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HIV, AIDS SUFFERERS: INTO THE

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LIGHT

President Duterte has just signed into law an updated legal framework addressing HIV and AIDS, a landmark legislation that its authors hope will significantly reduce the stigma of people living with HIV or AIDS.

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By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

WENTY years after the enactment of the original law governing the handling of HIV and AIDS in the country, Filipinos are seeing a new measure that policymakers say will help them cope with the new, alarming realities.

The enactment of the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Law also ensures that the proper and adequate care for people living with HIV and AIDS will be afforded while protecting their rights, including right to work, authors of the law said on Wednesday.

Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan, one of the principal authors of the law, said President Duterte’s signing of this measure will ensure that people living with HIV should no longer be afraid to come out.

“While changes in perception

and mindset will not happen overnight, it is a giant step in the right direction,” he said.

Indeed, it is, albeit the challenges against which it is to be wielded are, to say the least, daunting. Consider this: In October 2018, as the Senate and House of Representatives ratified the bicameral conference committee version of the bill, the World Health Organization expressed concern over the rising incidence of HIV in the country. This, while other countries in the Western Pacific region experienced a decline in HIV cases.

WHO Philippines Representative Gundo Aurel Weiler then noted that HIV prevalence had risen by 140 percent in the last six to eight years, while other countries in the region and in the world saw a 20-percent decline in HIV cases.

Weiler said before that there were 80,000 Filipinos living with

HIV, and half of them are not aware that they have been infected.

Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said the measure, signed by the President last December 20, also provides for the establishment of policies and programs to ensure delivery of proper treatment, care and support services to Filipinos living with HIV. This will be in accordance with “evidence-based strategies and approaches which are in tune with key principles of human rights, gender equality and meaningful participation of communities.”

“We consider its enactment and signing timely and relevant on account of the report of the Department of Health disclosing that our country has the highest percentage relative to the increase of new HIV cases in the Asia-Pacific

region from 2010 to 2016,” Panelo said on Wednesday.

“We laud our lawmakers, including various stakeholders, who immensely contributed to the passage of an updated legal framework addressing HIV and AIDS. This piece of landmark legislation will significantly reduce the stigma of people living with HIV or AIDS.”

Overdue

FOR her part, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, another author of the law, said the HIV law is urgently needed and long overdue.

“The 20-year-old Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act will soon be replaced by a policy that will be more responsive to our current context,” she added.

“To all PLHIVs, I say: We see you and we hear you. You are not invisible. We listen to your stories— especially those told through your

anonymous accounts on Twitter.

Many may not know about your world in the realm of social media—but we are not one of those people. In fact, some of what we have read in your tweets have been incorporated in the changes we made in the bill,” she said Bag-ao said in one pusit account—for people who don’t know, pusit means HIV-positive— someone said that it’s wrong to use “HIV/AIDS” when referring to both as separate concepts.

“This is what we need to explain to people. This is also why we made sure that we use the phrase ‘HIV and AIDS’ in the bill, meaning, they are distinct from each other,” she said.

The HIV and AIDS law

THE law will restructure the legal framework on HIV and AIDS by See “HIV,” A2

ANALYSIS Belt and Road is more chaos than conspiracy

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By David Fickling | Bloomberg Opinion

S China’s Belt and Road Initiative a bold infrastructure vision, or a slush fund? The question is becoming more pressing.

Chinese officials offered to help bail out state-owned 1Malaysia Development Bhd., kill off investigations into alleged corruption at the fund, and spy on journalists looking into it in exchange

for stakes in Belt-and-Road railway and pipeline projects in Malaysia, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. If proven, that would offer the clearest link yet between the 1MDB scandal and Belt and

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.3760

Road, which is still seen by many as a more effective rival to multilateral investors such as the currently leaderless World Bank and Asian Development Bank. China has denied that money in the program was used to help bail out 1MDB.

The common perception is that President Xi Jinping’s flagship foreign policy initiative is an ambitious program deploying trillions of dollars on necessary infrastructure in emerging Asian and African countries where Western investors lack the animal spirits to tread.

A variant of this view suggests a greater level of Machiavellian

foresight. By getting emergingeconomy governments caught in debt traps when unviable projects like Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port go belly-up, China is methodically assembling a network of client governments in hock to Beijing and advancing its military ambitions.

Less of conspiracy

HERE’S a better argument for what Belt and Road is really about. Despite Xi’s close association with it, the initiative isn’t ultimately a connected master plan for Chinese global ascendancy. Instead, it’s betContinued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4850 n UK 67.0622 n HK 6.6825 n CHINA 7.6826 n SINGAPORE 38.7253 n AUSTRALIA 37.6112 n EU 60.5257 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.9628

Source: BSP (January 11, 2019 )

MICROVONE | DREAMSTIME.COM

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Belt and Road is more chaos than conspiracy Continued from a1

ter looked at as a somewhat chaotic branding and franchising exercise, a way for the country’s numerous provincial officials and state-owned companies to slap a presidential seal of approval on whatever project they’re seeking to pursue.

“Far from strictly following Beijing’s grand designs, much of the Belt and Road Initiative’s activity to date looks more scattered and opportunistic,” Jonathan Hillman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, wrote in an analysis last year.

The Journal’s reporting suggests a scheme cooked up on the fly, with its key planks initially proposed by Malaysian rather than Chinese officials. By building the railway at a vastly inflated cost, Chinese state companies would be able to get their hands on spare cash and in return assume some of 1MDB’s debts.

If Malaysia’s Belt and Road projects were all part of a grand strategy hatched by China, the execution was incompetent. According to the Journal, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak did hold talks with Beijing about granting berthing rights to Chinese naval vessels – but the discussion never bore fruit. Then Najib was voted out of office last year, with his successor Mahathir Mohamad seeking to cancel or renegotiate projects he’s labelled a “new version of colonialism.”

Other examples abound. Oil and gas pipelines linking a planned $9.6-billion port in Myanmar to China’s Yunnan province are barely being used after five years in operation. A high-speed train to connect Jakarta to Bandung is running at least two years behind schedule and has barely started construction.

Three of the six transAsia “economic corridors” around which the initiative was originally designed are devoid of major proj-

A MAP of the Silk Road Economic Belt is shown at the 11th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, on May 16, 2015. CHENJINGPO2004 | DREAMSTIME.COM

ects, while countries well outside its original scope such as Nigeria and Argentina are being brought under the Belt and Road umbrella.

Meanwhile, far from binding governments closer to Beijing, its investments in Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have fueled backlashes that brought China-skeptical governments to power.

Sometimes, as with the projects supported by the Asian Infra-

WEATHER

structure Investment Bank, the Belt and Road brand is going to be stuck on worthwhile but generally small-scale investments in boring things like electricity grids, gas storage and flood management. At other times, it will be used to burnish splashy but ill-conceived developments that may never get built, such as a proposed high-speed rail link between Dhaka and Chittagong, in

Bangladesh.

The prestige of Belt and Road may even end up being used to sell projects that are not just illogical but corrupt. If you think the massive web of private contracts, public funds and gatekeeping officials that support major infrastructure projects in emerging countries

HIV…

in the Xi era.

In truth, infrastructure week Beijing-style looks just as disorganized as the Washington version that President Donald Trump occasionally floats. The more concerning thought isn’t that Belt and Road is a vast conspiracy, but that it’s a vast mess.

Continued from A1

harmonizing it with evidence-informed strategies and approaches on prevention, testing, screening, treatment, care and support, making the HIV response flexible and relevant to the characteristic of the HIV epidemic facing the country.

It also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of state institutions involved in the HIV and AIDS response, from government agencies to local governments, thus ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the structure governing the response.

The law also mandates the establishment of a road map on HIV and AIDS that has clear strategies, targets, operationalization framework and funding.

It will also strengthen the information dissemination, education and stigma reduction mechanisms of the law, which guarantees that the country’s HIV and AIDS response is premised on the respect, recognition, and promotion of human rights and dignity.

The Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act will also ensure political correctness and sensitivity.

“This may seem minor, but for PLHIVs, this is an essential aspect of the new law in order to defeat the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. In the old law, AIDS is referred to as a disease in the second sentence of the law. The new one looks at both HIV and AIDS as public health concerns,” Bag-ao said.

Employment

don’t offer ample opportunities for graft, I have a bridge to sell you.

All that is reason for foreign observers to be less worried about the geopolitical ambition of Belt and Road, and much more worried about the light it shines on the haphazard and uneconomic nature of Chinese policymaking

MEANWHILE, the new law also seeks to guarantee that PLHIVs shall not be deprived of any employment, livelihood, microfinance, self-help and cooperative programs by reason of their HIV status.

With this, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of

Labor and Employment, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) shall be tasked with developing enabling policies and guidelines to ensure economic empowerment and independence designed for PLHIVs. Moreover, the DSWD, in coordination with the Department of Health and Tesda, shall also be mandated to develop care and support programs for PLHIVs, including peer-led counseling and support, social protection, welfare assistance, and mechanisms for case management. These programs shall include care and support for their affected children, families, partners and support groups.

Stigma

ALSO, Bag-ao said Congress changed all reference to the “HIV and AIDS epidemic” to “HIV and AIDS situation” to address issues of stigma.

In the new law, the lawmaker said human rights is valued as a core guiding principle. “It is mentioned 10 times and even has its own section. In the old law, human rights was mentioned once only.”

Furthermore, she said, the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) will be restructured.

“Before, PNAC had 26 members—17 government agencies, six NGOs involved in HIV and AIDS prevention, two organizations of medical professionals, and one PLHIV organization. In our new proposal, PNAC will have 21 members—12 from the government and nine from the civil society and private sectors, specifically two PLHIV organizations, one private organization with expertise in standard setting and service delivery, and six NGOs working for the welfare of identified key populations,” she said.

Greater protection for confidentiality is another feature of the new measure, she said.

In the old law, Bag-ao said medical confidentiality is guaran-

teed, but this does not cover instances when a PLHIV is “outed” through the media or social media.

The Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act has a provision to address this. It also seeks to reduce the stigma that forced disclosure perpetuates. The old law obliges an HIV-positive person to disclose his or her status to his or her sexual partner at the earliest opportune time, she said.

But the new law, aside from guaranteeing confidentiality, strongly encourages disclosure instead of imposing it. The PNAC is also tasked to foster an enabling environment to encourage newly tested HIV-positive individuals to disclose their status to their partners.

Minors

BAG-AO said there is also a need to recognize the fact that many people undergo their sexual debut when they are minors.

“While we seek to educate people to be responsible in their sexual behavior, we need to look at this reality. This is why 15-18 year-old individuals will be able to get tested without the need for parental consent. Those below 15 and who happen to be pregnant or engaged in high-risk behavior can undergo testing and counseling with the assistance of a licensed social worker or health worker,” she said.

Consent, in this case, she added, shall be obtained from the child without the need of the approval of a parent or guardian. This is also in response to the fact that there is a large percentage of young people who tested positive for HIV in recent years.

The law also provides stiffer penalties to those who discriminate against PLHIVs and to those who violate other provisions of the law, including the violation of confidentiality, spreading misinformation, denial of life insurance or HMO coverage, and several others.

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TRUMP CLOSER TO DECLARING EMERGENCY; 800,000 WON’T GET PAID W ASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump is edging closer to declaring a national emergency to fund his long-promised border wall, as pressure mounts to find an escape hatch from the threeweek impasse that has closed parts of the government, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers without pay.

Some 800,000 workers, more than half of them still on the job, were to miss their first paycheck on Friday under the stoppage, and Washington was close to setting a dubious record for the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history. Those markers—along with growing effects to national parks, food inspections and the economy overall—left some Republicans on Capitol Hill increasingly uncomfortable with Trump’s demands.

Asked about the plight of those going without pay, the President shifted the focus, saying he felt badly “for people that have family members that have been killed” by criminals who came over the border.

Trump visited McAllen, Texas, and the Rio Grande on Thursday to highlight what he calls a crisis of drugs and crime. He said that “if for any reason we don’t get this going”—an agreement with House Democrats who have refused to approve the $5.7 billion he demands for the wall—“I will declare a national emergency.”

Trump was consulting with White House attorneys and allies about using presidential emergency powers to take unilateral action to construct the wall over the objections of Congress.

He claimed his lawyers told him the action would withstand legal scrutiny “100 percent.”

Such a move to bypass Congress’zws constitutional control of the nation’s purse strings would spark certain legal challenges and bipartisan cries of executive overreach.

A congressional official said the White House has directed the Army Corps of Engineers to look for billions of dollars earmarked last year for disaster response for Puerto Rico and other areas that could be diverted to a border wall as part of the emergency declaration.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly.

“We’re either going to have a win, make a compromise—because I think a compromise is a win for everybody—or I will declare a national emergency,” Trump said before departing the White House for his politically flavored visit to the border.

He wore his campaign-slogan “Make America Great Again” cap throughout.

It was not clear what a compromise might entail, and there were no indications that one was in the offing. Trump says he won’t reopen

the government without money for the wall. Democrats say they favor measures to bolster border security but oppose the long, impregnable barrier that Trump envisions.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said at one point that he didn’t “see a path in Congress” to end the shutdown, then stated later that enough was enough: “It is time for President Trump to use emergency powers to fund the construction of a border wall/barrier.”

Visiting a border patrol station in McAllen, Trump viewed tables piled with weapons and narcotics. Like nearly all drugs trafficked across the border, they were intercepted by agents at official ports of entry, he was told, and not in the remote areas where he wants to extend tall barriers.

Still, he declared: “A wall works.... Nothing like a wall.”

He argued that the US can’t solve the problem without a “very substantial barrier” along the border, but offered exaggerations about the effectiveness of border walls and current apprehensions of those crossing illegally.

Sitting among border patrol officers, state and local officials and military representatives, Trump insisted he was “winning” the shutdown fight and criticized Democrats for asserting he was manufacturing a sense of crisis in order to declare an emergency. “What is manufactured is the use of the word ‘manufactured,’” Trump said.

As he arrived in Texas, several hundred protesters near the airport in McAllen chanted and waved signs opposing a wall. Across the street, a smaller group chanted back: “Build that wall!”

In Washington, federal workers denounced Trump at a rally with congressional Democrats, demanding he reopen the government so they can get back to work.

On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the president of engaging in political games to fire up his most loyal supporters, suggesting that a heated meeting Wednesday with legislators at the White House had been “a setup” so that Trump could walk out of it. AP

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Editor: Efleda P. Campos

13 PHL food exporters join WFFS 2018 in US

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HIRTEEN food companies from the Philippines are set to exhibit from January 13 to 15, in the 44th Winter Fancy Food Show (WFFS) at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco, California.

Led by the Department of Trade and Industry through the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-Citem), the Philippine participation will exhibit and sample the country’s range of healthy, organic

and premium food products.

“The FoodPhilippines pavilion in San Francisco will have a grand showcase of the Philippines’s specialty food products targeted for export in the North American region, as well

A VARIETY of coconut products from Grand Asia Integrated Natural Coco Products Corp. will be on display at the 44th Winter Fancy Food Show from January 13 to 15 at the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco, California. as other neighboring regions,” DTICitem Executive Director Pauline Suaco-Juan said.

The WFFS is the US West Coast’s largest specialty food and beverage event with an estimated 20,000 annual visitors and 1,500 exhibitors from across the US and 28 other countries.

“Specialty food” refers to products of the highest grade, style or quality, derived from their uniqueness, origin, processing method and design.

Exhibiting in WFFS for the first time are CJ Uniworld Corp. with their variety of banana chips; Filipinas Oro de Cacao with their single-origin “Auro Chocolate” from Davao; Grand Asia Integrated Natural Coco Products Corp. with their processed coconut products under the Gaincoco brand; Innovative Packaging Industry Corp. with their Oh So Healthy! fruit crisps.

Meanwhile, Philippine companies that are making a comeback in WFFS

are Bethany Sales Inc.; Century Pacific Food Inc./Century Pacific North America; Islamic Da’Wah Council of the Philippines Inc.; Magic Melt Foods Inc., Pasciolco Agri Ventures; Prime Fruits International Inc.; Profood International Corp.; SL Agritech Corp.; and San Miguel Corp.

“Backed with these firms, we are confident the Philippine delegation will significantly boost the government’s high-impact export strategy to widen our export reach in Western countries,” Suaco-Juan said.

Almay See, general manager of Innovative Packaging Industry Corp. said the US market is a lucrative export market for the Philippines since it “has many Filipinos looking for products from their home country.”

See said Americans have been more health-conscious over the years with their fast-paced lifestyle which opens up a big opportunity for their fun and nutritious line of new guiltfree snacking treats made from 100 percent real fruits.

For this participation, Innovative Packaging Industry Corp. will be

launching two new flavors on their snack line to showcase in WFFS 2019.

“We are excited to showcase our two new products in San Francisco along with our three other flavors, namely Guava Purple Yam Banana, Mango Sweet Potato Banana and Purple Yam Banana Coconut,” See said.

As of August 2018, the US is the Philippines’s second top export destination next to China and followed by Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.

In 2017 the Philippines’s total food and agricultural exports to the US totaled $1.2 billion, the office of the United States Trade Representative said. Leading categories include tropical oils ($555 million), processed fruits and vegetables ($199 million), tree nuts ($109 million), raw beet and cane sugar ($105 million), and fruit and vegetable juices ($79 million).

This participation under FoodPhilippines is led by DTI-Citem as part of the government’s unified effort to promote the Philippines as a source of quality food products in the global market.

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INTRODUCING:

VATICAN ATHLETICS Youth Olympics in 2020 aims to overcome Swiss bid skeptics

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AUSANNE, Switzerland—After voters in Switzerland rejected three Olympic bids since 2013, the city that’s home to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters will still stage a Winter Games in one year’s time.

The 2020 Winter Youth Olympics opening next on January 9 in Lausanne will end a 72-year wait to see medal events contested in the Alpine heartland nation. More important, organizers aim to rebuild Swiss people’s faith in the Olympics after the bruising referendum rejections.

“We really wish that Lausanne 2020 is going to create that will, that trust again for the population,” organizing committee president Virginie Faivre told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I am sure that the future is bright for Switzerland.”

The recent past has been painful for Olympic values in a rich nation steeped in snow and ice sports, which hosted two of the first five Winter Games—at Saint Moritz in 1928 and 1948—yet remarkably none since.

Voters in Saint Moritz’s home canton (state) of Graubeunden said no to prospective bids in 2013 and 2017.

POPE FRANCIS is an avid sports fan that stretches from soccer and now to athletics. AP

By Nicole Winfield The Associated Press

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ATICAN CITY—The Vatican launched an official track team on Thursday with the aim of competing in international competitions as part of an agreement signed with the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

About 60 Holy See runners—Swiss Guards, priests, nuns, pharmacists and even a 62-year-old professor who works in the Vatican’s Apostolic Library—are the first accredited members of Vatican Athletics. It’s the latest iteration of the Holy See’s long-standing promotion of sport as an instrument of dialogue, peace and solidarity.

Because of the agreement with CONI, the team is now a part of the Italian track association and is looking to join the International Association of Athletics Federations.

It is hoping to compete in international competitions, including the Games of the Small States of Europe—open to states with fewer than 1 million people—and the Mediterranean Games.

“The dream that we have often had is to see the Holy See flag among

the delegations at the opening of the Olympic Games,” said Monsignor Melchor Jose Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, team president and the head of the Vatican’s sports department in the culture ministry.

But he said that was neither a short-term nor medium-term goal, and that for now the Vatican was looking to participate in competitions that had cultural or symbolic value.

“We might even podium,” he noted.

Vatican pharmacist-runner Michela Ciprietti told a Vatican press conference the aim of the team isn’t exclusively competitive, but rather to “promote culture and running and launch the message of solidarity and the fight against racism and violence of all types.”

Team members wearing matching navy warm-up suits bearing the Holy See’s crossed keys seal attended the launch. Also on hand were two honorary members of the team, migrants who don’t work for the Vatican but are training and competing with the team, as well as a handful of disabled athletes. The Vatican aims to sign similar agreements with the Italian Paralympic committee.

CONI President Giovanni Malago welcomed the birth of the Vatican team, even though he acknowledged that it might one day deprive Italy of a medal.

“Just don’t get too big,” he told Vatican officials at the launch, recalling how an athlete from another tiny country—Majlinda Kelmendi—won Kosovo’s first Olympic

medal when she defeated Italian rival Odette Giuffrida in the final of the women’s 52-kilogram judo event at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

In recent years, the Vatican has fielded unofficial soccer teams and a cricket team that has helped forge relations with the Anglican church through annual tours in Britain. The track team, however, is the first one to have a legal status in Vatican City and to be an official part of the Italian sporting umbrella, able to compete in nationally and internationally sanctioned events and take advantage of the Italian national coaching, scientific and medical resources.

While Saint John Paul II was known for his athleticism—he was an avid skier—Pope Francis is more of a fan, a longtime supporter of his beloved San Lorezo soccer team in Argentina.

Vatican Athletics’s first official outing is the January 20 “La Corsa di Miguel” (Miguel’s Race), a 10-kilometer race in Rome honoring Miguel Sanchez, an Argentine distance runner who was one of the thousands of young people who “disappeared” during the country’s Dirty War. The choice is significant: Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was a young Jesuit superior in Argentina during the military dictatorship’s crackdown on alleged leftist dissidents.

The first rejection came when the 2022 Olympics seemed a lock for upscale neighbors Saint Moritz and Davos— though also amid reports of Russia spending $51 billion on Sochi.

A slew of European bids, for Summer and Winter Games, have since ended at the ballot box as the IOC fights a public perception of lavish spending and blown budgets.

Switzerland’s Sion—a narrow loser to Italy’s Turin for 2006 hosting rights—then fell in a referendum last June. Voters defied IOC promises to help cut costs and create no white elephants, with Sion the center of a national plan using venues in Lausanne, Saint Moritz and other regions.

“Unfortunately those votes have left a scar, I think, in the heart,” acknowledged Faivre, a Lausanne-born freestyle skier who placed fourth in halfpipe at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

Faivre hopes to deliver a model for prudent future games planning and cited the “paramount” importance of sticking to a $40-million operational budget for the Youth Olympics, more than half from public funds. AP

3-time Olympic champ Yoshida retires

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OKYO—Three-time Olympic wrestling champion Saori Yoshida retired officially on Thursday, saying it’s time for the next generation of Japanese wrestlers to feature at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 36-year-old Yoshida, who also won 13 consecutive world championships, spoke before a packed news conference at a hotel in central Tokyo.

“I realize I have done everything I can as a wrestler and it’s now time to let the next generation of wrestlers take

over,”Yoshida said.

Yoshida had been taking time away from competition since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, where she fell short of a fourth straight Olympic gold medal and settled for silver. She has been serving as a coach for the Japan team in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.

She received the People’s Honor Award in 2012 after surpassing Aleksandr Karelin’s record for consecutive world titles. The Russian great won three Olympic gold medals and nine world championships from 1988-1999.

Yoshida competed for most of her career in the

55-kilogram class but dropped to the 53-kg event for the first time at the Olympics in Rio after the sport’s governing body shifted the weight divisions. AP SAORI YOSHIDA celebrates her gold medal in the London 2012 Olympics. AP

ANTI-DOPING GETS BLACK EYE FOR SHAMING 90-YR-OLD RIDER

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CARL GROVE: Us old guys are kind of like peanuts.

What can I gain at 90 years old doing drugs? Tell me. AP

ITH each pedal-stroke of his 80- and now 90-year-old legs, Carl Grove sought to show his fellow Americans that old age can be rich and rewarding.

His bike is his soapbox. As time caught up with many of his peers, the former United States Navy Band saxophonist, who played for US presidents and visiting VIPs and who was born on his parents’ kitchen table during an Indiana thunderstorm the year before the Great Depression, is still riding to spread his stayactive message—despite a doping violation caused by a diner steak.

He has set age-group cycling records in the 80- and 90-year-old categories and accumulated 18 national championships. What matters most to Grove is setting a healthy, don’t-give-up example in a country increasingly sickened by obesity and the inactivity of modern life.

Through his exploits, his hope was to share the simple maxim he lives by: “Do not sit down.”

“I see all kinds of people that, man, they go up two or three or four steps and I hear them kind of pant and what have you. This country is

not like it used to be. I didn’t see that when I was younger,” says Grove, who will celebrate his 91st birthday on July 13.

“I try to show them that with just a little care and a little exercise and a proper attitude that, maybe, they can live the last eight, 10 years of their life with quality and not have aches and pains.”

At the end of last year, the stay-fit mission he calls his “life’s work” suffered a mighty and, in hindsight, completely unfair and unnecessary blow.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) informed Grove that traces of trenbolone, an anabolic steroid used by US cattle farmers to bulk up livestock, were detected in a urine sample he gave at the US Masters Track National Championships in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania, last July, where the field’s oldest competitor again added to his collection of titles, setting times faster than men in their 80s, 70s and even 60s. He was stripped of his gold medal in the pursuit—the day he tested positive—but kept two others.

Grove’s conscience was clear.

As USADA’s own investigators eventually determined, he knew he hadn’t doped. Instead, Grove had been inadvertently contaminated, probably by a dinner of cow’s liver he ate at a

local diner on the evening of July 10—his way of celebrating his gold medal in the time trial that day, where he was the only competitor in the 90-94 age group.

Still, the failed test was tough on Grove. He knew how it would look, how short attention spans would put the words “cycling,”‘’doping,” ‘’steroids,”‘’disqualified” together and imagine the worst, perhaps picturing a 90-year-old version of Lance Armstrong, cycling’s most infamous dope cheat.

Sure enough, and despite USADA slipping its public announcement out on a Friday, news than an athlete so old had tested positive generated worldwide headlines this week and a mix of incredulity, mirth, sympathy and cruelty online.

“I was really kind of down for a while. But I’m over it,” Grove now says, making his first and only public comments about the case in a telephone interview this week with The Associated Press. “I wanted to be an inspiration, if possible. I worked like a real horse to do it.”

“They struck me from the records. I don’t really care about that too much. The thing that I really, really care about is that I wanted to be a sterling, totally clean person in front of people that knew about me,” he said. “It looked

like I had not been an honest person to a lot of people. I guess I was kind of worried about what did other people think, you know? Then, I began to think: ‘Well, some of them will believe me and some of them won’t.’ I guess that’s just the way it is.”

For the anti-doping system, this is another black eye. Grove says taxpayer dollars should, within reason, continue to be spent on policing amateur sport, not least to combat the increasing use of steroids. But the shaming of a well-intentioned great-grandfather smacks of vindictiveness. There are so many bigger battles, like cleaning up Russian sport, for the anti-doping system to fight.

USADA boss Travis Tygart says that even though the agency determined Grove wasn’t at fault, it had no choice but to issue him with a public warning for the failed test, the lowestlevel step it could take in such a case.

He “ate meat and had a test that you then can’t just sweep under the carpet as much as you might otherwise want to,”Tygart said. “Cases like this make us bang our head against the wall. The outcome is not right and it’s a system gone awry.”

Grove thinks taxpayer dollars that fund antidoping could be better spent on catching cheats,

not bystanders.

“Us old guys are kind of like peanuts. I think that they’re wasting their time,” he said. “What can I gain at 90 years old doing drugs? Tell me, I just don’t know. So I think that somewhere there ought to be a cutoff and they ought to zero in on the stuff that is done for money reasons or whatever it may be. But I think after 65 or 70, you know, they ought to just give up.”

Grove has a resilient attitude to go with his good genes (his mother lived to 105 and his father, a barber, was still cutting hair in his retirement home until a few years before his death at 97). He already has launched into a new challenge: breaking the age 90-95 record for distance ridden in an hour, set by Frenchman Rene Gaillard in 2017, who covered 29.278 kilometers (18 miles).

Grove said he’d start training immediately after getting off the phone with the AP. “Sometimes, I ride in the morning and it’s a beautiful sunrise. I’m alive. I’m looking. I’m looking around. I’m feeling good. I’m so happy,” he said. “I’ve got so many gold medals and ribbons and stuff, and that doesn’t count. What counts is getting out there and doing the best I can do and show people what they can do.” AP

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BusinessMi

Saturday, January 12, 2019 | Editor: Jun Lomibao

Dennis: I was beaten by day’s better rider

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ROHAN DENNIS’S first outing in rainbow bands ends with a second-place finish.

OHAN DENNIS admitted that there was not a lot that he could do to beat Luke Durbridge in the elite men’s time trial at the Australian national championships and that the Mitchelton-Scott rider was simply the better man on the day.

As a three-time defending champion and reigning world champion, Dennis was the overwhelming favorite to take the 2019 title. He was riding in the rainbow jersey decorated with the names of his new Bahrain-Merida team. However, Durbridge took the title by 21 seconds, relegating Dennis off the top spot for the first time since Porte edged him out by seven seconds in 2015.

Losing to Durbridge, winner

of the time trial title in 2012 and 2013, softened the blow and Dennis is happy that the gold and green will be represented in the peloton throughout the year.

“For me, it was a good ride, I was just beaten by a better guy on the day,” Dennis said afterward.

“Whoever wins is the best.

“It definitely helps to be beaten by a guy like Durbridge.

He’s a good guy. If I can’t wear the jersey, it’s nice that it’s still going to be shown in Europe, as well.”

Dennis’s second place on Tuesday marked the first time since the Giro d’Italia prologue last May that he had been beaten in an individual time trial. Dennis has the solace of knowing he will be wearing the

PETER SAGAN TAKING IT EASY DOWN UNDER

PATRICK LEFEVERE is familiar with the Team Sky situation in which his counterpart Dave Brailsford finds himself in.

‘THINK W

P

ETER SAGAN (Bora-Hansgrohe) was in typically relaxed mood as he made his way toward his bike ahead of another pre-Tour Down Under training ride earlier this week.

The three-time former world champion is once again using the WorldTour opener to kick-off his campaign but admitted to Cyclingnews that his training this winter has been less intense than in previous seasons as he looks to carry his form later into the spring and potentially make his Liege-Bastogne-Liege debut.

“I arrived on January 4 and I’ve been training here since then. It’s much better weather than back in Europe, so I’ve been able to get in the kilometers. The plan in the race is to keep on getting in more kilometers, but I don’t really know what to expect from the racing. I’ll take it day-by-day as I have in the past and we’ll see what the result is,” Sagan said.

In the last two seasons, Bora-Hansgrohe have rocked up at the Tour Down Under with both Sagan and Sam Bennett vying for the sprints. The Irishman is absent this year, and although Jay McCarthy is a decent bet for the overall podium, Sagan remains Bora’s best weapon for the bunch sprints on Stages 1 and 2. Last year Sagan won Stage 4 and the Tour Down Under’s warm-up race, the People’s Choice Classic.

Even if he’s not at his best, Sagan has the ability to contest all but two of this year’s Tour Down Under stages.

“Sam is not here but I don’t think that I’m in better condition than I was last year,” Sagan added.

“I’m going to start progressing as the race goes on, but this has been the plan, to start a bit slower and then build up. Each year the season is longer and longer. I’m going to take it easier, but we’ll see for the sprints. I’ll try if I feel

rainbow bands until at least this September, but he would like to know just what went wrong.

“Look, the legs are there. The power was good. As good as any other year, if not just a little bit better,” explained Dennis.

“So, it’s just about finding out why I didn’t go as quick now and fixing it for the next race. It’s all about trying to figure out how to go a little bit quicker with the equipment that I’ve got.”

The time trial was the first chance that Dennis had to show off his new rainbow stripes and with no time trials in his next two races, the Tour Down Under and the UAE Tour, he will have to wait until Tirreno-Adriatico in March to wear it again. Cyclingnews

EVEN if he’s not at his best, Peter Sagan has the ability to contest all but two of this year’s Tour Down Under stages.

good, and I’ll try if I feel bad. I expect to be in the front but I’m not sure if I have enough. I’ve had good training this winter but there’s been less intensity to it.

“Last year in the criterium win I had a lot of luck. I think so, anyway. I was a little behind but then the race just opened up for me. There was a slight headwind, and that helped me coming from the back.”

After the Tour Down Under, Sagan will jet to Argentina and the Tour de San Juan in order to continue his progress toward the spring Classics. He will once again target the one-day races from Milan-San Remo until Paris-Roubaix, while Liege-Bastogne-Liege remains pencilled in. The slightly less intense training over the winter is part of the plan as he looks to go deeper into the Classics and take part in the Ardennes. However, any real hopes for Liege-Bastogne-Liege rest on his form and fitness after Paris-Roubaix concludes. Sagan has never raced the Belgian Monument.

“There are four or five days between here and Argentina, but I start slower this year. We’ll see where I am after Paris-Roubaix. If I’m done then, then it might not make sense to go for Liege.”

EWAN SET FOR REAL TEST

A WIN is a win, as the saying goes, but despite twice raising his arms in victory at the recent Bay Crits, sprinter Caleb Ewan is well aware that his 2019 season really starts at the Tour Down Under.

The Australian fastman switched teams from Michelton-Scott to Lotto Soudal over the winter, and although the rider he replaced at Lotto—Andre Greipel—is not competing at the Tour Down Under this year, Ewan is under no illusions that he will be one of the main focuses at the first WorldTour race of the season.

“I’m really looking forward to getting the season under way,” he told Cyclingnews before a training ride in Adelaide on Wednesday. “Obviously we’ve done a few races already and my form has been pretty good, but I’m really looking forward to racing with the full team. Everyone here is going well. Some riders are still a bit jet-lagged, but by the time the race comes around, they’ll be in good condition.”

Ewan won two out of the three races at the Bay Crits earlier in January, but the 24-year-old fully understands that the competition in Adelaide will be far fiercer. Elia Viviani (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) has arrived with a full lead-out train, while Peter Sagan—despite playing down his chances—is never far from the action in bunch sprints.

There are a number of other WorldTour sprinters in attendance this year, but the home crowd and fans outside of the Australian bubble will be expecting Ewan to add to his tally of seven stage wins.

“The wins at the Bay Crits gave me a bit of confidence and showed where my form is. I know it was a small race, but it was good to get that feeling back—that winning feeling—and I’ve felt strong in the races so far. At Nationals, as I’ve said before, the course only suits me if there’s a headwind and the racing is negative. It wasn’t like that this year, so it was too hard for a sprinter. Me getting around that course was hard enough.”

The Tour Down Under will see Ewan race in new colors, but his transition from Mitchelton to Lotto Soudal should be eased by the fact that he will be working with both riders he’s relied upon in the past and remnants of Greipel’s old train.

Ewan brought Roger Kluge with him from Mitchelton, while Lotto also signed Adam Blythe, who raced with Ewan for a single season on the Australian team in 2015.

“I’m always motivated when I come here, but I’m also intrigued as to how it will go. The guys here are in really good shape, which we saw at our training camp a few weeks ago. I’m looking forward to getting the ball rolling with them,” he said.

Ewan spent part of December at Lotto-Soudal’s training camp in Mallorca, Spain, where he and his teammates could work on their leadout formation and sprint training. That practice will certainly come in handy over the coming days, but, win or lose at the Tour Down Under, the Australian will learn far more from real-time race practice.

“It’s always hard to get that feeling in training, but the guys here are so experienced, and have either worked with me before or have worked with Andre before, so it’s a really good bunch of experience.

“From what I can understand, Andre was more of a guy who wanted to take the lead-outs from the front and stay out of trouble. That was pretty hard for the team to do, and I’m probably more of a guy who can wait in the bunch more and can come [through] at the last minute. That’s something that we can work through by racing.”

Blythe is likely to be Ewan’s final lead-out man at the start of the race, with Kluge used as his second-last man.

“It will change depending on the courses, I think. At the moment, it will be Blythe in front of me and then Roger before him. Maybe the others will switch around a bit, but this is a race where were we can play around with that,” he said. Cyclingnews

NOT YOU D ECEUNINCK-Quick-Step manager Patrick Lefevere has described Sky’s withdrawal from cycling as a blow to the sport as a whole. However, if there is a silver lining for the Belgian boss, it’s that, if Team Sky does survive beyond this year, its financial advantage might be clipped.

Team Sky was created in 2010 and, with a budget that comfortably outstrips the rest of the WorldTour outfits, have gone on to win six editions of the Tour de France, along with the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.

Yet the future of the team was thrown into doubt last month when it was announced that the broadcaster Sky will end its backing of the team at the end of 2019.

Lefevere is familiar with the situation in which counterpart Dave Brailsford finds himself. The long-standing Quick-Step manager spent much of last season searching for fresh investment to secure the future of his team, eventually bringing Deceuninck on board as title sponsor, but not before marquee riders like Niki Terpstra and Fernando Gaviria had upped sticks for bigger contracts elsewhere.

Lefevere proudly presented his 2019 setup in Calpe, Spain, where he spoke about the Sky situation.

“I had some telephone calls from people who probably thought I was a happy man that Sky is disappearing, but that’s totally not true,” Lefevere said. “It’s never good thinking about Manchester United or Real Madrid disappearing from football. It’s a sad story.”

Quick-Step was the most successful team in the peloton in 2018, topping the win rankings once again and even breaking its own record with 73 victories. Despite Lefevere’s success in recent years, he hasn’t had the financial free rein enjoyed by Brailsford in the transfer market, and has increasingly had to say goodbye to key riders, while looking to bring younger riders through.

Many have questioned whether Team Sky’s financial superiority is healthy for the sport, given that its budget is reportedly more than double the WorldTour average of €18 million. Lefevere insisted that he wants to see the team continue, but on a scale that would ensure more of a level playing field.

“I hope for Dave that he finds new money, but I hope he finds 25 million [Euro]—not 40, then the competition will be not so uneven anymore,” Lefevere said.

“Then he has to leave riders, land that means that he cannot think anymore with his wallet; he has to think with his head when he buys a rider.”

FROOME: TEAM’S NOT FI C

HRIS FROOME stressed Team Sky is “not finished by any means” despite Sky’s withdrawal as sponsor after the 2019 season.

“I can’t predict the future but I can say this with absolute certainty, this is a really special team,” Froome said in a message on Twitter. “We plan to be together in 2020 if at all possible and we will all be doing everything we can to help make that happen—in different colors with a new partner but with the same values, focus and desire to win.”

Froome has been with Team Sky since the British WorldTour team was created in 2010, emerging as a team leader after finishing second in the 2011 Vuelta a España.

He has won the Tour de France four times in Team Sky colors, adding a victory at the Vuelta a España in 2017 and at the Giro d’Italia in 2018. He is the team’s leader but had to fight to save his name after returning an adverse analytical finding for asthma drug salbutamol during the 2017 Vuelta a España.

He was eventually cleared before this year’s Tour de France.

Like many of his teammates, Froome has a contract with Team Sky that extends beyond 2019. He signed a new contract in 2017 that runs until the end of 2021. He is expected to

target a fifth Tour de France victory in 2019.

“Everyone at Team Sky has got big ambitions for 2019 and this news has made us more determined than ever to make them happen,” Froome wrote.

He praised Sky and the team’s fans for their long support.

“They have been brilliant partners and it’s been an incredible journey we have shared together. They have helped me personally every step of the way and I will always be grateful for their support. And we are not finished by any means,” he wrote.

“And finally to the fans. Your support has always mattered most to us and the messages we have all received today have meant a lot. We look forward to seeing you on the road in January.”

FROOME: FIVE MORE YEARS

CHRIS FROOME feels he can continue to race for at least five more years, by which point he would be 38.

In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Team Sky rider also claimed that very few riders—”maybe no one”—would be able to handle his training regime.

“I am convinced that I can keep going for another five years—so up to 38 years old,” Froome said.

The assertion did, however, come with a condition: “It must be at top level.”

Five more years would see Froome compete until then end of 2023 and would give him a career span of

irror CYCLING

mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph | Saturday, January 12, 2019

A7

Cavendish guest edits latest ‘Procycling’ issue T

WITH YOUR HEAD,

UR WALLET’ BRAILSFORD: I’LL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER

TEAM Sky principal Dave Brailsford said that he aims to do everything in is power to make sure his team continues.

In an interview with ITV, Brailsford said he sees no negativity surrounding Sky’s sponsorship withdraw, and instead views it as an opportunity for change.

Asked how Team Sky will continue, and in what form, Brailsford told ITV, “Who knows? I can’t give any guarantees, but I’d like to think there are opportunities out there.

“Obviously, there’s what we’ve achieved, and that will never be taken away. It’s been fantastic, and we’ve got 12 months ahead of us, and I am sure we will have a future going forward.”

The broadcaster, Sky, has sponsored the team since its inception in 2010, and the outfit has gone on to be one of the most successful teams in cycling, winning six Tours de France, Chris Froome won four Tours, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, while Bradley Wiggins won the 2012 Tour and Geraint Thomas won the coveted yellow jersey this July.

Brailsford has chosen to remain positive in his communications with the press, telling ITV that he hopes the team will follow through with

another successful season in 2019, its last under the Sky brand.

“I don’t think there’s anything negative at all,” he said in the interview. “I think it’s been a fantastic era, and we’ve got another season yet to go, so we’ve still got 12 months racing and we’ve got to enjoy that.

“We’ve got to really, really enjoy the opportunity, but also I’m sure we’ve got a future beyond Sky and change partners and move on. In a bigger picture, I don’t see the negatives, I just see the positives. I just look forward to getting out there this season and carry on racing.”

Brailsford also praised Sky for its financial support over the past nine seasons, saying he couldn’t have asked for a better relationship with a title sponsor.

“They’ve been brilliant for us, they’ve been brilliant for the team, they’ve been brilliant for the sport and I think we should thank them for that,” he said.

Team Sky has announced its contract renewals with Thomas extending through 2021, and Froome’s still has two years left on his contract. The team recently announced a five-year deal with Egan Bernal and a threeyear deal with Ivan Sosa.

“My personal responsibility at the minute is to make sure there is a future for the team,

the riders, and I take that very seriously,” Brailsford said, adding that he is not worried about the team’s future, and that he will continue to work to build on what the team has already achieved.

“I think our record at the races and what

we’ve achieved, the team that we’ve built, the way that we’ve raced, the way we’ve built the staffing team, has been a fantastic journey, so we’ve got no regrets whatsoever and we look forward and to continue to build.”

Cyclingnews

HE most successful sprinter in Tour de France history, Mark Cavendish takes control of Procycling as guest editor for its latest issue, and chooses the stories and subjects that matter most to him.

All nine features in the magazine have been specifically selected by Cavendish, while there’s also an exclusive interview with the man himself.

Cavendish’s career achievements speak for themselves: 30 Tour de France stage wins; a World Championships road race jersey; rainbow jerseys won on the track; a monument at Milan-San Remo; the points jerseys at all three Grand Tours—plus, more than 100 additional race victories.

Yet the last two seasons have seen him dogged by illness. He was diagnosed with the debilitating Epstein Barr virus in early 2017, but the condition stuck around through 2018 essentially ruining two years for him. There’s also the series of crashes that first knocked him out of the Tour de France in 2017 along with Peter Sagan, then ended his Abu Dhabi Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico last year, and then sent him flying over a bollard out of last spring’s San Remo.

“You don’t go from winning 16 races a year to one. If I’d gone from 16 to 10, you could say ‘he’s getting slower’. But one win, that means something is wrong,” Cavendish tells Edward Pickering, Procycling’s usual editor, when the pair meet in South Africa for an exclusive interview.

Yet Cavendish he feels he’s still got more to give, and as he prepares to start 2019 he has one last target left in his career: collecting the four Tour stage wins he needs to equal Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34.

While in South Africa, Procycling went for a ride with Cavendish and bumped into former Tour winner Cadel Evans along the way. The pair stopped for a coffee and a chat about their favorite places to ride and what being on the bike makes them feel.

Cavendish takes control of the interviewer’s hot seat to speak to somebody who helped mould him into the rider he has become—Team Sky’s Rod Ellingworth.

Back in 2004, Cavendish was a young rider on British Cycling’s newly established Academy, who went to live and race in Italy under the tutelage of Ellingworth, with the two continuing to work together over the years,

though not presently. Cavendish finds out what makes one of the sport’s most unrecognized but important people tick.

In the 10 years since Cavendish won his first Tour stage, the tactics in sprints have changed drastically. Procycling speaks to the top riders in the discipline, including Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Elia Viviani, André Greipel and Sam Bennett, to find out from lead-outs to positioning, what goes into winning a bunch sprint finish today.

Cavendish describes Milan-San Remo as “like an opera,” and the monument, which he won on his debut back in 2009 is one of his greatest days ever on the bike. Daniel Friebe explores why there is so much magic in the 295-kilometer Italian Classic.

Marianne Vos is the first name that came up when Cavendish spoke about the riders he wanted in this edition of the magazine. The Dutchwoman has won almost everything there is to win in the sport and dominated for years when, as Cavendish says, she had little to gain from it financially or otherwise.

“I think she’s wicked,” he says. Sophie Hurcom speaks to the three-time road world champion about her drive and motivation.

Concussion is one of the issues in cycling that is increasingly being discussed and a topic Cavendish felt should not be avoided any longer. The Manxman himself found out just what impact concussion can have when he crashed at the Abu Dhabi Tour last February. Richard Abraham speaks to the doctors in the sport who are trying to create new protocols to protect riders.

Back in 2016, Cavendish combined track racing with his exploits on the road. Few riders regularly mix both disciplines any more, with Elia Viviani, one of the few contemporaries who can most winters be found competing on the track. Richard Moore finds out why racing and training in the velodrome is beneficial to road riders.

One of the most celebrated track meets of the year is the Gent Six Day, a race Cavendish has fond memories of having raced multiple times and won in 2016 with Bradley

FINISHED BY ALL MEANS 16 years after turning professional in 2008.

Froome’s current contract with Team Sky runs out at the end of 2020. If he were to continue riding for five more seasons, he would likely have to battle rising star Egan Bernal for the leadership role within Team Sky, the Colombian having recently signed a five-year deal. Froome has already seen his position as sole Tour de France leader toppled by Geraint Thomas this season after the Welshman took his maiden Grand Tour victory at the French race.

Froome has been the dominant Grand Tour rider in recent years, having won four Tours de France, a Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia.

This season, he attempted to do the Giro-Tour double. He won the Giro in dramatic style with a long-range attack on the Colle delle Finestre on stage 19. However, he was unable to take a record-equalling fifth Tour de France and finished third overall.

Questioned why few had been able to beat him in Grand Tour contests, Froome said that his training was key.

“I think that few riders can handle my training regime—maybe no one. My workouts are very intense. I always try to push my limits,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“By constantly looking up your limit and going over it, you can increase your volume. You have to

find it normal, as it were, to push your boundaries. I always want to become better as a cyclist. It is a kind of obsession. I am therefore fully committed to it. I really want to know every detail.”

Froome is yet to announce his program for next season and has not discounted returning to the Giro d’Italia to defend his title. He also said that he’d love to target the Monuments at some point, but admitted that his desire to win the Grand Tours made races such as Liège-BastogneLiège hard to work into his schedule.

“I love the Monuments. If Liège-BastogneLiège were to be ridden at another time...I have, however, accepted that I have to be prepared for stage races,” he said. “It is not a question of physical fitness or athletic qualities, but of preparation. I won’t change now, but maybe I will do it for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I do not deny that the fifth Tour victory is a goal. I want to be on a par with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.” Cyclingnews

CHRIS FROOME says the team plans to be together in 2020 if at all possible, and “we will all be doing everything we can to help make that happen.”

THE most successful sprinter in Tour de France history, Mark Cavendish, selects all nine features in the magazine.

Wiggins. The boards and trackside cabins of the Belgian city’s historic t’Kuipke velodrome have been home to some of the sport’s biggest stars over the decades. Sam Dansie went to Gent to find out why the race is so loved by riders and fans.

Finally, this month’s Retro feature is a throwback to the first bike race Cavendish ever watched; Chris Boardman’s gold medalwinning ride in the pursuit at the Olympics in 1992. Then just seven years old, the young Cavendish watched as Boardman became the first Briton to win any medal at the Games. Edward Pickering looks back on how Boardman, and his famous Lotus superbike, conquered the world.

Plus, inside the magazine you’ll find all the regular features, the latest products in cycling and an update from regular diarists Dan Martin and Jens Voigt.

Cyclingnews

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, January 12, 2019 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

IN THE U.S.

Older women in power, unwilling to remain unseen

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HEN Susan Zirinsky takes over CBS News in March, she will be the first woman to hold the job. She will also be the oldest person to assume the role, at 66.

Her appointment was announced just days after Nancy Pelosi, 78, was reelected speaker of the House of Representatives—making her the most powerful elected woman in US history—and Rep. Maxine Waters became the first woman and African-American to lead the Financial Services Committee, at age 79.

News of Zirinsky’s ascension broke on the same evening that 71-year-old Glenn Close bested four younger women to win the Golden Globe for best actress.

It seems that older women, long invisible or shunned aside, are experiencing an unfamiliar sensation: power.

There are more women over 50 in the US today than at any other point in history, according to data from the US Census Bureau. Those women are healthier,workinglongerandhavemore income than previous generations.

That is creating modest, but real progress in their visibility and stature.

“Age—don’t worry about it—it’s

a state of mind,” Zirinsky said on Tuesday when asked about the effect of her age on her new job. “I have so much energy that my staff did an intervention when I tried a Red Bull.”

Men, of course, have led major organizations well into their seventh and even eighth decades, retaining their power and prominence. But the #MeToo movement has toppled some high-profile males, from 77-yearold Charlie Rose to Les Moonves, 69, who was ousted as head of CBS after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, creating unexpected openings for the elevation of women.

And Susan Douglas, a professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan who is writing a book on the power of older women, said “a demographic revolution” was occurring—both in the number of women who are working into their 60s and 70s and in the perception, in the wake of #MeToo, of their expertise and value.

“Older women are now saying ‘No, I’m still vibrant, I still have a

DOH to drugstores: Give discount on diabetes, hypertension meds

H

EALTH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III called on drugstores and pharmaceutical companies to sell diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension medications at a discounted price.

This, after the Department of Finance (DOF) announced that such medicines will be exempted from valueadded tax starting January 1, 2019.

This is in line with the implementation of Section 109-AA of Republic Act 10693 as implemented by the DOF, Department of Health (DOH), Bureau of Internal Revenue and Food and Drug Authority (FDA) Joint Administrative Order 2-2018 and BIR Regulations 25-2018.

Duque said senior citizens would benefit greatly from this, in addition to those who have hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

“We request the drugstores to ob-

serve the law so we don’t encounter problems. Otherwise, you might be sued. There is only 7 percent of senior citizens out of the total population of 104 million and the rest won’t be covered,” he added.

With its implementation, senior citizens will have a 32-percent discount on all medicines for such diseases.

Duque said concerned agencies worked on the VAT exemption for these types of medicine first as they are the “common maintenance medications, which many Filipinos spend a lot of money on.” “But we’re also sensitive to the clamor of some groups like the cancer patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer,” he said.

As a regulatory oversight agency, Duque said the FDA will ensure that the important provisions of the law are complied with, with the help of the DOH. PNA

SEN. Eliza­beth Warre­n (D-Ma­ss.) speak­s at an event in Anken­y, Iowa on January 6, 2019. Warre­n’s 2020 campa­ign annou­nceme­nt comes as older women are havin­g a power­ful momen­t—one that many say is long overd­ue and refle­cts broad­er, and almos­t unnot­iced progress in visibility and stature. NEW YORK TIMES PHOTO

lot to offer, and I’m not going to be consigned to invisibility,” she said.

“These women are reinventing what it means to be an older woman.”

In 2016 the average life span of women in the United States was 81.1, compared with men’s 76.1. Nearly a third of women ages 65 to 69 are now working, up from 15 percent in the late 1980s, according to recent analyses by Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz.

Some 18 percent of women ages 70 to 74 work, up from 8 percent.

Interestingly, working longer is more common among women with higher education and savings—while

those who are not working are more likely to have poor health and low savings and to be dependent on Social Security.

“I can assure you I did not like— in fact, I flinched—when The Times wrote about my new company, and there it was in black and white, ‘Christiane Amanpour, 60,’” said Amanpour, who replaced Rose on PBS last year and turns 61 this week. “But then I thought, No, this is cool!—I’m 60 and a whole other chapter of my life is opening.’”

Despite the excitement, it is still rare to find women in their 60s leading major institutions or taking cen-

ter stage in other industries.

In cinema, for example, a 2017 study from the University of Southern California found that just 2.6 percent of the speaking roles in 25 films nominated for best picture were women older than 60—and those women were far less likely to be depicted in powerful jobs.

“I think this notion of who can lead and who can’t is being completely upended,” said Katie Couric, the longtime news anchor, who celebrated her 62nd birthday this week.

“So to see someone like Glenn Close give the most moving speech of the night, and her experience and wisdom respected, or when you see Susan Zirinsky be elevated, I say ‘Bring it on, let’s have more of this.’”

“Z should have gotten this job 10 years ago,” Couric added, using Zirinsky’s nickname.

There is a joke often repeated among women of a certain age: You can walk into a grocery store and shoplift whatever you want, because nobody will notice that you’re even there.

Older women have long been expected to “fade into the background,” as scholar Joan C. Williams put it— considered so far past their sexual prime that they were almost invisible. (Lest you think that notion is outdated, look no further than French author Yann Moix, who told Marie Claire magazine last week that

he does not notice women over 50.)

And while men’s value has long been perceived as rising with age, women’s has often fallen. In her book, The Beauty Bias, Deborah Rhode, a Stanford law professor, explained that while silver hair and furrowed brows made aging men look “distinguished,” aging women risked marginalization or ridicule for their efforts to pass as young.

It is no surprise, then, that according to one analysis, by Time, male actors hit their professional peak at 46, while female actors top out at 30. (As actor Helen Mirren recently put it, responding to a report that, at 37, Maggie Gyllenhaal had been told she was “too old” for a role opposite a 55-year-old man: “As James Bond got more and more geriatric, his girlfriends got younger and younger. It’s so annoying.”)

In another survey, compiled a few years ago by Newsweek, 84 percent of corporate hiring managers said they believed a “qualified but visibly older” candidate would make some employers hesitate—particularly if those candidates were women.

And while more people over 65— almost 20 percent—are still working than at any other point since the 1960s, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, even when America’s jobless rate was close to full employment it was women over 50 who were having the hardest time finding work. New York Times News Service

Iconic Japanese newspaper in Brazil closes after 72 years

S

ÃO PAULO—The São Paulo Shimbun newspaper has printed its final edition, ending a 72-year run as a vital reference point and voice for Brazil’s Japanese community—the largest in the world outside of Japan.

The Japanese-language newspaper, whose final edition rolled off the presses on January 1, was a victim of declining sales, an aging readership and the Internet. Its owner, Helena Mizumoto, said an online version may be launched in the future.

São Paulo Shimbun was founded in 1946, shortly after the end of World War II. Mizumoto said that before the Internet and cable television, immigrants would call the newspaper to find out where they could find Japanese-owned business.

“The Google of the community was here,” Mizumoto said, adding that the newspaper was instrumental in letting expats know that

Japan had lost the war.

For decades São Paulo Shimbun , from its offices in Sao Paulo’s Asian neighborhood of Liberdade, served as the main reference point for Japanese living in the South American country. While mainly in Japanese, it printed a few pages in Portuguese, as well.

Japanese expats got most of their national and international information from the São Paulo Shimbun up until the 1990s, but that “ended with internet and the NHK Japanese news channel,” said Eduardo Nakashima, secretarygeneral of the Brazil-Japan Cultural Alliance.

In Liberdade, Nobukazu Kanomata, an 83-year-old massage therapist who was born in Japan and came to Brazil after the war, said the newspaper closed “because there are fewer people in the community able to read Japanese and

the quality of its articles got worse.”

Kanomata spoke in the main square of Liberdade where he goes every morning at 6 a.m. to practice radio taiso exercises with other elderly Japanese immigrants.

B u s i n e s s m a n Yo s h i k a t s u Yamashita said he only read the part of the newspaper printed in Portuguese “because the part in Japanese was a bit difficult.”

Brazil ’s first Japanese migrants arrived in the port of Santos aboard the steamship Kasato Maru on June 18, 1908, spurring a wave of immigration that grew to about 2 million people. They introduced foods that changed Brazilian cuisine and farming techniques that helped turn Latin America’s biggest country into an agricultural superpower.

The arrival of the first immigrants was the result of negotiations between Japan and São Paulo state,

where most Japanese-Brazilians still live. Japan needed an escape valve for poor farmers, who were left out of the country’s rapid modernization beginning in the late 1800s.

Meanwhile, São Paulo coffee growers needed more workers to tend to their coffee plantations.

Like many immigrant groups, the early settlers planned to return home in two to five years and start new lives with their earnings. But they quickly realized they would never save enough for a return ticket. Many eventually migrated to urban centers or to other rural areas.

While slicing fish at a restaurant, sushi chef Hiro Konno said: “I don’t think we should disconnect so much [from Japanese culture].

Those of us who have Japanese roots should do more to preserve them. For me, the closing of the newspaper is very sad.” AP

Sears dept store–their corporate family–is dying, but workers’ loyalty lives on

T

HE annual Christmas luncheon was called for noon, but many members of the Atlanta Sears Family had arrived at the church hall by 10:30 a.m.

There was a lot to catch up on: birthdays, illnesses and news of club members who had died over the past few months. There was baked ham, green beans and cherry pie for lunch.

There was music—oldies and Christmas carols mostly. One club member, 84-year-old Herman Atwood, danced to “My Girl,” twisting and twirling in his Sears Roebuck sweater vest as if he was at a wedding.

Sears may be struggling to survive after filing for bankruptcy in October, its rundown and empty stores symbolizing a has-been company that failed to adapt. But across the country, legions of former Sears workers like Atwood, a retired truck driver, gather regularly to reminisce about their long careers in retailing. The brands like Kenmore and DieHard that lasted for decades. The limitless creativity of shoplifters. The impossible task of selecting the women’s shoe inventory.

For an older generation of Sears retirees, their former employer remains a central part of their lives, a throw-

back in an industry now known for high turnover, low wages and costly health care. Today, there are dozens of Sears alumni groups, from Bangor, Maine, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, forming one of the largest and most active retiree networks in the nation.

“It feels like family,” Mattie Hughey said as she sat with three friends she met packing catalog orders in the Sears warehouse in Atlanta 30 years ago.

Long before it went bankrupt, before it was taken over by hedge fund manager Edward S. Lampert, and before Amazon pioneered internet shopping, Sears was the nation’s largest retailer, with about 350,000 employees near its peak.

In its heyday, a period stretching from the end of World War II to the 1970s, Sears offered many of its workers a clear path to the middle class. The company paid well, shared profits and provided retirement benefits that have helped many former employees live in relative comfort.

Madison Price, 87, comes every year to the holiday luncheon to see old friends and soak in the music.

He grew up working on a farm in Georgia, helping grow cotton and

corn. His father split the proceeds from their crops with the man who owned the farm. Price didn’t finish high school and often missed school because he was needed on the farm.

After returning from the Korean War, Price got a job as a janitor in a store in Atlanta in 1958. When he retired after 34 years, Price sold the Sears stock the company had granted him over the years and took his pension in a lump sum.

He reinvested the money only in things that he uses: shares in Georgia’s power utilities and municipal bonds of DeKalb County and the Atlanta airport. Today, Price said he drew enough in dividends and interest from his investment portfolio, along with Social Security, to live comfortably. He paid for his son’s college tuition, and his wife, Earnestine, has been able to take trips with her friends.

“I am blessed,” Price said.

Many of the retirees at the luncheon said they viewed their time at Sears as being part of something bigger than just working at a successful retailer. They worked for a force in American culture and business. Sears sold everything:

feed for chickens, Whirlpool washing machines, as well as the nightgowns, watches and erector sets in the Christmas “wish book.”

“One man came by looking for a wagon for his horse,” said Jerril Parker, who worked in security at Sears in the Atlanta area for 45 years.

Sears also had an outsize physical presence. In Atlanta, the company occupied one of the largest buildings in the region—a store, warehouse and regional office covering over 2 million square feet. The red brick warehouse on Ponce De Leon Avenue was a precursor to the e-commerce fulfillment centers that shipped thousands of items ordered through the catalog.

Parker recalled hiding in a refrigerator box with small holes cut into the side so he could conduct surveillance on employees unloading merchandise.

One day, Parker said, his security staff caught a young seasonal worker trying to steal seven plaid skirts for his sister and her cheerleading squad by wearing them under his pants. “He just kept getting bigger and bigger through the day,” Parker said.

Sears workers became experts in their fields—heating systems, kitch-

en appliances, cosmetics. And they were proud of what they sold. Elder Penny, who started at Sears after serving as a Navy supply officer in World War II, was a regional buyer of women’s shoes. Penny, 94, still has the same Kenmore refrigerator he bought at Sears in 1974.

“I think I will wear out before it does,” he said.

There was also a feeling of camaraderie and support. Decades ago, the Sears headquarters in Illinois were referred to as “parent”—a telling symbol of the way employees viewed their employer.

Experienced workers took new recruits under their wing. When a manager relocated to a new store, other employees there helped him look for a new home.

Bill Rudolph, 66, came to the lunch with his friend Dorothy Davis, who he met when he was a manager in a Sears in the Atlanta area. He picked up Davis, 89, at her home and gave her a ride because she has stopped driving.

Rudolph, who started at Sears when he was 18, said Davis and other women looked out for him during his early years at the company. Rudolph went on to become a director of op-

erations nationally before retiring in March after 47 years.

“It was a place where people cared for each other,” said Rudolph, who was overcome with emotion recalling the help he received from the older women.

Sears today is nothing like the company many retirees remember.

The retailer stopped profit-sharing in the 1970s, and employees hired more recently no longer receive pensions. Under its chairman, Lampert, the company has been selling off many of its most valuable stores and laying off thousands of workers.

On Friday, Lampert, through his hedge fund, ESL Investments, made a $4.4 billion bid to acquire many of the company’s remaining assets, including its retail stores. Lampert said the proposal would keep 50,000 workers employed.

Retirees warned long ago that Lampert’s involvement with Sears would end badly. When his hedge fund acquired the company in 2005 by merging it with Kmart, a group of former workers hired a plane to fly over the headquarters in Illinois pulling a banner that read, “Sears Unfair to Retirees.” New York Times News Service

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

/

IMAGE FROM SEUNGRI’S INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT

BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 12, 2019 A9

For the love of ‘The Great Seungri’ PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

B

EFORE I even begin, let me make a disclaimer: This article is not at all meant to diminish the efforts of promoters Jinquan Entertainment and VISM, with Loong Studio and Fei Long Wang for local support, to bring The Seungri Show: The Great Seungri Tour 2019 in Manila to the Philippines. The goal is to bring to light the efforts of fans in making sure that more people get to watch the concert.

On December 28 Loong Studio formally announced that Seungri of the Korean group Bigbang was coming on January 19 with The Seungri Show: The Great Seungri Tour 2019 in Manila at the Mall of Asia Arena. Ticketing started the following day.

A background for non-fans: Seungri is one-fifth of one of South Korea’s best-selling artists, Bigbang.

Other members of the YG Entertainment group include the group’s leader, fashion icon G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P and Daesung. Seungri is the youngest in the group and while the four members are in the military, he has been heavily promoting in various ways, including this concert tour. Sources said the local fans had voiced concerns about there being a short lead time for fans to buy tickets, but Seungri himself wanted to come to Manila to meet his fans.

Bigbang fans, known collectively as VIPs, began mobilizing efforts to raise funds to provide tickets to those who can’t afford it at the moment.

“The event was initially deemed not feasible according the local organizers, but the event pushed through just weeks leading to the December 28 announcement in consideration of the VIPs that Seungri wanted to meet across Asia as part of his 2019 tour expansion,” said a representative from Seungri’s fanbase GT2VI PH. Projects related to the concert include encore banners, giveaways, VIP message boards and a donation drive for a Mall of Asia globe ad.

All of the efforts were heartwarming. Some VIPs “lent” money to strangers by paying for the tickets in advance. A lot of fans donated to the efforts of Seungri’s Philippine fanbase.

Level up the family bonding experience with Da Vinci Kids

One account on Twitter bought tickets for fans, requiring just a 50-percent downpayment with the balance to be settled on or before February 15.

For a donation of at least P500 (or any amount actually), you could help toward the purchase of a ticket for a VIP or an ad on Facebook or Instagram.

Most of the fan initiatives were on Twitter.

I know that many of my Twitter friends donated huge amounts of cash to the fund-raising initiatives just to make sure everything was OK, all for Bigbang

and Seungri. I myself made a humble donation.

Non-fans may wonder why we do this. Aside from Bigbang, it’s really about sisterhood. We have VIP sisters everywhere—from Croatia to India—and we’re bonded by a common love and respect for these five boys. By the way, Loong Studio’s media partners will also have some surprises for Philippine VIPs in the days leading to the concert. Follow @LoongStudio on Twitter for details.

For tickets, go to www.smtickets.com. ■

10 things to know when buying a secondhand laptop BUYING a used laptop is a smart and practical move, especially when you want to save a little cash but still get a good deal. With so many used laptops being sold online, however, knowing which one to choose can be quite daunting.

“There is a huge market for secondhand gadgets, especially for laptops. Based on OLX’s Data Hub, the most searched gadget by our users is the laptop. About

40 percent of searches for computers are laptops,” says OLX Goods & Services head Rambo Joinani.

“As long as one knows what to look for, buying a pre-owned laptop is a smart and economical option.

We’d love to share some pointers to help our users find the best laptop that fits their needs.”

So before you close that deal on that pre-loved laptop you’re eyeing, read these 10 useful tips from OLX (www.olx.ph), the country’s leading classifieds platform: 1. KNOW YOUR NEEDS. Trim down your choices by identifying your specifications. Are you looking for a laptop that’s good for basic use like sending e-mails, Web surfing, basic office functions and picture sharing? Or will you be using it for intermediate applications like basic creative software and advanced office duties? Another possible use is for advanced functions like gaming, Web hosting, or music/photo/ video editing. Knowing what you will be using it for will help lead you to the best used laptop suited for your needs.

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH. Before making your purchase, make sure to read user reviews on different laptop brands and models. See what people are saying about brand performance over time. It also pays to do a background check on the sellers to make sure that they have a good history in the community.

3. GET TO KNOW THE ORIGINAL PRICE LIST FOR NEW LAPTOPS. Before purchasing a used laptop, make sure to compare the secondhand price with the brand-new price. Knowing and comparing the prices will help you make an informed decision whether you’re better off buying a used laptop or a brand-new one.

4. CHECK THE SPECIFICATIONS. Once you have made a short list of possible laptop units you want to buy, check the inclusions that the seller will be providing aside from just the unit. Make sure all the pertinent

details of the laptop are made available to you. This includes the original software CD, recovery CD, drivers, backup media and licenses of the software.

Very important: Be sure to check if the preloaded operating system is genuine.

5. EXAMINE THE ‘INSIDE’ OF THE LAPTOP. Ask the seller if it is possible to check the motherboard to test how responsive and fast the laptop is. Observe if it heats up fast or makes loud noises when you start it up.

6. LOOK AT THE PHYSICAL CONDITION. Many buyers wish to purchase used laptops that look brand-new and spotless. If the external appearance matter to you, you might want to check if there are any dents or cracks because these might lead to bigger problems for the used laptop in the long run.

7. EXAMINE THE LAPTOP SCREEN. Check the condition of the screen. It’s not worth the purchase if the screen flickers or has uneven brightness because it could mean there are loose connections that cannot be repaired.

8. PERFORM A THOROUGH BATTERY CHECK. The great thing about laptops is that they can be used even when unplugged. Thus, its battery life is important. Most laptop batteries have a lifespan of three years, so if it’s a used laptop, it’s possible that its battery will have a limited standby time. Be sure to check this before making your purchase.

9. INSPECT THE PORTS AND PERIPHERALS. Try out all the ports, headphone plugs, HDMI, SD card slots, CD/ DVD drive, and other inputs, which are essential for an easy file transfer or other recreational purposes.

These are attached to the motherboard and may get costly to replace.

10. VERIFY WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY. The value of a used laptop decreases if it can’t connect to Wi-Fi. Before buying, make sure that it can connect to Wi-Fi networks without hassle.

WANTING to know how to make pancakes at home or learn the basics of physics? Level up the family bonding experience and amaze your kids every day as you join them in their learning adventure with the Da Vinci Kids app anytime, anywhere!

Da Vinci Kids is a new family-oriented interactive video-on-demand app with an impressive library of educational content that will surely tickle the minds of your kids.

Curious? Here’s what in store for your little ones on Da Vinci Kids.

■ FUN, FASCINATING VIDEOS. Over 350 hours of fun videos are available and categorized into main catalogs, namely, Mother Earth, Amazing Animals, How Stuff Works, Our Body, Inspiring Art, Fascinating History, and Mathematics. Concepts are visualized through videos that are easily understood by kids.

■ EDUTAINMENT QUIZZES. Kids can take the challenge of fun quizzes on interesting topics such as Insects, History and Sports. Tip: Get a perfect score on these quizzes by watching the related episodes.

■ EDUTAINMENT GAMES. An entertaining array of mini-games also await youngsters in Da Vinci Kids.

Give their brains a workout with Memory Gym; create a pixel art masterpiece with Pixel Artist; or learn fraction concepts with The Train Conductor.

■ KIDS STUDIO. Is your kid passionate about science, or has an exciting experiment he or she would like to share to everyone? Kids Studio is the place to be. It’s a safe, video-sharing community within Da Vinci Kids where they can create their own mobile stories and have it published on the app.

To top all that, by completing the app’s games and activities that encourage “learn by doing,” kids are awarded achievements and badges to motivate them to discover more.

As the leader of the pack when it comes to the Filipino digital lifestyle, Globe is giving an exclusive offer to help level up your bonding experience with your child. Only Globe Postpaid customers can enjoy this amazing app with a 30-day subscription at a discounted price of P99 (versus regular price of P109).

With just P99, imagine the possibilities your child can achieve by applying what he or she has learned through Da Vinci Kids.

To avail yourself of this offer, follow these steps: 1. Download Da Vinci Kids on the App Store (for Apple users) or Google Play Store (for Android users).

2. Open the app and click on the subscribe button on the upper right corner.

3. Choose the exclusive Globe offer worth P99/ month.

4. Answer the adult verification question.

5. Enter your mobile phone number.

6. Enter the PIN code that will be sent to your mobile.

Voila! You and your child can begin your adventure on Da Vinci Kids. Who knows, your child might just be the next art, science or mathematics prodigy.

With Globe Postpaid and Da Vinci Kids, moms and dads can bond with their children over great educational entertainment anytime, anywhere. To learn more about Globe Postpaid and its latest offers, visit www.globe.com.ph/postpaid.

A10 Saturday, January 12, 2019

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Net�lix and chill no more– streaming is getting complicated /

DISNEY and WarnerMedia are each launching their own streaming services in 2019 in an effort to challenge Netflix’s dominance.

Netflix viewers will no longer be able to watch hit movies such as Black Panther or Moana, which will soon reside on Disney’s subscription service.

AP

S

BY MAE ANDERSON The Associated Press

TREAMING TV may never again be as simple, or as affordable, as it is now.

Disney and WarnerMedia are each launching their own streaming services in 2019 in a challenge to Netflix’s dominance. Netflix viewers will no longer be able to watch hit movies, such as Black Panther or Moana, which will soon reside on Disney’s subscription service.

WarnerMedia, a unit of AT&T, will also soon have its own service to showcase its library of blockbuster films and HBO series.

Families will have to decide between paying more each month or losing access to some of their favorite dramas, comedies, musicals and action flicks.

“There’s definitely a lot of change coming,” said Paul Verna at eMarketer, a digital research company.

“People will have more choices of what to stream, but at the same time the market is already fragmented and intimidating, and it is only going to get more so.”

Media companies are seeking to capitalize on the popularity and profitability of streaming. But by fragmenting the market, they’re also narrowing the once wide selection that fueled the rise of Internet-based video. About 55 percent of US households now subscribe to paid streaming video services, up from just 10 percent in 2009, according to research firm Deloitte.

Just as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime tempted people to “cut the cord” by canceling traditional cable TV packages, the newer services are looking to dismember those more-inclusive options.

Disney Plus is set to launch late next year with new Marvel and Star Wars programming, along with its library of animated and live-action movies and shows. It hasn’t announced pricing yet, but Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an August call with analysts that it will likely be less than Netflix, which runs $8 to $14 a month, since its library will be smaller.

AT&T plans a three-tier offering from WarnerMedia, with a slate of new and library content centered around the existing HBO streaming app. No word on pricing yet.

Individual channels, such as Fox, ESPN, CBS and Showtime, are also getting into the act. Research group TDG predicts that every major TV network will launch a direct-to-consumer streaming service in the next five years.

Netflix and others have invested heavily in original movies and TV shows to keep their customers loyal. Netflix, for instance, said that 45 million subscriber accounts worldwide watched the Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box during its first seven days on the service in December, the biggest first-week success of any movie made for the company’s nearly 12-year-old streaming service.

That first-week audience means nearly a third of Netflix’s 137 million subscribers watched the movie from December 21 through December 27—a holidayseason stretch when many people aren’t working and have more free time.

But Netflix, Hulu and others may soon have to do without programs and movies licensed from their soon-to-be rivals. In December, Netflix paid a reported $100 million to continue licensing Friends

CANON PHOTOMARATHON PHILIPPINES 2018 GRAND WINNER BAGS SPOT AT THIRD TRY

from WarnerMedia.

Why are media companies looking to get in? Data and dollars. Sure, they get money when they sell their programs to other services like Netflix. But starting their own service allows networks and studios access to valuable data about who is binging on their shows.

For services with ad-based options, that data translates into more dollars from advertisers. And services that rely only on subscription revenues, media companies can use the data to better tailor their offerings for individual tastes, helping to draw in more subscribers.

“I think all media companies are coming to grips with the reality that you better establish a relationship directly with your audiences,” said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson at an analyst conference earlier this month.

The business model that some networks and content companies are currently using, distributing their TV shows and movies only by licensing them to streaming platforms, is getting “disrupted aggressively” as more companies launch their own services, said Stephenson, whose company acquired WarnerMedia in June.

Forrester analyst Jim Nail compares this moment to the “Cambrian explosion,” a historic era when plant and animal species rapidly multiplied after Ice Age glaciers receded.

“Big brands like Disney have to evaluate: Are we only going to access this market by licensing our content to Netflix, Hulu and others?” he said. “Or, can we go direct to the consumer with our own service?”

But a multiplicity of streaming services could easily overwhelm or confuse consumers. To get a full slate of programming, TV watchers may soon have to subscribe to several services instead of just one or two.

Among those options will be services like Netflix and Hulu that offer a wide range of video from a variety of sources; cable-like “skinny bundles” such as FuboTV, Sling and YouTube TV that offer a variety of live channels; and channel- or network-specific services like Disney Plus.

Consider just AT&T’s plan to launch a threetiered service this year centered on HBO. An entry-level bundle will offer mostly movies; a second, slightly more expensive tier will include original programming and newer movies. A third and still more expensive offering would add more WarnerMedia entertainment such as Friends.

The cost of multiple streaming services could quickly approach the average cost of a cable bill— not counting the cost of Internet service. That’s around $107 per month, according to Leichtman Research Group.

“It’s unlikely any of the services individually can charge more than $10 per month,” Forrester’s Nail said. “The great unknown is how many individual streaming services people are willing to sign up for.”

Companies are already trying to tame this chaos by bundling multiple streaming services together.

Amazon Prime customers can add-on subscriptions to HBO, Showtime or Starz. Roku and Chromecast viewers can access their different services from a central place; Roku said on Wednesday it will start selling in-app access to Showtime, Starz and other channels, as well.

How should consumers deal with all the coming change?

“Be patient,” said Michael Greeson, president of research group TDG. “We’re in a time of dramatic change for the TV and video business. There’ll be great benefits, and question marks and consequences.” ■

THE expression “third time’s a charm” perfectly captured the journey and experience of 25-year-old Luke Anthony Obusan Singson as he bested hundreds of photographers at the Philippine leg of the biggest on-the-spot photography contest in Asia—the Canon PhotoMarathon 2018. This is his third attempt to take a spot in the competition and with this triumphant win, Singson moves forward to the championship in Japan to represent the Philippines.

Singson, who currently works as a cruise line photographer, first joined Canon PhotoMarathon in 2014 after his father, who is also a photographer, influenced him to join the competition. “My dad has always been a Canon user so he basically introduced me to the brand. I started shooting in high school and oftentimes, I would join him in his shoots and we would do a lot of photo walks. Canon PowerShot G2, which is a point-and-shoot camera, pa gamit ko nun.”

On his third year to join the highly anticipated competition, Singson was finally hailed as the Canon PhotoMarathon Philippines 2018 Champion. With the theme “The World in The Eyes of The Next Generation,” Singson’s winning shot was taken using a Canon EOS 60D DSLR with an EF 1740mm f/4L USM lens.

“Upon hearing the theme, I knew I had to find a structure with eyes peeking at or looking into a moment. The first area my dad and I scouted didn’t work, so we continued to walk around the city and came across this interesting wall. I asked my dad to stand by the wall for a test spot and told him, ‘I think this could work.’ Tapos nag-abang lang kami until I got the shot I wanted with the perfect subjects.”

Singson’s latest addition to his Canon EOS 60D, EOS 40D, and PowerShot G2 is a brand-new Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera worth P147,998 which he took home after winning the competition, along with a ViewSonic VP2468 24’’ Professional Monitor, and a one-year membership at Celebrity Fitness, One Bonifacio High Street. He will also represent the country at the Canon PhotoMarathon Grand Finals in Japan.

“I’m very excited about the grand finals. It will be my first time to participate in an international competition and I’m beyond grateful to be alongside amazing photographers—my fellow finalists from the other countries,” he added.

Canon PhotoMarathon started in Singapore in 2003 and is currently the largest on-the-spot photography contest in Asia. Now held in Nepal, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China Mainland, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, the competition has been receiving overwhelming reception among different communities in the Asian region throughout the years.

Threat actors to keep a low profile on their cyber attacks in 2019

BY RIZAL RAOUL S. REYES CYBER security provider Kaspersky recently warned that hackers will try to conduct their hacking activities in 2019 in a low key manner toward a higher success ratio.

“In 2018, threat actors have led to new paradigms.

Public awareness has grown and expert investigations have highlighted big cyber operations, making the topic front page news across the world. This will lead to a change in the cyber landscape, as sophisticated threat actors seek silence and obscurity for their attacks in order to increase the likelihood of success.

This shift makes the finding of new, large-scale, sophisticated operations very unlikely, and will definitely take the art of detection and attribution to the next level,” said Vicente Diaz, security researcher at Kaspersky Lab in a press statement.

Although the cyber security industry has consistently developed state-of-the-art, governmentsponsored operations, Kaspersky said threat actors

have the capability to go underground and below the radar to avoid publicity and the likelihood of being “found out.” With enough resources, they will be able to diversify tool kits and practices, making detection and attribution extremely difficult.

With the ability of threat actors to perform covert operations in a more sophisticated manner, Kaspersky said this will lead to the deployment of tools specialized for targeting victims at their very core, compromising networking hardware. “The new strategy will allow threat actors to focus their activities on discreet botnet-style compromise or to perform more sneaky attacks on the selected targets,” the company said.

Other targeted threat predictions for 2019 include supply-chain attacks, mobile malware, rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) botnets, spear-phising, arrival of advanced persistent actors and public retaliation, Kaspersky said attacks on the supply chain are among the biggest problems despite the introduction

of cutting-edge tools to fight it.

Meanwhile, Kaspersky said the industry has not developed major inroads in mobile, stressing that a lot of threat actors have a mobile component to their campaigns to help broaden the list of potential victims. “While there won’t be any big outbreak in mobile-targeted malware, we will see continuous activity and new ways for advanced attackers to get access to victims’ devices,” Kaspersky said.

“It warned that it should not belittle the the rapid growth of IoT botnets because these could be quite dangerous once it falls into nefarious hands.

Kaspersky warned that spear-phishing should be a given a closer watch because of the huge implications of a data breach. Data obtained from different attacks on social-media giants, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter, are now available in the market for anyone to acquire. Recent large-scale data leaks from different social-media platforms might help attackers to improve the success of this infection vector,” the company said.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, January 12, 2019 A11

With slump in iPhone sales, are we post peak smartphone?

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BY MAE ANDERSON The Associated Press

EW YORK—Behind Apple’s disconcerting news of weak iPhone sales lies a more sobering truth: The tech industry has hit peak smartphone, a tipping point when everyone who can afford one already owns one and no breakthroughs are compelling them to upgrade as frequently as they once did.

Some manufacturers have boosted prices to keep up profit. But Apple’s shortfall highlights the limits of that strategy. The company said demand for iPhones is waning and revenue for the last quarter of 2018 will fall well below projections, a decrease traced mainly to China.

Apple’s shares dropped 10 percent on Thursday on the news—its worst loss since 2013. The company shed $74.6 billion in market value, amid a broader sell-off among technology companies, which suffered their worst loss in seven years.

Apple’s news is a “wake-up call for the industry,” said analyst Dan Ives of research firm Wedbush Securities.

And it’s not just Apple. Demand has been lackluster across the board, Ives said. Samsung, long the leading seller of smartphones, has been hit even harder, as its phone shipments dropped 8 percent during the 12 months ending in September.

“The smartphone industry is going through significant headwinds,” Ives said. “Smartphone makers used to be like teenagers, and the industry was on fire. Now it feels like they’re more like senior citizens in terms of maturity.”

Tech innovations in phones grew in leaps and bounds earlier in the 2010s, with dramatic improvements in screen size, screen resolution, battery life, cameras and processor speed every year.

But the industry is a victim of its own success.

Innovation began to slow down around 2014, once Apple boosted the screen size with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models. While phones kept improving, new features tended to be incremental, such as a new flash technique to already excellent phone cameras. It’s the stuff consumers won’t typically notice—or want to shell out for.

“Since the iPhone 6 you’ve seen it has been tough to innovate to continue to raise the bar,” Ives said.

Apple customers now upgrade every 33 months on average, longer than the 24 or 25 months three years ago, he said. Apple’s diminished growth projections, fueled by plummeting sales in China, have reinforced fears the world’s second-largest economy is losing steam. Its $1,000 iPhone is a tough sell to Chinese consumers unnerved by an economic slump and the trade war with the US. They also have a slew of

Fortinet security solution receives good reviews from independent rating groups

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

APPLE’S shock warning that its Chinese sales are weakening ratcheted up concerns about the world’s second-largest economy and weighed heavily on global stock markets, as well as the dollar on Thursday. AP

cheaper smartphones from homegrown competitors such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo to choose from.

The fact that even Apple’s iPhone juggernaut is suffering cements a larger trend for all major smartphone makers. After a steady rise for a decade, worldwide smartphone shipments fell 3 percent to 1.42 billion in 2018, the first annual drop, according to International Data Corp., which tracks such movements. IDC estimates that shipments will rebound 3 percent in 2019 to 1.46 billion, but that still falls short of 2017 levels.

It doesn’t help that top phones come with fourdigit price tags—$1,100 for the iPhone XS Max and $1,000 for Samsung’a Galaxy Note 9. The top-end Max model sells for $1,450 in the US. “They’re getting more and more expensive while offering fewer and fewer new, innovative features that I’ll actually use,” said Zachary Pardes, a tech-savvy 31-year-old in Fairfield, Connecticut. “I’ll upgrade when the battery stops working. When I’m forced to buy a new phone, I’ll buy a new phone.”

Vivian Yang, a manager at a Beijing technology company, also balked at the price. “Nobody needs such a phone,” she said.

IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said the cycle might bottom out and start growing again in 2021 or 2022, when people’s current phones start reaching the end of their useful life. “People will still replace their

phones. It’s going to happen eventually,” he said.

But there’s no “silver bullet” that will spur growth to levels seen in the past when the industry was less mature. Foldable smartphones, with screens that unfold like a wallet to increase display size, are one thing that could spur excitement, but they’re expensive and not due out until at least the end of the year. Another thing that might spur growth: 5G, the next generation that telecom companies are currently in the process of building, expected to be faster and more reliable than the current 4G network. The first 5G compatible phones are due out this year.

“There’s more pressure on 5G as the next-wave smartphone,” since sales are so lackluster, said Ives.

“There will be a battle royale for 5G phones.”

But 5G will take years for broad, nationwide deployment, so the new 5G smartphones coming out this year are not likely to make much of a splash immediately either.

Analysts say smartphone makers need to push into under-saturated areas like Africa and elsewhere, and also sell more services like cloud storage, streaming music and phone software. But the glory days of untrammeled growth appear to be over.

“It’s going to be a slow slog,” Llamas said. “By no means is this the end of the smartphone market. But this is an indication that the smartphone market can be a victim of its own success.” ■

Smartphone tech trends for 2019 CONTINUED FROM A12 Jade Green calls to mind the stunning hues of white-sand beaches, clear waters, and the country’s lush rainforests. It is a stunning tribute to the Philippines’s natural beauty that is known—and sought—the world over.

“We chose to imbue our popular Oppo F9 model in Jade Green in honor of the Philippines’s natural beauty, from the shores of breathtaking beaches to the deepest parts of the country’s

rainforests and other natural features,” said Jane Wan, Oppo Philippines vice president for marketing.

“Oppo is inspired to help work toward protecting and preserving the country’s natural beauty, and is working out a partnership with Bantay Kalikasan to achieve that goal.”

The new Oppo F9 Jade Green will be available for purchase on January 12, 2019, but Oppo Philippines is offering customers the chance to be among the first to own it in the country. The

preorder is ongoing until January 11 at select Oppo stores nationwide.

Customers who will preorder need only pay a deposit of P1,000 and will receive a free Rockspace wireless Bluetooth speaker (worth P2,990) They can claim their smartphones and freebie upon paying the full amount starting January 12.

The Oppo F9 is a mobile powerhouse encased in a sleek, stylish body that features a unique Waterdrop screen. It’s the perfect smartphone

companion for individuals on the go and with an active lifestyle, thanks to VOOC Flash Charging and AI Battery Management for power that lasts the entire day.

The F9 also comes with a 16MP + 2MP dual rear camera for dramatic portrait shots, as well as numerous picture modes, such as AR stickers, Super Vivid, and advanced slow motion to enable creativity and the production of one-of-a-kind image content. ■

Nokia 5.1 Plus takes a sweet taste of Android 9 Pie HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has announced that Filipino Nokia fans can now enjoy the latest Android operating system, Android 9 Pie on their Nokia 5.1 Plus.

With the Android 9 Pie upgrade arriving to the Nokia 5.1 Plus, a total of seven Nokia smartphones will now be running on the latest Android OS, giving users access to the latest features from Google. The Android 9 Pie update ensures that Nokia smartphones improve with time, thanks to the intuitive AI, which learns user habits to ensure the most effective and efficient experience. With the latest Android 9 Pie, users will enjoy ever-improving functionality on their smartphones. The OS features a predictive system navigation that constantly adjusts and anticipates users’ needs.

Android 9 Pie brings a host of impressive new features

to the Nokia 5.1 Plus, including App Actions and Digital Wellbeing, brand-new features exclusive to Android One devices and Google Pixel phones.

Key features of Android 9 Pie include: ■ APP ACTIONS. Helps you get things done faster by predicting your next move and displaying the right action on your phone screen.

■ SLICES. Identifies relevant information of your favorite apps to make them more easily accessible when you need them.

■ ADAPTIVE BATTERY. Uses deep learning to understand usage patterns and prioritizes battery power on important apps.

■ BRIGHTNESS. Automatically adapts phone brightness

by learning from your interactions.

■ NEW SYSTEM NAVIGATION. Features a single home button that provides intelligent predictions and suggestions (user-enabled).

The Digital Wellbeing features include: ■ DASHBOARD. Highlights screen time and phone usage, including how many times the device has been unlocked and the number of notifications received.

■ APP TIMERS.Sets time limits on app usage.

■ WIND DOWN AND DO NOT DISTURB. Allows you to set a daily schedule to get your phone ready for bed. Wind Down fades your screen to Grayscale while Do Not Disturb silences notifications for a restful sleep. You can activate Do Not Disturb anytime you want to disconnect.

CYBER security provider Fortinet has gained positive reviews from third parties for its network security offering.

Its FortiGate Secure SD-WAN solution is ranked high for completeness of vision in the Challengers quadrant of the first Gartner Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure.

The world’s leading research and advisory company just recently released a report, titled “Survey Analysis: Address Security and Digital Concerns to Maintain Rapid SD-WAN Growth,” showing how security is the top WAN concern.

According to this study, “customers continue to strive for better WAN performance and visibility, but security now tops their priorities when it comes to the challenges with their WAN.” In fact, 72 percent of survey respondents said that security was their topmost concern when it comes to their WAN. Organizations are increasingly adopting direct Internet access in their SD-WAN deployments, raising security concerns and requiring that CISOs be closely involved for a smooth transition of any SD-WAN deployment. Many SDWAN vendors, likewise, don’t provide the advanced security features required for these types of deployments.

“Currently, most SD-WAN vendors support basic capabilities such as stateful firewalling and VPN; however, they lack and, hence, depend on security partners for advanced functionalities, such as intrusion prevention system, malware analysis and sandboxing,” Gartner said in a statement. As a result, many organizations are increasingly looking to incorporate best-of-breed enterprise-grade security at the WAN edge to enhance their security efficacy and reduce costs by eliminating multiple vendors. The survey also found that “Internet breakout security will see the maximum investment.”

Of all vendors in Gartner Peer Insights, Fortinet has the most reviews for the WAN Edge Infrastructure Market as of December 14, 2018. Meanwhile, it was the only vendor with security capabilities to receive an SD-WAN “Recommended” rating in the first NSS Labs Software-Defined Wide Area Networking test report.

Fortinet’s FortiGate Secure SD-WAN solution brings the functionality provided by pure-play SD-WAN vendors with advanced security built into one single offering.

It is supported by independent testing to deliver excellent quality of experience for voice and video, high VPN throughput and best price/performance.

At Fortinet, SD-WAN functionality has been organically developed in-house and is a feature of every FortiGate NextGeneration Firewall.

Purpose-built security processors and threat intelligence from FortiGuard Labs guarantee that security is an integral part of Fortinet’s SD-WAN solution. Organizations and businesses worldwide are choosing Fortinet’s FortiGate Secure SD-WAN, mainly for its enterprise-grade security for direct Internet access, deep inspection of encrypted traffic to support digital transformation, security for SD-branch and compliance with security rating services.

“In today’s threat landscape, security can never be an afterthought in any network deployment. Fortinet’s focused innovations and evolution of best-of-breed SD-WAN with in-built next-generation firewall provide the advanced threat protection necessary for direct Internet connectivity,” said John Maddison, SVP of products and solutions at Fortinet.

“Our philosophy of tightly integrating security and SD-WAN functionality together minimizes management complexity, ensures a safer deployment and helps reduce costs. It’s clearly resonating with customers, and we’re seeing rapid adoption of FortiGate Secure SD-WAN,” he said.

Based in Sunnyvale, California, Fortinet is an international leader in broad, integrated and automated cyber security solutions. Ranked No. 1 in the most security appliances shipped worldwide, more than 375,000 customers tap this multinational to protect their businesses.

In the Philippines, the network security company provides sales and marketing support, as well as technical back up to their distributors and resellers.

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, January 12, 2019 A12

Smartphone tech trends for 2019 THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

2

018 was an eventful year in tech, but it was also quite a bad year for the smartphone.

For the first time, its seemingly unstoppable growth began to slow. Global smartphone sales fell for four consecutive quarters suggesting a challenging market for device makers awaiting catalysts to spark sales, according to researchers.

In November research firm IDC reported 355 million handsets delivered in the third quarter, a year-on-year decline of 6 percent. A separate survey

by Strategy Analytics showed an 8-percent drop in sales to 360 million units.

Now, let me ask you, when was the last time you bought a new phone? And how long have you been using your current phone?

According to the report, people aren’t upgrading as fast as these manufacturers hope they would. This may also be due to the fact that flagship phones and even the midrange ones have become quite good, and there is simply not enough reason to get a new one every year. This has become a challenge for smartphone brands—to create new ones with more than just the standard upgrades. Just like what Huawei did with the Mate 20 Pro, expect other brands to pile on lots of features to be able to get the attention of their target consumers.

2018 was the year of triple cameras, the notch and dizzying variation of color gradients. It was also the year when in-screen fingerprint scanners and sliding/ pop-up cameras were the coolest innovations, but judging from the news and the leaks of upcoming phones, it looks like 2019 will be even more competitive and crazier.

So what can we expect in 2019? Here are some of the trends tech experts and yours truly think will become popular in the next 12 months.

1. 5G COMPATIBILITY. 2019 will be the year 5G becomes a reality, but how exactly will we benefit from it remains to be seen. Qualcomm’s new flagship processor, the Snapdragon 855, will possess the required modem for 5G and other brands are expected to debut 5G-ready phones this year. But I wouldn’t be too excited: rollout of 5G will take some time and it will still be up to the telcos on how they will implement 5G. 2. HIGH-SPEED/WIRELESS CHARGING. Huawei further

improved on the P20 Pro’s fast-charging capabilities with the Mate 20 Pro (bundling it with a 40w charger) while Oppo’s VOOC charging is becoming available to more of its phone models, and users now expect faster charging from their phones. Xiaomi has even included a wireless charger on the Mi Mix 3, while Apple, I think, is the only manufacturer which still bundles its iPhones with a “slow” charger and sells the fast charger separately. Because what good is a big battery if you have to charge it for several hours? Also expect more phones to support fast wireless charging.

3. IN-DISPLAY FINGERPRINT SCANNER. While it officially made its debut with the Vivo V11 in 2017, in-display fingerprint scanners are continuing to improve and will probably become more common not only among flagship phones. Samsung is giving this tech a chance with its upcoming devices so all signs point toward it becoming a lot more mainstream.

4. GOODBYE NOTCH, HELLO HOLES. Love it or hate it, the notch became the “face” of smartphones in 2018.

Even entry level phones like the Realme C1 includes the notch as one of its highlight features. But it looks like the days of the screen cut is coming to an end and are being replaced by a DewDrop, TearDrop, WaterDrop, RainDrop or whatever drop you want to call it. Smartphone companies are coming up with ways to minimize or totally eliminate the notch to create a truly full-screen and bezel-less experience. The Oppo Find X mechanical slider, Vivo Nex pop-up cameras and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, and Honor’s magnetic slider all look cool, but I don’t think there are going to be more models adopting the same approach. Instead, we can look forward to punched “holes” on the screen like the ones on the Galaxy A8s or the Huawei Nova 4.

5. MORE MEGAPIXELS, MORE CAMERAS AND NIGHT MODE VARIATIONS. The Huawei P20 Pro may not be the first smartphone to have a 40-megapixel camera, but the company made it a feature really worth talking about.

Yes, megapixel count is only part of the “picture” when it comes to overall image quality, and higher megapixels don’t necessarily mean better photos, but image processing algorithms can produce higher quality photos if they have a bigger image size to work with. Xiaomi is also rumored to be producing their own monster camera-equipped smartphone, and let’s not get started on Nokia’s seven cameras.

Because why do three or four if you can add more?

The P20 Pro has three, Samsung Galaxy A9 2018 has four and the Nokia 9 Pure view will have five (and dual front cameras). More cameras simply mean more versatility. Let’s just hope each additional lens is also functional. For example, I’m glad Huawei ditched the Monochrome lens and replaced it with a Wide Angle lens on the Mate 20 series; couple that with the handheld night mode feature, and you can shoot amazing landscape photos even in low light.

Speaking of night mode, I think handheld night mode will be a sought-after feature this year, with Google Pixel introducing Night Sight, OnePlus 6T with Night Mode, Oppo R17 and its Pro Ultra Night, and Samsung’s upcoming Bright Night.

6. FOLDABLE PHONES. Samsung has been teasing its foldable phone for several years now, but they may finally be revealing it at the Mobile World Congress next month. But they aren’t the only company developing such a phone, as Huawei, LG and even Microsoft are working on their own foldable concept.

In fact, a start-up company called Royole has already debuted a foldable phone, but it doesn’t look all that good. As for Dual Screen phones like the Vivo Nex Dual Display? We just have to wait and see.

So what smartphone innovations are you most excited about? And what killer feature would make you buy a new device?

TIKTOK 2018 REWIND

CELEBRITIES from all over the world made TikTok their playground this year, and of course Filipinos simply won’t be left behind when it comes to the world’s leading short video platform.

Whether its showcasing their dance moves, doing trending challenges, or coming up with their own content, TikTok continues to become the platform of choice for a lot of creative Pinoys. To cap off the exciting year that was 2018, TikTok revealed the celebrities, creators, challenges, soundtracks and more that made the year another one to remember.

A diverse list of stars who have gained a massive following on the platform come from all over the world, including Japanese singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, K-pop chart-toppers WINNER and BLACKPINK, Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee, as well as American social-media personality Baby Ariel, who tops the list with around 30 million followers on TikTok. Other international stars on TikTok are Chinese heartthrob Dylan Wang and American personality Jimmy Fallon.

Across the Philippines, the most popular celebrities on TikTok are up and coming young talents Ranz Kyle, Andrea Brillantes and AC Bonifacio who have impressed viewers with their dance skills.

Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber, or the love team known as MayWard, and Maine Mendoza, who has started her fame through short-form videos, also made it to the list.

As a platform to engage a growing fan base and a global audience, TikTok also served as the launchpad of a diverse array of local creators.

Social-media maven Holly H, content producer Gil Croes, choreographer Awez Darbar along with K-pop dancer Sona are among the creators who made waves globally. Meanwhile, some of the most popular creators in the Philippines include Shyr Jane Balagtas, Joshua Tuzon, and Vishnu Isles who have mastered

the art of TikTok and captured slices of their lives on the platform.

Got a song you can’t seem to get out of your head?

Chances are, you heard it from a TikTok video, as the app has increasingly become a launchpad for diverse videos set to catchy music.

Among the most trending soundtracks of 2018 used on TikTok videos include “Run Free” by Deep Chills feat. IVIE, which was popular not only globally but also in India, Malaysia and Taiwan; “Delícia Tchu Tcha Tcha” by Mike Moonnight and DM’Boys feat.

Dj Pedrito which was all the rage in Malaysia and Taiwan; as well as Valentino Khan’s infectious hit “Pump,” which had many fans across the Philippines and Thailand.

In the Philippines, the most trending OPM tunes on TikTok are “Nadarang” by Shanti Dope, as well as Moira dela Torre’s “Titibo-Tibo” and “Tagpuan.”

When is the best time for TikTok? Globally, weekends are all about making your own short videos on the platform. The Philippines and Thailand get busy with TikTok from 8 pm onward on Saturdays, while Indian users create videos the most from 11 pm all the way to 1 am. Malaysians and Singaporeans are most active on TikTok on Saturday afternoons, while users in Vietnam get their TikTok fix just before weekend dinners from 6 to 8 pm.

Many of the biggest trending videos of 2018 came from TikTok challenges, which allow fans from all over the world to participate in local conversations in their communities.

Among the most popular challenges include the #raindropchallenge which made waves all over the world, especially across the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. In the Philippines, the challenges that filled everyone’s feed include #lenschallenge, which was all about changing one’s eye color, as well as the #makeupchange that featured an artist’s makeup and video editing skills.

2018 was indeed an unforgettable year for TikTok in the Philippines with campaigns such as the 1 Million Audition that garnered 12,506 entries and 220,312,884 views, giving everyone a chance not only to capture moments that matter in their lives, but celebrating diversity and creativity through content.

You can also revisit your own journey with TikTok’s “My Year in Rewind,” an in-app experience offering a personalized lookback. Not yet on TikTok? Download the TikTok app via App Store or Google Play to get started.

OPPO LAUNCHES F9 IN JADE GREEN

A TRIBUTE to the Philippines’s world-renowned natural beauty, Oppo is releasing an exclusive new color to its best-selling F9 model: Jade Green.

A stunning gradient of white and green,

CONTINUED ON A11