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Guns to play second fiddle in fight versus Mindanao terror groups

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The soft-hand approach

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By Rene Acosta

For one, there are about 400 terrorists reportedly operating in Sulu and the adjoining provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. But for Lorenzana, directly engaging the people of Sulu and the residents of the other provinces, who have been bearing the brunt of the conflict, could be the better part of a holistic approach in ending Mindanao’s security problem.

In holding the dialogue, Lorenzana was laying down what could be the template—and the “missing link”—in the military’s overall strategy in carrying out its antiterrorism war under the bigger internal-security operations (ISO) campaign. He knows this, being a retired dyed-in-the-wool commander of the Army’s Special Operations Command, and having

host of government and security officials, led by Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, met and huddled with provincial officials of Sulu in the middle of this week, in an effort to gain the support of local executives in the military’s ongoing campaign to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

There is a lingering doubt, however, as to whether the dialogue with the representatives of impoverished residents of Sulu directly affected by the conflict—and

even with the other upcoming dialogues with other peace stakeholders—will serve as the long-sought antidote to resolve Mindanao’s terrorism problem.

Lorenzana:“The government needs the help of all [in ending terrorism in Mindanao].” Wong Maye-E/AP

been born and raised in the wartorn province of North Cotabato.

Missing strategy

For decades, the military has dealt squarely and heavily with national security threat groups, opting to use the strong-hand approach in dealing with them by utilizing and employing the combination of its air, land and sea power—its full might.

Yet, the Moro rebellion, the communist-inspired insurgency and the terrorism in the South have survived this strategy of the Armed Forces that is focused on heavy and continued operations, or what they called “all-out war”, under changing and succeeding administrations.

Continued on A2

End of tax-free regime for churches draws varied reactions

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

lawmaker from the independent minority bloc has urged his colleagues to look carefully into the proposal of Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez revisiting a provision in the 1987 Constitution providing tax-free privileges for religious educational institutions.

PESO exchange rates n US 50.3770

Magdalo Rep. Gary C. Alejano said, “There is a constitutional provision regarding that matter, as long as it is intended for education and not for profit by religious institutions, it should be exempted from taxation. It’s also part of the separation of Church and State.”

“We should look into it, because we don’t want to violate the provision of the Constitution just to get back to the Church [for opposing death penalty],” he added.

Alejano said the Catholic Church is making noise not as part of politics, but on the issue of mo-

rality, especially on the reimposition of death penalty and extrajudicial killings in the country.

Alejano added that Alvarez was only using this as strategy to stop the Church from expressing its oppositions.

“These are moral issues…so are you going to raise this [tax-privilege] issue just to stop this Church, critics?” the lawmaker said.

“But I also agree that all commercial activities of the Church should be subjected to taxes, which Continued on A2

“S

ecurities investments by the religious sector are not patently missionary or apostolic in nature. It is time we ended their completely tax-free status by taxing operations or activities that are not core functions of religious institutions.”—Belaro

n japan 0.4384 n UK 61.3038 n HK 6.4883 n CHINA 7.2936 n singapore 35.4943 n australia 38.8180 n EU 53.3190 n SAUDI arabia 13.4368

Source: BSP (10 March 2017 )

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A2 Sunday, March 12, 2017

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The soft-hand approach Continued from A1

Even with the overwhelming might at its disposal, the military did not only struggle against these threats, but the players have even multiplied, where Mindanao now has its Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Maute Group, an aggrupation of ISIS-inspired group and, before that, Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda fanatics.

Still, the Armed Forces has failed to rethink or recast its strategy, as shown by its previous ISO plans—the Oplan Bantay Laya I and II and the IPSP Bayanihan, which are all unsuccessful—by failing to tap the power of the softhand approach, or its combination with heavy operations.

The soft-hand approach basically employs sociodevelopment projects or, in military practice, civil-military operations, where peace engagements are an integral part.

The Armed Forces has its Civil-Military Operations battalions that were formed a couple of years back, but their activities and engagements were not only limited, but were even considered as undercover military operations, rather than an honest-to-goodness development drive.

While the IPSP Bayanihan has made the first attempt toward the use of the soft-hand approach in the implementation of the ISO, as it was crafted as a “whole of nation approach”, it failed in the undertaking, as its implementation has solely rested on the Armed Forces.

The weakness of the IPSP Bayanihan is now what Lorenzana is

perfecting by pushing for and initializing the peace engagements of the military, directly with those affected by the conflict on the ground, courting them as partners, while the government aims for development projects.

There were peace negotiations by the government, but these were in the national level and only involved top leaders of threat groups.

During the dialogue with local officials in Sulu, Lorenzana was joined by health and transportation officials from the national government for the softer side of the Duterte administration’s sixyear internal security operations DSSP Kapayapaan.

During the same engagement, local chief executives accused of having been involved with the ASG have expressed their readiness to be investigated by the government for their supposed activities.

Help us

The dialogue in Sulu on Tuesday followed a summit held three days earlier with the descendants of sultanates and royal clans of Mindanao in Davao City, wherein influential Moro leaders came up with an agreement pledging their “unequivocal and categorical commitment” to the government’s peace initiatives.

The “Davao Declaration”, a product of the three-day “Mindanaw Sultanate Summit on Peace and Security”, was signed by the Moro leaders before Lorenzana in response to his impassionate plea for all Mindanaoans to help in the fight against violent extremism and terrorism in the region.

President Duterte, wearing a pilot’s jacket, gestures with Defense Chief Delfin N. Lorenzana (second from right) and Armed Forces Chief Ricardo R. Visaya (left) at the anniversary of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing on September 13, 2016, at the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Pasay City. AP/Bullit Marquez

“The government needs the help of all,” the defense secretary said, adding that the summit was just the start of the military’s engagement with all peace stakeholders.

The influential traditional Moro leaders all agreed that the “struggle against violent extrem-

ism and terrorism should not solely be borne by the government but should involve the whole of nation, including the sultanate and traditional institutions and leadership in Mindanao.”

The three-day engagement was attended by around 500 participants, including from the Sultanate of Maguindanao and Sultans, Datus and Bais from the Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao region, Southern Mindanao, Iranun, Biwang, Bagoinged, Lanao, Buayan and Kabuntalan.

Other government agencies, such as the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the National Security Administration, National Anti-Poverty Commission, the military and the Philippine National Police, also attended the summit.

They tackled the plans of the government in bringing its services to the people of Mindanao,

which, in turn, solicited inputs from the participants that could help the government in its campaign against terrorism.

Sociodevelopment projects

While the government knows that the impoverished and hungry people of Mindanao cannot be fed by mere words, or too much talk, it took years for the current administration to realize the urgency to address the factors that drive terrorism and violent extremism.

Prominent of these causes were the lack of basic social services, education and development projects.

While previous administrations knew these reasons, they did not move to plug the problem, or even if they did, the amount of projects that were carried out and implemented were wanting.

In the book The War on Terror,

Two American Victims and Letters from Terrorists authored by this writer that is about to be published, veterans of the Mindanao conflict from the military admitted that the security problem in the south can never be addressed by the strong-hand approach.

The book, which covered the more than 10 years that the military has dealt with terrorism and extremism, and partly traced the growth and activities of the ASG, said heavy operations or the strong-hand approach have been tried, tested and implemented since the security problem in Mindanao came into being, and yet, the military is still dealing with a conflict, fighting an even bigger war.

“Instead, the government should build more roads, bridges, hospitals and health centers and send children to school, this is the best way to deal with the Mindanao problem, the soft-hand approach, said a former military commander interviewed for the book.

“This does not fall within the expertise of the military,” he added.

A Moro commander, when asked by a military commander why he had joined his secessionist group, exclaimed: “You know colonel, I did not go to school and so what is my option? Join the rebel group.”

“Because they were not in school, Moro children began by cleaning the guns of their elders until they become fighters themselves and this legacy is passed on the succeeding generations. The tale is not different from the stories of other children,” the retired military commander said.

During the summit in Davao, Lorenzana stressed that violent extremism leads to underdevelopment and poverty.

“Nakikita namin na ang violence dito sa Mindanao ay hindi kaya lang ng sundalo. Kailangan makialam tayo,” he said in the vernacular.

The defense secretary said it is the children who suffered the most in conflict-stricken areas, admitting that their exposure to a cycle of violence makes it easier for extremist groups to recruit them.

“So, what we are going to do is bring in development,” Lorenzana said.

End of tax-free regime for churches draws varied reactions Continued from A1

is happening right now, nagbabayad naman sila,” he said.

Leveling the playing field

Under Section 28, Article VI of the Constitution, charitable institutions, churches and parsonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques, nonprofit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and improvements, actually, directly, and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes shall be exempt from taxation.

Meanwhile amid criticism, Alvarez maintained his decision to revisit tax perks enjoyed by religious institutions.

In a recent interview, Alvarez said reviewing tax privileges for churches will level the playing field among private schools.

“I think we need a resolution for us to understand it better in the House of Representatives,” he said.

According to Alvarez, many of these schools run by religious organizations are expanding.

The speaker also reiterated that he did not for push it to silence Catholic Church against his proposal reviving the death penalty.

The lower chamber has approved on final reading the Catholic Church-opposed death-penalty bill last Tuesday.

‘Irked’

For its part, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

(CBCP), in its web site, said Alvarez wants to tax the income of Catholic school because he “has been irked by the position of certain schools against death-penalty bill”.

It also reminded Alvarez that the income that these schools are generating come from tuition and other fees.

It also said “revenues of nonstock, nonprofit schools, as all 1,500 members schools of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines are, do not go to the pockets of individual investors, but plowed back to improve the educational operation of the school.”

Tax portfolio

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr. of 1-Ang Edukasyon urged the House leadership to tax not their schools, but rather the securities investment dealings of churches and religious congregations to make them compete on equal footing with other investors in the financial markets.

“Ownership and management of schools is a natural part of the missionary purpose of churches and religious congregations so taxing that would impinge on religious freedoms and adversely impact the education of the youth,” Belaro added.

He said the largest Catholic universities and colleges are but a small part of the education system because there are many other schools nationwide run by Catholic, Muslim and Christian groups

and by the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

“The vast majority of these schools are on far less stable financial footing that the well-known Catholic schools. Some are even in financial distress and survival mode,” he said.

Belaro, a former university professor, said the private-education sector nationwide is still coping with the enrolment drop resulting from the introduction of senior high school.

“This financial burden will persist for about four more years,” he added.

Not totally tax-free

He, however, agreed with Alvarez to end the completely tax-free status of churches and religious groups.

“Securities investments by the religious sector are not patently missionary or apostolic in nature.

It is time we end their completely tax-free status by taxing operations or activities that are not core functions of religious institutions,” Belaro said.

He said the taxation of securities investment dealings of churches and religious institutions “would be limited to the financial markets and would not include micro-lending and Islamic banking and lending by cooperatives linked to church groups.”

Belaro said he will be filing the bill as soon as the needed technical studies and analyses are done by his staff in consultation with concerned sectors.

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Oil drops below $50 for first time since Dec on supply glut

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il dropped below $50 for the first time since December after concerns that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’s (Opec) output cuts aren’t tempering a surplus in the US triggered the biggest slump in more than a year.

Futures dropped as much as 2.2 percent in New York to $49.20 after losing 5.7 percent the previous three sessions. Stockpiles rose 8.2 million to the highest level in weekly government data since 1982. Harold Hamm, the US shale oil billionaire, warned on Wednesday the industry could “kill” the crude market if it embarks on another spending binge.

Oil had fluctuated above $50 a barrel since the Opec and other nations started trimming supply for six months starting January 1 to reduce a global glut. While US shale production has rebounded, larger-than-expected cuts elsewhere and signs of growing demand suggest stockpiles will decline, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. “The bottom line here is you have w ide compliance within Opec with the production cuts and, on the other hand, you have increased production out of the

US,” Hans Goetti, chief strategist for the Middle East and Asia at Banque Internationale a Luxembourg, said in a Bloomberg television interview. “The shale oil industry in the US has made great strides to cut costs.”

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for April delivery dropped 74 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $49.54 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:17 a.m. in London.

Total volume traded was about 60 percent above the 100-day average. The contract lost $2.86, or 5.4 percent, to $50.28 on Wednesday, the biggest decline in percentage terms since February 2016.

US output

Brent for May settlement fell as much as $1.09 a barrel, or 2.1 percent, to $52.02 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices dropped $2.81, or 5 percent, to $53.11 on Wednesday. The global benchmark crude traded at a premium of $2.32 to May WTI. Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said this week global inventories are falling slower than expected, opening the door to extend the output-cut deal beyond its initial six months.

Bloomberg News

Sunday, March 12, 2017

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America may be world’s top lng supplier in two decades

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y 2035, the US may have surpassed Australia and Qatar to become the world’s biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to the CEOs of Canadian energy giant Enbridge Inc. and LNG exporter Tellurian Inc. The US already has about 70 million tons a year of LNG capacity coming online, Meg Gentle, Tellurian’s CEO, said in an interview at the CER AWeek by IHS Markit energy conference in Houston on Wednesday. That compares with Australia’s 87 million and Qatar’s 82 million tons, respectively, she said. The world will meanwhile need another 20 million tons of new LNG supply a year installed over five years. “ The US will be the cheapest source of new LNG, so we believe a lot of that 100 million tons will come from the US,” Gentle said. That could “easily” hand the US the biggest share of the LNG market.

This would be a monumental

shift for America, which just a decade ago was facing declining gas production and was building terminals in anticipation of importing more of the fuel. The shale boom instead propelled US supplies to record levels. Cheniere Energy Inc. became the first company to send a shale gas shipment overseas last year. US cargoes have since landed everywhere from Mexico to China to Turkey.

“North America’s energy advantage extends from a unique combination of resources, the most advanced technologies being applied to those resources and the availability of capital,” Enbridge CEO Albert Monaco said at CERAWeek. “By 2035, it’s quite likely we are going to see the US making

up the largest market share of the LNG market.”

In fact, America’s LNG production may be growing too fast. A worldwide glut of the fuel, brought on by weakening demand in Asia and increasing supplies from countries, including the US and Australia, sent investments in new export projects to a 17-year low in 2016. Tellurian is betting that the market will eventually rebalance, setting the stage for a rebound after 2020.

The Houston-based company, cofounded by ousted Cheniere

CEO Charif Souki, is developing an LNG export terminal in Louisiana known as Driftwood.

“Frankly, the fastest we can start construction is 2018, which means the fastest we can produce LNG is the second half of 2022,” Gentle said. “It is perfectly timed.”

Gentle said Driftwood has been in the design phase for most of the past year. Bechtel is almost finished with the engineering work, and Tellurian may submit an application for federal regulatory approval by the end of the month, she said. Bloomberg News

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Myanmar is next Vietnam with 10% growth–envoy

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yanmar could be the next Vietnam or Thailand, with the economy having the potential of growing as much as 10 percent, a senior British diplomat said.

T he Southeast A sian nation, wh ic h is opening its economy to investors a f ter decades of mi l ita r y r u le, has to overcome c ha l lenges, inc lud ing a shor tage of power supply, l ac k of pol ic y c l a r it y a nd h igh cost of doing business, A nd rew Patr i c k , t he Un it e d K i n gd o m’s A mbassador to Mya nma r, sa id on T hu rsd ay at a Bloomberg conference in Ya ngon.

“Growth takes time,” Patrick

said. “The main thing is you’ve got to go at the fastest pace you can.”

He added that, “6 percent to 8 percent, even 10-percent growth going forward, is perfectly realizable.”

Myanmar began democratic and economic reforms in 2011 in a country long controlled by state-owned firms. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates the economy was among the fastest growing in the world last year at 8.1 percent.

Growth takes time. The main thing is you’ve got to go at the fastest pace you can, [and] 6 percent to 8 percent, even 10-percent growth going forward, is perfectly realizable [for Yangon].”—Patrick

Blank sheet

“On the financial sector, this is a blank sheet,” Patrick said.

With few people owning bank accounts, the nation is “an untapped market. It’s like Vietnam 20 years ago,” he said.

8.1%

The percentage of Myanmar’s estimated growth rate in 2016, according to the IMF, after the country long controlled by state-owned firms began democratic and economic reforms in 2011 Telenor Myanmar formed a joint venture with Yoma Bank to star t Wave Money, which seeks to reach the countr y’s unbanked popu lation, CEO Lars Erik Tellmann said in a Bloomberg Television interview with Haslinda Amin in Yangon.

Wave Money will tap rural areas where there’s no access to physical banks, he said.

In this February 22 photo, Lee Jae-yong (center), vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Co., arrives at the office of the independent counsel in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung lawyers have denied all charges brought against Lee Jae-yong, the billionaire heir to Samsung, in a massive corruption scandal that has ensnared the country’s president. AP

Lawyers deny all raps against Samsung heir S EOUL, South Korea — Samsung lawyers denied on Thursday all charges brought against Lee Jae-yong, the billionaire heir to Samsung, and questioned the legitimacy of the indictment in a massive corruption scandal that has ensnared the country’s president.

Lee’s lawyers told a preliminary hearing that prosecutors are unfairly trying to create an impression Lee is guilty by mentioning a past conviction of his father and by depicting Lee as having absolute control over a strategy office that allegedly engaged in bribery. They asked prosecutors to rewrite their statement of allegations and to correct its depiction of the strategy office as a team working only for the benefit of the Samsung founding family.

The 48-year-old Samsung Electronics vice

chairman was arrested and indicted last month on bribery, embezzlement and three other charges that could entail at least five years in prison if he’s proven guilty. He is represented by an army of 13 attorneys at Bae, Kim & Lee Llc. that includes former senior judges.

Both prosecutors and Samsung have high stakes in the case. The court must issue a ruling by the end of May. Judge Lee Young-hun accepted the prosecutors’ objection that they had no prior notice when Lee’s lawyers tried to display a PowerPoint presentation laying out what they said was “the fundamental problem” in the prosecution’s case. Lee’s lawyers claimed state prosecutors from outside the special prosecution team that investigated the case are unqualified to join the prosecution team. Prosecutors immediately refuted that contention. The

www.businessmirror.com.ph judge said he will review the arguments.

Four other Samsung executives also were charged. Like Lee, they were not at Thursday’s hearing and, through their lawyers, denied all allegations brought against them.

Prosecutors believe Lee and his aides used Samsung corporate funds to bribe President Park Geun-hye and one of her close friends in exchange for supporting a smooth leadership transition at Samsung.

Samsung gave or promised to give 43.3 billion won ($38 million) to four entities controlled by Choi Soon-sil, Park’s friend, who has been charged with misuse of power and meddling in state affairs.

Prosecutors allege the money was given to obtain government backing for a contentious merger of two Samsung companies in 2015 that served as a key step in passing corporate control to Lee from his ailing father. Lee is the highest profile figure arrested during the probe into the influence-peddling scandal that has brought indictments of former presidential aides and dozens of others.

The Constitutional Court is due to announce a final ruling on Friday on whether to remove or reinstate Park after the parliament voted last December to impeach her.

The hearing on Thursday ended in one hour. It was interrupted twice by an elderly woman who yelled that she wanted to ask a question before she was escorted out by the court’s security. Prosecutors and Samsung lawyers agreed to review by the end of next week a body of evidence that run 20,000 pages. The three judges on the panel did not set the next trial date.

The ruling at the Seoul Central District Court, which can be appealed twice, will determine whether Lee can return to the helm of South Korea’s largest conglomerate, which was founded by his grandfather.

It may also affect public opinion on the legitimacy of his inheriting leadership of Samsung from his father. AP

Editor: Lyn B. Resurreccion

Science

BusinessMirror

Research to ensure sustainable plant-genetic resources in PHL

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research and development (R&D) on germplasm repository in the Philippines is being undertaken by a government agricultural research agency in order to address the challenges of climate change.

The R&D program of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) will enable the council to fulfill its task of ensuring the conservation and sustainable use of plant-genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The program, titled “Restoring Crop Diversity at the National Germplasm Repository,” will tackle concerns on climate change by increasing biodiversity and securing the supply of plant-derived products.

One of the major outputs of the program is the development of the National Plant Genetic Resources Laborator y (NPGRL) Database Management System, now k now n a s t he Nat ion a l Plant Genetic Resources Information and Data Management System. The NPGRL makes sure t h at pl a nt va r iet ies’ genet ic resources can be conser ved for breeding new improved varieties in the future.

A total of 3,988 new accessions of vegetables, food legumes, cereals, feeds and industrial crops and fruits were collected under the program.

Ninety-six vegetables and 833 legumes germplasm were repatriated from the United States Department of Agriculture and the World Vegetable Center.

Moreover, 5,160 accessions of vegetables (654), legumes (1,593), cereals (1,166), rootcrops (799), and herbal and medicinal plants (948) germplasm were regenerated and conserved in the cold storage and field genebank.

The new collections, which include 115 species, are being maintained as seedlings in the nursery,

for eventual establishment in the field genebank. The field genebank, which is in Pasong Kipot in Bay, Laguna, covers 16 hectares and currently stores 77 different fruit species.

To fully realize the importance of the germplasm, morphological characterization and evaluation were done on 3,843 and 3,670 accessions, respectively. Mor phological characterization is a means of studying plant materials with desired traits and is considered as an essential step for the effective use of crop germplasm.

The plant breeders of the Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-UPLB) were able to identify a total of 275 promising accessions, which comprise of 76 vegetable, 81 legumes, 78 cereals, 40 rootcrops and medicinal plants. These have been selected for special traits, pest and disease resistance, and high antioxidant properties.

The promising accessions are currently undergoing advance screening trials. They will be used as parental materials for breeding.

Selected and validated fruits and rootcrops can be clonally propagated and directed for production of the planting materials.

The program also developed in vitro minimal growth protocols for conservation of banana, sweetpotato, yam and taro.

Using in vitro culture, 23 accessions of cassava, 300 for yam, 56 for taro, 310 for sweetpotato, 164 for banana and 8 for abaca were introduced and reintroduced.

To ensure drought tolerance for sweetpotato, 107 accessions were evaluated using the optimized in vitro screening protocol. Of this number, 27 promising sweet potato accessions were f ur ther screened under greenhouse condition. Fifteen of these accessions showed better performance compared with the released varieties. S&T Media Service

DOST and LandBank seal oneSTore.ph partnership

Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña turns over sample products from the Cagayan region to LandBank President and CEO Alex Buenaventura during the memorandum of agreement signing for oneSTore.ph Project held at the LandBank Plaza in Manila.

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he country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) now have an e-commerce platform through the partnership of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank).

The DOST sealed its partnership with LandBank for the oneSTore.ph Project with the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) held at the LandBank Plaza in Manila recently. Science Secretary Fortunato de la Peña and LandBank President and CEO Alex Buenaventura signed the MOA for the e-commerce web application that provides a marketing platform for DOSTassisted MSMEs around the Philippines under its Small Enterprise Upgrading Program.

It offers customers an effortless shopping experience, and gives retailers simple and direct access to the largest customer base in the country.

Under the agreement, LandBank serves as the payment-solution system of the oneSTore.ph project through its ePayment Portal, which provides a secure

and convenient payment platform while facilitating operational and cost efficiencies for seller MSMEs. “Prior to the establishment of oneSTore. ph, the country did not have an e-commerce platform that caters exclusively to quality Filipino products. This is why the government and its agencies have made deliberate and concerted efforts to leverage our MSMEs to a vantage point, where they can be strategic in their chosen venture,” de la Peña said.

On his part, Buenaventura said, “We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of this breakthrough service, which provides an online platform for MSMEs to promote and sell their products to both local and international markets.”

Initiated by former Science Secretary Mario Montejo and developed by DOST Cagayan region, oneSTore.ph was launched in July 2015 and has already uploaded/featured over 10,000 products, ranging from food, agriculture, furniture, handicrafts, metals and other items, like bath essentials, personalized gifts and accessories. S&T Media Service

Sunday

Sunday, March 12, 2017 A5

Scientists optimistic in tackling climate change despite concerns

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By Johnny F. Goloyugo | Contributor

hree scientists remain optimistic in confronting the challenges of climate change affecting the Philippines despite lingering issues, such as institutional and government policy weaknesses, agricultural zoning and the need to support mitigation and adaptation initiatives at the local level, among others.

Climate-change specialist Dr. Reiner Wassmann of the Los Baños-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), speaking at the monthly Usapang Sakahan forum on “Climate Change: Handa na Ba Kayo [Are You Ready]?” said, “Climate change is a big risk, but it is also a chance for bringing things together because of the comments and interactions of people from different fields and those coming from the policy side.”

Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, a professor at the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources at the College of Forestr y and Natural Resources and former chancellor of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, noted the P1 billion poured in by the government from the people’s survival fund “to help local government units implement different adaptive projects in agriculture and in other sectors, as well as investments in research.”

Cruz said, “This is something that should give us confidence to improve our resiliency. The [Philippines’s] Climate Change Commission must do trafficking and serve as a clearing house to coordinate and synergize these different initiatives, because we never had these much resources before to address climate change.”

Scale up

Mea nw hile, senior consultant Dr. Julian F. Gonsalves of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction based in Silang, Cavite, noted the implementation of the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture by the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 10 regions, and soon in 17 other regions, in assessing the country’s climatechange vulnerability.

“There is a momentum,” Gonsalves said, but those who work on the ground must scale up. It’s time to demonstrate doing things based on skills to achieve incremental adaptation due to climate change, thereby narrowing the complexity gap. Move the action down to the local government and build on the huge social capital that exists in the country,” he said.

Policy weaknesses, location-specific solutions

Notwithstanding such optimism, Cruz, at the forum initiated by the Philippine Agricultural Journalists Inc. (PAJ), traced the root of agricultural inefficiencies to “ institutional and policy weaknesses, uncoordinated government policies and inefficiencies in implementing development plans.

“It is not only an issue of technology preparedness, but also of being institutionally and operationally prepared to face the challenges of climate change,” Cruz said.

Gonsalves pointed out the need for location-specific solutions, as “the nature of climate change at any particular time might be different”. He cautioned against “any glamorous ideas that have not been tested adequately, as the Philippines’s science community has a lot to offer.”

Rice production and nature differences

Rice production, likewise, took center stage during the forum.

“We cannot simply say that rice productivity in the Philippines is much lower than in other countries because of nature differences,” Wassmann said, citing Vietnam’s Mekong Delta as “perfect for planting rice”.

He also pointed out the presence of short-duration rice varieties available to farmers for planting.

“Thailand’s success is not so much of the quantity of rice-produced, but very much of the quality of rice. For farmers, quantity may not be of such a value,” he said.

In fact, Cruz added, the Philippines has a higher rice-productivity-per-unit area, notwithstanding the slow provision of services and development of its irrigation systems.

“In the Philippines we are tr ying more and more to adapt the f ramework that inc ludes d i s a s t e r - r i s k re du c t ion a nd climate-change adaptation. We cannot have an approach that is solely isolationist agriculture,” Gonsalves said.

“Input cost is higher in the

Dr. Julian Gonsalves of the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction (second from right) discusses points on Climate Smart Village approach in responding to climate change. Seated, from left, are Philippine Agricultural Journalists (PAJ) Director Dr. Rex Navarro, PAJ President Roman Floresca, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Dr. Reiner Wassmann of the International Rice Research Institute and PAJ PRO for Broadcast and Social Media Gani Oro. Ma. Ruby Lumongsod

Philippines than in other Asian countries. We need to decentralize the availability of seeds and inputs,” he said.

“We have enough moisture to grow three crops a year. We are not like Ethiopia and Somalia that are struggling now. This challenge of extreme drought is not here in the Philippines,” Gonsalves said.

Zoning

Unlike in Vietnam, the zoning of agricultural land is not strictly followed in the Philippines, notwithstanding the passage of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (Afma), or Republic Act 8435.

Afma defined “Zoning Ordinance” under Section 4 as “a local legislation approving the development/land-use plan and providing for the regulations and other conditions on the uses of land, including the limitation on the infrastructure that may be placed within the territorial jurisdiction of a city or municipality.”

“The problem is with the local government units,” Cruz said, “for invoking their authority in converting 15 percent of lands within their jurisdiction based on the local government code…. We cannot have unified laws when it comes to land-use allocation because of our policies.”

The DA must take the initiative in pushing forward an interagency collaboration in promoting a common land-use zoning framework, he suggested.

On the other hand, “landscapes with different elements in it are definitely better in terms of adaptation. Just think about diversity.

Zoning, if done in the right way, would be a much better approach than having everything unified,” Wassmann said.

Climate-smart agriculture and villages

Wassmann and Gonsalves are jointly working on the so-called Climate Smart Villages (CSVs), a project under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS).

CSV, an element of the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) approach, is participatory and relevant to the

local context to make sure that climate-smart farming practices are carried on in the long term.

T he CGI AR CCA FS defines CSA as an integrative approach in addressing the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.

It aimed at sustainably increasing agr icultural productivity to support equitable increases in farm incomes, food sec u r it y a nd development; adapting and building resilience of agricultural and food-security systems to climate change at multiple levels; and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from ag r icu lture (inc lud ing crops, livestock and fisheries).

C r u z con sidered “sc ience based decision-making as the core of being smart in practicing agriculture. This means operating on well-tested technologies and proven with information borne out of research and experiences of scientists, practitioners and farmers…and where the government is able to provide enough support services.”

“We do not want to overwhelm farmers with all kinds of new things and new technolog ies that they may not be able to handle in a proper way. We should really see what is possible in a given context, and then make it something which is generally accepted,” said Wassmann, who has been working on climatechange issues since 1987.

Dr. Rex L . Navar ro, PA J director and author of the book Towards People Empowerment: GO -NGO Collaboration in Ag ricultural Development, summed up CSA as infor med decision or knowledge-smar t based on science; var iet y smar t or r ight seed to plant, r ight water mana gement t h roug h employ i ng a lt e r n a t e w e t t i n g a n d d r y ing techniques to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; nutr ient smar t/pest smar t; energ y smar t (use of solar energ y); market smart w ith the gover nment prov iding more efficiencies in mec hani zat ion, r ight infor mation where to sel l r ice and r ight posthar vest faci lities; and being more competitive in the face of the emerging A sean common market.

Last call for Searca PhD scholarship applicants

A

pplicants for doctoral degree (PhD) scholarships from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) have until April 30 to submit their application.

Now in its 50th year, Searca is mandated to build the capacities of institutions working in agricultural and rural development in Southeast Asia through graduate education, short-term training, research and development, and knowledge management.

Headed by Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit Jr. since 2009, Searca is hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

Eligible to apply for the Searca scholarship are Filipinos and nationals of other Southeast Asian countries, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam. Applicants must be regular staff members of government agencies or nonprofit

development-oriented institutions, or PhD students of agricultural universities.

However, priority will be given to Southeast Asians who are enrolled in PhD programs of universities that are members of the Searca-initiated Southeast Asian University Consortium for Graduate Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC).

The UC members are UPLB, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Universitas Gadjah Mada in Indonesia and

Kasetsart University in Thailand.

Moreover, the topic of the applicant’s PhD research must be aligned with Searca’s thrust of inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development (Isard) toward food security and poverty alleviation in Southeast Asia. Searca’s web site provides the complete details of the specific thrusts under Isard.

The scholarship provides research funds of up to $4,500 and the option to do a two-month internship at Searca with allowances for travel, stipend and insurance.

Faith A6 Sunday, March 12, 2017

Saint Luigi Orione, founder of Divine Providence congregations

By Corazon Damo-Santiago

O

n September 25, 1897, Fr. Luigi Orione wrote: “Dear Fr. de Filippi, not 10 minutes ago, at this very room in which I am writing to you, I conversed for about half an hour with your nephew, Felice de Filippi. Felice is praying much for us. Let us be consoled.”

Grace of recognition

Father Orione was aware that he was conversing with a dead student. Felice warned him about an arrangement to be made in the school. He counseled Orione about the confession of young people, too.

It was eight months ago when Father Orione dreamt of Felice, one of his students.

He was sleeping at the kitchen of Colegio de Santa Chaira with his head rested on a table when he shook violently and he cried in fright.

The next day, Father Orione related the incident to his class in Saint Bernardine Estate, a boarding school for poor boys, without naming the boy.

Felice, a member of the class, heard the lecture. The following Monday, he got sick, suffered convulsions and became agitated.

His sickness became worse and he died.

Realpresence.org. concluded the story of Orione’s precognition with the burial of Felice in Mornico, Losana, during a snowstorm.

Works of charity

Saint Luigi Aloysius Orione was born on June 23, 1872, in Peidmont, Pontecurone, Northern Italy. As a young boy, he desired to be a religious, and at 13, entered the Franciscan Friary of Voghera, now Pavia.

He stopped schooling due to ill health and in 1886 was accepted in Valdocco Oratory in Turin under Don Bosco.

He left the Salesians and entered the seminary in the Diocese of Tortona on October 16, 1889. As a seminarian he was involved with San Mariano Society for Mutual Help and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul.

He opened the first oratory in Tirona for the Christian training of boys on July 13, 1892.

While still a seminarian, he started a boarding school for poor boys in Saint Bernardine Estate.

At 23, he was ordained a priest by the bishop, while six pupils of Saint Bernardine Boarding School were given clerical habit.

A charismatic personality, people flocked to him. The priests, seminarians, lay brothers and hermits became the core group of Workers of Divine Providence.

In 1903 Pope Pius X, now a saint, issued his first encyclical Supremi Apostolatus on the sad state of the human race “that mankind now, more than ever, is stricken with an acute illness—apostasy from God.” The pope’s motto of “renewing all things into Christ, under divine guidance” prompted him to write an encyclical on modernism, De Modernist Arum Doctrines, to confute the theories against modernism—of the modernist philosopher, believer, theologian, critical historian, apologist and reformer.

A photo of the statue of Saint Luigi Orione in Santuario N.S. Guardia, Ceranesi, Genoa, Liguria, Italy. Wikimedia Commons

These concerns interest Father Orione.

The problems of the times—“freedom and unity of the church, modernism, socialism and Christian Evangelization of industrial workers”—among others.

“Only charity will save the world,” a phrase beneath his statue in Rome, describes his lifelong concern.

Divine Providence congregations

Father Orione was appointed Vicar General of Messina by Saint Pius X. In 1903 the congregation Little Works of Divine Providence was canonically approved.

This congregation was made up of Sons of Divine Providence composed of priests and brothers. The Little Missionary Sisters of Charity was founded on June 29, 1915. It is supported by two contemplative orders: Hermits of Divine Providence and Blind Sacramentine Sisters.

Lay men and women formed the Don Orione Lay Movement.

Father Orione fostered devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and, for love of her, he built through manual labor of seminarians, the Shrine of Our Lady of Safekeeping in Tortona and Our Lady of Carravagio at Fumo.

On March 9, 1940, he went to Sanremo House to ease the pains of his lungs and heart. On March 12 he died after sending a message to Pope Pius XII. When his body was exhumed in 1965, it was found incorrupt. The body is in the Shrine of Our Lady of Safekeeping in Tortona.

He was beatified on October 26, 1980, and canonized on May 16, 2004, by Pope John Paul II. “Do good to all, evil to none,” is the dictum that members of Saint Luigi Aloysius Orione follow, serving today in 300 foundations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South Africa.

Saint Orione’s devotees are involved in schools, hostels for workers, hospitals, day and learning disabilities centers, homes for the elderly, sick, blind and disabled. 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 of Mater Redemptoris College in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.

Sunday

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

UN and the religious right​

U

NITED NATIONS—Religious advocacy groups have a long history of working with the United Nations, pushing back against progressive interpretations of the terms “family” and “marriage” as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

That effort was seemingly rewarded in 2016 as more people voted across the globe for political parties promising conservative interpretations of both, in stark contrast to moves by some countries in recent years to legalize same sex marriage and enhance protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex (LGBTQI) people.

In 2017 the battle to define these terms both as they appear in the declaration and in law is growing increasingly fierce.

Like most advocacy directed at UN or Washington policy-makers, lobbying by religious groups typically takes place behind the scenes, with success often measured in terms of whether progressive social policies get adopted.

Two of the most active and successful players are the World Congress of Families (WCF)—with its long-standing ties to African, Russian and Eastern European governments, as well as conservative US politicians—and the legal advocacy group, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which has had many successes in international courts defending JudeoChristian rights.

Both organizations cite their consultative status at the UN as a key to their reputations.

WCF Managing Director Larry Jacobs says that, given the current political climate, WCF and its supporters have cause for optimism.

“There’s been a fundamental denial over the last 50 years that the family is needed,” he told Inter Press Service (IPS), referring to the diversification of family structure away from the “traditional” or nuclear model favored by conservatives toward a more open interpretation.

“Much of it is a result of the agenda of sexual revolution lobbyists,” he added, a view also shared by many involved in religious social policy. “I think one of our greatest successes is protecting Article 16.3 [The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to

50

The estimated number of years that have passed when there’s been a fundamental denial that the family is needed, World Congress of Families Managing Director Larry Jacobs said protection by society and the State]. Other groups are trying to redefine existing mandates in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the idea that family is ‘natural’ is one of our biggest successes.”

Pope Francis echoed these sentiments during his address to the UN, describing the family as “the primar y cell of any social development”.

While Francis has preached acceptance and tolerance of homosexuality, he has never shown support for the nonnuclear family or gender fluidity.

The WCF coordinates conservative groups and has been linked to major international policy shifts, such as Russia’s law prohibiting the promotion of “nontraditional sexual relationships”, and Hungary’s “family-friendly” policies.

These moves have been linked to a rise in persecution of and violence against LGBTQI citizens.

Members and associates of the group have been linked to the passage of laws outlawing homosexuality throughout Africa, and the failure of the Estrela Resolution to pass the European Parliament, a proposal to treat abortion as a human right and standardize sexual-health education.

In t he opposite cor ner to

Tolerance Rebecca/Flickr. CC by 2.0.

t hese g roups, but , l i ke w i se, drawing on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the foundation for its work, is LGBTQI advocac y group Outr ight Action International. Outright argues that denying the expansion of “ family” beyond a nuclear str ucture and “mar r iage” beyond a heterosexua l union v iolates human r ights.

“We need to ensure that cultural reasons or ‘traditional ’ values aren’t used to undermine the universality of human-rights principles, or equal application of existing law in regards to everyone,” Outright’s UN Program Coordinator Siri May said. “We felt very grateful for the support of [ex-UN Secretary-General] Ban Ki-moon. He became a strong advocate for universality.”

ADF joined the World Congress of Families in UN consultative status in 2014, with its declared aims to “ help craft language that affirms religious freedom, the sanctity of life, marriage and the family”.

Chief Counsel Benjamin Bull wrote: “ADF can now have a say when UN treaties and conventions are drafted that directly impact religious liberty and important matters related to the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.”

“No person—any where— should be punished simply for holding to Christian beliefs,” Bull said. He opposed Ban’s support for LGBTQI rights arguing that it privileged “the demands of sexually confused individuals over the rights of other individuals”.

Cases for which A DF have advocated in the United States, Europe and in the Global South, most notably in Central and South America, have drawn accusations of human-rights violations.

One key act during Ban’s tenure was the creation of a Special Rapporteur for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. Inaugural appointee, Prof. Vitit Thingburam, has been charged w it h ident i f y i ng i nst a nces where human rights are violated based on sexual orientation and

gender identity. Thingburam only narrowly kept his role after the legitimacy of the office was challenged twice by the UN General Assembly, reflecting deep divisions within the UN’s membership on this issue.

“Vigit has a very focused brief so we’re excited to be working with him and other mandate holders,” Outright’s May said.

“We’ll be looking to provide him and other experts with the best information available.”

WCF’s Larry Jacobs is keen to point out that, despite being designated a “hate group” and “virulently antigay” by both mainstream news media and humanrights advocacy groups, he does not condone violence.

“We are not antigay. Homosexuals are the people that need a natural family the most. We are the ones that want to help the victims of the sexual revolution, the victims of divorce, the victims of people who have lived a promiscuous lifestyle. I think the question about homosexuality is ‘how do we deal with brokenness?’”

But May contests this. “We know throughout history that family units are not about one man, one women and two children.

That’s quite a western construct.

There are many examples of samesex couple families with children that provide love. Human rights are applicable to the individual, and family units are very important, but they should never trump the right of the individual.”

“What we know about gender-based violence and LGBTQI rights are that they’re needed to protect an individual that might be at risk from their family. They have rights and obligations within human-rights law and those rights should never be used to privilege heterosexuality.”

Despite their marked differences, both Jacobs and May are cautiously optimistic about the UN’s approach under new Secretary-General António Guterres, a man who forged his political and diplomatic career balancing socialist beliefs with his Catholic faith.

“We’d expect the incoming secretary-general would have the same interpretation of humanrights law and traditional cultural values as Ban Ki-moon,” May said.

“We feel very encouraged about his statements.”

“It’s a very exciting time,” Jacobs concurred. “Even when his party went against him on abortion, Guterres stayed true to his faith and his values. He wasn’t afraid to talk about the sanctity of human life from conception to death, so this is an exciting time.” IPS

Church coalition to hold national congress on Caritas’s program helps rebuild lives in Yolanda-affected area nation transformation Permanent shelters

T

he To u c h i n g H e a v e n Changing Earth National Movement for Nation Transfor mation, spearheaded by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP Christian Fellowship will conduct a national congress for n at ion a l t ra n sfor m at ion on March 17 and 18. This is in partnership with the Philippines for Jesus Movement and the Intercessors for the Philippines. The Jesus is Lord (JIL) Church, Christ the Living Stone Fellowship (CLSF) and the Fullness of Christ International Ministries (Focim) are also supporting the event.

The first day will be held from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the JIL Worship Center at Saint Francis Square for church pastors, leaders and workers. The second day will be a fullday Congress at the Philippine International Convention Center Plenary Hall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Noted global Christian leaders will be speaking on both days. Apostle

Don Crum will be speaking on royal dynasty and how to appropriate the priestly and kingly anointing in achieving changes in the nation.

Apostle Jim Hodges is expected to talk about God’s faithful remnants and the seven corporate ministries of the end-time church. Apostle Dexter Low will talk about nation transformation and God’s mandate upon His Church.

Bro. Eddie Villanueva of JIL Church and Philippines for Jesus Movement, Bro. Diwa C. Guinigundo, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy governor and senior pastor of Focim, and Bro. Dan Balais, head of Intercessors for the Philippines and senior pastor of CLSF will also speak at the national congress on the Philippines’s prophetic destiny.

At the end of the congress, a manifesto of nation transformation will be signed by the congress participants for submission to the national government.

P

ALO, Leyte—The Archdiocese of Palo, through the Caritas Program, has been helping rebuild the lives of the survivors of the Supertyphoon Yo l a n d a ( i n t e r n at i o n a l c o d e n a m e Haiyan) in this municipality.

Through the Recover y Assistance to Vulnerable Communities Affec ted

by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (REACH) program, the beneficiaries were provided with shelter, sanitation and hygiene promotion, farming, livelihood and income-generating projects in the past three years since 2014.

The program’s Relief and Rehabilitation Unit, created by Archbishop John F. Du of Archdiocese of Palo, has initiated, implemented, monitored and coordinated the par ticipation of the church for the recovery and rehabilitation of the communities in the archdiocese that were affected by the supertyphoon.

According to Caritas Palo, it has covered 20 barangays in nine municipalities, w h i c h we re p rov i d e d w i t h s h e l te r, livelihood, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), ecosystem rehabilitation and community managed disaster-risk reduction (CMDRR) programs.

ON March 4 the church-based humanitarian organization, has built and handed over 15 permanent houses for families in Barangay Dacay, Dulag, Leyte.

The handover ceremony was attended by the beneficiaries and the Caritas Palo staff led by its REACH Program Manager Ronald B. Abao, Barangay Council Leader Rosario Alicando, parish priest Fr. Edwin Pontejos of Saint Joseph Parish, San Jose, Dulag and Dulag Mayor Mildred Joy Que. “We were not expecting that we will be given this kind of house. Thanks to Caritas Palo.

My family can live now in a decent house,” a beneficiary said.

On February 11 Caritas also handed over 15 permanent houses to affected families in Barangay Canmogsay, Tolosa, Leyte.

In its three year of recovery and rehabilitation program, the church-based organization has built 580 permanent houses in 19 barangays from eight municipalities within the archdiocese. Forty-two permanent houses were also built by Caritas, which fund came from other faith groups.

According to Abao, Caritas Palo began working in the area after Yolanda struck as a humanitarian arm of the archdiocese of Palo

for the recovery and rehabilitation of the affected communities.

Major partners of Caritas Palo are Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines National Secretariat for Social Action/Caritas Philippines and Caritas Internationalis. These two major partners provided funds, while Caritas Palo implemented the programs.

Empowering the barangays

Through its CMDRR, Caritas helped empower the barangays by helping them assess their vulnerabilities and analyze the support they need for their rehabilitation.

Based on the assessment, the communities chose their livelihood programs, such as organic farming with technical coaching and provision of seeds and equipment. The barangays also choose other interventions, such as ecosystem rehabilitation, shelter construction, livelihood-recovery and sanitation and hygiene.

They constructed resilient shelters in high-risk communities and ecosystem rehabilitation, such as mangrove plantation and tree-planting program.

Other facilities

Besides houses, Caritas built postharvest

facilities, such as rice mill, solar dryer and seedbank; distributed farming tools and machinery, and built a water pipe system with 17 tap stands and a school-based water facility in Barangay Dacay.

Caritas bazaar

C aritas Palo held a Caritas Bazaar, or Multi-Sectoral Products Trade Fair, that provided the community sell their agricultural and processed food products to augment their daily needs. It was held on February 25, 26 and February 28 to March 1 at Santo Niño Parish grounds in Tacloban, Leyte.

The communities trained their eyes on alternative livelihood since their traditional sources of livelihood, the coconut trees, were destroyed by the typhoon. They began to produce other sustainable resources, such as vegetables.

From planting camote, they also learned to produce value-added camote chips as part of their technical training.

Th e y p ro m o t e o rg a n i c f a r m i n g t o encourage environment-friendly farming for sustainable agriculture and as part of climate change and mitigation.

Vanessa M. Puno

Tourism&Entertainment BusinessMirror

Editor: Carla Mortel-Baricaua

Sunday, March 12, 2017 A7

A sanctuary by the sea F Story By Jonalyn Fortuno Photos John Michael Magdasoc

or the past 20 years, Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, has been on the forefront of the country’s diving industry, holding over 60 dive sites that mirror a healthy and thriving underwater ecosystem.

Divers and underwater photographers from across the world would flock to this prime diving destination in the hope of experiencing the underwater paradise dubbed as the hotbed of marine biodiversity.

The locals’ effort to conserve Anilao’s diving sites is well-acknowledged globally, with most of the dive resorts taking on the responsibility to protect their turf.

These initiatives resulted in richer reefs that continue to spew a great variety of unique, brightly colored and hauntingly beautiful marine creatures—big and small. Consequently, what was once a quiet fishing village became a favorite playground for underwater photography enthusiasts, divers and adventure-seekers.

Anilao’s underwater habitat also teems with “macro” life, and it is now being widely recognized as a macro-photography destination. A well-deserved recognition, indeed, given that its muck diving sites are a thriving world of fascinating, tiny sea creatures. Secret Bay, for one, is a treasure trove for nudibranch junkies with its stilty bottom promising critter photo opportunities, which would surely enthrall any macro devotee.

Just a stone’s throw away from Secret Bay is a resort that makes

The Sea’s Spring Resort’s dive guides take the team to one of the dive sites in Maricaban Island, Tingloy Batangas.

Saltwater pool, considered to be the biggest in Anilao, is one of the kid-friendly facilities that the resort offers.

for an ideal nest after a day’s dive.

The Sea’s Spring Resort offers a sanctuary that would be just as convenient for those who want to combine diving and relaxation.

Each of its 54 rooms provides a picturesque view of the sea, while its dormitory-type rooms ensure a comfortable stay once you get back on land.

The resort has everything you need for a relaxing escape. It features a natural hot spring, and natural bamboo sauna, which are unique to Sea’s Spring, as it is the only resort that offers such facilities in Batangas. Its saltwater pool is, by no means, less spectacu-

lar, given that it is the biggest in Anilao, and thus favored by traveling families with kids.

As far as dining is concerned, this Korean-owned hotel does not disappoint. Dining choices range from Korean fare to Filipino staple, which surprisingly exceeded our team’s expectation for a dive resort. The excellent fare would surely impress even the discriminating resort-goers, especially if you factor in that this open-air restaurant overlooks the sea.

But more than its promise of complete relaxation and gastronomic delight, the resort is really all about adventure. It arranges

a variety of activities, such as island hopping, snorkeling, fishing and sunset trekking to the famed Mount Gulugod Baboy.

And most important, it offers access from Anilao’s best dive sites to some of the areas within Verde Island Passage, said to have the world’s highest concentration of marine life.

For beginners, the resort gives opportunities to explore the underwater world through its basic scuba lessons and diving courses.

On the other hand, underwater photography enthusiasts can be transported to some of the most photogenic underwater sites in

Anilao, while experienced divers are given a guided excursion to explore the greater depths of Anilao’s aquatic realm.

When asked why Sea’s Spring Resort frequently gets high mark from divers and nondivers alike, Maureen Welan, resort’s manager, said it could be attributed to the their commitment to provide great service and value for money.

“We also maintain good camaraderie with guests and provide the best service for every type of resort-goers. That could be the reason we are considered one of the well-recommended resorts in Anilao,” she added.

Anilao may just be a three-hour ride from Manila but it’s like stepping into a completely different world once you arrive to this diving haven. And Sea’s Spring Resort makes good on its promise by providing a wonderful escape from the rigidity of the city.

A8 Sunday, March 12, 2017

Sports BusinessMirror

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

Tim Tebow goes 0 for 3, twice looking at strike three and also grounding into a double play with the bases loaded in a spring training exhibition against the Red Sox. AP

TOUGH DAY IN DEBUT T im Tebow made his first rookie mistake even before stepping into the batter’s box.

The New York Mets newcomer walked behind home plate and took his practice swings near Boston’s on-deck circle.

“I didn’t know who that was back there. I thought it was the ball boy,” American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello said.

The former National Football League quarterback’s debut as a big leaguer didn’t go much better on Wednesday.

Tebow went 0 for 3, twice looking at strike three and also grounding into a double play with the bases loaded

Speedo Fastskin launches new aids

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PEEDO Fastskin brings its expertise in competitive swimming and training to launch a new range of training aids.

Aimed at the elite swimmer, the evolution of training aids are new for 2017 and have been developed with the world’s fastest athletes and created in collaboration with world-class coaches.

The Fastskin Training Aids collection consists of a Hand Paddle, Kick Fin, Pull buoy and Kickboard, all of which are designed in striking glossy black with neon red and made from premium lightweight materials that are extremely durable.

The new range has been created to improve the user experience for serious swimmers by concentrating on providing training aids which are comfortable, but will aid performance, allowing them to focus on smarter swimming in preparation to achieving their racing potential.

In developing the Fastskin Training Aids collection, Speedo’s expert global research and development team, Aqualab, worked not only with world-class athletes and their coaches but also sports scientists and global hydrodynamics experts to ensure every detail was built to meet the specific demands of elite swimmers.

They have been designed using 3D scanning and hydrodynamic engineering. Every detail of the products’ shapes has been engineered to improve hydrodynamic form, reduce drag and maximize stroke performance— to help swimmers achieve their fastest result yet.

The Kick fin uses 3D foot form scan technology to create Speedo’s best-ever fitting fin, maximizing on comfort so you can swim faster for longer. Short dual rail blades capture more water during the kick, giving enhanced energy transfer from your kick to the water compared to a flat fin, resulting in greater propulsion.

The Kick fin has been constructed with premium lightweight material which is 40 percent lighter than Speedo’s nearest competitor for faster turns.

The Hand Paddle features soft, flexible palm pads that flex when applying power, enabling an optimal feel for the water and helping to maintain a good stroke technique.

The cowl-shaped, ergonomic design gives a secure fit that is fast and simple to put on whilst the symmetrical, smooth shape ensures you don’t catch an edge on the water, allowing you to wear it for all four strokes.

in a spring training exhibition against the Red Sox. The 2007 Heisman Trophy winner did safely reach when he was hit by a pitch in the right shoulder from fellow Florida alum Brian Johnson. But Tebow’s stay on base was brief—he got doubled off first on a line drive.

“It was a first day for me getting to compete. I’ll learn a lot from it. It’s kind of what I expected from a competition level,” Tebow said after an 8-7 win.

The 29-year-old Tebow batted eighth as the designated hitter. Signed last fall, he’s in camp on a minor league contract, hoping to make it as an outfielder. He’s next scheduled to play for the Mets in a split-squad game

D

E La Salle and National University (NU) square off to resume their secondround campaign in Season 79 University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The NU-La Salle match is set at 4 p.m., after the 2 p.m. duel between Far Eastern University (FEU) and Adamson University.

The Lady Spikers hope to keep second place and improve their 6-2 record against the Lady Bulldogs, who own a 5-3 card.

The Lady Spikers and Lady Bulldogs opened the second round with victories last Wednesday. La Salle beat FEU, 25-5, 25-23, 25-23, to bounce back from their defeat to rival Ateneo last week, while NU escaped past Adamson University, 25-21, 25-20, 25-19, for its second straight win.

Despite winning their previous assignments, De La Salle Head Coach Ramil de Jesus and his NU counterpart, Roger Gorayeb, continue to look for more firepower and consistency from their teams.

De Jesus said he wants more maturity from young guns Des Cheng, Aduke Ogunsanya, May Luna and Tin Tiamzon.

“At least the confidence of our players is back after that great bounce-back win,” de Jesus said. “But I think the responsibility of being a leader has yet to sink in to some of my young players. Hopefully, they’ll be mature enough as the season goes on.”

Skipper Kim Fajardo, Kim Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron and Dawn Macandili are expected to rub their veteran smarts to their young teammates.

Gorayeb similarly wants Jaja Santiago, setter Jasmine Nabor, Risa Sato, Jorelle Singh and Aiko Urdas to be consistent with their game for the rest of the season.

The Lady Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak, which started with a loss to De La Salle in the first round.

Ateneo tries to extend its perfect run to nine games when it faces University of the Philippines (4-4) at 10 a.m. At 8 a.m., FEU (53) battles De La Salle (2-6). Lance Agcaoili

Friday against Houston, and Manager Terry Collins said Tebow would be in the field.

“With almost anything I do, I get a little nervous because I care about it, the outcome and my teammates,” Tebow said. “But I’d also get nervous if I was going to talk to a high-school football team before a game.”

Tebow was set to lead off the third inning for his first at-bat. The lefty hitter emerged from the Mets’ third base dugout and crossed over to the Boston side, drifting toward the Red Sox on-deck circle and inching his way into Porcello’s view.

“I thought you walked around because you’re a left-

Head Jr tennis series kicks off in Mindanao

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HE 19th Head Junior Tennis Satellite Circuit will go to 12 major cities starting with Cagayan de Oro City on March 20.

The annual tournament, organized by Head and its local distributor Dynamic Sports, is inviting young players to participate in the grassroots tennis program.

Liza Tang-Yuquico, managing director of HEAD Philippines, is expecting boys and girls from different age categories in various cities to join the annual tournament, which has produced Filipino stars like Jeson Patrombon and Francis Casey Alcantara.

“On our 19th year, our goal is to continue to discover more young talented players around the country and help them achieve their dreams,” Tang-Yuquico said. “We have always been very proud to become part of tennis development in the country.”

The competition starts in Cagayan de Oro City from March 20 to 24, and proceeds to Davao City from March 26 to 30 and Isulan from April 1 to 5.

The Visayas series starts in Cebu from April 7 to 11, then Iloilo from April 17 to 21 and Bacolod City from April 23 to 27.

The Luzon leg will begin in Naga City from April 29 to May 3, Vigan from May 5 to 9, Baguio City from May 11 to 15, La Union from May 17 to 21, Olongapo City from May 23 to 27 and the last leg in Manila from May 29 to June 4.

Competitions will be in the 10-under unisex and boys’ and girls’ 12-under, 14-under, 16-under and 19-under categories.

Legaspi bets rule Cagsawa Trail Run

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hander. I found out you don’t do that,” Tebow said.

Porcello threw a fastball past Tebow, then got him to look at strike three. Tebow had a smile and friendly word for plate umpire Ryan Additon after getting called out.

Porcello was struck on the pitching hand by Yoenis Cespedes’s grounder in the fourth. The righty stayed in, but exited after Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda doubled.

“It’s fine right now,” Porcello said. “It happens quickly, so you’re just trying to get the sting out of it. I was able to throw a couple of pitches, and the second warmup pitch I was able to get down in the zone, and didn’t think it would affect me making pitches.” AP

EGASPI City’s Mario Maglinao and Angelica Senining topped the men’s and women’s 21-kilometer run of the recent Cagsawa Trail Run in Daraga, Albay, as part of the Sixth Cagsawa Festival.

Maglinao clocked one hour, 19 minutes and 17 seconds, while Senining registered 1:52:57 to rule their respective categories.

The race also featured shorter distance races for novice and less-experienced runners.

Mayon Volcano’s scenic rockscape, challenging terrain, lava and lahar trail made it an ideal venue for marathons, especially during local tourism events.

The event, supported by the municipal government of Daraga and Congressional Office of Albay, led by Second District II Rep. Joey Salceda, is part of the annual observance of Mayon Volcano’s most destructive eruption on February 1, 1814, which claimed more than 1,200 lives and buried several surrounding villages.

LADY SPIKERS VS LADY BULLDOGS

FOTON WINS

Foton’s Mary Grace Berte tries to break the defense of Cocolife’s Rosemarie Vargas and Erika Alkuino during their Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference match late Thursday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan City. The Tornadoes won, 25-16, 25-17, 25-13.