BusinessMirror January 13, 2019

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NAZARENE BEHELD:

THE LIVING FAITH

A MASSIVE crowd of Filipino Roman Catholic devotees follows the carriage of the Black Nazarene during a raucous procession to celebrate its feast day on January 9, 2019, in Manila. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

I

By Samuel P. Medenilla

T may already be 500 years old, but Philippine Catholicism remains alive and kicking, if the recently concluded 2019 Traslación is any proof of it.

Despite the thousands of additional participants joining the Traslación each year, the religious event, Quiapo Church Rector and Parish Priest Msgr. Hernando M. Coronel said, was concluded faster and safer than in previous years.

“Thank God no one died as of 9:45 a.m. [January 10],” Coronel said.

“There were no deaths and fewer injuries. For me, [this Traslación] was held in an orderly, safe and

meaningful [manner],” he added.

During the 2019 Traslación on Wednesday, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) reported it was able to treat 615 injured participants of the event.

Last year, the PRC helped 800 injured devotees. In the same period, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a devotee died after suffering from a heart attack.

Continued on A2

DEVOTEES hurl themselves at the carriage of the Black Nazarene as it makes its annual Traslación in Manila on January 9, 2019. ROY DOMINGO

DECENTRALIZED SURVEILLANCE

Home items are getting smarter and creepier, like it or not

N

By Anick Jesdanun | The Associated Press

EW YORK—One day, finding an oven that just cooks food may be as tough as buying a TV that merely lets you change channels.

Internet-connected “smarts“ are creeping into cars, refrigerators, thermostats, toys and just about everything else in your home. CES 2019, the gadget show opening Tuesday in Las Vegas, will showcase many of these products, including an oven that coordinates your recipes and a toilet that flush-

es with a voice command.

With every additional smart device in your home, companies are able to gather more details about your daily life. Some of that can be used to help advertisers target you—more precisely than they could with just the smartphone you carry.

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 52.3760

A WOMAN demonstrates the Artemis smart mirror at the CareOS booth at CES International on January 6, 2019, in Las Vegas. The interactive mirror has video capture, virtual try-ons, facial and object recognition, and can give the user video instruction on specific makeup products, among other things. AP/JOHN LOCHER

“It’s decentralized surveillance,“ said Jeff Chester, executive director for the Center for Digital Democracy, a Washington-based digital privacy advocate. “We’re living in a world where we’re tethered to some online service stealthily gathering our information.“ Yet consumers so far seem to be welcoming these devices. The research firm IDC projects that 1.3 billion smart devices will ship worldwide in 2022, twice as many as 2018.

Companies say they are building these products not for snooping but for convenience, although Amazon, Google and other partners enabling the intelligence can use

the details they collect to customize their services and ads.

Whirlpool, for instance, is testing an oven whose window doubles as a display. You’ll still be able to see what’s roasting inside, but the glass can now display animation pointing to where to place the turkey for optimal cooking.

The oven can sync with your digital calendar and recommend recipes based on how much time you have. It can help coordinate multiple recipes, so that you’re not undercooking the side dishes in focusing too much on the entrée. A camera inside lets you zoom in to see if the cheese on the lasagna has Continued 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 )

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A2 Sunday, January 13, 2019

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NONOY LACZA

ROY DOMINGO

NONOY LACZA

NONOY LACZA

ROY DOMINGO

Nazarene beheld: The living faith

Continued from A1

To note, the PRC’s number of casualties for the Traslación differs from that of the PNP due to their differing methodologies.

As of Wednesday, the PNP registered 477 injuries from the 2019 Traslación.

Living proof

CORONEL said another factor that made this year’s Traslación more “meaningful” was the more grassroots-driven media coverage of the event.

Rather than focusing on highprofile participants, he said the media opted to interview “ordinary people” and their relationship with the Black Nazarene.

The story of one such devotee of nine years, Niggel Figueroa, is eloquently captured in this issue’s “Faith” page, A6.

Senior Police Officer Ramil Carel, 43, is only too aware of these

Leaders of the Catholic Church planning the best ways to mark the Quincentennial of the arrival of Christianity in 1521 are looking at this year’s Traslación—and similar stories of ordinary Filipinos instinctively turning to the Nazarene daily—to plead for something, ask for mercy and forgiveness, or simply to give thanks. diligent Traslación participants, having been a member of the Hijos del Nazareno for 10 years.

As part of Hijos del Nazareno, he was tasked multiple times in guiding the andas, or carriage carrying the image of the Black Nazarene, from Quirino Grandstand to Quiapo Church.

As a member of the Hijos del Nazareno, he said the challenge is not the crowds in Traslación, but rather how to endure their often fervent behavior.

He pointed out that when it comes to manning the andas, it is not only one’s physical endurance that will be tested, but also

one’s faith.

Part of history

CORONEL said it is these countless stories, which they plan to serve as their contribution for the forthcoming celebration of the 500th year of the arrival of Christianity in the country in 1521.

“This is part of the history of ordinary Filipinos.... How they turn to the Black Nazarene when they are faced with their problems,” Coronel said.

He said they plan to consolidate the stories of the devotees in a specific theme.

“Our community plans to em-

phasize how Jesus, the Black Nazarene, has helped the people through the centuries,” Coronel said.

The Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church is one of the oldest images of Jesus Christ in the country after it was brought here from Mexico in 1606.

Once their proposal for the quincentennial celebration of the introduction of Christianity in the country is completed, Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Daniel “Danichi” Hui said they will present it to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for consideration.

“Since [the Black Nazarene of]

Quiapo is part of the Church, we hope it will have role to play [in the celebration],” Hui said.

The CBCP has yet to release a final itinerary for the 2021 celebration.

Better evaluation

BACK to the present, Quiapo Church officials pointed out it only took 21 hours for the 2019 Traslación to be completed—one hour earlier compared to that of 2017 and 2018.

Quiapo Church officials attributed this to the reforms they implemented this year, which helped to pacify and disperse fervent dev-

otees to wider area in Manila.

Quiapo Church parochial vicar Fr. Douglas D. Badong said they will be conducting an evaluation of conduct of the 2019 Traslación to determine the areas which they could still improve on.

Aside from coming out with other measures to further fast-track the completion of the Traslación, he said they will also make use of the opportunity to determine the number of devotees who attended this year’s Traslación.

Like the figures for the casualties, there is also some variance in the number of devotees who attended the Traslación.

According to the PNP, 4 million devotees joined the 21-hour Traslación.

“I will verify this in the final report of our command center,” Badong said.

Home items are getting smarter and creepier, like it or not Continued from A1

browned enough, without opening the oven door.

As for that smart toilet, Kohler’s Numi will respond to voice commands to raise or lower the lid—or to flush. You can do it from an app, too. The company says it’s all about offering hands-free options in a setting that’s very personal for people. The toilet is also heated and can play music and the news through its speakers.

Kohler also has a tub that adjusts water temperature to your liking and a kitchen faucet that dispenses just the right amount of water for a recipe.

For the most part, consumers aren’t asking for these specific features. After all, before cars were invented, people might have known only to ask for faster horses.

“We try to be innovative in ways that customers don’t realize they need,“ Samsung spokesman Louis Masses said.

Whirlpool said insights can come from something as simple as watching consumers open the oven door several times to check on the meal, losing heat in the process.

“They do not say to us, ‘Please tell me where to put [food] on the rack, or do algorithm-based cooking,’“ said Doug Searles, general manager for Whirlpool’s research arm, WLabs.

“They tell us the results that are most important to them.“ Samsung has several voice-enabled products, including a fridge that comes with an app that lets you check on its contents while you’re grocery shopping. New this year: Samsung’s washing machines can send alerts to its TVs—smart TVs, of course—so you know your laundry is ready while watching Netflix.

Other connected items at CES include: • a fishing rod that tracks your location to build an online map of where you’ve made the most catches.

• a toothbrush that recommends where to brush more.

• a fragrance diffuser that lets you control how your home smells from a smartphone app.

These are poised to join internet-connected security cameras, door locks and thermostats that are already on the market. The latter can work with sensors to turn the heat down automatically when you leave home.

The pitfalls

CHESTER said consumers feel the need to keep up with their neighbors when they buy appliances with the smartest smarts. He said all the conveniences can be “a powerful drug to help people forget the fact that they are also being spied on.“ Gadgets with voice controls typically aren’t transmitting any data back to company servers until you activate them with a trigger word, such as “Alexa” or “OK Google.”

But devices have sometimes misheard innocuous words as le-

gitimate commands to record and send private conversations .

Even when devices work properly, commands are usually stored indefinitely. Companies can use the data to personalize experiences— including ads. Beyond that, background conversations may be stored with the voice recordings and can resurface with hacking or as part of lawsuits or investigations.

Knowing what you cook or stock in your fridge might seem innocuous.

But if insurers get hold of the data, they might charge you more for unhealthy diets, warned Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse in San Diego. He also said it might be possible to infer ethnicity based on food consumed.

The benefits

MANUFACTURERS are instead emphasizing the benefits: Data collection from the smart faucet, for instance, allows Kohler’s app to display how much water is dis-

pensed. (Water bills typically show water use for the whole home, not individual taps.)

The market for smart devices is still small, but growing. Kohler estimates that in a few years, smart appliances will make up 10 percent of its revenue. Though the features are initially limited to premium models—such as the $7,000 toilet—they should eventually appear in entry-level products, too, as costs come down.

Consider the TV. “Dumb“ TVs are rare these days, as the vast majority of TVs ship with internet connections and apps, like it or not.

“It becomes a check-box item for the TV manufacturer,“ said Paul Gagnon, an analyst with IHS Markit. For a dumb one, he said, you have to search for an off-brand, entry-level model with smaller screens—or go to places in the world where streaming services aren’t common.

“Dumb” cars are also headed to the scrapyard. The research firm

BI Intelligence estimates that by 2020, three out of every four cars sold worldwide will be models with connectivity. No serious incidents have occurred in the United States, Europe and Japan, but a red flag has already been raised in China, where automakers have been sharing location details of connected cars with the government.

As for TVs, Consumer Reports says many TV makers collect and share users’ viewing habits. Vizio agreed to $2.5 million in penalties in 2017 to settle cases with the Federal Trade Commission and New Jersey officials.

Consumers can decide not to enable these connections. They can also vote with their wallets, Stephens said.

“I’m a firm believer that simple is better. If you don’t need to have these so-called enhancements, don’t buy them,” he said. “Does one really need a refrigerator that keeps track of everything in it and tells you you are running out of milk?”

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Saturday, January 12, 2019

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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

A4 Sunday, January 13, 2018

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Faith A6

Sunday, January 13, 2019

Sunday

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

Devotion to the Black Nazarene

‘A way to give thanks to the Lord’

By Niggel Figueroa

I

(As told to Lyn B. Resurreccion)

have been a devotee of the Black Nazarene for nine years now. I started my devotion when I was 16 years old, when my father brought me along, together with my uncles.

Since then I have been a devotee of the Nazarene because I believe in Him. I am forever grateful for all the blessings I receive, and for His being there to support me when I experience challenges.

He inspires me to fight on when I have trials.

During Traslación processions, I always struggle and jostle to get on top of the karosa (carriage).

I wipe my handkerchief on the Black Nazarene, then I wipe the handkerchief on my body because I believe it will give me strength and good health.

When I get down from the carriage, I join the throng of devotees holding the rope that pulls the carriage. There, I solemnly pray while walking barefoot.

A f ter t he Traslación, I fee l good as if I d id n’t get body pa ins f rom t he push ing a nd jost l ing. I feel l ight, feel ing ref reshed. It was wor t h a l l t he d if f ic u lt ies I e x per ience.

Many in our family and relatives have a devotion to the Black Nazarene—my mother, father, titos (uncles), titas (aunties), cousins and my lola (grandmother). They have been a devotee for a long time before I got into it.

We were influenced because of my family’s strong faith in the Lord.

My prayer to Him is to keep my family safe, keep us from harm and make us healthy always. These, to me, are big blessings already.

Even if I don’t get the material things I pray for, I always receive blessings I didn’t expect, which give me more joy. All the graces I receive, whether big or small, I heartfully thank Him always.

Our family’s devotion to the Black Nazarene has a big effect on us because we pray and thank the Lord together for all the blessings that He gives us every day. It is also the time when we ask for forgiveness for all the sins that we have committed.

Our devotion is already a tradition in our family where we say all the things we want to the Lord and make Him feel that our faith in Him is strong.

Whenever I join the Traslación, I repeatedly asks the Black Nazarene to forgive me for my sins, and I thank Him for all His blessings.

I close my eyes, feel His presence and silently pray.

After I’ve said all my troubles, I look up to the sky, I breathe deeply, and in my mind shout out loud, “Thank You, Lord.”

I will continue my devotion to the Black Nazarene as long as I live, because I believe this is the way to give thanks to the Lord. ***** At the midnight Mass for the feast of the Black Nazarene at Manila’s Quirino Grandstand on Wednesday, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila had warned against fanaticism and appealed for real devotion that opens one’s heart to God and other people.

He said that piety is embracing God and others with true love.

“A rea l devotee loves. T he essence of devotion is love,” Tagle said in his homily, the CBCPNews said.

On the other hand, he said, fanatics “only hold to something that gives value to them.”

“A fanatic, once he does not get what he wants, will stop,” he said.

“But a devotee does not share the same reasoning. You are devoted because you love him or her. That’s what Jesus showed us.”

To love, according to him, is among the characteristics of the true devotion to God. The two other qualities of a devotee, he added, are faithfulness and oneness with God and other people.

Devotees jostle to get on top of the carriage carrying the image of the Black Nazarene, while others walk barefoot to join the Traslación from Intramuros to the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, or Quiapo Church, in Manila on January 9. Nonoy Lacza

Imitating John’s humility Msgr. Josefino S. Ramirez SUNDAY GOSPEL IN OUR LIFE

J

***** The Black Nazarene is considered by many Filipino Catholics to be miraculous, with its mere touch reputed to cure diseases. It is venerated by Filipino devotees every Friday.

The image—a life-sized, darkskinned, kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the Cross depicting Him en route to His crucifixion—got its name from “Nazarene,” identifying Jesus as a native of Nazareth in Galilee and from its dark complexion, Internet sources said.

It is enshrined above the altar of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known canonically as Parish of Saint John the Baptist, or simply Quiapo Church, in the Quiapo district of Manila.

The January 9 Traslación procession is taken from the Spanish term for transfer, referring to “passage” or “movement.” It reenacts the image’s 1787 solemn transfer to the Minor Basilica from the shrine of the Church of San Nicolas de Tolentino, popularly known as the “Recoletos Church,” inside Intramuros.

It is the largest procession, drawing millions of Filipino devotees who wanted to touch the icon and lasting around 20 hours.

Police accounts of the past week’s Traslación festivities put the

total crowd estimate at 4 million.

The procession from Intramuros to Quiapo took 21 hours, or one hour shorter than last year’s.

The Black Nazarene was carved by a Mexican from a dark wood in the 16th century in Mexico and then transported to the Philippines via galleon from Acapulco, Mexico, on May 31, 1606.

Pope Innocent X granted recognition in 1650 for the promotion of the devotion to Jesus through the icon. It was housed in several churches near Manila in the early decades, arriving in Quiapo Church in 1787, where it has been enshrined ever since.

The image is brought out of its shrine in procession three times a year: January 9, the anniversary of the icon’s transfer: Good Friday, the Nazarene’s liturgical feast commemorating the culmination of the Passion of Christ; and December 31, New Year’s Eve, the first day of its annual novena.

Traditional accounts attr ibute the icon’s dark color to votive candles burning before the image, or it was charred by a fire on the galleon that brought it from Mexico.

Web sources said Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr. from Loyola School of Theology explained that the image was not charred but in fact, dark through to its core, as it was carved from mesquite wood found in Mexico and the US. Vengco based this claim on personal research in Mexico, where the wood was a popular medium in the period the image was carved.

He also likened it to Our Lady of Antipolo, another popular image of similar appearance.

The image was first enshrined in the Church of San Juan Bautista of the Augustinian Recollects at Bagumbayan, Luneta. In 1608, the image was transferred to the Church of San Nicolas de Tolentino.

The baptism of Jesus depicted by Guido Reni, circa 1623. Wikimedia Commons

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

T

here is no need to be born, to suffer indignations and be crucified on a cross.

Like man, but not in sin, he has no need of baptism but subjected himself to the rites to reveal himself, “a messianic manifestation, a sign for the church first, then to the world.”

He went to the waters as a carpenter, but God the Father’s proclamation and “the descent of the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove showed Him to be far more than a mere worker of wood,” said Saint Justin in Dialogue with Trypho.

Beginning of Jesus’ ministry

The Baptism of the Lord: ‘Luke 3:15-16.21-22’

o h n t h e B a p t i s t c o u l d h ave t a ke n advantage of the adulation of the crowd to attract the attention to himself. Instead, he directed their attention to Christ and belittled his own stature.

“One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal-strap I am not worthy to loose” (Luke 3:16). On another occasion, he would refer to Our Lord and himself—He must increase, I must decrease.”

That can be like a rule of life for us. We need to be humble, so that the grace of God can transform

“An overflowing love shows loyalty and service to others,” Tagle added. “And oneness with God and those you love is not an imitation but union.”

Cardinal Tagle also came to the defense of the devotees against accusations of fanaticism.

“It seems that every year it is questioned if that is right and important—being a devotee,” the cardinal said.

“But only devotees will understand it. If you’re not a devotee, you’re going to question it,” he added.

Baptism of Jesus: A messianic manifestation

us. Many times, true greatness is hidden behind the virtue of humility Saint Thomas Aquinas, because of his great intellectual work in the field of Sacred Science, has the privileged title of being the Universal Doctor of the Church. Of the great thinkers of the Church, he is the one that the Second Vatican Council has singled out as a guide for the understanding of the truths revealed by God. Yet, he was a simple, unassuming and, as we can well-imagine from his chubby physique, a jolly Dominican friar. And based on the narratives

we have about his life, he was also a very humble and unobtrusive man.

When he was a student, he received a nickname from some of his classmates. He was called “the dumb ox,” because he was such a big fellow and because he was so quiet that they thought that he was a slow learner. Little did they suspect that in this simple intellect was a depth of wisdom and erudition that would one day leave a lasting mark in the history of intellectual pursuit.

How often it happens that those who raise themselves above other men and claim to be knowledgeable are unable to perceive certain truths that are so evident to a simple and humble soul! Pride often draws an impenetrable curtain over the clear light of faith, while humility removes that barrier so that the grace and truth of God can penetrate a soul.

If we look at our own personal experience, we may notice that there are times when our self-love makes us unable to see things clearly.

Sometimes it is hatred and anger, brought about by a wounded pride, that make us suspect evil in the actuations of people, which, when objectively

seen, are not evil at all. That is why pride, aside from making a person blind, is also a source of division and strife.

The Christian life can be considered as an effort to grow in humility, so that Christ can live in our hearts. Besides the example of John the Baptist, we have the clear example of Christ Himself. “Learn from Me because I am meek and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29).

How can we imitate the humility of Christ?

Saint Paul says that Jesus Christ, “though He was God by nature, did not consider being equal to God, a thing to be clung to, but emptied Himself, taking the nature of a slave” (Philippians 2:6).

We, on the other hand, tend to “fill ourselves,” to attach or to attribute accomplishments and qualities to ourselves, and to feel offended if others do not attribute them to us. We can imitate the humility of Christ by trying to “empty ourselves,” attributing our accomplishments to God, who gives us the strength and the grace to do them.

We can imitate John the Baptist, who refused to accept praise for himself, but directed all the glory to God.

While Jesus and His disciples were baptizing in the Judean territory, so did John near Salim on the west bank of the Jordan River.

John’s disciples felt uneasy about this and told him about it.

Since John considered baptism as a rite for the repentance of sins, in a self-effacing statement he said: “I have baptized you with water, He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8).

John who looked wild and unbalanced did not begin with polite and courteous words when he preached, but with, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Luke 3:7).

But despite his harshness in language and looks, crazy as a loon, crowds from Jerusalem and Judea traveled miles to listen to him. All were amazed of his passionate discourses about sinfulness, the need for repentance and the coming of a Redeemer.

John, was recognized by the Jews as a prophet of God. He spoke about the oracles of the prophets and the need to prepare for the kingdom of God. While Jesus had nothing to repent for, in humility he presented himself to John for baptism, a public display to God’s commands and fulfilment of His laws. Although John protested, he finally submits himself to Jesus’ authority and baptized Jesus.

Heaven opened

When Jesus came out of the waters,

John saw the heavens torn open, and the Holy Spirit, like a dove, alighted on Jesus. A voice from heaven announced: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am wellpleased” (Mark 1:11).

God the Father choose the event to acknowledge that Jesus, indeed, is His son and inaugurate His public ministry in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17).

For the baptism of Jesus, Saint Hippolytus said, “no river is good except the Jordan.” And, “ just as Joshua had entered the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan, Jesus opened the way to heaven by entering and dividing the same waters,” declared Saint Gregory of Nyssa.

Sacrament of baptism

A spiritual vacuum was created when man’s first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned. “There is a lack of something that should have been there” (Matthew 28:19).

Baptism is derived from the Greek word baptizein, meaning to plunge or immerse into water.

Enlightenment for the baptized is regenerated and renewed by the Holy Spirit.

The baptized “becomes a son of light, indeed he becomes light himself” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1215). The sacrament does not only give special life (sanctifying grace) but also sacramental grace to preserve and ceaselessly renew life.

Baptism buries sin in the water. It is a gift because it is conferred on those who bring nothing of their own grace since it is given even to the guilty; anointing for it is priestly and royal as those who are anointed; enlightenment because it radiates light; clothing since it veils our shame; bath because it washes; and seal as it is our guard and the sign of God ’s Lordship. (Saint Gregory Nazianzus, Oratio 40) Damo-Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

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Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, January 13, 2019 A7

Sojourn in Veliky Novgorod: The birthplace of Russia

THE Saint Sophia Cathedral is one of the most recognizable and important churches in Veliky Novgorod.

INSIDE the Kremlin walls, you’ll see centuries-old churches.

VISITORS are constantly reminded of the city’s place in Russian history with centuries-old churches in various states of repair and disrepair.

I

A WALK around the old town of Veliky Novgorod provides a sense of its history.

IN Veliky Novgorod, The Millenium of Russia monument marks a long and storied history.

VELIKY NOVGOROD is like an open-air museum, straddling between the past and present.

were remarkable, the names of heroes recognizable and the hustle and bustle of a typical capital are everyday occurrences.

As I walked inside the Kremlin, I saw the familiar, colorful, onionshaped domes that were of the Saint Sophia Cathedral, an 11th century church. Novgorod isn’t just the country’s birthplace, it was also the city where the Russian Orthodox

lin is Yaroslav’s Court. I stumbled upon this complex when I got lost on my way to my accommodation, but went back after checking in.

Exploring the court is like walking into a wormhole. It no longer had the same vibrancy of a bygone epoch where shop-rows lined the marketplace. I could only imagine the frenetic movement of people and shop owners bargaining with customers.

While ancient churches remained standing in different states of ruin, repair or reconstruction, the centuries-old structures bore the imprints of the passage of time and decay, but thorough restoration returned them to their former glory.

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, built in 1113 to 1136, proudly displays the architectural prowess and design influence of the 12th century. Built in 1207, the Church of Saint Paraskeva is another church that withstood the years. Novgorodians believed that Saint Paraskeva is trade’s patron saint.

I didn’t stay long enough to truly immerse myself in Veliky Novgorod’s rich history, but my sojourn to the birthplace of Russia made me want to discover more of the country. I bid farewell to this unassuming city early in the morning, on my way to Saint Petersburg.

Story & photos by Joshua Berida

ARRIVED in Veliky Novgorod City in the early morning, the sun hasn’t risen yet, and I still couldn’t speak Russian other than the usual yes, no and thank you.

I went to the nearest station, made the necessary hand gestures and pointed at the English translation on my phone. I boarded the bus bound for the city center, not knowing where my stop would be.

I was wandering in and out of alleys because people I asked said “go this way,” or “that way.” The sun was slowly rising, the cold autumn air kept me cool, calm and collected despite getting lost in a foreign city where people barely or didn’t speak English at all.

The translator wasn’t helpful either. However, I got to see the city in its half-lit glory, centuries-old churches in their ruinous or roughly restored state in the middle of several neighborhood. The sunlight slowly revealed them to me like a eureka moment, but then I reminded my-

self, I was still lost. These structures withstood the test of time, nature, decay and forgetfulness, to remind everyone that these structures are here; in a place they call the birthplace of Russia.

I eventually found my hostel after an hour or so of taking the scenic route while being lost, by accident at that. I was hungry and chanced upon a sign pointing toward a cafe in an alley. As soon as I turned and entered it, I saw the name of my accommodation. Relief swept over me, I checked in and got ready to explore.

An ancient city

IT was in the ninth century when Prince Rurik established the republic and gave a once nameless land its name—Rus. Veliky Novgorod’s

VIEW of the Kremlin from the other side of the river.

place in Russian history isn’t apparent, there was something unassuming about this small city. Quiet neighborhoods took the place of the urban jungle. The easy and relaxed pace of the locals and its idyllic charm didn’t seem like signs of a metropolis with such a long and storied past that played an important role in the country’s formation. Unlike Moscow, where the monuments

Church gained and spread its influence. The cathedral may not have the flair of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, but is of great importance during Russia’s early years. Just outside of Saint Sophia Cathedral is the Millennium of Russia. Emperor Alexander II had the bronze monument built to commemorate 1,000 years of statehood at the time.

Across the river from the Krem-

Reef makes a pledge for cleaner beaches

D THIS year’s light-and-music show feature more skyscrapers and special effects.

Dazzling masterpieces light up Hong Kong’s Winter Sky

V

ISIT Hong Kong this winter, as its skies and shores will become even more radiant than ever during this festive season, thanks to a sparkling lineup of light-filled festivities organized by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) until February 24.

Visitors will be treated to an eye-opening visual feast during the inaugural edition of Hong Kong Pulse Light Festival 2018, which is the largest open-air light festival in Hong Kong. From the winter edition of “A Symphony of Lights” light-and-music show featuring more skyscrapers and special effects, to brilliantly lit installations by artists from across the globe, the dazzling artistic light display ensures that there will be no dark corners this winter.

Artists from around the world will be displaying their light-inspired installations along Victoria Harbour, brightening up this winter in Hong Kong with a magically

incandescent experience for all.

The International Light Art Display will turn the city into an interactive light art playground by featuring 14 of the best artworks that have toured other world-famous light festivals, alongside four symbolic Hong Kong installations by the city’s local artists.

The creative luminescent displays offer a futuristic interactive experience in addition to Instagram-worthy photo opportunities, including the brilliant cephalic illustration “Talking Heads” by Viktor Vicsek from Hungary that comes to life via animated facial expressions with changing colors at night.

Interactive light bicycles “Lightbattle X” by Venividimultiplex from the Netherlands will be on display for spectators to immerse themselves in a competitive and warmspirited racing game; whereas the premiere exhibition of “Bat and Coin” by the Daydreamers from Hong Kong turns the traditional

pawnshop sign into a larger-thanlife illuminated silhouette.

A tale of two trees

A 25-METER-TALL artistic reinterpretation of the traditional Christmas tree is installed adjacent to the Observation Wheel. The “XTree”

by France’s 1024 Architecture is made with lit-up metallic scaffoldings that represent branches, and augmented by strategically placed light decorations that dance to a matching soundtrack. Hong Kong’s Christmas holiday atmosphere is further enhanced by the muchanticipated iconic Christmas tree at Statue Square, enticing visitors with its sparkling festive display.

Along with a range of magical winter celebration activities taking place at key attractions across the city, festive seasonal events and night tours, these festivities promise to spice up visitors’ holiday season with an unforgettable visual voyage in Hong Kong.

EDICATED to making sure beaches stay clean and healthy, international beach apparel brand Reef pledges to use the fun, freedom and spirit of the beach to champion a better life for people and planet.

To achieve this, Reef is targeting to accomplish 1,500 beach cleanups, remove 150,000 lbs of trash and engage 30,000 volunteers around the world this year, in the hopes that their industry and communities play an equally big role in enacting meaningful change for the planet.

Globally, Reef partnered with Surfrider and has cleaned up 840 beaches and collected 206,871 lbs of trash which is beyond the target mentioned with the help of 30,654 volunteers as of this writing.

In the Philippines, Reef hosted their annual Free the Sea Movement, a fun-filled threeday event and coastal cleanup that aims to promote responsible travel and environmental conservation.

Now on its third year, Reef’s Free the Sea Movement 3 in San Juan, La Union, was created in partnership with World Wildlife FundPhilippines and aimed to encourage people to live a sustainable lifestyle by not using singleuse plastics that are harmful to the environment, specifically oceans.

100 volunteers participated in the cleanup during Free the Sea Movement 3, and the event also included Plastic Solutions’ talk on eco-brick making. Reef is also part of WWFPhilippines Ayoko ng Plastic Campaign, which seeks to lessen, and eventually eliminate, single-use plastics within the country by raising awareness of the issue of plastic pollution with the public.

Single-use plastics are among the biggest pollutants found in our oceans today. In 2016, plastic production amounted to as much as 335 million metric tons, approximately half of that

amount used for single-use purposes. A whopping 32 percent of plastic packaging being left to the environs, with 8 million tons of plastic packaging wind up in the ocean each year.

The event also included free surfing clinics for the volunteers, and a fun Music Festival Night graced by bands like Orange and Lemons, G2 and the Bundocks, Coeli, The Geeks PH, Rusty Machines, Eazyhead, We are Imaginary and Cheats.

Aside from mounting coastal cleanups, Reef is also committed to supporting environmental programs of local communities.

Recently, Reef also donated cash and goods to the La Union Surf Club to support the organization’s environmental efforts in the area.

“A lot of our programs next year will be geared toward encouraging people to live a sustainable lifestyle,” says Reef Philippine Marketing Head Marnelli Gaerlan. “Most of our products are now PVC free and we even have sandals enhanced with Eco One, as well, which makes them 100 percent biodegradable.”

Eco-One, by Ecologic Llc. is an organic

VOLUNTEERS pick up trash from the shore of San Juan, La Union during Reef’s Free theSea Movement 3.

additive that enhances the biodegradation process through a series of chemical and biological processes when disposed of in a biologically active landfill. A normal plastic bag could take hundreds of years to breakdown, but with Eco-One, the material will biodegrade over a shorter period of time.

Next year, Reef will also enhance their plastic packaging with Eco-One. Reef’s pledge for cleaner beaches is in line with their latest campaign Beach Freely, which encourages everyone who steps into the sand or into Reef products to experience the beach in their own way and take that fun spirit of the beach with them wherever they go. By committing to preserve and restore beaches, Reef aims to help ensure that everyone continues to have the opportunity to Beach Freely.

Embrace the spirit of fun, freedom and the beach with Reef—watch the recap of Free the Sea Movement 3 in La Union by visiting https://bit.ly/2EcTPEw.

A8 Sunday, January 13, 2019

C

AROL CERVEZA, Jamie Lavitoria and Angela Araneta maintain “day jobs” as volleyball players—a task rigorous enough that they need to stay in top shape all the time.

How do they do that?

A day for Cerveza begins in her corporate desk handling operations for media, public relations and events of Generika Drugstore and caps it off with a three-hour volleyball routine, five to six times a week.

Living healthy is never a challenge though for the highflying opposite spiker in the Philippine Superliga, it has become her habit.

Staying fit physically and mentally tops her priorities. And with the relentless support from her family and Nutrawell Vitamin B Complex, Cerveza gets that extra push to stay focused while juggling hours of paperworks and adrenaline on the court.

For someone like Cerveza facing a rough day ahead, Nutrawell Vitamin B Complex helps her fight anxiety and stress, helping her maintain a healthy heart and skin. Much to her

Sports BusinessMirror

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

LIFESAVERS ‘BUO ANG LOOB’ delight for food, the supplement also improves her digestive system.

A plateful of dish is a handful of happiness, says Cerveza and former Lady Eagle Jamie Lavitoria.

But for Lavitoria, it means counting calorie intake.

“I think people should maintain a healthy lifestyle in terms of eating properly but, at the same time, still treating [oneself ]. It’s all about finding the balance,” says the California native Lavitoria.

A combination of positive outlook in life and Nutrawell Probiotics puts Lavitoria at the top of her game, starting off from her daily run before breakfast up to her complete court attendance.

Specifically formulated for adults, Nutrawell Probiotics has 10 billion colony-forming units, the optimal daily dose for adults and 10 times more than other brands.

With seven active probiotic strains, Lavitoria’s digestion is well

maintained and protected.

While for this pure sunshine, staying fit is 75 percent eating healthy and 25 percent diet.

Hitting the gym early in the morning is Generika Ayala Lifesavers’ Captain Angela Araneta’s key to actively stay in shape.

A fitness coach by profession, the “La Mayora” sets a hectic schedule for herself before her day ends. As early as 6 in the morning, Araneta and her patrons are all set for an early-morning fitness routine and, yet, she maintains her grit to spike a ball later in the day.

Much of her energy has been entirely used, and so Nutrawell Collagen with Astaxanthin and Hyaluronic Acid Powder Drink come in to make her recover from fatigue. She takes it daily and conveniently adds it to her morning cup of coffee.

Nutrawell Collagen with Astaxanthin and Hyaluronic Acid Powder Drink also has collagen,

thus, providing anti-wrinkle properties for skin nourishment.

Just look at Araneta and see how wrinkle-free her face is.

For these three athletes, living a healthy life will always be a daily challenge—Nutrawell will always be there to live up to their “Buo ang Loob” battlecry.

ANGELA ARANETA, Carol Cerveza and Jamie Lavitoria show how a Lifesaver should be on and off the court.

GINEBRA-TNT TIFF OPENS SEASON 44

strong team. And Ginebra Coach Tim Cone agrees.

“Romeo’s departure is ‘addition by subtraction.’ They will have a stronger core, more ball sharing and a better defensive team. I think they will be a very motivated team,” Cone said.

Besides San Miguel Beer, Ginebra ranks alongside Alaska and Phoenix as favorites in the tournament.

“We feel that we have an intact core that is relatively young. We have a couple of

B

ARANGAY Ginebra San Miguel squares off with fellow blue chip team TNT to kick off Philippine Cup action in Season 44 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The 55,000-seat Philippine Arena in Bulacan again plays host to the opening of the PBA that starts with the Leo Awards at 4 p.m. and the Gin Kings-KaTropa match at 6:30 p.m.

Interest is expected to be focused on TNT without former scoring champion Terrence Romeo, whose tumultuous 2018 season was capped by his transfer to defending fourtime all-Filipino champion San Miguel Beer.

But without Romeo, TNT remains a

GINEBRA Coach Tim Cone says his players have coped up with the pressure.

veterans—Mark Caguioa, Joe Devance and LA Tenorio. We also have Japeth [Aguilar] and Greg [Slaughter]. So we feel we have a good mix right now,” Cone said.

The league’s most successful coach said their recipe for success this season is “continuity.”

“I think sometimes when you make changes, you have to start at zero again.

We have a chance to continue what we are doing and go smoothly this year. The idea is continuity,” he said.

The Gin Kings didn’t get past the Philippine Cup eliminations last season, but won the Commissioner’s Cup behind import Justin Brownlee against the Beermen in six games.

They also did well in the seasonending Governors’ Cup where they made the semifinals but lost to eventual titlist Magnolia Hotshots.

“That’s a pretty good year,” Cone recalled.

He said that expectations on the team are high and the players have coped up with the pressure.

“We’ve learned as a group to embrace the expectations on us. We are Ginebra and we have a good following. We must live up to expectations,” he said.

On TNT’s part, Jayson Castro will lead the core made up of Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario and Kelly Williams. The KaTropa have yet to win a title since ruling the import-laden Commissioner’s Cup in 2015. Ramon

Rafael Bonilla

Where have all the NFL’s black coaches gone?

W

HERE have all the black coaches gone?

To the unemployment line, at least in the National Football League (NFL).

Five of the eight coaches fired over—and since—the last season were black, and so far none of them has been rehired as head coaches in the league.

That leaves two African-American coaches still standing among 32 NFL teams. And in a league where more than two thirds of players are black that’s not nearly enough.

The news on Wednesday that the Denver Broncos were hiring Vic Fangio as head coach and the New York Jets were going with Adam Gase as their new coach means six of the eight teams looking for new coaches have found their man.

And so far none of the new hires have been minorities.

That’s not a new problem in the NFL, of course. It’s also one the league has addressed with the Rooney Rule that ensures minority candidates are interviewed for any head coaching openings and other front office positions.

The rule was a step forward, and for a long time it seemed to be working. To make sure, the NFL just last month announced changes to strengthen it.

The changes were hailed as a breakthrough at the time by former Giants linebacker Harry Carson, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes diversity in NFL coaching and executive ranks.

They came after a season in which seven coaches were replaced—and only one of the replacements was black.

“After last season’s hiring cycle, something

had to be done,” Carson said. “These enhancements should strengthen the rule and ensure that it applies as intended and truly gives candidates of color a fair chance.”

So far, not so good. Teams may be interviewing minority candidates but, lately at least, they’re not hiring them.

And if last year was a step back from true diversity, this year has started off even worse.

Of the last 13 coaching hires in the NFL over two seasons, the only minority hire has been Steve Wilks—and he was fired by the Arizona Cardinals after just one year. The only two black coaches left in the NFL—which at its peak in 2011 had eight coaches of color— are Anthony Lynn of the Chargers and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers.

“I liked it better when there was eight and not just two,” said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida. “But I do think there is a cyclical nature to this and that may be part of it.”

Lapchick, who authors annual reports on the level of diversity in all the major professional leagues, said the NFL experienced a similar dip in the hiring of black coaches after the 2011 season into 2014. Then the hiring picked up again to the point in the last two years when there were eight coaches of color—including Panthers Coach Ron Rivera, who is Hispanic.

He’s hoping that this dip may also be short-lived, while others believe promising black coaches may get more opportunities if the Rooney Rule was expanded to include coordinator positions, too.

“Am I concerned there are [two] coaches of color?” Lapchick asked. “Of course, and if I

hadn’t just gone through it in my head looking at 2011 and the three years after that I would have been deeply discouraged by what I saw at the end of this season.”

Just why the number of minorities is down depends on who you’re talking to, though it’s certainly not for a lack of qualified candidates. There are black coaches on the staffs of almost every NFL team that potentially could run teams just as well as any of the coaches hired so far this postseason It doesn’t help that a few of the more recent hires are head scratching choices, at least to those outside the organizations.

Arizona reached into the college ranks to tab Kliff Kingsbury, as its new head coach.

That by itself was unusual since Kingsbury had a losing record at Texas Tech and has never coached in the NFL. And Tampa Bay hired former Cardinals Coach Bruce Arians, who is coming out of a one-year retirement at the age of 66 to take the Bucs job.

Ultimately, of course, teams are free to hire the person they believe will lead them to the Super Bowl. And, remember, it wasn’t until 1989 when the Raiders hired Art Shell that the NFL had a black coach at all.

Still, one black coach of the last 13 is a troubling trend in a league dominated by black players. Cyclical or not, that’s not the number envisioned by the NFL when the Rooney Rule was put in 16 years ago.

Diversity is one of the NFL’s strengths, and one of the big reasons it is the most popular sport in America.

Right now, there’s not nearly enough of it at the head coach level. AP

NUVOLANEVICATA | DREAMSTIME.COM

Young woman finds life’s purpose in travels

By Rizal Raoul S. Reyes

S

HE’S stricken with wanderlust.

And, so far, Richelle Marie Manalad has already visited 40 countries. Places that are still on her bucket list include Patagonia in Argentina, Greenland and Faroe Islands. The 30-year-old also plans to tour the Eastern African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe for a “great safari adventure.” Manalad also lists hiking in Macchu Picchu, Peru, and watching football and the Iguazu Falls in Brazil.

The marketing management graduate from the University of Santo Tomas says the driving force of her travels is discovering new cultures, new cuisine and new ways of enjoying life.

“Traveling helps me find my purpose in life,” Manalad said in an e-mail from Scandinavia to the BusinessMirror.

Manalad believes traveling has always been in her DNA. She points to her father who worked for a cruise ship and inspired her to travel and see the world. She said her father used to tell her stories of his adventures.

“There would be times that we would look together at the world map.”

Manalad’s passion for traveling played a major role in her career shift. It was actually one of the major reasons she left her previous jobs in one major automotive brands and biggest bank in the country.

“In fact, my original plan was to quit my job and to travel for three months to escape the stress of the corporate world. But I was quite lucky to get an offer from a tour company that allows me to work and, at the same time, travel the world,” Manalad, currently Light Miles Travel Inc. account executive, recalled. “You wouldn’t believe me but I actually wrote my resignation letter on a postcard. Of course, I still had to submit a formal resignation letter afterward.”

Her job includes creating unique tour programs, marketing new destinations and making sure these tours are implemented. Although Manalad’s work allows her to see the world, she makes it a point to maximize free time during holidays to travel alone or with friends at least once a year.

Aside from possessing the zeal for traveling, Manalad said her job requires a lot of skills. Her previous work experiences became helpful as she is able to use her public relations and events management skills.

Now that she is dealing with different cultures and time zones, Manalad said she learned to overcome language barriers and jet lags.

“I have become more flexible in terms of my work schedule as I deal with several partners from different parts of the world. Regardless of the country, I always make sure that I learn basic cultural mannerisms and etiquette so I can communicate with the locals better,” she said. “In the end, I always keep in mind how I

MT. Cook, New Zealand

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia

ROVANIEMI, Finland

CAPE Town, South Africa

LAKE District National Park, England

NARA Park, Japan

MT. Cook, New Zealand ROVANIEMI, Finland

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JANUARY 13, 2019

represent my country to the world. It’s always been my goal to promote the Philippines one destination at a time.”

For Manalad, traveling helps her get to know herself better. Although every trip places her outside her comfort zone, it also helps bring out the real adventurer in her. She said traveling, mostly alone, has developed her confidence, independence, openness and patience.

Furthermore, Manalad believes the most important part of traveling is the lesson an individual earns from every trip.

“I did my first solo trip when I was 25. I wanted to be somewhere not too far from home but far enough that it frightened me at first. I decided to go to Thailand and Cambodia for two weeks and it was life changing,” she said. “Traveling by yourself teaches you how to trust yourself, build your confidence and shows you that you’re stronger and smarter than you thought you were.”

Manalad said one of the best things she likes about traveling “is that it teaches you to widen out and make genuine friendships.”

“It feels great when you go to a place where it feels like home. Before, when I traveled, I used to send postcards only to the Philippines,” she said. “Now I allot more time writing postcards to my friends from Brazil, Canada, Spain, etc. I feel more connected to the world.”

So far, Manalad has positive experiences in her interactions in her travels. Upon learning that she was from the Philippines, they told her they love the country’s beaches and hospitable people.

During a trip in Thailand, Manalad’s Thai host was so concerned she was traveling alone that he volunteered to pick her up from Bangkok airport and tour her around during his free time. She said he also helped her in transferring to the bus station for her Cambodia trip for free.

“Those moments made me realize that people can be genuinely nice without asking for anything in return,” she said. “That moment also reminded me that if we could spread more love and kindness, then this world could be so much better.”

For Manalad, working and traveling at the same time is both fun and challenging. She said a travel agent must always be prepared for the unexpected, from a client getting ill to passports and valuables getting stolen.

“It takes patience and an open mind to survive this kind of work.”

Manalad said she envies influential people sometimes when they make it appear easy to process visas. Nevertheless, she realized she could inspire more Filipinos to travel more and be proud of their passports despite not belonging to the elite.

“It can be difficult at times, but having a passport filled with different stamps gives me a sense of fulfillment. It’s like having your own book filled with stories and adventures. As the saying goes, ‘The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page,’” she points out.

BusinessMirror

MUSIC

PRINT

LIVE IN MANILA: The Great Seungri Tour

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Sound BusinessMirror

JANUARY 13, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

MUS

WHAT TO EXPECT

AT THE GREAT SEUNGRI TOUR 2019

by Carla Mortel-Baricaua

D

URING his one-night gig at the Cove Manila in June 2018, Seungri, the maknae (youngest) member of the legendary boy group BigBang, promised to return for a solo concert in Manila.

Since his hyungs (seniors) went on to serve their mandatory military

service for their country, Seungri, as a lone active member, got busy with TV

appearances and regular social media postings to ease the longing of VIPs (BigBang fandom) worldwide brought by the absence of their K-pop idols.

Last year also saw him going back to the studio to co-compose, co-write and record his latest and first full album, “The Great Seungri.”

Following its release in July, the new album peaked at Number 1 on iTunes in 29 countries.

It also reached Number 3 on Billboard's World

Albums chart, Number 26 on the Best-Selling Album chart in China, and Number 16 on the Best K-pop Album chart in 2018. The Great Seungri sold 130,000 copies in China, 48,000 copies in Korea, and 25,000 copies in Japan.

This was followed by the launch of his firstever solo tour, The Great Seungri, in Seoul, South Korea. On August 4, the tour kicked off in the city’s Jang Chung Gymnasium for two dates, with stops in Daegu and Busan that mesmerized 15,000 fans.

More than 100,000 fans attended the tour dates in three cities (Chiba, Fukuoka, Osaka) in Japan.

It was in a press interview in December that Seungri revealed the much- anticipated Southeast Asian leg of his solo tour.

On December 28, The Great Seungri Tour 2019 Live in Manila was officially announced on the Korean star’s Instagram account—a promise he intends to deliver on January 19 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Here’s what to expect from that concert: 1. For sure, Seungri will perform the title track 1, 2, 3!

and Where R U From, some of the best in the album.

Hopes are high however that other memorable songs such as Mollado, Love is You, Be Friend and Alone will remain in the setlist.

2. From previous tour performances, fans raved that the Seungri’s sound checks are not just ordinary sessions.

Aside from performing songs outside of setlist, he talks, takes photos and gets really close to the fans while broadcasting live on Instagram. Let’s see if this is going to happen in Manila.

(Moreover, there’s a special group photo opportunity with the K-pop star.)

3. In his recent performance in Osaka, Seungri surprised fans with his cover performance of Solo, the single released by Jennie of BLACKPINK, complete with a long-haired wig and sexy choreography. A repeat in Manila is not that far-fetched.

4. As the favorite noona (older sister) of BigBang, K-pop superstar Dara of the former girl group 2NE1 will be gracing the concert as Seungri’s special guest. Dara will not only perform, but will Continued on Page 6

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soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com | JANUARY 13, 2019

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SIC ON PRINT

Indie Awards Night puts spotlight on stakeholders; acts on the rise to be lauded.

Aside from the awarding proper, expect

BANDISTA PRODUCTIONS

by Leony Garcia

F

OR years, big labels and established stars dominated the Philippine music scene. But the rise of online music sites, including Bandcamp, SoundCloud and Spotify, has made it possible for grass roots bands to promote themselves.

Thanks to various independent groups and bands, talents in the local music industry are now being recognized in a big way. The 3rd indie Awards Night, to be held on January 19, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. inside Skippy’s GastroPub at BGC in Taguig City, will be headlined by the effort of Bandista Productions.

Bandista started with the “rock

and roll dream” of a young lady named CJ Santana. Conceptualized in March 24, 2014, it actually started as a group page that discussed a common love for 90s rock music. Together with Marvin Bedico and Roxy Hizon, they helped aspiring musicians as they provided a small platform and a little breeding ground. Fast-forward to three fruitful years, Bandista Production has since become known in independent music circles by producing great shows and stirring things within its community.

The Indie Awards now serves as a platform to provide recognitions to individuals, institutions and artists whose contributions to the local independent music movement deserve

rocking performances by Humdinger, Candila, Beewings, Ist Drop, kyah,

pest Inside, Radioherb, Short Visit and Locomoco. The show is free-of-charge.

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JANUARY 13, 2019 | soundstrip.businessmirror@gmail.com

Sound trip BusinessMirror

MUSIC ON PRINT

Love for local music last Christmas L

EADING telecommunications provider Globe treated the public with two concerts in a recent weekend that showcased the best emerging local artists in the music scene.

Both music events—“Live Street: Make Snow Possible” and “Sundown Sessions”—were attended by more than a thousand OPM lovers who chilled the night out with their friends and families.

Globe Live and Bonifacio High Street, together with Huawei, kicked off the holiday season with “Live Street…” on December 14, which created a white Christmas atmosphere as audiences enjoyed the sounds of IV of Spades, Karencitta, Pinopela, Rouge and Manila String Machine.

Cebu’s Karencitta opened the show with her groovy sounds that set the mood for a long night of OPM music. She sang her hits June and “Cebuana,” as well as her own rendition of “Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit.”

Pinopela, a vocal group who won the top prize at the international A Cappella Championships in Singapore in 2016, made the concert-goers relaxed with their perfect voice blending when they sang hits such as “Ikaw Nga,” “Sirena” and Do You Hear What I Hear? The group also dished out Christmas songs such as their medley of Winter Wonderland, Let It Snow and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.

All-girl rock band Rouge collaborated with Manila String Machine as they performed their own rendition of popular Christmas hits such as Last Christmas, Christmas in Our Hearts,

“Pasko Na, Sinta Ko,” and Winter Wonderland, to name a few.

The trio of Zild Benitez, Blaster Silonga and Badjao de Castro—collectively known as IV of Spades—closed the festivities. The band captured the hearts of the audience that night as they sang their hits, including “Mundo.”

The OPM beats continued the next day as Globe and Spotify presented the Sundown Sessions at the Bonifacio High Street Activity Center. Concertgoers flocked to the venue with their loved ones and enjoyed performances from BP Valenzuela, She’s Only Sixteen, Oh! Flamingo and Bea Lorenzo. Plus, they won special prizes from Globe Postpaid and Spotify.

Elements Music Camp artist Bea Lorenzo kicked off the show as she started with her original composition Stars. She also sang “Ili (Hush)”and Golden.

Next up was indie electronic pop artist BP Valenzuela. The audience got to relax and chill out to her soulful performance of Even If You Asked Me, All I Need and Where I’m Calling From.

Pop-rock indie band She’s Only Sixteen then took the stage with their wonderful set, which consisted of Magic, Dying to Meet You and Leave Me Out of It got everyone bobbing their heads and singing along.

Wrapping up the night was indie rock band Oh Flamingo who performed their material, which consisted of Inconsistencies, Reflections and Sacred Times.

With all these exciting performances from

What to...

extended play albums 6. A first for many fans, Seungri’s live performance of Flower Road—the farewell and gift song to fans before his group’s hiatus, as well as his solo performances of BigBang’s monster hits such as Lies, Haru Haru, Fantastic Baby and Bang

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surely teach Seungri more Filipino words other than pogi (handsome), as in “pogi Seungri.”

5. His rendition of his solo hits such as Got to Talk to You, Strong Baby and Let’s Talk About Love from his earlier releases and

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Bang Bang.

7. A reveal of several private photos: a special surprise as announced in his official Instagram account, seungriseyo 8. Since Seungri has the stage for himself, expect the total entertainer to dominate it with his presence while being fully

animated, funny, charming, and sexy all at the same time. Watch out also for his impersonations of BigBang members Taeyang, G-Dragon, Daesung and T.O.P, as well as other creative spiels.

The next stops of The Great Seungri Tour will be in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore and Osaka.

A new urban divide and other gems from the big economics shindig

THE Lower Manhattan skyline is seen at dusk in this photograph taken above New York on June 19, 2015. The availability of middleskill jobs is rarer in metropolises. CRAIG WARGA/BLOOMBERG

F

RANK SINATRA famously sang of New York: “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” But the promise embedded in his lyric—the idea that cities offer an on-ramp to success—is no longer true for less-educated Americans.

As recently as the 1980s, people had a better shot at working in clerical, administrative and sales jobs if they lived somewhere with higher population density, and those middle-skill positions paid more in cities than they would in the countryside.

These days, there are few middle-skill jobs available anywhere, and they’re actually rarer in metropolises.

While women can still earn more if they manage to find middle-skill work in a densely populated place, non-college men have seen the wage premium collapse.

“It’s not clear where the land of opportu-

nity is for non-college adults,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist David Autor, who presented his findings during a lecture at the American Economic Association annual meeting in Atlanta on January 4.

The idea that moving to achieve a better economic life is no longer much of an option for people without a college degree matters.

The trend could be deepening the economic divide between superstar cities and everywhere else, fueling social division in a nation where everything from labor market attachment to political party affiliation splits along educational fault lines.

Importantly, workers who have gone to college still do better in densely populated places.

Cities have become more educated and comparatively younger as members of Generation X and the millennial generation—groups with high college attendance—moved in to find great jobs and often stayed put. That happened at the same time as their less-trained counterparts stayed away. In 2015, the gap in college attainment between urban and rural areas reached a staggering 20 percentage points, Autor found, up from 8 percentage points in 1980.

Cities were six years younger than rural

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regions in 2010, marking a total inversion from 1950, when the urban median age was five years higher. The findings took many economists at the gathering by surprise, including, apparently, Autor himself.

“I expect that the fall in geographic mobility means something different from what I had come to understand—I had understood it as a reflection of barriers to move, barriers to opportunity,” Autor said.

Public debt and low interest rates IN a presentation that generated buzz on Twitter, Peterson Institute economist Olivier Blanchard presented a paper that concluded that high public debt is bad but “not catastrophic.” He suggested that governments ought to set a rule for themselves: If they see that markets are losing faith in their ability to pay, they should “aggressively” run budget surpluses to reduce debt, proving their ability and willingness to pay what they owe.

While it makes sense to take on debt in recessions and when infrastructure investment is needed, he said, the risk is that bondholders will get nervous and demand higher rates—making holding debt more expensive. That’s a distant fear for the U.S.,

JANUARY 13, 2019

which owes almost all its debt in its own currency.

The presentation is noteworthy because it plays into a growing debate in the U.S. over whether running large and consistent deficits is actually problematic. A small-but-growing group of Modern Monetary theorists argue that under certain conditions, public debt has big benefits and limited drawbacks.

Xboxes and ex-workers?

Gaming and labor supply of young adult men

THE video-games-vs-work saga continues.

US Federal Housing Finance Agency economist Gray Kimbrough finds that young men have dramatically increased the amount of time they spend gaming over the past 15 years, but it probably isn’t driving them to drop out of the workforce in the first place.

“While non-employed men who recently left jobs play slightly more video games, on average, than employed men, they play significantly less than non-employed men who did not recently transition out of employment.”

Kimbrough thinks it’s more likely that labor demand issues are keeping young men sidelined. Bloomberg News

As millennials ‘buy everything online,’ US truckers reap riches

T

RUCK driver Justin Osborne pulled up to a house in the Dallas suburbs last month and started unloading an oven, a dishwasher and a microwave. His mission: Help J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. win the battle for new delivery riches spurred by e-commerce.

Wielding a cordless drill, Osborne hooked up all three appliances in about 45 minutes and sped off for the next home. Meanwhile, across the urban sprawl of North Texas, a colleague navigated a sofa bed down a tight hallway, while another driver unpacked and assembled a patio table.

The array of cargo would have been rare just a few years ago, when shoppers typically bought big, bulky goods from local shops and department stores with their own delivery services. Now that consumers are more comfortable buying appliances, treadmills and outdoor grills online, national trucking companies are plowing investment into winning the business by displacing or buying up local operators.

J.B. Hunt announced last Wednesday that it had agreed to pay $100 million for a New Jersey company that delivers large items to consumers, its second purchase in the space in less than two years. Cory 1st Choice Home Delivery has 14 warehouses and uses more than 1,000 independent contractors across the US. XPO Logistics Inc. has made four acquisitions to build a network of local carriers that it supplies with technology for track-

ing able to have the same consistency in terms of delivery experience across the US.” That’s created opportunities for companies like J.B. Hunt. “Each consumer wants something different and each retailer wants something different,” Hobbs said.

“So we have to be very agile in how we put together a good solution.”

The Lowell, Arkansas-based company uses third-party contractors as well as its own drivers. Having truckers on the payroll allows J.B. Hunt to train them for deliveries of specialized items, such as appliances that need to be hooked up in the home, Hobbs said.

ing deliveries in what it calls “white-glove service.” Ryder System Inc. last year spent $120 million to purchase MXD Group, bringing in an additional 109 e-commerce fulfillment facilities plus 72 third-party centers to expand its shipping of bulky items to homes.

“You’ll see more consolidation come along because there’s a lot of interest out there,” said Nick Hobbs, president of the J.B. Hunt unit that handles big and bulky deliveries.

has been expanding its national network, including through the July purchase of a heavy-goods delivery company in the Minneapolis area.

The growth is driven by national online merchants, who crave the same uniform service, pricing and tracking options that customers expect with small packages. FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc., however, would just as soon avoid big items that don’t fit into their small-parcel networks.

Shoppers mature

Outdoor kitchens

THE market for so-called last-mile deliveries amounted to $8.9 billion in 2018, up about 10 percent from the previous year, said Satish Jindel, founder of SJ Consulting Group.

That’s a much faster growth rate than for regular freight and will continue for several years as young people age, start spending more and buy bigger items, said John Hill, president and chief commercial officer of closely held Pilot Freight Services.

“Millennials buy everything online,” Hill said. “They’re very comfortable making those purchases sight unseen.” Pilot

BBQGuys.com is an example of one such merchant. The Baton Rouge, Louisianabased retailer of outdoor kitchen equipment and patio furniture has just a single showroom. But the company ships all over the country, and gets more than 70 percent of its $115 million in annual sales from large items. BBQGuys has tried to offer delivery with installation but has been hampered by inconsistent pricing and uneven service from the various carriers it hired.

“We know there’s a demand for it,” said Vice President Corey Tisdale. “We’ve been limited by the networks that we found, be-

MILLENNIALS UNIVERSE

By Vernon Velasco

M

Y bully was a she. I punched her in the eye.

When our class adviser suggested a visit to the principal’s office, they could not believe this lanky girl was capable of kicking up a storm.

She was beautiful and attractive: palewhite skin, amber eyes, freckles across her nose, and puckered lips.

‘Faithful purchaser’

JUSTIN OSBORNE, a truck driver, helps install an appliance ordered online by a household in a Dallas suburb. BLOOMBERG NEWS

As far as the teachers were concerned, she was smart; tagging her as a future Miss Universe contender. And I was, well, me.

“You again?” the principal said, as if I were in the directory of grade-school mayhem, the kind who has to piss somebody off every day to continue his life cycle.

I argued that I had never been the bad guy, never been the limp noodle who took to the platform and wiggled his bare buttocks in front of his teacher, or received a hand job at the stairwell.

“I’m a good boy,” I said. “Why don’t we get mom on the phone? She said I’m a darling.”

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AT Ryder, the aim is to provide consistent nationwide coverage through vetted partners while driving down delivery costs with high volume, said Patrick Coughlin, who heads last-mile delivery service at the Miami-based company. Its technology allows consumers to pick delivery times, track shipments and hold live chats if problems arise—capabilities that aren’t available with small, independent truckers.

“You have clients coming to us, asking us for help because they’re dealing with the mom-and-pops and they’re worried about their bandwidth and scalability,” Coughlin said.

Online shopping allowed Jamie Biedenharn to order a sofa-bed from a small shop in Pensacola, Florida, to furnish her home in Haslet, Texas. J.B. Hunt deliverymen rolled out a long mat in her house and put blue booties over their shoes to keep from tracking in mud before struggling to get the heavy piece down a narrow hallway.

“It’s been an excellent experience,” said Biedenharn, who furnished her Florida beach condo with the help of the Pensacola shopkeeper. “I’m a faithful purchaser. If I like doing business with someone, I will continue to do so,” Biedenharn said. “The white-glove service has allowed me to do business with her.” Bloomberg News

My bully was a she At a very young age, my mother sat me down and taught me lessons on civility.

One cardinal rule is to never hit a girl.

“Argue with her all you want, but never hit a girl,” she said.

“But she’s a harlot,” I told her, only “harlot” wasn’t the word. “I hope she steps on a Lego!”

My mom asked what my classmate did that merits a reprimand. Did she slap me without provocation? Did she unleash her dog to bite me on the ass when I went to her house? Was it a dust-up over some cribbage game? Did she ask me to pull out my thing so that she could laugh at it?

JANUARY 13, 2019

“She said I was gay that’s all.”

“Is it true?”

“No.” “Then again, do you want your dad to punch me in the face? Do you want other boys to do the same to your sister?”

I cried.

She gently pulled me to her chest and held me in her arms. Moments like this make me love my mom more. Truth is, I had been to a lot of trouble, but as long as my mother was there, I knew it would be okay.

“It’s alright,” she whispered. “Hush now, baby girl.”