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Despite defeat in Marawi, IS-Maute threat persists Terrorists turn to Islamic schools, children orphaned by Mindanao ‘wars’ to beef up ranks

IN this June 9, 2017, file photo, a mosque is silhouetted against a setting sun near military operations in Marawi City. AP/AARON FAVILA

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By Rene Acosta

INE months after the government stopped the bloody—and absolutely destructive attempt—launched by the Islamic State and its local affiliate the Maute Group, collectively referred to as the IS-Maute Group, to establish an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia by laying siege to Marawi City, the band is now attempting to stage a comeback. The strategy: fill up their decimated ranks with recruits coming from madrasahs, or Islamic schools, in the country.

IN this October 17, 2017, file photo, hundreds of evacuees are housed in a multipurpose hall at Balo-i, Lanao del Norte, after fleeing the besieged city of Marawi. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

The recruitment scheme by the badly beaten terrorists was uncovered by the military in the flurry of surrenders by their colleagues, showing evolving and shifting tactics in the terrorists’ effort to once again beef up their membership in preparation for a possible showdown with the government again in the future. In light of the recruitment activities by the terrorists, the role of madrasahs in the growth and spread of Islamic extremism, particularly in Mindanao, was again put in the spotlight. In the past, some Islamic schools in the country have been accused by the Armed Forces of the Philippines of helping beef up the ranks of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), the regional terror group Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) and the other terror cells that operate in the region by serving as Continued on A2

Authorities sound alarm on spike of teen pregnancy, abuse, STD spread in Davao

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By Manuel T. Cayon

AVAO CITY—Health and population authorities here are pressing for the creation of more teen centers down to the campus and barangay levels to control a notable spike in teen pregnancy incidents with complications in risky behaviors that could lead to sexual abuse and spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 53.5200

The teen centers would cater not only to the sexual problems among adolescents, but also to multiple mental, psychological, social and physical abuses “that persons at their age level have difficulty coping with by themselves alone,” according to Dr. Raquel Montejo, chief of the family cluster of the regional Department of Health (DOH) here. Of the region’s four Davao provinces and Compostela Valley, only Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley have functioning teen centers in the major towns and in their district hospitals, although it was the newly created Davao Occi-

dental province which has posted the highest incidence of teen pregnancy in the region. Montejo said two directives issued separately by Gov. Anthony G. del Rosario of Davao del Norte and Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy of Compostela Valley prompted the provinces to improve the services they render to the adolescent sector compared with the rest of the region, including Davao City. Their directives suit well with the framework of the DOH and the Population Commission (PopCom), which wanted the teen and adolescent centers to be established Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.4760 n UK 69.6616 n HK 6.8186 n CHINA 7.8943 n SINGAPORE 39.0515 n AUSTRALIA 39.3800 n EU 62.3240 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.2716

Source: BSP (July 20, 2018 )

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Authorities sound alarm on spike of teen pregnancy, abuse, STD spread in Davao Continued from a1

in government facilities like hospitals, rural health units and clinics, in barangay halls and in school campuses. The Davao City health office has assured the DOH and the PopCom it would renew its push to have these centers established in as many accessible facilities as possible, Montejo said. The city has its own teen center previously but has folded up.

Counseling, listening

CHERYL B. AMOR, chief of the Information Management and Communications Unit of the regional PopCom office here, said the teen centers would serve as “counseling, listening and referring” centers for teenager and adolescent concerns. Schools would be in a better position to establish their respective centers catering to their students, because they already have

their own guidance counselors, she said. “In many schools, there are also nurses and clinical facilities to attend to the needs of troubled teenagers,” Amor said. “But in schools with no licensed guidance counselors, they have to refer them to trained counselors,” she added. In the communities where the centers would be established inside the barangay halls, the DOH has recommended “that peer counselors would be detailed there because the troubled teens find it comfortable with someone within their age level to speak with and to seek advises from.” “The DOH would do away with the adults inside the teen centers because it is most likely that the teens would easily associate the adults as maybe friends or associate of their parents,” Montejo added. This is “especially noteworthy to consider in the Philippines,

where the parents and other members of the family have been the widely reported [to be the] perpetrators of different forms of abuse inflicted on girls,” he said. Montejo said they are eyeing to possibly equip the centers with telephones, owing to the likelihood of adolescent victims of abuse would likely shun a face-to-face interaction. The rush to have more teen centers arose from the noted increase in teen pregnancy and incidence of engaging in multiple partners, in both categories of which placed the region on the top spot nationwide in the 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey. The region posted 17.9 percent of women in the 15 to 19 age group who begun childbearing. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said this proportion almost doubled the national figure of 8.6 percent, and it said this made Davao region the top among the 17

administrative regions in terms of teenage pregnancy. Two other Mindanao regions followed the Davao region, the Soccsksargen, or the Cotabato provinces, with 11.8 percent; and Northern Mindanao, with 11.6 percent, respectively. Also, an item on the number of sexual partners among women in the 15 to 49 age group, the Davao region came out on top, with an average of 2.1 partners during the past 12 months preceding the survey.

Abuse and violence

AN implication of these two categories alone could be vast and serious, as the survey found out a sizable proportion of women, at 26.9 percent or slightly a quarter of women in the 15 to 49 age group, have been or actually sexually engaged with multiple sex partners, aside from those who have experienced physical, sexual or

emotional violence. Montejo said the women and girls experiencing various forms of violence and abuse needed more than medical care and attention, which the regional health facilities have also posted high coverage in terms of providing and extending ante and postnatal care. Health authorities have repeatedly warned of teenage pregnancy on concerns over the preparedness of a girl’s body to sustain pregnancy, and in the rigors of delivery and postnatal complications. For teenage girls, and even boys, Montejo said, the DOH was informed by the state-run Southern Philippine Medical Center here and the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City about the increasing incidence of suicide attempts. “One of the SSG [Supreme Student Government] officers in a school in Compostela Valley even has a case of previous suicide at-

tempt. How much more for an ordinary student, how much [more if] he or she handles the problem alone, especially that a big cause of the problem came…within the family,” she said. For both married and unmarried women who engaged in multiple partners, the concern would be both on the increased risk to sexually transmitted diseases, as well as to unwanted pregnancy, much less on the abuse from their partners. “We have a serious concern here to provide psychological attention and to the problematic teenagers, and especially the women and girls,” she said. Montejo said the other provinces in the region should try to catch up and establish also their own adolescent and teen centers to cope with the expected swell in the demand for more listening ears to their problems.

Despite defeat in Marawi, IS-Maute threat persists Continued from a1

the platforms for the extremist indoctrination of some misguided Moros.

‘Good vs evil’

ACCORDING to Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., deputy commander of the Joint Task Force Ranao, the recruitment effort of the IS-Maute Group was uncovered during the debriefing of surrenderers from the terrorist group. By his latest count, at least 48 members of the group have already yielded to the government, most of them coming from Lanao provinces. Brawner said a terrorist who was debriefed claimed to have come from a madrasah from upland Baguio City. There, in the country’s summer capital, he was indoctrinated with extremist teachings. “We have one in Baguio City,”

the military official said in confirming the presence of an Islamic school there. Brawner incidentally traces his roots from the same city. The other terrorists who have also yielded to the military had come from other selected madrasah schools in Mindanao and in other parts of the country, thus raising fears that the IS may no longer be confined in Mindanao, a possibility which Brawner dismissed. The military official said they have been working to stem the recruitment of the IS-Maute Group with the help of imams and other moderate Moro preachers by visiting madrasahs, wherein they expound on the evils of extremism and, at the same time, on the goodness of Islam as a peace-loving religion. “We are working to stop it with the help of moderate imams and

other Muslim preachers by visiting the schools,” Brawner said.

‘Money, ideology and defection’

THE effort to reinforce its ranks, through the help of Islamic schools, is apparently being taken by the IS-Maute Group, as it also recruits in Moro-dominated regions, with particular focus on Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. It also recruits members from the ranks of evacuees pushed out of their homes by the battle in Marawi last year. Thousands of families have yet to be permanently resettled by the government and most of them are housed in shelters in neighboring Lanao del Norte. “They recruit using money and by the call of ideology and defection,” said Brawner, with the recruitment being centered on children and those made orphans by the Marawi siege.

DISPLACED residents fleeing to safer areas on a convoy of vehicles stop at a roadside as government troops battle with Muslim militants on May 29, 2017, in Marawi, Southern Philippines. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

Children are reportedly being encouraged to join the IS-Maute for an enlistment fee of P70,000 and a monthly pay of up to P20,000. The call is also issued to the relatives of Maute members who died while fighting soldiers during the bloody operation. Army chief Lt. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista said earlier that the recruitment of the terrorist group is not only confined in Lanao provinces, but is also being undertaken in Central Mindanao, with Maguindanao and its neighboring provinces as the centers of the activity. Bautista declared that it would take years for the terrorist group to carry out an attack similar to the scale they have embarked upon in Marawi even with its current phase of recruitment. In Maguindanao, however, three groups that have broken away from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters led by battlehardened commanders are already fighting under the shadow of the IS, with which they have aligned themselves. Two of these groups are headed by Commanders Esmail Abdulmalik and Salahuddin Hassan, who calls his group Jamaatu al-Muhajireen wal Ansar.

Abdulmalik is the right-hand man of Malaysian Jema’ah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, who was killed in a counterterrorism operation in January 2015, where 44 police commandos also died.

No more than 50 fighters

BRAWNER said the continuing operations by the military and the successive surrender of members have pared down the number of the IS-Maute Group to not more than 50 fighters, and they are operating under Owaida Marohombsar, alias Abu Dar. The military claimed Marohombsar assumed the leadership of the group after Isnilon Hapilon, a former ASG commander and the acknowledged leader of the IS in Southeast Asia, was killed in Marawi last year. Before he retired, then Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa, however, claimed that Mauiyah, a Singaporean jihadist and top leader of the JI who has long been in the country, became the head of the IS after the death of Hapilon. Dela Rosa based his statement on information that were ferreted out during a debriefing of Maute Group members who were successively arrested in Metro Manila, where they earlier sought sanctuary. An earlier report by the military claimed that some 300 terrorists, including 10 of their subleaders, have escaped the raging battle in Marawi, and at least three of them were arrested in Metro Manila during dela Rosa’s term with the PNP. A couple of days ago, the government arrested Nafisah Pundog, wife of Marohombsar, during an

operation in General Santos City.

IS threat, a top regional concern

WHILE the IS may already be on the retreat in the country, its aborted attempt to establish a caliphate in Marawi in collaboration with the Maute Group has both confirmed its presence in Southeast Asia and the creation of its East Asia division. As such, it not only threatens the country, but the whole of Southeast Asia—something noted early this year by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong when the island city-state hosted the first meeting of Asean leaders. Singapore, as this year’s host of the regional grouping, declared that terrorism is a “very real threat,” and is already at the top of the region’s security concerns. The statement followed concerns aired by experts who had also met in Singapore that Mindanao may yet be the perfect base for terrorists in the region, including returning IS fighters who fought abroad, because of its unstable condition and porous border. The sentiments were aired as the government admitted that there are at least 18 other active terror cells in the country. Whatever is the true number of the IS remnants, and how successful they have been in drawing new blood from the orphans of Marawi and certain Islamic schools, is something that the State forces have yet to determine with certainty. Meantime, the threat of them unleashing yet another wave of terror hangs over the heads of those tasked to secure the troubled south. It’s an endless, thankless, perilous task. And one can only hope the few good men and women on this mission will never fail.

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Global economy lives on edge as crisis veterans sound alarms

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fficials gathering for Group of 20 meetings in Buenos Aires this weekend will have plenty more crisis fodder than Lionel Messi’s World Cup performance to gab about. We heard growing fears this week that a crisis might be brewing from various corners of the global economy, while central bankers find their place in the policy-tightening cycle and trade battles rage on.

Growth gossip

Three titans of past financial crises voiced some worry about the US ability to combat the next one, as a Ber nanke- Geithner-Pau lson show highlighted fresh weak spots since the last downturn a decade ago. The Minneapolis Fed chief said he thinks more interest-rate hikes could trigger a recession, while Chairman Jerome Powell says rates are on the best path “for now.” Cooling in the world’s No. 2 economy spells trouble, but China has many ways of insulating itself. UK’s Theresa May had another rough week of Brexit talks, while Trump told her to just sue the European Union (EU). Growth outlooks are being downgraded across Southeast Asia for the rest of 2018. And the International Monetary Fund says markets are too calm about trade-war risk. As if that weren’t enough, World Cup fever was of little help economically to host Russia or to champion France. It was a week to air grievances over tariffs. Fed chief Powell warned that trade barriers threaten wages and growth, even as the economy chugs along, while US businesses are getting

loud about not getting protection from the protectionism. Beyond American borders, the European Union warned Trump about how tariff battles can lead to “hot conflicts.” The havoc is bringing Japan and the EU closer, and putting super-trade-reliant Vietnam on the defense. Europe is looking to convince the US to cut car levies, while the US just lodged formal challenges at the World Trade Organization against the EU, China and others for tariff retaliation. Trump’s top economic aide says China’s Xi doesn’t want to make a deal. One thing that hasn’t changed: China’s still America’s biggest banker. There was something from everyone in UK data this week, with solid jobs numbers seeming to support the case for an August rate hike from the Bank of England, and a subdued inf lation reading published the next day enough to convince the doubters of their case. Either way, the BOE pledged to weigh in on whatever Brexit deal materializes. Bank Indonesia held policy after three interestrate hikes of a combined 100 basis points, seeing some stabilization in the currency after a slump and the Bank of Thailand signaled that steady second-quarter growth could spur a more hawkish stance. South Africa’s central bank warned of price risks, while Angola unexpectedly cut rates for the first time in four years. There’s little reason to expect big news out of the ECB for the rest of 2018, but a significant shakeup in global trade could cause a rethink of policy tightening, Bloomberg Economics argues. Bloomberg News

Donald Trump feeds summit uproar with plans for another Putin meeting

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onald J. Trump intensified the uproar over his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin by extending an invitation for a second summit as worries about what the two leaders discussed in Helsinki this week were rising. Details of what the leaders talked about in a one-on-one session that lasted more than two hours have been trickling out from Moscow while White House efforts to clarify Trump’s stance have been slow, vague and at times conflicting. The uncertain US response to a Putin proposal for Russians to pose questions for a former American ambassador triggered a rare, unanimous rebuke from the Senate on Thursday. Even Trump’s own national intelligence director, Dan Coats, said “I don’t know” what happened between the leaders in Helsinki. He was caught off guard at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado when news broke of the new summit invitation. “Say that again,” Coats responded, when NBC’s Andrea Mitchell told him on stage that Trump had invited Putin to Washington for a fall visit. “O.K.,” he continued, “That’s going to be special.” The drama unfolded as Trump jarred financial markets by issuing a broadside against the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates, breaking with two decades of White House tradition of avoiding comment on monetary policy out of respects for the independence of the US central bank.

Moscow shapes narrative

Yet another revelation from Moscow on the Helsinki talks rattled Washington. Putin told Russian diplomats in closed-door speech on Thursday that he proposed a referendum to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, according to two people present. Trump didn’t immediately reject it and instead asked Putin to keep the plan secret so he could consider it, according to the two people. The White House had no immediate comment on the disclosure. Such a referendum would alarm Ukrainian officials given Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, and would be a hard sell for Europeans, who remain committed to a 2015 European-brokered truce deal for the Donbas region, parts of which are controlled by Russian-backed separatists. “They’re basically letting Russia now shape the narrative of what came out of Helsinki,” said Steven Pifer, a senior fellow and arms control expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington and a retired foreign service officer. “People are assuming the agreements that were reached were not in the US interest.”

Departure from tradition

Pifer, a 25-year foreign service veteran and former US ambassador to Ukraine, said American officials typically provide an extensive account of a presidential summit to reporters within

hours, a practice that the Trump team didn’t follow after Helsinki. Democrats seized on the new invitation to fan doubts about Trump’s diplomacy. “Until we know what happened at that two hour meeting in Helsinki, the president should have no more one-on-one interactions with Putin. In the United States, in Russia, or anywhere else,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement. Jim Goldgeier, a visiting senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the summit in Helsinki shows the danger of another meeting. “Is Trump going to get himself prepared?” he said. “He can’t just keep winging it at these meetings.”

‘Tough position’

National Security Adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top White House aides “are in the same situation the rest of us are,” Goldgeier said of efforts to understand what Trump signaled to Putin in their meeting. “Even if he had come out and briefed them and said, ‘This is what was said,’ they have no way of knowing whether that’s true or not, because who can ever know,” he added. “So they’re in a tough position. Meanwhile, you have all this chatter coming out of Russia.” White House officials, recognizing a political backlash in their own Republican Par t y, struggled on Thursday to get in front of another controversy. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Wednesday that Trump was going to meet with his team about an idea Putin raised that could have allowed Russia to question US officials, including Michael McFaul, a former American ambassador to Moscow under President Barack Obama.

Putin proposal

Putin had offered in exchange to allow US Special Counsel Robert Mueller to send members of his team to watch Russian authorities question of 12 Russian intelligence agents indicted by a US grand jury last week in connection with hacking Democratic Party e-mail accounts and disseminating those messages before the 2016 presidential election. Allowing the interrogation of a former American ambassador would be an unprecedented breach in protections traditionally provided to the nation’s diplomats. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky responded with a rare decision to permit a vote on a resolution written by Schumer undercutting the president. The resolution calls on the US to refuse to make any officials available for interrogation by Putin’s government. Though the measure isn’t legally binding, it is a clear rebuke to Trump. Bloomberg News

ExportUnlimited

A4 Saturday, July 21, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

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Govt readies MSMEs for ‘4th Industrial Revolution’

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By Ashley Manabat

LARK FREEPORT—Programs and projects geared toward preparing small businesses for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, otherwise known as the digital economy, will now be implemented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DTI-EMB, DAWR Australia hold seminar on food export compliance By Golda Kristy T. Grospe Market Innovation Division DTI-Export Marketing Bureau

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HE Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently collaborated with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) Australia in conducting a seminar to educate Filipino exporters on the rudiments of exporting food products to Australia. The seminar opened with the introduction of the incoming Commercial Consul to be assigned to the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Sydney, Alma F. Argayoso. DTI-EMB Director Senen M. Perlada took the floor to give an overview of the Philippines-Australia trade relations and the opportunities that await Filipino exporters in the Australian food sector. Mark Phythian, director of the Imported Food Section of DAWR Australia, served as the main speaker for the event. His discussion covered topics on Australian food regulatory system, border requirements and food standards. “Food products imported to Australia must comply with the general standards for food, such as food labeling; the food compositional requirements for permitted ingredients and additives; the maximum residue limits for agricultural and veterinary chemicals; the maximum limits for metals and contaminants; the microbiological limits; commodity standards; and the standards for hygienic food production and processing as prescribed by the Food Standards Code,” Phythian said. The visiting expert also explained that when a food product is found to be noncompliant with a standard or poses a risk to human health, certain measures can be taken by the Australian importer. The product may be treated to bring into compliance, exported back to country of origin, destroyed or if permitted, downgraded to animal feed. An orientation on the existing regulations on food exports and imports, as well as the food quality and safety services in the Philippines, were ensued from Phythian’s presentation. Mr. Joselito L. Antioquia of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), Dr. Adela Contreras of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), Dr. Cheryl Rose B. Cayad-an of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS), Ms. Mary Joy Paulin of the Food and Drug Administration Philippines and Ms. Carmelita Alkuino of the Food Development Center fostered a holistic learning experience for the exporters in attendance. Australia is a market with strict import requirements and over the years, a number of food exporters from the Philippines have been found noncompliant with its import conditions. The seminar was part of the efforts of the DTI-EMB to address the challenge and facilitate successful business deals with Australian buyers.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or the digital economy, is changing our lives in ways we’ve never imagine,” Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said during the opening of the National MSME Summit 2018 last week. “Our MSMEs [micro small and medium enterprises] must face and understand new jargons and challenges, such as the fusion of technologies and emergence of innovation in areas that are taking us by surprise, including robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, nanotechnology, quantum computing and biotechnology,” Lopez said.

To prepare MSMEs, Lopez said the DTI and its partners in the government and private sectors are strengthening structures for their assistance through Ease of Doing Business and Negosyo Centers; more funds for inclusive financing through Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso; and leveled-up mentoring support through Kapatid Mentor Me Program. “Also, we expanded the reach of technology and innovation support through shared service facilities and mainstreaming them in the domestic market through Go Lokal stores,” he added.

PHL exporters embark on outbound biz matching mission to New Delhi

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he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted an outbound business matching mission to New Delhi, India, in July from 16 to 21, led by Assistant Director Agnes R. Legaspi of the Export Marketing Bureau and Commercial Attaché Jeremiah C. Reyes of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center. Receiving the Philippine mission is Philippine Ambassador to India Teresita Daza. The exporters are in the food, personal care, garments and franchising businesses. Joining the delegation is Mr. Johnny Chotrani, chairman of the Philippine-India Business Council. The mission aimed to explore business opportunities, link Philippine exporters to potential business partners

and strengthen trade relations between the Philippines and India. In 2017 India was the 14th trading partner of the Philippines, 18th export market and 14th import supplier. Total bilateral trade was valued at $2.24 billion. The Philippines and India enjoy preferential tariff treatment under the Asean-India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA). The mission held meetings and business-matching sessions with India’s major chambers of commerce, including the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Punjab Haryana Delhi Chamber of Commerce (PHD Chamber of Commerce). The Philippine delegation is also met with

Invest India and the members of the Filipino community in India. For details, contacts in New Delhi are Mr. Tarun Sharma or Ms. Ruby F. de los Santos of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center, New Delhi at telephone number +91.11.24105017 and e-mail addresses India@dti.gov. ph and India@philippinetrade.org. Contacts in the Philippines are Ms. Lala C. Castro or Golda Grospe of the Export Marketing Bureau at telephone number +632.465.3300 and e-mail addresses RafaelitaCastro@dti.gov.ph and GoldaGrospe@ dti.gov.ph. Mr. M.S. Patiyal, first secretary (Commerce), Embassy of India, Manila delivers a talk on “Opportunities in the Indian Market” to Philippine exporters.

Trade dept holds presentation on PHL investment to German officials, traders

PTIC-Berlin Commercial Counsellor Althea Antonio (in photo, standing), who served as the official representative and presenter for the DTI, outlines the business opportunities for German investors. PHOTO FROM DTI

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he Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through its Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Berlin, presented to more than 100 German company representatives the Philippine investment climate and business opportunities, as well as competitive investment incentives offered to German companies at the recent Asean Investment Forum on July 10 at the Ernst & Young- Düsseldorf Auditorium in Germany. The Asean Investment Forum 2018 is a joint project of the investment promotion agencies of the Philippines (DTI-Berlin), Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, in collaboration with the German Asia-Pacific Business Association, Ernst & Young Düsseldorf and IHK Düsseldorf. The keynote address was given by Dr. Andreas Stoffers of SDI München, who emphasized Asean

as a thriving economic zone. The event also featured a lecture by Mr. Eduard Herda of EY on operating business models in Southeast Asia, and testimonials from German companies present in the region. For the Philippines, Mr. Dirk Sohns, head of Asset Management of STEAG GmbH talked about their presence and experience in doing business in the Philippines. Meanwhile, PTIC-Berlin Commercial Counsellor Althea Antonio served as the official representative and presenter for the DTI. In 2017 Germany ranked as the Philippines’s 11th trading partner (out of 223), seventh export market (out of 216) and 12th import supplier (out of 198). For 2018 Germany remains in the top 10 markets of Philippine merchandise goods. On the investments front, Germany ranked third as top source of in-

vestment promotion agency (IPA)approved investment from 2011 to 2017 in the European Union, following the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 2017 it ranked as the 12th investment source, with $29.19 million worth of IPAapproved investments. For further information on the release, please get in touch with: The Office of the Undersecretary for Trade and Investments Promotions Group (TIPG) Office Address: 3/F DTI International Building #375 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City 1200 Telephones: 890.4891 / 465.3300 local 310 Fax: 895.3993 Contact Person: Ms. Kathleen Joyce Bondoc, Mobile: 0927.257.7396 E-mail address: outipg@dti.gov. ph, K athleenJoyceBondoc@dti. gov.ph Web site: www.dti.gov.ph

Our MSMEs [micro small and medium enterprises] must face and understand new jargons and challenges, such as the fusion of technologies and emergence of innovation in areas that are taking us by surprise, including robotics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, nanotechnology, quantum computing and biotechnology.”—Lopez

DOST Calabarzon holds 4-day webinar on S&T week in July

Department of Science and Technology Calabarzon Regional Office stages four webbased seminars or webinars beginning on July 5 at its S&T complex in Los Baños, Laguna, as part of the 2018 National Science and Technology Week celebration slated from July 17 to 21. Photo courtesy of DOST4A-PARCU By Saul A. Pa-a

Philippines News Agency

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OS BAñOS, Laguna— The Department of Science a nd Tec h nolog y (DOST) Calabarzon Regional Office has hosted four webbased seminars or webinars as part of its opening salvo for the 2018 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) celebration from July 17 to 21. Rochelle L. Cruz, Science Research Specialist I and head of the Public Affairs, Relations and Communicat ions Unit (PARCU) of the DOST Calabarzon, said that the 48th to 51st webinar series on food safety were aired beginning on July 5. Cruz said that the webinars have generated around 200 online participants to date, who watched the DOST Calabarzon’s Webinar and Technology Channel (Watch) portal in partnership with Glenwood Technologies. “The technology on using the Webinar and Technology Channel [Watch] portal simply uses video camera, laptops, TV screen and fast Internet as basic requirements to facilitate a webinar episode,” Cruz said. She added that the online participants can also post comments and queries on the webinar episodes on food safety, pest control, accreditation and ISO overview on food-safety management system, enabling an interactive engagement and feedback mechanism. Cruz said the participants represented various sectors from the food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector, academe, DOST regional offices and research and development (R&D) institutes and laboratories. An episode hosted by Angela Kristel Dalao of Glenwood Technologies International Inc. discussed the “Advancement in Sanitation Verification System,” highlighting the importance of improving cleanliness practices and sanitation protocols which could promote

and enhance food safety. “Monitoring tools should be sensitive, rapid and reliable to ensure product safety,” Dalao said. Another episode in the webinar series delved on “Effective Pest Control for Food Processors,” hosted by April MusaMarinay of Boaz Pest Control, where she summed up seven steps to effectively control pests in the MSME business. Marinay urged participants to “remember the 4 Ks—know what you want; know your facility; know your pests; know Integrated Pest Management [IPM].” She added that there are 3 Ms to be observed to increase business confidence toward safe food which include: make your program; make it work; monitor, evaluate, improve. Webinar speakers are Amor Lahoz and Juanita Carpio from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Philippine Accreditation Bureau (PAB), as the office responsible for the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies in the country. As representatives of the PAB, the two speakers underscored their office’s mandate to implement accreditation based on the ISO/IEC 17011 as they highlighted the “Importance of Accreditation in the Delivery of Safe Food and Clean Drinking Water.” In an “Overview of the ISO 22000 on Food Safety Management System (FSMS) and the Accreditation of FSMS Certification Based on ISO/TS 22003,” the speakers expounded the significance of getting the accreditation as this lends credence and trust in business establishment and builds confidence not only among businesses but also from their clients and customers. T he par t icipants in t he DOST Ca labarzon webinar series also received electronic copies of their certificates of participation, which will be sent to the participants after completing the evaluation.

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Saturday, July 21, 2018

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THAILAND’S Ploychompoo Wirairungreung kisses her trophy.

TEAM Coco’s Prince Rivero in action.

Geraint Thomas is the first rider in Tour history to win atop Huez in the yellow jersey. AP

A6 Saturday, July 21, 2018 | Editor: Mike Besa

Canlubang Golf and Country Cl By Josh Burack Asian Tour CEO

Korean market consolidated

A flamboyant, dazz The South course’s iconic 17th hole.

The beauty of the landscape is unmatched.

The past two months saw the Asian Tour make significant inroads into East Asia with our successful return to the GS Caltex Maekyung Open and the Kolon Korea Open following a long nine-year gap. This came as a result of our long-term agreement with the Korean Golf Association. These high-profile events, together with another one of the aptly named “Korean Majors” the Shinhan Donghae Open that is coming up in September, have consolidated the Asian Tour’s strong position in the golf hotbed of Korea. Keeping close relations with the KGA and Korean Professional Golfers’ Association (KPGA) is vital going forward. Last week at the Kolon Korea Open Golf Championship there were many memorable moments. In particular, we saw firsthand how the champion, Minchel Choi, held off compatriot Sanghyun Park’s late challenge on the final day to win the tournament by two shots. It was a superb display of skill and tenacity. Since the tournament was part of The Open Qualifying Series, Choi who took up Asian Tour membership after his win and runner-up Park earned spots at The Open this July in Carnoustie, Scotland. We wish them both success at their first major championship. A refreshing champion and the Tour’s important work for Habitat for Humanity Looking back at the Thailand Open, Panuphol Pittayarat, also known as “Coconut,” claimed his second Asian Tour title at his National Open. Coconut has one of the best all-round games on Tour, so it came as no surprise to see him earn the coveted trophy. That week also saw the Asian Tour and Thai Country Club raising funds for our sustainable development partner, Habitat for Humanity. By selling pro-am spots, merchandise and soliciting donations, together we raised enough to donate 250,000 Baht to Habitat for Humanity Thailand. This amount will be used to build a new house for a family in need of a safe place to live. It is fantastic to have the Tour is serving such a worthy cause. Chock-a-block The Kolon Korea Open and the Queen’s Cup marked the start of another busy stretch of back-to-back tournaments. Next, we had the inaugural Sarawak Championship and the Indonesia Open, which has boosted its prize money from $300,000 to $500,000 thanks to increased sponsorship from Bank BRI. It’s a hectic schedule, but that is what keeps us going. Thank you to all for your support of the Asian Tour! Best regards, Josh #whereitsAT

I

Story & photos by Mike Besa

t’s impossible to discuss Canlubang Golf and Country Club’s North Course without talking about the South Course. The South is the yin to the North Course’s yang. While the North is somewhat subdued, the South is the direct opposite. It’s a flamboyant layout that’s set on the hillier side of the property. It’s marginally shorter than its more highly regarded sibling but it will dazzle you with some of the most picturesque holes in Philippine Golf. My friend Robin Moyer likens the North and South Courses to a man and a woman, respectively. It’s a good analogy. The North is the strong silent type while the South seduces you with the sheer beauty of the layout. The South Course winds up into the foothills and presents some

stunning views of Laguna de Bay and the Sierra Madres. The ravines seem wider and more menacing than those on the North Course. The holes unfold in dramatic fashion, asking you to drive over tall trees and ravines; there’s not much that’s subtle about the South. The South Course takes advantage of the elevation changes to delight the golfer with spectacular vistas. This is a course where you need to stop frequently, look around you and appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. This is golf in the Philippines on the grandest scale. Deep ravines define the edges and present hazards on seven holes on the golf course. The ravines are filled with old growth rain forest and are just stunning. The wide Bermuda fairways are lined with tall native grasses and coconut trees and will severely penalize the wayward. The one knock on the South Course

is the number of forced carries that is required to navigate it. There are nine all in all; five on the outward nine and four on the inward nine. This makes it difficult for new or beginning golfers to enjoy a round of golf here. To the seasoned golfer, it is a playground like no other. It will test you with length and its strategic demands. You will need every shot in your arsenal and a good head on your shoulders to post a good score. It’s a true ball-striker’s golf course. Then there’s the golf course’s condition. It’s an older course and hasn’t seen a full-on renovation since its completion. The Bermuda fairways are largely intact but have seen some encroachment by local grasses. The zoysia greens are quite robust if a bit slow on regular days but speed them up just a bit and their character changes immensely. Golf in Canlubang is like entering

Learning to ‘play’ again H

ave you ever given any thought to why you don’t improve at golf? You take lessons, you spend good time at the driving range pounding golf balls, trying to dig the secrets of the game out of the dirt. You devour every bit of information on the game that you can and somehow, it’s still lacking. You still suck at golf. Golf is such a complicated endeavor that it’s easy to focus on the wrong things. It’s so personal that simple things can make a world of difference to the results we all so desperately seek. We watch the best players in the world and try to emulate their every mannerism on the golf course, thinking that it will make a difference, but it doesn’t. The only thing that happens is that we slow our games to a near halt. So, what can we do that will make a difference? The great Bobby Jones once said, “Golf is played mainly on a 5 1/2 inch course; the space between your ears.” Golf is a mental game with physical components. It’s a strategy game against the golf course, the elements and the rest of the field. But it is the mental component that carries the most weight. I spent many hours on the range beating countless golf balls trying to develop the control that I so coveted over the golf ball. I practice putting every day and my short game before every round of golf. By the time I tee it up, everything

seems to be in place and ready for the round of my life. Instead, something happens out there that just derails the whole train. The problem here is the weight of expectations and the associated anxieties. I had stopped “playing” golf. I got so caught up expecting a good score because of the work that I’d put in that I had forgotten how to just go out on the golf course and just play. The improvements I saw in practice created expectations, and this increased the anxiety level especially when under pressure. Things began to improve as soon as I let go and just played. It wasn’t anything that I planned on or consciously set out to do; it was something that just developed while I worked on my game. When I missed a shot or missed a green, it stopped affecting me negatively. I just thought to myself, “I can still make par from there,” and went about my business. I stopped thinking and just reacted to the situation. I took what I got and made the best of it. Call it emotional acceptance. I began to accept the fact that I couldn’t hit them all well and stopped beating myself up over it. I began to relax and enjoy the game. I began looking at my misses as opportunities for creativity instead of beating myself up over them. I became child-like in my approach and began to play, really play, the game. The process isn’t over yet, there are still more secrets to

PHOTO by Jeana Miranda

dig out of the ground, but I genuinely feel that I am on the verge of something really good here. It’s the beginning of a new journey in the game. The takeaway from all of this is that if you really want to improve your scores, it is important to focus on the aspect of playing the game. Forget expectations and anxiety, they have no place in the game. No one hits it perfect every time. Not even Tiger Woods. Why be so hard on yourself if you miss? Bring back that inner child in you. Just play. It’s not necessary to strike the ball perfectly to score well. It is playing to your strengths that matter. It’s creating a strategy which plays to your strengths. You might not have the physical prowess to hit the ball 300 yards, but you can develop a recovery game. You might not be able to reach greens in regulation, but you can leave yourself in good spots from which to save par. It need not be pretty, just effective. Take stock of your game. Make a brutally honest assessment. Don’t get caught up in the fluff and minutia of the game; focus on the essentials. Learn how to play the game; every facet of it. Revel in it. Find a coach that can work with you to create a strategy for your improvement, take you out of your comfort zone and your game to the next level. I may have stumbled upon all this by accident, but since you’re reading this, you have a chance to do something extraordinary with your game. Don’t pass it up. Mike Besa

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, July 21, 2018 A7

lub’s South Course

zling layout

a time capsule. This was the playground of the Yulo family during the height of their wealth and influence. It is a look back at how things used to be in a more genteel time. I spent much time here growing up; playing little league baseball and accompanying my father to his reunions. It feels so familiar and yet much grander than my memories permit. It’s reminder of grander times when land was plentiful and the passion of one family for the game of golf as formidable as their holdings. The golf course starts easily enough but grabs your attention with the tee shot on five. Five requires a forced carry over a ravine. It’s far less intimidating today with the death of the tree that was positioned squarely in the middle of your line to the fairway. The club has replanted a replacement, but it will be a few years before it grows tall enough to intimidate and put pressure on your tee shot. Six is the

one-handicap hole. It’s a bit of a puzzle that requires accuracy and intestinal fortitude to play well. It demands a long, accurate tee shot that flirts with the ravine fronting the green or a long second which must also contend with the threatening hazard. But it is the back nine where the course really begins to strut its stuff. Situated on the hilliest portion of the property, every hole is memorable. There truly isn’t a bad one in the bunch. Ten is a very strong par-4. It’s long and the best line to the fairway must challenge the lake that borders the 10th tee and final green. Cheat too far to the safe side and you’ll find yourself in the rough or OB. It’s a tough hole but immensely rewarding when you get it right. Eleven through 17 are breathtaking golf holes. Eleven is a dramatic par 5 that sweeps down from the elevated tee then

up again into the foothills that lead to the highest parts of the golf course. Twelve and 13 are the holes at the back nine’s zenith before 14 takes you back down and reveals spectacular views of Laguna de Bay in the distance. If ever there was a hole that defines a golf course, it is the signature 17th at the South Course. A massive acacia tree fronts the green of the short par 3, perched precariously on the edge of a ravine. Jones Jr. is so fond of this hole that a picture of it graces the pages of his book, Golf by Design. The condition of the golf course aside, it is difficult not to be enamored with Canlubang’s South Course. It is a spectacular piece of work executed on a scale that will never be replicated in this country again. It is a masterpiece and a true icon of golf in the Philippines.

Titleist AVX Golf Balls are here T itleist’s latest performance golf ball, the AVX, has finally arrived in our market. AVX stands for Alternative to V and X, which, conveniently, allows us to understand where this ball fits in Titleist’s considerable line. The Titleist AVX is a high-performance golf ball providing remarkable distance and exceptionally soft feel through proprietary core, cover and aerodynamic technologies. It offers similar performance characteristics to the Pro V1 and Pro V1x but feels softer, flies

lower and spins less than either. The AVX was developed in direct response to golfers’ requests for a softer feeling, lower flighted, lower spinning version of the Pro V balls which shows how responsive Titleist is to the requirements of their customers. It was a demanding design brief, largely because soft feel is often the antithesis of performance. Titleist engineers surmounted that problem using the following new technologies:

An innovative high speed, low compression core technology results in a powerful engine to drive remarkable distance with exceptionally soft feel. The invention of a new high flex casing layer enhances speed and controls spin to promote even greater distance. The proprietary GRN41 thermoset cast urethane elastomer cover has been specifically formulated by Titleist Golf Ball R&D to deliver premium scoring control with exceptionally soft feel and long-lasting durability. A unique catenary aerodynamic design delivers a piercing, low trajectory, while providing a consistent ball flight on all shots. AVX is made in the company’s state-ofthe-art Ball Plant 3 manufacturing facility to the highest performance and quality specifications in the industry, ensuring the most consistent performance ball to ball, and dozen to dozen. This golf ball isn’t going to be for everyone, but if you’re the golfer that loves the performance and distance that the Pro V1 and Pro V1x deliver but pines for softer feel and a lower ball flight, you’re in luck. The Titleist AVX is the ball you seek. Mike Besa

OurTime BusinessMirror

A8 Saturday, July 21, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Samuel Amante Jr.: A fashionable man of God By Wynzyleen L. Lee | Special to the BusinessMirror

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N the couch in the corner of a room inside a teal door along the busy street of Congressional Avenue in the bustling city of Quezon sits a father—the founder of Amante Couture, the patriarch of the Amante family, and (most of all) a man of God— waiting patiently for the next “lost soul” to ring his doorbell.

When lost souls arrive, they emerge in the forms of women (young and old) eager to celebrate life’s next milestone (whether prom, graduation, a wedding or an anniversary) or young men interested in a fitted suit to last them a lifetime—in short, those sartorially lost. Once in a while, however, this 59-year-old man finds himself in front of another kind of stray: the spiritually lost. Samuel “Sammy” Amante Jr. bears the unique combination of being both a couturier and a pastor. The nature of Sammy’s origin stories mirror the exact natures of both his chosen vocations: fantastic for his modiste originations and humble for his pastoral beginnings. At 59, Sammy admitted to being in the fashion industry for more than four decades strong. His career really caught speed when, as a young prodigy who used to just watch his cousin at work, one day (to everyone’s astonishment) he revealed to family and friends that he was going to tailor all of his fel-

low batchmates’ trousers and polos for graduation. He was only 17 at the time. It’s an amazing story that still leaves his eldest Angelo Gabriel Amante, 34, smiling, shaking his head in disbelief, and saying, “He was just in high school.” As for his pastoral birth, Sammy began his ministry at 25 years old as a lost youth yearning for direction and guidance. Since rededicating his faith, Sammy has earned not only a reputation among his employees as a “good man” but also a wife, two sons and a daughter. Managing the business now and then with him are his wife Jennifer and his children Angelo, Angelica and Miguel. Now, comes the question, dear readers, of how it is, exactly, that this man can reconcile two almost antithetical vocations? Where fashion concerns itself with the vogue and the taste buds of the world and where religion can often perpetuate the notion of the

former being a life that leads to the degeneration of the soul, how does this simple couturier/pastor pacify the turmoil inevitable in such a marriage? Angelo admitted that watching his father juggle both has been a challenge for many people surrounding the senior. “It’s also quite challenging for him, as I’ve witnessed growing up. As a pastor…. Well, we mainly relied on our [technical] skills and…. He really considers everything from God. Customers coming in? He looks at it as a blessing from God and not really [his skill]....,” shared Angelo. “Mainly, it’s all about God’s provision. That’s how he looks at things.” Nonetheless, in large and small ways; likewise with bad and good repercussions, Sammy lives this double life often with the two brimming over one another. What perhaps makes this unique combination so advantageous for both the business and the ministry is that Sammy himself uses the best of what he’s learned from either vocations to further the other. Through the gentleness that being a pastor has taught him, Sammy has built Amante Couture to become the kind of shop that can guarantee an experience truly tailor-made to the clientele. The designer explains what a client can expect from Amante Couture: “I would get to know you first, your personality because I cannot design something out of nothing. I want to design something that’s from your personality. Then I would only insert my ideas and expertise to collaborate with you on the design that you want. Basically, I want to dress you up as you are. You (they) will walk down the

AMANTE

aisle, as you are. Not me, but you.” Likewise, the aged couturier treats his employees with the same degree of care he shows his clients both of whom are family and not just friends. Longtime workers share that Father Amante handles his business much like how he handles his ministry—ever gentle, kind, understanding and encouraging. “He’s kind… He’s always helping others. He’s not overly strict to us employees either…. With him, once he notices your genuine interest in the craft, he’ll do all he can to help you improve,” said Dolly Besas, master-cutter and employee in Amante Couture for the past 28 years. On the other side of the coin, being a couturier has furthered his ministry in the most surprising ways. One notable project that Sammy preoccupies himself with is “church planting.” Church planting, much like its agrarian connotations, simply means this pastor helps communities build their own ministries until such a time that they can manage themselves. Thus, he moves on

to new “uncharted” land and raises church after church there. So far, in the 34 years he’s been with the ministry, he has helped set up four churches all in all. But because of the couturier’s reluctance to separate his ministry from his company, through the years, Sammy has even made what can be called a “makeshift ministry” in the most unexpected place: right inside his atelier. “In this job, it’s not just about honing your skills. He also makes it a point to take care of our spiritual health,” said Dolly. Inside his very own shop, workers attest to Sammy being everyone’s “father”—thus, the moniker “Papa Sam.” He is both boss and spiritual leader to his employees. “Whatever problems you have, he’s always there to help—whether financial [problems], personal, spiritual…. He isn’t just a boss to us. He’s like a father. He’s our pastor,” said Irene Burongan, a sewer who’s worked for Amante Couture for 11 years. Through Amante Couture, the aged designer is also able to provide what one might call “fashion rehabilitation” to hard up individuals­ people wanting in both spiritual and financial support. This fashion rehabilitation includes lending individuals help in terms of providing them a craft, a stable income, and (if needed) spiritual guidance. When asked how many he’s been able to help all these years, Sammy gives a modest figure of 100. Based on his track record, I suspect that it may be more. “What he’s always wanted is just to be able to help people,”

UCT benefits 328K indigent families, elderly in Region 1

GSIS extends pensioners’ Apir compliance deadline to July 31 By Rea Cu

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HE Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has extended the deadline for its old age and survivorship pensioners to comply with the Annual Pensioners’ Information Revalidation (Apir) requirement until July 31. GSIS President and General Manager Jesus Clint O. Aranas said the government pension fund has extended its deadline for the Apir program to give more time to its member-pensioners to comply, and hold off possible pension suspension. “Apir’s cut-off date was moved to July 31 to give more time to our pensioners to report at the GSIS office nearest them or use the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System [GWAPS] kiosk to activate their status and prevent their pension from getting suspended,” Aranas said. Under the Apir program, GSIS old age and survivorship pensioners are required to personally appear to the GSIS office, or reactivate their status through a GSIS kiosk, during their birth month to ensure continuous receipt of their pension. As of July 10 65 percent of 333,635 pensioners who are required to undergo Apir have already renewed their active status, according to the GSIS. Aranas stressed that Apir essentially seeks to plug financial leaks caused by overpaid pensions to dead pensioners, and, thus, ensure a healthy and sustainable pension fund for present and future GSIS members and pensioners. In March this year the GSIS implemented a three-month reactivation period for the Apir from March 23 to June 30, during which, all pensioners aged 79 and below, regardless of birth month, submitted themselves to the information revalidation process and reactivation of status. Those who are not required to report for Apir are permanent total disability pensioners; pensioners who are at least 80 years old; legal guardians who are not survivorship pensioners of incapacitated or dependent children; and old-age pensioners who are active GSIS members at the same time. Also excluded from Apir are pensioners residing abroad and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao areas, as they have been continuously subjected to the GSIS’s annual renewal process. The GSIS had also earlier reported that around P1.6 billion in losses were incurred by the agency from the instances that withdrawal of pension benefits were done by relatives of deceased member-pensioners. Aranas said that from the period spanning from 2011 to 2017, an estimated P1.6 billion in leakages or pension overpayment from 4,843 individuals was incurred by the GSIS, since the relatives of deceased member-pensioners do not update the status of the member-pensioner to the agency. The GSIS has pointed out that it targets to tap the 363,000 member-pensioners of the GSIS to register with Apir on March 23 and was able to register 2,879 pensioners as early as March 1 under the program.

said Irene. As for his style when it comes to designing gowns and how Sammy manages the business, his eldest admits that his father favors conservative fashion and, because of his vocation, is drawn to weddings and likewise wholesome, traditional events. “When it comes to his business and his ministry together, it affected a lot…. He became more directed to the conservative side…. To the more formal side. That’s where he headed. As a designer, he didn’t stray into ‘high fashion’ or sexy clothes. He was attracted by formal stuff like weddings…. That’s where he sticks to,” said Angelo. All in all, we find in Sammy Amante a man like no other. He has used haute couture to feed not only his passion in life but also his faith. Evolved from a simply hobby, fashion became his craft; then a source of livelihood; then a ministry; and now, a life’s mission. Today, Sammy looks forward to passing down what he knows to his children and to his flock. “My goal is to teach to help the next generation…. We’d like to open a technical school, eventually, for fashion design…. I think that’s my biggest aspiration—in thanks for the talent that God has given me. I’d like to share my gift to others. I think that’s really the best thing I can do—pass my talent, my skill on to others that may also be blessed,” said Sammy. Amante Couture is a small atelier found along Congressional Avenue, Quezon City. It’s a small family business (only 25 employees) that has been in the business for over four decades.

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ANOTHER SPICE GRANDMA In an exhibit booth sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry in Nueva Vizcaya, an elderly woman displays a tray of garlic to showcase samples of her town’s high-value crop. CEASAR M. PERANTE

Ex-broker gets up to 4 more years in jail for scamming elderly mom

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former stockbroker convicted last week of defrauding his elderly mother, ex-girlfriends and a military veteran out of $360,000 will get as many as four years added to his sentence for an earlier $5.4-million securities fraud scheme, New York’s attorney general said. Franklin Marone, 55, of Queens, New York, still owes more than $1.5 million in restitution to members of the ski patrol at a Catskill mountain resort in New York, whom he duped into investing in fake equity funds from 1998 to 2004, Barbara Underwood said. But instead of paying them back, Marone lied about his assets and cooked up a series of new schemes, she said. “After previously being convicted of fraud, the defendant has shown zero remorse for his victims­­—and a complete disregard for the law,” Underwood said in a statement issued on Tuesday. Marone, released from prison in 2010, was resentenced in June to as many as 25 years behind bars for failing to pay the remaining funds to the ski patrol victims, who he

ripped off with fake account statements and elaborate emails about his investing prowess. He got the additional time on Tuesday after pleading guilty to perjury and false filings in Greene County Court last week. Marone was also sentenced to as long as four years in prison in Queens Supreme Court for defrauding several people including his 89-year-old mother, whom he impersonated in recorded phone calls with financial institutions in an attempt to steal over $50,000 from her account, the attorney general said. That sentence will run concurrently to the time he got in Greene County. Marone, described by prosecutors as a charismatic predator, spent lavishly on upgrades to Jeep Wranglers, premium spa memberships for himself and his current girlfriend and a $4,000 cruise, rather than repaying the ski patrol victims, Underwood said. He also pawned $9,000 worth of property, according to the statement. He filed bogus financial paperwork to hide his assets, Underwood said. Bloomberg News

AN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—A total of 200,883 indigent families from the entire Region 1 have received P2,400 worth of the unconditional cash transfer (UCT), while 127,195 poor senior citizens began receiving the same amount on July 14. “UCT is the measure of the government to ease, or help the poor citizens, cope up with the increasing prices of basic commodities. Those who are part of this program avail [themselves] of P200 per month subsidy from the government, but it is given on one-time payment basis,” said Iryn Cubangbang, information officer of the Department of Social Welfare and DevelopmentRegion 1 (DSWD-1), said. Cubangbang said that 198,331 families who are beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and the 2,552 beneficiaries of the modified conditional cash transfer program of the DSWD, have received their UCT during the first two quarters of this year. “If there are still some who are receiving, or are yet to receive their UCT until now, those are what we call grievances,” she said. Cubangbang added that “the modified conditional cash transfer beneficiaries are indigent families who were not included in the 4Ps, covering those who have a child or children with disabilities.” She, likewise, said that the regular members of 4Ps, and senior citizens under social-pension program were automatically part of the UCT program of the government. Cubangbang said the distribution of UCT to senior social pensioners is still continuing with 125 local government units (LGUs) involved. “Our Regional Director Marcelo Nicomedes Castillo mandated us to hasten the release of UCT to our senior beneficiaries. We also acknowledge the logistic support of our LGUs for their additional manpower, setting up the venue for distribution, as well as providing ambulance and medical team to handle emergencies that might arise while we are conducting the activity. We hope to finish by the end of the month,” Cubangbang said. Meanwhile, 68,480 households identified as poor have already been validated to be part of the UCT beneficiaries, and will receive their UCT within the month. “These are families who are not part of the 4Ps and other DSWD programs but are identified as poor based on Listahanan, our office’s database, wherein we obtain information other than their income or source of income. We also asked other information like the social services they have access to, their appliances and other assets, what kind of material their house was made of, do they own the house, sort of questions,” Cubangbang added. PNA

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, July 21, 2018 A9

New UN panel to make proposals to ensure safe digital future UNITED NATIONS—The United Nations is establishing a high-level panel cochaired by Chinese e-commerce billionaire Jack Ma and the wife of Microsoft founder Bill Gates to make recommendations on ensuring “a safe and inclusive digital future.” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a

recent news conference that he sees the United Nations “as a unique platform for dialogue in our digital age” and the panel as an expert group to make proposals to strengthen international cooperation. In Guterres’s words: “As a global community, we face questions about security, equity, ethics

and human rights in a digital age. We need to seize the potential of technology while safeguarding against risks and unintended consequences.” The panel led by Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba, and Melinda Gates, who cochairman the Gates foundation, includes 20 members. AP

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JUNG JOONYOUNG and Yook Sung-jae with Globe Studios Head Quark Henares and Viu Philippines Country Manager Arianne Kader-Cu. The Korean idols will give career tips and pointers to the Hello K-Idol trainees.

PHIL SCHILLER, Apple senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, talks about the Apple MacBook during an Apple event in March 2015. In a new patent filing, Apple suggests a laptop keyboard without keys. AP

PHOTO BY GIANNA MANIEGO

APPLE MACBOOK KEYBOARD ISSUES

Viu, Globe coproduce reality show PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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ANS of Korean shows know Viu as a video service where they can stream their favorite dramas and variety shows. Viu, which is operated by PCCW Media Group in Hong Kong, has recently teamed up with Globe Telecom to produce a reality talent search that can be watched as webisodes. Hello K-Idol is a search for the Filipino artist who embodies what we admire in Korean idols. The search will be documented and produced by the team behind The Voice Philippines. The reality show will have Facebook as a channel partner and Ayala Malls as the venue partner. Because Hello K-Idol will be aired on Viu, viewers have the choice to watch it anytime, anywhere. “We’re used to watching reality shows on TV, where the viewer’s schedule is set by broadcast times. What Globe studios has done is give the viewer is the freedom to watch their shows and keep up with their favorite personalities anytime,

anywhere,” said Globe Studios head Quark Henares. Viu expects the 15 million Filipinos who love Korean entertainment to enjoy Hello K-Idol. “We wanted to create something special by honing Filipino talent with the help of their real-life idols on an international platform,” said Viu Philippines country manager Arianne Kader-Cu. The 10 finalists, or trainees, as they known in Korea, will get to interact and seek advice from Yook Sung-Jae (a member of BTOB) and Jung JoonYoung, a singer-actor-host who is a cast member of 2 Days & 1 Night. The 10 trainees are in the 18 to 27 age range. “The fact that you don’t give up is the most important thing as you go through the journey,” said Jung, who will have a fan meeting in the Philippines in September. “Do not be scared to learn from your mentors,” said Yook, who was also in the cast of the hit series Goblin. The trainees’ mentors include singer Morisette, Korean singer JinHo Bae and choreographer Dasuri Choi. Hello K-Idol is Viu’s first reality show of its kind set in the Philippines. It will show the trainees being, well, trained to sing, dance, act and style themselves, Korean music industry style. It’s interesting to note that Korean pop stardom is not impossible for the winner of Hello K-Idol. Many Korean idols are not Korean. TWICE’s Mina, Momo and Sana are from Taiwan; TWICE’s Lisa is Thai; Jackson Wang of Got7 is from Hong Kong and the Jung sisters—Jessica and

Krystal—are from the United States. The final winner of the competition will get a four-month scholarship to learn vocals and dance at a prestigious entertainment talent school in Korea. The trainees’ journey will be featured in 10 webisodes over 10 weeks to be streamed exclusively over the Viu platform from July to September. There will also be additional episodes with behind the scenes footage and profiles of the contestants. Kring Elenzano-Kim, a former reality show star and founder of the two biggest K-pop organizations in the Philippines, is hosting the show. Viu is now available on Globe Postpaid and Prepaid. GoWATCH gives you additional data for a worry-free video-streaming experience on mobile. Simply choose the offer that suits your needs and budget: GoWATCH 29 (2GB valid for one day), GoWATCH 99 (2.5GB valid for three days), and GoWATCH 399 (10GB valid for 30 days)—and text the keyword to 8080. With a Globe Postpaid ThePLAN or ThePLAN PLUS subscription, you can enjoy unlimited downloads, priority viewing as fast as eight hours after its telecast, full HD resolution up to 1080p, and access to Asian blockbuster movies with Viu Premium. Simply text VIU99 to 8080, click on the activation link that will be sent to you via text, confirm your mobile number, and download the Viu app to start enjoying your 30-day subscription to Viu Premium. The Viu app is compatible with iOS and Android devices, and is also available to download on the App Store and Google Play Store. ■

AND so you ask: “My MacBook Pro’s keyboard feels like it’s getting old because sometimes keys suddenly don’t work or will stick and repeat certain letters at odd times. What can be done about this intermittent problem?” Well, keyboards are a natural “catchall” for our lives as we use our computers, so it’s not uncommon for debris to make its way under your keys. A good monthly maintenance routine to get in the habit of doing is to using a can of compressed air to dislodge the debris from under your keys. Meanwhile, depending upon the age of your unit, you may be experiencing a defect that Apple recently acknowledged is affecting a small percentage of users. Various MacBook and MacBook Pro models from 2015 to 2017 are eligible for a free repair, so start by going to the Apple menu, then to “About This Mac” to identify your model. In the “Overview” section, just below where your OS version is displayed will be the specifics (including the year) of your device. The following models are eligible for the free service: ■ MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) ■ MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2016) ■ MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, 2017) ■ MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) ■ MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports) ■ MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) ■ MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) ■ MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016) ■ MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017) Apple states the repair service could involve the replacement of one or more keys or possibly the entire keyboard, which will affect the amount of time needed to complete the repair. They first want to examine your unit to determine if it does fall under this free service program, so you have several options for getting it diagnosed. You can locate an authorized Apple Service Provider through Apple’s web site or make an appointment at an Apple Retail Store. If you aren’t close to any service centers, you can contact Apple Support for the instruction to send the unit directly to them. An all too common mistake many users make is assuming that their data will be kept intact when they submit their laptop for authorized service. Some of the service options can include reloading your operating system or outright replacement of your entire unit. Neither of these scenarios seems likely with this particular keyboard issue, but we would not throw the dice. Apple suggests the same on their service program page for this issue, as well. Finally, if you believe you paid to fix this problem in the past, you may be eligible for a refund by contacting Apple Support. AP

Benilde ties up with Globe for enhanced digital learning IN this technological era in Philippine education, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) and Globe Telecom recently launched a research grant for digital learning to prepare academe on the future of education at Vatel Restaurant, Hotel Benilde Maison de La Salle, in the Angelo King International Campus. To seal a three-year partnership, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the two parties led by Br. Dennis Magbanua FSC, DLS-CSB president, and Michelle Tapia, head of strategy, innovation and transformation of Globe myBusiness. The collaboration aims to encourage scholars to dig deep into digital education, which would enable both teachers and students to access information and resources conveniently through modern technology. Globe Telecom will award a P3-million grant to fund two full-time DLS-CSB faculty academic researchers. Prospective candidates will propose research topics on digital and future trends—teaching, pedagogy or learning spaces—in the nation. They will be screened through a rigorous selection

process. If selected, the grantees will be given an entire school year to complete the research which will then be presented at a colloquium. Globe understands the changing landscape in education as well as its inherent challenges and opportunities. Today’s students have shorter attention spans, know how to operate devices with little to no coaching, and have direct access via the Internet for information, whether it is validated or not. “The key to shaping future leaders of the country lies within the tools and the guidance provided by their mentors. We are looking forward to seeing research which can improve reaching best practices, or how we can further utilize technology in order to make better learning spaces for the students,” Magbanua said. “Globe has always been committed to providing educational institutions with technology-driven solutions meant to promote higher quality teaching and learning. Through the grant, we are looking forward to introducing new innovations that would help schools keep up with the rapidly changing arena of digital and information technology,” Tapia remarked.

FROM left: Senior Advisor for Globe myBusiness Derrick Heng, Head of Strategy, Innovation and Transformation of Globe myBusiness; Michelle Tapia, President of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde; Brother Dennis Magbanua, FSC, and Benilde Chancellor Robert Tang

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How much all-seeing AI surveillance is too much?

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ASHLEY MCMANUS, global marketing director of the Boston-based artificial-intelligence firm, Affectiva, demonstrates facial-recognition technology that is geared to help detect driver distraction, at their offices in Boston. AP

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BY MATT O’BRIEN The Associated Press

OSTON—When a CIA-backed venture capital fund took an interest in Rana el Kaliouby’s face-scanning technology for detecting emotions, the computer scientist and her colleagues did some soul-searching—and then turned down the money. “We’re not interested in applications where you’re spying on people,” said el Kaliouby, the CEO and cofounder of the Boston start-up Affectiva. The company has trained its artificial-intelligence (AI) systems to recognize if individuals are happy or sad, tired or angry, using a photographic repository of more than 6 million faces. Recent advances in AI-powered computer vision have accelerated the race for self-driving cars and powered the increasingly sophisticated photo-tagging features found on Facebook and Google. But as these prying AI “eyes” find new applications in store checkout lines, police body cameras and war zones, the tech companies developing them are struggling to balance business opportunities with difficult moral decisions that could turn off customers or their own workers. El Kaliouby said it’s not hard to imagine using realtime face recognition to pick up on dishonesty—or, in the hands of an authoritarian regime, to monitor reaction to political speech in order to root out dissent. But the small firm, which spun off from an MIT research lab, has set limits on what it will do. The company has shunned “any security, airport,

even lie-detection stuff,” el Kaliouby said. Instead, Affectiva has partnered with automakers trying to help tired-looking drivers stay awake, and with consumer brands that want to know if people respond to a product with joy or disgust. Such queasiness reflects new qualms about the capabilities and possible abuses of all-seeing, always watching AI camera systems—even as authorities are growing more eager to use them. In the immediate aftermath of the recent deadly shooting at a newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, police said they turned to face recognition to identify the uncooperative suspect. They did so by tapping a state database that includes mug shots of past arrestees and, more controversially, everyone who registered for a Maryland driver’s license. Initial information given to law-enforcement authorities said that police had turned to facial recognition because the suspect had damaged his fingerprints in an apparent attempt to avoid identification. That report turned out to be incorrect and police said they used facial recognition because of delays in getting fingerprint identification. In June Orlando International Airport announced plans to require face-identification scans of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights by the end of this year. Several other US airports have already been using such scans for some, but not all, departing international flights. Chinese firms and municipalities are already using intelligent cameras to shame jaywalkers in real time and to surveil ethnic minorities, subjecting some to detention and political indoctrination. Closer to home,

the overhead cameras and sensors in Amazon’s new cashier-less store in Seattle aim to make shoplifting obsolete by tracking every item shoppers pick up and put back down. Concerns over the technology can shake even the largest tech firms. Google, for instance, recently said it will exit a defense contract after employees protested the military application of the company’s AI technology. The work involved computer analysis of drone video footage from Iraq and other conflict zones. Similar concerns about government contracts have stirred up internal discord at Amazon and Microsoft. Google has since published AI guidelines emphasizing uses that are “socially beneficial” and that avoid “unfair bias.” Amazon, however, has so far deflected growing pressure from employees and privacy advocates to halt Rekognition, a powerful face-recognition tool it sells to police departments and other government agencies. Saying no to some work, of course, usually means someone else will do it. The drone-footage project involving Google, dubbed Project Maven, aimed to speed the job of looking for “patterns of life, things that are suspicious, indications of potential attacks,” said Robert Work, a former top Pentagon official who launched the project in 2017. While it hurts to lose Google because they are “very, very good at it,” Work said, other companies will continue those efforts. Commercial and government interest in computer vision has exploded since breakthroughs earlier in this decade using a brain-like “neural network” to recognize objects in images. Training computers to identify cats in YouTube videos was an early challenge in 2012. Now, Google has a smartphone app that can tell you which breed. A major research meeting—the annual Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition, held in Salt Lake City in June—has transformed from a sleepy academic gathering of “nerdy people” to a gold rush business expo attracting big companies and government agencies, said Michael Brown, a computer scientist at Toronto’s York University and a conference organizer. Brown said researchers have been offered highpaying jobs on the spot. But few of the thousands of technical papers submitted to the meeting address broader public concerns about privacy, bias or other ethical dilemmas. “We’re probably not having as much discussion as we should,” he said. Start-ups are forging their own paths. Brian Brackeen, the CEO of Miami-based facial-recognition software company Kairos, has set a blanket policy against selling the technology to law enforcement or for government surveillance, arguing in a recent essay that it “opens the door for gross misconduct by the morally corrupt.” Boston-based start-up Neurala, by contrast, is building software for Motorola that will help policeworn body cameras find a person in a crowd based on what they’re wearing and what they look like. CEO Max Versace said that “AI is a mirror of the society,” so the company only chooses principled partners. “We are not part of that totalitarian, Orwellian scheme,” he said. ■

Tacloban journalists level up with better connectivity IN this age of up-to-the-minute news, journalists are more than ever banking on technology to ensure speedy information dissemination. The recent firing up of Smart Communications’ Long Term Evolution and LTE-Advanced sites in Leyte brought better connectivity to the community, and good news to journalists there. For Lizbeth Ann Abella, a Tacloban-based correspondent, it was “a big deal.” Fast mobile Internet has improved the way she delivers the news. “As long as we have access to Gmail and the Internet, we can send our stories immediately to our editors, no matter where we are,” she reports. Improved mobile Internet has, likewise, been a big help for radio reporter Jake Tatoy of Radio Mindanao Network, especially when it comes to breaking news. “We can file stories through the Internet and social media. Just one click, and the report is rapidly on its way,” he says. Multimedia journalist Roel Amazona uses mobile data to upload videos and photos that go with his stories, usually about tourism events. “It is especially useful when I post images and videos of tourist destinations. People see right away the beauty of a certain place,” he says. Amazona adds: “Good connectivity enhances communication with your family and workmates, especially in times of emergency. It’s easier to let people know about your situation.” Smart’s network upgrade has contributed to the rehabilitation of the province, particularly Tacloban and Ormoc, which were devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013. Tatoy noted that the Internet offered tremendous support for Yolanda survivors, especially those with relatives in faraway places or abroad. “Connectivity was a big help especially for us who were left with nothing,” he says. Abella also relies on the Internet to keep tabs on her family, especially when she is on assignment far from home. LTE and LTE-A are the best technologies to deliver fast, reliable and affordable data connectivity to customers. A new Smart Store has also been launched at Robinsons North Tacloban to better serve the needs of customers in the area. This is part of Smart’s ramped-up LTE rollout across the country, which goes hand-in-hand with parent company PLDT’s fiber rollout. This modernization and expansion of PLDT’s fixed and mobile networks is supported by a massive capital expenditures program amounting to P58 billion this year.

Top Pinoy content creators swear by Canon EOS M50 for power vlogging

THE Canon EOS M50 is available in stylish White and Black

THE emergence of countless social-media platforms has given people the ability to communicate and express themselves in a whole new way. If there is one Internet trend that has taken the digital world by storm in the last few years, it has to be video blogging, or “vlogging.” In fact, in a Visual Networking Index forecast conducted by Cisco, one of the largest tech companies in the world, predicted that by 2021, 82 percent of web content will be videos. According to Warmbrodt (2007), vlogging is essentially the art of creating a blog, sharing bits and pieces of one’s opinions, ideas and daily life—but in video form. It has become more popular these days because of how easy it can be to produce video materials even on your own and how it can give people the ultimate platform to express themselves creatively. While anyone can turn their camera on, film and upload a vlog, others take vlogging on a whole different level. For some, vlogging isn’t just an

activity—it’s a passion. Take it from these three Filipino content creators who are conquering the Internet with their unique and engaging storytelling: Hideo Muraoka, Raiza Contawi and Say Tioco. Designed to be friendly enough for first-timers yet packed with professional, cutting-edge functions, the Canon EOS M50 is the game-changing addition to Canon’s growing mirrorless cameras that can help vloggers transform their ideas to life and take their vlogging journey to new heights. “Vlogging has given us a platform to share stories that we hope can reach and inspire a larger community,” shared model and fitness enthusiast Muraoka. “When you’re traveling often like me, you’d want a compact yet feature-packed mirrorless camera that allows you to adapt to the photo and video opportunities while on the road. This is exactly why EOS M50 best fits me: It’s an ideal and versatile camera that fits my vlogging lifestyle.” The Canon EOS M50 boasts of having an improved

Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus with a 24.1-megapixel sensor, covering a larger AF area with up to 143 AF points that provides fast and accurate focusing even when capturing moving subjects. Compatible with the full range of Canon EF-M mirrorless lenses plus over 70 Canon EF and EF-S lenses using a mount adaptor, this impressive entry-level camera steps up to a full-featured camera that will capture moments with beautiful color and detail. Capable, compact and connected, the EOS M50 is the versatile, feature-packed camera ideal for agile content creators. “The key for me to vlogging effectively these days is to be able to create and curate compelling, relatable content real-time,” shared professional makeup artist and beauty guru Contawi. “The opportunity to connect and move people through content that I know will be valuable to my followers is what keeps me inspired to keep doing what I’m doing.”

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Saturday, July 21, 2018 A11

EU fines Google a record $5B over mobile practices Xiaomi brings in flagship Mi 8, the new entry-level kings GLOBAL technology leader Xiaomi (blog.mi.com/en) officially launched three exciting smartphones in the Philippines: its latest flagship delivering top-notch photography, the Mi 8, and the smooth and power-efficient entry-level kings, Redmi 6/6A. Starting at a price of P5,290, these devices are meant to bring fans and consumers in the country with the high quality products at very competitive pricing. Mi 8 brings the best Xiaomi smartphone camera ever. With a 12MP dual AI camera, Mi 8 received a 105 photo score from the respected camera benchmark organization DxOMark. On the front, Mi 8 sports a 20MP camera that uses pixel binning technology to combine information from four pixels to create one large 1.8µm pixel for clearer photos in low light. Powered by the top-drawer Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, Mi 8 offers stunning performance justified by an AnTuTu score of more than 30,000. The phone is also the first phone in the world to have dual frequency GPS that offers extremely accurate navigation. The Mi 8 features a four-sided curved glass back panel, aviation-grade aluminum frame and a 2.5D glass screen. It sports a 6.21-inch FHD+ Samsung AMOLED full screen display with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio and 86.68 percent screento-body ratio. Mi 8 will be available on August 3. The 6GB + 64GB version of Mi 8 fetches for P25,990, making it the most pocket-friendly smartphone driven by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. The 6GB+128GB version of Mi 8 will be available at P27,990. Meanwhile, the Redmi 6 has a 5.45-inch 18:9 display with a screen-to-body ratio of 80.5 percent. It sports the latest MediaTek Helio P22 SoC. Its octa-core CPU is built on 12nm process and consumes about 48 percent less power than comparable 28nm chipsets. Its 3000 mAh high-capacity battery allows the phone to stay in standby mode for up to 19 days. It has a 12MP+5MP dual camera set up with the main sensor having a 1.25µm large pixels—the largest among popular smartphones in this price range. The 5MP front camera of Redmi 6 is supported by Xiaomi’s AI Portrait mode, which renders a realistic bokeh effect with a single lens. Meanwhile, the Redmi 6A offers great value as it adopts the same body and screen as Redmi 6 and sports the MediaTek Helio A22 SoC that’s also built on the 12nm process. Redmi 6A has a 3000mAh battery that allows the phone to stay in standby mode for up to 19 days, a 13MP rear camera featuring phase detection autofocus and a 5MP front camera—both capable of using Xiaomi’s AI Portrait mode.

Virtual currencies need close monitoring FRANKFURT, Germany—An international forum on financial regulation say virtual currencies such as Bitcoin don’t currently pose a threat to global stability but require “vigilant monitoring” as the market is changing rapidly. The Financial Stability Board (FSB) added on Monday that the highly volatile currencies raise concerns about consumer and investor protection, and that data on banks’ exposure to them remains scarce. The board, based in Basel, Switzerland, outlined its efforts to grasp the possible impact of virtual currencies on the global banking system. That includes tracking the size of the sector to understand how widespread losses by investors could affect other activities. The board’s report was submitted to the finance ministers and central bank heads of the Group of 20 most advanced economies. The officials meet in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 21 and 22. The FSB’s chairman, Bank of England Government Mark Carney, has said that one reason virtual currencies don’t pose a threat is that the total amounts traded are small in relation to the financial system. At their peak, combined global market value was less than 1 percent of annual world economic output. By comparison, credit default swaps—the contracts that helped spread losses through the financial system during the crisis of 2007 to 2009—were 100 percent of global GDP. One challenge in assessing risks from virtual currencies, the report said, is the scarcity of reliable data on banks’ holdings of such assets. As a result, an international forum on bank oversight, called the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, is taking stock of banks’ direct and indirect exposure to potential losses. The FSB said that could be followed by data collection on virtual currencies. AP

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BY RAF CASERT The Associated Press

RUSSELS—The European Union (EU) fined Google a record $5 billion on Wednesday for forcing cell-phone makers that use the company’s hugely popular Android operating system to install Google apps. The EU said the practice restricts competition and reduces choices for consumers. The fine, which caps a three-year investigation, is the biggest ever imposed on a company by the EU for anticompetitive behavior. It is likely to stoke tensions between Europe and the United States, which regulates the tech industry with a lighter hand and has complained that the EU is singling out American companies for punishment. Google immediately said it will appeal. Android has “created more choice for everyone, not less,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai tweeted. In its ruling, the EU said Google broke the rules when it required mobile-phone makers to preinstall the Google Search and browser apps if they wanted to use Google’s app store. Google also paid big producers to exclusively preinstall the Google Search app. EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said “companies must compete on their merits,” playing by rules that favor consumers and open markets, and not restrict competition. Vestager said that given the size of the company, the €4.34-billion fine is not disproportionate. The penalty is on top of €2.42-billion fine ($2.8 billion) that regulators imposed on Google a year ago for favoring its shopping listings in search results. The latest fine is well within Google’s means. Its parent company, Alphabet, made $9.4 billion in profit in the first three months of the year and reportedly had over $100 billion in cash reserves. But the EU’s insistence that Google change its practices could have a bigger impact than the fine itself. “The important thing is not to be distracted by the size of the fine. What is important is that Google has to change its abusive behavior,” Rich Stables, CEO of the rival search engine Kelkoo, told The Associated Press. Android is an open-source operating system that Google lets cell-phone makers use for free. As a result, it is the most widely used system, beating even Apple’s iOS. The EU says Google has market share exceeding 90 percent in most European countries. The EU wants to ensure that phone makers are free to preinstall apps of their choosing and allow for competition in services such as Internet searches. It also wants cell-phone makers to be able to more easily use altered versions of Android. Google argues that could hurt its ability to provide Android for free, as its main way of making money from the operating system is through advertising and the sale of content and apps. Its main rival in mobile systems, Apple, makes most of its money from the sale of devices. Giving phone makers more freedom to use altered

versions of Android could also hurt Google. Samsung, a hugely popular maker of Android devices through its Galaxy line, could break off and take much of the Android system with it. If Google’s business activities are too harshly constrained, the argument follows, it might no longer be able to provide Android for free to cell-phone manufacturers. Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank in Washington, said the ruling “is a blow to innovative, open-source business models.” The EU’s clash with Google is reminiscent of the bloc’s battle with Microsoft. In that case, the EU said Microsoft used the market dominance of its Windows operating system to lead consumers to use Microsoft’s browser, Internet Explorer. Microsoft was fined and in the end was forced to give users a more explicit choice of browsers. As technology’s impact in modern life spreads, European regulators have set the pace in shaping rules for the industry. European governments tend to want to exert more control than the US. The difference in approach was highlighted after a

scandal over the misuse of millions of Facebook users’ personal data in political campaigns, including the 2016 White House contest. European regulators had already been working on tougher privacy regulation and in May enforced new rules that are influencing the way some companies operate outside of the region, as well. The Google crackdown comes at a sensitive time for trans-Atlantic relations, with President Donald J. Trump lambasting the EU as a “foe” only last week. The US imposed tariffs on EU steel and aluminum this year, and the EU responded with import duties on American goods. The US is now also considering taxes on imports of European cars. The US has also complained that the EU has mainly targeted American companies—including also Apple and Amazon—for breaking competition or tax rules. “We have to protect consumers and competition to make sure consumers get the best of fair competition,” Vestager said. “We will continue to do it, no matter the political context.” ■ Ryan Nakashima in Menlo Park, California, contributed to this report.

Third Pillar strengthens CRM arm with exclusive partnership IN a bid to improve the delivery of innovative CRM best practices in the Philippines, Third Pillar Business Applications Inc., the country’s leading provider of Salesforce solutions, announced recently its exclusive partnership with Eternus Solutions Private Ltd., a global services provider known for its expert CRM implementation services. Third Pillar is a trusted business partner to some of the largest companies in the country. They provide solutions designed to help organizations become more innovative, cost-effective and profitable, in the areas of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data Governance and eProcurement. Eternus Solutions is known to provide expert consulting, development and implementation services for complex CRM projects. With a huge pool of certified Salesforce consultants, Eternus Solutions has built their exceptional track record of successful projects in various domains for many of their global Fortune 500 clients. Jennifer Ligones, CEO of Third Pillar, said that through its partnership with Eternus Solutions, the company can give better consultancy services,

especially in Salesforce, the No. 1 CRM solution in the world. “Partnering with Eternus made sense since we believe that they can bring a wealth of experience to Third Pillar and our clients,” said Ligones. “Eternus Solutions has implemented more than 1,000 projects in Salesforce globally and has over 300 consultants onboard with advanced skill sets. So there was no question on our part that Eternus can help us in handling complex CRM projects.” Shreyas Merchant, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Eternus Solutions, said that his company’s expertise in working with multinational companies enabled them to develop best practices in delivering complex business solutions and services. “Customers want to work with a company that can lead the entire implementation not just from the management perspective but also in achieving industry standards,” said Merchant. “Eternus Solutions has always been capable of bringing stability when it comes to implementing solutions, especially in CRM—that is the biggest value that we can bring to the Philippine market through

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JENNIFER S. LIGONES, president and CEO of Third Pillar Business Applications Inc., formalizes the exclusive partnership with Shreyas Merchant, executive vice president and COO of Eternus Solutions Private Ltd.

this partnership. Having one of the largest pool of certified professionals in India, we want to give Third Pillar the complete support in terms of providing value to their clients.”

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, July 21, 2018 A12

Celine Dion and the power of pop THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“A concert is not a live rendition of our album. It’s a theatrical event.”—FREDDIE MERCURY WAS in high school when I watched my very first live concert. It was November 1992, and back then, the only other big venue besides the Araneta Coliseum was the Ultra Open Stadium in Pasig. The concert was Greatest Hits and Then Some, and the artist was Barry Manilow. Even now, ehem, that concert remains as one of my favorites not just because of Barry’s amazing set list, but because it introduced me to a totally new way of enjoying music. Seeing your favorite artist perform live is an experience you could never replicate even if you record the entire concert on your camera and play it over and over again. Music is about human beings communicating with other human beings, and you feel that connection best when you are at a live event. It’s a good thing that writing has allowed me to cover a lot of concerts every year, and I’ve noticed just how much the live scene has changed a lot in the last few years. Back in Barry’s time, a good orchestra and his smooth vocals were enough, but now, concert producers are also using the latest technology to not only improve sound quality but to also provide a visual spectacle even those in the nosebleed sections could appreciate. I remember the very first concert held at the Mall of Asia Arena. We were in the upper box section, and we could barely see Lady Gaga. But it’s still probably the best one I’ve seen in terms of elaborate set designs (she arrived riding a black stallion and there was even a castle onstage!) and outlandish costumes. Ed Sheeran, on the other hand, even if he was all

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alone on the stage, had these gigantic LED screens behind him that couldn’t even fit our indoor arena. Concert promoters are also trying to maximize fan experience with very limited VVIP or SVIP packages which include even more perks, such as meet-and-greet with the artists and exclusive items or freebies. And if you’ve ever attended a concert sponsored by Smart Music Live, you know that the experience starts even before the concert day. From Britney Spears, Fifth Harmony, Shawn Mendes, David Guetta, Liam Gallagher of Oasis, DNCE, Dua Lipa, Katy Pery, Niall Horan and, more recently, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars, Smart Music made attending these concerts even more fun as they raffled off tickets and premium giveaways, held meet-andgreet moments, and added fun activities at the concert venue. Then there’s the Smart Music Live Party Bus where winning subscribers are treated like a star onboard a luxury bus enjoying an entire day of perks, pampering and fun activities enroute to the venue. At the venue, Smart subscribers could also go around and visit several Smart Music Live stations, photo booths, etc., while waiting for the concert to begin. I also love that they have this Smart Music Lounge setup, which gives VIPs a reason to be early at the venue as they get to enjoy food and cocktails, and also hangout with Smart influencers and lots of celebrities. As I’m writing this column a few days before Celine Dion’s much-anticipated concert, there’s already been a lot of activities being done by PLDT Home and Smart, the main presenters of the concert produced by AEG Presents and Ovation Productions. Celine Dion Live 2018 follows a string of groundbreaking acts backed by both PLDT Home and Smart in their push to give customers a one-of-akind total music experience through awesome digital content and exclusive perks. Although I’m sure Celine Dion’s presence alone guarantees it will be one of the best concerts of the year, I’m still curious as to what kind of activities Smart Music plans to hold at the venue. Will there be a sing ala Celine booth or maybe a Titanic-themed photobooth—or maybe Deadpool will be there practicing his ballet because I do think “Ashes” is included in the set list. Either way, Smart Music’s Facebook page has been very busy with its trivia contest and several lucky subscribers already won tickets to the July 20 concert. Be part of the next Smart and PLDT Home

concert experience and follow PLDT Home (www. facebook.com/PLDTHome) and Smart (www.facebook. com/SmartCommunications) and check out the hashtags #SmartMusicLive, #SmartCelineDion and #PLDTCelineDion.

FEELING REFINED

AS much as I hate to admit it, I was quite a fan of those quick (and, more important, cheap) hair salons. Yes. Those franchised salons slapped with the name of a famous hairdresser that offer a less than P100 haircuts. I didn’t care if they didn’t shampoo my hair before or after my haircut, nor did I complain even if they just shook the hair off those salon capes instead of using a new one for every customer. Yes, the capes were sometimes itchy but I knew I was getting what I paid for. Besides, I had no plans about staying long because the one thing I couldn’t take about these salons are the noisy customers who speak even louder than the TV and talk nonsense gossip with their manicurists. Oh, and the fact that my partner finally spoke her mind about what she thought of my haircuts, frankly saying that it looked like I was wearing a wig and that my head looked like a mushroom whenever I don’t style it with hair wax—which is most of the time when we’re at home. So I tried those ones at the malls. Yes, the haircut is better, but the problem is that unless you are a regular customer, their service feels quite robotic. They’d ask you what kind of haircut you want, and then they just start snipping away and if you do ask them to trim it a little more, they’d look at you as if you are questioning their abilities. They also don’t talk to you much and it seems like they can’t wait to get you off that chair, especially when their regular client is already waiting. So I was actually quite excited when I heard about The Refined. If you are one of the many gentlemen in the Metro who’s embarrassed to go to women’s salon just to get your hair or nails done, or has had it with barbers who know better than you, you’d love this grooming lounge. Located at the Fort Strip in Bonifacio Global City, The Refined is a one-stop grooming destination exclusively for men. It is Manila’s first gentlemenonly grooming salon and is an upscale contemporary lounge concept offering haircuts, straight razor shaves, skin care, body treatments and massages—in short, proper men’s grooming from head to toe.

The mostly black-themed interiors give it an elegant and masculine vibe and you can find a lot of men’s products (the kind you don’t usually see in regular stores) even before you enter the main room. The shop at the entrance, likewise, sells a regularly changing collection of sophisticated trinkets. They also plan to add a custom tailoring popup shop, as well as a by-appointment tattoo parlor. As you enter the grooming space, you’ll notice that most of the floor space is occupied by either lounge sofas and one-on-one tables. You may come in for the grooming sessions but it’s the business and meeting like-minded individuals that will make you stay for a bit longer. They even have clients that like to have quick business meetings in-between their treatments. The Refined is the idea of Noël Naguiat, who was also the co-owner and founder of Mankind Grooming Studio for Men, Toronto’s first men-only grooming salon. Within a year, it was voted as Toronto Life’s “Best in the City.” The year after that, they opened their second location and continued to expand. Noël often visited the Philippines and decided to introduce a similar concept to Manila. The Refined is the first upscale men’s-only grooming spa in the Philippines. They have a selection of groomists (barber/stylist hybrid) and also aestheticians for spa services in partnership with the award-winning Mandala Spa of Boracay. I was able to try their Omega package, a grooming session that’s perfect for those one-hour breaks in the middle of a busy day. It starts with a shampoo and a treatment that cools and relaxes your scalp. It is followed by a mini-moisturizing facial and a hot towel and body massage. You then get an awesome contemporary haircut, plus rinse and styling. It even includes a shoeshine to make you look more dapper for that next meeting, as well as a complimentary beverage of choice—coffee, tea and even single malt spirits. Noël says more than just offering a distinct collection of upscale men’s grooming services, he wants The Refined to be a place where men can meet up, hang around and become a true gentleman’s club. “Our goal, is becoming a trusted destination whereby the clients in our community can come to refresh their minds and bodies, replenish their energies, and network with their colleagues and friends,” he adds. To learn more about The Refined, visit www. there�inedlounge.com. ■