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By Roderick L. Abad | Contributor

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VEN with the record lowest Internetconnection speed in the region, there’s no stopping the Filipinos from being avid Internet users, spending the most time online compared to their counterparts in Southeast Asia, a global leader in digital content delivery reported.

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Despite low Internet speed, Filipinos remain as top online users in Asean

It’s not the speed, but the passion

According to the State of the User Experience research report released by Limelight Networks, almost half of consumers in the region, mostly the older ones, are online outside of work for more than 16 hours online, with the Philippines having the highest score of 47 percent, followed by Malaysia at 42 percent; Thailand, 38 percent; and Singapore, 35 percent. ​ This is a significant development, according to Limelight Networks Regional Sales Director Jaheer Abbas, despite the latest State of the Internet Report released last month by Akamai Intelligent Platform, showing that the country has among the slowest Internet speed in the world and among Asia-Pacific nations at 4.5 megabits per second (Mbps). ​ He attributed this to high levels of literacy and technology savviness among the population as compared to other regions. ​ “So there is a good adoption of newer forms of content and platforms on the Internet,” he told the BusinessMirror in an e-mail interview.

“With the globally dispersed nature of the Filipino population, there is probably a high need to be socially connected among Filipinos.” ​ Citing the individual scores for each of the Asean countries, he noted that there are some critical distinctions among them. ​ When comparing Web activities, Filipinos are present most of the time on social-network sites at 4.39; on gaming portals, 2.74; and researching products, 3.59. ​ Thais, on the other hand, are too preoccupied reading news content (3.57), shopping on e-commerce and retailer sites (3), watching live videos of sports and other events (2.86), as well as seeing contents on sites like YouTube, Vimeo and news sites (3.84). ​ Meanwhile, Malaysians are moderate on their perusal of the worldwide web, as they come in second in terms of researching products (3.45), logging on social-media sites (3.99) and gaming portals (2.65); and ranked third as to their presence on reading news content (3.54), buying on ecommerce and retailer sites (2.95), watching live video (2.58) and content (3.73). ​ Singaporeans seemed to be the laggard when it comes to surfing the net for gaming sites (2.40); Continued on A2

Subic and Clark: On to the next level

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By Henry Empeño

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—Subic and Clark, the twin premier economic zones of Central Luzon, are putting up a collective effort to harness the strategic importance of the former military bases and transform their distinct advantages into an effective platform for greater regional growth and national development.

Recently, officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) expressed their commitment for partnership during the 2017 CIAC Roadshow here and outlined their vision for the next level of undertakings.

Continued on A2

PESO exchange rates n US 49.5450

The Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway joins Central Luzon’s twin engines of economic growth. henry empeño

n japan 0.4505 n UK 64.1855 n HK 6.3541 n CHINA 7.2866 n singapore 35.8996 n australia 37.3668 n EU 55.5697 n SAUDI arabia 13.2113

Source: BSP (9 June 2017 )

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Subic and Clark: On to the next level Continued from A1

And the future, as it was made clear then, would require more cooperation and complementation between the two growth centers.

“As world-class gateways, Clark International Airport and the Port of Subic can and should serve as the twin turbo-engines of growth for Central Luzon—a super duo, if I may call it,” SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma said.

“President Duterte has always emphasized that he wants to connect Clark and Subic free ports in order to turn Central Luzon into a major logistics hub,” Eisma added.

“And this is how it really should be.”

CIAC President and CEO Alex Cauguiran, on the other hand, batted for a better coordination between Clark and Subic, as well as nearby communities, so that they may fulfil their roles in the national development agenda.

Synchronicity

He said that as early as six years ago, he was already batting to maximize the use of the airports in Clark and Subic because the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila was already overloaded.

“I said that we should open other airports,” Cauguiran recalled saying. “We should make [the Clark and Subic] airports night-rated, give them entitlement, develop their terminal, and develop their runway.”

Cauguiran added the government must not only promote Clark and Subic, but the neighboring provinces, as well, in line with the thrust of the Duterte administration to decentralize development and disperse growth to different regions in the country.

Eisma also pointed out that by synchronizing the operations of the airport in Clark and the seaport in Subic, the two zones can serve the needs of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMs), as well as large manufacturing industries in the region.

At the same time, she said the coordinated activities would spur growth in tourism industries through the efficient movement of people, goods and services to and from Central Luzon and other

parts of the country; and create more employment and livelihood opportunities in the region.

“So as you can probably surmise, our only option is to work effectively, efficiently and harmoniously together if we are to support and fulfil the President’s agenda for Subic and Clark,” Eisma said.

“Subic and Clark are not competitors, but members of the same national team,” she added,

Growth

The complementation should not come as too difficult, because Clark and Subic have always been partners with a purpose.

When they were still military bases that projected the strength and superiority of the United States Armed Forces into both the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas, the former served as a major base and important air logistics hub for the US Air Force while the latter was a forward base for repair and replenishment of the US Navy’s mighty Seventh Fleet, the largest of the forward-deployed American forces.

Today, after their establishment as separate special economic zones in 1992, Subic and Clark have become major investment centers, the biggest generators of livelihood opportunities in Central Luzon, and prime catalysts of economic development in communities devastated by the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991.

Together, the two free ports boasted of some $1.18 billion in committed investments in 2016, according to the SubicClark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC), which was created to oversee cooperation initiatives between the two special economic zones.

SCADC also recorded that between them, the two free ports last year generated a total of 205,682 jobs, produced some $4.92 billion in export value and accounted for 8.15 million tourist arrivals.

The two economic powerhouses were also largely credited for Central Luzon’s 9.5-percent economic growth rate last year— the highest since 2011, which even surpassed the 6.9 percent recorded

SBMA Administrator Wilma Eisma: “Clark and Subic should serve as the twin turboengines of growth for Central Luzon.” henry empeño

for the national economy in the same period.

At the same time, Central Luzon registered a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of P773.28 billion in 2016, which substantially increased by P67 billion over the P706.34 billion output the previous year, according to figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Accomplishments

Individually, the two special economic zones have also recorded their best undertakings in 2016.

Cauguiran said Clark, which is increasing the number of airlines using its facilities, has been ranked as the 15th best among the top 30 airports in the whole of Asia.

Clark, he added, has been also ISO certified, thereby increasing its appeal as the choice airport for Northern and Central Luzon areas. “We are closer, convenient, cheaper, secured, clean and friendly,” Cauguiran said.

He said the airport now connects to local destinations, like Davao, Cebu, Kalibo, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Busuanga, El Nido and Balesin, and to international gateways, like Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Busan and Incheon in Korea, as well as Dubai and Doha in the Middle East.

CIAC is also negotiating for flights from Clark to Beijing, Shanghai, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Los Angeles.

In Subic the SBMA seaport similarly posted positive figures:

Subic seaport’s New Container Terminal henry empeño

a 9-percent increase in revenue in the first quarter of this year, as the Q1 2017 figure reached P309 million, compared to the P282.7 million posted in Q1 2016.

Eisma said an increase in volume of both containerized and noncontainerized cargoes, which was recorded at 33,031 twentyfoot equivalent units (TEUs) and 1,826,519 metric tons, respectively, made up for a slight slack in ship calls in the same period.

Eisma also cited a 7.59-percent increase in revenue from P676.3 million in Q1 2016 to P727.6 million in Q1 2017, a 148-percent increase in net income from P18.8 million in Q1 2016 to P46.7 million in Q1 2017, a 24.84-percent increase in cash and investments, and a total of P1.42 billion in new investments as of February this year.

third and 80 million in the ultimate phase.

The project, he added, would entail constructing new passenger terminals; building new access roads, ramps and taxiways; expanding freight and cargo facilities; and building a second and third runways.

The project, Cauguiran added, would enable Clark to service from 22 to 23 million people from Regions 1, 2 and 3, as well as the Cordillera Autonomous Region by the year 2022.

Meanwhile, a private company has drawn up plans for the Global Gateway Clark project, which will be at a 177-hectare area managed by the Clark Development Corp., which covers the tourism and techno-industrial areas at Clark Freeport.

The $5-billion project, according to Michael Russell, president of the Global Gateway Development Corp., will be composed of four zones: the Aeropark, which will take in research and development firms, and information technology ventures, business-process outsourcing and educational institutions; Business Park, which will have the prime lots for retail companies, as well as pocket gardens and residential units; Town Center for retail establishments; and the Logistics Park for warehousing,

distribution and light-manufacturing concerns.

Completion of the Gateway Park project is scheduled along a sevento 10-year timeline, with about 300,000 jobs to be generated upon full operations, Russell also said.

In Subic, meanwhile, the SBMA’s building program will include the $40-million upgrade of the Subic Bay International Airport; the $120-million proposal for the expansion of Subic’s bulk cargohandling facilities; the $200-million expansion of the New Container Terminal; the $232-million bypass road from the Subic Seaport to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx); and the $40-million widening of the Tipo Road leading to Subic Freeport.

The Subic agency also seeks to reestablish the Subic Bay International Airport as a world-class facility; expand Subic’s depots and logistics facilities; implement the Luzon cargo railway project; and extend the free-port land area in cooperation with concerned local government units.

Eisma said these projects are designed to further improve Subic’s capacity and attractiveness as a free port and special economic zone, improve its synergy with Clark Freeport, and help bring the two economic zones to the next development level.

they were asked what is most important in a web-site experience. ​ Consumers, likewise, want a personalized Web experience (67 percent) as opposed to those who dislike it (17 percent). ​ Even though this sentiment is shared across the region, Singapore clearly has less of a desire for this kind of experience than their neighboring countries.

So what does it mean to have a “positive” Web experience? For Southeast Asian markets, that likely means a fast-performing web site, especially on a smartphone, with personalized and fresh content. ​ This, eventually, translates to positive brand affirmation, wherein consumers (91 percent) are willing to push a brand to a pal when they’ve had a good experience on it. “[So] nearly everyone surveyed said they’re likely to recommend a brand to a friend if they have a positive Web experience, and on the flip side, that they’ll leave and go to a competitor if it isn’t a good experience,” Abbas said.

all other age groups are online this amount of time. ​ Singapore has 39 percent of millennials versus 32 percent of other demographics. The ratio in Malaysia: 42 percent versus 43 percent. ​ Although they generally are less present online, millennials spend more time across a variety of activities than do other demographics. ​ To wit, they spend more time in every online activity compared to everyone else apart from reading news (3.43 versus 3.55). ​ Watching video content and online gaming demonstrates the largest gap between millennials and other demographics, illustrating their proclivity for online entertainment. ​ Millennials (92.5 percent) are just as open to recommending a brand to a friend when they have had a positive Web experience. ​ What’s more, they are more tolerant of poorly performing web sites in the Philippines and Malaysia than those in Thailand or Singapore.

THOSE born from 1980 onward are considered “digitally native”, but surprisingly, the report has millennials spending less time online than other age groups of consumers. ​ In Thailand millennials are online the least, with 34 percent online 16 hours or more a week compared to 42 percent for all other age groups. ​ The gap is even greater in the Philippines, where 39 percent of millennials versus 56 percent of

THE online behavior of consumers across the region may vary online, but the report clearly demonstrates the need for businesses or organizations to prioritize the optimization of mobile experiences, understand the consumers’ expectations within each territory instead of implementing a “one-size-fits-all” approach, and accelerate web-site performance to keep visitors engaged. ​ Given this, Limelight Networks has identified four guide-

lines for organizations seeking to capture Southeast Asian consumer attention with Web experiences.

These include building for mobile first, creating personalized experiences, guaranteeing maximum performance by using technologies and keeping the portal updated as always. ​ Abbas said the knowledge that users spend the most time online on social-media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, is critical to brands and businesses. ​ “They can leverage this information when spending their marketing budgets to help improve their customer acquisition rates,” he suggested. ​ Insights into the activities (e.g., research, recommendation) that online users engage in before buying online, he added, is useful information for online brands looking to invest in those areas to further grow the brand awareness and mind share of online buyers. ​ “Brands and businesses should plan their marketing strategies around the mobile device, which tops the list as the undoubtedly most popular connected device. By building their apps for mobile devices and providing excellent user experience across these devices, brands can ensure they are keeping their consumers happy,” Abbas stressed. ​ The State of the User Experience-Southeast Asia report is based on a survey of 1,600 consumers chosen at random in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines, aged 18 and over.

Prospects

With sound economic fundamentals and positive business indicators in recent years, both Subic and Clark are eyeing greater roles in the national development agenda.

In Clark Cauguiran said CIAC is developing an ambitious plan to increase airport capacity from the current 4.2 million passengers per annum to 8 million in the first expansion phase, 22 million in the second phase, 46 million in the

It’s not the speed, but the passion Continued from A1

reading news content (3.30); researching products (3.23); socialmedia sites (3.53); watching live video (2.28) and content (3.55); except for e-commerce and retailer sites purchasing (2.96). ​ “Content owners can use information on consumer online behaviors to create services that can be accessed by these online users while staying on the social-media platforms they are so used to. For example, they could be consuming videos, reading news and playing social games, all while staying on their socialmedia platform,” Abbas said.

Mobile first​

SIZE doesn’t matter anymore for Asean netizens, as the study reveals that consumers do access the Internet primarily via their smartphones at 3.37.

Region-wide, and even more specifically among millennials, the respondents utilize smaller screens to obtain digital experiences putting increased pressure on organizations to build those experiences with a “mobile first” mind-set. ​ While smartphones are the main “go-to” tool, what’s interesting though are the secondary devices, such as laptop (3.03); desktop computer (2.72); tablet (2.47); and smart television (1.84). ​ This trend is apparent among consumers in Southeast Asia, except in Thailand, where it is the desktop computer (2.92) as the second-most used equipment, next to

smartphone (3.39). This is followed by notebook (2.67), tablet (2.49), and smart TV (1.86). ​ Although it is unclear why Thais would differ from their Asean counterparts in this regard, the Limelight analysis clearly shows that mobile rules.

Turning to social media

WHEN shopping on the Web, consumers mostly turn to social media as they engage in a variety of activities. ​ Per the report, the dominant event across the region is finding out what friends, family and other social connections think about a product at 34 percent. ​ They then engaged into it to find product-related information at 32 percent; look for online coupons, 28 percent; post pictures and videos of products, 23 percent; and engage with a company’s customer service to get hep buying the product, for pricing, etc., 17 percent.

There are exceptions, though, like in Singapore, where the majority of consumers (24 percent) employ social media to find online coupons while shopping, rather than seeking the advice of friends and family (19 percent).

Name of the game

SOUTHEAST Asians always look for immediacy in their journey to the digital world, the State of the User Experience research bares. ​ It is indicated that 84 percent of consumers expect fast performance of web sites across all devices when they employ to access the Internet.

​ Nevertheless, 73 percent of them anticipate access to be faster on a mobile device, like a smartphone or tablet, as 69 percent prefer a desktop or laptop computer. ​ By and large, the biggest fear of online retailers would be consumers leaving their portals due to technical issues. ​ Surprisingly, however, it’s not only the concern of the netizens, based on the results of the study. ​ According to the data, the majority of consumers (43 percent) will abandon a web site, and buy from a competitor, if the experience is too slow. ​ Filipinos, nevertheless, are exceptions, as 44 percent of them said they will least likely flee a site to purchase from somewhere else.

Thirty-seven percent will do so, with 19 percent uncertain. ​ Since it is clear that performance impacts e-commerce sales, regardless of the country, web-site operators cannot afford to have their digital experiences load slowly or perform poorly, as it can impact the bottom line. ​ Overall, Aseans remain forgiving, albeit, a significant number indicates switching to other sites to make a purchase when frustrated by wait times. In fact, 77 percent agreed they would go back to a slowly performing portal to give it another chance.

Online expectations

WHILE speed is a priority of netizens, it is rated second only to “fresh and updated” content (38 percent versus 46 percent) when

Millennials on the loop

Leveraging of digital experiences

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Sunday, June 11, 2017

A3

Infrastructure boost becomes invisible in US growth outlook P

resident Donald J. Trump is stepping up the fanfare around his $1-trillion infrastructure proposal, but the plan is fast becoming a nonfactor in forecasts for US economic growth.

The administration is in the m id st of a n “ i n f ra st r uc t u re week” of big ideas spanning air traffic, waterways and roads, attempting to move forward on campaign promises to create millions of jobs and spur growth to rates not seen in recent years. The reality is, many concrete details are still missing on specific policies and programs, timelines, costs and the savings or employment they’ll generate.

On top of that, other signature Trump initiatives including health care and tax reform are making little progress in Congress, plus distractions, such as probes involving Russia are taking a toll.

That’s all making it increasingly

difficult for economists to expect any boost from infrastructure for at least a couple of years.

“The big-bang infrastructure plan that people were maybe holding on to the night he won the election, this massive package that was going to rebuild roads and bridges and highways and put all these people to work, a lot of that is out the door,” said Neil Dutta, head of US economics at Renaissance Macro Research Llc. “I don’t think something like that is in the cards, definitely not this year and maybe not even ever.

Part of that is because this is the year of investigations, not legislation.”

While there’s broad agreement on the need to improve aging infrastructure, including railroads,

highways and airports, an economic boost seems like a weak justification at a time when the labor market is close to full employment and output is growing around its long-term potential.

Morgan Stanley economists, coming to terms with the delays, this week removed the infrastructure plan from their economic calculations, citing “little clarity from the administration”.

They also pushed out the implementation of tax reform to the first half of 2018 from the second half of 2017.

Global rebound

Instead of a downgrade, though, they project even stronger growth this year: 2.2 percent rather than 1.9 percent they previously forecast. In a note last Sunday, analysts led by chief US economist Ellen Zentner attributed the outlook to supportive financial conditions, a global economic rebound and pickup in investment thanks to looser regulations. They kept the 2018 estimate at 1.9 percent.

Economists at Deutsche Bank, who also threw in the towel on

near-term fiscal policy progress, still project the economy will expand 2.6 percent this year and 2.4 percent next year.

Deutsche Bank expected the administration would be “achieving significant elements of tax reform, infrastructure spending, and deregulation as soon as this year”, but that “now seems much less likely”, chief economist Peter Hooper wrote on May 10.

Trump’s 2018 budget plan assumes implementation of his policies and sees growth picking up as a result, from 2.3 percent this year to 2.5 percent in 2018 and 3 percent in the long term. The administration proposed $200 billion over a decade for infrastructure outlays, hoping to leverage it “such that the end result is at least $1 trillion in total infrastructure spending” involving states, cities and private investors.

“I’m calling on all Democrats and Republicans to join together, if that’s possible, in the great rebuilding of America,” Trump said on Wednesday in a speech in Cincinnati, citing the “dire and even desperate condition” of

infrastructure across the nation.

While infrastructure investment and “rational immigration policy” can accelerate growth, the chances of getting those done are “well under 50-50, because we’re spending our time on budgets that don’t add up, and on scandals and tweets”, Larry Summers, a Harvard University professor and former chief economic adviser to President Barack Obama, said on Monday on Bloomberg Television.

Trump earlier this week announced a plan to transfer the air-traffic control system to a nonprofit corporation. He aims to improve efficiency, cut delays in clearing projects and increase private-sector participation. Yet infrastructure projects are cumbersome to design, finance and implement, while the benefits follow with a lag.

Working out the nitty-gritty of delivering policy changes quickly is now “a job for Congress”, said Michael Likosky, head of infrastructure at 32 Advisors, a New York firm that advises on investments. While it’s “likely to take some time,” Likosky said he’s

hopeful that later this year “we’re going to see projects ready to go pretty quickly”.

Public-private partnerships

There’s a bigger opportunity for public-private partnerships, Likosky said, adding the Obama administration “experimented with it but they never brought it to scale”.

Critics argue that Obama’s 2009 stimulus, which included transportation investment, provided a temporary economic boost that faded in a few years while it was expected to increase debt down the road. The additional demand for infrastructure-related labor could also run up against a shortage of workers and impede other sectors such as home construction.

T hose wou ld become r isks once shovel-ready projects actually begin. Meanwhile, consumer and business spending are rising and the drag from trade i s d i m i n i s h i n g , D ut t a s a id .

R ather than count on Trump’s plans, the economy can look to a “more balanced backdrop for growth ”. Bloomberg News

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The World BusinessMirror

Sunday, June 11, 2017

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

China’s clean-energy ambition floats on abandoned coal mine C hina’s ambitions to dominate new energy technologies are unfolding at the site of an abandoned coal mine about 483 kilometers northwest of Shanghai.

There, in Anhui province, Sungrow Power Supply Co. has built the world’s largest floating solar farm with 166,000 panels on a lake created when a nearby mine collapsed. While not an entirely unique idea—similar facilities are working in Japan, the UK and Israel—the project’s scale represents a step forward for China in shaping the future of energy.

President Xi Jinping’s government this week is drawing attention to those efforts at a meeting of energ y ministers from around the world that concludes on Thursday in Beijing.

With plans to spend $360 billion on renewable energy by 2020, China is seeking to appear as a global leader on the environment, marking a contrast with US President Donald J. Trump’s rebuke of the Paris Agreement on climate change. “ T he C h i nese a re rea l ly i nvest i ng i n t he resea rc h a nd de ve lopment side of i n nov at ion ,” s a id He le n C l a r k s on , C EO of T he C l i m ate Group, a non- gover n ment a l orga n i z a t ion t h at work s to promote

not all of the ways, but a lot of it will come from the United States,” Perry told reporters in Tokyo.

“Somehow or another, because we don’t belong to this little club, you can’t be innovative and drive technology and affect the climate.

I just don’t buy it.”

Jobs growth

$360B

The amount which China intends to spend on renewable energy by 2020.

clean-energ y technologies a nd pol ic y.

While Trump has said repeatedly he wants to stimulate fossil fuels and especially coal, China is funding a series of groundbreaking projects that generate power w ithout pol lution.

W hether w ith massive f loating solar farms like the one in Anhui, sprawling wind farms or ambitious plans to develop geothermal reserves, the world’s most-populous nation is asserting itself as a powerhouse of clean-energy technology.

Renewables spending

In the northwestern province of Qinghai, Huanghe Hydropower Development Co. is planning a

Solar panels are seen near the power grid in northwestern China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Increasing amounts of green electricity have gone unused in China as it struggles to integrate wind and solar power. AP

demonstration project to integrate power from hydro-electric dams with wind turbines and solar cells.

Similarly, the Guoshen Group, a power-plant operator, intends to build a project that will combine wind, solar and thermal power with energy storage in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.

Meanwhile, construction has begun on China’s first largescale effort to trap and store carbon dioxide emissions. The Ya nc ha ng Integ rated Ca rbon Capture and Storage Project, Asia’s first commercial carbon capture plant, is set to begin operating in 2018.

“Ever ybody has to become more sophisticated about their investment strategy,” said Sophie

Lu, head of China research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

“Now it’s all about innovation either in new technology or in a new application or a new business model.”

China’s efforts pit it against the US, which insists it can remain a hotbed of innovation in energy even though the president is slashing funds for start-ups in the industry and pulling out of the 2015 Paris accord. On his trip to Asia to represent Trump, US Energy Secretary Rick Perry spoke forcefully of A merica’s efforts to spur energy technology while also challenging China to take leadership on the issue.

“There is a lot of innovation out there, and it is gonna come,

The sta kes are high for both nations. T he clean-energ y business employed 9.8 mil lion people last year, up 1.1 percent from 2015, led by an expansion in solar photovoltaics, according to the International Renewable Energ y A genc y’s annua l repor t. Green jobs may reach 24 mil lion worldw ide in 2030 as more countries work to combat climate change, Irena said.

“China is a real driver in the money they invest in the diligence of their innovation,” California Gov. Jerry Brown said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Tuesday. “I want California to partner with China in that endeavor. Otherwise, we won’t achieve our climate goals.”

In Anhui Sungrow’s 40-megawatt (MW) solar farm in a district of Huainan city called Panji features panels fixed to floats on the surface of a lake that formed after the ground surrounding an old coal mine collapsed.

Floating solar

Floating solar is spreading and getting bigger, led by projects in Asia and Europe. Hong

Kong-listed Xinyi Solar Holdings Ltd. completed a 20-megawatt f loating solar farm last year in Huainan. On a reservoir outside Tokyo, Kyocera TCL Solar Llc. has finished a 13.4-MW project, the biggest of its kind in Japan. T hames Water Utilities Ltd., the UK’s largest pr ivately ow ned water suppl ier, operates Europe’s largest f loating solar far m on its Queen Elizabeth Reser voir reser voir near Heathrow air por t.

By the end of September, Sungrow will complete more than 150 MW of new floating capacity in Huainan, said Hu Bing, an executive at Sungrow, the world ’s second-biggest photovoltaic inverter maker.

The Anhui project could yield 5 percent to 10 percent more power compared with a conventional solar plant because the panels are expected to be cooled as surface water evaporates, Hu said. To be fair, China’s energy innovations still have some way to go to catch up to the countr y’s aspirations.

W hile China has 37 working nuclear reactors, none have been built w ithout ex pertise from abroad. The country also hasn’t produced an innovator with a profile similar to that of Tesla Inc., General Electric Co. or Vestas Wind Systems A/S. The US plans to keep its competitive edge “the same way we have historically”, Perry said in Tokyo. “It’s called innovation and technology.” Bloomberg News

Climate decision could hasten damage to Trump properties P

A LM BE ACH, F lor id a— President Donald J. Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement could accelerate damage to his family’s real-estate empire in the coming decades, especially his properties that lie just feet from the encroaching sea in low-lying South Florida.

The president’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the soaring apartment towers bearing his name on Miami-area beaches and his Doral golf course are all threatened by rising seas, according to projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the South Florida Regional Climate Change Compact.

Se vere d a m age m ay come sooner rather than later if the US abandons the international agreement aimed at curbing emissions of heat-trapping gases that cause climate change.

“His properties live off of tourism—golfing communities, places where fat cats go and spend money and hobnob. It’s all related to the tourism economy in South Florida,” said Jim Cason, the Republican mayor of Coral Gables, a small city south of Miami that is aggressively planning for sea-level rise.

South Florida roadways already f lood routinely dur ing storms or unusually high “king tides”, forcing cities to raise or move them and install expensive pumping systems.

“If the beaches are gone or the streets are flooded, it’s going to affect the value of his property,” Cason added. “So as a prudent businessman, he ought to conclude that the science is right and we need to prepare and plan.”

Trump’s 123-room Mar-a-Lago mansion and private club sit on a barrier island with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway to the west. If

U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement could accelerate damage to his family’s real-estate empire in the coming decades, especially his properties that lie just feet from the encroaching sea in low-lying South Florida. Projections from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, the apartment towers bearing his name on Miami-area beaches and his Doral golf course are all threatened by rising seas. AP

the sea level climbs by 2 or 3 feet in this century—an amount that falls squarely within scientists’ predictions—that would push seawater onto the mansion’s western lawns. Nearby roads and bridges used to access the property would also be affected.

At some point t h is cent u r y, water is e x pected to complete ly cover ma ny of t he st ate’s barr ier islands, especially dur-

ing stor ms. Tr u mp’s beloved Nationa l Dora l Miami golf cou rse is in l a nd, but it ’s st i l l at r isk. A s seas r ise a nd F lor id a’s water table r ises, state geolog ists pred ict t hat F lor id a’s porous l imestone geolog y w i l l a l low water to ea si ly perco l ate upwa rd, f lood ing in l a nd a nd coast a l a reas a l i ke. If t he cou rse isn’t severely d a maged by f looding, there w il l be more

d ays when it ’s too swa mped for gol fers.

The commander in chief ’s sealevel headache doesn’t end in Florida. The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, is vulnerable too, as is his golf course in Ireland. The president also has business interests in properties near the ocean in Vancouver, Canada; Panama City, Panama; Uruguay and Mumbai,

India, according to the Trump Organization web site.

But the problem is especially fraught in Florida. Using the worst-case prediction of a 6-foot sea rise, real-estate data provider Zillow estimates that 934,000 of the state’s homes, or nearly 12.6 percent, will be underwater by 2100. In Palm Beach, which includes Mar-a-Lago, about 51 percent of homes worth a total of

$10.9 billion would be underwater, according to the data.

“We’re already in for a sea-level rise that will put all low-lying coastal areas out of business, and that’s using US government projections,” said Harold Wanless, chairman of the University of Miami’s Department of Geological Science, who has been studying sea-level rise for decades. “At some point in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be leaving Miami... we’re all moving somewhere.”

So far, the threat of rising seas has not affected property values on Florida’s coast. Flood-insurance rates are already high because of hurricane risks, but that hasn’t stopped the wealthy from investing in beachfront property.

Big changes will begin when the first bank denies a 30-year mortgage for a coastal property due to surging seas, leading to a “cascade” of other denials, Cason said.

Despite the scientific consensus that the climate is warming and sea levels rising, Trump has publicly called global warming a “ hoa x” per petrated by the Chinese to gain an economic edge on the US. Still, Trump has used the threat of climate change when it suited his business interests. He cited sea-level rise in a permit application to build a nearly 2-mile stone wall between the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Ireland and the Atlantic Ocean.

Local officials say they don’t h ave t he lu x u r y of ig nor ing t he problem.

“Inaction is not an option for us in South Florida,” said Susanne Torriente, chief resilience officer for the City of Miami Beach. “The streets are f looding and days are getting warmer. It’s not a partisan issue for us. At a local level, we’re being much more practical.” AP

Science

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

BusinessMirror

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5 workers exposed to radiation at nuclear laboratory in Japan

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Paris climate deal needs new rules and clarity, scientists say

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he Paris climate accord needs to be strengthened through new negotiations and national commitments to transparency, a study showed.

Uncertainty about the pledges made by almost 200 countries in the landmark climate deal means the world could fail to mitigate runaway global warming, according to a report by six scientists published on Tuesday in the journal Nature Communication.

“In many cases the actions described in these pledges are ambiguous or imprecise,” wrote Joeri Rojelj, the lead author of the paper titled “Understanding the Origin of Paris Agreement Emission Uncertainties”. The scientists urged countries to implement a “robust process that keeps track of where emissions are heading”.

While US President Donald J. Trump expressed willingness to negotiate a new version of the Paris Agreement, the steps urged in the study are unlikely to gain traction in Washington.

Tr u mp der ided t he ag ree ment’s framework of voluntary emission cuts as being unfair to American workers. The scientific study wants the accord strengthened by imposing even more accountability.

To keep temperature rises well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6˚Fahrenheit), the scientists argue that countries need to streamline and remove uncertainties from pledges called “nationally determined contributions”.

“Some pledges focus on improving ‘emissions intensity’, meaning reducing the emissions per dollar of economic output, but assumptions about socioeconomic growth are often implicit or unknown,” said Rojelj, who advises the United Nations and researches at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis outside of Vienna.

“Other countries focus on absolute emissions reductions, which are simpler to understand, or propose renewable-energy targets, which can be expressed in different ways,” he said. “Questions also

86%

The percentage of reduction of funding for EPA’s greenhouse-gas reporting program under White House budget request, which would be $14 million in 2018, from $95 million this year

remain about how much land-userelated climate mitigation will contribute, such as reducing deforestation or preserving forests.”

Countries will need to improve their reporting by 2030 or risk having to increase emission-reduction targets by factors of four to 25 thereafter, according to the report.

If Trump gets his way, world may not know if US emissions rise

Trump’s critics argue that pulling the US out of the Paris climate accord will lead to an increase in greenhouse-gas emissions.

If Trump has his way, the world may never know.

The president’s budget request to Congress would eliminate or gut core programs across the federal government that track the heat-trapping gases. If those cuts go ahead, the government may not be able to tell if emissions are rising or falling.

“The first step in any decent regulatory program is a requirement for monitoring,” David Doniger, director of the climate and clean air program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in an interview. “If you don’t know what’s there, it’s harder for the public or the regulators to do anything about it.”

Stephen Cole, a spokesman for National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), which is slated under the president’s proposed budget to lose money for a satellite-based carbon-measuring system, said the cut reflects budget constraints.

“Nasa remains committed to studying our home planet and the universe, but we are reshaping our focus within the resources available to us,” he said in an e-mail.

Whether the cuts happen will depend on Congress, and the degree to which Republicans share Trump’s priorities.

Critics of government climate efforts, meanwhile, support the administration’s cuts, calling emissions-monitoring programs a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“This doesn’t necessarily need to be housed within the federal government,” said Nick Loris, a research fellow for the Heritage Foundation. “If the private sector wants to continue to pursue greenhouse-gas monitoring, that’s fine.”

The government has two basic tools for tracking emissions.

The Trump administration is proposing to cut or wind down both of them.

The first approach is to measure gases at their source. Every factory or other installation that emits the equivalent of 25,000 tons or more of carbon dioxide, the primary contributor to global warming, must track and report those emissions to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The agency makes those emissions public through its annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory.

That inventor y makes it possible for the federal government to measure total emissions, and also to see changes in emissions by industr y and by region. It also fulfills the US commitment under a 1992 UN climate treaty, signed by President George H. W. Bush and ratified by the Senate, to publ ish “nat iona l inventor ies of anthropogenic emissions by sources”.

Trump’s budget request would reduce funding for the EPA’s greenhouse-gas reporting program by 86 percent to $14 million in 2018, from $95 million this year. It’s not clear how the EPA would be able to continue the inventory with that cut, according to Janet McCabe,

who was responsible for it as head of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation under former President Barack Obama.

“Sometimes we find out that certain activities emit LESS than we thought, sometimes more,” McCabe said in an e-mail. “As they say, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

And rolling back the program would give tacit permission to other countries to make similar changes, according to Bob Perciasepe, deputy EPA administrator from 2009 to 2014.

“Weakening US capacity to report accurately will undermine our ability to push the rest of the world to be transparent,” Perciasepe said in an e-mail. “One of the core strengths of the Paris agreement is extending similar requirements to China and other developing countries so they’re more accountable to the international community.”

The EPA said it can do more with less. “While many in Washington insist on greater spending, EPA is focused on greater value and results,” the agency said in an e-mailed statement.

The second way to measure greenhouse-gas emissions is in the atmosphere.

In 2010 Nasa created the Global Carbon Monitoring program, which uses satellites to detect the concentration of those gases.

Trump’s budget request would eliminate that program entirely.

The Nasa program provides “ long-term, reliable, continuous data series” that can’t be matched by other countries, said Gretchen Goldman, research director for the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “Without such vital monitoring efforts, we can’t understand and prepare for climate change, as well.”

Democrats say they will tr y to ma intain f und ing for the programs.

“We know that the Earth is warming, sea ice is disappearing, the glaciers are receding, the oceans are acidifying and sea levels are rising,” Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, the top Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, said in an e-mail. “We know all of this from climate research and monitoring.” Bloomberg News

OKYO—Five workers at a Japanese nuclear facility that handles plutonium have been exposed to high levels of radiation, after a bag containing highly radioactive material apparently broke during an equipment inspection, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at its Oarai Research and Development Center, a facility for nuclear fuel study that uses highly toxic plutonium. The cause of the accident is under investigation, the state-run agency said. It raised nuclear security concerns, as well as questions about whether the workers were adequately protected.

The agency said its initial survey found contamination inside the nostrils of three of the five men, a sign they had inhaled radioactive dust. All five were also found to be contaminated on their limbs after removing protective gear and taking a shower, which would have washed off most contamination.

Agency Spokesman Masataka Tanimoto said one of the men had high levels of plutonium exposure in his lungs. The worker, in his 50s, had opened the lid of the container when some of the 300 grams of plutonium and uranium in the broken bag flew out.

Internal exposure poses a bigger concern because of potential cancer-causing risks. The man’s ex posure, 22,000 Becquerels,

could mean the effect on his lungs may not be immediately life-threatening but would add up over time, and he will need to be regularly monitored, said Makoto Akashi, a doctor at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences, where the workers are being treated. Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Shunichi Tanaka blamed work routine complacency as a possible cause.

Regulators have started investigating possible violations of safety standards at the facility.

JAEA has a poor safety record at Monju, a plutonium-burning fast breeder reactor that it oversees.

The government recently decided to scrap Monju, which suffered a major accident in 1995 and has since hardly operated.

Japan’s possession of large plutonium stockpiles, from the country’s struggling nuclear spentfuel recycling program, has faced international criticism. Critics say Japan should stop extracting plutonium, which could be used to develop nuclear weapons.

To reduce the stockpile, Japan plans to burn plutonium in the form of mixed oxide fuel, fuel—a mixture of plutonium and uranium—in conventional reactors. But the restarting of halted nuclear plants has proceeded slowly amid persistent anti-nuclear sentiment since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear-reactor meltdown caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami. AP

High-quality bamboo charcoal now possible with new tech

The improved bamboo charcoaling kiln can produce more bamboo charcoal and pyroligneous liquor than the old model.

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harcoal producers can now produce high-quality bamboo charcoal at a higher yield. This was made possible through the redesigning of bamboo charcoaling kiln by the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).

According to Engr. Belen B. Bisana, chief of the institute’s BioEnergy and Equipment Development Section, the improved kiln is intended to produce high-quality charcoal for industrial uses, such as removing odor, purifying water and maintaining soil alkalinity.

As it can be loaded with the maximum of 500 kilograms of bamboo slats, the machine yields 35 percent to 40 percent of charcoal compared to the conventional drum kiln that only makes 25 percent to 31 percent.

“Bamboo is a good raw material for charcoal since it is a fast-growing plant and can be reharvested without any harmful impact on the environment,” Bisana explained.

“The part of the bamboo used for charcoal is the stem base, which is typically discarded or left behind after harvesting,” she added.

B esides ba mboo c h a rcoa l , the new kiln also yields more pyroligneous liquor or industrial vinegar from collected and condensed smoke.

“The industrial vinegar is a high-end product that can be used as a good disinfectant, bathroom deodorizer and organic pesticide, among other uses. It is in demand in foreign countries, especially in Japan,” Bisana said.

Funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, the technology was developed under the project “High Quality Charcoal from Bamboo for Industrial Uses” that began in 2014. It is now on its last phase with pilot testing being done at the CS First Green Agri-Industrial Development Inc. in Pangasinan.

DOST-FPRDI offers other technologies for charcoal production, such as the charcoal briquettors (manual and mechanized) and carbonizer that turn agro-forest wastes, such as coconut shells, coffee bean hull and sawdust into densified charcoal.

Briquettes are easier to ignite, burn slower and emit more intense heat per unit volume than ordinary charcoal.

“Through these technologies, the institute hopes to provide livelihood options particularly in r ura l communities, where charcoaling is a common practice,” said DOST-FPRDI Director Romulo T. Aggangan.

Apple Martin-de Leon/S&T Media Service

Faith

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3 bishops seek SC action on martial law A

t least three Catholic bishops have joined a petition asking the Supreme Court (SC) to compel Congress to hold a joint session and review President Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao.

T he pet it ion was f i led on Wednesday by Manila Au xiliar y Bishop Broderick Pabillo and Mother Adelaida Ygrubay, OSB, along with several student council leaders.

“All we are asking is for the SC to order Congress to hold a joint session as provided for in the Constitution,” Pabillo said.

He added the joint session is necessary to find out, once and for all, if a martial law is necessary in the entire Mindanao.

“The purpose of the joint session is for the facts to come out behind the declaration of martial law,” he said.

Catholic bishops in Mindanao have earlier acknowledged the need for martial law in the strifetorn region, but stressed that it must only be “temporary”.

Pabil lo clar if ied that they are not entirely against martial law, but said legislators have the constitutional duty to check and balance Duterte.

“We are not discussing martial law per se. All we want is for a joint session to be called as required by the Constitution,” he said.

Other petitioners include Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias and Caloocan Bishop Emeritus

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo and Mother Adelaida Ygrubay, OSB, lead in filing a petition before the Supreme Court, asking it to require both houses of Congress to follow the Constitution and convene in a joint session and review the martial law declaration in Mindanao. Roy Lagarde

Deogracias Iñiguez and former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.

Opposition lawmakers on Monday filed a petition before the SC to question the legality of Duterte’s martial-law declaration.

Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, former Sen. Rene Saguisag, former Commission on Human Rights Chairman Loretta Ann Rosales, along with more

than 300 lawyers, also filed a separate petition before the High Tribunal to compel Congress to convene a joint session.

The petitioners asserted that the framers of the Constitution intended that a joint session of Congress be convened immediately after the declaration of martial law.

CBCPNews with reports from Max Rumple

Video: Islamic militants smashing statues, torching Marawi church

Amaq, the Islamic State news agency, released the video on the burning of Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Marawi by the so-called Maute Islamic militants.

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C atholic bishop condemned the destruction of a c at he d r a l i n s id e the Islamic Cit y of Maraw i in souther n Philippines.

Marawi Bishop Edwin de la Peña said the destruction of religious symbols revealed the true intent of such attacks. “We are angered by what happened. Our faith has

really been trampled on,” he said.

The prelate added he had seen the video of Islamic militants who have gone on a sacrilegious rampage and destroyed the Saint Mary’s Cathedral. Islamic State news agency Amaq released the video last Sunday, as the crisis in Marawi enters its second week.

The video also showed some members of the Maute terror group, which claims affiliation with ISIS (Islamic State in Syria and Iraq), yelling “Allahu Akbar” while smashing religious icons, tearing up images of Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and burning the church.

“That is blasphemy! That’s unacceptable. It’s obvious that their actions are really out of this world.

It’s demonic,” de la Peña said.

Prior to the attack, the prelate

revealed they’ve received an information that the bandit group had been planning to “destroy and burn the church”.

“That’s really their plan even before, according to the raw intelligence report that we’ve been receiving,” he said.

“But we didn’t take it seriously because, for us, it was unthinkable that it’s going to happen in Marawi,” the prelate added.

The militants also abducted Fr. Chito Suganob, the v icar general of the Marawi prelature, and some staff of the cathedral and churchgoers at the start of the crisis last month.

Last week a video circulated online showing Suganob appealing to the President to halt military offensives in Marawi City.

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

Divine unity in Triune T

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

hink, envision, reflect—Three Persons with one nature. Incomprehensible, impossible, improbable. So great a fact for the human mind to understand. It defies all logic. But it is. There are Three Persons in One God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit—“distinct from one another”, and do not share the one divinity among themselves, but each a Supreme Reality, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).

One God in Three Persons

The dogma of the Holy Trinity is the most important teaching of the Catholic Church, the most essential too in the hierarchy of Christian faith, the “source of other mysteries of truth and faith” (CCC 234).

The inseparable unity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is called in theological terms— circumincession.

What one does all do, for the Holy Trinity is a doctrine of love and unity. However, in theology, the portrait of God the Father as the Creator, God the Son as the Redeemer and God the Holy Spirit as the Sanctifier make clear “the functions” of the Holy Trinity in the world.

The Council of Constantinople in 382 declared that Godhead should be understood and accepted by all Christians as Mia Ousia, Tres Hypostaseis (One Substance, Three Persons), Unity in Trinity.

Faith: A must to believe

Christians make the sign of the cross to begin and end prayers, a declaration of faith to the Triune God. The Father God of creation is acknowledged for His everlasting love as we point to the forehead. As we touch the tip of our heart, we assert that God the Son is our Redeemer. Then, as we rest our fingertips on our left and on the right shoulders, we affirm that God the Holy Spirit sanctifies us.

The homage to the God of life and love when traced in straight lines is a cross. We clasp our hands in unity and supplication for God’s blessings. As we say“amen”, we subscribe to God’s will, who knows what is best for us.

In the sign of the cross, the Most Blessed Trinity is acknowledged, relative to one another in divine unity. That “the Father is wholly in the Son and in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son” (CCC 255).

This doctrine, which can never be expressed fully in words, is truly beyond human understanding. So, even the disciples of Jesus entertained doubts. To Philip’s request, “Lord show us the Father,

that is all we need,” Jesus answered: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.

How can you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:8-10).

It is difficult to convince an intellectual who demands proof to believe the doctrine. He insists “to see is to believe” to prove God’s ineffable nature and attributes. But, the grace to believe is a gift from God. Faith is a must to open the doors of the mind so our spirit can see. Saint Thomas Aquinas in Dei Filius asser ts: “Believing is an ac t of the intellect, assenting to the divine truth by command of the will, moved by God through grace.”

On Pentecost, the coming of the advocate

God, the Holy Spirit or Advocate, is the last of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity to be revealed to man. How sad the apostles were when Jesus told them He has to return to His Father. In His pledge of love for them, He assured them of His presence and will not leave them orphaned.

He said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled...I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. He will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you” (John 14:1, 16, 25).

The full descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and about 3,000 new Christians was on Pentecost. The noise of a strong wind came from the sky, and tongues of fire rested on each person. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in different languages. Devout Jews Parthians, Medes, Elamites, inhabitants from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, as well as travellers from Rome, Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs were astounded and bewildered to hear the Galileans speak in their native language (Acts 2:2-12).

With the Holy Spirit in us, we can experience its fruits— charit y, joy, peace, patience, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, selfcontrol and chastity (CCC 1832).

The gifts of the Holy Spirit complete and per fec t the vir tues in us. They are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord (CCC 1831).

n Santiago is a former regional director of the Department of Education National Capital Region. She is currently a faculty member of Mater Redemptoris Collegium in Calauan, Laguna, and Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Roy Lagarde/CBCPNews

Saint’s relics are a miraculous must-see in secular Russia

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OSCOW—In the three weeks since Saint Nicholas came to Moscow, more than 300,000 people have stood in huge lines for up to 10 hours to visit a gilded ark thought to carry his bone fragments. Yet, the queues stretching down the Moscow River embankment from Christ the Savior Cathedral are something of their own marvel.

The massive turnout to see the saint‘s relics, which are on loan from their home in Bari, Italy, for the first time, underline how strongly the Orthodox Church has become a part of Russians’ sense of themselves, a quarter-century after the collapse of the officially atheist Soviet Union.

“It was tough, but you got a chance to think about your life, all the problems and the sins you have committed,” economist Svetlana Dzhuma, 24, said after exiting the cathedral in a state of elation.

President Vladimir V. Putin, who says he was secretly baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church as an infant, paid his respects to the relics on the day they arrived in Moscow, where photos of him kissing the ark were widely featured in Russian media.

Although Russians remain predominantly secular and have opposed church-backed initiatives,

such as a ban on abortions or public-school classes on Orthodox Church teachings, the overwhelming majority of them strongly identify as Russian Orthodox.

Nicholas, who died in 343, never set foot in the territory that became Russia. But he has become the Russian Orthodox Church ’s most popular saint, credited with miracles and with preventing catastrophes in Russia. His prominence in the church has made the relics something of a must-see, even for people who are not regular churchgoers.

Russia has witnessed a Christian revival since the crumbling Soviet state began to loosen its grip on religious life in the late1980s. The percentage of Russians calling themselves Christian Orthodox shot up from 17 percent to around 77 percent, Lev Gudkov, director of the independent Levada Center polling and research organization, said.

However, roughly 40 percent of those who identify as Orthodox Christians say they do not believe in God or eternal life, and the number of churchgoers who take communion is stable at around 7 percent.

Gudkov described the thinking as “a very superficial change in identity: I‘m a Russian, therefore Orthodox. It’s a change from the

Soviet identity to an ethnic Russian and religious one.”

Putin, in his third term as president, has evoked Russia’s Christian roots, and relied on the church to provide the ideological backing for his policies at home and abroad. Among his justifications for Russia annexing Crimea from the Ukraine was the ancient settlement of Chersonesus there is as important to Russians as Jerusalem’s Temple Mount is to Jews, Muslims and Christians.

The Orthodox Church got permission to host the Saint Nicholas relics after Patriarch Kirill met with Pope Francis last year in the first such meeting between the leaders of the two religions since the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches split about a millennium ago. The ark will be on display, first in Moscow and later in Saint Petersburg, until the end of July.

Speaking after a prayer celebrating the relics’ arrival, Kirill referred to the crowds of believers waiting to see the relics as a sign of the resurgence of faith.

“If someone has the energy to stand seven, eight hours or longer on the street, in the heat, in the cold, under the rain, it speaks of a very strong faith,” he said.

Yulia Kamolova, a 34-year-old accountant, got up at 5 a.m. and

stood in line for nine hours to see the relics “to cleanse myself ” and to show them to her 12-year-old son. Retired pharmacist Svetlana Timonina said Nicholas, known in Russia as “the Wonderworker”, was her favorite saint and that he had answered her prayers in the past.

Many in the line spoke of the miracles for which they prayed.

Andrei Olenko, 52, said he traveled from Crimea hoping for a turnaround for the former farming collective where he works. “Our farm is falling apart, and we would like [Saint Nicholas] to help the farm,” Olenko said.

The Levada Center’s Gudkov said “this craving for a miracle, craving for a cure”, is becoming noticeable as the country’s disillusioned people have started pinning their hopes for a better future to a blind faith in the supernatural instead of on the ideal of a democratic government.

“People were waiting for a miracle, that once they gave up the Soviet ideology and Soviet state they will get prosperous—and then it didn‘t happen,” he said.

Xenia Loutchenko, a Moscowbased commentator on church affairs, said it would be an oversimplification to dismiss those lined up to visit the relics as ignorant or superstitious, as many of Moscow’s atheists have. AP

Holy Trinity, depicted by Szymon Czechowicz (1756-1758). Wikimedia Commons

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Sunday, June 11, 2017

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SPORTS JIHABS ENCOURAGE GIRLS TO HIT FIELD OF PLAY Tabarek Kadhim, a sophomore at Deering High School in Portland, wears a sports hijab while playing a tennis match in Windham. AP

CRêPES? CROISSANTS? WINE? P

ARIS—As a professional athlete who is judicious about what she eats and drinks, Bethanie Mattek-Sands knows all too well how impossible it is to avoid the sweet aroma emanating from a stand selling waffles with a chocolate-hazelnut spread just outside the French Open’s main stadium.

“We would walk by that every day,” the 32-year-old American said last week at Roland Garros, recalling her run to the 2015 women’s doubles title.

“We could even smell it from one of the match courts.”

There is nearly constant gastronomic temptation for tennis players at the annual Grand Slam tournament held in one of the world’s capitals of cuisine.

Crêpes and croissants. Baguettes and pates. Steaks and french fries. The rich sauces. The chocolate. The macaroons. The wine. And on and on and on.

“The French cheese and foie gras and everything they have—it is extremely caloric,” said Sergiy Stakhovsky, a 31-year-old from Ukraine best known for his upset of Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon four years ago.

“But as you can see,” he joked, lifting his shirt to reveal a flat stomach, “it doesn’t stay. It just goes somewhere. I don’t know where.”

Some players say they resist the carbs, the desserts, the alcohol. Others simply give in. Others hold out until they’re done competing.

“I’ve gotten better at the ‘everything in moderation’ thing. But I’m in my 20s, I travel, I work out a lot. So I’m like, ‘You know what? I love food,’” said Madison Brengle, a 27-year-old American who reached the second round at the French Open. “I feel like I’d rather work out more and really enjoy the food. The places we get to go to around the world, there’s amazing food. Got to try it.”

Brengle’s top treat in Paris? Pistachio macaroons.

For two weeks two years ago, Mattek-Sands said, she thought about those waffles. Then, on the day that she and Czech partner Lucie Safarova won the championship, all bets were off.

“Right after the final, I was like, ‘We are going to the waffles!’ I didn’t want anything else,” Mattek-Sands recalled with a hearty laugh. “So I had the trophy in one arm and was just eating a Nutella waffle from the other. I was still in my match gear.”

And, according to her husband, Justin Sands, that long-awaited waffle was washed down with Champagne sipped from the doubles trophy.

As they spoke, Mattek-Sands—who was born in Minnesota and is now based in Arizona—was eating her postmatch meal: a bowl prepared by Justin in the players’ cafeteria with rice, cut-up chicken, carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper. Plus, a red apple.

“For me, when I’m in tournament mode, food is fuel, and I can really look at it that way. There’s a time and a place to really enjoy the food. And we go out of our way to try to find places that I can find something that I like and can eat,” she said. “I feel like I still eat well, within my parameters. But I definitely look forward to my cheat days. I mean, I plan them out. Because they are few and far between, I am not just going to waste them on just anything.”

Petra Martic, a Croatian ranked 290th, said she celebrated each victory with a glass of French wine as she made it all the way from qualifying to

A COOK prepares a waffle at the French Open at the Roland Garros stadium. There is nearly constant gastronomic temptation for players at the annual Grand Slam tournament held in one of the world’s capitals of cuisine. AP

the fourth round of the main draw.

So when she eventually lost, a reporter wondered whether the routine would change that night.

“Still a great tournament, you know,” Martic responded. “You can always find reason for red wine.”

Stakhovsky would tend to agree.

He said he never drank the stuff at all until he was 22, and even then it was only during tennis’s brief offseason. And now? Stakhovsky said he has a glass—or half-glass—every evening.

Stakhovsky’s fondness for wine is such that he plays club matches at a tennis club in Bordeaux sponsored by area winemakers, such as Chateau Pavie and Mouton Rothschild. He orders 40 to 60 bottles while there.

“It’s interesting now talking to some of today’s players: They drink more than I did when I was on tour,” said Chanda Rubin, a top 10 singles and doubles player in the 1990s. “I was kind of behind the times, I guess.

But I’m making up for it now.”

Another former player, Mats Wilander, thinks current players’ lives are a lot more

regimented—how and when they eat, the way they spend their time, etc.

“You have a physical therapist. You have a trainer. You have your coach.

You have an agent, of course. So that’s your team. You’re always doing stuff and it’s all scheduled. You plan your lunch. And then after lunch you’re going to go stretch. And so on,” said Wilander, a Swede who won seven Grand Slam titles in the 1980s.

“Professional tennis players don’t hang out as much together now. They don’t go out for dinner together. And what happens when 22-year-old guys went for dinner together in the 1980s, and you just won a five-setter? You might throw in a beer. Or two,” Wilander said. “And if you lost?... I’m going to call the other Swedes that lost in the first round and ask, ‘Hey, you want to go out?’”

John Isner, an American who was seeded 21st at the French Open, has his go-to restaurants in Paris, including L’Avenue, which is popular among tennis players.

But Isner, listed by the Association of Tennis Professionals at 6-foot-10 (2.08 meters) and 238 pounds (107 kilograms), does have a complaint: The steak portions are too small. He said he remedies that by ordering two servings. AP

Giving female rugby players a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

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HE Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 is set to inspire young female players from disadvantaged communities in Asia with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), World Rugby and ChildFund Pass It Back, giving them the opportunity to visit Ireland and take part in an international competition.

Pass It Back is an innovative Sport for Development program, led by ChildFund, in partnership with World Rugby, Asia Rugby and Women Win, which delivers an integrated life skills and rugby curriculum for children and young people in disadvantaged communities across Asia.

To date, more than 3,000 children and youth from Lao PDR, the Philippines and Vietnam have benefited from participation in the program, with girls

making up more than 50 percent of the players and coaches.

“Working in partnership with the IRFU and World Rugby, we decided to hold this event in the lead-up to the Women’s Rugby Cup Final to show that women and girls’ rugby is developing across the world—from international players at the event, to grassroots players from countries like Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines,” said Chris Mastaglio, director of ChildFund Pass It Back.

“In addition, ChildFund’s Pass It Back program prioritizes gender equity and the inclusion of girls, so we will have lots of female players from Asia taking part who can be inspired by their peers in Belfast,” Mastaglio added.

Youths from Asia will play under the banner of the Southeast Asian Dragons and will compete with girls teams from across Belfast in a

participation tag rugby event, the ChildFund Pass It Back Cup 2017 Belfast at Belfast Harlequins RFC on August 21, the day before the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final.

“We are delighted to include ChildFund Pass It Back in our Impact Beyond programs for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017, and we look forward to seeing girls from Belfast and surrounding areas welcoming girls from communities across Asia,” said Nora Stapleton, women’s and girls development manager of the IRFU. ChildFund Pass It Back was established for young people who face significant poverty, and have few, if any, opportunities to get involved in organized sport. For young girls, the obstacles are even greater.

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By David Sharp The Associated Press

ORTLAND, Maine—Muslim student athletes at one US high school no longer have to be slowed down by worries that their headscarves might fall off.

Deering High School in Portland, Maine, is providing sport hijabs with the goal of making Muslim girls comfortable—and boosting their participation in sports. The lightweight scarves stay put and are less bulky than other hijabs, garments that cover the hair and are worn by many Muslim women to express their faith.

“We’re more confident on the field,” junior lacrosse player Fadumo Adan said. “This one doesn’t fall off. No matter what I do, it won’t fall off.”

Tennis cocaptains Liva Pierce and Anaise Manikunda raised more than $800 online to buy the sporty hijabs for their Muslim teammates after the school’s athletic director learned of the product. They solicited private donations to avoid criticism for using taxpayer funds on religious apparel, and ended up with enough to outfit all teams, including lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, softball, field hockey and track.

The high school is believed to be the first in the US to provide hijabs for Muslim athletes, as opposed to students providing their own headscarves, said Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The move is part of a trend around the world of more Muslim women finding ways to play sports while wearing hijabs. Some Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia, impose severe limitations on women engaging in sports, while cultural sensitivities and family opposition can also pose hurdles.

The International Basketball Federation and the international soccer organization International Football Federation lifted bans on head coverings in recent years, and Ibtihaj Muhammad became the first American to compete at the Olympics while wearing a hijab when she won a bronze medal in fencing at the 2016 Rio Games.

Muslim students at Deering said they were grateful for the support at a time when Republican President Donald J. Trump has pushed to ban travel from several Muslim countries.

Israa Enan, a senior who was born in Iraq, said she stayed off the school’s tennis team because her parents had concerns about the uniform and lack of hijab.

“I wished I was one of these girls who wear the hijabs and play with it, but it’s OK,” Enan said. “I’m too late now.” She said she’s “happy for the other girls who have the opportunity now to wear the hijab and be more comfortable doing the things they like to do.”

Maine—the nation’s whitest state—is becoming more culturally and racially diverse with immigration. There are about 10,000 African newcomers, mostly from Somalia and Sudan, in Maine’s two largest cities, while others have come from the Middle East.

The tennis cocaptains are not Muslim, but Pierce said there was a “duh!” moment when she discussed the idea with Melanie Craig, the athletic director.

“This makes so much sense. If there’s something that we can do to make our teammates feel more comfortable, then why not just do it?” Pierce said.

Her Muslim teammates appreciated the effort.

“There are some people who actually care, respect and love others, and they are actually accepting of others, which makes me really happy,” said sophomore tennis team member Tabarek Kadhim, who moved to Maine four years ago from Jordan.

Nike announced last month that it’ll begin marketing a sport hijab next year, bringing the product into the mainstream. But Craig didn’t wait, finding a sport hijab manufactured by Asiya, a company that raised more than $39,000 in November to expand beyond selling locally in Minnesota.

Asiya is preparing to move manufacturing to New York to keep up with demand, said Fatimah Hussein, a Somalia native who coaches basketball and cofounded the business.

The apparel company is named for Asiya bint Muzahim, a key figure in Islamic history known for standing up to injustice.

The market has potential: There are more than 610,000 Muslim women under 20 across the US, according to the Pew Research Center.

“We’re hopeful that this does encourage more Muslim female athletes to participate,” Craig said. “I do believe it has held some of them back. It takes courage for them to stand out here and honor who they are and their diversity.”

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

A8 Sunday, June 11, 2017

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

A taste of the archipelago

I The nearest the ATV can reach Mount Mayon is within 6-kilometers permanent danger zone radius.

Basking at glorious sunset and kissing Daragang Magayon!

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By Leony R. Garcia

raveling for almost three decades as a journalist, Bicol has always been on my bucket list. I want to see the worldfamous perfect-coned Mayon Volcano for myself up-close. But the nearest I could get to Bicol was a travel in Daet, Camarines Norte, more than 10 years ago. Thus, when the chance to travel to Albay finally came last year—through the invitation of the office of then Gov. Joey S. Salceda, the Daragang Magayon Festival Committee, and the local Department of Tourism—I readily grabbed the opportunity. In fact, I willingly shouldered the rebook of my fare ticket at P3,200+ because I came quite late and the Cebu Pacific staff who assisted me wasn’t good enough.

Anyway, I made it to the 12:30 p.m. flight, and that was the first time that I flew on a plane alone. Despite some glitches— including a 30-minute plane standby at Ninoy Aquino International Airport runway due to air traffic—I made it safe and sound at Legazpi airport, which gave me a glimpse of the majestic Mayon. It was broad daylight and the volcano’s cone is shrouded by thick clouds.

The Manila media and tourism team were billeted at Ninong’s and we had a hectic schedule in our itineraries for the next two days. Mayon Volcano is a towering beauty even seeing it only from the fringes of Legaspi City and Tabaco City, and towns of Camalig, Daraga, Malilipot and Santo Domingo.

To cut the story short on my close encounter with Daragang Magayon (beautiful lady in English, to which Mount Mayon has always been alluded to), our group were treated to an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) ride called Bicol ATV, which is near the Cagsawa Ruins.

The ATV is like a bigger version of go-kart but with big and wide tires to traverse boulder-filled river and the uphill climbs of Mount Mayon. Virtually no prior experience on riding four-wheeled ATVs is required. Everything is on the right handle—press a ledge to accelerate and retract another to brake. The engine doesn’t turn off, even at full stop.

Bicol Adventure ATV Manager Efren Gerona and his assistant, John, were on hand to welcome our group. We were all given a short briefing on the safety rules and some of us did a five- to10-minute practice ride and initial lessons on a mock trail along a rocky river track. This was to prepare us for the trail just in case we want to exchange place with the expert ATV driver so we can experience driving it by ourselves on the way to the volcano.

I chose not to practice because I knew I wouldn’t be comfortable driving one. Based on my past experience at Paoay Sand Dunes, it would be more enjoyable riding the ATV than driving it.

The Green Lava Wall Trail

There are countless paths and trails that Mayon Volcano offers and the trail pathfinders of Bicol Adventure AT V are continuously looking for new sites to develop. One of the trails they developed is the challenging Green Lava Trail 3 that is approximately 11 kms from the base and 3,000 feet above sea level of the 8,000 foot high volcano!

So we braced ourselves for a long river, sand, dust and rocks and boulders adventure challenge. It would take us around 2.5 to three hours to and from the 1968 lava wall located 2,500 ft. to 3,000 ft. above sea level in Barangay Miisi, Daraga.

We were informed that Green Lava Trail 3 is the highest trail offered via ATV in Albay. Bicol Adventure’s two competitors only traverse the Black Lava Trail, which reaches only the lava wall at 900 feet above sea level.

Driving from the bleak gray of the dried-up river, the scenery turned green as we entered and drove through a forest.

The trees that surrounded us were a welcome relief from the heat and the breeze was cooler. The trail, however, produced more dust. The last part of the trail was the uphill climb to the Green Lava Wall along a much narrower and bumpier road with plenty of sharp curves before finally reaching the end of the trail, the now vegetated bed of lava that Mayon Volcano spewed during its 1968 eruption.

The stretch turned out to be 22-km long, round trip for the group. We started the trip almost at 5 p.m. so our adventure literally became a race against time as our seven or more ATVs ended going up at high speed even in uphill climbs. Apparently, our expert drivers who has been doing the lava trail for three years now, would like us to experience sunset up there at Green Lava Valley, the nearest we can get to Mount Mayon, which is included in the 6-km permanent danger zone radius. So we have the sunset on the left while seeing Mayon right in front of us.

What an exhilarating experience—the adrenaline rush of riding the ATV, a good view of the majestic sunset and close to kissing Daragang Magayon! What more can we ask for? My rebook fare was definitely worth it!

(Fortunately, the tourism agency reimbursed my fare.) The scenery at 3,000 ft. above sea level is awesome! We are at a vantage point seeing the view of Albay Gulf, Misibis Bay, Legazpi City, the Third District of Albay in the west and, in the distance, the peak of Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon. I felt humbled and privileged to see God’s glory in his creations at that moment.

The trip going back would take another hour or so and it was getting dark at past 6 p.m. I worried myself, and for sure most of us in the media group worried, too, because it was already dark and there were only the ATV’s headlights to provide light to see the trail going back. The whole trail going back is engulfed by darkness.

To our amazement, the experts drivers still went to driving at fast pace. My group of four (we rode a bigger ATV) just have to stop at the start of the river trail, simply because another ATV’s headlight went out.

We waited for a rescue ATV for the tandem rider, and the expert driver did the rest of the river trail, replacing our photographer as driver. Sooner than we think, we were back at the ATV terminal.

It was past 7 p.m. when we arrived at our starting point and, with great relief, we washed away the dust, mud and grime from our skin and hair—all proof of our great, tiring, yet challenging, adventure. We capped the day with a delicious dinner and a dessert of chili ice cream level 3!

Story & photos by Bernard L. Supetran

t is the time of the year when the Filipinos’ sense of patriotism is rekindled as we observe the declaration of Philippine Independence from the 333-year rule of Spain. From the prominent display of the flags of the 1896 Revolution, to the music in the airwaves, to the prominent use of the mother tongue, the Filipino spirit waft in the air.

And those looking for novel and stylish ways to celebrate the occasion can rediscover the countr y’s rich culinary heritage through “Philippine Archipelago”, the Filipino Food Festival organized by Diamond Hotel Philippines, which runs until Independence Day, June 12.

The annual fest is made more e x c it i n g b y ce lebr ate d C he f Myke “ Tatung” Sar thou, who is curating an ar ray of wel lloved dishes from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao at the Cor niche Restaurant for buffet lunch and dinner.

Chef Tatung is the resident chef and segment host of Kwentong Kawali ni Chef Tatung at ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda, and author of the best-selling Philippine Cookery From Heart to Platter, published by ABS-CBN Publishing in 2016, a winner in the World Gourmand Awards.

Guests can start the gustator y adventure w ith a ll-time appetizers, such as Embutido, K inilaw and Chicharon Bulaklak. Then head on to the soup section for a fill of warmth and comfort—from native Chicken Tinola na may Mais, and Iloilo’s famed Pansit Molo Soup and Nilagpang na Manok.

Satisfy your cravings for palatable must-try mains, such as the classic Kare-Kare, Adobong Pula and K alderetang K ambing, a sought-after delicacy in northern Luzon. At the car ving section, relish an assortment of juicy meats, such as Hamonado, the crispy Bagnet from the Ilocandia, Adobo Glazed Roast Beef and Lechon Belly Roll made famous in Cebu.

Wrap up the hearty buffet with a degustation of confectioner y delights, such as the Champorado Mousse, Buco Merigue Pie, Halo Halo Flan, and the Durian Triff le, which is inspired by the “ king of tropical fruits” that grow in abundance in southern Mindanao.

To provide a variation customers can always return to,

Curacha from Zamboanga

Junay, Taosug rice cooked in burnt coconut

Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou diamond Hotel

Chef Tatung has prepared three cycles that will virtually take them to the archipelago’s 81 provinces and 7,641 islands, and everything in between. Some of the Spanish-inf luenced dishes have been jazzed up for a fresh twist to the what our taste buds have been accustomed to over the centuries.

For appet i zers, t here is Shr imp a nd Vegetable Okoy, the fun mixture of Pakwan at Tuna Kilawin, Lumpiang Ubod, Penuneng w ith Puto, Banana Meat Lumpia, Pomelo and Inasal Salad Poki Poki with Vigan Longganisa, Sinuglaw (sinugba and kinilaw) from the Visayas, and Quezong Puti on Pan de sal of southern Tagalog.

Of specia l note is a sexed-up edition of Sisig in Fried Wanton Cups, Pampanga’s iconic pork d e l ic a c y, which global foodie Anthony Bourdain bets as the gateway of Filipino food to be the next big thing in the American food scene.

Suam na Mais from Batangas and the exotic Lansiao of Cebu will provide a departure from the usual in the soup section.

For entrees, sink your teeth in Chicken Pastel, the Taosug Piyanggang Chicken, Bringhe, Mind a naoa n Rend a ng , Binagoongang Mixed Seafood, Beef Morcon, Estopato, Praw ns in

Pakwan at Tuna Kilawin

Glazed Roast Beef at the Carving Section

Aligue Sauce, Steamed Fish in Banana Leaves, the signature Ilocano Dinakdakan and Bicol ’s coconut mil k-based Tinoktok and Sinaglay. “ T h is food fest iva l repre sents my understanding of Philippine regional cuisines. As a chef and author, I have already

exhausted stories from my own childhood and have journeyed far beyond my comfort zones to uncover recipes and ingredients from other families around the archipelago,” enthuses the noted Cebuano chef who has immersed himself in the local culinar y tradition.

I n 2016 a nd 2017 Sa r t hou re presented t he cou nt r y a nd s poke i n t he M ad r id Fu sión Cong ress in Spa in, t he world ’s most prestigious culinar y event where he made a “st rong c a se for a r ic h vei n of Fi l ipi no cu isine, whic h is on ly just now be i ng red i scovered ”, accordi ng to for mer Saveur Maga zine ed itor Col m a n A nd re w s.

Along with the delectable local fare, Corniche restaurant is also offering international flavors such as Japanese, Oriental and Mediterranean favorites. Complementing the feast is a lobby display of the exquisite Abel Iloco fabrics of Y locos Heritage Arts and Crafts brought in by La Bon Vie Enter prises of actress Dina Bonnevie and Ilocos Sur congressman DV Savellano.

Discovery Shores Boracay Sustains ‘Together for Water’

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iscovery Shores Boracay, the awardwinning resort of The Discovery Leisure Co., forged its partnership with non-governmental organization Waves for Water by providing sustainable, clean, drinking water for its surrounding communities. The company’s corporate social responsibility program, “Together for Water”, was launched on March 22 during World Water Day. Hotel Manager Erwin Lopez and his team, raised funds to donate 60 water filters to the Ati Chieftain Vicente Elorde and 120 households of Sitio Carla, Barangay Cubay Sur in Malay, Aklan.

Jenica Dizon, director of Operations of Waves for Water, delivered a comprehensive talk about the importance of clean water, as well as on its overall positive effects to the body to the community. This was followed by an interactive demonstration of the Sawyer water filters—from installation, usage to cleaning—while being assisted by more than forty volunteers from the resort. “This is the first time that this

activity has been conducted by the staff of a hospitality company in the Philippines toward it neighboring community. The fact that Discovery Shores Boracay is a local company adds a more meaningful touch of reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need,” Dizon said. “ We a r e c e l e b r a t i n g o u r 1 0 t h anniversary, and more than ever, it is our responsibility to give back to our community,” Lopez said. “It is vital that the Ati community and the families of Sitio Carla have access to sustainable, clean water, and it is our dream that more communities enjoy the same benefit.”

The company’s fund-raising program, “Change for Water” is currently open to guests and employees to donate their loose change and bills. Each water filter costs P2,500 each and can positively impac t up to 100 people. It is the company’s vision that all of its hotels and resorts give back to its respective communities by 2017.

Sunday, June 11, 2017 A9

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Two Poems by Ralph Semino Galán To Baby Boy Blue

(after Ulysses Duterte, Jr.’s “Will You Live To See It?”) In these end times I will sing the rhythm and blues, this lament my testament, an apologia from me to you.

I cannot prevent the apocalypse from happening: the glaciers melting like ice cubes in a bucket of the drunken seas; the ozone riddled with bullet holes; the air bristling with grit and grief; the bones of the earth cracked, like my voice hoarse with singing.

Like you, I am blue in the face!

The blue planet, I cannot undo.

I cannot rewrite the script, blue-pencil the manuscript.

Fairy Tale I encountered her in a pop-up book the first time, once upon a time as child.

I read how her widowed father married a vain woman with two daughters in vain.

I wept with her as she scrubbed dirty walls, swept dusty floors... disallowed to attend the ball, while I turned pages that crackled and bloomed into 3-D forms like magic.

Or transformed by pulling tabs: from evening gown to tatters. Shattered, I still read on... fairy godmother, pumpkin to stagecoach, the clock striking midnight. Bereft of tears, I read on and on, as the glass slipper traveled from one house to the next. No fit!

About to give up, I kept on reading: And she lived happily ever after.