGING STORY FOR CEBUPAC’S ‘MAKE FIRST MOMENTS’ CAMPAIGN

is considered as one of the oldest existing residential structures in the country, and proof that the Parian district in Cebu City was a bustling barangay where houses were often designed with a second story. This two-story house, its design combining Spanish and Chinese architectural influences, has a ground floor built with coral stone, glued with egg whites; and a second floor built with tugas (molave) and balayong wood. The curving roof was made of tisa (red terra-cotta clay tiles) from China, each piece weighing 1 kilogram.

Across the street from the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House is the Heritage of Cebu Monument, a visually and contextually interesting tableau of concrete, bronze, brass and steel sculptures designed by the late, multiawarded Cebuano sculptor Eduardo Castrillo. It shows scenes of significant and symbolic events in the history of Cebu back from the time of Rajah Humabon to the recent beatification of the Cebuano martyr, Pedro Calungsod. It was built on the site of the Saint John the Baptist Church which was demolished in 1875 by the diocese of Cebu. This work of art stands on a traffic circle, with narrow streets

flanking the sides.

The Jesuit House, also called Museo de Parian sa Sugbo, is claimed to be the oldest dated house in the Philippines. Its entrance is through the main gate of Ho Tong Hardware along Zulueta Street.

The Jesuit House is actually two houses connected by a bridge. During our guided tour, museum curator Christian Joseph Bonpua pointed to a low relief plaque, bearing the date “Año 1730,” on the inside wall above the main house’s entrance door, an artifact in itself.

Chinese influence in the house construction can be seen in rafters that feature a design resembling a pagoda, and the intricate carvings on the trusses also show that Chinese artisans may have worked on it. It is believed The Jesuit House is even older than the Yap-San Diego Ancestral House because its second level, like the ground floor, is still made of cut coral stones, indicating it was built before a Spanish decree disallowed this practice. The remarkably preserved house, sitting on around 2,000 square meter of land, served as the residence of the second highest official of the Jesuit society in the Philippines. ■

A NEW year often ushers in new opportunities and the chance to make a fresh start. As everyone enters a new chapter, people are seen sharing their personal goals and resolutions, planning their next travels, and looking forward to what this new beginning has in store for them.

In “First Yes,” the third installment of the “Make First Moments Happen” campaign, Cebu Pacific shares the story of “Tony,” a budding architect from the province who flies to Manila for an interview for a dream job with a large architectural and design firm. Alone, he makes his way to the airport and to the company’s head office where a life-changing opportunity awaits him. In the episode, he immediately dances for joy and screams excitedly as he is offered a position in the company.

Like previous installments, the story of Tony is based on comments and feedback shared by actual Cebu Pacific passengers over the past year. While “Leah” in the “First Kiss” video focused on a hardworking millennial going on her very first adventure, and “Osang” conveys the joy of an overseas Filipino worker grandmother’s heartwarming homecoming to meet her first grandchild, Tony shares the euphoria of a simple probinsyano landing a dream job in the big city.

Based on real-life stories, “Tony,” “Leah” and “Osang” shared memories and moments enabled by the accessible and available Cebu Pacific, which continues to have the most extensive route network within the Philippines at affordable, year-round low fares.

The three videos in the Make First Moments Happen campaign can be viewed on the carrier’s YouTube channel.

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Entertaining BusinessMirror

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Turning chicken soup into a comforting, nutrient-dense meal THE recipe for Garlic-Chicken and Wild Rice Soup appears in The Complete Diabetes Cookbook. AP

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HERE’S nothing like a bowl of steaming chicken soup when you’re feeling under the weather. But we wanted to transform this soup, often made with white rice or pasta and lacking in veggies, into a comforting, nutrientdense meal.

We started by infusing our chicken broth with a megadose of garlic, before adding tender morsels of chicken. We tested our way through increasing amounts of garlic, starting with what we thought was a hefty amount—two tablespoons. Much to our surprise and satisfaction, tasters rallied behind a whopping half cup of minced garlic, praising its bright yet balanced presence in our full-flavored soup.

Mincing and blooming the garlic before adding liquid gave it a toasty sweetness without having to roast it. To build flavor, we added aromatic vegetables, thyme, bay leaves and tomato paste along with our chicken broth. To incorporate a whole grain, we opted for toothsome wild rice, cooking it directly in the soup to infuse it with garlicky flavor.

To keep our chicken tender, we simmered it during the last few minutes of cooking. Baby spinach and a generous amount of chopped parsley gave the soup a vegetal boost that complemented the deep garlic notes.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jason Aldean, 42; Ali Larter, 43; Eric Lindros, 46; Pat Monahan, 50.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider what you want to do, but don’t lose sight of what others are doing. Protect your reputation, but pay close attention to detail. Take care of your responsibilities personally. Leave nothing to chance, and positive change can happen. ★★

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Drum up some energy and take charge. A business trip or meeting with someone who can make a difference in achieving your goals will bring excellent results. Know what you want, and don’t be afraid to ask. ★★★★★

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep a close watch over what others do and say. Don’t get caught in someone else’s problems or fibs. If you want to make a change, be secretive until you have everything in place and ready to launch. ★★★

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Use charm and intelligence to persuade others to help you get what you want. Your willingness to do your share will prompt others to pitch in and help.

Emotional matters can be resolved, and romance will improve your personal life. ★★★

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stick to a fixed price. It’s fine to have aspirations, but if you cannot afford to follow through, make adjustments that fit your budget. Don’t let anger take over when being innovative is what’s required. ★★★

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Network, participate and share ideas and plans to see what transpires. Having a goal and taking the initiative to make it happen will promote success, as well as new beginnings. Love and romance are on the rise. ★★★★★

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be careful how you handle domestic situations. You will face opposition and demanding people if you are too pushy or if you overspend. A change may not be welcome, but in the end, it will relieve stress and help you move forward. ★★

vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in thyme and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in rice and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until rice is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and stir in chicken and spinach. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and spinach is wilted, three to five minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with pepper to taste. Serve. ■

An ode to freedom TO celebrate the arrival of fine weather, Christofle (www.christo�le. com) is taking its place at the modern epicurean’s summer table.

Following the success of the iconic Mood silverware set and the mini Mood Coffee, Christofle surprises yet again with the delicate, leathercorseted Mood Nomade—perfect for chic, impromptu picnics. A pleasure to carry along anywhere, it can be complemented with a complete tableware collection. This ensemble brings an elegant, relaxed touch to a laid-back outdoor brunch among friends, or an intimate dinner under the stars.

By Eugenia Last

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GARLIC-CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP Servings: 6 Start to �inish: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Heat oil and garlic in Dutch oven over mediumlow heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden and fragrant, three to five minutes. Increase heat to medium and add carrots, onion, celery and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until

Today’s Horoscope

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: You’ve got what it takes to turn this into your year. Stick to your goals, and don’t stop until you feel satisfied with what you’ve accomplished.

Your determination and desire will separate you from any competition you face. Your ability to get others to help you using fair incentives will turn you into a leader.

Romance is highlighted. Your lucky numbers are 2, 7, 19, 22, 28, 36, 45.

BY AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN The Associated Press

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup minced garlic (about 25 cloves) 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 onion, chopped �ine 1 celery rib, minced Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon no-salt-added tomato paste 6 cups unsalted chicken broth 2 bay leaves 2/3 cup wild rice, rinsed 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into 3/4 inch pieces 3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

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Resolutely contemporary with its ovoid lines and relaxed attitude, Mood Nomade is a natural traveler.

Its handles, in full-grain calf leather with rich finishings that are the hallmark of expert leatherworking, in cherry red, embody the Maison Christofle’s new exercise in style.

Under the leather ties, behind the polished shell in mirrored steel stamped with the house’s coat of arms, sits a complete silverware service for six, resting delicately in a walnut base.

So that the magic of summer dining takes full effect, Christofle has also created a complete

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A change will do you good. Discuss personal plans with someone who is heading in the same direction. Make the most of connecting with like-minded people and developing a closer bond to someone you love. ★★★★

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Change begins within, so don’t rely on someone else to make changes for you. Someone who uses emotional tactics to manipulate your decisions will disappoint you. Trust in yourself and your abilities, not someone else. Truth matters. ★★★

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Pour your energy into things that matter to you. Home, family and your relationships with others should be at the forefront of your mind when making decisions that will affect how or where you live. ★★★

collection for the table, with matching steel tray with leather handles, two-material candle holders, woven jacquard placemats, and a porcelain dishware ensemble composed of plates, serving platters and cups with refined motifs inspired

by Mood’s shape.

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Proceed with caution. You may want to make changes, but before you do, consider the outcome. Focus on how best to make a difference, not only for yourself, but for those in your community, circle or family. Do what’s right. ★★★

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Consider what you want. Make the changes that will represent the results you want to achieve. Be bold and ask for whatever you need to be successful.

Having a solid plan will encourage others to take part and support your ideas. ★★★★ BIRTHDAY BABY: You are insightful, goal-oriented and proactive.

You are a thinker and a dreamer.

‘hanging in suspense’ BY CHRISTOPHER ADAMS & ROBERT MARK The Universal Crossword/Edited by David Steinberg

ACROSS 1 Bubble tea root (1) 5 Fuzzy fruit (1) 10 A deadly sin 14 Eras 15 Uber alternative?

16 “Do ___ others...”

17 Full of greenery 18 Lose it 19 Included on an e-mail 20 Silas Marner ailment (2) 22 Group of notes (2) 23 Salt Lake City student 24 Nook’s partner 25 Orion star 29 Gourmet’s gastropods 31 Monkey in some labs (3) 33 Insta upload (3) 34 Charged particle (3) 36 Campus cadets’ org.

37 Teeming (with) 39 Huffed and puffed 41 “Don’t drink and drive” spot, e.g. (4) 42 Twitter spammer (4) 43 “Aha!” (4)

45 47 48 50 52 53 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Slow on the ___ Faked romantic interest in Cheese protein Chicago Christmas hrs.

Obvious (5) Posthumous Jim Croce hit (5) She loved Aeneas Garlicky mayonnaise BBQ cabbage dish This, in Toledo Word before “duty” or “pride” Canadian gas brand Tragic fate Nickname of the director whose films get “interrupted” in each set of numbered entries 67 ___-a-doodle-doo DOWN 1 Soothing powder 2 Water, in Juarez 3 Musical intermission?

4 Workplace safety agcy.

5 Seattle’s Sound 6 Marry secretly 7 Fast cash sources, briefly

8 9 10 11 12 13 21 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 35 38 40 44 46 48 49 50 51

Early supercomputer Once owned Mexican wrestling Still needing comforting Strict Hot, spiced drink Echoic female “L” name Dernier ___ Secret stash Sch. basics Free Pancake Day chain Becomes familiar with Physical puzzle site Sudden rush Grafton’s ___ for Noose Crimson Tide Coach Nick Indie singer Case Stir-fry pan Pale Beauty superstore Little songbird Wrote in C or Java Spanish warning word Infant’s woe Michael of ‘90s tennis

53 54 55 56 57 58 60

Clock’s four, rarely Poli sci subj.

Minute part of a minute: Abbr.

Furthermore Not fem. or neut.

Return of the Jedi furball German complaint

Solution to yesterday’s puzzle:

Parentlife BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Thursday, February 28, 2019

CLOCKWISE: Marcus playing his Concertino III for mom one morning this weekend; our family birthday steak dinner; letting my kids experience my favorite Café Breton; Meagan and Marcus at the Art Fair in Oscar Villamiel’s exhibit titled Cheap Medicine; with some of my office family; me and my kids at the photo booth in Time Zone.

FROM left: Event host Dimples Romana with mentors Georcelle Dapat-Sy, Kara Escay, Robert Alejandro and Maestro Ryan Cayabyab

TALENT CAMP ENCOURAGES KIDS TO JOIN AND NURTURE THE GIFT EACH child is born with a talent that can appear in any form. Various activities can unlock their potential that’s just waiting to be discovered. From singing to acting, and anything in between, your child’s gift can be nurtured through Promil Four’s i-Shine Talent Camp 7, a summer talent development program in partnership with experts to help kids 6-11 years old become their very best.

Kids and parents were more than ready to discover and develop their child’s talent and passion as Promil Four launched the newest season of its talent development program, the i-Shine Talent Camp 7, at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Taguig.

As the brand stays true to its mission of nurturing the gift, the next generation of awe-inspiring kids will be guided to reach their full potential in the fields of performing and visual arts through mental, physical and social stimulation workshops.

To help kids reach their full potential, aspiring i-Shiners will engage in interactive learning workshops managed by only the finest experts/mentors of the country: Teachers Robert Alejandro and Kara Escay from Papemelroti for the Art Camp, Maestro Ryan Cayabyab returns as the camp master for the Music Camp, while Teacher Georcelle Dapat-Sy of the G-Force Dance School leads the Dance Camp. Furthermore, Audie Gemora heads the Theater Camp, whereas Lisa Macuja-Elizalde guides the Ballet Camp.

All six mentors were presented during the launch of i-Shine 7, which also featured a talk by Dr. Leticia PeñanoHo, president of the Philippine Center for Gifted Education.

Ho discussed what giftedness is, how to spot and nurture it, and the importance of documenting a child’s journey to further help them develop their skills.

Also lending her knowledge and talent was a selftaught freelance photographer and “Promil kid” Shaira Luna, who shared some photography tips during her Creative Documenting and Scrapbook Making Workshop.

Meanwhile, the launch was hosted by actress Dimples Romana, who has been hosting the i-Shine Talent Camp ever since its beginning.

From singing to acting, and anything in between, your child’s gift can be nurtured through Promil Four’s i-Shine Talent Camp 7. The brand’s philosophy is to instill the importance of not only proper nutrition, but also proper parenting and guidance to fully support a child’s proper growth and mental development. This is in line with the brand’s advocacy of actively involving parents in helping nurture the gift of their child.

Promil Four i-Shine 7 Camps will run from April to May, and will be administered not only in different cities around Metro Manila, but also in more locations around the country like Batangas, Cebu, and Davao, to allow kids outside Metro Manila to experience what i-Shine has to offer. As it is important to hone and encourage kids’ talents at a young age, there will be a grand recital after the camp duration to showcase what kids experienced and learned during the camps.

M2M : What are birthdays for Mom? 2

MOMMY NO LIMITS

MAYE YAO CO SAY

mommynolimits@gmail.com

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AST month, I started a series, “Mom to Meagan and Marcus [M squared]” abbreviated to M2M2. This is my attempt to pass on life lessons to my kids. Here goes my second M2M2 about birthdays.

“Here is a funny story. Mom once received a brown box of quail eggs for my birthday. It was wrapped like any other present so when I opened it, the small eggs scattered on my parents’ bed. I think I was around 6 years old. One of my aunts knew that I always took an extra colored quail egg when party noodles were served. I remember feeling very grateful that someone would notice this and gi�t me with something so thoughtful.

“A birthday celebration at my grandparents’ place was ‘family cozy.’ My grandmother would cook noodles. We would have ice cream, then blow the cake a�ter. In grade school, my birthdays expanded to include a few friends coming over for spaghetti and barbecue. In 1986, it was a bigger celebration

because we had just moved in our new home. Our house was at the back of Edsa. Toward the end of the party, we heard choppers in the sky and people walking in the streets. It was the start of the Edsa revolution.

“In high school, it was about surprises. From surprise gi�ts to my �irst-ever surprise party from my Poveda barkada, up to my guy best friend �lying in from Canada to be my debut escort, I truly felt wonder and gratitude. When I was in college, birthdays were a time to say thanks. There was a birthday when I prepared a thank you gi�t for every member of my family. A�ter college, I found my second family at work. For all the early morning ingresses, to rush deliveries at the warehouse and train our sales teams, I enjoyed knowing and truly being with my team. When I turned 25, I felt every birthday came by faster. When I became a mom, my birthdays were about waking up and seeing how loud you two and Dad will greet mom for her birthday.

“This year, my birthday was a weekend of �lashbacks and in-the-moment experiences. I wrote an entry in my journal about a favorite birthday memory. I had a birthday breakfast date with Dad before his race. I went to my favorite Church to be still and drown out the world for a few minutes. It is funny how I gave myself a priceless gi�t of a good a�ternoon nap while you guys were o�f to fencing class.

“I also thought a great birthday gi�t was Mom taking you to experience my ‘favorites.’ I am glad you enjoyed Café Breton, whose Manila branch I used to go a lot for their ‘La Pinay’ crepe. It was fun playing basketball at Time Zone, like how your Dad and I used to compete when we were going out. Meagan, thanks for indulging mom and joining me in the karaoke booth. Marcus, hope you enjoyed us singing your

favorite Owl City song, ‘Fire�lies.’ In the evening, we were lucky Grand Uncle Alejo was still in Manila to celebrate mom’s birthday with us.

Mom loves art. Although she does not draw or paint that well, mom loves colors. I love how artists express colors in various ways. It was great to see both of you enjoying yourselves as much as mom at the Art Fair Philippines held at The Link. Finally, and to reward both of you for your surprise ‘Steak’ birthday song, we all had a great birthday steak dinner with Dad to conclude mom’s birthday.

“Meagan and Marcus, birthdays for mom are and will always be about gratitude. It is being thankful for the simplest, most intangible things life has given mom. I appreciate waking up with the four of us squeezing in one bed. I appreciate Manang Maria [our oldest cook in my grandmother’s place] �inding time to call and greet me. I appreciate the countless good wishes from people around me. It makes me see the cumulative result of my being. My birthday has become a day to see, as if from a screen, how my life has unfolded. It is seeing what my life principles have built.

“I hope that when you are both older, you will be able to see your birthdays bearing the full concept of your life’s ‘cumulativeness’ as well. As both of you love math, you would appreciate this more. Mom sees one’s life as like a line made up of in�inite points. If the points are seen as the experiences we face everyday, then in the course of forming this line, it’s our choice to make each moment bear full meaning. My hope for you is that since each point is worthwhile, your life becomes a thicker line.

“I hope both of you enjoyed my birthday weekend as much as mom did!” ■

Reddit cofounder pushes hard for paternity leave NEW YORK—Alexis Ohanian wants other guys to be jealous of him. Not because he’s a multimillionaire venture capitalist. Or because he’s married to tennis pro Serena Williams.

The Reddit cofounder wants men to covet the time he gets to spend with his 1-year-old daughter, Olympia. The pair is all over Instagram cheering for mom at her tennis matches, make silly faces with Mickey Mouse ears and toting around favorite doll Qai Qai, who has her own Instagram account with 114,000 followers.

It’s all part of his advocacy for making paid paternity leave the new normal in America. When Olympia was born on September 1, 2017, Ohanian was very public about taking the full 16 weeks of paid leave available to him at Initialized Capital, the venture capital firm he cofounded and now runs.

He wants all men in the US to have that option, especially those without his privileges and resources.

That includes advocating both for companies to adopt more generous family leave policies and encouraging men to take time off without fear of being stigmatized as uncommitted to their work.

“After coming back, I started hearing from Silicon Valley founders, from employees, who all said the

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same thing, which was that they appreciated this kind of air cover,” Ohanian said in interview with The Associated Press. “Because it meant that there was clear sign from someone who was very ambitious, very career-driven, very goal oriented, and yet I made this a priority.”

Ohanian, 35, was in New York this week to launch a two-pronged Dove Men+Care initiative to champion paternity leave.

The Unilever-owned brand started a $1-million fund for fathers with no access to paid leave through their employers. Employees who only get unpaid leave, freelancers and self-employed men are encouraged to apply for a $5,000 grant. The other initiative is a “Pledge for Paternity Leave,” asking men to commit to taking their full leave and share their experience. It asks business leaders to pledge to enact paid paternity leave policies.

The US is the only industrialized country that does not federally mandate paid parental leave. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, many, but not all, employees are entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave following the birth or adoption of a child without penalty of losing their positions. It is up to employers whether to offer paid leave.

But it’s a good time to be fighting for paid leave in the US. High-profile companies, fighting for talent in a tight job market, are trying to outdo each other in expanding leave for mothers and non-birth parents, with some throwing in unique perks. Amazon, for instance, pays for the spouses of employees to take time off. Global tech company Cisco System offers three days of paid time off for grandparents. Netflix allows parents to take off as much time as they want during the baby’s first year.

The prevalence of employers offering paid paternity leave rose to 29 percent in 2018 from 21 percent two years earlier, according to a report by the Society for Human Resources Management, which polled a randomly selected sample of its 285,000 HR professional members.

There is also increasing bi-partisan momentum for a federal paid leave mandate. Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is running for president, has introduced a plan to provide workers with 12 weeks of family leave at partial pay. President Donald J. Trump proposed a plan in his budget this year for six weeks of paid leave.

Still, there is lingering stigma over taking leave for both women and men. A 2016 survey by consulting

firm Deloitte found that 57 percent of men and 51 percent of women feared their employers would think them uncommitted if they took parental leave.

Ohanian said he cannot imagine how new parents cope without paid time off. Williams faced complications that left her bedridden after Olympia was born, and Ohanian was able to shoulder a lot of the work because of his leave.

“With all the advantages we had, it was still a really stressful period,” Ohanian said. “I could not have showed up at work a week later, or two weeks later, knowing that my wife literally could not get herself out of bed with a two-week-old at home. They would have had to fire me.”

Now that Olympia is a chubby-cheeked toddler and Williams is back competing for Grand Slam titles, Ohanian emphasizes the delights of fatherhood. He hopes more and more dads will do the same, saying it could almost be a good thing if fatherhood becomes an object of social-media “Fomo” (fear of missing out).

“Let’s be real. We are not posting photos of the 2:00 am blow out. We are still posting those idyllic, polished moments but if we are going to use social to create Fomo, let it be for showing up for your kid,” Ohanian said. AP

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Thursday, February 28, 2019

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KEITH DELIGERO’S A Short History of Few Bad Things

Kyla opens Shangri-La Plaza’s celebration of Women’s Month KNOWN as the Queen of R&B, Kyla rose to stardom with the release of her hit single “Hanggang Ngayon,” for which she won the prestigious MTV Viewers Choice Award for Southeast at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001, making her the first-ever female East Asian artist to receive an award from the show.

Over the past 18 years, she has bagged 12 Awit Awards, four MTV Philippines Music Awards and six MYX Music Awards.

With her impressive talent, passion and contribution to the music industry, Kyla has been recognized by the Philippines Society of Composers, Singers and Publishers as one of the country’s R&B music pioneers.

Now, “Feel The Shang Vibe” this March and catch Kyla as she serenades the crowd at The Shang on March 2 with her new repertoire of songs.

German arena cancels concert after R. Kelly charges

BY KIRSTEN GRIESHABER The Associated Press BERLIN—A German concert arena canceled its contract on Tuesday with the organizer of an R. Kelly tour, days after the R&B star was charged in the United States with sexually abusing four people, including three underage girls, dating back to 1998.

“Regarding the new and objective facts, we have decided to cancel the contract,” Ratiopharm Arena in Neu-Ulm wrote on its Facebook page. The operators of the arena had already removed advertisements for an April 12 concert from Facebook on Monday.

“We regret the fans’ understandable disappointment and ask them to turn to the tour’s organizer” regarding possible reimbursement of their tickets, Ratiopharm Arena wrote.

The concert’s organizer, Thomas Bernard, did not return several requests for comments.

The operator of the Sporthalle Hamburg arena, where another German concert is planned for April 14, said on Tuesday that they were still pressing Kelly’s tour organizer in Germany to cancel the concert as they had been doing even before Kelly was officially charged.

“We’re in intensive talks with the organizer so that he will finally accept the situation and cancel this concert,” said Tom Oelrichs, from the Hamburg district that operating the Sporthalle arena.

“It’s obvious that R. Kelly will not be capable of holding his concert in Hamburg or elsewhere outside the US,” he told The Associated Press.

Kelly, one of the best-selling music artists of all time, was arrested on Friday on 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse involving four females, three of whom were minors. Kelly’s attorney entered not guilty pleas on the singer’s behalf on Monday.

A judge ordered Kelly on Friday to surrender his passport, ending his hopes of doing a tour in Europe in April. Kelly had defiantly scheduled concerts in Germany and the Netherlands despite the cloud of legal issues looming over him.

The recording artist, whose legal name is Robert Kelly, has been trailed for decades by allegations that he violated underage girls and women and held some as virtual slaves. Kelly has consistently denied any sexual misconduct.

Kelly broke into the R&B scene in 1993 with his first solo album, 12 Play, which produced such popular sex-themed songs as “Your Body’s Callin’” and “Bump N’ Grind.” He rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side and has retained a sizable following. Kelly has written numerous hits for himself and other artists, including Celine Dion, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga.

‘Balangiga’ in Dumaguete and some short histories REELING

TITO GENOVA VALIENTE

titovaliente@yahoo.com

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AM in Dumaguete as I write this. A walk to the other end of my hotel corridor brings me to a view of the sea and small ships that, it seems, sails forever in and out the cozy port. This hotel faces an old stand-alone moviehouse, which is now occupied by different stores boring by any small-city standard. A few meters is Silliman University and a little bit of walking is the boulevard.

On February 25, the 11th edition of Cinema Rehiyon opened in front of the Luce Auditorium of Silliman University.

As part of the ceremony, a palihi, a sort of ritual of propitiation and divination, was performed. The ritual ended with a sturdy bamboo pole being pounded on a rock.

When the pole broke, water flowed from the gap. In ancient times, or even perhaps only mere decades in some isolated villages, the sign of clear water could mean good harvest, or even beneficent days. For all of us there, the water, which surprised those uninitiated in the ways of old, the burst of liquid against the rough face of a limestone rock could mean a rich week-long festival of films and forums, days of camaraderie and conferences.

Inside the auditorium, it was 1901 in Khavn de la Cruz’s Balangiga: Howling Wilderness. Outside, it was also 1901: Silliman University, where the event was being held, was founded in that year.

It was in September and October of 1901 when Balangiga in Samar witnessed grisly killings. It was in August of 1901 when Silliman University was founded. One could say that while men and women, including children 10 years of age and below, were being murdered in that year, the good academic instruction under the American educational system was starting in Dumaguete and in some parts of the country.

Irony is indeed the mark of powerful cinema. In the case of the Khavn de La Cruz’s Balangiga, the filmmaker had to

ANTHONY ROSALDO

struggle against the irony and insult of a problematic history.

Is the massacre called the “Balangiga Massacre” referring to the killing of the colonizing American soldiers by the Filipinos refusing their invasion, or is it about the murderous retaliation by the Americans, led by Jacob H. Smith?

Thank God, that is never the problem of Khavn de la Cruz and his cowriter, Jerry Gracio. Let the historians wrestle with facts and numbers and years.

The film, released from the prison of historical archives, flies high on the wings of compelling memories and subversive imaginations. Balangiga: Howling Wilderness is about a grandfather and his grandson escaping the wrath of Americans who were burning Samar and turning it into wilderness.

“Now, where in history were we told about the wrath and cruelty of Americans? Go back to the classrooms and remember what our teachers—and parents—told us. The Americans came and drove away the mean Spaniards who forced us to work and build churches, and made us accept the faith within those churches, the Spaniards who killed Rizal and the other Filipino intellectuals. The Americans? Well, they taught us English and transformed us into global Filipinos competitive even up to now in world labor market.”

Kulas, for that is the name of the boy in Balangiga, and his grandfather meet up with various characters—from members of a circus troupe to a friar masturbating as he recites the “Our Father” in Bicol and chanting oraciones over amulets and talismans. Along the way, Kulas would pick up a boy abandoned in a burning hut. Covered with the grime and soot, the little child earns the name of “Tiyanak,” translated in the film as “Devil Child.” Along the way, too, they would encounter a lost American soldier who would eat their food, kill the carabao named Melchora. At a very young age, the boy exhibits a disdain for the American.

Images—phantom and phantasm—abound in the work of Khavn de la Cruz. Some are belabored, some trenchant, some gross, but all compelling us to look beyond, to inspect these objects and find in our nightmares and waking hours why they are haunting us.

In the end, we ask: Where are the metaphors? There are no metaphors and symbols in the films of Khavn de la Cruz.

What it has are buttons to push and reminders to consider.

The two children are still here in this republic. We are Kulas and the Devil Child. We hated the Americans and we were never afraid to be afraid but at the same time, we did not fear the enemy. When the enemy looked away, we picked up the

KYLINE ALCANTARA

rifle and killed him.

We are the Devil-child, unrecognizable, distorted in the violence and trauma of wars.

But if we cannot understand Khavn de la Cruz’s Balangiga, it is because we have forgotten about the war.

The Americans gave us the language to forget about the 1901. The Americans even gave us the film language to fool us into telling stories from the colonizer’s side.

Kindred souls thrive in Cinema Rehiyon. On the second day, February 26, another kind of history had an airing: Keith Deligero’s A Short History of Few Bad Things.

With dialogues in Cebuano and English spoken without calling in the sound of the language taught to us by Americans (away from the predictable language of mainstream cinema of Manila), Deligero’s film is referential without being self-conscious.

Did the filmmaker grimace when I introduced him as “Quentin Tarantino gone Pinoy.” If he winched indeed, I can understand. I should have said: This is the kind of film that would have inspired Tarantino.

The story is singular. It references film noir, with all the elements intact, like grouchy detectives, inscrutable characters and lustily insane performances. Consider this: a man is killed and the case is investigated by two cops. As leads are identified, characters start dying like flies. One name leads to another; murder begets another murder. Amid the wracked nerves is the chief of police who speaks only English and who calms himself down by controlling the light in his office—from the lightest of purple to the loveliest of pink.

In between the sleuthing, songs about detergents float in, throbbing guitars and drums embellish lines about puffer fish or butete, and a love song threatens to be a theme song to this cautionary tale that has thrown all caution to the four wild winds. And yet, when the plot is unraveled, we sit up. There in the ending is a story of violence and revenge more real and more serious than all those films made by Revilla and Lapid and Padilla about supposedly real and serious crimes.

Deligero is quite a historian. His short history is really a long account of how crimes in this country can be totally political, quite cinematic and hugely entertaining. The only good thing about Deligero is that he promises to continue films and that he will never be a politician.

If these regional filmmakers play their political cards well, and continue making their kind of films following their peripheral hearts and marginalized minds, they and not the politicians will change the politics of this land. ■

GARRETT BOLDEN

JONG MADALIDAY

GMA Music presents ‘4 Faces of Love’ ARE you longing for love, hoping for love, confused in love or willing to take a chance on love?

GMA Music presents the 4 Faces of Love through music video premieres via YouTube.

The Clash alumnus Anthony Rosaldo recently launched his debut single “Larawan Mo.” The music video of his song, featuring versatile GMA

actress Kris Bernal as one of the special guests, is now available for streaming on YouTube (www.youtube.com/user/ GMARecordsO��icial).

Sought-after GMA singeractress Kyline Alcantara also just release the music video of her newest single “Ikaw Lang at Ako” under her self-titled album.

The Clash alumni Jong Madaliday

and Garrett Bolden will also be launching music videos of their debut singles that will surely elicit emotions.

Jong’s music video for his single “Ano Ba?” was released on February 21. The video features GMA modelactress Liezel Lopez and fellow The Clash alumni Mika Gorospe and Kyryll Ugdiman as special guests.

The music videos of “Larawan Mo,” “Ikaw Lang at Ako” and “Ano Ba?” were all directed by Miggy Tanchanco.

Meanwhile, Garrett’s music video for “Lilipad Na,” which is under the helm of Phillip Lazaro, showcases the works of abstract artist Nadine Ibay, Garrett’s leading lady in the music video. It will be up on YouTube on February 28.

Envoys&Expats BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph | Thursday, February 28, 2019 E1

Master chef whips up recipe for greater success

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By Cesar M. Cruz Jr.

ITH his solid track record in the European fine-dining scene, as well as his fivestar international hotel operations background, Stephan Oppenhagen has already made his mark at the Bellevue Hotels and Resorts as the company’s group executive chef.

And why not, when this prolific Danish chef already had the distinction of preparing state dinners for the Queen of Denmark, the King and Queen of Thailand, the current Russian president, as well as prime ministers of Poland, Slovenia and Spain, to mention a few.

This early in his current posting in the Philippines, he has been accorded with the management’s complete trust. Not surprising, as the prolific chef is known for developing and implementing strategies with special attention to creative and

culinary concepts.

“What I really like about Bellevue is that there is freedom and trust. For me, to be creative in the kitchen, that means everything. That is something I really enjoy. We are always creating and making new items,” Oppenhagen said.

New and exciting dishes, however, are only half of the equation attracting diners. A big factor that turns them into loyal customers is the consistency of the products.

Consider these exceptional offerings that make up Bellevue’s signa-

ture dishes: Pan-fried foie gras, Norwegian salmon cannelloni, honey and cinnamon- roasted duck. These actually happen to be Oppenhagen’s very own culinary creations.

His mantra: Taste needs to be consistent—all the time.

“Something I am strict on is [in following a particular] recipe. It needs to be scaled [and] measured. It needs to taste the same, look the same, all the time, all 365 days in the year, 24/7.”

The executive chef further noted: “At the end of the day, you have guests coming. They have expectations. We are here not just to meet those expectations…. We are to exceed them.”

To offer more than what is required of Bellevue’s dining establishments Oppenhagen banks on his role as a development specialist, with emphasis on consistent operational efficiency, quality and impeccable presentation.

In accomplishing those rather daunting tasks, Oppenhagen is keen on “replicating” himself by sharing with his staff what he had learned through years of experience.

Likewise, Bellevue’s top chef keeps the minds and skills of his staff sharp through constant learning and improvement. It is common

to see him conducting a number of different culinary workshops in the hotel—as much as nine in a day—to make staff members extremely competent and well-rounded.

Like a general who is in the thick of operations round-the-clock, the group executive chef spends a lot of time in the kitchen. And he sees to it that he is in the “field” with his staff to always motivate them.

“It is important that [everyone] understand all the basics. A lot in today’s world call themselves as ‘chefs,’ but they actually don’t know the traditional way of cooking. It is actually the foundation for one to excel and experiment,” the highly decorated chef added.

“You gain much more respect from people when you are with them. You will never reach the level of standards when you are just in front of the computer,” he asserted.

To keep abreast with trends, Oppenhagen spends time, even during his days off, checking out other restaurants and hotels as learning opportunities. It is through this practice that he acknowledges he obtains new ideas in food and beverage projects, developing and innovating concepts, as well as new cooking

techniques and methods.

He also accomplishes the aforementioned by immersing with interesting individuals, exposures in different cultures, traveling to new destinations, discovering hospitality talents and the like.

Culinary career

A MEMBER of the highly regarded Euro-Toques organization, Oppenhagen has under his belt a master’s degree in Culinary Arts at the International Chef and Hotel Management School at Copenhagen, Denmark.

The mid-1980s saw the budding kitchen whiz early in his learning journey in the United States, France, Germany and Belgium. He obtained diploma certificates not long after from prestigious gastronomic academies, and also had earned quite a number of distinctions.

The Danish chef, likewise, topped various national and international culinary competitions, including a gold-medal finish in a world championship for chefs in 1994.

Apart from food science, he also invested on private courses in Psychology and people skills, which definitely augured well for him as

a “molder of men” in his profession.

This Danish expat has gained a rich experience working in fine-dining restaurants associated with the likes of Michelin, Relais, and Châteaux, as well as a number of luxury five-star properties such as Centara, Sofitel, Starwood and Kempinski.

With what he terms as his “restless creativity,” he has found himself experimenting with Nordic, local and Oriental ingredients while drawing inspiration from homegrown traditions. Two decades into perfecting his passion and purpose, he has directed culinary operations in 12 countries across four continents.

Finding joy in PHL

EARLY in his career, Oppenhagen already knew he wanted to go to Asia to learn and discover the combination of elements, ingredients and products that comprise the uniqueness of its cuisines. During the time he was still in culinary schools, though, the Eastern way of cooking was not something very familiar in Europe.

Somewhere along the way, he grew a fondness for ginger and the characteristic spicy food of the Orient.

Continued on E2

Envoys& BusinessMirror

E2 Thursday, February 28, 2019

FILIPINO FOOD GOES GLOBAL

‘Lechon’ ice cream, and the reinvention of Filipino cuisine

PHL delicacies featured in Lao PDR Food Festival

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ONDON—There’s a new Filipino restaurant poised to take over the food scene in the United Kingdom’s capital city.

Kinilaw & Buko, an intimate 42seat restaurant and cocktail bar, opened on the fourth quarter of 2018 at London’s trendy Hoxton Street, with a promise to bring to the table a revolutionary menu that change the way Londoners think about Filipino food.

Cooking up a storm at Kinilaw & Buko is Filipino Head Chef Francis “Ace” Puyat, who was the mastermind of last year’s largest pop-up in London, The Hallou-mi.

Originally from Mindoro, Puyat moved to London with his parents in 1997 and wasted no moment in spreading the word about Filipino cuisine—one plate at a time.

Fast-forward to two decades later, the chef teamed up with his buddy Andrew Zilouf, founder of 100 Hoxton, to transform what was once a tailors’ shop into a Filipino restaurant that masterfully “sews” together the diverse flavors of Southeast Asia’s biggest culinary secret.

Asian fusion art

“FILIPINO cuisine has a lot of influences from neighboring countries and European countries like Spain.

There are some dishes that have always been our own, like kinilaw and tinola, [as well as] some that we have made our own, such as kare-kare, adopted from Malaysia. [Then, there’s] lumpia—our take on Chinese spring roll,” said the chef Francis.

“There is a wide range of different people within the Philippines, as well; so added to the melting pot of foreign influences, you also have a beautiful mix of different local cooking traditions. Essentially, Filipino

cuisine is the original Asian fusion art. It is a tradition I am very happy to carry on.”

Puyat combines his training in classical French culinary art with his penchant for explosive spices and bold flavors, putting together an eclectic menu revolving around two favorite Filipino culinary elements: kinilaw, the Philippines’s answer to Peru’s ceviche; and buko, a fusion, artisan Filipino ice-cream concept served in a baby coconut shell.

FOOD items sold at the Lao Food Festival VIENTIANE PE

Dynamic and exciting

THE restaurant’s Kinilaw Bar will serve bagoong fisherman’s treat (fermented shrimp, green peppercorns and fried garlic), mustasa-cradled balut (salted duck egg, heirloom tomato, mustard leaf and grated cured yolk), diver hauls’ kapis treasure (hand-dived scallop, cucumber, radish, lime and fermented roe) and baboy bounty (pork belly, dice cucumber, chili and chicharon), which are best downed with a line of crazy cocktails like Kalamansipation (gin, kalamansi lime falernum and fennel) and Pinoy Island Coffee (coffee, Pusser’s navy rum, Gran Marnier and condensed milk).

Buko, on the other hand, offers tempting treats such as red-bean butterscotch bomb (red-bean ice cream, miso butterscotch sauce and ginger Anzac biscuit), pop star (lychee ice cream and sumac popping candy) and pig out (lechon condensed- milk ice cream, sea salt and black pepper caramel popcorn).

“Kinilaw & Buko is a fine addition to the growing number of Filipino food establishments in the UK,” Am-

PHILIPPINE Embassy officials in Vientiane VIENTIANE PE

V

KINILAW & Buko is a break from tradition as it pushes the frontiers of Filipino cuisine in the UK.

bassador of the Philippines Antonio M. Lagdameo said. “What makes the Filipino food movement in the UK unique is that today’s generation of

Filipino and Filipino-British chefs are not afraid to reinvent Filipino cuisine. This is what keeps our culinary tradition dynamic and exciting.” DFA

IENTIANE—Filipino snack items such as crispy anchovies, crispy squid, mango kernels, chichacorn and Malagos dark chocolate were featured by the Philippine Embassy in Vientiane in the 14th Lao Food Festival at Chao Anouvong Park in Vientiane, Lao PDR late in January.

In cooperation with the Office of the Special Agriculture Representative based in Bangkok and the Philippine Department of Agriculture’s Agribusiness Development Center, the embassy showcased Filipino food products and cuisine, as well as promoted Philippine tourism by decorating its booth with Philippinemade handicrafts, “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” posters, and gave away tourism brochures.

Filipino community members in Vientiane also sold Filipino food items such as tocilog and tapsilog, as well as merienda favorites like halohalo, maja blanca, ube halaya, pandesal and pan de coco, among others.

The Lao Businesswomen’s Association (LBWA) expressed its appreciation for the embassy’s continuing participation in the food festival.

The 14th Lao Food Festival is an annual event organized by the Lao Women’s Union in collaboration with the LBWA. The event, participated in by business entities in the food and beverage market, embassies in Laos and other business enterprises selling nonfood products, aims to promote Lao culture, cuisine and handicrafts, as well as local female entrepreneurs. DFA

Pinoy cooking in focus at Melbourne food, wine expo

C

ANBERRA—Local and international food connoisseurs will get to experience Filipino cuisine at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival (MFWF) from March 8 to 24.

In a series of events featuring and celebrating Filipino cuisine, top chefs from Manila, New York and Melbourne will serve Pinoy dishes and conduct master classes at the MFWF. Chefs Jordy Navarra, Nicole Ponseca and Yasmin Newman will prepare a one-off “Barrio” dinner series with Rice Paper Sister Restaurant Head Chef Ross Magnaye on March 12 and 13, as part of the festival’s Global Dining Series.

Melbourne-based Entrée.Pinays, a group of Filipino female entrepreneurs, is the force behind Barrio. They aim to raise greater awareness and celebration of Filipino food and culture. The Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney is working with the organization to mainstream Filipino cuisine in Australia.

Meanwhile, Navarra runs Toyo Eatery in Manila, which was crowned with the “Miele One to Watch Award 2018” and is among Asia’s 50 best restaurants. On the other hand, Ponseca is behind New York City’s Maharlika and Jeepney, while local food and travel writer Newman is the author of the critically acclaimed cookbook 7,000 Islands: Cherished Recipes and Stories from the Philippines.

Drawing on their Filipino heritage, these gourmands will cocreate an exclusive barrio menu, which will provide the entrée for MFWF visitors to immerse themselves in the

WEB SITE promoting the event (www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au)

Philippines’s rich culinary heritage.

Rice Paper Sister will showcase “Asian Street Food, Filipino Style” on March 9. Other events at the MFWF include “The House of Food and Wine” on March 10, which will host the master class with Navarra, Ponseca and Chef John Rivera (“San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year” and executive chef at Restaurant Lumeon).

The Department of Trade and Industry’s Special

Trade Representative Alma Argayoso said, “We also have [programs like] ‘Very Important Buyer’ and ‘Flyin-Journalist,’ where we sponsor food importers and journalists to [travel] to the Philippines to see, taste, experience and source Filipino food at [the International Food Expo Philippines. There, we will showcase] the freshest produce, as well as the finest food and ingredients that the Philippines can offer.”

Master chef whips up recipe for greater success Continued from E1

Needless to say, his colorful tour of duty as a premier chef has taken him to this part of the world, while he interacted with an interesting mix of nationalities.

Which begs the question: What does he think of Filipinos in the kitchen?

“I actually find Filipinos to be very

polite, and it is a sheer pleasure working with them.”

He went on to say: “Given the fact that they can communicate well is a big plus. In other non-English speaking countries, the experience is like talking to a wall…”

We asked him if there was a particular local dish that he would cook and serve in his native Denmark: “It has to be kal-

dereta. It has the hint of Spanish cooking in it. Plus, any dish with meat and tomato sauce resonates well with me.”

As his fondness for the countr y grows, he has declared that it’s in the Philippines where he wants to eventually retire.

We say, the executive chef couldn’t have picked a better place, even this early, to hang his much-decorated toque.

&Expats

envoys.expats.bm@gmail.com | Thursday, February 28, 2019 E3

EMBASSIES, EVENTS, ETC.

DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER CALL The PHL, U.S. SECRETARIES Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.

greets former United States Secretary of State Madelene Albright on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where both dignitaries attended. ELMER CATO/DFA

COMMENDATION Locsin congratulates retired People’s Liberation Army

Maj. Gen. Yao Yunzhu, who is director emeritus of the Center on China-American Defense Relations, after her participation in the panel discussion on “Arms Control: Nukes of Hazard,” also at the Munich Security Conference. ELMER CATO/DFA

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP The Department of Foreign

Affairs chief affirms the strategic partnership between the Philippines and the United Nations during the call of newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator Ola Almgren. CLARK GALANG/DFA

PHL, India work together for affordable medicines

T

Philippines’s top diplomat and Iran Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi discuss the status of bilateral relations between Manila and Tehran, as well as regional developments during the courtesy call of the Iranian official at the DFA. CLARK GALANG/DFA

US supports war on drugs

Story & photo by Leony R. Garcia

HE Embassy of India in Manila, headed by Ambassador Jaideep Mazumdar, supported the recent business forum and business-matching session between Indian pharmaceutical companies and local distributorpartner firms.

The Philippines-India Business Council, together with the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India (Pharmexcil), the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the “India Biz Connect: Pharma Edition,” which provided the platform for local Filipino companies to have exclusive business matching and one-on-one meetings with the 23-company delegation from India.

Pharmexcil is the “top industry association” set up under the Indian government for the promotion and

exportation of its pharmaceutical products. The delegation returned for the fifth time to Manila, then met and connected with potential business partners.

India has been acknowledged as the “Pharmacy of the World,” as it is the largest manufacturer of generics globally. Pharmaceutical products from India are also known to be affordable, and with high efficacy rates.

The product portfolio during the business-matching event in Makati City included active pharmaceutical ingredients; bulk drugs

PRESIDENT Duterte greets officials of the US-Philippines Society at the Malacañan Palace on February 20. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

AMBASSADOR Jaideep Mazumdar (second from left), with stakeholders of “India Biz Connect.”

and excipients; intermediates; finished formulation; liquid orals, oral dosages, tablets and capsules; injectables; medical devices; surgical and wound-care products; pellets; nutraceuticals and food supplements; cosmeceuticals and skin-care items; vitamins and probiotics; as well as herbal and Ayurvedic products.

Mazumdar has expressed interest in bringing Indian pharmaceuticals to the Philippines. He said this would be done through the discussions of a potential medicine-trade

deal, as well as by inviting Indian pharma companies to manufacture and produce locally, so Filipinos can have easier access to quality drugs.

The Philippine government, through the Department of Health, on the other hand, suggested health centers and wellness establishments where the Indian businessmen can invest into the country.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said the Philippines is experiencing a shortage in this industry, which the Indians could consider to invest in.

PHL, Thailand ink pact strengthening info cooperation

B

ANGKOK—A long-standing friendship just got a bit stronger after officials of the Philippines and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for greater information and media cooperation.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin M. Andanar and the Kingdom of Thailand’s Minister Kobsak Pootrakool signed the pact at the Government House.

In his speech during the signing ceremony, Andanar said technology has allowed for faster dissemination of information through media and other platforms.

The signing of the MOU, he said, is a vital event as the Asean continues to evolve, and its members strengthen their partnership.

“This was made possible because of the individual and collective strength of the membercountries of the Asean that has evolved over the length of half a century. The steady growth of this regional group has been, and still is, fundamentally grounded on the exchanges of relevant information and data through media dissemination,” Andanar said.

The PCOO chief further stated that information relayed through

A

MBASSADOR of the United States Sung Y. Kim told President Duterte that the US supports the Philippine government’s war against illegal drugs, as announced by Malacañang last week.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said Kim made the statement when the US diplomat and the US-Philippines Society officials paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive at the Malacañang Palace.

“The conversation centered on the President’s narrative, [as he told] them how the drug war affected him and this country, that he had to declare war on drugs, [and that] he had to do it because he wants to protect and preserve this nation,” Panelo said in a briefing.

The Palace’s spokesman told reporters that Duterte had explained to them that 3 million Filipinos have been “enslaved” by the drug menace in the country.

“In response, the ambassador said

that the US government supports the fight against drugs,” Duterte’s spokesman added.

According to Duterte, the relationship between the Philippines and US “remains strong.”

Panelo said the officials also discussed the return of the Balangiga bells in the country. The US-Philippines Society officials told Duterte they were appreciative of the warm reception by the people in Balangiga when they visited there.

“Ambassador Kim said, in a way, he was personally affected by the ‘Balangiga’ issue because he was present when the President mentioned it, requested and demanded the return of the bells during the State of the Nation Address last year,” the chief legal counsel noted.

According to its web site, the US-Philippines Society is an “independent, nonpartisan, binational organization that plays an important role in fostering mutual understanding between the US and the Philippines.” EJ Roque/PNA

Norwegian envoy’s abode goes ‘green’

By Lenie Lectura

T PRESIDENTIAL Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin M. Andanar and the Kingdom of Thailand’s Minister Kobsak Pootrakool during the MOU signing. PTVNEWS.PH

the various forms of media has allowed the public to be updated on developments around the world.

He underscored his gratefulness to the Thai government for its collaborative efforts with the Philippines, then cited that “the awareness, the understanding, and the knowledge that proceed from this endeavor underline the honored

values we both uphold, in the profession of journalism and public relations.”

“We are likewise presented with the challenge, to best ourselves in the application of advanced technology, even as we face the pervasive threats of false, fake and fabricated news,” he added.

Pootrakool, in his speech, cited

continued technological innovations as the main factor for faster dissemination of information.

He called the need for both Thailand and the Philippines to maximize the potential benefits for greater information exchange and media coordination that suddenly opened up with the signing of the MOU. Joann Villanueva/PNA

HE Embassy of Norway in Manila said on Tuesday that the residence of Ambassador Bjorn Jahnsen has gone “green” with the installation of a 16-kilowatt peak solar-powered system, making it the first solar-powered diplomatic residence in the country.

“The Norwegian Embassy in Manila aims to push for the ‘green’ agenda,” said Jahnsen, as he added that this is part of his country’s promotion of green-energy solutions. “If we are going to reach the goals of the Paris Agenda on climate change, we have to switch to renewable-energy sources.”

In the Philippines, Norway has an established portfolio in the renewable-energy sector, operating four hydropower plants in Luzon (Magat, Binga, Ambuklao and Maris) through a joint venture between state-owned Norwegian company SN Power and Aboitiz Power Group.

“The Philippines, like Norway, has

great capacity to harness its natural resources and convert them into energy,” the ambassador noted.

As such, more renewable energy undertakings are being planned for the country. “This solar-panel installation is just the first project in this transformation,” Jahnsen further stated.

Among those in the pipeline may possibly include e-vehicles and projects related to ocean sustainability.

Norway is also leading the world’s switch to electric cars. Almost half of automobiles sold in Norway in 2018 are electric or plug-in hybrid models.

It also paves the way for the sustainable ocean panels.

Around 99 percent of the power in Norway comes from renewable energy, mostly hydroelectric resources.

It is the world’s sixth-largest hydropower producer, and has the highest share of electricity produced from renewable sources in Europe.

It is also developing more renewable-power sources harnessed from wind.

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Health&Fitness

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February 28-March 6, 2019

WHY YOU NEED TO INCREASE

POSITIVITY IN AND AROUND YOU

BM GROUP SUPPORTS WORLD HEMOPHILIA DAY 2019

T

HE BusinessMirror Group of Publications inked a deal as media partner of Hemophilia Advocates-Philippines (HAP) for the upcoming World Hemophilia Day celebration to be held in Glorietta Activity Center on April 14.

This is the third year that the BusinessMirror group has supported HAP in raising awareness on hemophilia and related bleeding disorders. The deal was signed

by Marvin Estigoy, BM vice president-Advertising Sales and Andrea Trinidad, HAP president.

The event is coorganized with the Philippine Children’s Medical Center. This year’s global theme is “Reaching Out: The first step to care.” Globally, it is spearheaded by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) based in Montreal, Canada.

Trinidad said there are around 10,000 Filipinos with hemophilia and approximately 1 million others with related bleeding disorders, such as Von Willebrand Disease.

However, figures from the 2017 WFH Global Report showed only a dismal 1,500 Filipinos have so far been registered. Globally, a total of

2 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

315,423 were registered in 2017.

Hemophilia and inherited bleeding disorders are a group of medical conditions where the blood does not clot. Its symptoms include frequent nosebleeds, gum bleeds, unexplained and excessive bleeding from cuts or injuries or after surgery or dental work, large or deep bruises, or unusual bleeding after vaccinations.

Women with bleeding disorders may experience prolonged and heavy menstruation.

The HAP sought the filing of the Bleeding Disorders Standards of Care Act of 2017, which aims to establish hemophilia treatment centers in key areas all over the Philippines, and better access to treatment for persons with hemophilia and related bleeding disorders.

The upcoming event is also supported by Glorietta.

Health&Fitness

is published and distributed free every Thursday by the Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing Inc. as a project of the BusinessMirror.

Publisher T. Anthony C. Cabangon

Editor in Chief Lourdes M. Fernandez

Editor Eleanor A. Leyco-Chua

Group Creative Director Eduardo A. Davad

Layout Artist Ma. Lorena R. Galang

Online Editor Ruben M. Cruz Jr.

VP-Advertising Sales Marvin Nisperos Estigoy

Account Managers Cez C. Cabiles Jane R. Nacional

Circulation Manager Rolly Manangan

Contributors Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco Henrylito Tacio Nazarene A. Leyco Tin Majadillas Aimee Lagman Froilan Gregory H. Romualdez III Cesar M. Cruz Jr. Contributing Photographer Iking Dalusong Advertising Sales Telephone Nos: 814-0134 loc 123 Fax No. 814-0134 loc. 124, 817-7055 Advertising Sales Cellphone Nos: 0917.9442818, 0917.4424472, 0917.8616088, 0918.9090970 817-9467 (Editorial); 813-7025 (Fax line); 817-5351, 817-1351 (Advertising Sales); 893-1662 (Circulation) news@businessmirror.com.ph, healthandfitnessBM@gmail.com eleanorleyco@yahoo.com

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LEARN THE ART OF PRESSED FLOWER PAINTING AT SUNSHINE PLACE

PRESERVE memories of flowers received during special events through framed artworks.

PRESSED flowers give a vintage touch to accessories.

L

EARN the art of pressed flower painting and witness how nature is reborn as the Sunshine Place brings pressed flower master back, Mi-Kyoung, to share her expertise in a series of two-day workshops.

These are scheduled on March 19 and 21 (Batch 1), March 20 and 22 (Batch 2) and March 16 and 23 (Batch 3) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the senior recreation center in Makati.

Both a painting and a craft itself, Pressed Flower Painting is a new way of looking at the beauty of flowers. With this, nature is reborn as a pressed flower. Memories are preserved and creating handmade gifts is reimagined as pressed flower art come in various mediums— from letter cards to fragrant flower soaps.

Mi-Kyoung holds the distinction of being the first Pressed Flower Master of the Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organization of Korea since 2014. She finished Complete Modern Art course at Hongik University and is president of BackHyang Pressed Flower Organization. She is also director of the Society of Asian the Ethno-Forms; Operation Committee member of Artcritic and former vice chairman of the Board of Pressed Flower Organization (Pioneer).

Mi-Kyoung is a recipient of several awards—including: grand prize winner of Pressed Flower Competition by Korea Modern Art Association in 2006; grand prize winner of Design Competition in Korea

BOUQUETS of pressed flowers in handmade soaps.

ADD a feminine touch to hand mirrors with pressed flowers.

FOLDING fan with pressed flowers.

PRESSED flower master back MiKyoung from South Korea shares her expertise in a series of two-day workshops this March at the Sunshine Place.

in 2006; Excellence Award in Wild Flower Exhibition in Korea in 2006; Excellence Award in World Pressed Flower Exhibition in Korea in 2007; and Korea Culture and Management award in artist section in 2016.

She has mounted 16 Pressed Flower Solo exhibitions and has served as judge in various Pressed Flower Exhibition competitions. Aside from 16 years teaching experience in middle school and high school in Gyeonggi province, she is also an instructor for Pressed Flower Art at Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do Training Center.

THE art of pressed flowers in cup holders.

Mi-Kyoung’s workshop at the Sunshine Place will include lessons in applying pressed flower techniques in creating hand mirror, pressed flower set, letter cards, folding fans, hair/clothing accessories and mini frames.

Sunshine Place, a senior recreation center under the Felicidad Tan Sy Foundation, is a venue for adults to live actively, through engaging in recreational

classes and age-appropriate physical training programs. It is the venue to be entertained, to socialize and to reflect; a place of happiness and wellness for one’s mind, body and soul.

For more information, visit the Sunshine Place at #56 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City; or call (632) 856-4162 and (0917) 515-5656; and e-mail seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com.

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 3

By Henrylito D. Tacio

I

Fifty-eight percent of those who succumbed to cancer come from developing countries. In the Philippines, cancer is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality— after diseases of the heart and the vascular system.

The Department of Health (DOH) reports that the six most common sites of cancer among men are lung, liver, colon/rectum, prostate, stomach and leukemia. In comparison, the six most common sites among women are breast, cervix, lung, colon/rectum, ovary and liver.

For every 100,000 Filipinos, some 189 people are afflicted with cancer while four die of cancer every hour, according to a study conducted by the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Human Genetics, National

4 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

Institutes of Health.

Based on recent data released by the health department and the Philippine Cancer Society Inc. (PCSI), nine people are diagnosed with cancer every hour.

“Cancer remains a national health priority in the country with significant implications for individuals, families, communities and the health system,” the health department points out.

But there’s a good news. President Duterte recently signed the bill that seeks to implement a national framework to fight cancer. On February 14, he affixed his signature to Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act. The new law states that it “shall adopt an integrated and comprehen-

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T starts as a single cell and grows into a merciless disease that claims millions of lives year after year. Cancer, as the disease is called, is now one of the leading killers around the world.

It accounts for 6 million or 12 percent of deaths globally, according to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO).

sive approach to health development which includes the strengthening of integrative, multidisciplinary, patient, and family-centered cancer control policies, programs, systems, interventions and services at all levels of the existing health-care delivery system.”

In addition, the law aims to establish the National Integrated Cancer Control Program, which seeks to prevent deaths caused by cancer by providing “affordable and accessible” medical treatment.

Health experts said there are

more than 100 types, but all have in common: an uncontrollable growth and spread of abnormal cells. Many people mistakenly believe a diagnosis is a death sentence.

Cancer, which comes from the Greek word karkinos, which means “crab,” is a group of cells that has lost its normal control mechanisms and has an unregulated growth, “Cancerous [malignant] cells can develop from any tissue within any organ,” explains The Merck Manual of Medical Information. “As cancerous cells grow and multiply, they

cell may make it more susceptible.

Even chronic physical irritation may make a cell more susceptible to carcinogens.”

Promotion is the second and final step in the development of cancer.

“Agents that cause promotion are called promoters,” the Merck manual says. “Promoters may be substances in the environment or even some drugs [such as barbiturates]. Unlike carcinogens, promoters do not cause cancer by themselves. Instead, promoters allow a cell that has undergone initiation to become cancerous.

Promotion has no effect on noninitiated cells. Thus, several factors, often the combination of a susceptible cell and a carcinogen, are needed to cause cancer.”

“What makes cancer very dangerous is that if not detected early and treated promptly, cancer cells have the capability of spreading not only by direct infiltration of the immediate surrounding area, but also transfer and grow in distant areas by passing through the blood stream and the lymphatic system,” one of the country’s noted oncologists once pointed out.

The most important factor that affects the chances for the cure of cancer is the stage at which it is detected. Two out of six cancer cases in the Philippines are cured, medical experts claimed. “But three out of six could have been cured, if only diagnosed earlier,” they maintained.

Among men, prostate cancer tops, while breast cancer is theNo. 1 among women. “This disease is a traitor,” said an oncologist of breast cancer, which killed film director Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Hollywood actress Ingrid Bergman. But he

added that “when detected early, it can be cured.”

By cured, the oncologist meant that there has been no activity for five years. “But even after 20 years, nagigising iyan,” the doctor said.

“So, I advise my patients to go for regular check-ups even with the family doctors. Early detection is still the key—breast or any other kind of cancer.”

The PCSI, a private social welfare organization, said there is no such thing as cancer for the rich and cancer for the poor. “People in the urban areas, however, have higher risk of getting cancer,” it said in a statement. “Whether or not there are less cases in the rural areas is hard to tell. Generally, cancer cases in remote barrios are not reported.”

Because cancer is more likely to be cured if treated early, it is critical that cancer be discovered early.

“Some symptoms may give early warning of cancer and should, therefore, trigger a person to seek medical care,” the Merck manual says. “Fortunately, most of these symptoms are usually caused by far less serious conditions. Nonetheless, the development of any of the warning signs should not be ignored.”

Some of the warning signs are general; that is, they are vague changes that do not help pinpoint any particular cancer. Still, their presence can help direct doctors to perform the physical examinations and laboratory tests necessary to exclude or confirm a diagnosis. Other symptoms are more specific and steer doctors to a particular kind of cancer or location.

Some warning signs of cancer, according to the Merck manual, are

weight loss, fatigue, night sweats, loss of appetite, new and persistent pain, recurrent nausea or vomiting, blood in urine, blood in stool (either visible or detectable by special tests) and sudden depression.

Other common signs and symptoms of cancer are recurrent fever, chronic cough, a recent change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea), changes in the size or color of a mole or changes in a skin ulcer that does not heal, and enlarge lymph nodes.

“Cancer may be present in very many ways: as a lump, some change in body function, bleeding, anemia or weight loss,” says The New American Desk Encyclopedia. “Less often tumors produce substances mimicking the action of hormones or producing remote effects such as neuritis.”

Neuritis is any disorder of the peripheral nervous system, which interferes with sensation, the nerve control of muscle or both.

“Cancer is a complex disease, but other viral diseases have been nearly wiped out through vaccination,” commented the Professional Health Media Services. “Perhaps such a vaccine [or vaccines] will be developed to prevent cancer. But until such vaccines are developed, there is much that a person can do about cancer.”

Medical scientists claim cancer is neither infectious nor contagious.

In fact, it is not hereditary, assured most oncologists. “The fact that cancer has occurred in a family is no cause for anxiety,” they stressed.

“But people whose close relatives have cancer should have more regular checkups because of familiar tendency.”

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form a mass of cancerous tissue— called a tumor—that invades and destroys normal adjacent tissues.”

The term “tumor” refers to an abnormal growth or mass; it can be either cancerous or noncancerous.

Cancerous cells from the primary (initial) site can spread (metastasize) throughout the body.

Science tells us that each time a human cell divides, it must replicate its DNA, a biochemical manuscript some 3 billion characters long. In the course of transcribing such a lengthy document, even a skilled typist could be expected to make mistakes, and cells, like typists, occasionally err. The mistakes they make are minor and quickly repaired by proteins that serve as miniature mechanics.

More often than not, cells with defects in their DNA will continue to divide, eventually forming small growths.

“The more cell-division cycles an organism undergoes, the more likely it is to accumulate colonies of abnormal cells, each of the offspring of a single progenitor,” wrote Time science writer J. Madeleine Nash.

“By the time humans reach middle adulthood, then their bodies contain millions of cells that have taken at least one step toward cancer.”

The US National Cancer Institute gives this information on the differences between normal cells and cancer cells: “Cancer cells differ from normal cells in many ways that allow them to grow out of control and become invasive. One important difference is that cancer cells are less specialized than normal cells. That is, whereas normal cells mature into very distinct cell types with specific functions, cancer cells do not. This is one reason that, unlike normal cells, cancer cells continue to divide without stopping.”

On how cancer develops, the Merck manual gives specific details. “Cancerous cells develop from healthy cells in a complex process called transformation,” it explains.

“The first step in the process is initiation, in which a change in the cell’s genetic material [in the DNA and sometimes in the chromosome structure] primes the cell to become cancerous. The change in the cell’s genetic material may occur spontaneously or be brought by an agent that causes cancer [carcinogen].”

Carcinogens include many chemicals (arsenic, asbestos, benzene, and nickel, to name a few), tobacco, viruses, radiation and sunlight. A person exposed to a carcinogen (by breathing, eating or touching it for long periods) does not necessarily mean he or she will certainly be afflicted with cancer, the PCSI said.

“It only increases the possibility,” it added.

“However, not all cells are equally susceptible to carcinogens,” the Merck manual says. “A genetic flaw in a

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 5

FITNESS RULES

By Greggy H. Romualdez

Four tips for fat loss A

SK just about anyone what their fitness goal is, and most will say that it would be to lose body fat. Most of us, especially those approaching middle age, would want to be trimmer, leaner versions of ourselves.

Utilizing cardio as a tool— Cardiovascular exercises, such as running, cycling, swimming, walking and the like are not the endall and be-all of fat loss. We must view and use cardio as a tool to get us to our goal. Sure, it does burn a lot of calories but over-doing it may lead to muscle loss and have us looking gaunt and unhealthy. It would

be difficult to cardio away an overindulgent diet. Cardio is great. But remember it is just one of the tools we use to shed fat.

Consume adequate protein—As a rule of thumb, when working to build muscle and burn fat, we must consume 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight on a daily basis. If for instance you weigh 150 lbs, make sure to take in between 130 to 150 grams of protein a day. Lean meats, fish, eggs and soy are excellent sources of protein.

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While losing body fat essentially entails consistently achieving a daily caloric deficit for a prescribed time period, here are four fat loss tips that will set us on the right track.

Macronutrient consistency— Sometimes

are no assurance that one would successfully lose fat. It is important to have the proper ratio of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat) to support fat loss or any fitness goal for that matter. All three macronutrients in their proper proportions are essential in determining our future body composition. Protein is needed to build muscle, carbs to fuel our workouts, and dietary fat helps the body absorb nutrients. Count your macros with consistency.

eating food that are healthy

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Inclusion of resistance training/lifting weights—

6 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

When attempting to shed body fat, it is always a good idea to include resistance training or lifting weights as part of the total program. Lifting helps burn calories, and if done with the proper intensity using medium to heavy loads, builds lean muscle mass. When we want to lose weight, we don’t just want to shed fat, we should also work toward firming up our muscles to achieve a tight, toned physique.

With summer just around the corner, now is a good time as any to start counting macros, pumping iron and pounding pavement. Happy shedding!

VACCINATIONS AND TESTING SAVE LIVES

STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION END LIVES

A

ROUND 70 percent of viral hepatitis deaths throughout the world occur in Asia, and the majority of these are attributable to hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Ensuring that people living with hepatitis are diagnosed and use health services will prevent as many as 5 percent of all global cancer-related deaths.

Recently, leading medical and public health experts at the APASL Public Health Forum gathered to discuss the progress being made, and challenges remaining, to eliminating hepatitis across Asia Pacific. The meeting called for an end to discrimination against people living with viral hepatitis, highlighting this stigma as a key barrier to elimination. Speakers also emphasized the positive impact of vaccination programs, as well as the importance of better infrastructure for testing and treatment at a national level in order to achieve elimination by 2030—the goal set by the WHO in its Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016 to 2021.

The health forum, “Towards Elimination of Viral Hepatitis by 2030: From the Clinic to Community,” was jointly organised by the Asia Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), and the Coalition for the Eradication of Viral Hepatitis in Asia Pacific (CEVHAP), working closely with a number of multisectoral organizations, including the Hepatology Association of the Philippines, the Yellow Warrior Society of the Philippines, ZeShan Foundation, the World Hepatitis Alliance and the WHO. APASL 2019 President Diana Payawal said, “The forum provides a platform for experts from across the region and beyond to convene, discuss key barriers to elimination, share best practices and explore solutions for the future.”

The forum is well-timed as this month an important paper by the Lancet Commission on Elimination of Viral Hepatitis identified 20 heavily burdened countries that account for over 75 percent of the global burden of hepatitis; 11 of these 20 countries are in Asia. The paper identified several major challenges in Asia: motherto-child transmission of hepatitis B, unsterilized injection practices and poor access to direct-acting antivirals

despite availability of generics.

The impact of viral hepatitis in many countries in the Asia Pacific region is stark with just over 16 percent of people in the Philippines and over 10 percent of the population of China over the age of 20 living with hepatitis B.

Stigma and discrimination—key barriers to elimination THE impact of viral hepatitis-related stigma and discrimination is significant as these issues reduce the willingness of people to access testing and the other health services they need.

Stigma and discrimination means that people with viral hepatitis are sometimes ostracized or separated from their communities, and as a result, they experience reduced access to education, employment and health services. It also restricts the ability of researchers, advocates and media to draw attention to the true social context for people living with viral hepatitis, as only a limited number of people are willing to discuss their experiences in public. To increase the uptake of testing, vaccination and clinical management, we need to eliminate drivers of stigma, such as the testing of people within workplaces or educational settings and the lack of confidentiality of viral hepatitis test results.

“The development of regulations marginalizing people with viral hepatitis in Asia Pacific has been a pernicious development in seeking to reduce transmission of these infections,” said CEVHAP Executive Committee member Dr. Jack Wallace, who spoke at the forum on stigma, discrimination and human rights. “These regulations are found in employment settings where people with viral hepatitis are routinely excluded from employment and immigration processes in which people with viral hepatitis are excluded from receiving work visas in overseas countries. Another occurrence is when people are tested and diagnosed within educational settings or other locations in which testing is not of primary benefit to the person concerned.”

Prevention and access— the keys to real progress ANOTHER major topic in terms of viral hepatitis elimination is prevention and access to testing and treatment. Eliminating viral hepatitis, a blood-borne asymptomatic infection, requires the implementation of hepatitis B vaccination programs and national policy on testing. The preventative nature of vaccination programs directly affects the burden resulting from infection. This has been proven in many countries across the world including China and Taiwan where there was a significant reduction in the numbers of children with hepatitis B as a result of the vaccination program. The development of national testing policies will support the early detection and diagnosis of viral hepatitis, which is vital in preventing cirrhosis or liver cancer. Testing must, in turn, be linked to support, care and treatment programs. This can often be done through the use of existing services and programs, such as those already established for maternal and child health, HIV prevention and control, and noncommunicable diseases.

Dr. Rosmawati Mohamed, consultant hepatologist at University of Malaya Medical Center and cochairman of CEVHAP, said “Providing accurate information about hepatitis to healthcare professionals, employers and the public is crucial. Raising awareness about hepatitis through campaigns that convey the benefits of early diagnosis, regular monitoring and dispel myths of hepatitis transmission is also significant. While the Ministry of Health in Malaysia has a done a great job by showing strong political will and providing access to affordable hepatitis treatment, engagement of all stakeholders including hepatitis advocates can help to support, strengthen and complement Ministry of Health’s efforts in combating hepatitis and liver cancer.”

Using his years of field experience in Pakistan, CEVHAP cochairman Professor Saeed Hamid, shared a case study with the forum demonstrating that the elimination of viral hepatitis requires the development of new clinical models of care. He stated that “New models are based on going deep into the community and delivering care at their doorstep, including testing and

treatment. We should strive for pointof-care diagnostics to start treatment on the first visit.”

As a region, Asia Pacific has made steady progress towards the elimination of viral hepatitis. However, this progress is not at the rate or level required to meet the goal of elimination by 2030. It is time for every country to revisit its national policy and for advocates to push for legislation that criminalizes discrimination, promotes vaccination and ensures the linkage between testing and care.

About Viral Hepatitis VIRAL hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus, and globally kills more than 1.34 million people every year. Ninety six percent of these deaths are attributable to infection with the hepatitis B virus and/or the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can only be transmitted in specific circumstances where exposure to infected blood occurs. Hepatitis B transmission, an infection preventable by vaccination, occurs primarily through exposure from mother to child at birth, and hepatitis C through the sharing of unclean injecting equipment. The WHO has established a goal of reducing hepatitis-related mortality by 65 percent with a 90 percent reduction in new infections by 2030.

There are five different hepatitis viruses—hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis A is transmitted mainly through ingestion of contaminated food and water and there are an estimated 1.4 million cases each year.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person, most frequently from mother to child at birth, and approximately 240 million people are living with chronic infections.

Hepatitis C is mainly transmitted through blood-to-blood contact such as unsafe injection practices and inadequate sterilization of medical equipment. Hepatitis D is transmitted on through contact with infected blood and only occurs in people who are already infected with hepatitis B. Hepatitis E, like hepatitis A, is transmitted through ingesting contaminated food or water.

For more information, please visit www.cevhap.org, or visit APASL Official Web site: www.apasl.info.

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 7

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WHY YOU NEED

I

POSIT IN AND ARO

F your happiness is dependent on circumstances, there’s a good chance you’ll go through the majority of your life unhappy. If everything around you needs to line up perfectly in order for you to see the world in a positive light, it’s time to make a change.

As a human, it’s been programmed deep within you to focus on negativity. We are far more quick to experience sadness, anger, disappointment and frustration than we are to feel positive emotions like joy, gratitude and serenity.

We are drawn to tragic stories and images, and we harp on unpleasant interactions and sights.

Positive moments that are sprinkled throughout the day are quickly forgotten.

Luckily, we have the power to change this. We can train our brains to focus on positivity, and with the power of positive thinking, we’ll attract even more positivity into our lives. While this may sound a little woo-woo at first, there is concrete evidence and scientific studies back up the claim that positive thinking can create a real impact on our lives.

It has the power to improve your health, your work, your relationships and your entire life.

How negativity limits us

NEGATIVE emotions are all-consuming, and there’s a scientific explanation for this. Way back in the days when humans were hunters and gatherers living in the wilderness, each day was filled with real threats to our lives. Our survival instincts helped to save us from becoming a hungry lion’s lunch.

When faced with a life-threatening situation, fear kicks in. It narrows all of your thoughts down into this one pivotal moment: fight or flight? You have no room in your brain to get creative; you must make a decision as quickly as possible to save your life.

This is what all negative thoughts do. Fear, anger, frustration, sadness and disappointment—they

8 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

take over the brain, shutting out all other options, forcing you to focus on negativity. When something bad happens, it completely consumes you, and you become wrapped up in a narrative in which all hope is lost.

Negative thoughts essentially kill creativity. They narrow down your thought process and prevent you from being a creative problem-solver. You’re quite literally becoming narrow-minded and are unable to think outside the box when negative thoughts consume you.

When you’re stuck in a cycle of negativity, it can be hard to break free. Because negativity breeds more negativity, it continues to impact your overall mental health and cause your self-esteem to plummet.

Not only do negative thoughts create a mental block, but they also affect your physical health. Stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline that are meant to be released in response to a life-threatening situation for self-preservation are instead chronically high.

Stress hormones help us in times of real danger by slowing down or pausing other systems in the body, like the immune system, the digestive system and even functions such as bone formation. On the other hand, it shoots your blood pressure way up to get you into a high-alert mode and ready to react. It’s easy to see how chronically high levels of cortisol can lead to some serious health problems long term.

Positive thinking: The key to happiness, success and popularity

ISN’T it funny how we harp on negative thoughts, yet we are intrigued by and drawn toward positive people? That’s because positive people

tend to be more creative, more energetic and more successful overall.

Positive psychologist Barbara Fredrickson came up with a concept called the Broaden-and-Build Theory, based on observations that she made on the impact of positive thoughts. She found that when people experienced positive emotions, such as joy, contentment, and gratitude, they had a broadening of momentary thought-action repertoires. In other words, those who experienced positive emotions in her

study were the people who came up with more solutions, resources and responses to theoretical problems.

People who think positively see more possibilities in life. They tend to be more adventurous—to step outside their comfort zone and try new things. Every new experience helps to build skills: socially, physically, creatively and academically.

The discovery and exploration of new skills create a sense of fulfillment and happiness, leading to even more

D TO INCREASE

TIVITY OUND YOU

1Practice gratitude.

Gratitude is a major component of happiness. It grounds us, puts things into perspective, and floods our brains with the “happy chemical” dopamine. By the law of attraction, the more things we’re grateful for, the more things we will have to be grateful for.

There are many ways to practice gratitude. You can: n Keep a gratitude journal. At the end of every day, write down a list of things you have to be grateful for that happened that day. n Nurture your relationships.

Show how grateful you are for your friends and family by picking one person each day to connect with. Send that person a loving and encouraging message or e-mail, or give them a call and ask how they’re doing. n Appreciate nature. Each time you go outside, notice one thing in nature and take a few seconds to observe it and appreciate it.

Be aware of negative 2 thoughts and turn them around.

Making simple changes in your vocabulary can help you to think positively and to influence those around you positively. Words are valuable, so make each one count.

Compile a list of positive words and phrases to use, and focus on a new one every day until they become a natural part of your speech.

4Be kind.

When you extend kindness toward other people, you will feel happier and less stressed. It can start with something simple, like smiling or holding the door open for a stranger. Eventually, you’ll see that the more kindness you extend toward others, the more inclined you will be to see the good in people and give them the benefit of the doubt.

5Meditate.

Of course, you need to take time for yourself each and every day to reflect, practice gratitude and mindfulness, and de-stress. People who meditate daily think more positive thoughts than people who don’t. If meditating doesn’t do it for you, try yoga—it has many of the same effects as meditation.

Conclusion

THE power of positive thinking is immeasurable. Your health, social life, career and well-being will all be affected positively if you can learn how to harness the power of positive thinking. You may be surprised just how far you can go with a positive attitude.

Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

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Instead of allowing negative thoughts to fester and just waiting around for positive moments, turn neutral or negative thoughts into positive ones.

When you hear about a tragic event, think of all the ways that medicine and technology have advanced to help us avoid even more tragedies. When someone gets on your nerves, remind yourself that you have the power to react in any way that you choose. If someone cuts you in line, consider all the reasons they may be in a rush, and be grateful that you are aware and considerate of other people’s time.

3Use positive language.

Tips to increase positive thinking

IT may be difficult at first, but you can rewire your brain to think positively.

Thanks to neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt by reorganizing itself through new neural connections—you can literally change the structure of your brain and train it to go the positive route over the negative one.

All it takes is some mind and bodywork to form new habits of positive thinking. Here are a few ways to do that.

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positivity. In this way, we can understand how positivity breeds positivity.

Just like negative thinking creates a cycle that can be difficult to break, positive thinking leads to a whole cycle of its own (one that we don’t want to break).

Positive thinking can improve your life in just about every aspect. Your health, your relationships and your career will all thrive on positivity. So that begs the question: How do you increase positive thinking in your life?

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 9

CAN DEPRESSION AFFECT YOUR BRAIN? YES—AND IT’S NOT GOOD NEWS

W

E’RE all guilty of saying “I’m depressed” when we feel miserable, but feeling down for weeks or months on end means depression has turned into an illness.

Depression causes a host of psychological and physical symptoms that can have a huge impact on your quality of life.

Depression affects the body and mind

DEPRESSION causes physical symptoms, such as fatigue, weight gain or weight loss, insomnia, loss of sex drive and aching all over.

Mental illness caused by depression includes cognitive dysfunction, memory loss, low self-esteem, irritability and anxiety.

These symptoms can range from mild to so severe that you feel hopeless. If you’re feeling that way, it’s important to speak to your doctor.

Our brain and memory functions are damaged by depression

DEPRESSION has a significant effect on your brain and memory. These effects are collectively called “cognitive dysfunction.”

Cognitive dysfunction means your brain is not working as well as it could. People living with cognitive dysfunction say it feels like they’re lost in the fog; they forget things frequently and feel confused.

How does depression cause memory loss?

SCIENTISTS think there’s a link between depression and memory loss because several studies have found that people with depression are less able to take in new information.

For example, studies on people with depression indicate that depressed individuals struggle to match objects on a screen with ones they had previously seen. Scientists think this is happening because the hippocampus, the part of the brain that deals with emotions and memory, shrinks.

MRI scans show reduced brain activity in the hippocampus, but it’s not known exactly why depression causes this reaction.

Researchers suggest that floods of cortisol upset hormone balances, cause biochemical changes and interrupt neurotransmitters.

And don’t forget that depression often means a lack of quality sleep. Memory loss and the ability to think coherently are made even worse through tiredness.

The main causes of depression

DEPRESSION can be caused by a host of

reasons, but they don’t show up in a blood sample or x-ray.

Here are some of the reasons depression can take hold.

n Stress and anxiety. Stress is part of life, but overwhelming stress is harmful because it raises cortisol levels. Cortisol manages our fight-or-flight adrenaline response and when it’s consistently raised, you’ll feel anxious and worried all the time. n Brain chemicals. Disruption of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine can change our appetites, motivation, and our moods, which can lead to depression. n Long-term illness. Longterm illness can lead to changes in brain chemistry.

Feeling down, anxious, or in pain for a long period of time is associated with depression. Stroke survivors and patients with cancer, arthritis or thyroid problems are some of the groups more likely to develop depression as a result of their illnesses.

People with a neurological illness like Parkinson’s disease or MS are more likely to be depressed, too. n Poor lifestyle habits.

People who don’t get enough sleep, eat a poor diet and consume too much alcohol are associated with a raised risk of depression. Depression also causes these lifestyle habits, so it’s a vicious cycle.

n Past history of trauma.

Experiencing traumatic events can lead to depression—trauma can be anything from bereavement to a car crash. Any event that affects your mental health can lead to depression.

n Your genes. If a close family member experiences depression, it’s more likely you will too. That’s because to a certain extent, genes determine your hormone levels. n Bipolar disorder. Bipolar dis-

order creates alternating bouts of depression and manic moods.

During a manic phase, people may carry out unsafe activities, such as gambling or speeding, but in the depression phase, they feel unable to leave the house.

n Postnatal depression.

After giving birth, some women are at risk of developing postnatal depression, also known as the baby blues.

This often comes down to fluctuating hormones, but for some women, the feelings don’t subside.

How to fight depression

DEPRESSION is very common, but there are lots of ways to treat it.

Unfortunately, clinical depression can be dismissed as a trivial illness, with friends and relatives telling sufferers to “get out more” or to “pull themselves together.”

This attitude doesn’t help and can cause more problems.

Depression is treated according to its severity in three different ways.

1Natural methods.

These include getting regular exercise to boost endorphins—or mindfulness, which involves concentrating on the present moment to alleviate stress and anxiety.

St. John’s Wort is an herbal remedy that may help lift depression, but be careful if you take the contraceptive pill, as St. John’s Wort can prevent it from working properly.

L-theanine, found in green tea, may also have antidepression benefits. Researchers believe it helps blocks the neurotransmitters that stimulate stress.

Others find that essential oils help them relax and reduce the stress that contributes to depression.

2Talking therapies.

Talking therapies are often called psychotherapy. They aim to uncover reasons for depression and understand why people feel as they do.

Here are the three main psychotherapies used to treat depression. n Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)— which attempts to change behavior patterns. n Psychodynamic Therapy—which is carried out by a psychologist. Psychologists listen to whatever is on your mind to find out why you are depressed and how behavior is contributing to it. n Counseling—which aims to help you think about your problems and find solutions.

for 3Medication depression.

Medication is used to treat moderate to severe depression usually when natural methods and talking therapies haven’t worked out.

Antidepressant medication changes brain chemicals by boosting “feel-good” serotonin to improve your outlook. These drugs can have side effects but aren’t addictive. Medication is usually prescribed alongside natural methods and talking therapies to get the best results.

Depression is a serious illness

DEPRESSION can have an extreme effect on physical and mental health—and a downward spiral of psychological problems can be difficult to stop, particularly if you’re already experiencing cognitive dysfunction and memory problems.

If you’re feeling depressed, there are lots of treatments that can help. Speak to your doctor to begin getting your life back on track.

Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 11

IS PLANT-BASED MEAT THE FUTURE OF FOOD? A

S awareness spreads about the detrimental impact of eating meat, people are seeking other options. The number of people going vegan and vegetarian continues to rise every year, and so, the demand for plant-based varieties is bigger than ever before.

style contributes to smaller waistbands, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, less inflammation, better digestion and higher energy levels. As long as you’re supplementing to get those nutrients that a plant-based diet lacks—like vitamin B12—then a plant-based, vegan or vegetarian diet can do wonders for your health.

n For the animals

SURE there are exceptions, but the majority of animals that are raised for food are treated quite poorly. In order to be costeffective for the farmers, animals are given limited space and dirty living conditions, and that’s not even the half of it. When you consider that pigs are more intelligent and sensitive than dogs, it may make you think twice before biting into that BLT.

n For humanity

THE rate at which the world is currently consuming meat is simply not sustainable.

There is not enough land, water and grain to feed all the animals necessary in order for us to keep eating meat at our current rate. If all the grain that is being used to raise animals for meat was instead given directly to people for consumption, you can bet that there wouldn’t be nearly as many people going hungry.

In the world of seemingly endless options and variety that we live in, supermarkets boast hundreds of shelves filled with thousands of variations of our favorite foods. People on plant-based diets are not willing to settle for soups and salads—they want the real foodie experience, burgers and all.

Now, plant-based meat substitutes are becoming increasingly popular and more meat-like all the time. They look, smell, taste, and feel eerily similar to actual animal meat, and they satisfy that craving.

The plant-based meat industry is growing by 20 percent every year. We expect to see a lot more sales and many more plant-based meat products in the year 2019. Even meat eaters are chowing down on meat substitutes because they’re just that good.

Why are people opting for plant-based foods?

THE trend is on the rise—but why? Meatless Mondays are starting to spread to every other day of the week as well for many people out there. These are just some of the reasons so many are choosing vegan and vegetarian lifestyles.

n For the environment

ANIMAL agriculture is responsible for 18

12 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

percent of greenhouse-gas emissions. Suffice it to say that eating animal products is not environmentally friendly. Enormous amounts of pollution are created through feeding, raising, transporting and preparing animal foods for human consumption.

n For their health

THERE’S no denying that a meat-free life-

Because it’s ‘in’

THAT’S right—all the cool people are doing it. Celebs and influencers are going vegan, and so is the rest of the population. The more influential vegans there are, the more plantbased options will be offered by restaurants, health-food stores and grocery stores. The more options there are, the more people will be inclined to choose plant-based meals. It’s a cycle that feeds on itself.

Plant-based meat: The future of food

THERE’S a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to plant-based meat. The companies that produce these foods are implementing advanced technology and scientific practices to invent the perfect meat substitutes. What they’ve come up with so far has surpassed all expectations of fake meat—so much so that vegans are turning down plant-based burgers because they remind them too much of real meat.

Some of the biggest companies that have emerged in this industry include JUST, which started out with vegan mayo and is now producing a lab-grown chicken product; Hungry Planet, which produces many types of plant-based meats, including burgers, sausages, chicken, and ground beef and chicken; Beyond Meat, a company that has been around since 2009 with its signature plant-based meats; and Impossible Foods, known for their Impossible Burger, which “bleeds” just like real meat when grilled.

There are so many of these companies popping up all over the world, and they aren’t just intent on selling to vegans and vegetarians. These plant-based meats are going mainstream.

Conclusion

YOU don’t have to give up meat completely to adopt a healthier, plant-based lifestyle. Try swapping out a few meat meals per week with plant-based alternatives.

Changes like these make a big difference in your health, for the environment and for the animals. With the variety of plantbased meats available today, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on that hearty, meaty, filling meal that you crave.

Source: www.bewellbuzz.com

BULLETIN BOARD

SAVOR SUMMER’S FRESH BOUNTY AT KITSHO AFTER nights of cold, the summer breeze has started to waft all over the Metro. And with it is the promise of sun-drenched adventures and fun-filled days ahead.

Flowers have started popping out colorful blooms, and farm fields are brimming with produce.

Seascapes are teeming with fresh catch, and fisherfolk are having a field day. All of these bountiful resources gather in Kitsho’s kitchen as Executive Chef Keita Kamimoto whips up the tastiest Japanese dishes this side of town.

Diners can either enjoy the dishes a la carte or have them all through a buffet selection. Should you prefer the latter choice, you'll be amazed to know that your choices will be prepared only as you order them, whether as a single dish or an array of choices. Simply tell the staff what you want and Chef Keita, together with his F&B team, will prepare them all for you.

You can start your gustatory experience with shrimp or squid tempura, then follow it up with Tuna Teppan.

Balance your meal with some sautéed vegetables and piping hot bowls of savory miso soup.

When appetites start to get whetted, sample some

yakisoba dishes with Tori Momo Karage (fried chicken), on the side. Meat lovers would love the Buta Shokayagi dish, which is pork meat sautéed in ginger. But the choices don't end here, simply browse through the buffet menu and order every dish that your appetite craves for. They

will be prepared fresh so you can savor them all, right off the flame; rather than get them cold from a food station.

Capping every Kitsho meal is an array of sweet ending options. Take your pick from either Grilled Banana or, should you want something new and eye-catching, the parfait-colored Rainbow Delight Cake or the Japanese macha halo-halo, for some twist to the favorite summer quencher.

Lunch buffet is served at P 1,356 per person with unlimited iced tea, while the dinner buffet is offered at P 1,568 per person with one round of red or white wine or beer. All meal prices are inclusive of VAT and service charge.

This merry month of March, diners who come in small or big groups get to enjoy Kitsho’s 5 + 1 promo wherein one guest dines for free for every five paying diners in their company.

Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar is operated and managed by MCK Millennium Food Inc. and is conveniently located at the ground level of Hotel Jen Manila, right across the sprawling CCP Complex along Roxas Boulevard's sunset strip on the historic Manila Bay area.

ton Honors is Hilton’s global award-winning guest-loyalty program for its world-class brands—comprising more than 5,300 properties in 106 countries and territories. Members get access to instant benefits such as exclusive member discounts, free standard Wi-fi and access to the Digital Key. Hilton Manila’s topnotch culinary team prepared a feast featuring the hotel’s signature offerings at its various restaurants—Kusina, Madison and Hua Ting–Brasserie Chinoise. It was a visual spectacle as a yellow fin tuna from Zamboanga City was expertly carved during the program to showcase Hilton Manila’s Kusina, which primarily offers local cuisine with highlight on seafood. The restaurant also

offers international dishes.

Hilton Manila at Resorts World Manila has 357 modern and elegant guest rooms furnished with Hilton’s signature features and technology, such as the Serenity bed and four-point bathroom, and world-class recreational facilities, such as its expansive lagoon pool and 24/7 fitness center.

The hotel also has unique dining concepts at its various restaurants and event spaces, including a Ballroom ideal for corporate and social events.

Hilton Manila at RWM is at 1 Newport Boulevard, Newport City, Pasay City. For more information, or to make a reservation, travelers may visit www.hiltonmanila.com.

Hilton Manila launched HILTON Manila recently had its Grand Launch, which saw in attendance top corporate executives, government officials, foreign dignitaries and members of the media. The hotel is located within Resorts World Manila (RWM), the Philippines’s first integrated entertainment and tourism resort, and just across the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.

The Grand Launch marked the Hilton brand’s formal entry into the Philippine market and highlighted the company’s innovations through its 100-year history and the warm and genuine hospitality that Hilton is known for. The event opened with a rousing welcome remark from RWM Chief Operating Officer Stephen Reilly, followed by an inspiring speech by Hilton Manila’s General Manager Simon McGrath, who talked about Hilton’s rich history, the “Hilton Effect” or the positive impact of the brand on its guests and communities where it operates worldwide, and its return to Manila through its invaluable partnership with RWM. In a ceremonial opening activity, McGrath, Reilly, Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin Tan and RWM President and CEO Kingson Sian lit the Hilton Manila beacon using a “digital key” simulation. Guests of honor US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, Department of Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. and Pasay City Mayor AntoninoCalixto joined them.

Hilton Manila is the first hotel in the Philippines to have the Digital Key or keyless entry—an innovative feature that can be accessed exclusively via the Hilton Honors app. Hil-

Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019 13

HEALTHY FINDS

n DUTERTE SIGNS CANCER CONTROL ACT

By Claudeth Mocon-Ciriaco ON Valentine’s Day, President Duterte signed Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act as a gift to the Filipino people, Health Secretary Francsico T. Duque said. “[A gift]...for women who are more prone to certain types of cancer like breast, cervical, ovarian cancers and also men for prostate, lung and colorectal cancers,” Duque remarked.

Data from the Department of Health’s (DOH) Philippine Cancer Facts and Estimates showed that the incidence of cancer was up to eight deaths per day for childhood cancer and up to 11 new cases and seven deaths per hour for adult cancer.

This means 110,000 new cancer cases and over 66,000 cancer deaths each year.

The DOH has commended the enactment into law of Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act on February 14, which seeks to implement a national framework to combat cancer.

The new law “shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development, which includes the strengthening of integrative, multidisciplinary, patient and familycentered cancer-control policies, programs, systems, interventions and services at all levels of the existing health care delivery system.”

Aside from the establishment of the program, the measure is also aimed at decreasing the incidence and deaths from preventable cancer in adults and children. There will be focus on preventing cancer recurrence and secondary cancer among survivors and people living with cancer, making cancer treatment and care affordable and accessible, and supporting the recovery and reintegration to society of cancer survivors, among others.

But the public is not alone in this fight. The government continuously assists Filipinos who are suffering from this dreaded disease. One example is the PhilHealth Z-Benefit Package, which is designed for those who may acquire the so-called catastrophic diseases such as breast, prostate, cervical cancers and childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia.

This is an in-patient package that includes mandatory diagnostics, operating-room expenses, doctor/professional fees, room and board, and medicines.

“This is to assure the public that the DOH is serious with its fight against one of the leading causes of death in the country. Its lifelong commitment to our constituents is to protect their health and prevent this dreaded disease,” the

14 Health&Fitness February 28-March 6, 2019

health chief concluded.

This bill was ratified by both the Senate and House of Representatives before going on holiday breaks last year.

n PREVENT THE SPREAD OF MEASLES VIRUS IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD

MANY people are growing concerned because of the increasing number of individuals stricken with measles or tigdas across the country. The Department of Health (DOH) has raised the red flag and has declared an outbreak in five regions—Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Central Visayas.

In these five regions alone, almost 1,400 confirmed cases of measles have been listed as of February 7. Of this number, 22 have been confirmed by the DOH to have died because of the disease. Several other regions are now also being monitored because of an increase in the number of measles cases reported there.

These regions are Mimaropa, Ilocos, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas and Soccsksargen, and the DOH is asking them to step up their response to the disease.

Some of the most susceptible to the disease are unvaccinated young children, according to the World Health Organization. But, anybody can be infected, including pregnant women, teenagers and even adults. In fact, DOH data from 2016 shows that young adults aged 16 to 20 are the

second-largest group infected by measles.

Measles is regarded as a highly contagious and infectious condition. It can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing or through direct contact with anyone infected with it. Symptoms include high fever that lasts four to seven days, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and white spots that develop inside the cheeks.

After a few days, rashes appear, and then it spreads all over the body.

Children aged five years old or younger and adults 21 and above are especially vulnerable to complications caused by measles. Some of the common complications are ear infections and diarrhea, while severe complications include pneumonia and encephalitis, with the latter two might even leading to death.

Right now, the most effective tool against measles is prevention through immunization, especially in young children. Help stop the spread of measles virus through proper oral, hand and body hygiene, plus Povidone-Iodine (BETADINE) Throat and Mouth Care solutions that are proven to effectively kill the measles virus. In a laboratory test conducted by Japanese doctors in 1997, they have proven that Povidone-Iodine is able to kill many viruses, including the measles virus, in a relatively short span of time.

One of the leading and most trusted antiseptic brands of Povidone-Iodine in the country is BETADINE, which also has a whole line of upper respiratory care products proven safe and effective for use inside and outside our homes.

The first product in the line is Povidone-Iodine (BETADINE) Gargle, which has been proven to kill various types of viruses in as early as 15 seconds.

Povidone-Iodine (BETADINE) Gargle is perfect for use at home and is effective in addressing not just viruses but also bacteria and fungi.

n FILIPINO STAR JOINS TWO OTHER LEGENDS IN MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP

KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines’s Angelo Que and European Tour legends Thomas Bjørn and Miguel Ángel Jiménez are the latest golf stars to confirm their participation in this year’s Maybank Championship, adding quality to the marquee field in Malaysia.

Que’s entry and that of the two European veterans comes alongside a Maybank announcement of a five-strong Asean lineup joining the European Tour and Asian Tour-sanctioned event at Saujana Golf & Country Club in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, from March 21 to 24.

Joining Que in the Asean quintet are Ye Htet Aung of Myanmar, Indonesia’s duo of Danny Masrin and George Gandranata, and Singaporean Johnson Poh.

HEALTHY FINDS

The entries of Bjørn and Jiménez add greater depth to an already formidable field that includes multiple Major championship winners, Ernie Els of South Africa and Irishman Padraig Harrington.

A 15-time winner on the European Tour, Bjørn is riding the crest of a wave of success having led Team Europe to victory over Team Asia in the EurAsia Cup at Glenmarie in Shah Alam, Malaysia, in January 2018, and then that famous triumph over Team United States in the Ryder Cup in France last September.

Jiménez, widely known as the “most interesting golfer in the world” because of his antics on and off the course, has 21 European Tour titles to his credit.

Together, they will bring heightened competitions and excitement to the international field in the fourth edition of the $3-million tournament.

Also, in the mix at Saujana will be Japan’s

Shinichi Mizuno, who earned a slot with his victory in the Professional Golf of Malaysia Maybank Asian Development Tour Championship at Saujana in December.

Commenting on the new additions to the field, Maybank Group President and CEO, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias said, “The inclusion of Que in the Asean category, along with Thomas Bjørn and Miguel Ángel Jiménez, is exciting news for golfing fans and will certainly add to the stiff competition expected this year. So too is the Asean category, which we see as an extension of our commitment to support the growth of local talent in the region.”

“We hope the opportunity provided to the five Asean players in particular will enable them to lift their game further and inspire even more young talents in the region to aim to be among the world’s best. We wish them and the rest of the field all the very best in the tourna-

ment,” added Datuk Abdul Farid.

Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma of India, top-ranked Malaysian Gavin Green, Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa and Thailand’s Poom Saksansin will also be in Kuala Lumpur.

The Maybank Championship, whose tagline is “Where the Best Meet” is part of the European Tour’s season-long Race to Dubai and will feature no fewer than 15 of the world’s top 150 players. It will also boast star attractions from other nations, including Australia, China, India, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and Thailand.

The Maybank Championship, which is Malaysia’s premier golf tournament, is set to have a few more star players added to the lineup in the next couple of weeks or so.

For further details on upcoming events and other information related to the Maybank Championship, please log on to: www.maybankchampionship.com.my

Partnerships, gave an insightful talk on “Restaurant and Food Trends,” where he left a useful tip for aspiring restaurateurs: “Don’t base the concept of your restaurants on trends. Trends are very seasonal.”

Culinary professionals Chef Him Uy de Baron and Chef Ryan Abuejela showcased the versatility of mozzarella cheese with a variety of dishes and gave some cooking tips for home chefs.

“Only use wine that you can drink. Don’t go for cheap wine,” shared Chef Him during his cook-

ing demo of ramen with mozzarella.

The event also marks the partnership between Arla Foods Philippines and Global Pacific Distribution Network with the latter appointed as the official food-service distributor of Arla in the Philippines.

Global Pacific is a premier food-service distribution and importation company offering the best and highest-quality products sourced from around the world. Arla Pro is also exclusively sold in S&R Membership Clubs nationwide.

n PROFESSIONAL KITCHENS COLLAB WITH ARLA PRO

ARLA Foods, a global, farmer-owned dairy company with a vision to bring health and inspiration to the world naturally, launches the Arla Pro dairy food-service concept created for the professional kitchen.

Presented recently in an event at Green Sun Hotel to an audience composed of industry partners, foodservice executives and renowned chefs from all over Southeast Asia, Arla Pro is forging meaningful partnerships to create better food and promote better business through its topclass products, personalized service, strong foodservice expertise, innovative support and market insight resources.Ultimately, Arla Pro hopes to come up with innovative products, develop marketing concepts and create new trends in dairy consumption with its partners.

The event also included talks, and cooking and baking demonstrations with top chefs, and food stations from Arla’s partner restaurants Figaro, Amici, Pizza Telefono, Six Doors BBQ Buffet, and Fleur de Lys Patisserie & Café.

Arla Foods’s regional chefs Dan Basilio and Pauline Lagdameo took the stage to demonstrate how to bake desserts such as chocolate tarts and verrines using Arla products. The highlight of the event was the baking demo was done by Taiwanese Chef Chen Yao-shun, champion at the sixth biennial The World of Bread (Mondial du Pain) competition held in France in 2017. Chef Chen, who led the team from Taiwan that bested 18 other teams from around the globe, emphasized that the secrets to good bread are good ingredients.

Anurag Verma, Zomato Philippines head of

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