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Unveiled during the celebration of the 100th year of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1998, the Commemorative Monument of Peace and Unity by Davaoeño sculptor Kublai Milan symbolizes the harmonious coexistence between the indigenous inhabitants and migrant people of multicultural Mindanao. Hugo Maes | Dreamstime.com

Bangsamoro at the crossroads

Can BBL deliver on promise of peace, development? By Bernadette D. Nicolas & Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz

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ASSAGE of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL)—a real possibility soon as both chambers of Congress sit down next week for the bicameral conference committee deliberations on their respective versions—may not only pave the way for ending the decades-long conflict in Mindanao. It can also unlock the economic potential of the South. In a historic move on Wednesday (past midnight Thursday in the case of the Senate), both houses finally passed their own versions of

the BBL on second and third reading a day after the President certified it as urgent. The bill seeks to advance the

creation of the new Bangsamoro region to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Achieving lasting peace in Mindanao, especially in the Bangsamoro, can boost in overall business confidence and investments, analysts said. Aside from this, Dr. Cielo Magno, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics, said the bill’s passage will create job and livelihood opportunities and reduce poverty. According to the Bangsamoro Development Plan, poverty in Bangsamoro remains high as a result of limited access to basic services, limited economic opportunities and the disruption and uncertainty caused by conflict. More than half (55.8 percent in 2012) of the ARMM population lives in poverty. That means an estimated 1.85 million people living below the poverty threshold in 2012, almost three times the num-

ber in 1991. The poverty gap has also increased from 8.8 percent in 2009 to 13.1 percent in 2012, more than twice the national average of 5.1 percent, the study noted. It also showed the ARMM contributed less than 1 percent of national output and has a per capita output less than a quarter of the national average. Between 2019 and 2013, the ARMM registered only a 1-percent average annual per capita GDP growth despite the country reaching 3.4 percent nationally and 3.3 percent in the rest of Mindanao. Despite limited economic opportunities in the Bangsamoro, unemployment stood at 4.6 percent, while underemployment was registered at 12.3 percent—lower than the rest of Mindanao (5.3 percent and 22.9 percent, respectively) and the country (7.1 percent and 19.3 percent, respectively). Magno sees all business from large-scale down to micro, small and medium enterprises benefiting

from the passage of the BBL. “Businesses in general will benefit from the passage of BBL because it will hopefully lead to a peace agreement. It will lead to achieving peace in Mindanao, which will encourage business investment; and also if you have BBL, you will have more clarity in terms of policies and regulations and that includes policies on natural resources,” Magno added, noting that more businesses will be encouraged to locate in the area once the Bangsamoro government is established. “The assumption is: If you have more represented government in the BBL, in the Bangsamoro region, better policies will be implemented, more resources will be provided based on the current draft of the BBL, so hopefully, the availability of these resources will be used to develop the region,” she added. With more resources, including the block grant from the na-

tional government, Magno believes there could be ample development funds for the Bangsamoro. Both BBL versions in the two chambers put the block grant at equivalent to 5 percent of the national revenue from the collections of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. “It should be used to support the new regional government and its development initiatives, which should include improvement in infrastructure, human capital through appropriate health and education services, and other social services,” she said. However, Magno added that what is critical with the passage of BBL is ensuring that its provisions are consistent with the Constitution and other existing laws. Any inconsistency will make it impossible to create an immediate positive effect on the economic environment in the region. Continued on A2

Aviation dreams soar, but infra constraints could keep clipping airlines’ wings APACITY constraints continued to stunt the growth of domestic air travel in Manila in 2017 and unless the problem is properly addressed through infrastructure buildup, development of the overall local aviation market will continue to be stymied in 2018. Based on government data, the domestic air travel market grew by 6 percent to 24.8 million in 2017, the same rate by which it grew a year prior. This, according to think tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa), is quite unusual, given that the market grows at a much faster pace than the local economy, which

advanced 6.7 percent. “The Philippines has had one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia over the past few years. Demand for air travel has naturally increased, but domestic traffic has increased at a rate slightly slower than GDP,” it said. It blamed the infrastructure constraint at the Ninoy Aquino

PESO exchange rates n US 52.5540

“The Philippines has had one of the fastestgrowing economies in Asia over the past few years. Demand for air travel has naturally increased, but domestic traffic has increased at a rate slightly slower than GDP.”—Capa

Alexey Novikov | Dreamstime.com

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By Lorenz S. Marasigan

International Airport (Naia), the main international gateway to the Philippines. “The 6-percent domestic growth recorded for 2016 and 2017 is relatively low, given that passenger traffic typically grows faster than the GDP,” Capa said in a report. “Manila slot restrictions are obviously a challenge.” The Naia has been suffering from under-capacity—both airside and landside—for almost half a decade now. Slots for new flights have been limited to redeye schedules, or those that are least marketable, as they depart late at night and arrive early the next morning. “Slot restrictions in Manila make it difficult to keep up with rising demand: Manila domestic traffic increased by only 2 percent in 2017, whereas the total domestic market increased by 6 percent,” Capa said. See “Aviation,” A2

n japan 0.4830 n UK 69.9126 n HK 6.7007 n CHINA 8.2026 n singapore 39.2956 n australia 39.7676 n EU 61.4566 n SAUDI arabia 14.0136

Source: BSP (June 1, 2018 )

News

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A2 Saturday, June 2, 2018

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Bangsamoro at the crossroads Continued from a1

As the BBL enters the crucial process in the legislative mill, Malacañang on Thursday expressed hope that lawmakers will ensure the final version can withstand judicial scrutiny to prevent it from suffering the same fate of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain (MOA-AD), which was previously declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Crafted during the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the MOA-AD was supposed to create an autonomous entity called the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.

Double-edged sword

Dr. Julkipli Wadi, professor of Islamic studies at the University of the Philippines, described the passage of the BBL as a double-edged sword. “The fact that the government will be able to mainstream one of the Moro fronts, it is already a big gain for the government because you will lose an enemy and, in fact, your enemy will turn into your partner to advance peace and development in the area,” Wadi said. Wadi added this can really improve investors’ confidence, and fast-track economic development in Mindanao, but he had a serious warning: other militant groups may emerge to replace the void left by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) once the latter becomes part of the mainstream forces participating in economic development in the country. “The danger is that the void [left by MILF]

would be possibly filled in by other militant groups like the BIFF [Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters] and possibly even by ISISinfluenced [groups] in mainland Mindanao,” he said. “That will cause a lot of concerns for foreign investors.”

Not a silver bullet

Wadi also counseled against undue expectations. Passage of the BBL is not a full-blown solution in addressing poverty and creating good, stable jobs because of some preconditions or the causes of the Moro struggle that have been there for decades, he said. Political analyst Ramon C. Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, said the BBL will be beneficial to businesses in Mindanao, as this would mean peace and order, but he also does not think that the BBL will solve poverty completely. Still, Casiple hopes the Bangsamoro government can jumpstart the region’s development once political instability is removed and sufficient access to resources, including funds for the Bangsamoro government, is assured. He said addressing political instability still depend on what provisions are finally agreed upon. The President is expected to sign the BBL into law on July 23, the day he delivers his third State of the Nation Address. As of Thursday, despite passage on second and third reading in both chambers, it was obvious that contentious issues had yet to be re-

solved by the two houses, including the opt-in clause. The latter refers to the number of times a plebiscite can be conducted to allow cities and provinces to share a common border with the Bangsamoro. In its 2015 study, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) projected that the passage of the BBL will give the povertystricken ARMM and its nearby areas the highest economic growth in the Southern Philippines the following year. The Neda forecast that the Bangsa­moro region’s economy will grow by 12.8 percent in 2016 if the BBL is passed, since it will attract more business investors to the region. The bill was not passed then due to a number of reasons, including the January 2015 Mamasapano clash. In its 2017 report, the World Bank also said economic progress in the Philippines will depend on the success of development in Mindanao. It noted that peace in Mindanao means peace for the whole country, since Mindanao is the major center of conflict. “Unless there is development in Mindanao, it is hard to see how the Philippines can achieve sustained and inclusive growth,” the World Bank report said.

Peace dividend

Members of the House of Representatives also see long-term development as part of the peace dividend promised by BBL’s passage. According to the authors of the House bill, passage of the proposed BBL into law is the key to end the decades-old armed conflict as well as boost development in the region. House Committee on Muslim Affairs Chairman Mauyag Papandayan Jr. of Lanao del Sur, cited data showing armed conflict in the area caused economic losses of P640 billion “over a period of 31 years, or from 1970 to 2001, in terms of damages to business and properties.” The conflict has also claimed nearly 120,000 lives, both civilian and military. Papandayan said establishment of the Bangsamoro Political Entiry is envisioned to address the Bangsamoro people’s long-held clamor for genuine and meaningful governance in self-determination and development. “Approving the BBL is the solution now being proposed, for which we have labored so hard and so long to formulate, so we must give it a chance to succeed,” he said. “Its disapproval will mean death—death

Aviation...

to unity, to peace and to reconciliation. We have already lost so much, in terms of human life and limb, personal and real properties, and of opportunities missed for making life a little better, a little more prosperous and a lot more safer,” Papandayan added. For her part, Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan of Anak Mindanao, vice chairman of Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, said the BBL will give Mindanaoans the tools they need to build and sustain peace and development in the region. “The bill is not just for this generation: it is for our children, and our children’s children…. Failure is not an option, for failure to finally pass this law will have repercussions that will resonate through the generations that follow ours,” Sangcopan added. Rep. Ruby Sahali of Tawi Tawi, chairman of the Special Committee on Peace and Reconciliation and Unity, said injustices have stunted economic and social growth in their area. “There was a point along the way that I cried in an outburst of emotion, not really knowing what to do or say to the people of Tawi-Tawi who might lose employment, with jobs that feed families and send children to school under the current ARMM system. There are 41,184 positions in the ARMM, and 34,472 of which are from the Department of Education, teaching and nonteaching personnel. Fear can be overwhelming, too,” she said. She appealed to lawmakers “to remember the historical injustices that the Bangsamoro people have endured throughout the century. Injustices which have subjugated our religion and culture. Injustices which have cost countless innocent lives...and injustices which have obviously fueled the rise of a new breed of radicalism.” For his part, Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. of South Cotabato, chairman of the House Committee on Local Government, said the rural landscape of urban centers bears witness to the damage and suffering that resulted from hostilities both in terms of human lives and wasted opportunities in Mindanao. “It has been three years since a similar [BBL] measure was sponsored in Congress and so much has happened since. That day, for better or for worse, drew much attention to the second-largest island in the country, its more that 24 million inhabitants, its contributions to the economy and admittedly the second longest conflict ever recorded in history,” Acharon said. “In one way or another and varying de-

grees we are all aware of the hostilities that transpired and the cost we incurred. We are now at the point where a vital decision must be made. A decision that will greatly impact the lives of our countrymen in Muslim Mindanao who only wish to fend for their families, give their children a better future and the well-being of their communities,” he added. House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte said Congress will hold the bicameral meetings, together with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission and the Executive department, during the congressional break to resolve conflicting provisions in both versions. Congress adjourned sine die on Wednesday (May 30) and will resume its session on July 23.

Key provisions

Under the bill, the Bangsamoro territory shall remain a part of the Philippines. The measure delineates the core territory of the Bangsamoro to be composed of: 1) the present geographical area of the ARMM; 2) the municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagolan and Tangkal in the province of Lanao del Norte and all other barangays in the municipalities of Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigkawayan, Pikit and Midsayap that voted for inclusion in the ARMM during the 2001 plebiscite; and 3) the cities of Cotabato and Isabela. The bill retains the central government’s power and control over defense and external security. It provides that the defense of the Bangsamoro shall be the responsibility of the central government. The central government shall create a Bangsamoro Military Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the Bangsamoro, which shall be organized, maintained and utilized in accordance with national laws. The measure also calls for the creation of a Bangsamoro Police for law enforcement and maintenance of peace and order in the Bangsamoro but it shall be part of the Philippine National Police. Meanwhile, some of the major amendments to the BBL include: only one plebiscite will be held between 90 and 120 days (from original proposal of every five years for 25 years) upon the effectivity of the BBL and the block grant to the region will be decreased to 5 percent (from original 6 percent) of the national revenue.

continued from A1

Demand for domestic air travel has ballooned over the past decade with the advent of budget traveling brought about by the rise of low-cost carriers, or those that offer no-frills products to flyers. In 2006 there were only 8.5 million passengers who flew locally. The number quickly surged by 150 percent to over 20 million in just six years. Growth was stunted between 2012 and 2014, but resumed in 2015, posting a little over an 8-percent increase. Last year the domestic market was dominated by budget carrier Cebu Pacific with a 55.3-percent market share, followed by Philippine Airlines (PAL) with 29 percent and Philippines AirAsia with 14 percent, while the remainder is held by smaller boutique airlines. Demand for domestic air travel will continue to increase this year, Capa said, citing the rising middle class and expanding economy. “The Philippine GDP is expected to grow another 7 percent in 2018. Demand for domestic air travel will continue to grow as the economy and middle class expand,” it said. So, to compensate for the lack of space in Manila, local carriers must expand their operations in other hubs. This is the strategy that Philippines AirAsia is implementing right now. It is expanding its operations in other major airports in the Philippines, with emphasis on Clark, Cebu and Davao. Such is, likewise, the track of legacy carrier PAL, which will also start focusing on developing its operations in Clark International Airport this year. Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, will be upgauging its planes from Manila with the introduction of new Airbus A321s, which will increase the capacity of flights by 28 percent versus the Airbus A320s. This was the band-aid strategy that Capa suggested for Manila’s constraints. “There is an opportunity for airlines to continue adding point-to-point routes and to squeeze out more capacity from precious Manila slots by upgauging,” it said. For Avelino L. Zapanta, however, what is more important is the development of infrastructure in Manila, as this would allow the market to absorb the ever-increasing demand for travel in and within the Philippines. “Infrastructure development is very important. We have a huge domestic air travel

market. The two major airlines have several aircraft for delivery within the next two years, many for domestic services. Airport development must jibe with these developments,” he told the BusinessMirror.

Naia Consortium

Currently, the government is entertaining the unsolicited proposal of Naia Consortium, a group of seven Filipino conglomerates pushing for the redevelopment of the main international gateway. Naia Consortium recently submitted its amended proposal to the Department of Transportation (DoTr), reducing the concession period to 15 years from 35 years, and the cost to P105 billion from P350 billion. Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation Manuel Antonio L. Tamayo clarified that the changes were made during the negotiation process for the proposal, which is still ongoing as of press time. “The changes were done during the negotiation with the department. Specifically, the reduction to 15 years or less was the major issue. Other minor revisions were the result of the ongoing process,” he told the BusinessMirror. He did not disclose the new features of the proposal, but noted that the agency intends to finish the whole approvals process “as soon as possible.” Officials from the Naia Consortium were mum about the details, as well. But the consortium’s original proposal includes expanding and interconnecting the existing terminals of the Naia, upgrading airside facilities and the development of commercial facilities. It aims to increase the annual capacity of the Naia to 100 million passengers by the end of the concession period. This is being challenged by Megawide Construction Corp. and its partner, GMR Infrastructure Ltd., the two companies behind the soon-to-open international terminal at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Naia Consoritum submitted its proposal to the transportation department on February 12. Megawide’s proposal came next on March 1. By virtue of the build-operate-transfer law, only the proposal of Naia Consortium has been opened so far, as it was the first to submit its offer. This, however, does not mean that the group will be awarded the original proponent status—

at least not yet. It may still be rejected on several grounds, including technical unviability and lack of new technology, among others. If the first proposal gets rejected, then the implementing agency will have the authority to open and review the second offer. Megawide Spokesman Louie B. Ferrer said the group will continue to respect the rules, and will await the decision of the transportation agency on its proposal. “We have already submitted our proposal for the rehabilitation of the Naia to the government for their consideration. We trust and respect the rules and the process set by the law on this project,” he told the BusinessMirror.

Megawide’s offer

Megawide’s offer involves a more affordable $3-billion price tag, with a concession period of 18 years. The multibillion-dollar proposal is divided into several phases, of which the first six years of the operations would focus on the expansion of the existing terminals, the optimization of the current runways and the capacity expansion of the whole airport complex. Immediately upon takeover, the group proposes to construct full-length parallel taxiways for both runways, an additional rapid-exit taxiway for the primary runway, the extension of a second runway and the provision of maximum aircraft stands. These solutions will increase airfield capacity to 950 to 1,000 aircraft movements per day, a 35-percent increase from the current 730 aircraft movements daily. Within the first two years, the group will rehabilitate and expand the existing terminals, which will roughly double the space and result in over 700,000 square meters of terminal area. By that time, the airport will be able to handle as much as 72 million passengers annually, a huge jump from the current 30 million annual passenger capacity. Both proposals, however, were found by Zapanta as either not viable or lacking (See, “Two proposals for Naia upgrade fail to impress Filipino aviation expert,” BusinessMirror, March 27, 2018). The Naia has reached its peak, handling 42 million passengers last year, way above its maximum capacity of 35 million passengers annually. This year the throughput is expected at 44 million.

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Saturday, June 2, 2018

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Trump tariffs on US allies draw retaliation threats By Ken Thomas & Paul Wiseman

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The Associated Press

ASHINGTON—The Trump administration delivered a gut punch to America’s closest allies on Thursday, imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from Europe, Mexico and Canada in a move that drew immediate vows of retaliation.

Stock prices slumped amid fears of a trade war, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling nearly 252 points, or 1 percent, to 24,415.84. The import duties threaten to drive up prices for American consumers and companies and are likely to heighten uncertainty for businesses and investors around the globe. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariffs—25 percent on imported steel, 10 percent on aluminum—would take effect on Friday. President Donald J. Trump had originally imposed the tariffs in March, saying a reliance on imported metals threatened national security. But he exempted Canada,

Mexico and the European Union to buy time for negotiations—a reprieve set to expire at midnight Thursday. Other countries, including Japan, America’s closest ally in Asia, are already paying the tariffs. The administration’s actions drew fire from Europe, Canada and Mexico, and promises to quickly retaliate against US exports. “ This is protectionism, pu re a nd si mple,” s a id Jea nC l aude Ju nc ker, president of t he Eu ropea n Com m i ssion. French President Emmanuel Macron called the US decision to levy tariffs on the European Union “illegal” and a “mistake.” He ominously recalled the preWorld War II period saying, “Eco-

nomic nationalism leads to war. This is exactly what happened in the 1930s.” The EU earlier threatened to counterpunch by targeting US products, including Kentucky bourbon, blue jeans and motorcycles. David O’Sullivan, the EU’s ambassador in Washington, said the retaliation will probably be announced in late-June. Mexico complained that the tariffs will “distort international trade” and said it will penalize US imports, including pork, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel. In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “These tariffs are totally unacceptable.” Canada announced plans to slap tariffs on $12.8 billion worth of US products, ranging from steel to yogurt and toilet paper. “Canada is a secure supplier of aluminum and steel to the US defense industry, putting aluminum in American planes and steel in American tanks,” Trudeau said. “That Canada could be considered a national security threat to the United States is inconceivable.” Trump had campaigned for president on a promise to crack down on trading partners that he said exploited poorly negotiated trade agreements to run up big trade surpluses with the US. The US tariffs coincide with— and could complicate—the Trump

administration’s separate fight over Beijing’s strong-arm tactics to overtake US technological supremacy. Ross is leaving on Friday for Beijing for talks aimed at preventing a trade war with China. The world’s two biggest economies have threatened to impose tariffs on up to $200 billion worth of each other’s products. The steel and aluminum tariffs could also complicate the administration’s efforts to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) with Canada and Mexico, a pact that Trump has condemned as a job-killing “disaster.” The White House released a statement from Trump on Thursday night saying of Nafta, “Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United State (sic) will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all.” Trump had offered the two US neighbors a permanent exemption from the steel and aluminum tariffs if they agreed to US demands on Nafta. But the Nafta talks stalled. Ross said there was “no longer a very precise date when they may be concluded,” and that as a result, Canada and Mexico were added to the list of countries hit with tariffs. Likewise, the Trump trade team sought to use the tariff threat

to pressure Europe into reducing barriers to US products. But the two sides could not reach an agreement. The import duties will give a boost to American makers of steel and aluminum by making foreign metals more expensive. But companies in the US that use imported steel will face higher costs. And the tariffs will allow domestic steel and aluminum producers to raise prices, squeezing companies—from automakers to c a n pro duce r s — t h at buy those metals. House Speaker Paul Ryan and several leading Republicans in Congress were critical of the administration’s tariff action. Ryan said there are better ways to help American workers and consumers and that he plans to work with Trump on “those better options.” Pr ices star ted r ising even before all the tariffs kicked in. Stripmatic Products, an auto parts supplier in Cleveland, has seen a 40-percent increase in the price of steel. The higher cost meant it lost out this year to a Chinese company on a contract to branch out into a new market: making food-processing equipment. “We were basically eliminated from contention,” Stripmatic President Bill Adler said. He added the company needed four or five years

to recover the last time the US imposed tariffs on steel, in 2002. Measured purely in dollars, the tariffs don’t amount to much in America’s $20-trillion economy. Speaking on CNBC on Thursday, Ross called the tariffs “blips on the radar screen.” But Oliver Rakau, an economist with Oxford Economics, warned that the tariffs could cause economic damage because “the specter of an escalation is likely to weigh on business sentiment and may derail the investment recovery.” The Trump administration is turning to a little-used weapon in trade pol ic y: Sect ion 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. It empowers the president to restrict imports and impose unlimited tariffs if the Commerce Department sees a threat to national security. Europe, Japan and other US trading partners are contesting the US tariffs at the World Trade Organization. The WTO gives countries broad leeway to determine national security interests. But there was an unwritten agreement that WTO member-countries would use the national-security justification sparingly to avoid abuses. Now that Trump has broken the taboo, critics fear that other countries will impose sanctions. AP

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India’s Modi calls for rules-based order amid South China Sea disputes

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INGAPORE—India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has renewed calls for a maritime agreement that would make international waters more secure, amid increasingly tense territorial disputes in the South China Sea. After meeting Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday, Modi says they reiterated their commitment to a rulesbased order for maritime security and called for an open, fair and transparent agreement. China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial to global trade. Beijing has rejected accusations it’s militarizing the area and has been working with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to reach a code of conduct to avoid frictions. Modi gave a keynote address on Friday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security conference. AP

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Rival Koreas resume peace talks that Seoul sees as building trust

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By Kim Tong-Hyung | The Associated Press

EOUL, South Korea— North and South Korea on Friday resumed senior-level peace talks that Seoul sees as an important step in building trust with Pyongyang, amid a US-led diplomatic push to persuade the North to give up its nuclear weapons.

The meeting at the interKorean border village of Panmunjom follows a meeting in New York between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol where they discussed a potential summit between President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. American delegations are also meeting with North Koreans in Panmunjom and Singapore as part of efforts to confirm the summit that may take place on June 12 in Singapore. South Korea’s Unification Ministry said the Korean senior officials during the morning

session of their meeting exchanged views on setting up a liaison office in the North Korean border town of Kaesong and arranging a joint event to commemorate the “June 15 Declaration” for peace adopted after the first inter-Korean summit in 2000. The North agreed that the liaison office should be established as quickly as possible and proposed the event celebrating the June 15 Declaration to be held in the South, the ministry said. South Korea also proposed mi litar y ta l k s on reducing tensions across their heav ily ar med border and Red Cross

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (right) shakes hands with the head of North Korean delegation Ri Son Gwon during their meeting inside the Peace House at the southern side of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea, on June 1. North and South Korea on Friday resumed senior-level peace talks that Seoul sees as an important step in building trust with Pyongyang, amid a US-led diplomatic push to persuade the North to give up its nuclear weapons. Korea Pool/Yonhap via AP

ta l k s to resume reunions of f a m i l ie s s e pa r ate d b y t he 1950 -1953 Korean War, t he ministr y sa id. T here cou ld a l so b e d i sc u s s ion s a b out f ield ing combined teams in s ome s p or t s at t he A s i a n Games in Aug ust. Sout h K orea n P resident Moon Jae-in, who met with Kim Jong Un twice in the past two months, has said progress in inter-Korean reconciliation will be a crucial part of international efforts to resolve the nuclear standoff with North K ore a b e c au s e P y on g y a n g wouldn’t give up its nuclear program unless it feels its security is assured. “ We w ill hold discussions with the North so that we can implement t he ag reements between the two leaders with

pace and without hitches, and also create a positive atmosphere for the leaders’ summit between North Korea and the United States,” Seou l ’s U n i f i c at i o n M i n i s t e r C h o Myoung-g yon told reporters before the meeting. R i Son Gwon, c h a i r m a n of the North ’s agency that deals w ith inter-Korean affairs, told Cho at the start of the meeting that the rivals should work on building “trust and consideration for each other” to carr y out the agreements of the recent inter-Korean summits. The talks could get contentious. North Korea in recent weeks has repeatedly criticized US-South Korea military drills and is also demanding the return of 12 North Ko-

rean restaurant workers who arrived in the South in 2016. South Korea has maintained that the women sett led in South Korea willingly but is now rev iew ing the circumstances surrounding their arrival following a media report suggesting at least some were brought to the South against their will. After Moon and Kim met for their first summit at Panmu njom on Apr i l 27, t hey spoke of vague aspirations for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and per manent peace, which Seoul has tried to sell as a meaningful breakthrough that increases the chances of successful nuclear negotiations between Trump and K i m. But rel at ions c h i l led when North Korea canceled an inter-Korean meeting and threatened to walk away from the summit with Trump because of the South ’s participat ion i n reg u l a r m i l it a r y e xerc i ses w it h t he Un ited States and comments from US officials. Trump canceled the summit, then said it may still take place, shortly before Kim and Moon met again and agreed to resume high-level talks between their countries. Talking to South Korean reporters ahead of Friday’s meeting, Ri seemed irritated when asked whether North Korea sees its grievances as resolved, saying reporters must ask questions that “meet the demand of changing times.” When asked about the potential Trump-Kim meeting, Ri replied: “Go f ly to Singapore to ask that question. This is Panmunjom.”

Spain government seen falling, Socialists poised to take power M

ADRID—Spain’s conservative government appeared doomed on Thursday to lose a no-confidence vote in parliament, with the center-left Socialist party poised to take power. A Basque nationalist party’s announcement that it would vote in favor of the motion spelled the almost certain end of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s mandate and foretold the stunning collapse of his minority government in a parliamentary vote on Friday, when it will be short of support to survive. Officials of Rajoy’s Popular Party dismissed speculation that he might resign ahead of the vote. “The PP has faced up to all the problems that have come its way,” party secretary-general and Defense Minister Maria Dolores de Cospedal told reporters, adding that Rajoy would be present for the ballot that is expected to oust him. The impending downfall of Rajoy’s government after ruling for nearly eight years came just days after the Popular Party’s reputation was badly damaged by a court verdict that identified it as a beneficiary of a large kickbacks-for-contracts scheme. The unexpected development injected a new element of tension into European Union politics and global financial markets, already unsettled by Italy’s struggles to install a government since a March 4 election. Under a Spanish law that prevents a power vacuum, Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez, who tabled the no-confidence motion, would immediately become the new leader of the 19-country eurozone’s No. 4 economy and a prominent EU leader at a time when the bloc faces numerous challenges. Unlike Italy’s potential new leaders, Sanchez hasn’t expressed skepticism about the EU or the continent’s single currency, both of which are broadly popular in Spain. In the no-confidence debate, Sanchez, 46, called on Rajoy to step down over the kickbacks scandal. “Are you ready to step down here and now? Resign and everything will end,” Sanchez told the prime minister as he listened from his seat in parliament. “Mr. Rajoy, your time is up.” Rajoy responded by accusing Sanchez of a power grab. “Everybody knows that Pedro Sanchez is never going to win the elections and this is the reason for his motion, his urgency,” Rajoy told lawmakers, reminding them that the Socialists lost two general elections under Sanchez’s leadership and warning that a Socialist government would endanger the country’s financial stability. Sanchez promised to abide by a national budget recently negotiated by Rajoy. It includes substantial benefits for the Basque

nationalists whose promised votes in the no-confidence debate opened the door for Sanchez to oust Rajoy. Sanchez also vowed to open talks with separatists in the Catalan regional government over their demands for independence. That issue has dogged Spain for the past eight months. Rajoy has been in power since December 2011, successfully steering Spain out of its worst economic crisis in decades during the euro-zone debt crisis and achieving some of the strongest economic growth in Europe. Last year gross domestic product growth reached 3.1 percent. In the process, Rajoy faced down opponents who complained that the recovery came at the expense of austerity measures, just as he successfully stood up to Catalan secessionists. But the strong economy wasn’t enough to keep Rajoy in La Moncloa palace, the seat of government in Madrid, and he was undone by the corruption scandal. Last week National Court judges delivered hefty prison sentences to 29 business people and Popular Party members, including some elected officials, for fraud, money laundering and tax evasion, among other crimes. The Popular Party was fined €245,000 ($287,000) for benefiting from “an authentic and efficient system of institutional corruption.” More damagingly for Rajoy, the judges questioned the prime minister’s credibility when he said in court that he was unaware of the fraudulent accounting. Sanchez appeared to have the absolute majority in the Congress of Deputies—176 of 350 seats—required to unseat Rajoy. But the coming months could be difficult for Sanchez to navigate, with a minority Socialist government needing to please Basque regionalists, Catalan separatists and antiausterity parties in order to pass legislation in parliament. Rajoy has labeled that prospect a “Frankenstein government,” while critics refer to Rajoy’s government and party as “zombies.” Spain’s anti-establishment Podemos party proposed Sanchez to form a broad coalition government and a left-wing alliance to win the next general election, which Socialists have promised to call before the end of this year. “Today, finally, we are sending the Popular Party home,” said Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias, who called for Sanchez to implement an ambitious social agenda and to undo years of austerity measures by the conservatives. Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera, whose center-right party is leading recent polls, formally announced his lawmakers would vote against the motion on Friday. AP

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Saturday, June 2, 2018

A5

Staglets snatch 1st ‘Martin’ win

Tiger Woods is playing again, and playing well enough to win. AP

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BEA DE LEON is undecided if she’s playing one final season with Ateneo.

WILL BDL RETURN?

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EA De Leon remains undecided to return in an Ateneo Lady Eagle uniform to play her fifth and final year of eligibility in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino, on the other hand, vowed to play one last season for the team that will now be handled by former men’s coach Oliver Almadro in Season 81. “Maddie will stay, Kat I’m sure, she’ll play,” said Almadro, who won three titles for the Blue Eagles in his seven years as head coach. De Leon, however, is still undecided. “The comment stays true. As of now, it’s still a long way to go before the next season so I also want to rest for a bit and avoid thinking of commitments or responsibilities,” de Leon told reporters during a live stream broadcast panel in the Premier Volleyball League on Wednesday. “Eventually, I’ll make a sure decision,” she added. Almadro is hoping that de Leon, a vital cog for the team in all her four seasons, would return to lead the team for the last time. “Bea? I talked to her and I’m confident that she will play. Bea has the heart of an athlete. I’m confident she will heed the call of the Ateneo community and the fans to [consume] her last playing year,” he said. Fas have also been persuading the Ateneo middle blocker to play one more year. “It’s very overwhelming—the support from the fans. Thanks for that. Whatever I decide to do, I hope that you guys stay by my side,” she said. “Coach Oliver will be a huge factor. As we know, he’s a legend. He’s done great things with the Ateneo men’s team. If ever I play, I’d look forward to that,” she added. While de Leon remains uncertain, Almadro said he will begin the process of establishing his system to the rebuilding Lady Eagles side starting this month. “I did not instantly win a title for the men’s team but the Ateneo Lady Eagles are rebuilding, so I’m coming from scratch,” he said. Lance Agcaoili

WOODS HAS COME A LONG WAY D

By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press

UBLIN, Ohio—Tiger Woods has made plenty of progress in his return to golf, especially in the last three months. Starting with the Honda Classic, 19 of his 24 rounds have been at par or better. Four of the last six times on Sunday, he has gone into the final round with at least a remote hope of winning. At two tournaments, he was within one shot of the lead over the final three holes. But that’s not the best measure of progress. Think back to a year ago this week. Just over a month after he had back surgery for the fourth time, the image of Woods in a red shirt charging to victory was replaced by a mug shot from a Florida jail after his arrest on a DUI charge in the early-morning hours of Memorial Day. He had a white shirt and hollow eyes. He had a problem with painkillers. A mixture of them were in his system after police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car, which was parked awkwardly on the side of the road, the motor running and a blinker flashing. The idea of Woods catching Jack Nicklaus and his 18 majors, or Sam Snead and his 82 career PGA Tour titles,

was no longer part of the conversation. It was hard to imagine Woods even getting back to golf at that point. That now seems like a long time ago, almost as if it never happened. Woods is playing again, and playing well enough to win. It could happen this week at the Memorial, a course on which he has won five times and has powerful memories. He was at Shinnecock Hills on Monday, gearing up for the US Open in two weeks. It could happen there. It could happen anywhere. Nicklaus believes the next step for Woods is simply learning how to win again after a drought approaching five years, most of them interrupted by back pain. Nicklaus never went more than two years without a victory during his prime. He also never had a significant injury. In that respect, it’s hard for him to relate. “But he has got to get through the barrier of not having done it for a while,” Nicklaus said on Tuesday. “When you haven’t won, that always happens and that’s human nature. But when you got a guy that’s as good as he is and as competitive as he is, he’ll break through that barrier.” Nicklaus, however, saw the bigger picture. Winning appears to be the last obstacle. A year ago, Nicklaus was more concerned about Woods’s life than

how many fairways he hit. He is thrilled to have Woods back at Muirfield Village for the first time since 2015. He is thrilled to see him healthy physically and emotionally. “I’m very happy for him,” Nicklaus said. “With all the meds that he had for pain, that can happen to anybody. To have the thing that happened to him and come back from that and get his game and his life back in shape, and quickly, he did a nice job.” It was at the Masters last year that Nicklaus tried to persuade Woods to see the physical therapist Nicklaus had used for years. But that was going to take time that Woods didn’t have, and fusion surgery followed a few weeks later. “I never thought he would play again after that,” Nicklaus said. “I never dreamed you could fuse somebody and he could go play golf.” Nicklaus has spent the better part of two decades facing questions that only time could answer—whether Woods could break his record in the majors. Woods has gone 10 years since his last major. “Time flies when you’re having fun, or sometimes when you’re not having fun, too,” Nicklaus said. “I don’t think Tiger has had a lot of fun the last 10 years. I would hate to have been through what he’s been through, because he’s been through a lot. But I think that he is a tough competitor, he’s a hard worker, and he’s still driven. So that’s why I never counted him out.”

Football treat up for Filipino fans in Singapore ICC tilt

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HE 2018 International Champions Cup (ICC) returns to Singapore on July 26, 28 and 30 with three of Europe’s top clubs –Arsenal, Atlético de Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain—battling it out for the coveted cup. As Singapore hosts the ICC’s only Asian leg, Filipino fans and others within the region are a step closer to the world’s premier summer football tournament. In its sixth installment, the ICC takes on a new global format, featuring the largest number of clubs, matches and venues, to date. This year’s chase for the cup features 18 of the best clubs in the world playing 27 matches across the United States, Europe and Singapore. Whereas past tournaments recognized a winner within each participating continent, this year’s competitive structure will award one overall global champion. This year Paris Saint-German, France’s most successful team with 36 trophies to their name, makes its first visit to the city state. While Arsenal and Atlético de Madrid played in Singapore in 2015 and 2013, respectively, both clubs will relish meeting on neutral ground as they continue to fight for Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League Qualification. On July 26 Atlético de Madrid will play Arsenal in a highly anticipated meeting after the team’s hard-fought campaign in Europe this season. The two teams have been drawn to play each other in the Europa League semifinals and are one step closer to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season. Arsenal will tackle Paris Saint-Germain on July 28 in a rematch of their 2016 UEFA Champions League group stage.

The final match on July 30 will pit champion of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, against Atlético de Madrid. All matches will be played at the National Stadium. Filipino visitors could also experience a fun-filled stay with ICC events and activities, including the House of Football where visitors can see cool activations and virtual-reality interactions, the Fan Zone where fans can enjoy live performances and good food, and Club Central, where hard-core team supporters can interact at Clarke Quay. Tickets are officially on sale at www.sportshub.com.sg, at Sports Hub Offices as well as other physical locations. With UnionPay as the Official Payment Brand of 2018 ICC in Singapore, cardholders can enjoy a 10-percent discount.

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Five years without winning is a lot, especially for a 42-year-old with four surgeries on his knee and four surgeries on his back. But that requires an asterisk. Woods has played only 35 tournaments on the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour and European Tour since he last won at Firestone in August 2013. It’s not wise to count him out because Woods remains a mystery. When he was recovering from leg injuries and had gone 30 months without a PGA Tour victory, he walked off the course at Doral with soreness in his left Achilles tendon. And then he won two weeks later. At the Presidents Cup last September, he had no idea what his future in golf held because of the fusion surgery. Just over two months later, he was hitting drives beyond Justin Thomas and Henrik Stenson at his tournament in the Bahamas. He never looked more lost on Memorial Day a year ago. Now he relishes his time on tour with players nearly half his age, and they love being around him. Now it’s about winning, and Nicklaus isn’t even sure that matters. He always felt Woods had a shot at his record as long as he was healthy, as long as he was playing. “But whether he does or he doesn’t...it doesn’t make any difference,” Nicklaus said. “I think he’s still a great athlete, and a great golfer.”

Cool Smashers seek outright semis berth

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FOOTBALL fans from far and wide come together to show some team support at the International Champions Cup in Singapore.

‘King of Rematch’ Eustaquio eyes ultimate career highlight F based on the old idiom “Second time’s the charm,” it would be​a perfect ​embodiment to depict Filipino superstar Geje Eustaquio’s professional mixed martial arts career, as Lady Luck seems to be on his side in every rematch that he has had. Out of 16 bouts in his seven-year prizefighting stint, Eustaquio has shared the stage with the same foe on two occasions, walking out in both instances with his arm raised in triumph. After dropping a split decision to Anatpong Bunrad in April 2015, Eustaquio settled the score with his archnemesis two years later by edging out the Thai hard-hitter with his own split-decision victory.

ean Baclaan unloaded 21 points as defending champion San Sebastian College scored an 83-70 rout of First City Providential College of Bulacan, 83-70, in juniors action of the 24th Fr. Martin Cup at the Saint Placid Gymnasium inside the San Beda campus in Manila. Rafael Are contributed 15 points for the Staglets, who picked up their first win in four matches in the tournament supported by Cocolife. The win allowed the Staglets to bounce from their 82-84 loss to the University of Perpetual Help Junior Altas. In other matches, Paco Catholic Foundation downed San Beda-Rizal B, 67-55, while Saint Patrick School beat San Beda-Manila, 97-71. Sydney Mosqueda, meanwhile, delivered 16 points for the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, as they warded off Saint Patrick School, 107-77. In women’s play, Valerie Mamaril and Mary Ann Bastatas showed the way in Far Eastern University’s 81-71 smothering of University of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Eustaquio clinched the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship, toppling Kazakh rival Kairat Akhmetov by way of five-round unanimous decision in a second encounter this past January. “Winning the world title is a dream come true for me. Ever since I started my professional career, the goal was to be a world champion. Now, that goal is a reality,” Eustaquio said. Believing that it could be sweeter the second time around, the 29-year-old Baguio City native seeks to replicate the same magic as he is slated to lock horns once again with Brazilian flyweight kingpin Adriano Moraes. Both men are scheduled to face each other in a

world title unification clash at ONE: Pinnacle of Power, which takes place at the Studio City Event Center in Macau on June 23. “There were lots of trials and challenges. My path was not the easiest, but I always knew what I had to do to achieve it. Like I always say, it’s either you win or you learn. I learned from my past failures. And here I am today. That’s the secret to my success,” Eustaquio shared. “On June 23 I have a tough task in front of me. However, it is still an opportunity for me, an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime. On that date, it’s my opportunity to become the undisputed champion of this division. And I am coming for it,” he added.

REAMLINE shoots for the first of two outright semifinals berth when it faces BaliPure in a pivotal Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Season 2 Reinforced Conference duel today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City. The Cool Smashers, toting a league-leading 4-1 winloss record, try to seal a semifinals spot against the No. 2 Water Defenders (3-2) at 2 p.m. PayMaya (3-2), currently holding the No.2 spot, takes on a surging Petro Gazz (3-3) at 4 p.m. In the men’s division, second-placed Vice Co. and third-running PLDT (3-3) take the floor at 12 noon with the hope of strengthening their semifinals bids. Despite owning a league record, Creamline star Alyssa Valdez said their championship mission is still beyond reach and stressed that earning an outright semifinals berth also has a disadvantage. “It’s still a long way to go. We know that there’re advantages and disadvantages when we get there first,” said the four-time league Most Valuable Player. The outright semifinalists will take a long break as they await their foes to come out of the round-robin showdown for the third to eight placers. PayMaya will also try to preserve its hold of the top two spot to grab a chance to barge into the semfinal early. The High Flyers of Coach Roger Gorayeb are pinning their hopes on imports Tess Nicole Rountree and Shelby Sullivan, and on locals Grethcel Soltones, Jerrili Malabanan, Celine Domingo, Aiko Urdas, setter Jasmine Nabor and libero Lizlee Pantone. They are facing a surging Petro Gazz side that has won three straight matches to recover from a 0-3 start. Lance Agcaoili

Editor: Mike Besa

A6 Saturday, June 2, 2018

Villamor Golf Club Better than ever, focused on the future A

Story & Photos by Mike Besa

t this time last year, we marveled at the transformation of the Villamor Golf Club with the revival of the Philippine Masters on the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT). T he club scrambled to get the course ready for the revival of the once iconic tournament. W hen they were done, the once sc r u f f y l ayout h ad mor phed into a Tour-quality championship track. Fairways were well

defined with a distinct cut of rough and the greens were very good. They were still grainy and didn’t receive the golf ball ideally but they were exponentially better than they were normally. It wasn’t ideal, but what they

Cobra F8 ONE Irons Curiosity or a growing trend?

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obra’s initial one length offering wa s we l l re ce i ve d — e s p e c i a l l y among golfers who struggle with consistent ball-striking. Return rates have been low, and while it would be overstating things to suggest there’s been widespread adoption, there remains genuine curiosity.

Cobra isn’t the first manufacturer to bring a set of irons with shafts of just one length. In 1986 Tommy Armour Golf produced the 845 CS, a set of irons that were all the length of a standard 7-iron. The 845 CS stayed on the market for a couple of years but really failed to impress the golfers of the day.

had was more than acceptable. As you read this the second Philippine Masters on the PGT has come and gone and true to form, the Villamor Golf Club responded yet again and took the condition of the golf course up another couple of notches. To prepa re for t his yea r’s tournament, the club set about making the golf course a better challenge to the professionals on the Tour. First they lengthened the golf course by building new tee boxes where feasible. This tacked on more than a few yards to the golf course. Not an earth-shaking difference, but enough to make the already narrow fairways just a bit harder to find. Attention was also paid to

the bunkers and the definition of the fairways. Nothing defines the golf experience like perfectly manicured greens and this is where Villamor impressed us the most. The greens were fabulous. They were perfectly manicured and de void of a l l i mper fec t ions. T hese have become t he best zoysia greens outside of Wack Wack ’s East Course. They are quick, if a bit grainy. Well, perhaps a lot grainy. But that is zoysia’s character and is part of what makes the game at Villamor unique. It’s a hardy endemic species and when healthy, can be treated like any modern turf grass to provide the desired playing characteristics. It works very

well at Wack Wack, Calatagan, Canlubang and here at Villamor. The changes made the golf course tougher and more of a challenge for the professionals. This year’s winning score was just 3-under par after four days of competition; three strokes less than the winning score last year. The golf course showed her teeth and put everyone on notice that the home of the Philippine Masters was as tough a golf course as they come. The man responsible is the new general manager of VGC, Maj. Gen.Guillermo “Gems” Molina AFP (retired). A dynamic work a hol ic a nd a n ad m it ted renaissance man, he attacked his responsibilities at Villamor

the way he would any battle. He dove in head first, examined the club from top to bottom going through system after system. Although a non-golfer, he was quick to see the potential of having a top golf course so close to the urban center. Gen. Molina has big plans for VGC. He sees a multi-use facility with a ton of commercial potential. Some of the ideas make total sense. Others stray from the club’s core purpose and could compromise the quality of the golf on offer. As we now know from the Boracay experience, overdevelopment compromises the core product and. while potentially profitable in the near to mid-term, it could be disastrous further down the road. The key is

Today, people are more open to new designs and new ways of doing things. Cobra has capitalized on this by reintroducing the single length iron set. It helped that they had the very talented and somewhat eccentric Byson Dechambeau to champion the concept. To date, Cobra is the only mainstream OEM to enter the single length space, and every indication is that its commitment to the category is growing. By its own admission, it still has plenty to learn about one length irons, so we should expect to see rapid innovation that significantly outpaces anything happening in the variable length space. Downsides of one length irons are that the long irons are hard to get up in the air and the short irons spin too much and fly too far. Beyond less than ideal ballflight, the distance issues on both ends of the set often produced inconsistent gaps— though it should be noted that tests of variable length irons have revealed that golfers have anything but consistent gaps with their traditional sets. Then there are the mental issues; some golfers swing too hard with the long irons and don’t swing the short irons hard enough. Golf is difficult enough without issues like this to cloud the mind.

Cobra has implemented four significant changes to F8 ONE that have the potential to improve performance and attract more golfers to single length category. Wider Soles in the Long Irons—The soles on the F8 ONE long irons (4-6) have been widened. This change pushes the center of gravity lower and deeper without resorting to messing with the lofts (and aggravating the gapping issues). This should help resolve the low launch issues experienced by some, and in those situations where it doesn’t, the new ONE Length hybrid may prove to be an ideal solution. Higher CG Short Irons—In the F8 ONE short irons, Cobra has raised the CG locations. Golfers can expect to see a lower ball flight, higher spin rates, and a bit less distance. This is the rare case where all of that makes for a good thing. Not only should the CG shift help with the too long wedge problem, but it will also increase stopping power on approach shots, giving you more freedom to fire at pins. ONE Length Specific Shafts—One of the early discoveries following the release of F7 ONE was that many golfers saw better performance in their short irons and wedges when using heavier stiffer shafts to help control trajectory. For F8 ONE, Cobra worked with True Temper (Steel) and Aldila

(Graphite) to create shafts specifically for use in ONE Length irons. The new shafts leverage a variable tipping strategy that makes the long irons play softer and launch higher, while the short irons play stiffer and launch lower. N o n - S t a n d a rd L i e A n g l e s — O n e of the things Cobra discovered while wo r k i n g w i t h B r y s o n D e C h a m b e a u (and we discovered during our testing) is that despite identical lengths and weights, golfers still swing ONE Length long irons faster than ONE Length short irons. This could very well be mental on the part of the golfer, but whatever the cause, it’s real, it’s repeatable, and it has definite implications where lie angles are concerned. The consequence of variable shaft tuning is that is that long iron shafts will bend a bit differently than middle iron shafts and short iron shafts. The way the dynamics of shaft work, we already see progressively less toe down (more upright impact lie) as shafts get shorter and clubhead speed slows. It’s the reason why many coaches and fitters advocate for flatter lie angles in wedges. To account for differing amounts of toe down, Cobra has implemented a lie angle progression with F8 ONE. The short irons

have flatter lie angles than the mid irons, and the mid irons are flatter than the long irons. That may sound strange, but keep in mind that static measurements don’t often match their dynamic equivalents. What you need to take away from this is that Cobra is tuning lie angles such that when the dynamic forces (the bending and twisting of the shaft during the swing) are applied, the lie angles at impact are more consistent through the F8 ONE set. Finally, F8 and F8 ONE Irons include 14-club Cobra Connect—a cobranded, fully functional version of Arccos 360. Billed as the first set of Smart Clubs, Cobra’s F8 offerings have Arccos sensors integrated into the grips. According to Arccos, 86 percent of users measurably improve their handicap and improve 36.4 times faster than non-Arccos users. The Cobra F8 ONE irons offer real innovation to the golfer. They’re still not for everyone; golfers with slower swing speeds will still have difficulty getting the long irons in the air and better golfers are loath to give up the variable length irons that they’ve worked so hard to fit to their swing. That said, the technology packed F8 ONE irons are gaining traction with golfers all over the globe, a trend that we expect to continue. Mike Besa

Saturday, June 2, 2018 A7

www.pinoygolfer.com

focus on the club’s core asset—the golf experience. Getting the golf course in the condition that it’s in today opens all kinds of possibilities for the club—golf tourism chief among these. This is a huge market virtually untapped in this country. The hosting of the Asian Golf Tourism Convention by the Department of Tourism is bound to change this forever. The Philippines has been a kind of Rubik ’s cube for the world golf tourism market. The world knows there’s good golf here but is totally in the dark about how to gain access to this treasure trove of golf. This was addressed during the convention, which saw record attendance levels—proof positive of

the interest among the locators and tour operators. Villamor Golf Club positioned itself at the burgeoning industry’s forefront. It participated in the AGTC and gained exposure to golf tour operators from all over the globe. Interest was high and many of the delegates took time to take a familiarization tour of the golf course. Things are looking pretty rosy. The key to unlocking any potential profit from golf tourists is, as with golf, to mind the fundamentals. For golf tourists, these are the course’s condition (the quality of the greens are paramount), cleanliness and the standard of service. Other relevant products and services (good food, spa and

other services) help add value but the fundamentals carry more weight. A hotel on the premises makes sense and could add significant value to the club. Molina strikes us as a good man, a man of integrity. Perhaps, his failing is that he has limited experience in the game and it is this lack of experience that is at the root of the less conventional changes that he’s considering. We believe that when push comes to shove, he will do right by the club and by the game of golf. As noted above, he has some very good, fundamentally sound ideas to move the club into the future. We wish him well and look forward to a modern, dynamic Villamor Golf Club. By David MacKenzie

Introduction by Mike Besa

Introduction

Making the Yips

Disappear

The yips is one of the forbidden words in golf. The mere mention of the condition is enough to drive some golfers from the table. It is a debilitating condition that is often painful to watch and makes it impossible to enjoy the game. If you’ve never experienced it, you will never understand what it’s like to have the yips—to stand over a short putt, know exactly what you have to do, but you are completely unable to draw back the putter and take the shot. None of your arm muscles seem to work and it’s agonizing to have to force back the clubhead then somehow make it go forward and push the ball toward the hole. If you have the Yips, take heart! David MacKenzie offers a logical, no-nonsense solution to your problem. The yips are a psychological issue. Solving the problem is about getting better at controlling your focus during your shots and managing performance anxiety in between shots. It’s about changing your thinking habits, improving your concentration and increasing your belief in your ability. To start with, we need a new measure of

success for your rounds, that has nothing to do with outcome. All my students have what we call “process goals” for their rounds. These are all things within their control (outcome is not). Setting goals around the things you can control, will automatically begin to lower performance anxiety.

Where is your focus during your shot routine?

The main difference between practice and play (for many golfers, not just those with the yips) is where a player puts their focus before, during and after a shot. In practice, when there are no consequences to a shot, a player can (often) freely access their skills (especially after several goes at it). Their focus in on the intention for the shot and during the shot the mind is quiet, meaning there’s no “interference” in the movement. On the course, however, where the outcome is more important, the focus is no longer on the intention, but rather “prevention.” If it’s chipping, the focus is usually preventing a fat or a thin and in putting it’s missing a short one. This makes the mind noisy before and during the shot, and in the 2 seconds it takes to play it, there’s an attempt to control and correct, resulting in the “twitch” and a poorly executed shot.

So how to improve or train yourself to put your focus in the right place (at the right time) to play shots freely without the mind getting in the way? I work with my students to improve their concentration on something specific before, during and after the shot, to maximize their chances of curing the yips. It’s different for different players, but it could be from the following:

Mental puzzles (distraction techniques)

Focusing on things that will keep your mind busy during a chip or putt—this could be music, counting, rhymes or puzzles etc., which can stop the mind from trying to interfere with the movement of the stroke.

Connecting more with your senses

If you can improve your engagement with what the shot looks and feels like (and do a better job focusing on that) before and during the stroke/swing, you will increase success.

Using the power of words

Words can help trigger confidence and help with movement. Describing the intention for what you are about to do can help you achieve it.

Sensory tricks to reduce impact anxiety

Moving the focal point of your eyes, so you have to guess where the “hit” will be. This way you can mimic your practice swing/stroke (that you do nicely) without the ball. Finding something that works is about experimentation and keeping it fresh, so your mind doesn’t figure out what you’re trying to do. In other words, you might have different distraction techniques for each round until, eventually, your confidence in your ability to play the shots increases and the yips disappear (you can use a more conventional shot routine).

More effective practice for curing the yips

Another area you can improve is with your practice. When players with the yips tell me how they are able to practice yip-free, I will ask them “so how do you practice?” What I usually discover is that it’s very “convenient” practice of standing in one spot hitting balls to the same target. Instead, what we need to train is how to stop and start and adapt to different shots. Play one shot to one target, stop for a minute or two, and then play a completely different shot or putt. Simulation of the golf course (and adding consequences) is very important.

A8 Saturday, June 2, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

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Institutionalization of National Center for Geriatric Health pushed

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HE head of the National Center for Geriatric Health (NCGH) is appealing to the Department of Health (DOH) to help enact a law that would institutionalize the hospital’s operations, stressing the importance of providing care for the elderly.

cisco T. Duque III can help in the enactment of a law that will make it as real hospital for the senior citizens,” Tomawis said in a speech. He added the absence of such law hinders the hospital from fulfilling its mission to be a geriatric hospital, as he expressed hope that NCGH would eventually become a full-fledged hospital that caters to the elderly. “Once NCGH becomes a fullf ledged hospital, this will be the health center for senior citizens; they can be confined here, since there will be an ICU [intensive care unit], a multidisciplinary

geriatrics, rehabilitation services, etc. There will be more services to be offered,” he said in Filipino. He added the hospital has not yet achieved the vision to be the country’s first geriatric center, as it has limited capabilities and cannot admit patients with complex cases. “[Right now], if an elderly got a heart attack, can they be rushed here? No, because we are lacking the facilities. It cannot operate because there is no law,” he said. “We have to put an end to this. It is disheartening to see that this hospital, which is just at the tip

D r. Me l h a m m id Tom aw i s, chairman of the NCGH, made the appeal during the celebration of the hospital’s eight-year

anniversary on May 23 in San Miguel, Manila. “Hopefully this is the right time that Health Secretary Fran-

2 elderly women yield P6.8-M shabu in Zamboanga City

Hurricane Maria killed thousands more than Katrina, study confirms

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AMBOANGA CITY­— Anti-narcotics agents here arrested two sexagenarian women and seized an estimated P6.8 million worth of illegal drugs, the police said on Wednesday. Senior Insp. Shelamie Chang, Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) information officer, identified the arrested suspects as Hadja Sitti Bairulla Jalaidi, 60, and Norma Awod, 63. They were arrested in a buy-bust operation around 7 p.m. on Tuesday along Veterans Avenue, Barangay Zone 3, in this city. Chang said Jalaidi, also known as Hadja Sitti Karanain, is listed by police as the leader of the local drug group. Awod, meanwhile, is a newly identified drug personality, she added. Chang said recovered from the possessions of the suspects were a pack of more or less 1 kilogram of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, four medium-size heatsealed plastic sachets also containing suspected shabu, P6,000 cash, including P1,000 marked money, a cellular phone and a sport-utility vehicle with registered plate JDM-394. An official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency disclosed that the market value of a kilo of shabu is P6.8 million based on the prevailing price per gram of P6,800. Chang said the seized illegal drugs were forwarded to the Regional Crime Laboratory for qualitative and quantitative examination, while the suspects were detained at the ZCPO headquarters. Appropriate charges are being readied to be filed against them, the police said. PNA

of Malacañang, is not yet able to do its real purpose.” Tom aw i s sa id i nst it ut iona lizing the NCGH requires a law passed by the Congress or through an executive order duly signed by President Duterte. Since 2010 Tomawis said they have lobbied to Congress and the Office of the President, through different forms of communication, materials for the institutionalization of the NCGH, but it seems to have not been given attention by authorities. The NCGH is the country’s first senior-citizen hospital established on May 16, 2010, dur-

Senior moms unlock joys of Messenger, YouTube in Smart Millenniors program

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URRICANE Maria probably killed about 5,000 people in Puerto Rico last year, even though the official count remains at just 64, according to a Harvard University study released on Tuesday. Such mortality would far outstrip the 1,833 who died in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, belying President Donald J. Trump’s boasts about the low death toll of the storm that occurred on his watch. Tuesday’s study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said delayed or interrupted health care accounted for a third of the deaths in Maria, which hit the commonwealth in September 2017. The research, funded by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and others, is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of both the federal government and the commonwealth’s handling of the recovery. Large swaths of the island were without electricity and other basic services for months after the disaster, in some cases leaving dialysis patients and the elderly without care. The White House has been the object of criticism for its allocation of federal resources, but the commonwealth generated the death count. The toll has shaped public discourse around Hurricane Maria. When Trump visited

the island about two weeks after the storm, he seemed to pat himself on the back for the low numbers, comparing them favorably to “a real catastrophe like Katrina.” At the time, the government had only certified 16 fatalities, despite what was plainly a major unfolding disaster. The Harvard survey conducted among 3,299 households suggests 4,645 more deaths occurred between the storm’s September 20 landfall and December 31 than would have been expected under normal conditions. The researchers said the figure was a conservative estimate; when they tweaked the data to adjust for possible shortcomings in the sample, they produced a result of more than 5,000 deaths. That would make it the deadliest storm since the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which killed an estimated 8,000 people. For weeks after Maria, officials from Gov. Ricardo Rossello’s administration, led by public safety Secretary Hector Pesquera, appeared at news conferences to defend their count, and took umbrage at the suggestion that the real number was much higher. CNN and the New York Times, among others, subsequently produced studies showing an undercount, but neither arrived at a total as high as the Harvard study. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday in San Juan,

Rossello said he welcomed the Harvard study and other resources to help better prepare for the hurricane season starting June 1. Rossello, who aligns himself with Democrats in mainland politics, said he had no reason to want to conceal the truth, and said the main objective was saving more lives. Rossello’s government has tapped researchers at George Washington University to conduct a review of the count, but those findings have not yet been released. “We had a protocol that really was subpar, and we recognize it,” the governor said. At the same news conference, however, Pesquera drew a distinction between Harvard’s survey and a tally “based on scientific data,” as he said the George Washington study would be. But he was subsequently asked whether he was minimizing the results, and he gave a succinct response: “No, I’m not.” San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who has blasted the Trump Administration’s response and drew fire from Pesquera for her questioning of the count last year, tweeted a news story about the findings and hinted at vindication. “Harvard agrees with what I’ve said since October 2017,” she told her 243,000 followers. “Many deaths were caused by poor management of the crisis.” Bloomberg News

ing the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The eigth founding anniversary was supported by different groups by offering different services, such as massage, acupuncture, hair cut and acupressure, among others. The News and Information Bureau, an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, also provided snacks for the senior citizens who attended the event as part of its annual commitment in advocating for the welfare of the senior citizens and disadvantaged groups. PNA

OR Lilia Cos, a senior citizen from Manila, life has not been quite the same since she discovered how to use a smartphone and social media. “After that first session, I kept on using Facebook. I asked my kids and my grandkids to help me learn more about it,” said Nanay Lilia, one of the seniors who joined the latest Smart Millenniors session in Barangay 672 in Paco, Manila. “Millenniors” is a play on the words “millennials,” who are known to be tech savvy, and “seniors.” The goal of the program is to teach technology to the elderly, specifically about smartphones, mobile data and social media. In the first two sessions, the seniors learned about the basics of smartphones and mobile data, and were assisted by senior-high students from Adamson University in setting up their Facebook accounts and uploading selfies, creating group chats on Messenger and searching for their favorite shows and videos on YouTube. “Being able to use Messenger is a big help. With it, I can talk to family members abroad, and my friends in Laguna and Cavite. We can chat even if they’re far away,” Nanay Lilia said. “Just last night, I was up late because I was talking to my siblings in Japan and Germany. It was so fun—no matter where they are, as long as we are in one group chat, we can talk about the same things.” For Adamson student-volunteer Marielle Tuazon, being able to teach senior citizens about technology was an exciting and enlightening experience. “I think seniors often feel left out. Their grandkids are always on their phones; they don’t talk. With this program, I hope we’ll be able to help them connect better, not only with their grandchildren but with their other relatives, as well,” Tuazon said. Her classmate Shun Caman-

nong agreed. “This is a big help for them to be closer to their families and stay connected with them, even if they are separated by long distances,” he said. For Tuazon and Camannong, patience and understanding are key elements in facilitating learning among seniors. “It is also important that you want them to learn, so you can really connect with them and help them,” Tuazon said. “Always stay respectful and not be quick to judge them,” Camannong said. “Like us, they are also always looking for new things to learn to improve their lives. Listen to what they’re saying, and be open to their questions,” he said. Indeed, Nanay Lilia is looking forward to more learnings. “I hope the future sessions bring even more knowledge,” she said. “I know there is still much left to learn.” The Smart Millenniors program is part of Smart’s efforts to make technology more inclusive and accessible to more Filipinos. Apart from the pilot session with seniors in Barangay 734 in Paco, Manila, last year, the Smart Millenniors program was also held in Cebu last month with members of the Philippine Association of Retired Persons, in cooperation with EduStudio and Coalition for Better Education. “We are getting closer to our goal of making Internet truly for all, as more seniors participate in the Smart Millenniors program,” Smart Public Affairs Head Ramon Isberto said. “As the world becomes increasingly digital, we are working to make sure that nobody gets left behind.” “With this program, Smart is reiterating its commitment to bring digital learning to everyone, no matter their age,” said Stephanie Orlino, Smart Community Partnerships senior manager. “We look forward to partnering with more communities for this initiative.”

Actually, the US can afford welfare programs for elderly, poor beneficiaries By Justin Fox

Bloomberg Opinion

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BOUT 42 million people received benefits in the 2017 fiscal year from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap)—still widely known as food stamps, although the paper coupons were replaced by debit cards more than a decade ago. That’s a lot of people! It’s almost 13 percent of the United States population, which is down from a couple of years ago but quite high by historical standards: This is context for the efforts by House Republicans to cut back the Snap program as part of this year’s farm bill, which failed a vote on the House floor last week because of an immigration-policy-related revolt

by conservatives, but will reportedly be brought up again next month. Somewhat perversely, the Snap provisions approved by the House Agriculture Committee wouldn’t actually reduce spending, because a work requirement for food-stamp recipients is accompanied by outlays on job-training programs and administrative costs that more than offset the expected savings. Then again, spending on safetynet welfare programs such as Snap really isn’t a problem. Yes, participation is up—by the Census Bureau’s count, the percentage of the US population living in households that received some sort of means-tested cash or noncash assistance from the government (including school lunch) rose from 25 percent in 2002 to 35

percent in 2016. But while outlays on Snap and other means-tested programs rose a lot during the last recession and its aftermath, they’ve been falling in recent years. According to the historical statistics maintained by the White House Office of Management and Budget, in fact, they’re now below their long-run average as a percentage of GDP (which despite GDP’s flaws still seems to be the best way to compare government spending over time). That long-run average was of course driven up by big spending increases and GDP declines during the Great Recession, but today’s spending is similar to that of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s: The definition of safety-net programs I’m using here is that of the

Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, which takes the spending on “income security” reported by the Office of Management and Budget and subtracts out a couple of subcategories that aren’t like the others. This accounting entirely ignores Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs, which I realize may bring to mind the phrase “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” But I think it comports with the public understanding of what “welfare” is. Many people’s understanding of welfare may be even narrower than that, encompassing mainly the program previously known as Aid to Families With Dependent Children and revamped in 1996 into Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

But spending on such family and other support assistance was falling as a share of GDP long before the 1996 welfare reform, with other less obviously welfare-y programs taking up the slack. Food stamps and other nutrition programs now account for the biggest share of federal safety-net spending. Next up is the earned-income tax credit, a benefit for low-income working people that grew out of conservative economist Milton Friedman’s proposals for a negative income tax. Then comes Supplemental Security Income, a means-tested program administered by the Social Security Administration that pays benefits to elderly, disabled and blind Americans with especially low incomes. After that is unemployment com-

pensation, which rises during recessions and falls during recoveries but appears to be on a long-run downtrend. And then there’s TANF and other support assistance. Again, this ignores Social Security and the various government healthcare programs. Current spending on those is more than five times the spending on the safety-net programs I’ve described above, and forecasted rises in that spending will pose all sorts of fiscal challenges in the coming years. But that’s sort of my point. The US spends a ton of money on benefits and health care for the elderly, and a lot on health care in general. It spends far less on direct aid to people who are struggling financially, and that spending isn’t rising as a share of GDP.

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

Saturday, June 2, 2018 A9

What’s in store for streaming service’s viewers PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ

Jury says Samsung must pay $539M for copying parts of iPhone SAN JOSE, California—A jury has decided Samsung must pay Apple $539 million in damages for illegally copying some of the iPhone’s features to lure people into buying its competing products. The verdict reached last Thursday is the latest twist in a legal battle that began in 2011. Apple contends Samsung wouldn’t have emerged as the world’s leading seller of smartphones if it hadn’t ripped off the technology powering the pioneering iPhone in developing a line of similar devices running on Google’s Android software. Previous rulings had already determined that Samsung infringed on some of Apple’s patents, but the amount of damages owed has been hanging in legal limbo. Another jury convened for a 2012 trial had determined Samsung should pay Apple $1.05 billion, but United States District Judge Lucy Koh reduced that amount to $548 million. The issue escalated to the US Supreme Court, which determined in 2016 that a lower court needed to reexamine $399 million of the $548 million. That ruling was based on the concept that the damages shouldn’t be based on all the profits that the South Korean electronics giant rung up from products that copied the iPhone because its infringement may only have violated a few patents. Apple had argued it was owed more than $1 billion while Samsung contended the $399 million should be slashed to $28 million. The revised damages figure represents a victory for Apple, even though it isn’t as much as the Cupertino, California, company had sought. “Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages,” Samsung said in a statement. “We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity and fair competition for all companies and consumers.” An eight-person jury came up with the new amount following a one-week trial and four days of deliberation in a San Jose, California, federal courthouse. Apple expressed gratitude to the jury for agreeing “that Samsung should pay for copying our products.” “This case has always been about more than money,” a company statement said. “Apple ignited the smartphone revolution with iPhone and it is a fact that Samsung blatantly copied our design.” AP

@dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

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IDEO-ON-DEMAND (VOD) service HOOQ has many things in store for its Philippines subscribers in the next three months. “It all boils down to the customers wanting to be in control of what they watch, where they watch and when they watch,” HOOQ Philippines Country Manager Sheila Paul said at their cool and Instagrammable office in Bonifacio Global City during an interview last week. Starting early-June HOOQ will allow playability on a mobile browser. This means there is no more need to download the HOOQ app if your phone doesn’t have enough memory. This is for those who are using more affordable phones. All the subscriber needs to do is access HOOQ via the browser and log in. “We want to be accessible to the customer on every possible device. No other premium VOD app in the Philippines allows playback within the mobile browser. Once you open the browser, the catalog is already exposed. You’re asked to sign in when you hit ‘play,’” Paul said. HOOQ is also working to improve its service’s compatability with smart TVs. The company did a regional survey across all out markets and the study showed that in the Philippines, 7 of 10 of respondents said they owned a smart TV. This is a big proportion compared to other regions. “Filipinos love gadgets and devices and everyone is upgrading. We have to be where the customer is and in the last two years we’ve made ourselves compatible with Chromecast, Roku, Airplay and Android Set Up Box,” Paul said. “We always have to go by which devices are being used by a bigger group of people,” she added. According to HOOQ’s survey, most Filipinos use the Android OS and in terms of TV, it’s still Samsung, LG and Sony. Basically, the customer wants to access HOOQ on every device, from a mobile phone to a smart TV. HOOQ has also started with the P149 price for 30 days. A year ago, it was P59 for seven days. In the next three months, they’ll be rolling out the one-day “sachet.” Regionally, the price is 25 cents (US) but here, Paul said they are looking at the price of P10 to P15 per day. We asked Paul about HOOQ’s top streaming shows and movies. “We monitor shows via ‘unique events’ so based on that, it’s latest Filipino blockbusters, such as Kita Kita and Meet Me in St. Gallen. As for streaming minutes, meaning the length of time people spend streaming a show, it would be the Marvel and DC shows that we have like Supergirl, Arrow, Inhumans and Runaways,” she replied. HOOQ has realized that the more seasons a TV show has, the more streaming minutes it will get.

HOOQ Philippines Country Manager Sheila Paul poses in front of the Wonder Woman wall in the HOOQ headquarters.

Grey’s Anatomy is a favorite of viewers because HOOQ has all the seasons of the show. To know what its viewers want, HOOQ studies trends. For example, when Ang Probinsyano starring Coco Martin started airing on TV, streaming minutes for FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano increased proportionately. “What we do when we see a trend like that is to grab it by pushing the content to the front of HOOQ and promoting it on social media,” Paul said. HOOQ’s market is pegged at 25 to 44 years old, ABC market, smartphone and data users, and with enough income to afford extras in the household. They look at each account and personalize the content accordingly in terms of what the user sees on the app or push notifications on social media. Paul said Black Panther, which has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide and is the second-highest grossing film of 2018, is now available for rental on HOOQ. Black Panther is the 18th film released in the Marvel

MyKuya launches to create 1 million job opportunities MYKUYA, a mobile-based application and technology platform founded by Machine Ventures, a Manila-based company builder, is launching to connect consumers and enterprises to service personnel on-demand. Realizing the time-consuming challenges of getting tasks done in Metro Manila, high underemployment and unemployment rates, inconsistencies in labor quality and the lack of convenient access to service personnel and professionals led to the formation of MyKuya, which prides itself as being #YourHelpingHandOnDemand. Through a mobile application available on iOS and Android, and powered by a proprietary matching algorithm and technology, MyKuya instantly matches consumers and businesses in need of help to the right service personnel to fulfill the task. Consumers can simply download the MyKuya application and instantly connect with nearby

helping hands who can then carry out their requests. The service price starts at P49 for every 30-minute interval. Catherine Castillo, MyKuya’s head of business development, said, “We have busy mothers who avail themselves of our services to get additional help with tasks such as cleaning, shopping or even purchasing food. The length of tasks vary anywhere from 30-minutes to sometimes even eight hours. We have employees that count on MyKuya to outsource a lot of tasks happening at their offices.” “This is the beginning of a journey for us to create equal opportunities and provide job opportunities to anyone who wants one. Our goal is to create 1 million job opportunities by 2022 in the Philippines,” said Shahab Shabibi, cofounder and CEO of Machine Ventures. Shahab added, “Learning from ride-sharing platforms like Uber, Grab and other transportation network vehicle service, which provided drivers an opportunity to work on-demand, we saw an even

larger community of people who had even lesser means but wanted opportunities to learn, earn and grow. With the MyKuya App, we have tried to build a tech-based solution that embraces the spirit of a shared economy, building the base on values of mobility and gig economy, which we feel is the future of work and services.” MyKuya Enterprise Solutions also help SMEs, start-ups and large corporations to utilize the capacity of MyKuya’s platform and tap into additional human capital as needed, enabling flexibility, scalability and ease of use for businesses. Ferdinand Inlao, a pioneer MyKuya Partner, said, “Even though I took many of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s training programs, I had a hard time finding a job until I saw MyKuya’s presence in my barangay neighboring Bonifacio Global City. Now I’m able to work whenever I want just near my house, and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to help people and earn a living while doing so.”

Cinematic Universe and has been acclaimed by critics the world over. HOOQ subscribers get access to one Transactional Video on the Demand movie of their choice every month, and any additional rental will be the usual price. The films will be some of the freshest picks from the biggest Hollywood studios. Black Panther was released on February 15 internationally and on February 16 in the United States. Fans can also now enjoy a Marvel marathon on HOOQ with Marvel’s Avengers: In�inity War, Marvel’s The Avengers, Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man, Thor, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and exclusives to HOOQ: Marvel’s Inhumans, Marvel’s Runaways and, coming soon, Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger. Cloak and Dagger will be aired exclusively on the same day as the US telecast. The first two episodes will air live on June 8 with new episodes coming every Friday. ■

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A10 Saturday, June 2, 2018

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AS Amazon Echo device sits on a balcony outside an Amazon office as the Space Needle is reflected in windows behind it. Amazon says an “unlikely” string of events prompted its Echo personal assistant device to record a Portland, Oregon, family’s private conversation and then send the recording to an acquaintance in Seattle. AP

VALUE-ADDED ONE-STOP ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE

A�ter Amazon Echo misfire, ways to protect your own privacy

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EW YORK—Revelations that an Amazon Echo smart speaker inadvertently sent a family’s private conversation to an acquaintance highlights some unexpected risks of new voice-enabled technologies. According to Amazon, the fault was an “unlikely” series of inadvertent vocal cues that triggered the speaker, caused it to begin recording and then led it to interpret subsequent conversation as a “send message” request. There’s no way to eliminate these sorts of privacy risks short of unplugging entirely. But you can minimize the odds of unpleasant privacy surprises with these tips: ■ KILL THE MIC: Most smart speakers have a physical button to disable the microphone, so a private conversation can’t be recorded to begin with. You can hit that when you’re having sensitive conversations. The button on the Echo will turn red; other devices have similar cues. It doesn’t make sense to keep the mic disabled throughout the day, though. If the Echo can’t hear you, it won’t be able to order you more toilet paper or play smooth jazz. ■ LIMIT THE MIC: Disabling the microphone isn’t

practical on a smartphone, but you can limit what apps have access to it. Go to the settings and turn off mic access to all but essential apps such as voice recorders or video conferencing. Netflix doesn’t really need voice access; you can simply type the name of the show you’re searching for. ■ ABOUT THAT CAMERA: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg famously puts a piece of tape over his laptop’s camera to prevent spying if anyone were to hack his device. Buy yourself a roll. Or use bandages. If you have a home-security camera that’s connected to the Internet, turn the camera to the wall when you’re home. Just remember to turn it back before you leave, or you defeat the point of having a security camera. ■ BLOCK THE SIGNALS: For smartphones and other gadgets you carry with you, a “Faraday bag” that blocks electromagnetic waves can help prevent unwanted spying. The good ones will block cellular and other signals, meaning privacy-compromising information such as your location won’t leak out either. Just remember, your phone won’t get any calls while it’s in the bag—that’s the whole point. ■ BE INFORMED: Apple, Samsung and other tech companies have worked over the years to ensure

that their products work “out of the box,” without users having to pore through lengthy manuals and operating instructions. The downside is that users are often unaware of all the things their gadgets can do, good or bad. Checking reputable online reviews, how-to guides and even instructional ideos will help you get the most out of new technologies. They’ll also tell you about any known glitches and risks. Of course, the safest approach is not to buy a new gadget in the first place. That might not be practical for smartphones these days, but do you really need a smart speaker or a television set that’s connected to the Internet? (As it turns out, it’s actually difficult to buy a TV without “smart” capabilities these days, but nothing says you have to connect it at home.) From toothbrushes to slow cookers to toys, if companies can dream it up, it’s out there. Companies often release smart gadgets without thinking through the risks and ensuring their security. This makes them easy targets for malicious hackers. This is especially true with manufacturers that aren’t well known or that specialize in toys and other nontech businesses. AP

WE all can admit that life isn’t just a walk in the park. Every day we face challenges that can leave us unnerved. In this blazingly fast-paced environment, taking time out for yourself seems a struggle. But thanks to Huawei, the new entertainment features of the new Y6 2018 are guaranteed to keep you sane. ■ FULLVIEW DISPLAY FOR MAXIMUM ENTERTAINMENT. Watch your favorite series and play trendy mobile games in full view with Y6 2018’s 5.7-inch HD+ Huawei FullView Display that provides the best viewing experience. Designed with young users in mind, it has a sleek and fashionable design and high-quality build. Its big screen and slim body, which comes in fashionable blue and black colors, are on par with premium smartphone design trends. ■ TAKE PICTURE-PERFECT MOMENTS. Need not to worry about capturing best moments with Y6 2018. With its 5MP front camera and 13MP rear camera, capturing wonderful moments and more beautiful images is always a click away. You can also take selfies effortlessly as it packs a studio-level high CRI (color rendering index) smart selfie toning flash, which produces flattering soft light in low-light or even pitch-black conditions. ■ SING YOUR HEART OUT WITH KARAOKE MODE. Sing like a pro even when you’re alone with the Y6 2018’s Karaoke Mode. This feature generates live echo as the user sings into the phone, enabling you to accurately adjust the tune and rhythm to please the ear with your singing. This feature is best paired with the device’s high-volume speakers that can reach up to an 88 dB high-quality output, much louder than an average phone. Despite the high volume, the sound remains soft and pleasing. ■ NONSTOP ENTERTAINMENT. Play games, stream videos, take photos and listen to your favorite music without worrying much about your battery. The Y6 2018 sports a 3000mAh battery, enough to power up to 14 hours video watching or playing music for up to 57 hours based on test results from Huawei Laboratories. ■ THREE-CARD SLOT FOR MEMORY EXPANSION. Worry not about getting your memory full when downloading apps and taking a lot photos and videos. The Huawei Y6 2018 features a three-card slot design to simultaneously support primary and secondary nano SIM cards, as well as a Micro SD card (optional) up to 256GB. Under the Dual-SIM Dual-Standby mode, users can configure the primary and secondary slots to meet their needs. ■ SECURED ENTERTAINMENT MACHINE. With a lot high-tech gadgets and apps being released in the market today, security is the name of the game. Powered by AI facial recognition algorithm, Huawei Y6 2018 can automatically detect 1,024 points of a human face and perform high accuracy mapping, enabling quick unlocks. How cool is that?

Customer engagement must be digitized BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

THE staff of Epson Philippines showcased to a particpant their innovative retail solutions during the Fourth Retail Technology and Innovation Summit Asia held recently at the City of Dream Manila in Parañaque City.

MERCHANDIZERS, wholesalers and other enterprises are encouraged to deal with customers in a more meaningful way given the projected expansion of the retail industry and the emergence of young consumers as potential new markets. According to Maria Lourdes Yaptinchay, director of Sector Planning Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry, the country’s retail sector is expected to become more dynamic and poised for further growth in the years to come. Among several factors seen helping drive this development are the increased purchasing power of consumers because of decreasing unemployment rate, strong demand due to the onset of organized retail, and the proliferation of an omnichannel business approach. The challenge for retailers now is how to address the demands of the country’s young buyers. To serve the needs of this market, they should bring more convenience and better experience to their customers, Epson Philippines Marketing Division Director

Eduardo Bonoan said. “In today’s digital shift, businesses are urged to create more meaningful engagements with their customers,” he noted. “Whether it’s online or in physical establishments, it always boils down to how the experience is conveyed to the customers,” he added. To hep them, the technology firm offers a wide array of advanced products that can help retailers innovate and create customer experiences for better business results. Among these products displayed during the Fourth Retail Technology and Innovation Summit Asia, held recently in Parañaqu, were Epson’s pointof-sale (POS) receipt printers, label printers and projectors. These solutions are designed to support better customer engagement, increased sales and more efficient cost management. “Epson aspires to help these businesses achieve their goals with [these] latest innovations and solutions.” During this event, the attendees were also shown how they can utilize a virtual approach to dealing with their business operations. From tablet-enabled receipt printers to advanced all-in-one systems, Epson provides an

ideal mobile POS solution using cloud platforms. “Epson’s solutions are dedicated to produce desired customer outcomes, delivered through our unique technologies and industry-leading products,” Bonoan said. “More than this, our obsession with details and precision allow us to foster and innovate technologies on par with the performance and reliability that today’s various industry segments need,” he stressed. Multinational Epson is dedicated to connecting people, things and information with its original efficient, compact and precision technologies. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Epson Group comprises more than 76,000 employees in 87 companies worldwide. Its corporate presence in the Philippines began in 1998, and now has an extensive network of 77 authorized service centers with over 200 dealers and more than 800 shops nationwide. Organized by Escom Events, the event was graced by stakeholders, decision-makers, thought leaders, and disruptors from the hospitality industry to share their expertise and valuable experiences in utilizing the latest trends and innovations to stay competitive in the ever-changing digital economy.

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Saturday, June 2, 2018 A11

Hacker gets 5 years for Russian-linked Yahoo! security breach S SAMSUNG PHILIPPINES LAUNCHES OFFICIAL STORE ON SHOPEE

A GLOBAL leader in technology and innovation, Samsung has launched its official store on Shopee, the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The launch marks the beginning of a partnership aimed at enhancing customers’ overall shopping experience, by providing access to a variety of world-class electronic products. “We at Samsung put people at the heart of everything we do. Our products are purposefully designed with meaningful technologies to improve users’ quality of life,” says Fatima Lopez-Brodit, Samsung Electronics Philippines marketing manager for Online Business. “We are pleased to be working with a market leader, such as Shopee, which shares the same dedication to customer satisfaction. With their help, we look forward to the opportunity to enrich the lives of more consumers.” “Shopee is committed to delivering a great shopping experience through collaborations with leading brands like Samsung. We know how valuable mobile phones and electronic gadgets are for the modern consumer, that’s why we’d like to provide them with more quality options when it comes to these products,” says Terence Pang, COO at Shopee. “We intend to initiate more such strategic partnerships moving forward, to drive the potential of our company’s e-commerce capabilities.” Apart from the widely popular Samsung Galaxy J Series, and the premium S Series, the Samsung Official Store on Shopee also carries the brand’s best-selling A Series and then premium Note Series. The tech giant is also preparing to expand its product portfolio on the online platform to include its premium digital appliances, TV and audiovisual products. All products listed on Samsung’s Official Store are covered by Shopee Mall benefits, which include a 100-percent Authenticity Guarantee, seven-day Return Policy, Free Shipping and a Cash on Delivery payment option nationwide. Visit www.shopee.ph/samsungofficialstore or download the Shopee app for free on the Google Play Store to avail yourself of these exciting offers from Samsung.

AN FRANCISCO—A young computer hacker who prosecutors say unwittingly worked with a Russian spy agency was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for using data stolen in a massive Yahoo! data breach to gain access to private e-mails. US Judge Vince Chhabria also fined Karim Baratov $250,000 during a sentencing hearing in San Francisco. Baratov was named in a federal indictment last year that charged two Russian spies with orchestrating the 2014 Yahoo! breach involving 500 million users. Baratov was charged with using that stolen data passed to him by Russia’s Federal Security Service to hack dozens of e-mail accounts of journalists, business leaders and others. Prosecutors said Baratov, 23, was an “international hacker for hire” who did little or no research of his customers. He pleaded guilty last November to nine felony hacking charges. He acknowledged that he began hacking as a teen seven years ago and charged customers $100 a hack to access Web-based e-mails. Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan but lived in Toronto, Canada, where he was arrested last year, charged customers to obtain another person’s webmail passwords by tricking them to enter their credentials into a fake password-reset page. Prosecutors said in court papers that Baratov’s Russian-language web site named “webhacker” advertised services for “hacking of e-mail accounts without prepayment.” Prosecutors said Russian security service paid Baratov to target dozens of e-mail accounts using information obtained from the Yahoo! hack. Prosecutors argued that Russia’s Federal Security Service targeted Russian journalists, United States and Russian government officials and employees of financial services and other private businesses. Baratov and his attorneys also said his work with the Russia spy agency was unwitting. In court documents Baratov claimed he could access webmail accounts maintained by Google and Russian providers, such as Mail.Ru and Yandex. He would provide customers with a screenshot of the hacked account and promised he could change security questions so they could maintain control of

AKHMET TOKBERGENOV (left) and Dinara Tokbergenova, parents of alleged Yahoo! hacker Karim Baratov, leave the court after their son was denied bail, with lawyer Deepak Paradkar in Hamilton, Ontario. AP

the account. The US Justice Department charged two Russian spies with orchestrating the 2014 security breach at Yahoo! to steal data from 500 million users. Dmitry Aleksandrovich Dokuchaev and Igor Anatolyevich remain at large and prosecutors believe they are living in Russia, which doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the United States. Baratov is believed to have collected more than $1.1 million in fees, which he used to buy a house and expensive cars. “Deterrence is particularly important in a case like this,” the judge said during the hearing. He rejected prosecutors’ call for a prison sentence of nearly 10 years, noting Baratov’s age and clean criminal record

prior to his arrest. Baratov, who has been in custody since his arrest, told the judge that his time behind bars has been “a very humbling and eye-opening experience.” He apologized and promised “to be a better man” and obey the law upon his release. The judge said it is likely Baratov will be deported once he is released from prison. “Criminal hackers and the countries that sponsor them make a grave mistake when they target American companies and citizens,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers. “We will identify them wherever they are and bring them to justice.” AP

container. We had a bit of trouble with the last two, but were still able to maintain our lead over the vicious Green Team, which were hot on our heels. The “Swim Suot” challenge was where our swimmers Ed, Joey, Justine and Thea stretched our lead a bit. At the Balesin Spa, four players had to wear the shirt with the Fusion 9 logo printed by Epson’s Direct to Garment Printer, and swim from one end to another and pass the shirt to complete the task. We then rushed off to Phuket Villa for the “Just Dance” challenge where five members of our team had to copy the dance moves of some viral Thai dance video. We used the RFID card for the Epson RIPS Printer to get our instructions before we faced the challenge master Donna Ferro. We thought this was going to be easy, but Donna was a tough judge, and we had to do the challenge three times before she gave us the thumbs up. Another tough challenge for us was the “Mixing Link.” We first had to find the right bar in Costa del Sol and taste the cocktail drink on the table highlighted by Epson’s LightScene Projector. I think most of us were nondrinkers, and we failed to recreate the drink in our first couple of tries. The Green Team caught up with us and, since a lot of them were drinkers, they easily figured out the right ingredients. It was a good thing that Thea was a pizza expert, because “Print Me a Pizza” was a breeze for us. All she had to do was look at the photo, choose the ingredients and have the list printed using the TM-M30 Printer (which has the order-taking app). Preparing the pizza was easy as pie, and we were out of Toscana in no time. We were headed to the Sports Complex for the final challenge: The Ballesin Relay. We had to do well in three sports—badmiton, volleyball and basketball. Our nerves got the best of us as we struggled

to complete the 10-count rally for badminton and, next, volleyball. We only had Mia and me for the final basketball challenge, and we either had to make five free throws or one three-point shot. The last basketball game I played, LeBron James was still a rookie, so my first couple of attempts were airball, but on the third try, the ball hit the board and swoosh! The challenge was complete, and all we had to do was reach the finish line. The Green Team was nowhere to be found, so we knew that we (barring any technicalities) were going to be the champions of the Fusion Playoffs. Like I said, this was perhaps the most relaxed Fusion I’ve been to, and the challenges were not as physically demanding, unlike last year when I volunteered to do the trek and couldn’t feel my arms and legs not even midway through the challenge. I think I was running (make that crawling) on adrenaline, and it was only through prayers that I made it without collapsing. But being in my tito years, I liked the challenges better, and the teams were more balanced. Here’s hoping that Fusion 10 wouldn’t be doubly punishing. If there’s one lesson I learned from Fusion 9 in Balesin, it’s this: no matter how rich you are and how luxurious the place is, it’s the company of great friends that make a trip memorable—and an 11-hour brownout tolerable. Thank you to my roommates Abe Cerojano and Jeman Villanueva, as well as Mark Macanas, who joined me in my pool-hopping challenge. Thank you also, and congratulations to the entire Epson Team, its President Toshimitsu Tanaka (who always joins the challenges, as well), Ej Sulit and Camille Coronel, as well as Alvin Marayan and PRC! See you next year? ■

That fusion feeling CONTINUED FROM A12 bring about innovations anchored on its core areas of innovation such as robotics, inkjet printing, projection and smart glasses. “What customers get from our products and solutions come from the details we put into them. Our obsession with details enables us to turn big ideas into reality. It also gave us the opportunity to expand our portfolio of innovative products, dedicated to making lives simpler and easier,” concluded Toshimitsu Tanaka, managing director (Southeast Asia), Epson Singapore, and president and country manager, Epson Philippines. The presentation that got most of my attention was the one about Digital Textile Printing. Last year I attended a few of Epson’s fashion events—yes, fashion shows from a printer company—because of the creations of John Herrera, which got international recognition. This new process offers unrivaled creative freedom to fashion designers, as patterns do not need to be repetitive or constrained by limitations of conventional textile-printing technology. It also reduces time to introduce new designs and make modifications, and is even more sustainable and environmentally friendly as it uses between 40 percent to 75 percent less electrical power and water than conventional textile-printing process. We tried to print our shirts, and we were able to do it in less than 10 minutes, and the prints were very detailed and color accurate—it was just as if you were printing on paper.

FUSION 9: THE PLAYOFFS AFTER the presentations, it was time to get down to

business—or should I say the games? We were sorted initially according to shirt size and drew lots for our colors. I again landed on the Yellow Team, which won the championships in Epson Fusion 7 Siargao, and if not for that darn Rubik’s puzzle in the end, I would have been on the winning team last year. We knew it wasn’t going to be as physically challenging as the previous years, given the restrictions of the venue, but we were still excited as to how they were going to integrate the products they introduced in the Fusion games. I was also feeling confident having Ed of Epson and Joey Abiog, Earl Maghirang and Mark Macanas on our team, and we had our girls, Mia “Scarlet Snow” Barrientos, Mica Bayot, Justin Basco, Thea Austria and Pauline Macaraeg, who were all in it to win it. The epic island race began with “Here Comes the Sun” at Saint Tropez, where we had to go to the Nirvana Lounge to find and solve the riddle to get our clue and the next destination. The destinations appeared in jumbled letters which we had to solve first and tell our driver. Zeus Clues took us to the village of Mykonos, where the Epson Moverio was the featured product. Each team had to find photos of the five Greek Gods, scan the QR code printed on the photos and use the Moverio Smart Glasses to reveal five different group poses. This was where we first got our lead, as we were able to quickly match all the poses to earn our next clue. “Stuck On You” was an old fashioned Pinoy game where you had to use the kadang-kadang or coconut shell halves as some sort of stilt. The relay challenge at Balesin Beach had us walking on stilts from one table to another, pick up a label printed on the Epson ColorWorks C7510, come back and stick it on the right

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, June 2, 2018 A12

That Fusion feeling THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

E

VERY first week of May, the waiting game begins for that one particular e-mail, phone call or Facebook message to complete my birth month. This year the message came a bit early and more surprisingly from a different PR (we missed you Evan and Chiqui!). But the message was as exciting as ever: Epson Fusion 9 was happening. Cue Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling:” Oh oh, sometimes I get a good feeling/Yeah, I get a feeling that I never never never never had before, no no/I get a good feeling, yeah.” There are brands who send “Thank You” notes, some send gifts and tokens, others hold parties and raffle off a lot of prizes, but nothing comes close to Epson Fusion. Epson’s annual media event, Fusion takes select members of the media to an initially undisclosed destination as part of a thanksgiving gathering, and to showcase its upcoming product lineup. Now on its ninth year, Fusion has become one of the most anticipated events for us tech writers. For newbies, it gives them a chance to meet the veterans of the industry, and for the regulars to reconnect and strengthen the friendships they’ve developed (who knew a name-game could be so effective). For me, however, Fusion is all about once-ina-lifetime experiences, as I would have never experienced scuba diving, swimming with whale sharks, jumping off waterfalls, mountain trekking or boarded a luxury yacht just to watch the sunset if not for Epson.

DESTINATION BALESIN: THE WORLD IN AN ISLAND EPSON has this habit of taking us to some of the most insane dream destinations in the country: Huma Island, Apulit Island in Palawan, Siargao and Sumilon Island, just to name a few. This year they took us to one of the most private islands in the country—Balesin. A destination of unmatched natural beauty off the eastern coast of Luzon, the Balesin Island Club, Alphaland Corp.’s flagship project, is a 500-hectare tropical island paradise with 7.3 kilometers of pristine white-sand beaches. Balesin is in the Pacific Ocean just 60 nautical

miles east of Manila, approximately a 25-minute plane ride from Manila. Exploring Balesin is like taking a tour of seven countries with its seven themed villages: Balesin (Philippines), Bali (Indonesia), Phuket (Thailand), Mykonos (Greece), Saint Tropez (France), Costa del Sol (Spain) and Toscana (Italy). In each village, everything from the architecture, interior design, landscaping and food is authentically recreated. In addition, there’s the 14-suite Balesin Royal Villa, situated on a bluff with a view of Lamon Bay and, in the distance, the Sierra Madre mountain range on the mainland. And for just P300K plus (exclusive of breakfast), you can spend the night in this meticulously designed mansion that brings together the best of Asian royal heritage. It is a members-only, private leisure getaway and since I don’t think everyone can afford the P2.5million membership fee, not everyone can visit this island paradise (although I think they now offer it to corporate clients).

PRECISION, CONSISTENCY, PERFORMANCE—IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS THE first Fusion day has always been devoted to the presentations right after dinner, and it had to be the most extravagant dinner place I’ve been to because they held it at the Balesin Royal Villa—the same venue for Billy and Colleen’s wedding, and the most expensive place in the island. The choice of venue best exemplifies Epson’s campaign for the business segment: “It’s in the details.” Just as how the developers of Balesin meticulously planned and detailed each of the island villages, from its structures to even water system, Epson’s campaign highlights the company’s approach to innovation, backed by a long history of artisanship and attention to details. From connecting people and time, tracing its roots to the renowned watchmaker Seiko; to connecting people and information in the 1970s, transforming data into a useful format in the 1980s, Epson is now connecting people, things and information with its diverse portfolio of products. With Epson’s passion for precision and its vertically integrated business model, it continues to innovate to deliver new technologies that bring a big difference in the way their customers’ businesses work. “Epson’s obsession with details runs through everything we do. We believe that by taking care of the little details, we ensure to bring forth products developed solely from homegrown core technologies and devices,” said Eduardo Bonoan, director of Marketing, Epson Philippines. At the dinner event, Bonoan explained that today’s customers expect more from businesses. With technology today enabling personalized, valuable and real-time experiences, companies

EPSON Philippines Director of Marketing Eduardo Bonoan

need to adopt new technologies to exceed customer expectations and thrive in the everchanging digital economy. Epson’s vision, he added, is to create a new connected age of people, things and information with efficient, compact and precision technologies. Epson Philippines continues to gain market traction and achieve leadership position in key segments, driven by the company’s focus on the B2B segment, and developing its core technologies in four key pillars of innovation—inkjet, visual communications, wearables and robotics—to drive growth for its business customers. The company’s growth momentum the past years has continued to be very positive, continuously posting double-digit growth year-on-year. This is mainly driven by the printers category on back of a strong market acceptance of Epson’s ink tank printers. Epson Philippines recorded a positive 20-percent average growth in the past five years. According to the IDC Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker report, Epson’s market share of inkjet printers in

EPSON Philippines President and Country Manager, and Epson Singapore Managing Director for Southeast Asia Toshimitsu Tanaka

Philippines was at 55 percent in 2017, giving Epson the dominant market share in this category. For the projector category, Epson’s market share was reported at 58 percent in the Philippines in 2017, according to Futuresource Consulting. In line with its commitment to bringing groundbreaking technologies for enterprise and business segments, Epson highlighted its newest products dedicated to delivering the precision and performance that companies need to achieve business transformation, enable automation and provide an immersive experience. The new products showcased include inkjet printers, projectors, point-of-sale printers, signage printers, digital textile printers, as well as smart glasses. Through these products, Epson will strengthen its efforts to bring these technologies to different parts of the Philippines, in order to address the demands of business customers in varied segments. The company will continue to push to

CONTINUED ON A11

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BusinessMirror

Saturday, June 2, 2018 A13

Saturday, June 2, 2018

A14 S. No. 1311 H. No. 6579

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES METRO MANILA SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS SECOND REGULAR SESSION Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-fourth Day of July two thousand seventeen.

[Republic Act No. 11032] AN ACT PROMOTING EASE OF DOING BUSINESS AND EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9485, OTHERWISE KNOWS AS THE ANTI-RED TAPE ACT OF 2007, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES Be it enacted by Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled. “SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9485, otherwise known as the “Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007,” is hereby amended to read as follows: “SECTION 1 Short Title – This Act be know as the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government of Service Delivery Act of 2018.”

SEC 2. Section 2 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows: “Sec. 2. Declaration of policy – it is hereby declared the policy of the state promote integrity accountability, proper management of the affairs and public property as well as to establish effective Practices, aimed at efficient turnaround of the delivery of government services and the prevention of graft and corruption in government towards this end the State shall maintain honesty and responsibility among its public officials and employees, and shall take appropriate measures to promote transparency in each Agency with regard to the manner of transacting with the public, which shall encompass a program for the adoption of simplified requirements and procedures that will reduce red tape and expedite business and nonbusiness related transactions in government.”

Sec. 3. section 3 of the same act is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 3. Coverage. – This act shall apply to all government offices and agencies including local government units (lgus) government owned or controlled corporations and other government instrumentalities whether located in the Philippines or aboard that provide services covering business and nonbusiness related transactions as defined in this Act.”

Sec 4 section 4 of the same act is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 4. Definition of terms – As used in this Act, the following terms are defined as follows: “(a) Action refers to the written approval or disapproval made by a government office or agency on the application or request submitted by an applicant or requesting party four processing; “(b) Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) – a single common site or location or a single online website or portal designated for the business permit and licensing system (BPLS) of an LGU to receive and process applications receive payments and issue approved licenses clearances, permits, or authorizations. “(c) Business related transactions – a set of regulatory requirement that a business entity must comply with to engage operate or continue to operate a business such as, but not limited to collection or preparation of a number of documents submission to national and local government authorities, approval of application submitted and receipt of a formal certificate or certificates, permits clearances and such similar authorization or documents which confer eligibility to operate or continue to operate as legitimate business; “(d) Complex transactions – applications or requests submitted by applicants or requesting parties of a government office which necessitate evaluation in the resolution of complicated issues by an officer or employee of said government office concerned; “(e) Fixer – any individual whether or not officially involved in the operation of a government office or agency who has access to people working therein and whether or not in collusion with them facilitates speedy completion of transactions for pecuniary gain or any other advantage or consideration; “(f) Government service – the process or transaction between applicants or requesting parties and government offices or agencies in loving applications for any privilege right reward license clearance permit or authorization, concession or for any modification renewal or extension of the enumerated applications or requests which are acted upon in the ordinary course of business of the agency or office concerned; “(g) Highly technical application – an application which requires the use of technical knowledge specialized skills and/or evaluation thereof; “(h) Nonbusiness transactions – all other government transactions not falling under section 4 (c) of this act; “(i) Officer or employee – a person employed in government office or agency required to perform specific duties and responsibilities related to the application or request submitted by an applicant or requesting party for processing; “(j) Processing time –the time consumed by and LGU or national government agency(NGA) from the receipt of an application or request with complete requirements accompanying documents and payment of fees to the issuance of certification or such similar documents approving or disapproving an application or request; “(k) Red tape –any regulation rule or administrative procedure or system that is ineffective or detrimental in achieving its intended objectives and as a result produces slow suboptimal and undesirable social outcomes; “(l) Regulation- any legal instrument that gives effect to a government policy intervention and includes licensing, imposing information obligation, compliance to standards or payment of any form of fee, levy, charge or any other stator and regulatory requirements necessary to carry out activity; and “(m) Simple transactions- applications or requests submitted by applicants or requesting parties of a government office or agency which only officer or employee, or that which present only or employee of said government office.”

Sec.5. Section 5 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. 5. Reengineering of Systems and Procedures. – all offices and agencies which provide government services are hereby mandated to regularly undertake cost compliance analysis, time and motion studies, undergo evaluation and improvement of their transaction systems and procedures and reengineer the same if deemed necessary to reduce bureaucratic red tape and processing time. “The Anti-Red Tape Authority, created in this Act. Shall coordinate with all government offices covered under Section 3 of this act in the review of existing laws executive issuances and local ordinances, and recommend the repeal of the same if deemed outdated, redundant and adds undue regulatory burden to the transacting public. “All proposed regulations of government agencies under section 3 this act shall undergo regulatory impact assessment to establish if the proposed regulation does not add undue regulatory burden and cost to these agencies and the applicants or requesting parties provided that when necessary any proposed regulation may undergo pilot implementation to assess regulatory impact.

“(1) All applications or requests submitted shall be acted upon by the assigned officer or employee within the prescribed processing time stated in the Citizen’s Charter which shall not be longer than three (3) working days in the case of simple transactions and seven (7) working days in the case of complex transaction from the date the request and/or complete application or request was received. “For applications or requests involving activities which pose danger to public health, public safety, public morals, public policy, and highly technical application, the prescribed processing time shall in no case be longer than twenty (20) working days or as determined by the government agency or instrumentality concerned, whichever is shorter. “The maximum time prescribed above may be extended only once for the same number of days, which shall be indicated in the Citizen’s Charter. Prior to the lapse of the processing time, the office or agency concerned shall notify the applicant or requesting party in writing of the reason for the extension and final date of release of the government service/s requested. Such written notification shall be signed by the applicant or requesting party to serve as proof of notice. “If the application or request for license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization shall require the approval of the local Sangguniang Bayan, Sangguniang Panlungsod, or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as the case may be, the Sangguniang concerned shall be extended for another twenty (20) working days. If the local Sanggunian concerened has denied the application or request, the reason for the denial, as well as the remedial measures that may be taken by the applicant shall be cited by the concerned Sanggunian. “In case where the cause of delay is due to force majeure or natural or manmade disasters, which result to damage or destruction of documents, and/or system failure of the computerized or automatic processing, the prescribed processing times mandated in this act shall be suspended and appropriate adjustments shall be made. “(2) no application or request shall be returned to the applicant or request party without appropriate action. In case an application or request is disapproved, the office or employee who rendered the decision shall send a formal notice to the applicant or requesting party within the prescribed processing time, stating therein the reason for the disapproval. A finding by a competent authority of a violation of any or other laws by the applicant or requesting party shall constitute a valid ground for the disapproval of the application or request, without prejudice to other grounds provided in this Act or other pertinent laws. “(c) Denial of Application or Request for Access to Government Service - Any denial of application or request for access to government service shall be fully explained in writing, stating the name of the person making the denial and the grounds upon which such denial is based. Any denial of application or request is deemed to have been made with the permission or clearance from the highest authority having jurisdiction over the government office or agency concerned. “(d) Limitation of Signatories. – the number of signatories in any document shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) signatures which shall represent officers directly supervising the office or authorized signatory is on official business or official leave, an alternative shall be designated as signatory. Electronic signatures or authorization with adequate security and control mechanism may be used. “(e) Electronic Version of Licenses, clearances, Permits, Certifications or Authorizations. – All government agencies covered under Section 3 of this Act shall, when applicable, develop electronic versions of licenses, clearances, permits, which may be printed by the applicants or requesting parties in the convenience of their offices. “(f) Adoption of Working schedules to Serve Applicants or Requesting Parties. – Heads of offices and agencies which render government services shall adopt appropriate working schedules to ensure that all applicants or requesting parties who are within their premises prior to the end of official working hours are attended to and served even during lunch break and after regular working hours. “(g) Identification Card. – All employees transacting with the public shall be provided with an official identification card which shall be visibly worn during office hours. “(h) Establishment of Public Assistance/Complains Desk. – Each office or agency shall establish a public assistance/complaints desk in all their offices.” SEC. 10. Section 9 of the same Act is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 10 to read as follows:

“(b) The procedure to obtain a particular service;

“(c) The person/s responsible for each step;

“(d) The maximum time to concluded the process;

“(e) The document/s to be presented by the applicant or requesting party, if necessary;

“(f) The amount of fees, if necessary;

“(g) The procedure for filing complaints.”

Sec. 7. A new Section 7 is hereby inserted after Section 6 of the same Act to read as follows: “Sec. 7. Zero-Contact Policy- Except during the preliminary assessment of the request and evaluation of sufficiency of submitted requirements. No government officer or employee shall have any contact, in any manner, unless strictly necessary with any application or request. Once the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has completed a web-based software enabled business registration system that is acceptable to the public as mandated under Section 26 of this Act, all transactions shall be coursed through such system. All government agencies including LGUs shall adopt a zero-contact policy.” Sec. 8. Section 7 of the same Act is hereby renumbered as Section 8 to read as follows: “Sec. 8. Accountability of Heads of Offices and Agencies. – The head of the office or agency shall be primarily responsible for the implementation of this Act and shall be held accountable to the public in rendering fast, efficient, convenient and reliable service. All transactions and processes or clearance from the highest authority having jurisdiction over the government office or agency concerned.” Sec. 9. Section 8 of the same Act is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 9 to read follows; “Sec. 9. Accessing Government Services. – The following shall be adopted by all government offices and agencies:

“(a) Acceptance of Applications or requests.-

“(1) All officers or employees shall accept written applications or requesting parties of the offices or agencies. “(2) The receiving officer or employee shall perform a preliminary assessment of the application or request submitted with its supporting documents to ensure a more expeditious action on the application or request. The receiving officer or employee shall immediately inform the applicant or requesting party of any deficiency in the accompanying requirements, which shall be limited to those enumerated in the Citizen’s Charter. “(3) the receiving officer or employee shall assign unique identification number to an application or request, which shall be the identifying number for all subsequent transactions between the government and the applicant or requesting party regarding such specific application or request.

“(b) Action of Offices. –

“The DICT, in coordination with other concerned NGAs and LGUs shall also conduct information public awareness on the existence of the CBP and the improved access to and effective utilization of the programs.”

“(a) Refusal to accept application or request with complete requirements being submitted by an applicant or requesting party without due cause;

“SEC. 14 Philippine Business Data Bank (PBD) – Within a period of one (1) year from the effectively of this Act, the DICT in coordination with the concerned agencies, shall establish, manage and maintain a PBD which shall provide the concerned NGAs and LGUs access to data and information of registered business entities for purpose or verifying the validity, existence of and other relevant information pertaining to business entities. All concerned NGAs and LGUs shall either link their own database with the system updates relevant to the information registered with them. “The DICT, in consultation with the DTI, SEC, Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), NPC, DILG, LGUs and other concerned agencies shall issue the IRR on the development , management, operation and maintenance of the PBD within three (3) months from the effectivity of this Act. “Documents already submitted by an applicant or requesting parry to an agency which has access to the PBD shall no longer be required by other NGAs and LGUs having the same access. Documents or information shall be crosschecked and retrieved in the PBD. “At the local government level, the city or municipality business process and licensing office shall not require the same documents already provided by an applicant or requesting party to the local government departments in connection with other business-related licenses, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations such as, but not limited to, tax clearance, occupancy permit and barangay clearance.” “SEC. 15. Interconnectivity Infrastructure Development. – In order to expedite the processing of license, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations, the Authority, together with the DICT, shall develop a fast and reliable interconnectivity infrastructure. In relation to this, the processing and approval of licenses, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations for the installation and operation of telecommunication, broadcast towers, facilities, equipment and service shall be:

“(a) a total of seven (7) working days for those issued by the barangay;

“(b) a total of seven (7) working days for those issued by the LGUs and

“(c) seven (7) working days for those issued by the NGAs.

“If the granting authority fails to approve or disapprove an application for a license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization within the prescribed processing time, said application shall be deemed approved. Provided, That when the approval of the appropriate local legislative body is necessary, a nonextendible period of twenty (20) working days is hereby prescribed. “For homeowners and other community clearances, the officers of the homeowners association shall be given ten(10) working days to refer the application to the members of the association pursuant to Section 10 (k) of the Republic Act No. 9904, otherwise known as the “Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners Associations”. Provide, That a nonextendable period of thirty (30) working days is granted the homeowners association to give its consent or disapproval. Provided, further, That in case of disapproval, the granting authority shall notify the applicant or requesting party within the prescribed period of the reasons/s for disapproval as well as remedial measures that may be taken by the applicant or requesting party. “Within three(3) months, upon the approval of the IRR of this Act, the Authority , in coordination with the DICT, shall review and recommend the repeal of outdated, redundant and unnecessary licenses, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations being required by NGAs, LGUs and private entities.” “SEC. 16 Anti-Red Tape Unit in the Civil Service Commisision (CSC). – The CSC shall maintain an anti-red tape unit in its central and all its regional offices, utilize Report Card Survey findings for purpose and integrated government-wide human resources systems and programs toward efficient delivery of government service as contemplated in this Act; and receive, review, hear, and decide on complaints on erring government employees and officials and noncompliance with the provisions of this Act”.

“(b) Imposition of additional requirements other than those listed in the Citizen’s Charter;

“(c) Imposition of additional costs not reflected in the Citizen’s Charter;

“(d) Failure to give the applicant or requesting party a written notice on the disapproval of an application or request; “(e) Failure to render government services within the prescribed processing time on any application or request without due cost; “(f) Failure to attend to applicants or requesting parties who are within the premise of the office or agency concerned prior to the end of official working hours and during lunch breaks;

“(g) Failure or refusal to issue official receipts; and

“(h) Fixing and/or collusion with fixers in consideration of economic and/or other gain or advantage.” “SEC. 22. Penalties and Liabilities. – Any violations of the preceeding actions will warrant the following penalties and liabiliites: “(a) First Offense: Administrative liability with six (6) months suspension: Provided, however, That in the case of fixing and/or collusion with fixers under Section 21(h) , the penalty and liability under Section 22(b) of this Act shall apply. “(b) Second Offense: Administrative liability and criminal liability of dismissal from the service, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of retirement benefits and imprisonment of one (1) year to six (6) years with a fine not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00), but not more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) “Criminal liability shall also be incurred through the commission of bribery, extortion or when the violation was done deliberately and maliciously to solicit favor in cash or kind. In such cases, the pertinent provisions of the Revised Penal Code and other special laws shall apply.” SEC 14. Section 13 of the same Act is hereby renumbered as Section 23 to read as follows: “SEC. 23. Civil and Criminal Liabilty, Not Barred. – The finding of administrative liability under this Act shall not be a bar to the filing of criminal, civil or other related charges under existing laws arising from the same act or omission as herein enumerated.” SEC. 15. Section 14 of the same Act is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 24 to read as follows: “SEC. 24. Administrative Jurisdiction. – The administrative jurisdiction on any violation of the provisions of this Act shall be vested in either the CSC, or the Office of the Ombudsman as determined by appropriate laws and issuances.” SEC. 16. Section 15 of the same Act is hereby renumbered as Section 25, and all succeeding sections of the same Act are hereby deleted. “SEC. 25. Immunity; Discharge of Co-Respondent/Accused to be a Witness. – Any public official or employee or any person having been charged with another offense under this Act and who voluntarily gives information pertaining to an investigation or who willingly testifies therefore, shall be exempt from prosecution in the case/s where his/her information and testimony are given. The discharge may be granted and directed by the investigating body or court upon the application or petition of any of the respondent/accused-informant and before the termination of the investigation: Provided, That: “(a) There is absolute necessity for the testimony of the respondent/accusedinformant whose discharge is requested;

“(d) The respondent/accused-informant has not been previously convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude; and

“If a government office or agency fails to act on an application or request renewal of a license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization subject for renewal within the prescribed , said license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization shall be automatically be extended: Provided, That the Authority is in coordination with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other agencies which shall formulate the IRR of this Act shall provide a listing of simple, complex, highly technical applications, and activities which pose danger to public health, public safety, public morals or to public policy”.

“(b) Implement various ease of doing business and-red tape reform initiatives aimed at improving the ranking of the Philippines;

SEC. 11. New sections to be numbered as Sections 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are hereby inserted after Section 9 of the same Act, to read as follows:

“(e) Assist complaints in filing necessary cases with CSC, the Ombudsman and other appropriate courts, as the case may be;

“SEC. 11. Streamlined Procedures for the Issuance of Local Business Licenses, Clearances, Permits, Certifications or Authorizations. – Te LGUs are mandated to implement the following revised guidelines in the issuance of business licenses, clearances, permits, certifications, or authorizations:

“(f) Recommend policies, processes and systems to improve regulatory management to increases the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of business permitting and licensing agencies;

“(a) A single or unified business application form shall be used in processing for business permits and business renewals which consolidates all the information of the applicant or requesting party by various local government departments, such as, but not limited to, the local taxes and clearances, building clearances, sanitary permit, zoning clearance, and other specific LGU requirements, as the case may be, including the fire clearance from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The unified form shall be available online using technology-neutral platforms such as, but not limited to, the central business portal of the city/municipality’s website and various channels for the dissemination. Hard copies of the unified forms shall likewise be made available at all times in designated areas of the concerned office and/or agency. “(b) A one-stop business facilitation service, hereinafter referred to as the business on stop shop. (BOSS) for the city/municipalities business permitting and licensing system to receive and process manual and/or electronic submission of application or authorization shall be established within the cities/ municipalities’ Negosyo Center as provided for under Republic Act No. 10644, otherwise known as the “Go Negosyo Act”. There shall be queuing mechanism in the BOSS to better manage the flow of applications among the LGUs’ departments receiving and processing applications. LGUs shall implement collocations of the office, zoning office, including the BFP, and other relevant city/municipality offices/departments, among others, engaged in starting a business, dealing with construction permits. “(c) Cities/Municipalities +are mandated to automate their business permitting and licensing system or set up an electronic BOSS within period of three (3) years upon the effectively of this Act for a more efficient business registration processes. Cities/Municipalities with electronic versions of licenses, clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations with the same level of authority, which may be printed by the businesses in the convenience of their offices. The DICT shall make available to LGUs the software for the computerization of the business permit and licensing system. The DICT, DTI, and DILG, shall provide technical assistance in the planning and implementation of a computerized or software-enabled business permitting and licensing system. “(d) To lessen the transaction requirements, other local clearances such as but not limited to, sanitary permits, environmental and agricultural clearances shall be issued together with the business permit. “(e) Business permits shall be valid for a period of one (1) year. The city/ municipality may have the option to renew business permits within the first month of the year or on the anniversary date of the issuance of the business permit.

The pertinent provisions of the Republic Act no. 7160, otherwise known as “the Local Government Code of 1991”, specifically Article IV, Section 152(c) is hereby amended accordingly.”

“SEC. 21. Violations and Persons Liable. – Any person who performs or cause the performance of the following acts shall be liable:

“(b) There is no other direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of the offense committed, except the testimony of said respondent/accused-informant;

“(a) A comprehensive and uniform checklist of requirements for each type of application or request;

“The DICT is hereby mandated to implement an Interconnectivity Infrastructure Development Program for interconnectivity between and among the NGAs and LGUs.

“SEC. 17. Anti-Red Tape Authority. – To ensure the attainment of the objectives of this Act, there is hereby created the Anti-Red Tape Authority, herein referred to as the Authority, which shall be organized within six(6) months after the affectivity of this Act. The Authority shall attached to the Office of the President.

“(f) Barangay clearance and permits related to doing business shall be applied, issued and collected at the city/municipality in accordance with the prescribed processing time of the Act : Provided, That the share in the collections shall be remitted to the respective barangays.

Sec. 6. Section 6 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

www.businessmirror.com.ph

“SEC. 10. Automatic Approval or Automatic Extension of License, Clearance, Permit, Certification or Authorization. – If a government office or agency fails to approve or disapprove an original application or request for issuance of license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization within the prescribed processing time, said application or request shall be deemed approved. Provided, That all required documents have been submitted and all required fees and charges have been paid. The acknowledgement receipt party shall be enough proof or has the same force and effect of a license, clearance, permit, certification or authorization under this automatic approval mechanism.

“Upon effectivity of this act all LGU and NGAs are directed to initiate review of existing policies and operations and commence with the reengineering of their systems and procedures compliance with the provisions of this act, pending the approval of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) thereof.” Sec. 6. Citizen’s Charter. – All government agencies including departments, bureaus, offices, instrumentalities, or government-owned and/or –controlled corporation, or LGUs shall set up their respective most current and updated service standards to be known as the Citizen’s Charter in the form of information billboards which shall be posted at the main entrance of offices or at the most conspicuous place, in their respective websites and in the form of published materials written either in English, Filipino, or in the local dialect, that details:

BusinessMirror

“SEC . 12. Streamlined Procedures for Securing Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance (FSEC), Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC) , and Certification of Fire Incidents for Fire Insurance. – For the issuance of FSEC, FSIC, and certification of fire incidents, the following shall be adopted to make business permitting more efficient: “(a) Issuance of the FSEC and FSIC shall in no case be longer than seven(7) working days. “(b) For new business permit application, the FSIC already issued during the occupancy permit stage shall be sufficient as basis for the issuance of the FSIC for a business entity as a requirement for the business permit; “(c) For renewal of business permit, the BFP shall, within three (3) working days from the application, present the FSIC to the city/municipality, either thru the copy of the FSIC or the negative/positive list: Provided, That the business entity shall inform the BFP and submit the necessary documentary requirements if renovations, modifications r any form of alterations are made to the original building structure thirty (30) working days before the expiration of the business permit; “(d) If the BSP fails to furnish the city/municipality with an FSIC or to inform the same through the negative/positive list within three (3) working days from the application of business renewal, the business entity shall be deemed to have a temporary valid FSIC and, therefore shall serve as the basis for the automatic renewal of the business permit; “(e) Issuance of the certification of fire incident for fire insurance purpose shall in no case be longer than twenty (20) working days, and may be extended only once for another twenty (20) working days; “(f) The BFP or any of its officials or employees shall not sell, offer or recommend specific brands of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment to any applicant or requesting part or business entity. Any violation thereof shall be punishable by imprisonment of one (1) year to six (6) years and a penalty of not less than Five hundred thousand pesos (500,000.00) but not more than Two million pesos (2,000,000.00); “(g) The BFP shall collocate with the BOSS or in an appropriate area designated by the city/municipality within its premises to assess and collect the fire safety inspection fees; “(h) The BFP may enter into agreement with cities/municipalities allowing the latter to be deputized as assessors and/or collecting agents for the fire safety inspection fees and “(i) The BFP shall develop and adopt an online or electronic mechanism assessing fees, collecting/accepting payments and sharing/exchange of other relevant data on business permit processing. “The pertinent provisions of Republic Act No. 9514, otherwise known as the “Revised Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008”, are hereby amended accordingly.” “SEC. 13. Central Business Portal (CBP). – To eliminate bureaucratic red tape, avert graft and corrupt practices and to promote transparency and sustain ease of doing business, the DICT shall be primarily responsible in establishing, operating and maintain a CBP or other similar technology, as the DICT may prescribe. “The CBP shall serve as a a central system to receive applications and capture application data involving business-related transactions, including primary and secondary licenses, and business clearances, permits, certifications or authorizations issued by the LGUs Provided, that the CBP may also provide links to the online registration or application systems established by the NGAs. “The DICT, upon consultations with the National Privacy Commission (NPC), NGAs and LGUs shall issue rules and guidelines on the following: ()a) the establishment, operation and maintenance of the CBP; and (b) the use of electronic signatures.

“The Authority shall have the following powers and functions:

“(a) Implement and oversee a national policy on anti-red tape and ease doing business;

“(c) Monitor and evaluate the compliance of agencies covered under Section 3 of this Act, and issues notice of warning to erring and/or noncomplying government employees or officials; “(d) Initiate investigation, motu proprio, or upon receipt of a complaint, refer the same to the appropriate agency, or file cases for violations of this Act;

“(g) Review proposed major regulations of government agencies, using submitted regulatory impact assessments, subject to proportionality rules to be determined by the Authority; “(h) Conduct regulatory management training program to capacitate NGAs and LGUs to comply with sound regulatory management practices; “(i) Prepare, in consultation with the appropriate agencies, regulatory management manuals for all government agencies and/or instrumentalities and LGUs; “(j) Provide technical assistance and advisory opinions in the review of proposed national or local legislation, regulations or procedures; “(k) Ensure the dissemination of and public access to information on regulatory management system and changes in laws and regulations relevant to the public establishing the Philippine Business Regulations Information System; “(l) Enlist the assistance of the CSC, DTI and other government agencies in the implementation of its powers and functions provided for in this Act; and

“(m) Perform such acts as may be necessary to attain the objectives of this Act.”

“SEC. 18. Composition of the Authority. – The Authority shall be headed by a Director General to be appointed by the President of the Philippines upon effectivity of this Act, and such appointment shall be coterminous with the tenure of the President of the Philippines. The Director General shall enjoy the benefits, privileges, and emoluments equivalent to the rank of Secretary. “The Director General shall oversee the day-to-day operations of the Authority. He/She shall be assisted by three (3) Deputy Directors General each for legal, operations and administration and finance: Provided, That they are career officials as defined in existing laws, rules and regulations. The Deputy Directors General shall enjoy the benefits, privileges, and amoluments equivalent to the rank of Undersecretary and shall likewise be appointed by the President of the Philippines. “The Director General of the Authority, in consultation with the CSC, DTI and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), shall determine the organizational structure including regional or field offices, qualification standards, staffing pattern and compensation of the newly created Authority in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations: Provided, That in the absence of regional or field offices, the Authority may deputize the regional personnel of the DTI to perform its power and functions.” “SEC. 19. Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council. – There is hereby created and Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council, herein referred to as the Council. It shall be composed of the Secretary of the DTI as Chairperson, the Director General of the Authority as Vice-Chairperson, the Secretaries of DICT, DILG and the Department of Finance (DOF), and two (2) representatives from the private sector as members. The department secretaries may designate their representatives, who shall sit in a permanent capacity, with no less than Undersecretary in rank, and their acts shall be considered the acts of their principals. The private sector representative shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines for a term of three (3) years, and may be reappointed only once, from the nominees submitted by reputable business groups or associations. “The Council shall be the policy and advisory body to the Authority. The Council shall formulate policies and programs that will continuously enhance and improve the country’s competitiveness and ease of doing business. Towards the end, the Council shall have the following powers and functions: “(a) Plan, draft and propose a national policy on ease of doing business and anti-red tape; “(b) Recommend policies, processes and systems to improve regulatory management to increase the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of permitting and licensing agencies; “(c) Design and identify systems that will continuously enhance and improve the delivery of services in government and ease of doing business in the country; “(d) Authorize the creation or appointment of specific working groups or task forces in aid of the implementation of this Act;

“(c) The testimony of said respondent-accused informant can be substantially corroborated in its material points;

“(e) Said respondent/accused-informant does not appear to be the most guilty.

“Evidence adduced in support of the discharge shall automatically form part of the records of the investigation. Should the investigating body or court deny the motion or request for discharge as a witness, his/her sworn statement shall be inadmissible as evidence.” SEC. 17. New sections to be numbered as Section 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 are hereby inserted after Section 15 of the same Act to read as follows: “SEC. 26. Transition from Manual to Software-Enabled Business-Related Transactions. – The DICT, in coordination with other concerned agencies, shall within three (3) years after the effectivity of this Act, automate business-related transactions by developing the necessary software and technology-neutral platforms and secure infrastructure that is web-based and accessible to the public. The DICT shall ensure that all municipalities and provinces classified as third (3rd), fourth (4th), fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) class are provided with appropriate equipment and connectivity, information and communications technology platform, training and capability building to ensure the LGUs’ compliance with this act.”

“SEC. 27. Transitory Provisions. –

“(a) The Director General of the Authority, in consultation with the DTI, shall determine the organizational structure and personnel complement of the Authority. To ensure continued implementation of ease of doing business and antired tape reforms, the teams or units involved in regulatory programs of the DTICompetitiveness Bureau shall serve as temporary secretariat of the Authority until such time that its organizational structure and personnel complement have been determined and filled up: Provided, That the staff of the DTI Competitiveness Bureau shall have the options to be absorbed or transferred laterally to the Authority without diminution of their rank, position, salaries and other emoluments once the staffing pattern and plantilla position of the Authority has been approved. “(b) All regulatory management programs and anti-red tape initiatives across government agencies shall be gathered by the Authority. The DTI, CDA, NCC, DOF, Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) shall submit to the Authority a report on the status of their respective projects related to regulatory management. “(c) The Authority, in coordination with CSC and the Council, shall conduct an information dissemination campaign in all NGAs and LGUs to inform them of this Act amending Republic Act No. 9845, otherwise known as the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.” “SEC. 28. Congressional Oversight Committee. – To monitor the implementation of this Act, there shall be created a Congressional Oversight Committee on Ease of Doing Business (COC-EODB), to be composed of five (5) members from the Senate, which shall include the Chairpersons of the Senate Committees on Trade and Commerce and Entrepreneurship, Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation, and Economic Affairs; and five (5) members from the House of Representatives which shall include the Chairpersons of the House Committees on Trade and Industry, Civil Service and Professional Regulation, Government Reorganization, and Economic Affairs. The COC-EODB shall be jointly chaired by the Chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce and Entrepreneurship and the House of Representatives Committee on Trade and Industry: Provided, That the oversight committee shall cease to exist after five (5) years upon the effectivity of this Act. “The Secretariat of the COC-EODB shall be drawn from the existing personnel of the Senate and House of Representatives committees comprising the COC-EODB.” “SEC. 29. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall be charged against the current year’s appropriations of the concerned agencies. In addition, the amount of Three hundred million pesos (P300,000,000.00) as initial funding for the Authority to be charged against the unexpected Contingency Fund of the Office of the President is hereby appropriated. Thereafter, the amount needed for the implementation of this Act shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act.” “SEC. 30. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – The Authority with the CSC and DTI, and in coordination with the DICT, DOF, DILG, NEDA, PSA, CDA, SEC, the Office of the Ombudsman, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), shall promulgated the necessary rules and regulations within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of this Act.” “SEC. 31. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall be declared invalid or unconstitutional, such declaration shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Act.” “SEC. 32. Repealing Cause. – All provisions of laws, presidential decrees, letters of instruction and other presidential issuances which are incompatible or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby deemed amended or repealed accordingly.” “SEC. 33. Effectivity. – This Act shall take effect within fifteen (15) days following its publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,

“(e) Propose legislation, amendments or modifications to Philippines to Philippine laws related to anti-red tape and ease of doing business; “(f) Periodically review and assess the country’s competitiveness performance, challenges and issues; “(g) Provide technical assistance and advisory opinions in the review of proposed national or local legislation, regulations or procedures; “(h) Recommend to the Authority the issuance of the appropriate measures to promote transparency and efficiency in business practices and delivery of services in government; and “(i) Perform such other functions as may be necessary or as may be directed by the President of the Philippines for the successful implementation to attain the objectives of this Act.

PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ

AQUILINO "KIKO" PIMENTEL III President of the Senate

Speaker of the House of Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1311 and House Bill No. 6579 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on February 21, 2018 and February 27, 2018, respectively.

“The Authority shall serve as Secretariat to the Council to be headed by its Deputy Director General for operations. “The National Competitiveness Council (NCC), created under Executive Order No. 44, Series of 2011, shall be renamed and reorganized as the Council. The pertinent provisions under the following presidential orders: Executive Order No. 571, Executive No. 44, and Administrative Order No. 38 are hereby repealed accordingly.” SEC. 12. Section 10 of the same Act is hereby amended and renumbered as Section 20 to read as follows: “SEC. 20. Report Card Survey. – All offices and agencies providing government services shall be subjected to a Report Card Survey to be initiated by the Authority, in coordination with the CSC, and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which shall be used to obtain feedback on how provisions in the Citizen’s Charter and the provisions of this Act are being followed and how the agency is performing. “The Report Card Survey shall also be used to obtain information and/ or estimates of hidden costs incurred by applicants or requesting parties to access government services which may include, but is not limited to, bribes and payment to fixers. The result of the survey shall also become basis for the grant of awards, recognition and/or incentives for excellent delivery of services in all government agencies. “A feedback mechanism shall be established in all agencies covered by this Act and the results thereof shall be incorporated in their annual report.” SEC. 13. Sections 11 and 12 of the same Act are hereby deleted and replaced with new sections to be numbered as Sections 21 and 22 to read as follows:

CESAR STRAIT PAREJA

LUTGARDO B. BARBO Secretary of the Senate

Secretary General House of Representatives

Approved: MAY 28, 2018

RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE President of the Philippines O