Businessmirror January 05, 2019

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THE world-famous sunset at Manila Bay, viewed from the Manila Yacht Club. PHUONGPHOTO | DREAMSTIME.COM

Lovely sunset can’t mask Manila Bay’s dirty waters, prompting a crackdown on polluters

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By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo & Roderick Abad

HE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has served notice it will be cracking down on hotels found polluting the Manila Bay, sparking another round of finger-pointing among the thousands of stakeholders that ring the historic body of water boasting one of the world’s most beautiful sunsets.

This developed even as Environment Undersecretary for Attached Agencies Sherwin Rigor said in an interview with the BusinessMirror that about 300,000 families of informal settlers need to be moved out of Metro Manila to help improve the water quality of Manila Bay. The DENR has made it a top priority to rehabilitate Manila Bay beginning this year, on top of its current programs to clean up major tourism destinations, such as Boracay Island, El Nido and Coron in Palawan, Alona Beach in Panglao Island, Baguio City and Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, to name a few.

Rigor said, “We will be checking all hotels and industries along Manila Bay, as well as inspect all malls if they are compliant in their operations of their sewerage treatment plants [STP].” The DENR has recorded the fecal coliform level

in the Bay at 330 million most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters (ml.) The standard and safe level for water quality is 1,000 MPN/100 ml, which is considered SB, or swimming pool quality.

Unfortunately, neither the Department of Tourism (DOT) nor other private tourism organizations have data on the number of hotels along Manila Bay or Roxas Boulevard.

Jose C. Clemente III, president of the Tourism Congress of the Philippines, expressed support for the DENR’s plan to clean up Manila Bay and check on the polluters in the hotel industry.

“Undoubtedly, the DENR’s plan to clean up Manila Bay is admirable and timely. It’s one of the attractions of the capital city and any effort to clean it up is very welcome.

It will be a herculean task, but the private sector supports the effort in whatever ways it can. I am sure

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.6250

A MAN collects recyclable materials from the pile of garbage that was washed ashore on Manila Bay by strong waves brought by Tropical Depression Henry on July 16, 2018. NONIE REYES

that our stakeholders will be behind this and will take proper steps to address any issues, if any, as it pertains to pollution on the bay.”

Rigor stressed that the DENR will also be installing STPs “along the mouths of Manila Bay.” This forms part of the “quick-fix” solutions of the DENR’s rehabilitation

plan, which will cost about P2 billion to P3 billion, he added. The DENR targets a reduction of the coliform level by 5 million MPN/100 ml every month, such that by the end of 2019, the level should have dropped to 200-250 million MPN/100 ml.

Among the largest polluters

of Manila Bay are industrial firms, and those establishments that discharge into the estero that drains into the outfall–the place where a river or sewer drains into the sea— of the Manila Yacht Club. “We have an outfall at the Manila Yacht Club, which has the highest pollution at 1.3 billion MPN/100 ml. Those

that use that estero are Ospital ng Maynila, hotels, the Manila Zoo, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, De La Salle University, among others. We will be checking along that outfall and that sewer line to trace which establishments are the most polluters,” Rigor stressed.

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n JAPAN 0.4896 n UK 66.5022 n HK 6.7204 n CHINA 7.6568 n SINGAPORE 38.5899 n AUSTRALIA 36.8480 n EU 59.9925 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.0311

Source: BSP (January 4, 2019 )

News SAVING MANILA BAY BusinessMirror

A2 Saturday, January 5, 2019

Continued from a1

He noted Duterte was serious in having the Manila Bay cleanup completed within his term, but the DENR official admitted that its full rehabilitation may take up to seven years. By then, it is projected that the necessary environment infrastructure have been put in place, polluters have cleaned up their acts, and informal settlers have been completely relocated.

“We’ll be checking on the shelter plan of all LGUs [local government units]. The President has made it very clear; he wants to have a solution within his term. But the substantial improvements may take three to five years, or up to seven years, depending on the speed of the relocation of the informal settlers, and the shelters that will be built.”

Rigor emphasized the DENR wants the relocation areas to be properly built and with complete facilities. “That will part of the medium- to long-term plan; they will be relocated but it has to be a decent relocation area where they have complete facilities.”

He said the DENR will be filing cases versus barangay officials who have allowed the proliferation of informal settlers, which have contributed to the pollution of Manila Bay as they throw their waste directly into the Pasig River and its other tributaries, as well as esteros that drain into the Bay.

Manila Yacht Club’s mission

THE Manila Yacht Club, for its part, said it is ready to play a role in the planned rehabilitation of Manila Bay, especially in ensuring that both public and private entities with a stake in the bay faithfully abide by the law.

MYC Commo. Robert L. Joseph pointed to various pieces of legislation in place, such as the Clean Water Act, the Solid Waste Management Law, and the Rainwater Catchment Law or Republic Act 6716, among

others, that have been enacted for almost three decades yet are not fully enforced.

According to him, the Philippines has the best set of environmental laws in Asia and among the best in the world. “But unfortunately, they are not being implemented,” he told the BusinessMirror in an interview. “So what I‘ll do is use them.”

The newly installed top official of the country’s premier yacht organization revealed that MYC has set a dialogue with all the stakeholders in Manila Bay to ensure that the wastewater they release there are safe and clean.

Manila Bay has been a catch basin in the metropolis since time immemorial. Effluents coming from the surrounding LGUs, including those from the residential areas, commercial and industrial establishments, are discharged into two big sewage pipes near the MYC and the US Embassy in Manila.

Specifically, the group will talk to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to help the agency compel compliance

by LGUs with environmental laws.

“We will seek the assistance of the COA [Commission on Audit] and the Ombudsman to file charges against those who will not adhere to or implement the laws,” Joseph said. He said they will ask the COA to conduct an “environmental compliance audit.”

Maynilad, Manila Water

A CRUCIAL player that MYC wants to bring into the picture is actually, as some critics have long pointed out, a virtual elephant in the room: the private concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Authority (MWSS). The MYC said it will discuss with Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc. their obligation to process the wastewater they throw into the bay.

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ROXAS Boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, has become a trademark of Philippine tourism, famed for its yacht club, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and parks. AARSTUDIO | DREAMSTIME.COM

“That’s the responsibility for them to have a franchise. To supply water to homes, they have to give water and be responsible for taking out water,” the commodore said of both the water concessionaires’ share of protecting Manila Bay since they have their own treatment plants.

It’s an issue that a former environment secretary recently reminded incumbent Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu about: the Manila Bay cleanup will take decades, unless it addresses head-on the issue of the concessionaires’ obligation to treat wastewater at source, so that what is discharged into the bay is clean.

Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito L. Atienza, guesting at a public forum, noted with dismay the government’s lackadaisical attitude

toward how Maynilad and Manila Water have not been prodded to comply more speedily with the commitments they made when they were granted the concessions.

Atienza recalled that in his time as DENR chief, he had called out the two companies about the need for them to speed up their compliance with the “second part” of their contract, i.e., the sewerage part. He conceded the two firms had greatly expanded water supply in much of their franchise zones, but noted they remained woefully behind in the targets of ensuring a sound sewerage system for a metropolis bursting at the seams.

Just before Christmas, Cimatu said the DENR will find a way to prevent the direct discharge of untreated wastewater into at least four esteros in Metro Manila, all of which lead out to the Board Walk area in Manila Bay, while waiting for the private water concessionaires to fix sewer lines in their respective areas.

“The long-term plan is the presence of the sewer lines all over Metro Manila. This is the mandate given to the concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water. The completion of all this will be in 2037. That is our problem,” he said.

This longer wait appalled Atienza, who noted that the two concessionaires should then justify why they have been including, all this time, in their billings a portion that supposedly covers their obligation to handle the sewerage part.

‘Toka Toka’ advocacy

MANILA Water, the East Zone concessionaire of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, meanwhile recently touted that it has “finally covered the whole province of Rizal through a partnership seal signing” with the governor and mayors of the lone city of Antipolo and 13 towns as well as their respective city and municipal environment and natural resources (C/MENRO) officers. These are Jalajala, Baras, Tanay, Teresa, Cardona, Angono, Binangonan, Cainta, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Taytay, Morong and Pililia.

Manila Water said in a statements its President and CEO Ferdinand Dela Cruz had shared with Governor Rebecca “Nini” Ynares and the Rizal town mayors the significance of the “Toka Toka” advocacy, which it describes as the first and only environmental movement in the Philippines on used water management as a vital contributor in reviving rivers and waterways.

Dela Cruz gave assurances that Manila Water is “focused on its development plans until the end of concession agreement in 2037” and cited MWSS for approving its business and service improvement plan. This includes programs to further improve water, used water and sanitation services not only in

eastern Metro Manila but also for Rizal Province.

Manila Water will complete six more sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Rizal province with total capacity of 300 million liters per day (MLD) to start with the construction of the 16-MLD capacity Hinulugang Taktak STP. The “Toka Toka” movement, which was started in 2012, aims to drive everyone to do his share or “toka” to protect the environment which can translate into any of the four ownable acts: (i) segregating and disposing of waste properly, (ii) availing of Manila Water’s desludging service every five years, (iii) connecting to Manila Water’s sewer line and (iv) educating the community through various information drives.

Manila Water as MWSS’s private concessionaire for the east zone serves more than 6.8 million residents in the eastern portion of Metro Manila and the province of Rizal.

Declining water quality

MEANWHILE, the DENR and DOT have served notice they will continue the rehabilitation through other routes—but time is fast running out, Atienza pointed out, and unless the wastewater treatment work is fast-tracked, damage to the bay continues.

Various studies reveal the diminishing quality of water in Manila Bay, including that of the DENR, which reveals the presence of waterborne bacteria.

The Manila City Health Department, on the other hand, found out higher-than-normal levels of fecal pollution that could come from animal or human bodily waste.

Other coliform organisms and potential toxins from ship oil and gas, likewise, add to the contamination.

All these make the bay water unfit for humans, as it can cause various diseases and, at the same time, contribute to its filth.

Commodore Joseph attributed to dirty seawaters and floating waste to the dwindling water activities, like boating, along Manila Bay. “Sailing has not been so good in Manila,” he said. “Why is it that people don’t want to sail here? It’s because of the polluted water.”

The top official of MYC shared that they will continue to hold sailing events not only to attract more tourists, but also to provide employment opportunities.

“My plan is to get 10 poor people and teach them how to sail. And then when they know how to sail they can work in sailboats. With their experience, they will be also hired abroad,” Joseph said. “We’re the MYC. We started sailing [in the country]. So we can get them trained here.”

Established in 1927, MYC is a members-only yacht club based in the country’s capital. One of the oldest of its kind in Asia, it has

around 200 active members and over 100 life members.

Taking up the challenge

RECENTLY, Cimatu trumpeted his determination to “accept the challenge to rehabilitate Manila Bay. If nobody else will do it, who will do it? I am optimistic that it can be done. I hope that all of us join in this endeavor that will save Manila Bay.” The short-term target, he said, is to improve the quality of water by reducing the coliform level in Manila Bay by the end of 2019.

The long-term target, he said, is to make the water of Manila Bay safe for bathing and swimming.

Using the regular budget of the DENR for the implementation of the Clean Water Act, the DENR will work on targeted esteros, including the Pasig River, to bring down the coliform level in areas in Manila Bay, particularly along Bay Walk, to 100 MPN/100 ml, the level safe for swimming.

Water in some portions of Manila Bay, particularly fronting the Board Walk, reaches up to 333 million MPN/100 ml.

“Unless we can accelerate this one… we need to start really. We should shorten this as much as possible. We should do something. The problem is coming from esteros in Metro Manila. The condition of the esteros, if I will describe it, [is that] we have two billionaire esteros,” he said, referring to the coliform level of the water, which reaches the billions level.

Acknowledging that the task at hand is huge, Cimatu said the DENR will be counting on the support of all stakeholders—particularly local chief executives and the private sector.

He said the DENR, this early, has received offers from industries to help out.

“I was asked, and I am even grateful for the offer of assistance from heads of industries to help us in this. There were offers and suggestions, including the use of resources,” said Cimatu.

On January 15, the DENR will make a comprehensive presentation of the problem to stakeholders, and solicit probable solutions and hopefully receive the offers of assistance, he said.

Meanwhile, Cimatu asked the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to come up with a map of all esteros in Metro Manila to identify the problem esteros.

“If we will be able to contain this pollution, we can reduce the reading…just like what happened in Boracay. Those coming out in Bulabog Beach, we were able to prevent it and reduce the coliform level,” he explained.

With reports by Lourdes M. Fernandez and Jonathan L. Mayuga

www.businessmirror.com.ph

The World

Apple plunges most in almost six years on iPhone slump

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PPLE Inc. plunged to its lowest price in a year-and-ahalf after the company cut its revenue outlook for the first time in almost two decades, citing weaker demand in China.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said sales will be about $84 billion in the quarter ended December 29, down from earlier estimates of $89 billion to $93 billion. Apple posted sales of $88.3 billion in the fiscal first quarter a year earlier, so the new forecast would mean Apple is reporting a holiday quarter slowdown for the first time since Cook became chief executive officer in 2011.

Apple shares fell 10 percent to $142.19, the biggest drop in almost six years, in New York on Thursday.

The revenue revision, which came late Wednesday, led markets lower around the world and also triggered a slump for Asian suppliers and a wave of lower price targets from Wall Street.

The announcement, made in a letter from Cook to investors, comes after weeks of signals from inside Apple and its supply chain indicating the Cupertino, California-based company is struggling to sell the latest iPhones released in September.

The flagship product earns Apple about two-thirds of its revenue, and allows the company to generate more money from attached products like Apple Watches, AirPods, and services like Apple Music.

“While we anticipated some challenges in key emerging markets, we did not foresee the magnitude of the economic deceleration, particularly in Greater China,” Cook wrote.

Greater China, a region that includes the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, accounted for most of the revenue shortfall, but iPhone upgrades also weren’t as strong as the company anticipated in some developed markets, Cook said.

Several key Apple suppliers overseas had cut their revenue estimates during the past few months, suggesting something was amiss. In November, the company said it would stop reporting unit sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs beginning in fiscal 2019. That sparked concern Apple wanted to avoid disclosing weak growth numbers. Apple’s stock had fallen 32 percent from an October peak to its close of $157.92 on Wednesday, amid growing concerns about the iPhone.

In December, Bloomberg News reported the company was facing a “fire drill” to boost iPhone sales.

That led Apple to aggressively market the iPhone XR on its web site for $449, about $300 less than its official sticker price. The deal required customers to trade in an iPhone 7 Plus, a high-end handset from two years earlier.

Still, the market seemed to be caught off guard.

“We were surprised about the magnitude of the miss and the negative impact of China demand for iPhones,” wrote Citigroup Global Markets Inc. analyst Jim Suva.

At least six Wall Street firms, including BTIG and RBC, lowered their share price forecasts by more than 15 percent after Cook’s letter.

Cook said the new iPhone models were released earlier than the flagship iPhone X last year, which created a difficult

year-over-year comparison. The iPhone X launched in November 2017, while the iPhone XS and XS Max were released in September.

Cook also noted supply constraints to new models of the Apple Watch, iPad Pro and AirPods.

“IPhone upgrades also were not as strong as we thought they would be,” he said, meaning the sales of new models to current customers replacing their old phones.

The CEO attributed much of the company’s “shortfall” in its outlook to struggles in China that he pinned on the economy and “rising trade tensions” with the US. “As the climate of mounting uncertainty weighed on financial markets, the effects appeared to reach consumers as well, with traffic to our retail stores and our channel partners in China declining as the quarter progressed,” Cook said.

Apple isn’t the only company facing difficulties in a slowing Chinese economy and escalating trade tensions. FedEx Corp., Starbucks Corp., Tiffany & Co. and Daimler AG are also finding it harder to sell their wares in the world’s second-largest economy. There are likely many others, too, that will be forced to announce lower-thanexpected earnings, according to the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.

“It’s not going to be just Apple,” CEA Chairman Kevin Hassett said in an interview on CNN. “There are a heck of a lot of US companies that have sales in China that are going to be watching their earnings being downgraded next year until we get a deal with China.”

The timing of Apple’s announcement blaming its shortcomings partly on President Donald Trump’s trade war with China may increase pressure on American officials to ease the tensions quickly. Mid-level officials from the Trump administration are scheduled to travel to Beijing for talks early next week.

W hile iPhone revenue accounted for the forecast cut, Apple’s other product categories, including the iPad and ser v ices, grew a combined 19 percent year-over-year, he said. Ser v ices generated $10.8 billion in revenue for the quarter—a 27-percent increase from a year earlier.

Apple’s decision to cut its sales outlook, “isn’t a huge shock at this point,” said Shannon Cross of Cross Research. “It will be interesting to see how Apple shares react if there’s a China trade agreement.”

Bloomberg News

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PIDS report: PHL MSMEs fare better when exporting to non-Asean countries

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HILIPPINE micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) exhibit better survival rates when they export to non-Asean countries than to Asean membernations, a recent study published by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said.

Authors and PIDS consultants Dr. George Manzano and Mark Edison Bautista, in their study titled “Duration of Export Relationships of Philippine MSMEs,” mapped the “survival rate or duration of continuous exports” of products from Philippine MSMEs to selected member-countries in the Asean, countries that have existing free-trade agreements with the Philippines (such as Australia, New Zealand and India), and East Asian nations like China, Japan and South Korea. The researchers used three periods (first year, fourth year and twelfth year) to analyze the results of their study.

Results showed the survival rate of export products traded to Austra-

lia is high at 86 percent after year one, followed by Japan with 78 percent. This is in contrast with Philippine exports to Lao PDR, which had the lowest survival rate at 38 percent after the initial year.

The study also found a large number of trade partnerships failed during the first four years of export relations. But beyond these periods, the incidence of failure became less prevalent. An example cited by the authors are the exports of Philippine MSMEs to Vietnam, which reached a survival rate of 58 percent after one year, but declined to only 38 percent after four years.

In terms of long-term survival rate, the authors noted, “Singa-

B.O.C. TWEAKS ACCREDITATION RULES FOR IMPORTERS, CUSTOMS BROKERS

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HE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued an order that further revises and provides more details to accreditation guidelines for importers and customs brokers.

Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 282018, signed on December 10 by Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, states that all new applications for accreditation filed by importers and customs brokers must now be submitted by the Account Management Office (AMO), duly concurred with by the deputy commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG), to the customs commissioner for approval or disapproval.

These applications pertain to the renewal, reapplication, reinstatement, suspension, revocation or cancellation of accreditation, as well as to the activation of the Client Profile Registration System (CPRS) of entities accredited by other government agencies.

AMO is the office in the BOC tasked to process importers’ accreditation and customs brokers’ registration.

CMO 28-2018 was issued in relation to CMOs 23-2018 and 24-2018. CMO 23-2018, dated November 26, orders AMO to seek OCOM approval on the renewal, registration, reapplication, reinstatement, suspension [with lifting of suspension], and revocation or cancellation of accreditation.

CMO 24-2018 was signed on November 27

and places AMO under the direct control and supervision of the IG deputy commissioner.

Under CMO 28-2018, the AMO chief shall prepare a disposition, with the concurrence of the IG deputy commissioner, on all recommendations to activate accreditation or lift accreditation suspension as well as to activate CPRS/tax identification number, subject to approval of the customs commissioner. The final order on the matter shall be endorsed to the AMO for immediate implementation.

All applications will be processed within seven working days of receipt of application with complete documentary requirements, pursuant to Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

CMO 28-2018 repeals or amends any orders, rules or regulations inconsistent with it.

OCOM approval on accreditation matters was also required by other former customs commissioners in a bid to eradicate consignees-for-hire and fly-by-night importers and customs brokers.

Prior to CMO 23-2018, former Customs Commissioner Isidro S. Lapeña issued last January CMO 02-2018, which required approval or disapproval by the customs commissioner—based on the recommendation of the AMO chief—of the application for accreditation of importers and customs brokers. www.portcalls.com

pore achieved the highest with 47 percent after 15 years of trade relations, followed by Japan with 45 percent. Over time, export products to Cambodia and Laos had the lowest survival rate with 16 percent and 13 percent, respectively.”

For longtime trading partners of the Philippines like Japan, Thailand and Malaysia, the survival rate was observed to be higher, with rates reaching up to 60 percent or higher.

However, the study revealed that in new markets such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, the export products of Philippine MSMEs had low survival rates, averaging 41 percent after year one. This implied that local firms are still struggling with looking for appropriate partners and adapting to the market of new partner-countries. The long-term survival rates of Philippine export products to these countries were likewise low at only 16 percent.

To create an enabling environment conducive to MSME development in the Philippines and enhance greater participation of MSMEs in the global market, the authors urged the government to focus on increasing the capability of firms in order to reach larger orders, either through financing or through consolidation with other similar firms

that have successfully complied with the product standards required by foreign buyers.

They also said that improvement in export survivability of MSMEs is a good indicator of the effectiveness of government programs and policies, which are aimed at facilitating greater and sustainable participation of Philippine MSMEs in the global markets.

The development of MSMEs has been articulated in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 20172022, as these enterprises play a significant role in economic development. MSMEs comprise 99.5 percent of existing firms in the Philippines and employ 62 percent of the country’s work force.

In particular, the PDP supports linkages between MSMEs and large corporations to facilitate increased participation of the former in global value chains. It also aims to establish feasible domestic economic zones for MSMEs; streamline and simplify loan processes for MSMEs, cooperatives, and overseas Filipinos workers; provide financial literacy training for MSMEs, cooperatives, and OFWs and their families; implement the MSME Development Plan; and assess MSME-related laws, among others. www.portcalls.com

Editor: Efleda P. Campos

PHL to implement EU registration system for domestic exporters

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FFECTIVE on January 1, the Philippines began implementing a European Union registration system authorizing exporters to issue self-certification for eligible goods to avail themselves of preferential tariffs under the EU’s Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).

Gina German, Customs operations officer at the Bureau of Customs (BOC), said the bureau is now processing applications for the EU’s registered exporter (REX) system number of the registered exporters.

“You make a statement of origin declaration and then send it to your buyer for the availment of preferential rates. So this is also called a self-certification system wherein, as exporter, you have the ability to know the origin of your goods,” she told exporters.

German said exporters have to apply for evaluation for manufactured products.

“Then, we submit the list of materials, production process, cost structure. [These are the] requirements for your product to be evaluated.

After that, the BOC conducts the pre-export verification. Now, after all those application for the evaluation, we release an evaluation report for your product. This is only for the manufactured one,” she explained.

German further said exporters with consignment value amounting

to €6,000 and below can declare a statement of origin.

“And you have to sign it. Just leave the registration exporter number blank,” she said.

For consignment of more than €6,000, German said the BOC can still issue the Certificate of Origin Form A, or the GSP Form A, from January 1, until December 31, as this will be implemented in parallel with the REX registration system.

“Once you are a registered exporter, you cannot use a Certificate of Origin Form A. So no Form As will be processed even though you applied in our ports or the port is able to issue you a Form A. This Form A will not be accepted to the importing country because you are already registered exporter,” she said.

“Now, if the Philippines will be given another six months extension if we can explain to them that we were not able to register all the exporters, although the BOC is working so that all exporters will be registered

by December 31, 2019, from this period from January 1, 2019, no more Form A will be issued to exporter,” she added.

The self-certification will gradually phase out the use of old GSP Certificate of Origin Form A. The Philippines is one of the beneficiary countries of the EU GSP+ that grants zero tariffs to 6,274 product lines. Philexport News and Features

Furniture makers eye high-end niche markets overseas

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OCAL furniture manufacturers aim to penetrate high-end niche markets overseas to boost export revenues, while tapping the strong domestic market.

“We will be looking into the developments of Russia, Qatar.

Very recently, we have a mission to Qatar. But of course, Dubai will always be a market for villas, and we are having some projects in

Saudi [Arabia],” said Myrna Bituin, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. trustee for the furniture sector.

She hoped exporters will “band together” to supply, particularly indoor and outdoor furniture, to these high-end markets abroad.

On home decors, Bituin said the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines is actively working with the local companies which

can possibly supply the United States market.

In the industry road map, furniture manufacturers expect the US market will continue to grow in the next five years.

“That’s why our strategy is to niche,” she said. “We are also hopeful on Russia. It’s very surprising, I was also shipping to Latvia.”

As they tap into high-end export markets, Bituin said some

exporters are actively supplying a growing number of hotels in the country.

“Ten or 12 years ago, we as an industry joined in marketing to the local hotels and developments in the Philippines. We are quite successful in condominium [projects]. And today, a lot of hotels are refurbishing. We are going to look into this,” she added.

Philexport News and Features

Demand strong for organic beverages in Canada

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EMAND for organic beverages, particularly coffee and tea, is rising in Canada as more consumers have become more focused on their health.

The Euromonitor Digest, released by the Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau, cited consumer surveys indicating that organic products are increasingly becoming an integral part of daily life for many Canadians.

“While consumer base for or-

ganic food and beverages is expanding, their spending on organic products is also increasing according to trade sources, which is particularly the case for younger consumers, including millennials who are gaining purchasing power,” it said.

The report noted that all organic beverages categories experienced strong growth in health and wellness beverages in Canada in 2017, apart from organic concentrates, which outperformed

the rest of organic beverages although it declined.

“Organic coffee leads followed by organic tea supported by new product launches and premiumization trend. Organic tea also benefited from its presence in mainstream grocery stores with the major conventional tea players embracing the trend,” it said.

The report further said the growing popularity of organic products and organic certifications gradually spread to segments previously

unaffected due to the need to cater to consumers who are “very health conscious and need assurance.”

It cited as an example bottledwater brands, including blk. and TRACE, which have organic certifications in addition to other claims such as certified Kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO. This,despitetheseproductsbeing naturally gluten-free and non-GMO unless contaminated during manufacturing or bottling processes.

Philexport News and Features

Sports BusinessMirror

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

SAUDI ARABIAN women sit in the stands ahead of the Group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia, which opens the 2018 World Cup at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow last year. AP

Saturday, January 5, 2019

A5 JAMES HARDEN, seen here being guarded by the Warriors’ Kevin Durant, rallies the Rockets in overtime past the defending champions. AP

A6 Saturday, January 5, 2019 | Editor: Mike Besa

VILLAMOR MAKES B W

Story & photos

by Mike Besa

HEN we last visited the Villamor Air Base Golf Club, we were impressed by both the condition of the golf course and the plans of the general manager of the club, Maj. Gen. Guillermo “Gems” Molina (ret). A dynamic go-getter, Molina examined Villamor’s operations and together with then-Commanding General of the Air Force, Lt. Gen. Galileo Kinatanar Jr. decided to restructure the club’s operations for increased efficiency and profitability, and assert its status as a Morale, Welfare and Recreation Center for the Philippine Air Force.

The changes centered on innovation, growth and improvement.

The biggest change was that to the playing membership. The term “member” is no longer used at Villamor to describe the patrons that have paid for playing privileges at the club. The term used today is “Playing Privilege Holder.”

The change caused an uproar with members, most of them under the impression that their membership rights would be taken away. But General Molina moved to assure them that the Air Force would respect the rights of those that had patronized the club in the preceding years, even taking time to speak with all that were uncertain of the club’s direction and the Air Force’s motives.

General Molina did away with the members’ monthly dues, instituting a “pay as you play” system where members pay green fees that reduce the more the members play and bottom out after the fifth game. In his words, “the VAB Golf Management, as directed by the VAB Golf Council last December 27, 2018, teed off with our most important drive yet—our launching of the 5-4-3-2-1-0 Privilege Arrangement, based on a ‘pay as you play’ principle and grooved to work to the advantage of any local non-military PPH and members of the Ladies Chapter according to the frequency of their games. Coupled with that, the Council has suspended the monthly dues of all local non-military PPH and members of the Ladies Chapter in order to free them from the burden of seeking leaves or paying for unused privileges due to injury or inevitable long absences and, at the same time, ensure the right-framing of the issue of playing privilege in a military golf course.”

The 5-4-3-2-1-0 Privilege Arrangement asks that a privilege holder pay a sliding scale green fee, which decreases with the PPH’s play per month, bottoming out with his sixth round of the month. The fees start at P1,070 and level off at P570. The financial impact on the playing privilege holders has been minimal and solves the issue of members taking leaves of absence from their obligations of their monthly dues due to health or work-related matters.

This year, the Air Force received VABGC’s Transfer Certificate of Title and re-established VABGC primarily as a Morale, Wellness and Recreation facility of the PAF, as well as of the entire AFP, as Metro Manila South Sector’s disaster evacuation area.

The Air Force started a number of key projects, such as the construction of an Airmen’s Condominium on a part of the fairways; the conversion of a garbage dump into an orchidarium and the widening of the canal along fairway 11 as a flood-control measure.

The club also secured Resort World’s commitment to discontinue its discharge and rechannel all of its wastewater away from the golf course. The tee mound of Number 11 will be reconfigured, and a new

tee house will be built there. The reconstruction of the old tee house nr 3, formerly occupied by a Korean restaurant, will be converted into the VABGC administrative building. The club also purchased 30 additional golf carts and acquired a number of critical pieces of equipment. Security CCTV cameras were installed at key points of the clubhouse, the Clubhouse, entry/exit points and parking areas, and operationalization of a control room.

An extensive wireless connectivity (wi-Fi) system was installed for the benefit of all customers starting with Globe’s construction of its cellular tower. LED lights were installed in the Driving Range, fairways and greens and PAF’s huge identity signage at the main gate. Other facilities were likewise upgraded—the Social Hall, Ballroom and Greenside Dining, function rooms for special purposes were all spruced up.

The facilities weren’t the only things the club upgraded. VAGC personnel were subjected to days of conscientious reassessments and painstaking efforts to institute sorely needed reforms, which impacted the club’s operations. The goal was to turn the club into a vision-led, values-guided and mission-driven organization. The measures included the Air Force’s more pronounced presence inside VABGC, enforcement of military rules and regulations, shift to the use of armored cars for revenue collections, admin, finance and procurement process reengineering, accounting transparency, guided ethical redevelopment of our rank and file, inculcation of the PAF InSTEP core values of integrity, service above self, teamwork, excellence and professionalism; and, out there in the fairways, renewed sense of honor.

Further, seeing the need to keep the base of players refreshed with new talents, the Council has decided to open VABGC’s doors to the entry of

Limited Annual Playing Privilege (LAP) Holders who may avail themselves of the same Privilege Arrangement, in consideration of a one-year privilege fee.

General Molina promises to pursue efforts to complete all projects, sustain reforms in the system, improve the club’s culture, and implement high-impact projects—the establishment of the Caddie Academy, launching of the Goal-in-the-Hole Initiative, development of the VABGC disaster readiness infrastructure, conduct of a Big Drive Challenge, and host the Philippine Masters yet again.

General Molina closes by saying that, “Under the decisive leadership and guidance of our new Commanding General, Philippine Air Force, and PAF Golf Council Chair, Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez, and our current VABG Chair, MGen Jose Tanjuan, Jr., we are confident of meeting our targets and thus expect to reap still higher dividends for the long-term benefit and satisfaction of our Playing Privilege Holders. But as in years past, we shall be needing your sustained patronage, support and cooperation to make VABGC greener, stronger and better than ever.”

When implementing changes that carry such broad impact, there is bound to be some confusion. General Molina has placed himself at the disposal of all, personally meeting with all playing privilege holders that are confused about issues that concern them. It’s been a busy year for Molina; making the changes he deems fit, upgrading the quality of the facilities and services, reassuring playing privilege holders that their rights will be respected and seeing to the care and feeding of the golf course.

The process has just started and things at the club are still a bit murky.

But time and the proper attitudes should iron all these things out. We hope and pray that things work out to the mutual benefit of everyone concerned.

VILLAMOR made big changes in 2018.

THE finishing hole at Villamor Air Base Golf Club.

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LITTLE over six months ago, this column ran two articles detailing the troubles that the Orchard Golf and Country Club had experienced, including the deterioration of the condition of both golf courses, the firing of the entire management team and the conflicts and legal action taken

by Orchard President Conrad Benitez against a number of members for comments made on social media.

A copy of a letter by Philip Go, a member of the Orchard, asking the board to take action against what he calls Mr. Benitez’s “incompetent decision-making.” In the interest of transparency, we are running Mr. Go’s letter in its entirety for the information of all.

FRANCIS ANDRE LANUZA and Burbery Zhang both did their country proud.

MASAICHI OTAKE ruled the boys’ 15-18 division.

Filipino junior golfers win at Kids World Golf Championships

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By Atty. Bobbet Bruce

WO Filipino junior golfers emerged victorious at the end of the Kids World Golf Championship 2018 Malaysia held from December 17 to 21, 2018, at the Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort in Johor, Malaysia.

Masaichi Otake and Burbery Zhang went home as champions in the boys’ 15-18 and girls’ 13-14 divisions, respectively. The Fil-Japanese Otake submitted a three-day total of 228 (78-75-75) to prevail by three strokes over his nearest rival. The Grade 10 De La Salle Zobel student trailed by one stroke going to the last day but proved steadier by submitting the best score on the last day of play to run away with the victory.

Zhang, a 14-year-old Grade 8 student from Brent, on the other hand, dominated her division with a three-day total of 237 (73-82-82) to register a very impressive wire-to-wire win.

Francis Andre Lanuza, a De La Salle Zobel Grade 9 student, submitted a three-day total of 228 (79-7376) for fourth place in the boys’ 13-14 division, Gabie Rosca turned in 248 (84-87-77) for fourth in girls’ 11 division; and Bhuvas Nagpal booked a 244 (82-84-

78) also for fourth in boys’ 11 division to complete all podium finishers for the 32-man Philippine contingent.

The top-2 finishers in each division get an automatic slot to the 2019 USKG World and Teen World Championship to be held in Pinehurst, North Carolina, in July 2019.

Other Filipino bets who played were Rald Arthur Sarmiento, Joaquin Andres Gomez and Jermaine Melosantos in boys’ 15-18; Gwynn Torres in girls’ 15-18; Annika Chua in girls’ 13-14; Miguel Sebastian Roque, Santino Diokno, Jose Leonid Rico, Tyler Zamuco, Joaquin Estepa and Emmanuel Escalada in boys’ 13-14; Vince Tiamsic and Andrew Chua in boys’ 12; Jamie Camero in Girls 12; Alexa Tan in girls’ 11; Patrick Tambalque in boys’ 10; Andie Arbatin, Celine Abalos and Reese Ng in girls’ 10; Armand Copok in boys’ 9; Aenzo Suliak, Geoffrey Tan and Scott Ng in boys’ 8; Cassy Arbatin, Nicole Gan and Angelie Chua in girls’ 8; and Jacob Gomez in boys’ 7 under.

The annual participation of the country’s junior golfers to this event is through the coordination and efforts of The Junior Golfers League and its president and founder, Ms. Chona de la Paz.

To the Board, The Orchard Golf and Country Club was once a very prestigious golf course in the country. We were recognized even at an international level, being chosen twice as a venue for the famed Johnny Walker Tournament. But after more than 20 years under Mr. Conrad Benitez, our golf course has deteriorated. This was confirmed in the report of professional golf course superintendent Mr. Jim Prusa, who was tasked to assess the course by Mr. Benitez. He reported the following: n Deterioration of the green’s root zones, stalling the recovery of the greens. n The use of monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA), a toxic herbicide banned in the US and other countries n Systemic failure and the neglect of maintenance and proper maintenance procedures n Neglect and mismanagement in various key areas, including equipment, machinery, and repair facility maintenance, as well as irrigation pump maintenance n Removal of safety devices without replacement, compromising course maintenance, as well as safety n Destroyed sprinkler system, with some sprinklers being cannibalized for parts while others are simply inoperable n Broken irrigation pumps, with only two out of six pumps working and one of them close to catastrophic failure Instead of accepting responsibility himself, Mr. Benitez blamed several of his subordinates, including the general manager (GM), operations managers, and even maintenance staff, and eventually dismissed all of them. Following this, he abruptly hired a new GM. We were not told what precautions were used in hiring the new GM, especially following the accusations of Mr. Benitez towards the dismissed staff. There were no newsletters circulated introducing the new GM, his qualifications, or his agenda, and there was no open

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, January 5, 2019 A7

BIG MOVES THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ‘BRUSH & LOOK’ WHEN PLAYING CHIP SHOTS

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A YEAR OF DISCONTENT AT THE ORCHARD communication between the GM and members. Now, after just eight months, another GM has been appointed to take his place, one who for the past few years has been working as a finance manager for Orchard. His former position does not give him any experience running a golf course, and due to this, a new assistant GM had to be hired to support him. This trial-and-error method to running our golf course is being done at the expense of the Orchard member base. What happened to the salary paid to the manager who only stayed for a few months, while accomplishing almost nothing? What amount was wasted this way? Who will now run the Finance department? What happens if we have to replace our current GM yet again in just a few months?

The members should not bear the cost of our President’s incompetent decision-making. After over 20 years of experience, he is still making the same mistakes. In other Philippine golf courses, there is a circular every month which updates their members on the latest developments in the course, and how much they cost. They implement measures to lower membership dues while still operating better than us. In over 20 years of managing Orchard, we have not seen the President, the GM, or any of the managers operate with this level of professionalism or transparency. Worse, they never respond to any of our letters. Now, Mr. Benitez is calling for an increase in our membership dues of P500 in 2019 and an additional P500 in 2020, all without showing us the

proposed budget that led to this increase. We do not even know if he looked into cutting unnecessary costs to fix the budget deficit before considering raising the dues.

Taking all of these factors into account, we do not understand why the Board insists on retaining Mr. Benitez as the President of Orchard. The members have lost confidence in him given his inability to fix the course’s problems and accept command responsibility.

In short, we cannot see a future for Orchard under the leadership of Mr. Benitez, and we believe it is time to appoint someone capable to leading this club forward in the right direction. Mike Besa Sgd—Philip Go

By Matthew Masters

N my recent article “The 2 Vital Magic Tricks” discussing putting, I explained that there are many varied styles that will “get the ball in the hole”. However, with the addition of the two disciplines (the 2 vital magic tricks) into your current method of preparing and playing a putt, you would improve your chances of reducing the number of putts you take in a round.

I would like to share with you now a discipline that I use on every chip shot that I play; from practicing my chipping right through to tournament play. I call it the “BRUSH & LOOK” and I would never dream of playing a chip until I had carried out a shot routine that had incorporated brushing and looking.

I believe that once you understand why the BRUSH & LOOK is so important in the lead up to a chip you will be able to play shots; with more commitment, enjoyment, flow and, most important, less thinking.

I hope that you will create a routine that works best for you that includes many of the ingredients explained below. Then you will improve this area of your game dramatically by being able to play the chip shot in a more trusting subconscious state. This will help you to avoid too much conscious thinking while playing and taking too much control in your downswing, which causes the duffs and thins that we all know can happen!

Once I have selected my club of choice for the shot, I will stand a couple of paces behind the ball on an imaginary straight line back from my target that stretches through my ball to where I am standing, many people refer to this as the Ball to Target Line. By standing here I am signaling to myself that everything I do from now onward is contributing greatly to the quality of the shot in hand.

While standing on this imaginary line, I start evaluating and visualizing the shot that I want to play. I will identify the direction the ball needs to be sent on, accounting for any undulations between my ball and the flag that I have identified. Then I focus on my landing area.

At this point I walk forward toward where I think I need to be landing my ball to get a feel for this location, and to commit to a specific place to attempt to land my ball. I do not want to place any pressure on myself by making my landing area too small. I normally visualize a small hula hoop that if I were to land anywhere within it, I would gain good accuracy and length to my chip.

However, if I did happen to land right in the middle of it, it could be the jackpot! (It staggers me how many people I coach on a daily basis do not even factor a landing area into their preparation for a chip. So, if you are currently not doing this, I believe you should start now!)

I now walk back to the ball and now.... YES! You have probably guessed it; it is the time for the BRUSH & LOOK. I start doing some practice swings and if possible, in the same lie conditions as where my ball is. This will help me to feel what the impact on the ground should be like on the actual shot.

I will make as realistic a practice swing as possible with a confident brush of the ground that feels so real that there could have almost been a ball struck. During these 2, 3 or 4 brushes I want to work out the required backswing length that will allow me to commit to my brush impact without over hitting the shot. Hopefully I can quickly build the feel that this realistic practice for

playing chip shots will send my ball into the imaginary hula hoop.

When I carry out a brush, I want to notice that I see and feel the ground being impacted upon (Freddie Couples refers to this in his long game as “Looking for your divots”). This means I am training my eyes to wait and watch the all-important impact take place.

Once I am sure that an imaginary ball would have been sent on its way to the target, I then turn my head to look and track the progress of the ball. (Don’t worry, I haven’t gone mad, I am just trying to use my imagination to visualize where the chip is heading and then question myself. Did it land in the hula hoop? Would it have then run up nicely to the hole?)

PLAYING CHIP SHOTS WITH EASE

THERE it is! The BRUSH & LOOK has now been carried out, so without further ado, I shuffle in and get my club behind the ball and settle myself ready to play the real ball.

I’m sure that for some of you just reading this is enough to send you into panic mode, filling you with dread that you now need to have a go at the actual ball. There really is no need to worry because your practice brushes were so realistic that you have worked out the swing you need in a much more subconscious way. Your looking helped you visualize what the ball will do. You should now have a lot more trust, confidence and commitment to get in there and enjoy playing chip shots with a lot less thinking and a lot more feeling.

When I begin my shot, I will have released the shackles of overthinking and be feeling more relaxed, which will help my grip pressure to be loose. I will be feeling less tense, since I am not stepping into the unknown. I have played this shot virtually already several times in my preparation; this will assist my breathing pattern to be more normal, as there is no need for anxiety. I definitely have a single thought to focus on, as I do believe I need something to consciously achieve in the shot. For example, “look at the impact” would often be my focus and then trust to let the feel of the preparation take over and do the rest.

Many golfers of all levels simply do not realize the importance of “realistic” practice swings in preparing for short game shots. Often, I see people doing practice swings for chipping that at best barely skim the grass and often are done through the air at a completely different swing length and pace to what they are about to attempt at the ball.

In effect, you are playing chip shots without any real help or guidance, similar to going off on a mountain hike without checking the weather forecast, without adequate provisions and without a map!!

I really do hope that incorporating the BRUSH & LOOK into your chipping will have a positive effect on your golf. n Matthew Masters has been a PGA professional for 20 years and is based at Porters Park Golf Club, Hertfordshire, England. As Hertfordshire Under 14’s County Squad Coach and a Lead Academy Coach responsible he is for the development of a program to create learning, improvement and enjoyment for 36 promising youngsters within the Herts Golf Partnership. He is a Certified Master Mind Factor Coach, a qualification he gained through his work with Europe’s Leading Mind Coach Karl Morris.

OurTime

A8 Saturday, January 5, 2019 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

BusinessMirror

The ‘lechon’ master of Santiago City, Isabela

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Story by Suzanne June G. Perante Photo by Ceasar M. Perante

79, supplied live hogs to Mang Tomas Lechon in La Loma, Quezon City.

Confieso saw the potential of putting up his own LECHON business.

In 1961, even before he migrated to Santiago City with his family, he was already roasting pigs in Tondo, Manila, where he also served as a barrio captain for 12 years.

Initially in Santiago City, he shared his knowledge in the lechon business to three people from Barangays Victory Norte and Rosario who eventually put up their own lechon business.

“The knowledge I shared with you can never be stolen,” Confieso told them in Filipino.

But as the original roast master of Santiago City, Mang Roger remains the favorite as the majority of the people still order lechon from his barn in Barangay Patul.

When asked what makes his lechon popular and the most soughtafter, he claims that he maintains the classic taste and quality of his lechon products by using only native hogs.

His barn also offers chopped lechon by the kilo as preferred by costumers depending on what part they select. This retail method of selling gives those who cannot afford nor

consume a whole lechon the chance to taste his product.

During the holidays like Christmas and New Year, the number of heads for roasting range from 30 to 40 hogs a day.

He started the only lechon barn in Patul Village. Today, his children have also put up their own lechon barns.

Confieso claims that what he

started as a solo experimental lechon enterprise grew today and turned his village into a commercial center.

He now proudly works hand in hand with his children and grandchildren who put up a place for all occasions dubbed as the Venue that also serves as a catering hub to clients.

As a roast master, Mang Roger has become a lechon icon in Santiago City.

California woman pleads in elderly man’s brick beating

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OS ANGELES—A 30-year-old woman has pleaded no contest in the beating of a 92-year-old man that was captured on video and shared widely on social media.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office says Laquisha Jones pleaded no contest to elder abuse on Thursday. She faces up to 15 years in prison at her sentencing on February 28.

Rodolfo Rodriguez was repeatedly beaten in the face with a brick on July 4 while taking a walk in the unincorporated Willowbrook area.

A witness recorded video of Rodriguez as he sat dazed, his face bloodied. The witness, Misbel Borjas, also took a photo of a woman with a brick in her hand.

Borjas said Jones yelled at him: “Go back to your country.”

The case wasn’t prosecuted as a hate crime. AP

Toyota wants to put a robot in every home

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HE year 2019 celebrates the Year of the Earth Pig. Feng Shui experts say that pork delicacies bring good luck. Lechon, or roasted whole pork, is one delicacy prepared in almost all special occasions in the country.

Traditionally, a whole pig is skewered with a fresh bamboo rod and roasted until the skin becomes red and crunchy. Today, it is roasted using a metal pipe since it could be recycled and designed to resist heat on a commercial scale.

History has it that the original roasted whole pig, which was eventually called lechon, was first introduced into the Philippines by the Spanish colonizers. Since then, it has been a part of Filipino culture and tradition. It became a symbol of prosperity among Filipinos that special gatherings like birthdays, baptisms, weddings, anniversaries, Christmas and New Year celebrations would not be complete without the crunchy lechon.

In Santiago City, the lechon enterprise started in the year 1977, when Roger Paraiso Confieso, now

www.businessmirror.com.ph

FRESH LETTUCE An elderly woman walks the streets of Baguio’s Session Road to sell the fresh lettuce she harvested from her farm.

LAILA AUSTRIA

OYOTA Motor Corp. has sold enough cars to put one outside every Japanese home. Now it wants to put robots inside.

Well-known for its automated assembly lines, Toyota sees a notso-far-off future in which robots transcend the factory and become commonplace in homes, helping with chores—and even offering companionship—in an aging society where a quarter of the population is over 65 and millions of seniors live alone.

Machines have become much smarter in the last decade or so. Yet, every attempt to build one that can do simple things like load a washing machine or carry groceries encounters the same basic, physical problem: The stronger a robot gets, the heavier and more dangerous it becomes. What Toyota has going for it are $29 billion in cash reserves, a new artificial-intelligence research center and a well-respected inventor, Gill Pratt, heading its effort.

“This is a company with so many resources that you can never ignore them,” said Morten Paulsen, a Tokyobased analyst at CLSA Japan Securities Co., who’s covered the robotics industry for decades.

Toyota has been experimenting with robots since at least 2004, when it unveiled a trumpet-playing humanoid with artificial lips, lungs and movable fingers that could accompany an actual human orchestra.

Since then research has become more practical. Toyota’s latest android, the T-HR3, is a kind of avatar that can be manipulated remotely via wearable controls, with vision goggles that allow users to see through the machine’s camera-eyes. The device could one day serve as arms and legs for the bedridden, or as a surrogate for relief workers in disaster zones.

In 2015 the automaker spent a billion dollars to open its AI-focused Toyota Research Institute in Silicon Valley. Last year it set up a $100- million fund to invest in start-ups and new robotics technology. This year the company restructured its Partner Robot division to speed decision-making and shorten development time.

“There’s internal pressure all of a sudden to move faster,’’ senior manager Keisuke Suga said at a recent industry forum near the automaker’s Toyota City headquarters.

The road to robots has had its setbacks. In 2011, Toyota demonstrated a machine for lifting patients in and out of bed, but engineers had only tested it on healthy volunteers. Once they discovered that the frail and elderly required a more delicate touch, the product was shelved. Bloomberg News

Lending a helping paw: Study shows dogs will aid their crying human friend

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ROM Lassie to Balto, pop culture loves stories of a dog coming to a person’s rescue. Anecdotally, people experience their dogs coming to their aid every day, like when one of us in The Conversation found herself “trapped” by her children under a pile of pillows only to be “rescued” by her noble collie, Athos.

But is there any scientific evidence behind these sorts of tales?

Researchers know that dogs respond to human crying and will approach people­—whether their owner or a total stranger—who show signs of distress. We decided to investigate whether dogs would go a step further than just approaching people: Would they take action to help a person in need?

We recruited 34 pet dogs and therapy dogs—that is, those who visit people in hospitals and nursing homes—to take part in our study. Dogs included a variety of breeds and ages, from an elderly golden retriever therapy dog to an adolescent spaniel mix.

When they got to the lab, each owner filled out a survey about the dog’s training and behaviors while we attached a heart-rate monitor to the dog’s chest to measure its stress responses.

Next, we instructed the owner on how to behave during the experiment. Each owner sat in a chair behind a clear door that was magnetized shut—there as a barrier separating the dog from its owner—that the dog could easily push open. We assigned half the people to cry loudly and say “Help” in a distressed voice every 15 seconds. The other half of our volunteers we assigned to hum “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and say “Help” in a calm voice every 15 seconds. We ran the test until the dog opened the door or, if it didn’t, until five minutes elapsed.

Past research seemed to indicate that dogs would not help their human companions in distress, but it’s possible that the tasks to demonstrate “help” were too difficult for a dog to understand. So we adapted this

straightforward task from previous research in rats. It seemed like dogs would be capable of nudging open a door to access their owners.

We expected to find that dogs would open the door more often if their owner was crying than if they were humming. Surprisingly, that isn’t what we found: About half the dogs opened the door, regardless of which condition they were in, which tells us that dogs in both conditions wanted to be near their owners.

When we looked at how quickly the dogs who opened the door did so, we found a stark difference: In the crying condition, dogs took an average of 23 seconds to open the door, while in the control condition, they took more than a minute and a half. The humans’ crying seemed to affect the dogs’ behaviors, taking just a quarter as long to push open the door and get to their human if they seemed distressed. We did not find any differences between therapy dogs and other pet dogs.

Other interesting results came

when we looked into how the dogs were behaving in each condition. In the crying condition, we found the dogs that opened the door showed fewer signs of stress—and were reported by their owners to be less anxious—than dogs that did not open it. We also found that dogs that opened the door more quickly were less stressed than dogs that took longer to open it.

In contrast, dogs in the humming condition showed a slight tendency to open more quickly if they were reported to be more anxious. This may mean that dogs who opened in the humming condition were seeking their owners for their own comfort.

Because both humans and animals tend to be more empathetic toward individuals with whom they are more familiar or close, we thought that the strength of a dog’s bond with its owner might explain some of the differences we saw in dogs’ empathetic responses.

As soon as the test was over, we let the dog and owner reunite and

cuddle for a few minutes to make sure everyone was calm before the next part of the experiment. Next, we turned to a test called the Impossible Task to learn a bit more about each dog’s emotional bond with its person.

In this task, the dog learns to tip over a jar to get to a treat; then we lock the jar onto a board with a treat inside and record whether the dog gazes at its owner or a stranger.

There have been some mixed results with this test, but the idea is that a dog who spends more time looking at their owner during this task may have a stronger bond with their owner than a dog that doesn’t spend much time looking at their owner.

We found that dogs who opened the door in the crying condition did gaze at their owner more during the Impossible Task than nonopeners. On the other hand, it was the dogs who didn’t open the door in the humming condition that gazed at their owners more than those who opened it. This suggests that openers in the crying condi-

tion and non-openers in the humming condition had the strongest relationships with their owners.

Taken together, we interpreted these results as evidence that dogs were behaving empathetically in response to their crying owners.

To behave empathetically toward another individual, you must not only be aware of the distress of another person, but also suppress your own stress enough to help out.

If you are overwhelmingly stressed, you might either be incapacitated or try to leave the situation entirely.

This pattern has been seen in children, where the most empathetic kids are the ones who are skilled at regulating their own emotional states enough to give help.

It appears to be the case with these dogs as well. Dogs with weaker emotional bonds to their owners, and those that perceived their owners’ distress but were unable to suppress their own stress response, may have been too overwhelmed by the situation to provide any help. AP

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 5, 2019 A9

Clean up your cyber-hygiene–6 changes to make in the new year

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BY ELISSA REDMILES University of Maryland

ATA breaches, widespread malware attacks and microtargeted personalized advertising were lowlights of digital life in 2018.

As technologies change, so does the advice security experts give for how to best stay safe. As 2019 begins, I’ve pulled together a short list of suggestions for keeping your digital life secure and free of manipulative disinformation.

1. SET YOUR BOUNDARIES AND STICK TO THEM. As part of my research, I’ve recently been speaking with a number of sex workers in Europe about their digital security and privacy. One consistent thing I’ve heard from them is, “The best way to stay safe is to set boundaries.” Decide—on your own, and in advance— what data you’re willing to share with apps and online services, and stick to those limits.

That way, when the latest new app asks you for a permission that oversteps what you’re willing to share, you’ll be more prepared to answer. Also set limits on the online discussions you’re willing to participate in; bow out when a discussion is hurting more than helping you. It’s even useful to set boundaries for how much time you’re willing to spend on digital security—which could be an endless task.

2. BURST YOUR FILTER BUBBLE. People who get their news primarily—or exclusively—from social media are subjecting themselves to the whims of the algorithms that decide what to display to each user.

Because of how these algorithms work, those people are likely to see articles only from news sources they already like and tend to agree with. This isolation from people with other views, and from evidence that might challenge particular perspectives, contributes to unprecedented levels of partisanship and disagreement in modern society.

Free online tools like AllSides and Purple Feed are some places that show news reports and socialmedia posts from differing political perspectives, and

identify information that’s generally agreed upon across the political spectrum.

3. MANAGE YOUR PASSWORDS. The biggest threat to password security is no longer the strength of your passwords but the fact that many people reuse the same passwords for all, or many, of their accounts.Researchers are busy designing notifications to tell you when one of these reused passwords has been leaked to the world, but it’s safer to use different passwords, especially for your most valuable accounts. You can use password-manager software. Or, use the original low-tech method,

writing your passwords down on paper. Believe it or not, it’s much safer to write them down than reuse the same password everywhere. Of course, this is true only if you’re sure the people you live with or frequent visitors to your home won’t try to get into your accounts.

4. TURN ON MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION. Adding an additional step for logging in to your most important social media, e-mail and financial accounts can add lots of protection. Multifactor authentication systems are best known for texting you a six-digit code to type in as part of your login process. While

any multifactor authentication is better than none, text messages can fairly easily be intercepted or spied on. An even safer route is to use a special codegenerating app on your phone. People who change phones or SIM cards often, or who want additional protection, might consider using a physical key that plugs into your computer to authorize a login. They can take a bit more time to set up initially, but then work much faster than most other methods.

5. DELETE APPS YOU DON’T USE. Smartphone apps track where you are very closely, and share your location data with advertising and marketing companies. Just carrying a phone in your pocket can give tracking companies clues to where you go and how long you stay, and technical details about your phone can offer clues to your identity.

If you don’t use an app anymore, uninstall it from your phone. If you need it again, you can always reinstall it quickly—but in the meantime, it won’t be tracking you around the world and around the Web. 6. KEEP THE APPS YOU DO USE UP-TO-DATE. Software companies don’t always know about all the vulnerabilities in their programs—and when they issue updates users don’t always know if they’re fixing a major problem or something minor. The top piece of advice experts give is to keep your software up-todate on your computers and your mobile devices.

Having spent 2018 worrying about how hackers, corporate executives and hurried programmers might be trying to exploit your data and your cognitive and digital vulnerabilities, resolve to be more secure in 2019. AP

Apps that can help you increase your productivity PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com THE Sony Bravia A1

SOME people’s lives are condensed in their mobile phones. Of course, they have the usual social-media platforms and messaging apps, which are important, but productivity apps also maximize the capabilities of their handsets and help improve the way they work while on the go.

Google Drive is like a filing cabinet for all your pictures, videos and documents. You can share the files and folders that you store in Google Drive with anyone. You can choose if people can view, comment and edit. Google Drive is perfect for those who need to send and receive large files. My daughter, for instance, needs high-resolution photos for work, so she finds Google Drive more user-friendly than other photosharing apps like WeTransfer and Cluster. You can access Google Drive everywhere. My friends share their videos with me via Google Drive.

I consider Google Drive a safer backup for files than an external hard drive, which can lose everything if you drop it. Okay, this doesn’t happen all the time, but it can happen if you’re careless.

Using Gmail, you can send large files to your contacts directly from your account. If you download the Google Drive app on your phone, you’ll have easier access to your files.

Evernote is an app for notetaking, organizing, creating task lists and archiving. This is perfect for people who use Android phones. iPhones have a proprietary Notes app for this purpose. (Android has an excellent equivalent in Google Keep—Ed.) Users like Evernote because it is simple and easy to use. They can also upload PDFs or other documents

IT’S A NEW YEAR. HOW ABOUT A NEW TV?

to their notes, as well as connect Evernote to Google Drive. I use the iPhone’s Notes for writing. Evernote is, in my opinion, really best for note-taking.

Scanbot is an app that scans and faxes documents from your phone and/or tablet. Scanbot has been called the best scanning app for iOS. It has reliable image capture, text recognition and document annotation. Scanbot is fast and efficient, and has five different color filters on which you can use three types of adjustments. Scanbot can also combine multiple existing scans into a single PDF.

Pixlr is a mobile photo-editing app. Pixlr Express, the so-called “lite” version, can crop, resize, rotate, sharpen, blur, heal and fix images. You can use effects, borders and stickers on your photos. Pixlr Editor and Pixlr Pro are for professional editing requirements.

Flickr is an image- and video-hosting service.

What I like about it is that you can share and explore other people’s photos. It is perhaps the biggest photosharing site on the Internet. A friend of mine is a longtime Flickr user, and she can pull up any photo from 10 years ago by the use of tags. ■

AFTER a year of hard work, you know you’ve earned this.

With the new year under way, reward yourself with a gift so exquisite that just looking at it is a treat in itself—a brand spanking new flat-screen TV on which to enjoy those weekend movie marathons, or play catch-up with your favorite TV series. There’s no better way to indulge this than with a Sony Bravia OLED TV (www.sony.com.ph). With the array of OLED TV sets to choose from, the global consumer electronics purveyor only offers you a value-for-money selection of Bravia TV that is right for you, your family and your living space.

Find the right balance between advancement of technology and luxe design sophistication with the new Bravia OLED A9F. The latest offering from the series is a masterclass in contrast that is designed for a multifunctional TV in style. Feel the beauty of everything you watch with world-class technologies that come together for truly realistic entertainment, bringing picture and sound in perfect harmony.

Meanwhile, the Sony Bravia A8F takes couch-chilling to a whole new level with 4K HDR TV entertainment that creates exquisite and unprecedented contrast. See the beauty of simplicity in A8F’s innovative design and realism. With its sophisticated technology, step ever closer to reality and be immersed in the entertainment that you deserve.

Then there’s Sony’s first-ever 4K OLED TV, the Bravia A1. The classy and classic design of the A1 boasts of outstanding picture quality and innovative sound system that comes together in an art form with this innovative creation from Sony.

Whichever you choose, we’re pretty certain you’d be doing even a lot more binge-viewing this year. Don’t forget the popcorn.

BusinessMirror

A10 Saturday, January 5, 2019

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘Tech addicts’ seek solace in 12 steps and rehab B ELLEVUE, Washington—We like to say we’re addicted to our phones or an app or some new show on a streaming video service.

But for some people, tech gets in the way of daily functioning and self-care. We’re talking flunk-yourclasses, can’t-find-a-job, live-in-a-dark-hole kinds of problems, with depression, anxiety and sometimes suicidal thoughts part of the mix.

Suburban Seattle, a major tech center, has become a hub for help for so-called tech addicts, with residential rehab, psychologists who specialize in such treatment and 12-step meetings.

“The drugs of old are now repackaged. We have a new foe,” Cosette Rae says of the barrage of tech. A former developer in the tech world, she heads a Seattle area rehab center called reSTART Life, one of the few residential programs in the nation specializing in tech addiction.

Use of that word—addiction—when it comes to devices, online content and the like is still debated in the mental health world. But many practitioners agree that tech use is increasingly intertwined with the problems of those seeking help.

An American Academy of Pediatrics review of worldwide research found that excessive use of video games alone is a serious problem for as many as 9 percent of young people. This summer, the World Health Organization also added “gaming disorder” to its list of afflictions. A similar diagnosis is being considered in the United States.

It can be a taboo subject in an industry that frequently faces criticism for using “persuasive design,” intentionally harnessing psychological concepts to make tech all the more enticing.

One 27-year-old man, found through a 12-step program for tech addicts, works in the very industry that peddles the games, videos and other online content that has long been his vice. He does cloud maintenance for a suburban Seattle tech company and constantly finds himself fending off temptation.

“I’m like an alcoholic working at a bar,” he laments.

He spoke on the condition that he not be identified, fearing he might harm his career in an industry he’s long loved.

As a toddler, he sat on his dad’s lap in their Seattle area home as they played simple video games on a Mac Classic II computer. By early elementary school, he got his first Super Nintendo system and spent

hours playing “Yoshi’s Story,” a game where the main character searched for “lucky fruit.”

As he grew, so did one of the world’s major tech hubs. Led by Microsoft, it rose from the nondescript suburban landscape and farm fields here, just a short drive from the home he still shares with his mom, who split from her husband when their only child was 11. As a teen, he took an interest in music and acting but recalls how playing games increasingly became a way to escape life. “I go online instead of dealing with my feelings,” he says.

He’d been seeing a therapist for depression and severe social anxiety. But attending college out of state allowed more freedom and less structure, so he spent even more time online. His grades plummeted, forcing him to change majors, from engineering to business.

After graduating in 2016 and moving home, he’d go to a nearby restaurant or the library to use the Wi-Fi, claiming he was looking for a job but having no luck.

Instead, he was spending hours on Reddit, an online forum where people share news and comments, or viewing YouTube videos. Sometimes, he watched online porn.

Others who attend a 12-step meeting of the Internet and Tech Addiction Anonymous know the struggle. “I had to be convinced that this was a ‘thing,’” says Walker, a 19-year-old from Washington whose parents insisted he get help after video gaming trashed his first semester of college. He agreed to speak only if identified by first name, as required by the 12-step tenets.

Help is found at facilities like reSTART. Clients “detox” from tech at a secluded ranch and move on to a group home.

They commit to eating well and regular sleep and exercise. They find jobs, and many eventually return to college. They also make “bottom line” promises to give up video games or any other problem content, as well as drugs and alcohol, if those are issues. They use

monitored smartphones with limited function—calls, texts and e-mails and access to maps.

The young tech worker didn’t go to reSTART. But he, too, has apps on his phone that send reports about what he’s viewing to his 12-step sponsor, a fellow tech addict named Charlie, a 30-year-old reSTART graduate.

At home, the young man also persuaded his mom to get rid of Wi-Fi to lessen the temptation.

He still relapses every couple months, often when he’s tired or upset or very bored. He tells himself that his problem isn’t as bad as other tech addicts.

“Then,” the young man says, “I discover very quickly that I am actually an addict, and I do need to do this.”

Having Charlie to lean on helps. “He’s a role model,” he says.

“He has a place of his own. He has a dog. He has friends.”

That’s what he wants for himself. AP

OLX REVEALS MOST-SEARCHED VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLES WONDERING which vehicles were trending in 2018? According to leading classifieds portal OLX (www.olx.ph), the Honda Civic and the Yamaha Mio were the most-searched car and motorcycle models, respectively, from January to November 2018.

Known for its performance, durability and versatility, the Honda Civic has been a consistent most-searched vehicle on the portal and has remained as a popular choice in the pre-owned market. It can function as a daily driver and even as a race car. The Japanese car is also popular among enthusiasts who love to pimp their ride.

The Toyota Fortuner comes close as the second most searched and is followed by the Toyota Innova. The other popular models are the Mitsubishi Pajero, the Mitsubishi Montero Sport, the Toyota Hilux, the Toyota Vios and the Mitsubishi Lancer.

Completing the top 10 most searched list are vans: the Toyota Hiace and the

Hyundai Starex.

Two-wheeled rides are also becoming more popular because of their affordability. And when it comes to the most-searched motorbike model, the Yamaha Mio scooter tops the list.

Coming in second was the Suzuki Raider, which is known for its powerful engine.

In terms of motorcycle brands, Internet users have been curious about aspirational brands Ducati, Vespa and Harley-Davidson. Kawasaki and Rusi, though not as upscale as the previous brands, are also frontrunners. When it comes to motorcycle body types, many users searched for “scooter” followed by “big bike,” “400cc,” and “café racer.”

The data presented are based on the searches from January 1 to November 21, 2018, on OLX, the classifieds platform that has the most number of car and motorcycle listings in the Philippines. It is part of the OLX Group, the world’s leading classifieds platform in growth markets.

“It’s interesting to see which car models the market is looking up online. The most-searched list, which has some regulars and new nameplates, reveals consumers’ preference in 2018.

Because of the upswing in motorcycle demand, the first-ever roundup of the most-popular motorbike brands and models in terms of search this year is also available,” says Manuel Roman, OLX Philippines head of cars. “We value our customers’ needs, so we make sure we are leading in both volume and quality of listings.

Our platform should be able to help people find the ride they are looking for, whether it’s a car or a motorcycle.”

Better connectivity and security for the new year AS the world becomes increasingly connected, there are networking products that tout reliable connection and security, such as D-Link’s range of Wi-Fi routers and security cameras.

The brand’s series of Wi-Fi Gigabit Routers consist of the DIR-878 AC1900 MU-MIMO and DIR-882 AC2600 MU-MIMO, while the lineup of security cameras includes the DCS-8000LH and the DCS-8100LH. D-Link also offers the stylish, high-speed COVR-C1203 Dual-Band Whole Home Wi-Fi System.

Ideal for small office/home office (SOHO) environments, the high-powered DIR-878 AC1900 MU-MIMO router combines highspeed 802.11ac Wi-Fi, dual-band technology and Gigabit Ethernet for increased range and reliability. All devices and users at home or small office can enjoy uninterrupted connection and not worry about unwanted network intruders that threaten data security.

The DIR-878 offers better data rates at speeds up to 1.9 Gbps. It uses 3x3 Multiple Users-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MUMIMO) antenna configuration to guarantee

fewer dead spots, more coverage and increased reliability. Moreover, the built-in Quality of Service (QoS) engine allows better traffic control through the prioritization of application programs, ensuring your preferred applications are receiving optimal bandwidth.

For the tech-savvy, the D-Link DIR-882 AC2600 MU-MIMO is designed for highbandwidth applications such as HD, 4K and 3D video. Depending on the ISP on the wide area network (WAN) side, the DIR-882 AC2600 has a Gigabit WAN port to support faster internet connection speeds of up to 1,000 Mbps per one gigabit for a seamless viewing experience.

The DIR-882 boasts of improved range, backward compatibility and a state-of-theart QoS engine. Its 4x4 MU-MIMO antenna configuration allows concurrent communication with multiple compatible devices, thus providing users with faster speeds for smoother video streaming and online gaming.

Meanwhile, the D-Link COVR-C1203 DualBand Whole Home Wi-Fi System provides seamless coverage for the entire home while

doubling as a home décor with its colorful interchangeable plastic tops and illuminated logo through LEDs placed underneath.

The COVR-C1203 delivers high-speed wired and wireless connectivity at home. It adopts dual-band wireless AC wave II with up to 1,200 Mbps to create exclusive high-speed Wi-Fi zones even in dead spots. Two gigabit ethernet ports deliver stable wired connectivity for NAS, media centers and gaming consoles.

The mesh router uses a single network name (SSID) to create a single, seamless network in the home, allowing any family member to walk from room to room without the worry of dropped calls or frozen video streams. With the revolutionary Smart Roaming technology, the COVR-C1203 continually scans the wireless signal strength of devices and connects them to the strongest signal available.

The Smart Steering feature, meanwhile, automatically directs devices to the optimal wireless band.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, January 5, 2019 A11

Did 2018 usher in a creeping tech dystopia?

W

E may remember 2018 as the year when technology’s dystopian potential became clear, from Facebook’s role enabling the harvesting of our personal data for election interference to a seemingly unending series of revelations about the dark side of Silicon Valley’s connect-everything ethos.

The list is long: High-tech tools for immigration crackdowns. Fears of smartphone addiction. YouTube algorithms that steer youths into extremism. An experiment in gene-edited babies.

Doorbells and concert venues that can pinpoint individual faces and alert police. Repurposing genealogy web sites to hunt for crime suspects based on a relative’s DNA. Automated systems that keep tabs of workers’ movements and habits. Electric cars in Shanghai transmitting their every movement to the government.

It’s been enough to exhaust even the most imaginative sci-fi visionaries.

“It doesn’t so much feel like we’re living in the future now, as that we’re living in a retro-future,” novelist William Gibson wrote this month on Twitter.

“A dark, goofy ’90s retro-future.”

More awaits us in 2019, as surveillance and datacollection efforts ramp up and artificial intelligence systems start sounding more human, reading facial expressions and generating fake video images so realistic that it will be harder to detect malicious distortions of the truth.

But there are also countermeasures afoot in Congress and state government—and even among tech-firm employees who are more active about ensuring their work is put to positive ends.

“Something that was heartening this year was that accompanying this parade of scandals was a growing public awareness that there’s an accountability crisis in tech,” said Meredith Whittaker, a cofounder of New York University’s AI Now Institute for studying the social implications of artificial intelligence.

The group has compiled a long list of what made 2018 so ominous, though many are examples of the public simply becoming newly aware of problems that have built up for years. Among the most troubling cases was the revelation in March that political datamining firm Cambridge Analytica swept up personal information of millions of Facebook users for the purpose of manipulating national elections.

“It really helped wake up people to the fact that these systems are actually touching the core of our lives and shaping our social institutions,” Whittaker said. That was on top of other Facebook disasters, including its role in fomenting violence in Myanmar, major data breaches and ongoing concerns about its hosting of fake accounts for Russian propaganda.

It wasn’t just Facebook. Google attracted concern about its continuous surveillance of users after The Associated Press reported that it was tracking people’s movements whether they like it or not.

It also faced internal dissent over its collaboration with the US military to create drones with “computer vision” to help find battlefield targets and a secret proposal to launch a censored search engine in China.

And it unveiled a remarkably human-like voice assistant that sounds so real that people on the other end of the phone didn’t know they were talking to a

computer. Those and other concerns bubbled up in December as lawmakers grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai at a congressional hearing—a sequel to similar public reckonings this year with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other tech executives.

“It was necessary to convene this hearing because of the widening gap of distrust between technology companies and the American people,” Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said.

Internet pioneer Vint Cerf said he and other engineers never imagined their vision of a worldwide network of connected computers would morph 45 years later into a surveillance system that collects personal information or a propaganda machine that could sway elections.

“We were just trying to get it to work,” recalled Cerf, who is now Google’s chief Internet evangelist.

“But now that it’s in the hands of the general public, there are people who...want it to work in a way that obviously does harm, or benefits themselves, or disrupts the political system. So we are going to have to deal with that.”

Contrary to futuristic fears of “super-intelligent” robots taking control, the real dangers of our tech era have crept in more prosaically—often in the form of tech innovations we welcomed for making life more convenient.

Part of experts’ concern about the leap into connecting every home device to the Internet and letting computers do our work is that the technology is still buggy and influenced by human errors and prejudices. Uber and Tesla were investigated for fatal self-driving car crashes in March, IBM came under

scrutiny for working with New York City police to build a facial-recognition system that can detect ethnicity, and Amazon took heat for supplying its own flawed facial-recognition service to law-enforcement agencies.

In some cases, opposition to the tech industry’s rush to apply its newest innovations to questionable commercial uses has come from its own employees.

Google workers helped scuttle the company’s Pentagon drone contract, and workers at Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce sought to cancel their companies’ contracts to supply tech services to immigration authorities.

“It became obvious to a lot of people that the rhetoric of doing good and benefiting society and ‘Don’t be evil’ was not what these companies were actually living up to,” said Whittaker, who is also a research scientist at Google who founded its Open Research group.

At the same time, even some titans of technology have been sounding alarms. Prominent engineers and designers have increasingly spoken out about shielding children from the habit-forming tech products they helped create.

And then there’s Microsoft President Brad Smith, who in December called for regulating facialrecognition technology so that the “year 2024 doesn’t look like a page” from George Orwell’s 1984.

In a blog post and a Washington speech, Smith painted a bleak vision of all-seeing government surveillance systems forcing dissidents to hide in darkened rooms “to tap in code with hand signals on each other’s arms.”

To avoid such an Orwellian scenario, Smith advocates regulating technology so that anyone about to subject themselves to surveillance is properly notified. But privacy advocates argue that’s not enough.

Such debates are already happening in states like Illinois, where a strict facial-recognition law has faced tech industry challenges, and California, which in 2018 passed the nation’s most far-reaching law to give consumers more control over their personal data. It takes effect in 2020.

The issue could find new attention in Congress next year as more Republicans warm up to the idea of basic online privacy regulations and the incoming Democratic House majority takes a more skeptical approach to tech firms that many liberal politicians once viewed as allies—and prolific campaign donors.

The “leave them alone” approach of the early Internet era won’t work anymore, said Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat poised to take the helm of the House’s antitrust subcommittee.

“We’re seeing now some of the consequences of the abuses that can occur in these platforms if they remain unregulated without meaningful oversight or enforcement,” Cicilline said.

Too much regulation may bring its own undesirable side effects, Cerf warned.

“It’s funny in a way because this online environment was supposed to remove friction from our ability to transact,” he said. “If in our desire, if not zeal, to protect people’s privacy we throw sand in the gears of everything, we may end up with a very secure system that doesn’t work very well.” ■

Click and collect services thriving in the Philippines

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES ALTHOUGH e-commerce continues to experience growth in the Philippines, the popularity of “click and collect” services is thriving because the majority of consumers in the Philippines do not have access to credit cards.

Wendy Chen, chief executive officer and founder of Omnistream, said the click-and-collect service enables consumers to pay in-store upon collection. Moreover, she pointed out the service benefits both the retailer and consumer through the elimination of the cost of last-mile delivery.

/

FACEBOOK CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to testify before a joint hearing of the Commerce and Judiciary Committees on Capitol Hill in Washington, about the use of Facebook data to target American voters in the 2016 election. AP

BY MATT O’BRIEN The Associated Press

“We believe that the role of manpower in brick-and-mortar stores will definitely move toward customer-centric services such as a provision of personalized knowledge, as well as value-adding to service orientation,” said Chen in a recent e-mail interview with the BUSINESSMIRROR. “The proliferation of modern trade across Southeast Asia provides new business model opportunities. This is happening alongside e-commerce growth. As such, it’s not as simple as increasing or decreasing manpower at brick-and-mortar stores,” she added.

She reminded that online shopping does not only comprise of strong

online channel presence but also includes the concepts of personalization and convenience.

To be a competitive entity in online shopping, Chen said an organization must also deliver excellent customer service and experience to the clients to retain their loyalty.

In their study, Chen said retail conglomerates in the Asean region still have to beef up their customer-centric capabilities. She said this situation will be an opportunity for the company to promote the Persona Intelligence solution in the market to enable retailers to meet the needs of customers based on what

they purchase.

“We help retailers understand their next best actions and identify white space based on consumer behavior,” she said.

Across Southeast Asia, Chen said the company observed the emergence of smaller store formats experiencing growth in value while the larger store formats are registering a decline in sales.

She said this is in line with the global trend toward small store formats, as well as more frequent shopping trips.

“In truth, we believe that there is insufficient differentiation in pack and price architecture between the larger store and the smaller store formats. Most

often, the smaller stores are selling the same product at cheaper prices. This lack of differentiation is where we at Omnistream focus our efforts,” she said.

As for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Chen said efficient use of data they have collected is their key to growth.

She said Omnistream can break this down into two key elements. “First, there is a need for transaction data in terms of what products, in what quantities, at what price and when it was bought. Second, there is a need for shopper data to show us shoppers’ preferences, needs and behaviors,” she said.

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 5, 2019 A12

‘The effects cannot be overstated’: When tech invaded media

H

BY JIM RUTENBERG New York Times News Service

OW do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? Jim Rutenberg, media columnist for The Times, discussed the tech

he’s using.

Tech and media have long been converging.

What are the biggest effects on the media industry, and how has it had to adapt?

The effects cannot be overstated—and in some ways, everything is changing, which is what makes it so exciting to cover.

First there’s streaming, which has blown apart the television model that I started covering 20 years ago.

The traditional networks are under siege, and that, in turn, is breaking up the long-standing Hollywood power structure—and the old boys’ network behind it—in welcome ways. The amount of quality programming is off the charts, and opportunities for newcomers with new ideas and backgrounds are unparalleled in the history of the moving image.

The question is what the new power structure will look like. Will it be more reflective of America and continue to tell better stories about it? Or will it be: Meet the new boss, same as the old boss?

In journalism, it’s a mixed bag. The giant sucking sound you hear is Silicon Valley vacuuming the digital ad dollars out of the news business, badly hurting small and midsize newspapers across the country.

This is now a given, but I’ll say it again anyway: As newspapers fall, leaving important local issues uncovered, the social media companies contributing to their deaths are helping to fill the content void with unverified, and at worst patently false, information.

Solutions are not coming fast, though smart people are working on it.

At the same time, the digital transformation has introduced supercool ways of telling stories and given the industry a new dynamism from a new talent pool. At the end of the day, though, the basics still rise: penetrating, holy-smokes reporting in stories well told.

How do you consume media now? Which gadgets or tech services do you use most often?

I am so addicted to my iPhone that my fingers hurt.

My distal interphalangeal joints—the ones toward the tips of my digits—take it particularly hard, though they are probably so strong by now they could lift a VW Bug. I’m a 6s-type person, and if I didn’t have the iPhone battery case I’d be dead in the water by noon every day (especially when dealing with sensitive sources via battery-eating encrypted apps).

Most of my iPhone time is spent on Twitter, far more than I want to admit. I use Twitter far more to consume than to tweet myself; I prefer to save my best thoughts for my column, though I am constantly reassessing that as I watch many of my colleagues make wonderful use of the platform to report without cutting into their more traditional dispatches.

That said, I’ve balanced my follows such that Twitter and, secondarily, Facebook still do a fairly good job of serving up content I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed (So I won’t delete my accounts— yet). With friends who are less social media-oriented, I remain an evangelist for a well-curated feed, though I include a trigger warning: The dreck that inevitably works its way into the stream can ruin your day (or your democracy), as the world now knows. I find that Instagram is a good antidote, and I keep mine personal, and away from work.

I start the morning on my iPad, where I peruse Flipboard and the traditional newspaper apps: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and those of various local news organizations (The Palm Beach Post, The Texas Tribune, Philly.com), especially when I’m traveling.

I’m using Apple TV more and more, and am constantly toggling between my content on Apple, Amazon Prime, Netflix and the cable box. I’ve yet to figure out the remotes; I just push buttons until stuff turns on. Spotify is a constant in my life, and it’s what I usually use on my Sonos home speaker system, as well.

What could be better about the tech tools you rely on most for your beat?

Among all their downsides, the news algorithms of Twitter and Facebook do a lousy job serving up items that aren’t directly in the trending hurricane du jour.

It would be great if they could be more like Spotify, which has developed a very good formula for finding songs and bands you have never heard of but will probably like—with curveballs thrown in that run counter to your taste, in case you’re up for expanding

your repertoire. It may be easier to do with music, which calms the savage beast, than with words and pictures, whose power to enrage has only grown.

What tech product are you personally obsessed with?

I’m going to cheat and talk about two. And it won’t be pretty.

Let’s start with Nest. The device—at least ours, which we got two years ago—has a mind of its own.

At times, it makes me feel as if I’m in the Jetsons reboot episode in which the robots all turn against George.

My wife and I are often away from our house for long periods, so we keep the heat low. The Nest allows us to warm it from afar hours ahead of time so we don’t come home to an icebox.

But then, for no apparent reason, the Nest will set the heat back to low when we’re in the house so it is suddenly freezing again. This has happened in exceedingly cold weather when there are pipes to worry about. The device is running on an algorithm that we can turn off—I get that (theoretically, at least;

my MO with tech is to figure out the minimum that will serve my needs and leave it at that). And I’m sure there are other ways to fix it. The other day I hit up against a new and unforeseen problem—it went totally dead on me just as a cold snap kicked in. I forgot to pay the Internet bill. I know one thing: My old thermostat was immune to my own idiocy, didn’t play games with me or jeopardize my plumbing and I didn’t need to pore through a manual to figure it out.

We are giving it one more chance before we ditch it.

Ditto Sonos. The stereo speakers are wireless and portable, so you can play music throughout your house from your iPhone, without having to hire a contractor to embed speakers in your walls or sell you some fancy and expensive system.

But often—usually when we’re throwing a dinner party—the speakers will stop playing as the app goes on the fritz for prolonged periods without obvious reason. (And customer support isn’t all that supportive.) That never happened with my old Sony hi-fi. One more ruined playlist during a party and I’m out. ■

Top 7 stories that rocked the Philippines in 2018 THERE’S no denying that the year 2018 was action-packed for the Philippines. Trending stories from entertainment, politics, sports and showbiz seized our attention, captured our emotions, and affected the nation.

With 2019 well under way, digital data analytics company Research and Tech Lab (RTL) checked out the top 7 trending stories that rocked the Philippines last year. Out of the hundreds of stories publicly shared, discussed, praised and bashed online, 83 percent are lifestyle stories that appealed to the emotions and interest of Filipino netizens, while the remaining 17 percent focused on politics.

RTL gathered and analyzed a total of 25,575,684 reactions, comments and shares across all digital and social-media platforms from January to November of 2018, and came up with a list of the top 7 stories in 2018 that gained the most traction: 1. #KWENTONGJOLLIBEE2018 SERIES. Who could forget the viral pre-Valentine socialmedia campaign of Jollibee?

Simultaneously released days before February 14, the #KwentongJollibee2018 three-part series charmed the Internet by imparting valuable lessons through beautifully told stories.

“Signs” is the story of a lady who wants to know if her crush is The One and asks for signs while at Jollibee. “Homecoming” shows how two people fell in love and eventually became a couple with the help of sweet messages written

on sticky notes.

“Status” gives us an insight as to how people can find love in unexpected places.

“Signs” is directed by Theodore Boborol, “Homecoming” is directed by Joel Ruiz and “Status” is directed by Ianco de la Cruz.

2. ANGEL AQUINO AND TONY LABRUSCA’S ‘GLORIOUS’ KISSING SCENE. Angel Aquino and Tony Labrusca had netizens buzzing with the trailer of their film Glorious. With the sizzling kissing scene between Aquino and Labrusca, who wouldn’t be?

The video got 8.3 million views 24 hours after it was first released last November 4. The overwhelming interest in the trailer was also shown through the countless memes born from it. This is an indicator that more Filipinos are becoming interested in a May-December love affair. Could it be that 50 is truly the new 20?

We’ll let you decide.

3. ‘HALIK’ TV SERIES. Infidelity, adultery and cheating was one of the common themes in series TV in the Philippines.

But Halik became the most talked-about series in social media as it took the genre to a whole new level with its daring scenes, weekly revelations, confrontations and the intertwining relationships of Lino (Jericho Rosales), Jacky (Yen Santos), Ace (Sam Milby), Jade (Yam Concepcion) and other minor characters.

4. MMDA “5-MINUTE GIRL” VIRAL MOTORIST. In a video posted August 16 on the page Gadget Addict, a woman sparked the ire

of netizens as she was caught on-cam refusing to surrender her driver’s license to MMDA enforcers and bumping her car against another enforcer’s motorcycle.

The “5-minute girl,” who was later identified as Christine Villamora Estepa, was apprehended for parking illegally. She was loudly and visibly irate with the official who told her that she violated the five-minute grace period. She was also accused of taking her car out despite coding rules. As of this writing, the original video has already amassed more than 217,000 reactions, 144,000 comments and 288,000 shares, and has also been reposted by various pages in Facebook.

5. SILI MEMES. Filipinos are known to make the best out of the worst situations. Apparently, even the rising prices of bird’s eye chilis, locally known as siling labuyo, couldn’t escape our silliness. Siling labuyo has become the symbol of rising prices amid reports that its market price skyrocketed to as much as P1,000 per kilo. Because of frustration, the over P1,000 price of siling labuyo became a subject of mockery and humor among netizens. People shared how any food with chili on it is way too expensive; some even equate having a chili farm to being a millionaire and proposed bartering their chilis for gadgets like MacBooks and iPhones.

6. SONA 2018. President Duterte has always been a man of character, so to speak, highlighted by his colorful words and speaking

mannerism. Netizens were rather surprised that Duterte didn’t veer from his script during his 48-minute-long State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 23 at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, contrary to earlier expectations that the President might opt for an extemporaneous speech.

Duterte received praise from netizens and political followers as he discussed pressing issues which included the war on drugs, initiative to lower the price of rice, implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law, the government’s battle against corruption and endof-contract scheme, or endo, and federalism.

But Duterte wasn’t the only figure in the spotlight that day. Stealing his thunder was the contention between Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez and Pampanga Representative Gloria MacapagalArroyo, which led to the former’s ousting and the latter’s appointment as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

7. THE BAN ON OFWs IN KUWAIT. Issues regarding overseas Filipino workers will always be a matter of national concern to the Philippines, which has around 2.3 million OFWs around the world as of 2017.

So it’s no surprise that the President’s ban on Filipino workers leaving for the Gulf nation on April 30 drew massive attention in the Philippines. Around 262,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, nearly 60 percent of them being

domestic workers.

According to news reports, the spat between the Philippines and Kuwait began in February when the government prohibited workers from heading to Kuwait because domestic helper Joanna Demafelis’s corpse was discovered in a freezer in her employer’s home.

The president lashed out at Kuwait, saying that Arab employers routinely raped Filipina workers, forced them to work 21 hours a day, and fed them scraps.

The ban was only lifted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on May 15 following the memorandum of agreement igned by representatives from the Philippines and Kuwait on May 11 that would provide additional protection for OFWs in the Gulf state. But as of August 10, a news report showed that the POEA only approved 1,049 overseas employment certificates to Filipino household service workers (HSWs) close to a month after the lifting of the ban.

The number of approvals in July was significantly lower compared to the average monthly deployment of 5,000 Filipino HSWs to Kuwait from 2016 to 2017.

The most viral stories of this year truly mirror Filipino culture. It shows how Filipinos are fond of love stories and happy endings, while controversies and humor never fail to catch interest. Stories about family and society always emerge as the foremost topic that Filipinos relate to.

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JIM RUTENBERG, a media columnist, works at his desk at the New York Times building in Manhattan.

Rutenberg reflects on the convergence of technology with media, and how that has changed his consumption habits and coverage.

JEENAH MOON FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES