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PHL MAY BE FIRST IN ASEAN WITH GREEN ECONOMY LAWS

GREEN JOBS SEEN LEADING PHL TO GARDEN OF GROWTH

FINANCE ministers and central-bank governors of Asean and their dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea pose following their dialogue in the ongoing 51st Asian Development Bank on Friday, May 4, in Mandaluyong City. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

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By Samuel P. Medenilla

HE answer to Asia’s plight of labor displacement from new technology may come from the environment.

During its 51st meeting in Mandaluyong City on Friday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) urged countries in the Asia-Pacific region to take advantage of the new job opportunities from the growing international demand for environment-friendly businesses and jobs in the next decade.

“Creating more jobs is essential for this region. Asia has created 30 million jobs annually, mostly in industry and service for the past 25 years, but it will have to create more in the future as our work force is projected to increase by another 11 million from 2015 to 2030,” ADB Sustainable Develop-

ment and Climate Change Department Director General Amy S.P. Leung said.

“Greening economies can be a driver for growth by incorporating the development of new sectors and employment as the economies transition,” Leung added.

The United Nations defines

green economy as any economic activity “that improves human well-being and builds social equity while reducing environmental risks and scarcities.”

ADB Development Economics and Indicators Division Director Rana Hasan did confirm that some Continued on A2

SOX targets 5.4M tourists for 2018 Story & photos by Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo

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Special to the BusinessMirror

HE “food basket” of Mindanao expects to see some 5.4 million tourists this year, as the Department of Tourism (DOT) pushes the promotion of the region’s various tourism destinations.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror, DOT Director for Region 12 (Soccsksargen or SOX) Maria Rica Bueno said the bulk of the tourists in the region are day tourists who come from the neighboring provinces and regions. “We have a very good road network, so tourists can go on road trips to visit one province to another. We

are privileged to be a beneficiary of the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program [TRIP], such that 17 roads [that connect to tourism destinations] have been constructed in the previous years.”

This has led to a 31-percent increase in visitor arrivals in the SOX region to 4.9 million in 2017, she noted. From 2018 to 2022, about

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 51.8600

THE Treasures of Soccsksargen, now in its third edition, is a travel and cultural expo showcasing the tourism destinations and agricultural/trade products of Region 12, formerly known as Central Mindanao. The expo is ongoing until Sunday, May 6, at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City.

32 roads will be constructed in the region; and for 2019, specifically, the DOT will be “recommending another set of roads” for construction by the Department of Public

Works and Highways.

To promote the region and its tourism destinations and products, the DOT is hosting the “Treasures of SOX” until Sunday,

FRESHLY caught tuna sliced sashimi style was on display at Friday’s launch of the Treasures of Soccsksargen.

May 6, at the Glorietta Activity Center. “It is an annual travel and trade expo for the region’s tourism and trade sellers now on its third edition. It’s a convergence

program of the DOT regional office, together with other government agencies like the departments of Trade and Industry, Continued on A2

n JAPAN 0.47509 n UK 70.4155 n HK 6.6071 n CHINA 8.1669 n SINGAPORE 38.9778 n AUSTRALIA 39.0454 n EU 62.1801 n SAUDI ARABIA 13.8294

Source: BSP (May 4, 2018 )

News

BusinessMirror

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Green jobs seen leading PHL to garden of growth Continued from a1

sectors, which will generate new jobs amid a technological revolution in Asia, are in green enterprises like renewable energy.

“Technology [could] help protect displaced workers [but only] if the necessary policy coordination is in place,” Hasan said.

In 2013 the ADB reported renewable energy generated 3.5 million jobs. This grew to 8.1 million in 2015. By 2030, it is projected to create 24 million jobs.

“Fifty percent of this growth has taken place in Asia,” Leung said.

SOX targets 5.4M tourists for 2018 Continued from a1

Making the transition

THE International Labor Organization (ILO) confirmed the emerging global interest for the so-called green economy, as more countries reel from the effects of climate change.

The ILO claims the green economy will help create 15 million to 60 million jobs worldwide up to 2040.

“While climate change has often devastating consequences, confronting it has great potential for job creation; not just jobs, but decent jobs,” Tomoko Nishimoto, ILO regional director Asia and Pacific, said.

However, Nishimoto said Asian governments would have to implement the necessary crosscutting reforms to ensure a green economy would be able to absorb workers who will be displaced by disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics.

She said Asian countries

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ENVIRONMENTAL activists display placards during a rally near the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank where the 51st Annual Meeting is held on Friday in Mandaluyong City. The protesters are demanding Asia’s premier lending institution to stop funding dirty energy. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

should not only put in place policies to promote so-called green jobs, but also provide the necessary skills and welfare to people who would be hired for such jobs.

Leading economy

NONETHELESS, the ADB and ILO lauded the Philippines for having the most advanced policy in Southeast Asia in promoting green economy. The two institutions cited Republic Act (RA) 10771, or the Green Jobs Act in 2016, as such policy.

The law grants economic incentives like tax deductions to companies engaged in environ-

ment-friendly initiatives.

“Our law on green jobs models a way for countries to pursue a green economy in line with the goal of the Paris Agreement,” Climate Change Commission Philippines Secretary Emmanuel M. de Guzman said.

While the policy drew praises in the international community, the program is yet to be fully implemented by the government.

De Guzman admitted the certification standards for companies applying for incentives under RA 10771 have yet to be completed.

This was confirmed by ILO Green Jobs National Project Co-

ordinator Gwyneth Anne Palmos, who is involved in the crafting of the said standards.

“It was delayed because of [a] transition in the administration,” Palmos said.

She also noted the long period they need to draft the standards since these apply to different requirements per industry.

“This requires extensive consultation from stakeholders,” Palmos added.

Palmos said they aim to complete the standards by June to make the Philippines among the first in Southeast Asia with legislation promoting green economy.

Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture (DA), and of Labor and Employment, promoting various tourism experiences in SOX, as well as the region’s agricultural and trade products,” she said.

The nine local government units of SOX are also participating in showcasing their tourism sites and cultural attractions, “and along with the partner-agencies, we will have learning sessions.”

Bueno underscored the strength of SOX is “in agriculture and the environment. It’s unadulterated tourism because it’s pure, the culture is very authentic; there are tribes or indigenous peoples like the T’boli, the B’laan and the Maguindanaoan, while Christian and Muslims and coexist harmoniously. We have fertile lands, which give us abundant and productive agricultural produce, so they are the food basket of the country. We have fresh organic vegetables and fruits, seafood and livestock.” This is why, she said, the DOT will be “developing food and gastronomy tourism” in the region.

The DOT regional director added she has been talking to the DA representative in the region, as “we will be advocating agricultural tourism; we want to keep our lands. It’s timely as the DA’s focus is food security.”

She noted that the region is where the top coffee producers in

the country are located, i.e. Sultan Kudarat, and the largest pineapple plantation in the world, DOLE Philippines.

One of the must-visit tourist destinations in SOX also is the Tupi Fruit Park along the national highway in South Cotabato, where all types of fruits are sold at bargain prices, she said.

Due to the nature of its cultural attractions and tourism destinations, SOX is quite ripe for tourists from Australia and Europe, said Bueno. But she admitted, “First we have to overcome the perception of Mindanao [as a dangerous place to visit]. But we always underscore that we won’t be promoting for you to come here if we know your lives are in danger.”

She added that martial law has been a positive factor to promoting peace and security in the region, such that it is safe for tourists to travel there. Of the 4.9 million tourists in SOX last year, some 19,000 were foreign tourists. “So we will be promoting first to the Asean,” she said.

There are two gateways to the SOX region, one via General Santos City and the other in Cotabato City, where daily flights by a number of carriers are available. “In the future, we hope to have international flights even just in the region, as SOX is a participant in the Mindanao air connectivity program. This will serve the BIMP-Eaga region.”

The SOX region is composed of South Cotabato, Cotabato City,

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Greek island protest about migrant influx turns violent

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ESBOS, Greece—Greek riot police fired tear gas on Thursday at angry protesters on the island of Lesbos who tried to topple a police bus during a demonstration against a European Union migration policy.

The protesters were among 2,500 demonstrators who gathered in Lesbos’s main port as Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrived to speak at a conference. A large contingent of riot police formed a cordon to block the protesters from advancing further, and scores of them then tried to push over a police bus in clashes that lasted more than an hour. No arrests or injuries were reported.

Officers fired tear gas and earlier had discharged several flash grenades.

A general strike on Thursday virtually shut down the island to protest a 2016 agreement between the EU and Turkey that has left thousands of asylum-seekers stranded on Lesbos. Under the deal, migrants arriving on Greek islands from Turkey are held and face deportation to Turkey unless they successfully apply for asylum in Greece. The deal has created a massive backlog, angering people on Lesbos and other Greek islands.

“It has gone too far. Every day buses [with refugees] arrive, and they’re full,” protester Yannis Vaxevanis said.

“The [government] has to do something and take the people somewhere else.”

Most businesses, shops, cafés and local government offices were shuttered in the main town of Mytilene. The only sign of normality was that police officers were still on duty, and the local tax office was open.

Stores were also closed in protest on the nearby island of Chios.

More than 15,000 migrants and refugees remain stuck on Lesbos, Chios and three

other islands, most staying in severely overcrowded camps.

“Thousands of people are still living in appalling conditions with limited access to medical facilities,” the aid group Doctors Without Borders said. Conditions at the largest refugee camp in Lesbos, the group added, “were putting the health and lives of people stranded on the island at risk.”

Additional police officers, including antiriot units, were sent to Lesbos and took up positions around Mytilene. Supporters and opponents of the government used vans fitted with loudspeakers to promote the protest, as well as a speech planned by the prime minister later Thursday.

Tension on the islands has been building as the number of migrants arriving from Turkey has risen sharply in recent weeks. “ The situation on the island is exceptionally difficult. We are feeling the effects of a long-term financial crisis and the way the refugee crisis has been handled,” Lesbos Mayor Spyros Galinos said.

“For there to be any talk of growth or recovery, we must first be lifted out of this emergency situation.”

The government has promised to move thousands of asylum-seekers to the mainland but says the effort will take several months to implement—requiring additional staff and more shelter sites around Greece.

“Our aim is to deal with delays as swiftly as possible,” Tsipras said, before adding: “There are people who didn’t want me to visit the island and tried to scare (the government) away...We did not run away.”

In the meantime, the number of daily arrivals continues to rise on the island and Greece’s land border with Turkey. AP

Saturday, May 5, 2018

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Look who’s picking up the tab for Karl Marx’s birthday bash

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ARL Marx’s home town is holding a party for the Communist Manifesto author’s bicentenary, and China is paying for the birthday gift.

Trier, in western Germany, is bracing for big crowds for the 200th anniversary of Marx’s birth this weekend, with political speeches, competing demonstrations and the unveiling of a statue designed and funded by China. The extent of the outside interest has surprised the sleepy city on the Moselle river.

People in Trier, which was part of capitalist West Germany after World War II, “have long been a bit ashamed about Marx,” said city spokesman Michael Schmitz, who has played host to Chinese state television and six reporters from the state-run Xinhua News Agency. “We are aware of the fact that this is part of a larger Marx revival in China,” Schmitz said.

With celebrations starting Friday in Beijing, China is making the bicentennial part of a drive to reinvigorate its communist heritage, and underpin its growing global clout. Festivities include an official tribute at the Great Hall of the

People and a documentary series

by China’s state broadcaster titled Marx Is Right.

In Trier visitors can marvel at an art installation of 500 Karl Marx gnome-like figurines—in two shades of red—at the city’s Roman gate, while sipping a Moselle wine named “Das Kapital” for the occasion.

‘Unruly country’

YET, for Chinese President Xi Jinping, the anniversary is an opportunity to push a serious goal. Harking back to the German philosopher, who developed his theory of capitalism, labor and class conflict in 19th-century England, helps him fill a vacuum left by decades of market reforms, modernization and China’s growth to become the world’s second-biggest economy.

China overtook the US in terms of trade with Germany in 2016.

Xi is seeking to hold together a “huge, unruly country” and take it

forward while maintaining broad respect for the Communist Party, said Sidney Rittenberg, an American journalist who joined Mao Zedong’s revolution and served for years as his translator.

“Xi is depending on restoring the theoretical soul of the Chinese people,” Rittenberg, in his late 90s, said in an interview from his home in Arizona. “They built a better life and made money, but they lost their soul and I think he’s trying to restore that.”

The celebrations dovetail with Xi’s bid to expand the party’s influence as he pushes through sweeping changes in China’s political system, military, economy and education sector. Having cast off presidential term limits, he says “the party leads everything” and is trying to promote Marxism as a plank of foreign policy, notably in countries like Vietnam and Lao PDR.

‘Grasp the power’

CHINA’S top officials need to “grasp the power of the truth of Marxism” and view the party as the heir of the “spirit of the Communist Manifesto,” Xi told a Politburo session on April 23.

Xi appears to view Marxism as a means to an end, “more of a methodology than an ideology,” said Trey McArver, cofounder of

Trivium China, a consultancy.

“It’s a process for solving problems more than a prescription for class struggle.”

In Marx’s birthplace, the bicentennial is more about history and hospitality. City leaders hope for a tourism boost after the 5.5-meter (18-foot)-high statue is unveiled on Saturday in the presence of German cabinet members (though not Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany). European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will kick off the festivities with a speech in Trier on Friday.

Falun Gong

THE city council voted to accept China’s gift last year after attaching a resolution stressing the importance of human rights. “We don’t have industry, so we don’t get much revenue from business taxes,” Schmitz said. Activists from Falun Gong, a spiritual group banned in China, still plan demonstrations.

Norber t K aet h ler, head of Trier’s tourism agency, is happy about the present from Beijing: he figures the statue will boost the number of Chinese visitors to the town of 110,000. “Many Chinese think Trier must be an important German town because Marx was born here,” he said. Bloomberg News

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Saturday, May 5, 2018

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Casino industry workers want sex harassment policy to include guests

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AS VEGAS—Casino industry representatives and workers told Nevada gambling regulators on Thursday that their initial policy draft proposal to address sexual harassment in the workplace needs more work.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board heard input on its proposal that spells out several requirements for license holders, including a system for employees to report instances of sexual harassment and regular prevention training to all workers. It comes in the wake of the sexual misconduct scandal surrounding former casino owner Steve Wynn, who has denied the allegations against him.

“It was nice to hear some contextualized feedback and to understand how the regulations as currently drafted are being interpreted so that we can be specific with our language to make sure that we are accomplishing what we are trying to accomplish,” board chairman Becky Harris said after the meeting.

T he regulator y changes as

written would apply to all lice n s e e s . T he l a r ge s t c a s i no operators have previously told The Associated Press they meet many of the proposed criteria, which employ ment attor neys say are standard for most midand large-size cor porations.

Members of the union representing thousands of casino workers told the board the final regulations should address sexual harassment by guests and high rollers. Workers affiliated with the Culinary Union shared with the three members of the board stories of how guests have harassed them at different properties and over several years.

“About 27 years ago, a high-roller gambler wanted me to give him a kiss for luck,” said Deborah Jeffries, a cocktail server at a casino in the Las Vegas Strip. “He grabbed me

with both hands around my neck, I tried to pull back, and to make a long stor y short, he caused permanent ner ve damage.”

She added she f i led a repor t w ith the company, but the gambler was st i l l a l lowed in t he casino u nt i l she f i led a compl a i nt w it h federa l of f ic i a l s about t he sit u at ion.

The board can impose anti-sexual misconduct policies because state regulations provide that casinos operate in a suitable way to protect “the public health, safety, morals, good order and general welfare” of Nevada residents. It can also pursue disciplinary action if licensee’s activities are discrediting of the state and its gambling industry.

The board ’s decision to draft regulations that address sexual harassment in the workplace came after the Wall Street Journal reported in January that several women said Wynn harassed or assaulted them and that one case led to a $7.5-million settlement. He resigned on February 6 as chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts. Regulators in Nevada are now investigating the allegations leveled against Wynn.

He has filed a defamation lawsuit against The Associated Press for its reporting on a separate allegation made to police.

Casino operators MGM Resor t s Inter n at ion a l , C aesa rs Entertainment and Wynn Resorts have told the AP they offer employees multiple avenues to report sexual harassment—also a proposed requirement.

Labor attorney Jen Sarafina told the board the regulations should not be adopted because they “appear to be a knee-jerk response to media coverage of allegations” that have not been proven in court and would also add a “duplicative” layer of reporting. She said the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission already have regulations addressing these issues.

Meanwhile, Robert Ostrovsky, a lobbyist for the Nevada Resort Association, said the proposed annual survey that asks workers to report “whether they are currently being harassed or know of any harassment taking place” should instead ask whether employees are familiar with the process available to make a report and if so, if it is effective.

“These issues are in the forefront, but they are not new,” Ostrovsky, who was previously a human resources executive, said. “Yeah, we are in an industry where guests may drink too much, where guests may party too much. You know, we have an obligation to make sure our employees are protected.” AP

No Nobel literature prize this year after sex-abuse allegations

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O P E N H A G E N , D e n m a r k —T h e Swedish Academy says the Nobel Prize in literature will not be awarded this year following sex-abuse allegations and other issues within its ranks that have tarnished the body’s reputation. The academy said on Friday the 2018 prize will be given in 2019. The decision was made at a weekly meeting in Stockholm on the grounds that the

academy is in no shape to pick a winner after a string of sex-abuse allegations and financial crimes scandals. In a statement, the academy said the decision “was arrived at in view of the currently diminished Academy and the reduced public confidence in the Academy.” It will be the first time since wartime 1943 that the prestigious award is not handed out. AP

One-hour flight from Singapore is world’s busiest overseas route

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one-hour flight linking one of the smallest countries on the planet with its next-door neighbor is the world’s busiest international route.

Planes made 30,537 trips between Singapore and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur in the 12 months to February, according to a report by OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. That’s the equivalent of 84 flights a day in a city state with a population of just 5.6 million.

In a top-20 list dominated by Asia, the highest-ranking route outside the region ran between New York and Toronto. There were 16,956 flights on that leg. The trip between Dublin and London Heathrow ranked 14th and was the busiest European entry with 14,390 flights.

In terms of passenger numbers, Hong Kong-Taipei tops the list with 6.5 million people flying that route in the 12-month period, the report showed. That’s followed by Jakarta-Singapore with 4.7 million and Kuala Lumpur-Singapore with 4 million.

Asia is the world ’s fastestgrowing travel market. But even the most frantic international routes don’t come close to the most popular domestic flights.

The world’s busiest air route, bar none, is between Seoul and a tiny island off the coast of South Korea.

Planes made 65,000 trips between the South Korean capital and Jeju island in 2017, according to OAG. Bloomberg News

Trump to address NRA amid natl gun-control movement W

ASHINGTON—Back for a return engagement, President Donald J. Trump’s address to the National Rifle Association on Friday comes after he temporarily strayed from the group’s strong opposition to tougher gun controls follow ing the school shooting in Parkland, Florida—only to rapidly return to the fold.

For the fourth year in a row, Trump will speak to the group, which meets this year in Dallas. Last year he became the first sitting president to appear in more than 30 years, declaring that the “assault” on the Second Amendment had ended. But this year’s speech comes as the issue of gun violence takes on new urgency after one of the deadliest school shootings in US history.

Student survivors of the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 people dead are now leading a massive national guncontrol movement. While the shooting has not led to major

changes from the White House or the Republican-led Congress, it did—at least briefly—prompt Trump to declare that he would stand up to the powerful gun lobby. He later backpedaled on that tough talk.

Trump’s attendance at this year’s NR A convention was announced just days ago and came after Vice President Mike Pence already was scheduled to appear. Asked why Trump was attending, given the current political tensions around gun violence, W hite House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that safety was a “big priority.” But, she added, “We also support the Second Amendment, and strongly support it, and don’t see there to be a problem with speaking at the National Rifle Association’s meeting.”

Tr ump has long enjoyed strong backing from the NR A, which spent about $30 million in support of his presidential campaign. The NRA showcased its high-profile guests for the event, with NR A Executive

In this April 28, 2017 file photo, President Donald J. Trump speaks during the National Rifle Association-ILA Leadership Forum in Atlanta. As NRA prepares to gather for its 147th annual meeting in Dallas, the political landscape has changed considerably in the past year. AP

Director Chris Cox saying on Twitter: “We are honored to celebrate American Freedom with @realDonaldTrump, @VP Mike Pence and others. #2A #watchtheleftmeltdown”.

But one of the Parkland student survivors, David Hogg, was critical of Trump’s planned attendance.

“It’s kind of hypocritical of him to go there after saying so many politicians bow to the NRA and are owned by them,” Hogg said. “It proves that his heart and his wallet are in the same place.”

During a televised gun meeting with lawmakers in late-February, Trump wagged

his finger at a Republican senator and scolded him for being “afraid of the NR A,” declaring that he would stand up to the group and finally get results in quelling gun violence.

He praised members of the gun lobby as “great patriots” but declared “that doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything. It doesn’t make sense that I have to wait until I’m 21 to get a handgun, but I can get this weapon at 18.” He was referring to the

AR-15 the Parkland shooting suspect is accused of using.

Those words rattled some Republicans in Congress and s pa rked hope a mong g u ncontrol advocates that, unlike after prev ious mass shooti n g s , t ou g he r re g u l at io n s would be enacted this time.

But Trump later retreated on those words, expressing support for modest changes to the background check system, as well as arming teachers.

After expressing interest in increasing the minimum age to purchase a so-called assault weapon to 21, Trump later declared there was “not much political support” for the move.

He then pushed off the issue of age restrictions by assigning the question to a commission.

Trump’s moves have drawn concerns from both sides of the gun debate.

“He ran as supposedly the best f r iend of t he Second Amendment and has become gun grabber in chief,” said Michael Hammond, legislative counsel to the Gun Owners of America. Hammond said his members were upset Trump had approved a spending bill t h at i nc lude d bac k g rou nd c hec k upd ates. “ We’re not confident at all. We are very disappointed.”

Kristin Brown, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said Trump had offered mixed messages since the Parkland shooting.

“W hich Donald Trump is going to show up?” she asked.

“Will it be the one who sympathized with the Parkland students he brought to the White House, the one who met with members of the Senate...or the one who had burgers” with NR A head Wayne LaPierre.

Severa l g roups have announced plans to protest over the weekend. The protesters will include parents of those killed in Parkland and in other shootings. AP

Ernst & Young settles with partner who claimed colleague groped her

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N Ernst & Young Global Limited partner who claimed she was groped by a colleague in front of other employees at Walt Disney World Resort has reached a settlement with the company.

Jessica Casucci agreed to leave the company as part of a “fair and equitable confidential settlement,” her attorney Michael Willemin said

in a statement. Casucci, who worked in the company’s tax division, alleged in a complaint filed last month with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that E&Y failed to act after she reported the 2015 incident.

“We are pleased to have reached this resolution,” John La Place, a spokesman for E&Y said in an e-mail.

Casucci alleged she was at a dueling

piano restaurant called Jellyrolls at the resort in June 2015 when another par tner, John Mar tinkat, “groped and squeezed Ms. Casucci’s rear end w i t h b o t h h a n d s,” “g ra b b e d a n d aggressively squeezed her breasts” and then propositioned her, according to her complaint. The two were attending a conference in Orlando with other E&Y employees. Bloomberg News

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Saturday, May 5, 2018

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CAGAYAN DE ORO BOXERS SHINE IN MINDANAO FINALS

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LA SALLE’S AMAZING TROIKA F Kim Kianna Dy, Dawn Nicole Macandili and Mary Joy Baron were gems in the rough when De La Salle Head Coach Ramil de Jesus spot them five seasons ago.

sacrifices, all our hardships were worth it. We reached our goal of exiting with a championship,” the graduating opposite spiker Dy said Baron, one of a few volleyball stars to emerge out of Tarlac, showed some improvements in Season 78 when she won the Best Blocker award. But she bloomed as a superstar the following year with her consistency and efficiency and became the Season 79 MVP. She, too, rose to the occasion as De La Salle got Ateneo’s number for a second consecutive year.

“It’s very fulfilling, the five years that I was with De La Salle, and now that I finished my career as a champion again,” the middle blocker said. “Coach [de Jesus] does not compliment your performance even if it was a good one. So for us, we learned to keep on improving, not settling with what you have. And I think the key to our success was his perseverance in teaching us and pushing us to the limits.”

After six straight seasons of a De La SalleAteneo Finals, the Lady Spikers met an old foe, the Lady Tamaraws, in a Finals rematch that took nine

seasons to materialize.

The championship experience the three senior Lady Spikers possed propelled them past the Lady Tamaraws, with Macandili also delivering the goods when it mattered most.

The 5-feet multiawarded Macandili already built a vaunted reputation when she was named Asia’s Second Best Libero in last year’s Asian Women’s Seniors Volleyball championship. In the recent UAAP Finals, she laced her credentials by earning the Finals MVP trophy.

“Coach [Ramil] did not only develop my skills but also my character, inside and outside the court,” Macandili said. “My last playing year gave me a huge pressure because I wanted to leave the team with something they will remember.”

In de Jesus’s case—he has been De La Salle’s women’s volleyball coach for two decades, winning 11 titles all in all and in the process booking three “three-peat” reigns— players come and go in Taft. But considering the case of Dy, Macandili and Baron, the Lady Spikers will not run out of championship talents. Lance Agcaoili

Viewers see vulnerable Serena in 5-part TV series

IN this photo provided by HBO, Serena Williams holds her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanion Jr., in a scene from Being Serena. AP

IVE years ago, De La Salle Head Coach Ramil de Jesus recruited two girls from De La Salle Zobel High School—Kim Kianna Dy and Dawn Nicole Macandili—and tapped a tall young lady named Mary Joy Baron in an intercollegiate league in Baguio City.

De Jesus intended to mold the three girls into championship caliber as De La Salle was in a rebuilding stage in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) women’s volleyball tournament.

He did not expect much from Baron except for her standing at 5-foot-11. Dy? Her athleticism showed a lot of potential then, while Macandili was a hard worker.

“Honestly? I thought the that they will give me headaches,” de Jesus said.

Fast forward to the just-concluded UAAP Season 80 and the troika capped their collegiate careers with three straight championships.

“In my 20 seasons with De La Salle, it rarely happens

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HE first episode of Being Serena, a five-part documentary series on HBO about Serena Williams, closes with the tennis great in a hospital bed, about to have a C-section.

Just before the screen fades, a voiceover from Williams is heard: “I was terrified. And it was a whole new kind of fear. Tennis? I don’t think it ever felt so far away. And I don’t think my life ever felt so unsure.”

That is just one example of the images and words that show vulnerability the world is not accustomed to seeing—or hearing—from the owner of 23 Grand Slam singles championships, someone whose on-court game is built, at least in part, on intimidating power.

Being Serena, airing on Wednesday nights starting this week, offers viewers a chance to feel as if they are getting to know the athlete better. There is the footage, including in the delivery room when Williams gave

that a very talented player comes to our team. These three are just hard workers, that is why they leveled up,” de Jesus said. “And I am very thankful to them and proud of what they reached because wherever they will go— club teams or national team—they deserve it.”

Dy, Macandili and Baron were instrumental in leading De La Salle to its 11th UAAP title—and a third three-peat—following the Lady Spikers’ 26-24, 25-20, 26-24 Game Two victory over the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws last Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The dominant troika won three championships with each of them owning her own shining.

Dy, a bench-warmer in her first two seasons, had a breakthrough in Season 78 when she was converted to opposite spiker and became the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the x factor in the team’s road to redemption—they were dominated by archrival Ateneo for two straight seasons when Alyssa Valdez hounded it over the league.

“I am very thankful for everything, all our

birth to her daughter on September 1. And there are interviews, including with Williams; her husband, Reddit cofounder Alex Ohanian; her tennis-playing sister, Venus; another sibling; their mother; and Williams’s agent, Jill Smoller.

The debut episode is titled “Fear.” The other episode provided to reviewers is called “Strength.”

Those first two installments mainly focus on Williams’s pregnancy, her difficult childbirth and her thoughts on motherhood.

“There’s no escaping the fear: The fear that I might not come back as strong as I was. The fear that I can’t be both the best mother and the best tennis player in the world. I guess my only choice is to live and find out,” Williams says at one point.

She cries as she recounts the pulmonary embolism that made it hard for her to breathe shortly after her child was born.

There are also lighthearted moments, such as

this exchange:

Ohanian: “What did you say when someone said that our little girl was going to win Wimbledon in, like, 15-20 years?”

Williams: “Not if I’m still on tour.”

Ohanian: “You’re ridiculous.”

The second episode closes with Williams heading to the practice court, seven weeks after becoming a mom, ready to get her comeback to the tour started.

“I was thinking that I could just feel it around. Just probably hit some groundstrokes and see if I still have it, you know? Or need to pursue a different career,” Williams says with a chuckle.

She won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant and has not played in a major tournament since.

Her next chance to take the Grand Slam stage could come at the French Open, which starts May 27.

“I have more tennis to play,” Williams says in episode No. 2. “I have my life to live.” AP

OWERHOUSE Cagayan de Oro City dominated the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)-Senator Manny Pacquiao Amateur Boxing Cup Mindanao Finals by harvesting 10 gold and one silver medals recently at the Almendras Gym Davao City Recreation Center in Davao City.

John Paul Panuayan proved too strong for Kidapawan City’s Jan Reyan Daperan in a referee-stopped-contest verdict 25 seconds in the second round of their youth boys lightweight division clash.

John Ignatius Macas, Kim Bryan Cabrillos, John Erl Palivino, Mark Lester Durens, Jessa Lycca Caranagan, Elaide Pamisa and Dave Bryan Caspe bagged one gold medal each for the Cagayan de Oro stable.

Macas scored a unanimous 5-0 win over Jobert Paala of Sultan Kudarat in youth boys flyweight division of the tournament coorganized by the PSC and the Philippine Sports Institute.

Pamisa and Caspe pulled off walkover wins over Allysa Gleza Mae Balaba in youth girls light flyweight and Kim Delmar Macaangga of Digos City in junior boys bantamweight, respectively.

Cabrillos (junior boys light bantamweight), Palivino (junior boys flyweight), Durens (junior boys light flyweight) and Caranagan (junior girls light light flyweight) also demolished their respective opponents.

Cabrillos defeated Almar Rigor of Digos, 5-0, while Palivino beat Rhonan de la Peña of General Santos City, 5-0. Durens also clinched the gold over Rey John Apale of Digos, 5-0, as Caranagan overcame Kidapawan’s Mearyldyan Manso, 4-1.

Cagayan de Oro missed an 11th gold medal when Peter John Payla lost to Joven Paala of Sultan Kudarat in a split decision, 3-2, in a junior boys pinweight collision.

Pomolok’s (South Cotabato) Jake Sone Saludar, brother of former Asian Games champion Rey Saludar, defeated Ariel Almamento of General City, 5-0, in youth boys light flyweight.

Cagayan de Oro Coach Elmer Pamisa thanked Mayor Oscar Moreno for his all-out support to the team.

Pamisa said their boxers’ discipline in training and the support of Moreno were key to their dominance in amateur boxing in recent years. Northern Mindanao to which Cagayan de Oro belongs also emerged overall champion in the recent Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Sur. “We won’t be as dominating if not for Mayor Moreno’s support,” said Pamisa, hoping that the city also win gold medals as the tournament progresses with the preliminary round of the national championship in Mandaluyong City on June 16 and 17.

PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond A. Maxey, meanwhile, said the grassroots boxing program is the bridge for boxers to realize their dreams.

“I believe the first Olympic gold will come from Mindanao, and boxing plays a big part in making it happen,” said Maxey, who presented a plaque of appreciation to host Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Sports Development Division chief Michael Denton Aportadera received it on her behalf.

Bayking extends win streak in Bais

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LISS BAYKING extended her winning ways from Maasin in Leyte by dominating the recent Bais City leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series with two individual titles and one doubles crown.

A native of San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, Bayking breezed past Cebu City’s Pherl Bless Coderos, 6-2, 6-0, to snatch the girls’ 16-under crown and followed it up with another easy 6-1, 6-2 win over Tayasan’s (Negros Oriental) Sunzel Faith Callao to bag the 18-under title.

Bayking, who clinched three crowns in the Maasin leg, teamed up with Shedel Aighey Gica and beat Callao and Mariepol Lacpao, 8-1, in the 18-under final.

Naga City’s Venz Louise Alforque also emerged a double winner in the tournament supported by Dunlop. He ruled the boys’ 16-under with a clinical 6-1, 6-3 victory over Zamboanga del Sur’s Lex Estillore and, together with Cesar Kristofer Salimbangon, beat the duo of Ashton Benne Villanueva and Estillore, 8-3, for the 18-under doubles trophy.

“Again, what we are witnessing is a mix of old faces and new ones as winners in the ongoing series, proof that there are a lot of potential talents in the provinces just waiting to be discovered,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier Group that has been bankrolling the grassroots tennis developmental program for 12 straight years.

Cebu City’s Marc Nicole Suson regained the boys’ 18-under title he lost to Stephen Zion Guia in Maasin by beating Alforque, 6-2, 6-1, while Salimbangon ruled the boys’ 14-under at the expense of Dumaguete City’s Randy Tatoy, 6-4, ,6-2.

Naga City’s Jonathan Mitch Largo topped the boys’ 12-under following his 6-2,6-1 victory over Asturias’s (Cebu) Douglas Maravillas and along with the other winners, received his trophy from Cebuana Lhuillier Branch Manager John Peter Diago and Customer Relations Assistant Erleen Joy Martinez.

Ma. Julianna Maravillas defeated Shyrrhyn Callao 6-1, 6-0, to rule the girls’ 14-under crown, while Siquijor’s Faith Kiarrah Banico went home with the 12-under title with a 7-5,6-4 victory over 10-under unisex champion Shara Louise Paliwag of Valencia, Negros Oriental.

Paliwag beat Tayasan’s Daveaine Therese Gauran, 4-2, 4-1, in the youngest age group.

The other doubles winners were Gauran and Paliwag in 10-under, Tatoy and Simon Anqui in boys’ 14-under and Banico and Sheyna Yu in girls’ 14-under.

A6 Saturday, May 5, 2018 | Editor: Mike Besa

Sherwood Hills Golf Club THE International Association of Golf Tour Operators, Philippine Tourism Promotions Board and Department of Tourism meet at World Travel Market.

Asian Golf Tourism Convention

Still one of the courses in the Eighteen is one of the strongest holes on the golf course.

The Philippines embraces golf tourism A lthough we live in the digital age, the Philippines has managed to remain off the chart in the world of golf tourism. Given the beauty and quality of the golf on offer here, it strikes many as odd that the country has done little to develop a potentially lucrative resource.

Golf tourism is a 250-billiondollar industry worldwide.

According to statistics shared with us by Peter Walton, chief executive of the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), there are roughly 70 million golfers in the world, and at least half of them have taken a golf vacation at some point in their lives, and 25 percent of said golfers plan golf vacations every year. Consider that the average golf tourist spends more per person than the average tourist at any given destination and you quickly realize that it would be foolish for the Philippines to continue to do nothing.

Through the initiative of the Association of Inbound Golf Tourism Philippines, the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board, the country played host to the IAGTOs’ Asian Golf Tourism Convention (AGTC), the biggest golf travel fair in Asia, in an attempt to jumpstart the country’s golf tourism market and to showcase to the world that it is, indeed, more fun in the Philippines.

Walton relayed in his opening address, “Thanks to the efforts of the Philippines Department of Tourism and its Tourism Promotion Board, the world’s leading golf tour operators will see for themselves an amazing array of golf experiences— including the Tagaytay Highlands, Clark/Angeles City and Metro Manila—for the first time, in the case of the majority of them. At the convention itself, close to 1,000 meetings will take place between international tour operators and Philippine golf course, hotels, inbound operators and other golf tourism suppliers.

I have no doubt that this will lead to an immediate and sustainable growth in golf tourism to the Philippines.”

He added: “Golfers spend 120 percent more per person per

day in destination compared to general leisure tourists—more than double. This is revenue for the country’s tourism industry and not just the golf courses, as 75 percent of spending is concentrated on hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation.”

Now in its seventh year, the AGTC is also designed to showcase the host destination to the participating golf tour operators, to generate sustainable growth in golf travel to the host destination of this high-revenue, low-impact tourism sector.

Given that quite little was known by the world golf tourism market about the Philippines and what it had to offer, the number of delegates to this edition of the AGTC was up by 25 percent over last year’s meeting in Vietnam.

AGTC 2018 attracted over 560 participants, including 200 plus golf tour operators from 33 countries.

A record number of golf tour operators (over 160) participated in golf familiarization tours before and after the Convention, experiencing firsthand what the Philippines has to offer the international golf traveler.

Golf tourism is a blue-sky opportunity for the country. We might not have as many golf courses as the industry leaders in the region, but the golf courses that we do have can compare to any in the region. Right now, the most pressing issue is for the Philippines to cope with the demand that the AGTC is sure to generate and to address any shortcomings that might have become evident in the course of the convention.

In the end, it will take a coordinated effort between all the industry stakeholders to build our foundling golf tourism industry into one as robust and as profitable as our neighbors, China, Thailand and Malaysia.

Yes, there are prevailing issues that have limited the industry’s growth in the past. But that was then, this is now. Today’s reality is that the golf clubs, tour operators and government are now all at the same table working toward a common goal. If we can keep this up, good things are bound to happen. Mike Besa

International Association of Golf Tour Operators-Asia Golf Tourism Convention

S

Story & photos

by Mike Besa

herwood Hills Golf Club had been a hideaway golf course for myself and a few of my Pinoy golfer friends over the years. It is very well run and always in tremendous condition. It is an awesome golf course with tremendous variety; enough to keep even the hardest core golfers thoroughly entertained. For the quality of golf on tap here, there are remarkably few golfers on the fairways.

A shame, really.

Sherwood Hills holds down a place in my top 5 golf courses in the country. We’re speaking just about the golf experience, nothing else. It’s a Jack Nicklaus signature course—one of only three in the country (the other two are at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club) and is arguably his favorite and most memorable in the country. The story is now legend of how Nicklaus toured the property on the back of a truck and offered to cut his fee, just to make sure that he got to build the golf course.

Sherwood Hills is the quintessential

The PGA Tour’s fifth major T

he illustrious list of champions is second to none, and includes golfing giants such as Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Adam Scott, Nick Price, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler.

Throw in one of the richest prize purses in the world of golf at $10.5 million, this showpiece event on the PGA Tour glitters among the rest where its home venue at TPC Sawgrass offers what players believe to be the truest test in the game.

And to top it all, it showcases the strongest field assembled anywhere around the world where there are no amateurs, no qualifiers, no sponsor exemptions and no club professionals, just the very best golfers on the planet going toe-to-toe to battle for the right to be known as The Players champions.

Welcome to The Players Championship, the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament. Exemplifying excellence, every facet representing The Players has a touch of prestige and class as it annually provides the stage for drama, golfing history and excitement to unfold at the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass.

Such has been its growing stature since its inauguration in 1974, commentators and golfers have labelled it as the unofficial “fifth major” in the men’s game, but in reality, The Players Championship should probably be best known simply as The Players, where the event’s name is stylized in caps for one

reason that it stands above the rest.

The who’s who in men’s golf will gather at TPC Sawgrass from May 10 to 13, knowing that victory will come with a champion’s cheque of $1.89 million plus other perks including a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour. And oh, it comes with bragging rights to be known as The Players champion.

Rickie Fowler, winner of the tournament in 2016, said: “It’s one of the toughest courses we play all year. Probably the toughest field that we play all year. So, you got to be—I mean whoever is winning is taking care of business, beating the best players at the time and conquering one of the toughest courses that we play.”

“The field is as strong as any field in the game of golf,” professed Adam Scott, The Players champion in 2004. “The tournament has gained stature throughout the years.”

When 14-time major winner Tiger Woods claimed the first of his two Players Championships in 2001, he was over the moon. “It is special to be able to win a championship like this, on an extremely demanding golf course, with probably the best field assembled in all of golf—all of golf for the entire year. It is extremely rewarding to do that. And like everybody is saying, it’s probably the fifth major,” Woods said.

Those yet to have their names enshrined on the Roll of Honour are driven to do so as it provides

minimalist golf course. Nicklaus could see the golf course just sitting there waiting to be uncovered. A minimum of earthmoving was required to uncover it, and what a gem it turned out to be. There are no ornate flower beds or other frills here. Sherwood hills is all about great golf and nothing but. Golf Digest has twice bestowed the club with their architectural award as the best golf course in the country. There are compelling reasons for it.

The golf course features some of the best par 4s in the country. They’re strong and most are long; from the tips only two are under 400 yards.

They form the primary defense of the golf course.

If you want to score well, you need to strike the ball well or play one of the forward tees. Your entire repertoire will be tested here.

The par 3s are a good mix of beauty and difficulty. Sixteen is one of most beautiful par 3s in the country, while two, played from the tips, is certainly one of the most difficult. The par 5s represent the best scoring opportunities—play them well, and a birdie isn’t an unreasonable expectation.

The fairways at the club play much tighter than others in the area. This was a route taken

the gloss to their CV. Jordan Spieth, a four-time major winner and the FedExCup champion in 2015, is amongst those gunning for success this May. “It is the toughest tournament to win in golf, and recognizing that makes you know who you’re playing against, and at this stage, and this is a major championship,” Spieth said.

Its depth is probably the reason no player has succeeded in defending his title. South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, who stunned the field last year to emerge as the youngest Players champion, will take another stab at history. “I would like to change that,” he said.

Aside from contending against the crème de la crème, players have to negotiate the Stadium Course, which some say simply messes with golfers’ heads. David Duval, champion in 1999 and now a TV pundit, warned: “It tests basically everything from a mechanical and hitting standpoint, as well as to a mental approach. This golf course is tough.

You’ve got to have all facets of your game working if you want to contend around here.”

One of the key features of the Pete Dyedesigned Stadium course is the fact that it was created with the fan experience built into its DNA. This fan friendliness spreads throughout the tournament experience including all the modern amenities and technology that today’s fans expect, but the highlight by far is the views of golf that are unlike any other tournament in the world.

The closing stretch of holes, including the famous island-green par 3, 17th hole have become as familiar as any on the golf calendar.

Food, fun, charity and junior golf initiatives, golf merchandise, kids’ zone, dedicated autograph zones, recycling efforts and even a church chapel service form the many activities and services surrounding The Players Championship. More than 200,000 fans have come through the turnstiles annually.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan has often been asked how he would define the status of The Players Championship. “It’s our showcase of excellence. We continue to do everything we can to enhance every facet of this event. And we do that so that you all and our fans can talk about its significance. This is one of the greatest championships in the world, and we’re excited about it.

“Our focus is making it the best championship it can possibly be, the best championship in the world, and how people assess it, how the media assesses it, how our players, what their perspective is on it, that’s part of the public discourse. But we think we’re going to compete like heck to continue to do everything we can to raise the profile of this great championship.” n Chuah Choo Chiang is senior director, communications, on the PGA Tour and is based in TPC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

www.pinoygolfer.com | Saturday, May 5, 2018 A7

e best golf country prepared to address this.

They are planning to redo the greens and will replace the tifdwarf turf (that has played remarkably well over the years) with tifeagle, a micro-Bermuda that has become the preferred putting surface with the best golf clubs in the country. The club is currently testing the new turf on thirteen and if all goes well, they will proceed to work on the rest of the greens.

There is a tremendous diversity of the holes at Sherwood Hills. No two are even remotely like each other. Amazing given that Nicklaus saw all of this from the back of a flatbed truck.

It is this variety that keeps us coming back. In the right condition, Sherwood Hills deserves every accolade heaped upon it.

There are so many memorable holes here that it is difficult to choose a favorite. The two shorter par fours are gems. Seven plays 388 yards from the gold tees and more important is the only hole on the golf course that rewards a draw. Nicklaus is famous for designing his courses for faders and this is what makes seven unique. A huge bunker guards the ideal landing area off the tee. Get out of position here and the chances of hitting the elevated green are remote.

Ten is the most beautiful hole on the golf course. Playing just 366 yards from the back tees; something other than a driver is appropriate off the tee because the lake on the left runs beyond the fairway and borders the left side of the slender green. A large bunker defends the right side of the green, lying in wait for those who cheat to that side.

The closing holes on both nines are the strongest on the golf course. Nine is the handicap one; 462 yards from the tips over two bodies of water to an elevated green. The green is the largest on the property; built to receive an approach shot from long distance.

Sixteen is one of the most beautiful par 3s in the country.

by the club early on given the water issues that plague all the Cavite golf clubs. This adds another degree of difficulty to playing Sherwood but also adds another dimension to playing here—it is one of just a few that encourages running the ball up onto the green from the fairway.

The greens are a delight. They are indubitably among the very best in the country. They are set at oblique angles to the fairway and demand a good strike to hold the ball. They are always quick and roll perfectly true. They are showing a bit of wear and some infestation by foreign grasses, but the club is

Eighteen is about the same length but offers just one water hazard to deal with. The thing is that it comes right up to the fringe of the green.

It’s going to take a lot of intestinal fortitude to go after that back left pin over the fat part of the lake.

If the golf is so good, then why are there so few golfers on Sherwood Hills’ fairways?

In a word, access.

When we first started playing Sherwood Hills, it was a 50-minute drive from Makati. Today the drive requires an hour and a half. It’s been enough to drive away all but the most dedicated golfers.

There are many other golf courses within an hour of the city and while Sherwood Hills is superior to many of them, the time required to drive there and back are too much for most to bear.

It’s a few years off but salvation might be at hand in the form of the Calaex. An underconstruction expressway, the four-lane 47-kilometer-long (29 mi) expressway will connect Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite to Slex-Mamplasan Interchange and will cost an estimated P35.42 billion. When constructed, it is expected to ease the traffic in the Cavite-Laguna region, particularly in Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay-Santa Rosa Road and Governor’s Drive.

For the clubs deep into Cavite like Riviera, Eagle Ridge and Sherwood Hills, the completion of the Calaex can’t come too soon. The clubs are optimistic that the new expressway’s completion will bring golfers back to their fairways and chances are good that it will. After all these are some of the best courses in the country and it shouldn’t take much to convince golfers to shift some playing time their way.

This should be good news for us all. Kudos then to the current government and their build, build, build initiative. This is sure to jump-start provincial economies all over the country. These are exciting times for golf in the country.

KIM’S NO KID

PGA TOUR

Si-woo Kim continues to grow after 2017 Players win The 22-year-old aims to become first repeat champion at TPC Sawgrass

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ostalgia litters the champions’ dining room at TPC Sawgrass, where framed portraits of Si-woo Kim adorn dark wood walls and mementoes of his highest achievement sit proudly atop mantelpieces.

Fond memories of the 22-year-old’s triumph at The Players Championship remain fresh inside the doors to this exclusive room, not far from the Stadium Course, where he won the event in stunning fashion last May. The memories all came rushing back to the South Korean when he returned earlier this spring to the site of his win.

“It’s my first time [coming back] since lifting up the trophy last year,” he said. “Coming back to this course has been so amazing. To see my pictures up on the wall, to drive up to this course, it brings back a lot of memories.”

Kim was the youngest winner in Players’ history when he captured the 2017 event at age 21. But he doesn’t look much like a pupil these days. He’s back at the Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, club on this day to unveil his signature TPC Sawgrass menu item—Korean barbeque short ribs—and donate his championship-winning driver to the club, alongside other past winners’ clubs like Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Now, the two-time Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour winner looks every bit the part of a seasoned veteran. “My first win at [the 2016] Wyndham [Championship], I was actually very nervous, because I didn’t have any experience winning,” he recalled. “But entering Players, I was going for my second win, so I felt a little more comfortable in that sense. But going into that season, I was battling back injury, and I was feeling nervous just being at the fifth major.”

That nagging back injury was merely one part of Kim’s challenging adjustment to life on the PGA Tour.

The Seoul, South Korea, native not only struggled getting accustomed to everyday life in the United States, but he also had to re-earn his Tour card after missing the cut in each of his first six starts in 2013—which came after he already deferred his debut for six months because he wasn’t yet old enough to compete (the PGA Tour has a minimum membership age limit of 18 years old, and Kim earned his card at 2012’s qualifying school at just 17 years, five months).

Add in that recurring back problem last season—which plagued him not only during his Players win, but in the weeks that followed— and it’s evident his early years on Tour have been anything but easy.

“I think coming to the States, and living in the States, has helped me really mature as a person,” he said. “The first couple of years I had a really hard time adjusting. I was really lonely a lot of the time, but I think living here and fighting through that has helped me really mature and grow as a person.

“I think food was a tough part for me, and also transportation,” he added.

“In Korea, when you’re done [playing] you drive, but here, since the country is so big, you have to fly everywhere. So for me, that was really difficult, and just not having a lot of friends here.”

Now, more than five years later, his steady growth and maturity both on the course and off appear to be on full display. He earned back his card after two solid seasons on the Web. com Tour—which included a win at the 2015 Stonebrae Classic. Kim then reintroduced himself to the PGA Tour with authority in 2016. His rookie season saw him advance all the way to the FedExCup Playoffs, becoming one of just two rookies to earn a spot in the Tour Championship, joining eventual PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Emiliano Grillo.

Kim’s rookie season was highlighted, of course, by his win at in Greensboro, which came, thanks in part, to a course-record, 10-under 60 in a second round. That 60 included eight birdies and an eagle. His 21-under 259 tied a course record and made him the youngest player to win on Tour that season.

With first-win jitters out of the way, Kim notched his second victory the following year at The Players, where he once again became that tournament’s youngest winner. He got up and down 10 times during a bogey-free Sunday round, went 16-for-22 in scrambling for the week and boldly opted to use his driver off the deck on the par-4 14th, 270 yards from the hole.

That shot landed on the front part of the green, helping him make par.

The win made Kim one of only four players in the last 25 years with two tournament titles before his 22nd birthday, joining Woods, Sergio Garcia and Jordan Spieth.

“I was very proud of Si Woo, to see how he was focused and kept calm throughout the tournament,” said fellow South Korean K.J. Choi, an idol of Kim’s and the 2011 Players champion. “I really saw the bright future of Korean golf, to see a young guy like Siwoo win The Players Championship. I was really proud of him.”

It was Choi who aided Kim in his path to victory in Ponte Vedra Beach, as he provided valuable insight into the Stadium Course layout during practice, before sharing his own experience and emotions of being atop the leaderboard ahead of Kim’s final round. It’s no surprise, then, that the 47-year-old was one of the first to reach out to the burgeoning star following his victory.

“K.J. actually gave me a call after I won Players, and he congratulated me that way,” Kim recalled. “It’s such an honor and an amazing feeling to share that with another Korean, to have two Koreans win this tournament.

“When I went back to the THE CJ CUP, I brought the trophy back to Korea, and we took a nice picture together. Going forward, I hope to win more tournaments for Korea. It’s just been an honor to share that with K.J.” Choi and Kim remain the lone South Koreans to win The Players, and both will take their shot at a return to the winner’s circle from May 8 to 13 at TPC Sawgrass.

Any title defence will not come easy. No PGA Tour player has ever won The Players in consecutive years.

“I actually heard that after I won last year,” he said. “Someone told me that there haven’t been any back-to-back champions.

I’ve noticed a lot of champions that come back don’t play well. I would like to change that, and I’m

preparing hard to come back and defend my title this year.”

Kim believes the pressure of high expectations following The Players hindered him late last season and early

this year, as evidenced by the mixed bag of results thus far for the now-22-year-old. He has a trio of top-10 finishes, finishing third at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, 10th at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and tied for ninth at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play in late-March. But he has finished no higher than 35th in any other start. He’s currently 49th in the FedExCup Standings and 50th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Sound familiar?

“Entering last year, I noticed that all of the players in the field were ranked higher than me,” he said, laughing.

Kim will carry an air of confidence with him into this year’s Players Championship.

He understands how to navigate the vaunted Stadium Course, has experienced the adrenaline that comes with a Sunday round atop the leaderboard and now knows what it feels like to return as a champion.

He faces a big test as all the Tour’s big guns—Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Jason Day, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed—have already won tournaments this season.

It has all the makings of a repeat performance. “My shot-making has been great, my putting has been great, and it’s given me a lot of confidence in my game,” he said. “I know the short game is very important at this course and at this tournament, so I’m going to go in with a lot of confidence and just work hard on my game.”

That confidence has always been a work-inprogress since he first burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 2012. And with all the adversity he faced giving way to newfound maturity, he believes he’s positioned himself for a long career in the United States.

“I just need to eat Korean food,” he said, laughing.

PGA TOUR

Kim

A8 Saturday, May 5, 2018 • Editor: Efleda P. Campos

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www.businessmirror.com.ph

A TRIBUTE TO THE VICTIMS OF SLAVERY IN THE U.S.

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ROM the bottom of a gentle grassy slope 100 feet away, the rusted steel columns look like nothing remarkable. Lined up in rows under an open-air shed, they could be abandoned I-beams or castoffs from an old railroad bridge. Then, before you know it, you’re among them. Hundreds of reddish-brown hulls, each maybe 6 feet tall, surrounding you. Each bolted to a thick metal post anchored not to the floor but to the ceiling. Each—you imagine, feeling a bit crazy—watching.

You’d turn and run right out of there if you could.

Then you see the names. Simon Jenkins. 7.17.1877. Frank Harrell.

02.09.1893. Unknown. 08.08.1883.

Stenciled into the face of each column, the names of the men and women hanged, shot, drowned, beaten and burned because of the color of their skin. The columns— more than 800—are the heart of the stunning new National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opens on

April 26, in Montgomery, Alabama.

They represent the counties throughout the South and across America where lynchings were carried out with impunity. So far, researchers have documented more than 4,400 killings starting from the end of Reconstruction in 1877, a campaign of racial terror by white people against black and brown people lasting more than seven decades.

If the memorial were simply an accounting of all those names lost

to history, it would be devastating enough. But as you walk among them, two things happen: The wooden path under your feet begins to descend and the columns appear to rise. They rise until they are suspended above your head, unreadable and unreachable, a forest of scarred brown figures.

There are no more names, only a growing pressure on your chest as you try to absorb the scope of it all.

The memorial is the work of the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal rights organization in Montgomery, and its director, Bryan Stevenson, who started representing impoverished death-row inmates in Alabama 30 years ago. As his work expanded to

AN APOLOGY IN last issue of Our Time’s page, in the story titled “After years of neglect, Taiwan apologizes to indigenous tribes,” the BusinessMirror inadvertently referred to Taiwan’s official name as People’s Republic of China. Our sincere apologies to Taiwan, the Republic of China.

So the South’s White Terror will never be forgotten

T

HE carnivals of death where AfricanAmerican men, women and children were hanged, burned and dismembered as cheering crowds of whites looked on were the cornerstone of white supremacist rule in the Jim Crow-era South. These bloody spectacles terrified black communities into submission and showed whites that there would be no price to pay for murdering black people who asserted the right to vote, competed with whites in business—or so much as brushed against a white person on the sidewalk.

The lynching belt states looked away from this history, even as they developed now-popular tourism programs that attract visitors to churches, schools, courthouses and other landmarks associated with the civil rights movement. The long-neglected chapter of this story becomes breathtakingly visible on Thursday in Montgomery, Alabama, where the nonprofit Equal Justice Initiative will inaugurate two institutions focused on racial-terror lynching as the practice manifested itself between the late-19th and mid-20th centuries.

The Legacy Museum, which is not far from the place where enslaved African-Americans entered Alabama’s capital city in chains, frankly explores how lynch mobs sought to preserve slavery and how the contempt for black life exemplified by extralegal hangings took new forms, like the death penalty and mass incarceration.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice—a sprawling 6-acre site overlooking Montgomery—represents America’s first major effort to confront the vast scope of the racial-terror lynchings that ravaged the African-American community in the South. The memorial bears the names of more than 4,400 African-Americans who were victims of terror killings during this period— inscribed on more than 800 steel pillars that also bear the names of the counties where the lynchings occurred. A duplicate set of pillars has been made available to counties that wish to own up to their histories by commemorating the lynching dead within their borders.

Among the dead remembered at the memorial is Frazier Baker, a family man and teacher who was targeted for lynching when the McKinley administration named him postmaster of the majority-white community of Lake City, South

Carolina, in 1897. Whites who were angered by the elevation of a black person petitioned the government for his removal, tried to assassinate him and eventually burned the Lake City post office to the ground.

Refusing to give up the job, Baker moved the post office into his home. During the earlymorning hours of February 22, 1898, a mob set fire to the Baker home and fired a hail of bullets as the family tried to flee. Baker and his infant daughter, Julia, were killed. His wife was wounded and would no doubt have died had neighbors not pulled her away from the flames. The case conformed to an established pattern when a jury failed to convict those charged with the crime.

The memorial is the culmination of an effort that began nearly a decade ago, when the institute, led by the civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, began combing the historical record to try to gauge the full scope of the racial-terror killings that took place between 1877 and 1950.

Strikingly, the institute turned up 800 more lynchings than had been reported in the 12 Southern states it examined. The researchers also documented 300 lynchings in other states during this time period.

Different groups of African-Americans were targeted for what mobs referred to as “lynching bees” and “Negro barbecues” during different periods. Between 1915 and 1940, those selected for killing commonly included sharecroppers, ministers and community leaders who resisted mistreatment or agitated for equal rights.

The institute also learned that people who had attended lynchings as children were still alive. After the first report appeared in 2015, a Florida man called to report that his grandfather had taken him to a lynching when he was 6 years old. Another caller reported that two uncles had been among the 500 people who attended the lynching of Commodore Jones, hanged in 1911 in Farmersville, Texas, on the charge of insulting a white person.

Despite countless horrors like these, Southerners in the US Senate repeatedly prevented Congress from declaring lynching a federal crime.

In 2005 the Senate finally apologized to the descendants of victims for failing to act while the reign of racial terror swept the South.

New York Times News Service

include juveniles and other vulnerable people trapped in the criminal justice system, he realized he needed to think broadly about the role of racism in American history.

“I think of it like smog,” Stevenson said last week at his office in downtown Montgomery. “It’s just in the air—anyone living in this country has inherited a narrative of racial difference that shapes the way we see the world.”

Americans’ refusal to fully confront our own past, he said, has bound us to that narrative. “Nobody is required to learn about slavery.

Nobody’s required to learn about lynching. You’re not required to think about segregation. And in fact, you’re

encouraged to not do those things.”

How do we begin to do those things? Stevenson is a very good lawyer, and he knows that the most effective way to make your case— particularly to people who see the world very differently from you—is not with outrage and condemnation but with a slow, thorough accumulation of evidence and argument leading to an inevitable conclusion.

That’s how he has won a series of landmark criminal justice cases at the Supreme Court, and it’s how he has approached the project of ending what he calls America’s “reign of silence” around slavery, lynching and racial subjugation. A few years ago, he tested the waters by getting city officials to let him erect a series of historical markers indicating where a slave warehouse or market once stood. It was an impressive feat in a place where, despite its significance to the modern civil-rights movement, many residents remain invested in a different narrative—the one that emphasizes, for example, that it is home to the first “White House” of the Confederacy.

The memorial was a far bigger task, of course (it has an accompanying museum downtown that ties slavery to mass incarceration), but it reflects the same lawyerly deliberativeness and attention to detail. Stevenson and his team included only lynchings that could be verified by

two contemporaneous accounts, and they were deeply involved in every element of the design, down to what plantings would line the pathways.

This creates a feeling of welcome—surprising, perhaps, in the context of such a damning exhibit, but natural for Stevenson, who sees the potential for growth and change in everyone, his fellow citizens no less than his clients on death row.

“In these communities where people actually cheered and celebrated while black people were burned and brutalized, you want people to recover, to repent,” he said.

“Not just because you want to see them on their knees, but because you know that on the other side of that there’s a kind of liberation. There’s a kind of redemption.”

The price of that redemption, though, is clear: A willingness to face up to America’s brutal and racist past with open eyes, and to understand how it lives on in different forms today.

“You know, when it rains, that rainwater turns copper, it turns red and it drips off of those things,” Stevenson said of the columns. “And because the violence, the terror, of lynchings was lifted up over communities to taunt and terrorize, you can’t have an awareness of that history without those monuments rising.” New York Times News Service

A LYNCHING MEMORIAL OPENS

M

ONTGOMERY, Alabama—In a plain brown building sits an office run by the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles, a place for people who have been held accountable for their crimes and duly expressed remorse.

Just a few yards up the street lies a different kind of rehabilitation center, for a country that has not been held to nearly the same standard.

The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which opened on April 26 on a 6-acre site overlooking the Alabama state capital, is dedicated to the victims of American white supremacy. And it demands a reckoning with one of the nation’s least recognized atrocities: the lynching of thousands of black people in a decades-long campaign of racist terror.

At the center is a grim cloister, a walkway with 800 weathered steel columns, all hanging from a roof. Etched on each column is the name of a United States county and the people who were lynched there, most listed by name, many simply as “unknown.” The columns meet you first at eye level, like the headstones that lynching victims were rarely given. But as you walk, the floor steadily descends; by the end, the columns are all dangling above, leaving you in the position of the callous spectators in old photographs of public lynchings.

The magnitude of the killing is harrowing, all the more so when paired with the circumstances of individual lynchings, some described in brief summaries along the walk: Parks Banks, lynched in Mississippi in 1922 for carrying a photograph of a white woman; Caleb Gadly, hanged in Kentucky in 1894 for “walking behind the wife of his white employer;” Mary Turner, who after denouncing her husband’s lynching by a rampaging white mob, was hung upside down, burned and then sliced open so that her unborn child fell to the ground.

There is nothing like it in the country.

Which is the point.

“Just seeing the names of all these people,” said Bryan Stevenson, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, the nonprofit organization behind the memorial. Many of them, he said, “have never been named in public.”

Stevenson and a small group of lawyers spent years immersing themselves in archives and county libraries to document the thousands of racial-terror lynchings across the South. They have cataloged nearly 4,400 in total.

Inspired by the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, Stevenson decided that a single memorial was the most powerful way to give a sense of the scale of the bloodshed.

But also at the site are duplicates of each steel column, lined up in rows like coffins, intended to be disseminated around the country to the counties where lynchings were carried out. People in these counties can request them—dozens of such requests have already been made— but they must show that they have made efforts locally to “address racial and economic injustice.”

For Stevenson, the plans for the memorial and an accompanying museum were rooted in decades spent in Alabama courtrooms, witnessing a criminal justice system that treats African-Americans with particular cruelty, or indifference.

Since 1989 the Equal Justice Initiative has offered legal services to poor people in prison, toiling away in a city awash in Confederate commemorations (Monday was Confederate Memorial Day in Alabama), in a state with the nation’s highest per capita death sentencing rate. Nearly every staff member is a lawyer with clients in the prison system.

Stevenson, whose great-grandparents were slaves in Virginia, has written about “just mercy,” the belief that those who have committed serious wrongs should be allowed a chance at redemption. It is a conviction he has spent a career arguing for on behalf of clients, and he believes it is true even for the white America whose brutality is chronicled by the memorial.

“If I believe that each of us is more than the worst thing he’s ever done,” he said, “I have to believe that for everybody.”

But the history has to be acknowledged and its destructive legacy faced, he added.

And this is particularly hard in “the most punitive society on the planet.”

People do not want to admit wrongdoing in the US, Stevenson said, because they expect only punishment.

“I’m not interested in talking about

America’s history because I want to punish America,” Stevenson continued. “I want to liberate America. And I think it’s important for us to do this as an organization that has created an identity that is as disassociated from punishment as possible.”

The initiative’s headquarters are a few blocks away in a building that was once a warehouse in Montgomery’s sprawling slave market. It is now the site of the Legacy Museum, a companion piece to the memorial.

It is not a conventional museum, heavy on artifacts and detached commentary.

It is perhaps better described as the presentation of an argument, supported by firsthand accounts and contemporary documents, that the slavery system did not end but evolved: from the family shattering domestic slave trade to the decades of lynching terror, to the suffocating segregation of Jim Crow to the age of mass incarceration in which we now live.

The museum ends with a nod toward the future. By the exit is a section with a voter-registration kiosk, information on volunteer opportunities and suggestions on how to discuss all of this with students. Given what has come before, it seems a jarring expression of confidence in the possibility of change. But there are good reasons for it.

Among the accounts given at the museum is that of Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 28 years on Alabama’s death row after being wrongly convicted of two murders by an all-white jury. The case for his innocence seemed straightforward, but lawyers at the Equal Justice Initiative spent 16 years working for his freedom, appealing the case all the way to the US Supreme Court. Hinton knows firsthand how stubborn injustice can be, but he is blunt: If people just gave up in despair, he would be dead. New York Times News Service

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, May 5, 2018 A9

Microsoft Windows adapts as its business importance declines

BY MATT O’BRIEN The Associated Press

Instagram accounts worth following PRIMETIME

DINNA CHAN VASQUEZ @dinnachanvasquez luckydinna@gmail.com

I

NSTAGRAM is one of the most popular social-networking sites in the world. As of September 2017, the platform had over 800 million members.

Nearly everybody I know is on Instagram, including my 79-year-old mother, my 21-year-old daughter and our 34-year-old helper.

I follow over 1,000 accounts on Instagram, most of them related to beauty. But I do follow some nonbeauty-related accounts. My criteria may not be the same as most people so while I appreciate beauty in any form, swimsuit photos and themed feeds won’t do it for me. I look at content and stories. An account is interesting to me if it tells a story.

Here are some I would recommend if you like food, mixed martial arts or even shoes.

■ @MASARAPBA, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 176,000.

“Masarap ba?” translated to “Is it delicious?” in Filipino. This is what this account is all about. The person who runs the account is anonymous and

/

THE special edition Acer Aspire 6 Avengers: Infinity War Captain America Edition

chooses to remain so but here is what we know of him or her—this person loves animals. What makes Masarap Ba different from other food/eating accounts is that the moderator actually interacts with followers by following back and/or replying to comments and private messages. Masarap Ba reviews restaurants/food thoroughly and puts everything into consideration. He or she is also not above giving anything and anyone a second chance.

■ @DIET_PRADA, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 402,000.

If you love fashion, you need to follow anonymous account Diet Prada for the latest news and updates.

The account likes calling out copyright infringements.

Everybody and anybody who’s interested in fashion follows this account. Diet Prada made its first post in 2014. Since then they have made close to 700 posts.

It’s amazing how much time they have to do research on shameless copycats. It’s also amazing how they haven’t been sued yet, although they do have a lot of enemies, including Stefano Gabbana of, yes, global fashion powerhouse Dolce & Gabbana.

■ @PLASTICSOLUTIONPH, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 5,785. Thanks to Plastic Solution, I learned about ecobricks, which are essentially plastic bottles filled with nonbiodegradable waste. Eco-bricks can be used as fillers for walls. Here’s one tip for filling the bottles: There should be no air inside. It should be as solid as a block. If you have any questions about eco-bricks, send a private message to @plasticsolutionph. They are very helpful.

■ @FOODDUDEPH, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 17,700 FOLLOWERS. The account is run by Angelo Comsti,

a food writer and expert. His photos are exquisite and his captions spot-on. I’m not a big fan of people curating their feeds but Angelo’s feed is truly goals.

His captions aren’t very flowery; Comsti is always straight to the point.

■ @DJBIGBOYCHENG, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 19,300.

If you’re a sneaker lover and a wannabe hypebeast, follow Big Boy Cheng, who has the most awesome collection of sneakers and Supreme items probably in the world. He has new sneakers probably every week, so you’ll always be happy if living vicariously will do it for you. Big Boy is also very friendly so he replies to comments, even from people he doesn’t know.

■ @TWOBAKERS.PH, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 4,406.

The account is run by two bakers who create the most amazing cookies in different forms and flavors.

You can’t just order the cookies. The bakers are quite particular about quality control so ordering is done in batches. Ordering is scheduled every Sunday at 3 pm so if you love good cookies, make sure you have notification for this account turned on.

■ @ROBTOYS, NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS: 94,900.

The account is moderated by an Indonesian toy collector, whose toys are mostly action figures.

His Avengers toy figures are amazing, particularly the ones from Guardians of the Galaxy. According to the collector in a caption, he started his hobby in 2009.

“In 2007 I fell sick and under medication for couple years. This hobby helped me cope during the time of my sickness and I think it helped me get better faster. Believe me, I don’t drink my medicine so often anymore,” @robtoys said. ■

FOR Microsoft, Windows is no longer a core business so much as a complement to the company’s other offerings.

The company still makes money from Windows, the computer operating system that helped catapult the Microsoft brand to success more than three decades ago. But Windows’s share of the business has shrunk.

The company last Thursday reported third-quarter revenue of $26.8 billion, an increase of 16 percent over the previous year. By contrast, Windows licensing revenue grew by just 4 percent. The slow growth of Windows sales is not too much of a worry for Microsoft, as the Redmond, Washington, company is using Windows to get individuals and businesses to spend on other products. That means giving out free updates to Windows 10 on a regular basis, rather than holding out for customers to pay for new versions every few years.

“By making Windows less restrictive, they’re creating a more beneficial environment for the adoption of other products,” Morningstar analyst Rodney Nelson said.

Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has been boosting its efforts on Internet-based services in an acknowledgment that people are buying personal computers with Windows less often and are instead spending their time on phones and other devices.

These services, mostly designed for business customers, include the cloud computing service Azure and subscriptions for the Office 365 suite of workplace software, such as e-mail and spreadsheets. For individuals, Microsoft has also been using Windows to steer people to ad-support services, such as Bing searches or as a portal for its Xbox gaming system.

The shift was a bold move for a company that depended so much on Windows licenses for revenue. Windows still made up 29 percent of Microsoft’s total revenue in 2010, three years after Apple’s release of the first iPhone began shaking up the PC market. By last year Windows was pulling in about $15 billion in annual revenue—about the same amount as a decade earlier, but now only about 16 percent of the company’s total business.

Microsoft’s earnings for the January-to-March quarter beat Wall Street forecasts in both revenue and profit, powered largely by the performance of the cloud and Office businesses. It reported profit of $7.42 billion, or 95 cents per share. The company doesn’t release its total Windows revenue in its quarterly reports. The revenue comes from license fees paid by manufacturers that install Windows on PCs and servers. Nelson said Microsoft will still get a shortterm benefit from consumers and businesses that are still cycling off Windows 7 or Windows 8 and moving onto new computers equipped with Windows 10.

But Nelson said the long-range view under Nadella, who became CEO in 2014, is to expect less revenue from Windows over time. “Pretty much from Day 1 Satya has been deemphasizing Windows,” Nelson said. “Windows probably isn’t going to matter nearly as much in 10 years as it did 10 years ago.”

Nadella last month split the Windows division in a reorganization that appeared to outside observers to further deemphasize its importance. Terry Myerson, a longtime executive in charge of Windows, stepped down.

Nadella, however, added in an e-mailed note to employees that the “future of Windows is bright” as it becomes more deeply connected to Microsoft’s other offerings.

Acer launches ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ special notebooks ACER has announced the launch of new Marvel Studios’s Avengers: Infinity War special notebooks. Done in collaboration with Marvel Studios, the Aspire 6 Captain America Edition, Nitro 5 Thanos Edition, and Swift 3 Iron Man Edition are available until supplies last.

Within a premium aluminum cover featuring with Captain America’s iconic pentagram, the Aspire 6 Marvel Studios Avengers: Infinity War Captain America Edition is powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics. The special-edition

Aspire 6 comes with 4 GB of DDR4 memory (user-upgradeable to 16 GB) and 1 TB of Sata HDD storage, and also packs a HD camera with HDR, while Dolby Audio Premium provides a great entertainment experience.

Speedy network connectivity is provided with 2x2 MIMO 802.11ac wireless technology and Gigabit Ethernet.

Enhanced multimedia performance is what makes this special-edition Aspire 6 stand out from the pack. Its 15.6-inch Full HD display with IPS technology provides consistent colors and viewing from wide angles.

Acer TrueHarmony delivers life-like audio, while two digital microphones with Acer Purified Voice ensure a great Cortana with Voice experience. For additional peripherals, there is a USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 port, USB 3.0 port that supports power-off charging, and another two USB 2.0 ports.

The new Nitro 5 Marvel Studios Avengers: Infinity War Thanos Edition is part of Acer’s Nitro product line for casual gaming. The notebook’s top cover features a Thanos portrait decorated by IMR (In-Mold Roller) finishing

technology, which complements its bold matte black chassis outlines and hairline-brushed finish. The special edition of Nitro 5 is powered

by NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics with 4 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, a 7th Generation Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor and 8 GB of DDR4 memory (user-upgradable to 16GB).

Ideal for accelerating boot-up time and shortening in-game loading times, the special-edition Nitro 5 comes equipped with a super-fast 128 GB SSD paired with a 1 TB HDD for storage.

The Nitro 5 Thanos Edition has a 15.6inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, while Dolby Audio Premium and Acer TrueHarmony technology provides incredible sound depth.

These work in tandem to provide immersive experiences for gaming or watching movies. Of course, no gaming system is complete without a thermal solution to manage heat and keep the system running optimally.

The Nitro 5 features dual fans with Acer Coolboost technology, which deliver heightened fan speeds and cooling ability, and allow users to manually control the cooling process when

heavy use requires an added boost.

Measuring in at 17.95 mm in height and weighing 1.6 kg, the Swift 3 Marvel Studios Avengers: Infinity War Iron Man Edition’s svelte and lightweight design features a sturdy aluminium top cover decorated with Iron Man’s glowing Arc Reactor.

It features an 8th Generation Intel Core i58250U processor, Intel UHD Graphics 620, and offers up to 10 hours of battery life to help users power through a full day of work and beyond.

In addition to its battery life, Swift 3 sports a collection of other indispensable features for achieving maximum productivity, including a vivid 14-inch Full HD IPS antiglare display, a fast 256 GB SSD, 8 GB of memory and 802.11ac 2x2 MU-Mimo wireless technology for fast and reliable internet connectivity.

The Acer Avengers: Infinity War limitededition laptops can be had at a 36-month installment plan with zero-interest when using any HSBC credit card. Simply visit any VillMan branch or VillMan-Acer Concept store until May 24 to avail yourself of the promo.

For information, visit www.acer.com.ph.

A10 Saturday, May 5, 2018

BusinessMirror

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum to leave Facebook amid privacy �lap /

WHATSAPP Cofounder and CEO Jan Koum, shown here at the Mobile World Congress, confirmed on his Facebook page that he is leaving WhatsApp and Facebook, saying it is time for him to “move on.” AP

S

BY MICHAEL LIEDTKE The Associated Press

AN FRANCISCO—WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum is breaking ties with his company’s parent, Facebook, amid a privacy scandal that has dogged the social network for weeks.

Koum confirmed his departure from WhatsApp on Monday on his Facebook page. The Washington Post reported that Koum also plans to resign from Facebook’s board of directors. Facebook wouldn’t comment on that report.

Facebook has been trying to defuse questions about whether it can be trusted with the reams of personal information it collects to sell ads and whether its social network does more harm than good. Koum didn’t elaborate on his reasons for leaving, other to say it was time to “move on” so he could spend more time “collecting rare aircooled Porsches, working on my cars and playing ultimate frisbee.”

But Koum also may have been embroiled in a rift with Facebook management over the parent company’s voracious appetite for personal information and WhatsApp’s dedication to user privacy, according to the Post report. WhatsApp uses encryption technology that makes messages indecipherable to everyone but the sender and recipient. WhatsApp also runs no ads. Facebook’s enormous profits, meanwhile, are powered almost entirely by advertising targeted to its users’ interests.

Koum’s defection could put CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an uncomfortable position on Tuesday, when he takes the stage at a company conference. In attendance will be more than 5,000 app software developers, some of whom may be WhatsApp users.

Zuckerberg is already expected to reiterate some of the apologies he’s been offering in the wake of revelations that Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica, a data mining firm tied to President Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign, to obtain personal information from as many as 87 million of its users.

In a reply to Koum’s Facebook post, Zuckerberg told him he would miss working together.

“I’m grateful for everything you’ve done to help connect the world, and for everything you’ve taught

www.businessmirror.com.ph

‘Government can lead digitization of enterprises in PHL’

BY RODERICK L. ABAD Contributor

me, including about encryption and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people’s hands,” Zuckerberg wrote.

Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, though without ever devising a clear strategy for how that service would make money. Both Koum and WhatApp’s other cofounder, Brian Acton, had expressed an aversion to allowing ads into their service, causing analysts to wonder if the acquisition would ever pay off for Facebook.

Acton left WhatsApp late last year and joined in the growing backlash against Facebook, endorsing a campaign that encouraged users to delete their

profiles from the social network.

But few of Facebook’s 2.2 billion users have departed so far, based on the audience and revenue growth the company reported last week.

Koum also signaled years ago that he would take a stand against Facebook if the company’s push to increase its profits demanded radical changes in the way WhatsApp operates. In a blog post written when Facebook announced the biggest acquisition in its history, Koum wrote that the deal wouldn’t have happened if WhatsApp “had to compromise on the core principles that will always define our company, our vision and our product.” ■

LG CITED AS WORLD’S BEST-SELLING OLED TV BRAND CONSUMER electronics giant LG Electronics (www. lg.com/ph) continues to establish its strong foothold in the OLED TV market with impressive, industrytopping sales in 2017.

Global sales and shipments show LG is again the world’s best-selling brand for OLED TVs, according to the TV Sets Market Tracker, a report that surveyed manufacturers in Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America and Western Europe. The survey was conducted by leading third-party research agency IHS Markit, a provider of next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government.

Of this achievement, Inkwun Heo, LG Philippines managing director, said, “It’s an achievement for us at LG to be named the world’s best-selling OLED TV

brand, proving that we have the trust of consumers and distributors not just in the Philippines but across the globe. Consumers are looking for homeentertainment solutions that give them the most options, best picture and best sound quality, and LG, which has been the world’s best-selling OLED brand since 2013, constantly endeavors to provide products that meet these requirements.”

LG boasts of OLED TV technology that offers digital enhancements that bring uncompromised image clarity, intense colors, powerful cinemaquality sound, clear viewing from every angle and a simple and fast webOS smart TV platform—all in an ultra-slim, blade-thin design. Innovative and energyefficient, LG’s OLED TVs underscore the brand’s commitment to providing maximum technology for maximum immersion.

WHILE digital transformation is generally slow in the Philippines, the government is now leading the way toward this direction, thus encouraging other industries and business players to follow suit and accelerate their growth, according to a top executive of a leading global provider of industryspecific cloud applications.

“We’re seeing increased demand for digitalization in the public-sector space, where many organizations are leveraging the use of sophisticated enterprise software and automated solutions to introduce system-wide efficiencies,” Infor Asia Pacific (Aspac) Senior Vice President and General Manager Helen Masters told BUSINESSMIRROR in an interview.

Citing the Cloud Readines Index 2018 report of the Asia Cloud Computing Association, she said the Philippines is consistently moving up in the ranking to No. 9, out of 14 Aspac economies, with a total score of 53.6.

In particular, it did well on aspects like addressing privacy (8.5) and freedom of information (5.9), she noted.

These factors, according to her, are very relevant for the business-process outsourcing industry—one of the main growth sectors contributing largely to national economic development. The country, likewise, got favorable grades in business sophistication (5.9), cybersecurity (5.9), intellectualproperty protection (5.9) and government regulatory environment (5.7). It was a bit below the average score of 5, though, in terms of broadband quality (4.8); as well as power grid, green policy and sustainability (4.5).

The vulnerability to hurricanes and other natural disasters (3.9), as well as international connectivity (2.5) make it a risky destination for local information hubs, per the research.

“Excellent connectivity to regional data centers becomes imperative to accelerate the shift to digitization,” Masters said.

Previous reports have shown the Philippines to have the slowest Internet speed in Southeast Asia, an indication of its poor digital infrastructure.

The SVP and GM of Infor in Aspac attributed this to the sluggish transition to digitization of local businesses and organizations as compared to their counterparts in the region.

With strong government drive towards Industry 4.0, however, she observes that many businesses today are encouraged to replace legacy systems with current technology to remain competitive in today’s connected business world.

“The government has invested significantly in infrastructure, and this has helped to accelerate the drive toward digitalization,” Masters said.

For instance, she cited the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration, which is aimed at addressing the physical infrastructure challenges nationwide.

The digital infrastructure investments included in this initiative, she said, can help fast-track national economic growth. Considering that international players leveraging on digital strategies are entering the domestic market, Masters urged organizations in all industries to learn to adapt to the evolving global landscape and take advantage of new strategies to transform.

“Modernizing, innovating and digitizing are keys to face the global competition,” Masters stressed.

LinkedIn launches Career Advice to help young professionals navigate crossroads QUARTER-LIFE crisis—a period in one’s mid-20s to early30s marked by feelings of doubt and insecurity, which can lead to anxiety or depression—affects as much as 87 percent of 25- to 33-year-old Filipino professionals today. This is according to a survey commissioned by LinkedIn (www. linkedin.com), the world’s largest professional network.

FINANCES IS A PRESSING ISSUE

MORE than 60 percent find their quarter-life crisis marked by worries that they are not earning enough. More than half (54 percent) also feel unsure about what to do next in their lives or careers, while 53 percent are frustrated with their career options.

While half of respondents have an idea about what their dream job is, they are uncertain about how best to approach a career move. They report feeling stuck in their current roles (49 percent) with no transferrable skills, or feel that their current workplaces don’t offer enough support to help them progress (46 percent).

Many want advice to help them figure out what to do next,

but don’t know where to go for answers (71 percent).

More than half (61 percent) are looking for career mentors, but are worried that they don’t have the connections to find one on their own.

FIND YOUR WAY WITH CAREER ADVICE

IN response to this need, LinkedIn is introducing its new Career Advice feature in the Philippines, to make it easier for professionals to connect with one another for advice, “While there isn’t one simple solution to get over a quarter-life crisis, getting advice from people that have had similar experiences can help navigate these career crossroads,” said Linda Lee, LinkedIn’s Head of Communications for Southeast Asia and North Asia. “Getting an unbiased point of view from someone with the right experience can give you a fresh perspective. Remember that you are not alone in your struggles—it’s likely others have been in the same situation as you before.”

Those interested in looking for job negotiation tips, making a career switch, or pursuing one’s passions, among

others, can use the feature to find professionals on LinkedIn who can help based on the type of advice needed or mutual interests. Whether you’re experiencing a quarter-life crisis or not, LinkedIn’s Career Advice can help you gain new insights, expand your professional network and maybe even lead you to your next opportunity.

FROM QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS TO QUARTER-LIFE OPPORTUNITY

WHILE quarter-life crisis may not feel like a positive experience, you can turn your feelings of uncertainty to your advantage: ■ TAKE A STEP BACK AND IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE. It’s easy to be weighed down with all of the pressures of work and family expectations, often making you too close to the situation. Take a step back and write down what is making you most nervous, be it saving, not being happy in your current industry, or even your personal relationships. This will allow you to address the problem and stand you in good stead to talk to others.

■ RESEARCH. Once you have assessed your situation, it’s important to research your options and, most important, your passions. Whether it’s starting a new career altogether, taking a break or progressing with your current role—it’s necessary to be aware of your possibilities.

■ TALK TO OTHERS. It’s important to discuss feelings of discontent. Talking to others about certain issues not only helps you rationalize the problem but helps with the solution.

Though it’s great that your friends and family are there to support you, it is also good to get an impartial perspective.

LinkedIn’s Career Advice feature can be especially useful for finding people who can help enlighten you.

HOW YOU CAN GET STARTED

GO to the dashboard on your LinkedIn Profile and find the Career Advice hub. With the feature, you will be able to connect easily with a range of mentors. With more than 546 million professionals in the LinkedIn community, there is no other place where you can access such a wide range of knowledge, skills and resources to help you reach your goals.

BusinessMirror

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Saturday, May 5, 2018 A11

Sleep mode? Tech giants’ kids’ ‘fixes’ amount to baby steps

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BY BARBARA ORTUTAY The Associated Press

EW YORK—Facebook is adding a “sleep” mode to its Messenger Kids service to let parents limit when their kids can use it.

It’s the latest concession that tech companies are making as critics question whether they should be targeting kids at all. Among their chief concerns: The effects on kids are not yet known, and companies might not have children’s best interests at heart when tech for kids is such a lucrative market.

Rather than kill the services completely, as some critics want, Facebook, Amazon and Google are mostly tinkering at the edges. That leaves open the underlying questions of whether their products truly serve a need for the youngest set and if they are good for them.

Here’s a look at the changes announced this week:

Viber continues to offer stronger, more secure connections to Filipinos

FACEBOOK’S MESSENGER KIDS LAST December Facebook created a kids-friendly version of its Messenger app. It has no ads and gives parents plenty of controls over whom their children can chat with. The thinking was that while the regular apps are designed for people 13 or over, younger kids were on it anyway. Facebook saw Messenger Kids as a way to give the younger set a safer option.

■ The changes: Parents can now specify the times kids aren’t allowed on—either as a one-time restriction or something recurring, such as after 9 pm every school night. While the app is in sleep mode, kids will get a message when they open it telling them so, and they won’t be able to use it.

■ The shortcomings: Critics say that Messenger Kids isn’t responding to a need, but rather creating one. “It appeals primarily to children who otherwise would not have their own social-media accounts,” states a letter signed by 100 child development experts and advocates. Merely offering time controls falls short of killing the app completely.

AMAZON’S ALEXA SURE, it’s fun to ask Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to fart—as many kids have discovered after parents buy an Alexa-enabled Echo speaker. But parents and childhood experts have been wondering what effects smart speakers may have on young kids, who may not quite understand whether Alexa is human and maybe learn from barking orders at her that barking orders is OK. ■ The changes: Alexa will soon thank kids for

shouting out questions “nicely” if they say “please,” the online retail giant announced last Wednesday. The new response is part of a kid-friendly update that’s coming next month, giving parents more control over the voice assistant. Adults can also set Alexa to go silent at bedtime or block music with explicit lyrics.

■ The shortcoming: This may be appeasing parents just enough to buy more Amazon products. After all, the company didn’t get to where it is today by missing out on new business opportunities. Amazon said it will now sell an $80 Echo Dot aimed at children, complete with colorful cases and a two-year warranty (regular Echo Dots are $50).

YOUTUBE KIDS SINCE 2015 the Google-owned service has had a childoriented app, YouTube Kids, described as a “safer” experience for finding Peppa Pig episodes or usergenerated videos of people unboxing toys.

Nonetheless, the company has been under fire for not vetting out computer-generated, sometimes-

disturbing video, such as your favorite cartoon characters having painful dental surgery—or worse.

The nonprofit Campaign for a CommercialFree Childhood has also asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether YouTube’s data collection and advertising practices violate federal child privacy rules.

■ The changes: YouTube said this week that it is overhauling its kids app so parents can limit video to those vetted by humans, rather than computers.

With this option, kids can watch only a selection of children’s programming, such as Sesame Street and PBS Kids.

■ The shortcomings: The old automated system is on by default, meaning parents need to actively choose the human-only option. And YouTube is continuing to show ads on its kid-focused service.

It also doesn’t help that many kids (with or without their parents) use the main YouTube site for video, meaning they miss out on both human and automated controls for kids. ■

YouTube FanFest returns to Manila on May 11 YOUTUBE has announced the return of YouTube FanFest to Manila on May 11 at the World Trade Center. Now in its fourth year in town, YouTube FanFest, copresented by Globe Telecom and Vivo, is an exclusive live show showcasing the biggest YouTube stars from the Philippines and around the world, and a festival connecting them with fans #IRL. This year’s stellar lineup features a mix of talented international creators: Matt Steffanina, Sungha Jung, Merrell Twins, The Dominic Show and local sensations Janina Vela, Mikey Bustos, Ranz Kyle and Niana Guerrero, Wil Dasovich, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Michelle Dy, Pamela Swing, AC Bonifacio and Renee Dominique. These YouTube stars are set to take the stage at World Trade Center,

Pasay City, for a night filled with music, dance, and lots of fun.

As part of this year’s FanFest, fans will also get to explore the YouTube FanFest Festival where they can get up close and personal with their internet heros, and also experience the daily life of a YouTube star from shooting to uploading YouTube videos in themed booths and studios.

The Filipino YouTube community is on a historical rise. Today, the Philippines has over 230 channels that reached 100 thousand subscribers, and more than 15 channels with 1 million-plus subscribers. That is a meteoric jump from just 70 channels with 100,000 subscribers and eight channels with 1 million-plus subscribers that YouTube

announced last year.

“We’re delighted to host YouTube FanFest again in the Philippines for the fourth time to celebrate this new generation of YouTube stars. Started in 2015 the YouTube community here has turned a simple tweet it into a movement. We love coming here because of Filipino fans’ energy and enthusiasm, and to see international creators and homegrown Filipino talents shine on stage,” said Chris Schremp, YouTube director of global online partnerships.

Tickets are available via TicketWorld Manila.

YouTube creators will also be giving away their own tickets to the show and meet-and-greet sessions via their social-media channels.

For more details, visit www.youtubefanfest.com/ph.

EVER wonder why you suddenly get schedule prompts in your messaging app while making plans to meet someone, or hotel recommendations on your social-media feed after telling a friend that you wanted to travel?

That’s because certain social and messaging apps can take a peek into your private messages and use them as valuable data for their systems’ algorithms— or for their advertisers.

Filipinos are the top social-media users in the world, and because we love connecting with our loved ones on these platforms, it should come as no surprise the Philippines was revealed as the second in the list of countries with the greatest likelihood to have had their personal information on a certain social-media site improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, the infamous consulting firm that specializes in data mining and analysis. Because of these recent events in the tech world, Filipinos have been concerned and alarmed about their privacy and the security of the personal data that they share over social media.

Your private chats and audio or video calls, whether with one person or a group of a hundred or more, should stay completely private and personal. That’s why Rakuten Viber, a leading global messaging and voice app, has taken careful steps to ensure your data remains secure. In order to ensure that your data will always remain private, Viber uses end-to-end encryption.

What is end-to-end encryption? All your private and group communications including chats, calls, and video calls are all encrypted by default, not as an option so that no one—not even Viber—can see, read or hear them.

When you send a Viber message, whether it’s on mobile or desktop, the data travels from your device to the recipient’s as a scrambled code so that only their device has the unique key to translate this to plain text. Once your message has been delivered, none of the data is stored on Viber’s servers. In case your friend’s device is offline, Viber stores only the encrypted version of your message for a limited time still safe and secure until their device connects to the Internet and is able to receive what you sent.

While other messaging applications may require you to manually enable encryption, end-to-end encryption on Viber is on by default so users don’t have to worry about turning it on, and this has been standard on the app since the feature was made available. That means there’s no need to worry about suddenly receiving a targeted ad related to the subject of your private conversation— Viber cannot and will not, in any way, share your personal messages with anyone.

Viber is all about making sure you can enjoy better ways of communicating every day, and a big part of that is assuring you that the connections you make are strengthened by secure measures you can always count on.

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

BusinessMirror

Saturday, May 5, 2018 A12

The big smartphone sellout THE TECHNIVORE ED UY

whereiseduy@gmail.com

“In today’s modern world, people are either asleep or connected via their mobile phones.”

—JANICE H. REINOLD, ROSETTA MARKETING

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T has been a wild and exciting time for consumers and the tech media as smartphone brands Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Asus and even Nokia released their latest devices in quick succession in just a matter of weeks.

But what’s even more surprising are the initial sales figures being released by these smartphone companies, which either set new records or break previous ones.

Is it because of the upgraded specs? Those bundled preorder promos? The in-your-face marketing? Right pricing? Or maybe it’s just perfect timing?

HUAWEI’S P100-MILLION SALES NOT many were surprised with the huge turnout when Huawei released its new P20 series at the SM Mall of Asia Atrium last week.

It was, after all, one of the most anticipated and talked-about phones since its big reveal in Paris. And while the appearance of former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach certainly added prestige to the event, it was the special “drone delivery” of her Twilightcolored P20 Pro that made it more memorable.

Boasting of the world’s first Leica triple camera setup, the P20 Pro set a new record getting a score of 109 from the camera-testing site DxOMark, while its sibling the P20 scored 102, beating the pricier Samsung S9+, Google Pixel 2 and even the iPhone X. The Huawei P20 Pro has a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 2,244 x 1,080 resolution (18.7:9), and is powered by Huawei’s own HiSilicon Kirin 970. It has a 6GB RAM and 128GB expandable storage. Its triple rear cameras are composed of 40MP color + 20MP monochrome + 8MP telephoto with dualtone LED flash, while the front-facing camera has a 24-megapixel shooter. The smaller Huawei P20, meanwhile, has a 5.8-inch LCD display with a 2,244 x

1,080 resolution (18.7:9), plus the same HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor. It has a 4GB RAM and a 128GB storage.

The dual camera is made up of a 12MP color + 20MP monochrome lens. It also has a smaller 3,400mAh battery compared to the P20 Pro 4,000mAh. If those specs aren’t enough to convince you, Huawei also had a preorder promo where you got a Canon Printer worth almost P8,000 free.

But like what those TV shopping commercials say—but wait! There’s more!

To reward those who will be making the switch and lined up on the first day, Huawei also had a special one-day trade-in program that gave as much as P36,900 and P4,000 off when you purchase a new P20 or P20 Pro. The Huawei P20 Pro is priced at P44,990.

The Huawei P20 retails for P34,990, while the P20 Lite has an SRP of P15,990.

At the end of the day, Huawei Philippines announced that it made over P100 million ($5 million) in just �ive hours. Unfortunately, they didn’t share the breakdown of the figure, so we can’t say how many P20 Pros, P20 and P20 Lite they sold. But to give you an idea, that would be 2,223 units of P20 Pros sold; or 2,858 units if all of them were P20s, and more than 6,200 pieces if all of them were P20 Lite units.

Huawei also had an impressive first day when it launched its new budget superstar the Nova 2 lite earlier last month. Despite the fierce competition in the midrange market, the Nova 2 Lite sold 5000 units on launch day.

OPPO F7: BEAUTY AND THE BASHING WHEN it comes to making a mark on the local smartphone market, nothing comes close to impact made by Oppo since it debuted in 2014. I can still remember how their Chinese officials participated in a surprising dance performance at their launch in Sofitel. The Chinese smartphone maker again made (tidal) waves when it launched its newest flagship, the Oppo F7. The selfie expert exceeded customer expectations achieving a total of 37,687 units sold on the first day of sale, breaking the company’s previous record of 33,000 units for predecessor Oppo F5 in October 2017.

“Oppo F7’s outstanding value for money and selfie-expert features are what captured the Filipinos’ interest. We believe that more than the F7, people now see Oppo as a brand that can be their partner in their daily lifestyle,” said Eason de Guzman, Oppo Philippines’s public relations manager.

The Oppo F7 is the world’s first 25MP front-facing camera on a smartphone with the latest Sony IMX576 sensor HDR for clear and backlight-worthy selfies. It

boasts of its improved AI Beauty Technology 2.0 that analyzes the face in more than 296 recognition spots and beautifies it in 3 individual zones. The Oppo F7 also has a 6.23” FHD+ Super Full Screen display, 12nm octa-core processor with two dedicated AI cores, and a 3400mAh battery with AI management.

The Oppo F7 priced at SRP P17,990, while the more powerful Oppo F7 128GB is priced at P21,990.

But what really caught the public’s attention, (besides its head-turning Solar Red variant) is the campaign behind the F7: online bashing.

While the F7 TVC was headlined by the love team of Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, Oppo’s asked several other of its celebrity endorsers to share their personal experiences with regards to handling public perception and online bashing.

Janine Gutierrez, having been raised among a family of celebrities and controversy, entered the entertainment industry armed with the knowledge to not necessarily believe everything she hears from the people around her—especially when those things intend to bring down other people. She admits that it’s difficult to be victimized by judgers, but she knows just how to not let them get the best of her.

Actress and singer Janella Salvador asserts a powerful reminder to not let bashers bring you down simply because they aren’t worth it, and to always hold on to your faith to lift yourself up amid any hardship. TV personality Robi Domingo takes on a more general stance on overall positivity, with his uplifting message about conquering each day— including off-days—with a good attitude. When things go wrong whether it’s within or out of your control, one thing you can control is how you face it and let it strengthen you.

Anchored on its “Capture the Real You” message, the brand encourages not only its ambassadors but also its entire community to let go of online negativity and embrace their true selves.

“Sometimes, it helps to hear the stories of other people to draw inspiration and apply that optimistic disposition in their own way. Our advocacy is to help empower people, especially those who have been knocked down or discouraged by online haters. The stories of Sanya [Lopez], Janine, Robi and Janella have made them the strong, talented and successful artists they are today,” de Guzman added.

KATHNIEL AND THE VIVO V9 FINALLY, there’s Vivo, the upstart brand whose roster of celebrity endorsers (33 as of last count) easily trumps all the other brands combined (maybe except for Oppo).

The Mall of Asia Atrium was packed with hundreds (or were there thousands?) of fans screaming their lungs out as Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla appeared on stage to introduce the new Vivo V9. KathNiel’s appearance is part of Vivo’s Mall Tour series which began with the introduction of new ambassadors Ivan Dorschner and Edward Barber to complete the MayWard tandem (with Maymay Entrata). This was followed by a consumer launch at Market! Market! this time with Elisse Joson and Mccoy de Leon. After KathNiel, Vivo also held a mini concert with KZ Tandingan and TJ Monterde also at the Mall of Asia. Last Sunday, the Vivo V9 Mall Tour was at SM North Edsa this time with Julie Ann San Jose and Barbie Forteza.

Launched late March, the brand’s Mall Tour series further drive sales of the V9 which already had 18,000 preorders ahead of its launch.

The Vivo V9 elevates its selfie expertise by seamlessly integrating artificial intelligence technology with the 24-megapixel front camera. The V9 features an improved AI Face Beauty technology and over 40 built-in AR Stickers to make taking selfies more fun. The smartphone also has a 6.3inch FullView Display for an unparalleled viewing experience with a 90-percent screen-to-body ratio.

The Vivo V9 is priced at P17,990.

SHIFTING SMARTPHONE PREFERENCES ACCORDING to the most recent report from the International Data Corp. (IDC), device usage habits of Filipinos are rapidly changing, and it is reshaping the connected device trends in the country. There is also a clear trend that’s emerging in the Philippine smartphone market where end users are shifting to handsets with higher specs and better features.

Historically, the Philippines has been among the price-sensitive markets in Asia/Pacific. Ultra low-end smartphones (<$100) still hold the lion’s share of the market, accounting for 59 percent of all smartphones in 2017 compared with 67 percent in 2016. But the combined share of low-end ($100<$200) and midrange ($200<$400) smartphones grew to 35 percent from 28 percent in 2016.

Chinese brands Oppo and Vivo were the key driving brands that led to the growth of the low-end and midrange segments in 2017.

“Heavy marketing campaigns and lucrative sales promoter incentives enabled these brands to strengthen their mindshare in the local market, increase their shipments and grow their respective market shares,” said Jensen Ooi, senior market analyst of client devices for IDC Asean. ■

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BusinessMirror

Saturday, May 5, 2018 A13

A14 Saturday, May 5, 2018

Meralco, Alfamart ink Business Growth deal Inflatable Island presents giant unicorns and rainbows

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anila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Alfamart recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to formalize an already strong partnership.

Alfamart, a primarily franchised chain of convenience stores from Indonesia with over 350 stores in the Philippines, is a minimarket concept that combines elements from both convenience and sari-sari stores.

The Meralco Biz partners helped energize over 300 Alfamart stores in the Philippines and, because of the quick energization, the time from start of construction to energization was reduced by about 45 days per store, resulting to an average savings of P2.25 million per store.

The MOU lays down the areas of cooperation and collaboration with respect to the strategic partnership aimed at helping Alfamart in the expansion of its stores, in line with Meralco’s thrust of providing its customers with the best value in energy, products and services. Meralco is committed to meeting Alfamart’s goal of having 600 stores in the Philippines this year.

In photo are (from left) Ma. Cecilia Domingo, Meralco senior assistant vice president and head of Biz Partners Group; Alfredo S. Panlilio, Meralco SVP and head of Customer Retail Services and Corporate Communications; Harvey Ong, Alfamart chief executive officer; and Subrata Tedjosukmono, Alfamart SVP for Business Development and Construction.

nflatable Island is the biggest floating water park in Asia. And this summer, we just got bigger. This time, we’re bringing unicorns and rainbows near Subic’s shores for a magical beach experience.

Unicorn Island is the latest addition to our floating playground. It’s specially made for kids and kiddos. Wobble on our rainbow walk, climb on a sea unicorn or slide down the back of baba, our resident gigantic magical horse! With this, you now have over 4,000 square meters of inflatable fun for your super inflatable adventure.

Surrounding the new attraction are isles of floating flamingo and unicorn cabanas that can hold up to 6 people!

Our Bali Lounge has been transformed into a pink oasis! Relax and take your best photo, as we brighten up our lounge with hues of pink and purple. Plus, new eats and

drinks to complement our sweet spot!

The young and the young at heart can all come together for a fun and unforgettable experience with their family, friends and even strangers. This park is suitable for kids and adults. Height requirement is at 3 feet for our little kid’s pass.

Inflatable island opens from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. We have an hour of sprinkle and two hours of splash; half-day pass (spray) is from 8 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m.

Soaked passes for whole day is also available.

All-play passes (one hour, two hours, half day and whole day) have whole day access to the beach, pink Bali lounge and floating zoo.

For the best bouncing experience, we recommend wearing rash guards and swim legging/shorts. This is a wipeout workout—you will slip and slide so better have the best outfit to match it! We also

still do recommend to bring bikinis and/ or board shorts, so customers can take their Instagram feed goals at our floating zoo and Bali lounge before going into the fluffy playground!

Our beach can be found on the roadside going to Zambales. Easily a two-and-a-halfhour trip from Manila. We offer one of a kind team building experience. Discounted rates for 20 pax and up is available.

We are also perfect for parties, school tours/team building and other events (fun runs, sports fest, among others).

Customers must arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled time to make room for signing in process, safety instructions and life vest fitting.

Priorreservationsarehighlyencouraged, so book your slots now. Save up to 10 percent when you book online!

Visit www.theinflatableisland.com.

PHL invaded by the Belgian fry culture

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D.O.H. partners with N.P.F. for Safety Seminar Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) partners with the Department of Health (DOH) Region 3 for basic life support and standard first-aid training held at the Nayong Pilipino Clark. The seminar aims to educate NPF employees with the principles of emergency care, basic life support, cardiopulmonary resusciation, first aid and various emergencies. The seminar also included skills practice to ensure proper application of lessons learned. With this seminar, NPF will be able to ensure park safety to all guests and visitors at all times. In photo are the NPF trainers: (from left) Karen Gay R. Javier, Dan Erwin U. Fernando, Errol Ernest Dytianquin, Jose Gener Pascual, Helen Fango, Eduardo Pasion, Rosanna S. Rosell, Estella Marie S. Salta and Jay Angelo M. Cauzo. The NPF is a nonstock, nonprofit government corporation created under Presidential Decree 37, series of 1972, which aims to promote and initiate activities in the social sciences, humanities and other related fields. The NPF is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday.

he Belgian frietkot culture (fry shops) has received the label of national intangible cultural heritage. With this step, the Belgian fry shops are on their way towards worldwide Unesco recognition. At the same time, the original Belgian fries are making its way to Southeast Asian markets. As the worldwide No. 1 export country, the Belgian fries exporters seek to increase market share in the Philippines.

Belgian fry shops are to be found in every Belgian city or village. Belgium recently recognized the fry-shop culture as national intangible cultural heritage. This recognition was made official by Prince Laurent of Belgium. With this first step toward worldwide Unesco recognition, Belgium confirms its position as the No. 1 fries export country.

Belgium’s No. 1 position is supported by a growing presence of original Belgian fries in the Philippines. Later this year three major Belgian fries exporters will be present at major food trade fairs: Thaifex (Thailand, May 29June 2), Wofex (the Philippines, August 1-4) and Sial Interfood (Indonesia, November 21-24). As a group, it will be their first B2B exhibition in the Philippines under the banner of original Belgian fries from the heart of Europe, widening their networks and increasing their share of the Philippines’s growing market for processed potato products.

Agristo, Bart’s Potato Co., Clarebout

Potatoes, Ecofrost and Mydibel represent the five biggest family-owned businesses in the industry in Belgium. Their wide range of potato products and specialties are exported to over 100 countries worldwide. The companies are all halal-certified.

Their participation is part of a five-nation promotion campaign in Southeast Asia, a campaign cofinanced by the European Union’s “Original Belgian Fries. Universally Delicious.”

Next to the Philippines, the campaign is also set up in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. This campaign is coordinated

by Belgium’s VLAM (Flanders’ agricultural marketing board) and is supported by Belgapom, the association for the Belgian

potato trade and processing industry.

Romain Cools, secretary-general of Belgapom, confirms that last year was the “coming out year” for Belgian fries in Southeast Asia, and sees opportunities to expand exports.

“This is one of the world’s largest fast-growing regions with a rising middle class, rapid urbanization and an overall young population. These trends, together with Europe’s high food standards and innovation, and the unique taste and tradition of Belgian fries, will continue to drive demand. The Belgian frozen-fries industry is ready to reply to this in an original way, as our fries truly differ from those from other destinations.”

Delta CEO named among World’s Greatest Leaders by ‘Fortune’ CHAMPIONS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro (right) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) Executive Director Reynaldo Antonio D. Laguda formally launch the partnership for the Marikina Watershed Family Fun Run 2018 on May 20. Spearheaded by PBSP, the fun run is a fundraising initiative for the organization’s reforestation efforts at the Marikina Watershed, or the upper Marikina river basin protected landscape. PBSP, together with its member-companies and partners, has reforested over 300 hectares in the Boso-boso and Wawa areas of the watershed in Rizal. The program started in 2010 as a response to the catastrophic effect of Tropical Storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) in Metro Manila in 2009, which was attributed to factors including the loss of forest cover of the watershed.

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ortune magazine has named Delta Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ed Bastian as one of the prestigious list of The World ’s 50 Greatest Leaders for 2018, joining a group that includes captains of industry, world political leaders, and philanthropic and environmental trailblazers.

Bastian’s addition to the annual list of “Thinkers, speakers and doers who are stepping up to meet today’s challenges” is a first for the leader of any commercial airline. Previous honorees in 2014 include luminaries, such as Pope Francis, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett.

The 2018 list, which Fortune calls “the public figures and behind-the-scenes motivators we admire most” puts a special

emphasis on leaders who rise above the often complex obstacles of the modern age to do what’s best for the people they lead, inspiring many others outside their own organization or institution.

Fortune cited Bastian’s memo to employees following the airline’s decision to discontinue an NRA annual meeting discount: “Our decision was not made for economic gain, and our values are not for sale.” The publication called the company’s actions “a template for well-reasoned business leadership in a fragmented world.”

Others named among 2018’s greatest leaders are Apple CEO Tim Cook, Bill and Melinda Gates and Oprah Winfrey, as well as the CEOs of General Motors and JPMorgan Chase, and the presidents of France and South Korea.

Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands 2018 SM Supermalls Senior

‘Eton in Action’ Fun Run Sitel Philippines’s Eton site employees and families organized a day of running, dancing and camaraderie for their “Eton in Action” charity event. “Through the active participation of over 500 of our associates and their loved ones, we raised over P250,000 in donations,”said Michael dela Peña, vice president for Operations, Sitel Group.“We are thrilled with our associates’ overwhelming support for the event and their dedication to contribute to a worthy cause.”

The funds were donated to chosen event partner Kythe Foundation Inc. a nonprofit, nonstock organization that supports children with cancer and other chronic illnesses. In photo are (from left) Michael dela Peña and Rashmi Singh, vice presidents of Operations, Sitel; Kythe Foundation beneficiaries; and Sitel project coordinators Julie Ann Althea and Charlotte Decano.

Vice President for Marketing Jonjon San Agustin receives SM’s sixth Platinum award from Reader’s Digest Retail and Advertising Sales Director for Asia Pacific Sheron White at the Reader’s Digest Asia Trusted Brands 2018 held at Marco Polo Hotel Ortigas on April 26.

Once again, SM Supermalls joins the league of brands that scored Platinum for exceptional performance. Other platinum awardees are ABS-CBN, GMA, Cebu Pacific, PLDT and Century Tuna, among others.